NEWS ANALYSIS

New York, United States | AFP | He was the personal lawyer to Donald Trump and the epitome of loyalty — a man who said he would “take a bullet” for his boss. No longer. Michael Cohen, once one of Trump’s most trusted lieutenants, completed his acrimonious break with the …

Belfast, United Kingdom | AFP | Prince William arrived in Northern Ireland on Wednesday as the British government seeks to reassure the once-troubled province at the centre of the Brexit drama that its hard-won stability will endure. The hastily-arranged two-day visit by the second-in-line to the throne and his wife Kate comes as MPs argue …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Muhammadu Buhari was on Wednesday re-elected Nigeria’s president after a delayed poll that angered voters and raised political temperatures, but the opposition immediately vowed to challenge the “sham” result in court. It was the second victory at the ballot box for Buhari, a one-time military ruler who was first elected …

Paris, France | AFP | Shares in Air France-KLM plummeted on Wednesday, a day after the Dutch government said it took a large stake in the troubled airline in a bid to match the French state’s influence. France has reacted testily to the surprise intervention by the Netherlands, which said it needed to protect Dutch …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Brendan Rodgers delivered on his promise to dominate Scottish football as Celtic manager, but his decision to leave behind the chance to win a third domestic treble for Leicester City is a bitter pill for many in Glasgow to swallow. Rodgers leaves the Scottish champions having won all seven …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Ahead of the second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, here are five key figures on the reclusive Asian country. – 67 percent – The portion of the workforce employed in the agriculture sector, according to the Food …

Sydney, Australia | AFP | Cardinal George Pell’s trial and conviction of child sex abuse in Australia was one of the biggest scandals to hit the Catholic Church, but the public was not allowed to know about it for months. A blanket gag order stopped reporters from even mentioning the trial’s …

  Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Is your dog getting enough exercise? Who will change your cat’s litter box while you are away on holiday? Relax. Mobile entrepreneurs are jumping into the pet industry with smartphone-enabled gadgets that can help care for your four-legged friends, from activity trackers to a litter …

Paris, France | AFP | Brexit will inflict “significant harm” on Britain’s National Health Service, experts warned on Tuesday, with a no-deal departure from the EU likely to provoke acute shortages of staff and medicines. With little over a month remaining until Britain is due to leave the European Union, there …

Sinuiju, North Korea | AFP | The manager of North Korea’s Sinuiju Cosmetics Factory clenches her fists when asked about a rival plant in Pyongyang, then bumps them together. “We compete,” Kim Hye Yong says firmly. Throughout the plant, masked workers in white overalls, gloves and hairnets operate machines producing shampoos, …