Washington, United States | AFP | Embattled US President Donald Trump faced explosive allegations that he divulged top secret intelligence to Russian diplomats in the Oval Office, a charge the White House scrambled to rebut Monday. The Washington Post reported that Trump revealed highly classified information on the Islamic State …
Read More »Macron names centre-right Edouard Philippe as French PM
Paris, France | AFP | France’s new President Emmanuel Macron named Edouard Philippe, a little-known centre-right mayor, as prime minister on Monday, in his first major decision since taking power on a promise to lead a French “renaissance”. Philippe, a 46-year-old MP and mayor of the northern port of Le Havre, …
Read More »Experts say North Korea’s ‘new missile’ has unprecedented range
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea said Monday it had successfully tested a new type of rocket in its latest missile launch, as analysts said it showed an unprecedented range that brought US bases in the Pacific within reach. Sunday’s launch was of a “new ground-to-ground medium long-range …
Read More »FRANCE: Hollande hands over power to Macron
Macron takes power as French president Paris, France | AFP | Emmanuel Macron became France’s youngest ever president on Sunday, promising at his inauguration to restore the country’s lost confidence and relaunch the flagging European Union. Macron, a 39-year-old centrist, took the reins of power from Socialist Francois Hollande at …
Read More »Defiant North Korea test-fires ballistic missile
Trump calls for tougher sanctions after N. Korea missile Seoul, South Korea | AFP | President Donald Trump called for tougher sanctions against North Korea after it fired a ballistic missile Sunday in an apparent bid to test the South’s new liberal president and the US. “Let this latest provocation …
Read More »The trains and sea ports of China’s new Silk Road
Beijing, China | AFP | China opened its Silk Road summit Sunday to showcase its ambitious plans to revive ancient trade routes from Asia to Europe and Africa. President Xi Jinping hailed the initiative for a massive network of rail and maritime links — dubbed One Belt, One Road — …
Read More »List of organisations hit by global cyberattack
Paris, France | AFP | A huge range of organisations around the world have been affected by the WannaCry ransomware cyberattack, described by the EU’s law enforcement agency as “unprecedented”. Here are some of the most prominent victims, from Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) to French carmaker Renault and the …
Read More »FATIMA: 500,000 attend pope’s canonisation of child shepherds
Fátima, Portugal | AFP | Some 500,000 worshippers gathered in Fatima Saturday to watch Pope Francis declare two child shepherds who had visions of the Virgin Mary 100 years ago saints, the Vatican said. Altogether, about 500,000 people were present, the Vatican said in a statement, quoting local authorities — …
Read More »Pope declares Fatima child shepherds who ‘saw Virgin Mary’ saints
Fátima, Portugal | AFP | Two young shepherds who had visions of the Virgin Mary 100 years ago in Fatima, a Portuguese site now a global draw for pilgrims, were declared saints Saturday by Pope Francis. “We declare the blissful Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto saints, and we register them …
Read More »Pope greeted by thousands on Fatima pilgrimage
Fátima, Portugal | AFP | Pope Francis called for harmony “among all people” Friday after arriving at Portugal’s holy site of Fatima where he was greeted by thousands of pilgrims gathered to mark 100 years since child shepherds had visions of the Virgin Mary. The Argentine pontiff flew into the …
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