London, United Kingdom | AFP | “Youthquake” was crowned Friday as Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year 2017, following a five-fold increase in usage. The word is defined as “a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people”. It first rose during Britain’s …
Read More »Trump criticizes FBI and says no pardon for Flynn ‘yet’
Washington, UNITED STATES | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at the FBI inquiry into possible collusion between Moscow and his campaign, and refused to rule out pardoning former aide Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying about his contacts with Russia. Trump said it was …
Read More »Prince Harry, Meghan Markle to marry on May 19
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s Prince Harry and US actress Meghan Markle will marry on May 19 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle near London, Kensington Palace said on Friday. “His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms Meghan Markle will marry on 19th May, 2018,” …
Read More »Over half Syrian refugees in Lebanon in ‘extreme poverty’: UN
Beirut, Lebanon | AFP | More than half of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon are now living in extreme poverty, and the vast majority live below the poverty line, the UN’s refugee agency said Friday. According to the UN, more than a million Syrians have sought refuge in Lebanon since …
Read More »Nigerian soldier sentenced to death for killing civilians
Kano, NIGERIA | AFP | A Nigerian military court on Friday sentenced a soldier to death for killing five civilians rescued from Boko Haram. The soldier, Lance Corporal John Godwin, was convicted by the General Court Martial in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State for killing the civilians in Yamteke town. …
Read More »Trump: Russia not helping on North Korea
Washington, UNITED STATES | AFP | US President Donald Trump criticized Russia Friday for not doing enough to pressure North Korea to halt its nuclear weapons program. “China is helping, Russia is not helping. We would like to have Russia’s help,” he told reporters outside the White House. Trump said …
Read More »Putin’s ex-minister gets eight years over $2 mn bribe
Moscow, RUSSIAN FEDERATION | AFP | A Russian court on Friday sentenced former economy minister Alexei Ulyukayev to eight years in a penal colony on charges of taking a $2 million bribe from an ally of President Vladimir Putin. Ulyukayev is the highest-ranking official arrested in Putin’s 18 years in …
Read More »Putin, Trump discuss N Korea in phone call
Washington, United States | AFP | Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed the crisis over North Korea’s nuclear program in a phone call Thursday, in which the US president took the unusual step of thanking his Russian counterpart for praising America’s economy. The two heads of state discussed “the situation in …
Read More »War crimes judges to award child soldiers compensation
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | International war crimes judges will hand down on Friday landmark reparations to former child soldiers conscripted into a Congolese militia about 15 years ago, who were left brutalised and stigmatised by their horrific experiences. Warlord Thomas Lubanga, 56, was found guilty in 2012 at the …
Read More »Japan expands sanctions aimed at N. Korea
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japan said Friday it had added 19 more entities to its list of organisations and individuals targeted by asset-freeze sanctions on North Korea. The sanctions list now comprises 103 entities and 108 individuals in total, including seven Chinese entities, five Chinese individuals, one Singaporean …
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