WORLD

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Ex-pope Benedict XVI seems to have broken his silence recently over key Catholic issues and his comments have raised serious questions within the Church about the extent to which there are, in fact, two “men in white” at the Vatican. In 2013, Benedict became …

Baghdad, Iraq | AFP | When it invaded in 2003, the United States promised “Iraqi freedom,” democracy, and prosperity. But 17 years later, its troops may be ousted from a country beset by just the opposite. After a parliamentary vote earlier this month, Iraq’s government is preparing to order foreign forces …

  Moscow, Russia | AFP | With the shock replacement of his government and plans for a constitutional overhaul, President Vladimir Putin has set in motion sweeping changes to Russia’s political order. But what is the longtime Russian leader really up to? And — with Putin facing the end in 2024 …

Vancouver, Canada | AFP |  Meghan Markle has made her first public appearance since she and Prince Harry sensationally decided to quit as full-time royals, visiting two women’s charities in Vancouver as British media reported she could face her father in court. Harry and Meghan are in the middle of a …

Moscow, Russia | AFP |  Russian lawmakers will begin reviewing President Vladimir Putin’s nomination of a little-known tax chief as the new prime minister Thursday after his announcement of a sweeping constitutional shake-up fuelled speculation about his future plans. The overwhelmingly Kremlin-loyal State Duma lower parliament is likely to approve Mikhail …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Articles of impeachment charging President Donald Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress will be formally read to the Senate Thursday, setting in motion a historic trial that threatens the US leader with removal from office. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will then …

Tehran, Iran | AFP | President Hassan Rouhani appealed Wednesday for “unity” and flagged the need for radical changes to the way Iran is run, after a wave of angry protests over the accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner. The Kiev-bound Boeing 737 was shot down in a catastrophic error shortly …

Bamako, Mali | AFP | Brutal attacks that have killed nearly 300 people in less than two months have propelled the Islamic State to the status of the Sahel’s most-feared jihadist group, eclipsing al-Qaeda, experts say. The vast fragile region on the southern rim of the Sahara has been battling an …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | The Russian government resigned on Wednesday after President Vladimir Putin proposed a series of constitutional reforms, Russian news agencies reported. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the proposals would make significant changes to the country’s balance of power and so “the government in its current form has …

Washington, United States | AFP |  The Senate impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump is likely to begin in seven days with key players sworn in later this week, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday. McConnell said he expected the House of Representatives to deliver the articles of impeachment against …