Washington, United States | AFP | Former US president George H.W. Bush, who helped steer America through the end of the Cold War, died Friday at age 94, his family announced. Tributes quickly poured in for the former US leader, a decorated war pilot and onetime CIA chief who also …
Read More »Canada top court rules against journalist protecting source
Ottawa, Canada | AFP | Canada’s top court on Friday effectively ruled against journalists protecting their sources, in a case in which police sought a Vice reporter’s communications with an alleged jihadist for use in his prosecution. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court said society’s interest in investigating and …
Read More »Brazil’s Bolsonaro names seventh military man to cabinet
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | AFP | President-elect Jair Bolsonaro named Admiral Bento Costa Lima Leite his minister of mines and energy Friday, continuing his militarization of Brazil’s incoming government. Seven of ex-army captain Bolsonaro’s 20 ministers announced so far are from the armed forces. “I’m not appointing military people …
Read More »World leaders welcome Saudi prince at G20, Putin delighted
Buenos Aires, Argentina | AFP | World leaders including a beaming Vladimir Putin welcomed Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday at the G20 summit, showing he was no pariah less than two months after the murder of a dissident journalist by a Saudi hit team. In an …
Read More »Two Koreas start landmark journey for railway reconnection
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | A train carrying South Korean engineers and officials crossed into the North on Friday to begin a landmark joint survey to reconnect railway tracks between the two Koreas. Linking up the railway systems was one of the agreements made earlier this year in a key …
Read More »Facial recognition deployed at China marathon to stop cheats
Shanghai, China | AFP | Facial recognition will be deployed at a marathon on Sunday in China to crack down on cheating, state media said, after a half-marathon was blighted by widescale flouting of the rules. Running and marathons are fast becoming popular in China, with participants sporting the latest …
Read More »War on football? Chinese players get army drills, ‘thought education’
Shanghai, China | AFP | Chinese national squads and a top league team have packed young footballers off to military camps for drills and Marxist-style “thought education” as a campaign to promote Communist Party values spreads even into the sporting world. Chinese fans have watched the militarisation of football with a …
Read More »Five Olympic Boxing greats
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Boxing is fighting for its Olympic future amid serious concerns over the governing body AIBA, threatening the participation of the sport at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The so-called “Sport of Kings” has a proud Olympic history and can chart its involvement back to the Ancient Games …
Read More »Boxing on the ropes as IOC weighs Olympic future
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Boxing was fighting for its Olympic future Friday as top officials decide whether to punish the sport’s governing body, which is on the ropes over finances, judging and its controversial leader. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made clear that boxing’s future at the Tokyo …
Read More »Oprah honours Mandela ahead of global charity concert
Soweto, South Africa | AFP | US television celebrity Oprah Winfrey on Thursday paid emotional tribute to Nelson Mandela as she prepared to host a star-studded concert in Johannesburg to cap celebrations marking 100 years since his birth. Winfrey will co-host the Global Citizen festival on Sunday, where artists including …
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