| North Korea Pyongyang accused the United States of pushing the Korean peninsula to the "brink of nuclear war" after a pair of strategic U.S. bombers flew training drills with the South Korean and Japanese air forces in another show of strength.
Egypt As Islamic State steps up attacks on Coptic Christians, it is also trying to assert hardline religious authority in the remote area near Egypt’s border with Gaza. Graphic: Islamic State seeks to impose religious rules in Egypt's North Sinai
Washington The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert for Europe, saying U.S. citizens should be aware of a continued threat of terrorist attacks throughout the continent. Top aides to President Trump predicted the House of Representatives would move this week to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system. Republican lawmakers have struggled to unite around legislation, with moderates and conservatives within the caucus divided over key provisions. Trump questions why the Civil War had to happen.
Business Bill Shine, co-president of Fox News Channel, has become the latest executive to resign in the wake of a sexual misconduct scandal at the cable channel. Shine has been named in a number of lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct at the company, and was blamed for not doing more to prevent it. How two cutting-edge U.S. nuclear projects bankrupted Westinghouse. Hollywood writers said they reached a tentative deal with representatives of movie and television studios on a new contract, averting a strike that could have blacked out talk shows and soap operas. Bitcoin surged to an all-time high above $1,400, after more than tripling in value over the past year. Its most recent rise attributed to strong demand in Japan, where it’s been deemed a legal form of payment. The Met Gala 
Rihanna at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala - Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between - Arrivals - in New York City, REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
Germany The sharp increase in demand for "Made in Germany" goods from around the world is pushing Europe's largest economy into overdrive -- and, not coincidently, helping dispel worries about rising protectionism under U.S. President Trump.
Turkey Turkey under President Tayyip Erdogan has turned its back on joining the European Union, at least for now, the bloc's top official dealing with Ankara said, offering economic cooperation instead if both sides can restore friendly ties.
Japan Tokyo risks being one of the unhealthiest Olympic Games hosts in years, as a smoking ban proposal exposes deep rifts over tobacco tax revenue, personal freedom and the dangers of passive smoking, which kills thousands of Japanese people each year.
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