London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will step back as senior members of the royal family and spend more time in North America, the couple said in a shock announcement on Wednesday. The surprise news follows a turbulent year for the monarchy, with …
Read More »Merkel, Macron, Johnson agree to work towards ‘reducing tensions’ in Mideast
Berlin, Germany | AFP | The leaders of Germany, France and Britain on Sunday agreed to work towards bringing about de-escalation in the Middle East amid heightened tensions following the US drone strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, a German government spokesman said. “The chancellor, the French president and …
Read More »Calling all ‘weirdos and misfits’: Britain wants you
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s chief adviser is calling for “weirdos and misfits” to apply for jobs in Downing Street, as part of a shake-up of how Britain’s government does business. Dominic Cummings outlined what he said was the need to diversify the skills and backgrounds …
Read More »EU chief writes ‘love letter’ to Britain over Brexit
London, United Kingdom | AFP | A top Brussels official has written a “love letter” to Britain expressing his grief at its decision to leave the European Union — and stressing it was always welcome back. “I know you now. And I love you. For who you are and what you …
Read More »Johnson vows to get Brexit done after sweeping election win
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday hailed a political “earthquake” in Britain after a thumping election victory which clears the way for the country to finally leave the EU next month after years of paralysing deadlock. With all but one result declared for the …
Read More »Brexit will make Britain ‘second-rate player’: EU’s Tusk
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Britain will be a “second-rate player” after Brexit, unable to compete with big powers like the US, China and EU, outgoing EU Council president Donald Tusk warned Wednesday. The former Polish premier said Brexit supporters were deluded if they thought leaving the EU would bring a …
Read More »Branson apologises to S.Africa for racially exclusionary tweet
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | British billionaire and Virgin founder Richard Branson apologised on Tuesday for posting a picture on Twitter he admitted “clearly lacked diversity” as he launched his new entrepreneurship development centre in South Africa. On Monday he tweeted a picture of himself and eight others captioned …
Read More »British PM Johnson loses election bid after EU backs Brexit delay
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British MPs on Monday defeated yet another attempt by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to force an early election, just hours after the European Union agreed to postpone Brexit for up to three months. The Conservative leader immediately announced an alternative plan to hold a …
Read More »‘Grave site of Kenyan anti-colonial rebel hero Dedan Kimathi found’
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The grave site of a guerilla leader in Kenya’s anti-colonial rebellion has been discovered beneath a prison in Nairobi, a foundation set up by his family says, more than 60 years after he was executed. Dedan Kimathi, a top insurgent in the Mau Mau uprising …
Read More »Johnson tells MPs ‘no better outcome’ than his Brexit deal
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Friday there was “no better outcome” to the tortuous Brexit process than his divorce deal, as he scrambled to get MPs behind the agreement ahead of a knife-edge vote in parliament. The day before the House of Commons meets …
Read More »