WORLD

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Moscow on Monday rejected British Prime Minister Theresa May’s statement to parliament that it was “highly likely” Russia was responsible for the poisoning of a former spy in Britain. The statement was part of an “information and political campaign based on provocation,” said Russian foreign ministry …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | US actress Meghan Markle took part in her first official event with Queen Elizabeth II on Monday, accompanying her fiance Prince Harry to a service at London’s Westminster Abbey. Markle arrived at the Commonwealth Day Service with Harry, his elder brother Prince William, the second …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The BBC said Monday that London-based members of its Persian service had faced death threats over their reporting, as it pressed the United Nations to act against Iran in defence of press freedom. Britain’s public broadcaster is lobbying the Human Rights Council this week to help …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday, two days before she is to launch her new government, that she will pay a quick visit to French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss EU reform proposals. Without naming a date, Merkel said she would visit Paris ahead of an …

Ottawa, Canada | AFP | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday accused China of flooding global markets with cheap steel, adding that Canada has already taken steps to prevent “dumping” in this country. “We are very concerned about the actions taken by China and the dumping of steel and aluminum on …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday it was highly likely that Russia was responsible for a “reckless and despicable” attack on a former double agent in Britain, an accusation rejected by Moscow as a “provocation”. In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic tensions over the …

Sao Paulo, Brazil | THE INDEPENDENT & AFP | Hundreds of naked cyclists rode their bikes along Paulista Avenue in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to demand better condition of the city roads and to raise awareness on the safety of cyclists. The ride on Saturday, organised by the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) …

Moscow, RUSSIAN FEDERATION | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an order to shoot down a passenger plane he believed would be used in a terror attack at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, he said in a new documentary. The plane was travelling from Ukraine to Turkey when Putin …

Vienna, Austria | AFP | Austria on Monday marks the 80th anniversary of its annexation by Nazi Germany, with the country’s President Alexander Van der Bellen urging young people not to be “taken in” by neo-fascist and far-right ideologies. On March 12, 1938, Adolf Hitler ordered 200,000 soldiers, SS officers and …

Beirut, Lebanon | AFP | Children are at more risk than ever in Syria’s devastating conflict, the United Nations said Monday as the war approached its eighth year. Twice as many children were killed in the war in 2017 than in the previous year, the UN children’s agency UNICEF said in …