Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | The body of the assassinated half-brother of North Korea’s leader is to undergo an autopsy on Wednesday, police said as they searched for those responsible for the Cold War-style killing at a Malaysian airport. Two women are believed to have used some kind of …
Read More »Amina Mohammed, two other women named to top UN posts
United Nations, United States | AFP | Incoming UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday announced the appointment of Nigeria’s Environment Minister Amina Mohammed to be the UN’s number two official and tapped two other women for key leadership posts. Guterres has made gender parity a priority of his tenure which …
Read More »South Korean lawmakers impeach president
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korean lawmakers on Friday voted to impeach President Park Geun-Hye, stripping away her sweeping executive powers over a corruption scandal and opening a new period of national uncertainty. The National Assembly ballot immediately transferred Park’s authority to the prime minister, pending a decision …
Read More »ANALYSIS: S. Korea crisis proves perils of cheating at school
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | When South Korea’s Park Geun-Hye looks back on the scandal-fuelled implosion of her presidency, she may reflect ruefully on what lit the first fuse — a parent pulling strings over a child’s education. Park’s downfall was the result of her friendship with Choi Soon-Sil …
Read More »S. Korean presidential aides raided in scandal probe
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korean prosecutors on Saturday raided the homes and offices of senior advisers to President Park Geun-Hye, as she struggled with a corruption and influence-peddling scandal involving a close family friend. The crisis centred around Park’s long-time confidante Choi Soon-Sil has rocked her presidency, …
Read More »South Korea’s Park pushes reform of single-term presidency
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Monday called for constitutional reforms that could allow future presidents to serve two terms — as she struggles with plunging popularity ratings and a widening corruption scandal. While its constitution grants enormous power to the executive, South Korea …
Read More »Samsung suspends production of recalled Note 7
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Samsung Electronics has suspended production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, a report said Monday, a month after a recall prompted by battery explosions and a day after two major overseas distributors halted replacements. Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone maker, declined to comment on …
Read More »Samsung struggles with critical Note 7 recall
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Samsung said Wednesday it was doing its best to push through a challenging recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, as it offered a software fix to jolt users into returning defective devices. The success of the recall is seen as crucial to Samsung …
Read More »Samsung shares plunge over smartphone explosion debacle
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Samsung shares plunged Monday after the South Korean electronics giant urged global consumers to stop using its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone due to a spate of exploding batteries that raised alarm around the world. Stepping up its warnings, the world’s largest smartphone maker on …
Read More »Airlines ban use of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on flights
Singapore, Singapore | AFP | Singapore Airlines (SIA) said on Saturday that it has joined other airlines in banning the inflight use of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 phones after reports of exploding batteries in some units. “The powering up and charging of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile phones is prohibited …
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