Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | Former German international football Mesut Ozil was married in Istanbul on Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as his best man. The 30-year-old Ozil, who has Turkish family roots, sparked controversy last year when he was photographed with Erdogan, raising questions about the footballer’s loyalty …
Read More »Facebook to cut off Huawei to comply with US sanctions
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook said Friday it would cut off Huawei from its popular social networking apps to comply with US sanctions, further isolating the Chinese tech giant considered a national security threat by Washington. The social media giant said it took the step after President Donald …
Read More »NASA to open International space station to tourists from 2020
New York, United States | AFP | NASA said Friday it will open up the International Space Station to business ventures including space tourism as it seeks to financially disengage from the orbiting research lab. Price tag? Tens of millions of dollars for a round trip ticket and $35,000 a night. …
Read More »UK’s May quits as party leader, starting succession race.
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May steps down as leader of her Conservative Party on Friday, formally triggering the race for a successor who will try where she failed to deliver Brexit. May will remain prime minister until a new leader is chosen, likely in late …
Read More »Russia, China to show united front at economic forum.
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Chinese President Xi Jinping appears Friday as guest of honour at Russia’s showcase economic forum, as the two neighbours present a united front in the face of shared troubles with the US. Xi arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a three-day visit with Vladimir Putin and …
Read More »World leaders mark 75 years since D-Day on Normandy’s beaches
Caen, France | AFP | World leaders including President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will attend ceremonies Thursday on the beaches of Normandy, where 75 years ago Allied troops landed to push Nazi forces out of France. At a time of increasing international discord, the leaders will …
Read More »Days are numbered for Norway’s fur farms
Brumunddal, Norway | AFP | Baby minks, their skin still smooth and furless, snuggle up against one another under a pile of hay, letting out the occasional squeal: this sight will soon be a thing of the past at Norway’s fur farms. The Norwegian parliament is due this month to adopt …
Read More »The German killer nurse who took himself for God
Berlin, Germany | AFP | The man believed to be post-war Germany’s worst serial killer was known to colleagues as a “nice guy” who did little to arouse suspicion until well into his murder spree. A court in the northern city of Oldenburg sentenced Niels Hoegel, 42, a heavy-set, second-generation caregiver, …
Read More »Macron and Trump: ‘frenemies’ in open disagreement
Paris, France | AFP | The last time French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Donald Trump in France, it turned into a diplomatic fiasco which underlined how once warm relations between the men had chilled to the point of freezing. As the two men prepare to hold talks on Thursday on …
Read More »BMW partners Jaguar Land Rover to develop electric engine
Berlin, Germany | AFP | German high-end car giant BMW and British group Jaguar Land Rover announced Wednesday they are teaming up to develop a new generation of electric motors. A joint team will be based in Munich and tasked with developing the “next generation electric drive units” which BMW will …
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