Paris, France | AFP | Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, said she will adopt the role of first lady, but only in an informal capacity after opposition to plans to give her an official status. Speaking to Elle magazine in her first interview since her husband’s election …
Read More »South Korea’s Moon: There will be no war on Korean peninsula
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | There will be no war on the Korean peninsula, South Korean President Moon Jae-In said Thursday, saying Seoul effectively had a veto over US military action in response to the North’s nuclear and missile programmes. “All South Koreans have worked so hard together to …
Read More »Trump under fire over Charlottesville remarks
New York, United States | AFP | Donald Trump found himself in the eye of a political storm Wednesday after his stunning remarks on the unrest in Charlottesville, which sparked unease within his own camp and could be a turning point in his already chaotic presidency. Just about 200 days into …
Read More »Merkel reaches out to young voters on YouTube
Berlin, Germany | AFP | German Chancellor Angela Merkel, campaigning Wednesday for the youth vote on YouTube ahead of September 24 elections, said her favourite emoticon was the “smiley” and dismissed fears about a potential World War III. The 63-year-old leader, in power for nearly 12 years, also said she hoped …
Read More »Trump renews attack on Amazon, claiming ‘jobs lost’
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Amazon, claiming the US online colossus is doing “great damage” to other retailers and destroying jobs. Trump, who has criticized Amazon in the past, offered no specific facts to back up his argument. He launched his tirade …
Read More »Obama post-Charlottesville tweet most liked ever on Twitter
Washington, United States | AFP | A tweet by former president Barack Obama about the violence in Charlottesville has become the most liked message in the history of Twitter, the company said Wednesday. The tweet by the country’s first black president quoted Nelson Mandela. “No one is born hating another person …
Read More »Former presidents Bush condemn bigotry, anti-Semitism
Washington, United States | AFP | Former US leaders George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush on Wednesday issued a tough joint statement condemning racial bigotry and anti-Semitism, in a veiled rebuke of President Donald Trump. Trump sparked a political firestorm on Tuesday when he said counter-protesters appeared to be …
Read More »HICHILEMA: Zambia’s dogged opposition leader
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Hakainde Hichilema, who was released from custody after treason charges against him were dropped, is a self-made entrepreneur who has made five unsuccessful attempts to become the Zambian president. He alleges that the 2016 election was rigged and, as leader of the opposition United Party …
Read More »Trump makes racism ‘fashionable’ – James
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James reacted swiftly Tuesday to US President Donald Trump’s repeated claim that there was “blame on both sides” in the deadly racial unrest in Charlottesville. “Hate has always existed in America. Yes we know that but Donald Trump just made …
Read More »Zimbabwe’s fiercely loyal first lady
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s wife was once dismissed as a lightweight shopping addict with no political interests, but Grace Mugabe has recently emerged as a potential challenger for power. Aged 52, the first lady has become increasingly active in public life and in 2014 became the …
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