South Africa, long a haven for migrants from across Africa, is trying to update its immigration policy with a number of changes, which one official says aims to strike a balance between being welcoming of immigrants and keeping the nation safe. Among the policy changes being considered: the creation of processing centers for asylum-seekers along …

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Jennifer Garner has called on Congress to do more to support early childhood education.   The actress testified Thursday on Capitol Hill in support of education programs for preschoolers in poverty. Garner recalled growing up in West Virginia around children in poverty. She told lawmakers that she “couldn’t stand up for them back then, but …

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A leading Russian bank says it was targeted by hackers who created a fake cyber trail to suggest extensive links with businesses owned by U.S. President Donald Trump. “These badly-intentioned attacks were carried out to create the false impression that Alfa Bank secretly maintains contacts with the Trump Organization, whereas in actual fact such contacts …

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A presidential campaign event organized by Russian anti-Kremlin activist Aleksei Navalny was abruptly halted, due to an alleged bomb threat. He blamed “idiotic authorities” for trying to stop him by evacuating the event. (RFE/RL’s Russian Service) …

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is ready to resume lending in Uzbekistan after a decade-long pause. …

U.S. President Donald Trump greeted Germany’s Angela Merkel at the White House on March 17 before heading into talks perceived as difficult as the two long-time allies now differ on issues such as NATO and immigration. …

Carmakers and suppliers gave widely differing timelines Thursday for the introduction of self-driving vehicles, showing the uncertainties surrounding the technology as well as a split between cautious established players and bullish new entrants. Chipmaker Nvidia, facing direct competition with the world’s top chipmaker after Intel’s $15 billion deal to buy Mobileye, an autonomous driving technology …

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The White House’s 2018 budget plan for the U.S. Department of Energy includes $120 million for nuclear waste programs, including the restart of licensing for Nevada’s Yucca Mountain, a project stalled for years by lawsuits and local opposition. The move signals that President Donald Trump may consider that nuclear waste solutions could extend the lives …

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Latin American countries are becoming more reliant on costly fuel imports amid floundering efforts to bolster domestic oil output and expand refinery capacity. Incomplete reform projects and budget cuts that have stalled investments are aggravating the situation for many Latin American countries. For refiners in the United States, it is a bonus: They have in …

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A U.K.-based watchdog and local paramedics are reporting that many worshippers have been killed and dozens injured in air strikes on a mosque in a rebel-held village in northern Syria. …

More than 1.2 million first-time asylum seekers were registered in EU member states in 2016, the European Union says. …

The Republican and Democratic leaders of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee said they have seen no indications that President Donald Trump’s New York offices were wiretapped before or during the 2016 election campaign. …

A North Korean hacking group known as Lazarus was likely behind a recent cyber campaign targeting organizations in 31 countries, following high-profile attacks on Bangladesh Bank, Sony and South Korea, cybersecurity firm Symantec Corp said Wednesday. Symantec said in a blog that researchers have uncovered four pieces of digital evidence suggesting the Lazarus group was …

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U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to get tough on trade partners like China, Mexico and Germany. Now his Treasury chief, Steven Mnuchin, will get his first opportunity to confront them all in one room. The meeting of the 20 most powerful economies’ finance ministers in Germany this week is likely to be dominated by …

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China and Saudi Arabia Thursday signed memorandums of understanding and letters of intent potentially worth about $65 billion during Saudi King Salman’s visit to Beijing, a senior Chinese diplomat said. Deputy Chinese Foreign Minister Zhang Ming said the agreements involved investment, energy, space and other areas, but did not give details.  The octogenarian monarch, who …

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A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on March 15 proposed providing another 2,500 visas to Afghans who worked for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, often at the risk of their own lives. …