London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson agreed Wednesday that President Vladimir Putin would exploit the 2018 football World Cup in Russia as Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler did the Berlin Olympics. Johnson agreed with an MP who suggested, “Putin is going to use it in the way …
Read More »Macron unveils plan to boost French, ‘language of liberty’
Paris, France | AFP | President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday unveiled plans to get more people speaking French, saying the “treasure shared by 700 million people” belonged to all and should be given more prominence in the EU ahead of Brexit. France’s youthful president has impressed foreign audiences with his near-flawless …
Read More »Public smiles, private problems as Saudi prince visits White House
Washington, United States | AFP | Saudi Arabia’s crown prince received an effusive welcome at the White House Tuesday from US President Donald Trump, who hailed a “great friendship” with the kingdom — but made no public mention of the sticking points in the burgeoning alliance. In front of the cameras, …
Read More »French ex-president Sarkozy held over Gaddafi financing probe
Paris, France | AFP | French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy was detained for questioning on Tuesday over allegations the late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi financed his 2007 election campaign, including with suitcases stuffed with cash, a source close to the inquiry told AFP. Sarkozy, 63, was taken into police custody early …
Read More »Putin, Trump want better ties, planning summit
Moscow, Russia | AFP | US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Tuesday discussed holding a possible summit as the American leader congratulated the Russian President on his re-election. “I had a call with President Putin and congratulated him on his electoral victory,” Trump said, two days after Putin’s re-election. …
Read More »EU Parliament invites Facebook boss to speak on data breach
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The European Parliament on Tuesday invited Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to speak following revelations that a firm working for Donald Trump’s US presidential campaign harvested data on 50 million users. The parliament and the European Commission, the 28-nation EU executive, have already called for an urgent …
Read More »Egypt court orders Uber and Careem to cease operations
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egypt’s administrative court issued a ruling on Tuesday stopping the operations of ride sharing apps Uber and Careem, state media reported. Both services had sparked protests by taxi drivers who complained that their drivers were not required to pay the hefty fees to operate transportation …
Read More »EU seeks Facebook data breach probe
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The European Union pushed Tuesday for an urgent investigation into revelations that a firm working for Donald Trump presidential campaign harvested data on 50 million users. EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova, who has called the breach “horrifying”, was meanwhile to seek clarification from the social …
Read More »American Dream fails generations of blacks: study
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Even the richest black boys raised in the United States earn less in adulthood than white boys from similar backgrounds, according to a wide-ranging study published Monday. While white men who grew up wealthy tend to stay that way, black boys raised in …
Read More »London couple stand trial for murder of French nanny
London, United Kingdom | AFP | A French couple living in London went on trial Monday accused of murdering their compatriot nanny and burning her body in a bonfire after starving and mistreating her. Sabrina Kouider and Ouissem Medouni had kept 21-year-old Sophie Lionnet as a “prisoner” and violently abused …
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