New York, United States | AFP | Donald Trump tried Wednesday to head off criticism that his vast business empire poses an unprecedented conflict of interest for an incoming US president, even as he comes under attack for packing his cabinet with fellow billionaires. In one of his trademark pre-dawn …
Read More »Pope urges ‘responsible behaviour’ to stop AIDS spread
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis on Wednesday issued a call for “responsible behaviour” to prevent the spread of AIDS without specifying whether that included wearing condoms. The pontiff also issued a fresh call for every sufferer, no matter how poor, to have access to treatment. In …
Read More »Steven Mnuchin: From Wall St to Hollywood to Washington
New York, United States | AFP | Steven Mnuchin is hardly a household name, but US President-elect Donald Trump’s new pick for Treasury secretary has close ties to Wall Street that could prove a double-edged sword in the current populist era. A former Democratic Party donor, the 53-year-old surprised his …
Read More »Fidel Castro takes final voyage across Cuba
Havana, Cuba | AFP | The ashes of Fidel Castro begin a four-day journey across Cuba Wednesday to his final resting place, retracing the late communist leader’s revolution victory tour of 1959. The “caravan of freedom” will leave from Havana, making symbolic stops along the 950-kilometer (590-mile) trek that will …
Read More »Let women drive, urges Saudi prince
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | An outspoken billionaire Saudi prince wants an “urgent” end to his country’s ban on women driving, saying overturning the law was a matter of women’s rights and economic necessity. “Stop the debate: Time for women to drive,” Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said on his …
Read More »Hillary, pizza and a phony sex scandal: the power of ‘fake news’
Washington, United States | AFP | The internet rumor had the makings of a bizarrely sordid scandal involving a top political aide to Hillary Clinton, allegations of pedophilia and a restaurant in an upscale part of Washington. It ended in death threats against a small business owner — and became …
Read More »South Africa launches major new trial of AIDS vaccine
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa on Wednesday begins a major clinical trial of an experimental vaccine against the AIDS virus, which scientists hope could be the “final nail in the coffin” for the disease. More than 30 years of efforts to develop an effective vaccine for HIV …
Read More »Football mourns as plane crash kills Brazilian players
La Unión, Colombia | AFP | The football world was plunged into mourning Tuesday after a plane carrying a Brazilian team crashed in the mountains in Colombia, killing 75 people with six survivors, officials said. Football legends Pele and Maradona as well as current superstar Lionel Messi led tributes to …
Read More »Plane carrying Brazilian football players crashes in Colombia
Bogota, Colombia | AFP | A charter plane carrying a Brazilian football team crashed in the mountains in Colombia late Monday, killing 76 people, officials said. They said five survived the disaster. The LAMIA airlines charter declared an emergency at around 10 pm local time” 0300 GMT Tuesday, reporting it …
Read More »Rugunda off to Cuba for Castro burial
Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda is on his way to Cuba, where he will represent President Yoweri Museveni at the burial of Fidel Castro who died on Friday aged 90. “Fidel Castro was a giant whom we highly admired for his support to liberation struggles in Africa. I am travelling to …
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