WORLD

Washington, United States | AFP | Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were a giant step closer toward securing their parties’ presidential nominations with powerful wins in a string of primary wins in the US Northeast. Barring a dramatic turn of events, Clinton has now cleared the way to become the …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan said it hoped that the return of South Sudan rebel chief Riek Machar and his swearing in as vice-president on Tuesday would help bring peace to the war-torn country. South Sudan won independence from Sudan under a peace agreement in 2011 but the world’s …

San Francisco, United States | AFP | Twitter shares slid Tuesday after a quarterly update worsened investor fears that the one-to-many messaging service can win enough users to be a lucrative, mainstream hit. Twitter posted a loss for the first quarter of 2016 of $80 million, compared with a loss …

La Paz, Bolivia | AFP | Bolivian President Evo Morales underwent a paternity test Monday to settle a dispute with an ex-girlfriend whose child he denies fathering, his lawyer said. In a case that has plunged the 56-year-old leader into scandal, Morales had claimed he fathered a child with her …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia said Monday it would create the world’s largest wealth fund and sell shares in state energy giant Aramco as it unveiled a vast plan to transform its oil-dependent economy. The announcement of the long-term reform programme, dubbed “Saudi Vision 2030”, marks the …

The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court said Monday she was opening a preliminary probe into violence in Burundi, which has been engulfed in a deep political crisis for a year. ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said she had been following events closely since …

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom | AFP | Thousands of people from around the world descended upon William Shakespeare’s hometown Saturday for a day of theatre, dancing and fireworks marking the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death. Some 10,000 people turned out in Stratford-upon-Avon, central England, to see a parade revved up …

United Nations, UNITED STATES | AFP | A record 175 countries, including the world’s top polluters China and the United States, signed the Paris climate deal Friday, boosting hopes of quick action on combating global warming. French President Francois Hollande was the first leader to put his signature to the …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Pop icon Prince, whose pioneering brand of danceable funk made him one of the most influential figures in music, died Thursday at his compound in Minnesota. He was 57. The announcement came just a week after the enigmatic Grammy and Oscar winner — …

Windsor, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain celebrates Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday on Thursday, with her eldest son Prince Charles paying tribute in a special radio broadcast and Prime Minister David Cameron leading a parliamentary homage. The sovereign, who last year overtook her great-great grandmother queen Victoria to become …