Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The EU has ditched the traditional “family photo” of leaders at Brussels summits as it seeks a more modern image for the bloc, European sources said. Until the end of last year, the 28 European Union leaders gathering for their regular meetings would pose together …
Read More »Nigeria’s Buhari returns but VP will stay in charge until Monday
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday returned to Nigeria after nearly two months’ medical leave in Britain but did little to quell fears about the state of his health by saying he would not start work again immediately. The 74-year-old, who has been in London since …
Read More »Buhari back in Nigeria after 2 months leave
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | President Muhammadu Buhari arrived back in Nigeria on Friday after nearly two months in London receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment. The 74-year-old landed at the airport in the northern city of Kaduna at about 7:40 am (0640 GMT) and was flown by helicopter to the …
Read More »More than 730 change gender on NY birth certificates
New York, United States | AFP | More than 730 people aged five to 76 have changed gender on New York birth certificates since 2015, an explosion in applications after rules were relaxed two years ago, officials said Thursday. The 731 gender-change applications approved since January 2015 come in stark …
Read More »South Korean president sacked by top court
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korean President Park Geun-Hye was fired by the country’s top court on Friday, as it upheld her impeachment by parliament over a wide-ranging corruption scandal. The unanimous decision brought to a climax months of political turmoil that brought millions of people onto the streets …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Trump takes risk in targeting critical Republican
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump took aim at a fellow Republican who opposes his healthcare reform plan Wednesday, in a bid to squash dissent that presents a major test to his presidential punch. After years of Republican efforts to rip up Barack Obama’s emblematic healthcare law, …
Read More »CIA says WikiLeaks disclosures help US adversaries
Washington, United States | AFP | The Central Intelligence Agency on Wednesday accused WikiLeaks of endangering Americans, helping US rivals and hampering Washington’s fight against terror threats by releasing what the anti-secrecy site claimed was a trove of CIA hacking tools. A CIA spokeswoman would not confirm the authenticity of the …
Read More »May sacks top Conservative over Brexit rebellion
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May has sacked Michael Heseltine, a senior figure in her Conservative Party, from various advisory roles for rebelling against the government in a Brexit vote in the House of Lords. Heseltine, 83, a former deputy prime minister nicknamed “Tarzan” for his …
Read More »Decried as Muslim ban, will Trump decree pass legal muster?
Washington, United States | AFP | States’ attorneys general, civil liberties groups and others are already lining up to challenge President Donald Trump’s revised ban on refugees and travelers from six mainly Muslim countries. But can they succeed in overturning a measure that was deliberately crafted to remove the red flags …
Read More »South Africa revokes decision to leave ICC
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa has formally revoked its controversial decision to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC) following last month’s High Court ruling that such a move would be unconstitutional. Notice of Pretoria’s decision to end the withdrawal process was posted on the UN’s treaty website this …
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