Davao / AFP The election of Rodrigo Duterte as Philippine president marks the latest victory for populist politics, as voters around the world reward candidates offering simple solutions to complex problems. In a country beset by crime, poverty and corruption, Duterte promised voters a raft of quick fixes that many analysts believe will remain empty promises. One of his …

  London / AFP A fifth of the world’s plant species are at risk of extinction, British researchers warned on Tuesday in an unprecedented global census of the plant kingdom. The survey by Britain’s Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, London, said 21 percent of species are under threat. The report, the first of its kind, is intended to become a …

  Washington / AFP Several massive tornadoes churned above Oklahoma, killing at least two people, with hail as big as grapefruit hitting the US state, the authorities and US media said. The storms began forming in southern parts of the state in the afternoon, local media reported, with the first confirmed twister hitting near Elmore City, in rural Garvin County. …