Beijing / AFP A tropical storm in China has left 21 people dead and 13 missing, reports said Thursday, after it lashed Taiwan with typhoon-grade winds and rain. Super Typhoon Nepartak brought chaos to Taiwan last week, forcing more than 15,000 people to flee their homes as part of the island saw its strongest winds in over a century. …

  Beijing / AFP China warned on Thursday of a “decisive response” to provocations in the South China Sea, as it faced mounting pressure to accept an international tribunal’s ruling against its claims to most of the strategically vital waters. The Philippines, which launched the legal challenge, called for China to respect the decision and defied Chinese objections by saying …

  Baghdad / AFP Iraqi security forces paraded through Baghdad on Thursday to celebrate victories over the IS extremist group, but an unannounced rehearsal two days earlier put a damper on the festivities. PM Haider al-Abadi reviewed the forces from a pavilion as they passed through central Tahrir Square, and military jets and helicopters overflew the city. The parade was …