WORLD

New York, United States | AFP | Coca-Cola announced plans Wednesday to launch a revamped “Coke Zero” in the United States as it expands offerings of low-sugar and non-carbonated beverages amid flagging demand for sweet sodas. The soda, “Coke-Cola Zero Sugar,” which is already on the market in much of …

New York, United States | AFP |  New York police detective WenJian Liu was ambushed and killed two and a half years ago in a murder that shocked the city. This week, his widow gave birth to his baby daughter. Angelina was born Tuesday at Weill Cornell Hospital. Her mother, …

Bamako, Mali | AFP | Two German UN peacekeepers were killed Wednesday when their helicopter crashed as they were monitoring clashes in northern Mali, German and UN officials said. UN diplomats confirmed that the attack helicopter and the crew had been supplied by Germany to MINUSMA, the UN mission in Mali. “Sadly we …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP |  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Wednesday he wants to expel Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera from Israel amid tensions over a sensitive Jerusalem holy site. “The Al-Jazeera channel continues to incite violence around the Temple Mount,” Netanyahu wrote in a Facebook post, referring to the …

Washington, United States | AFP | US Senate Republicans suffered a second stinging setback in as many days Wednesday in their efforts to uproot Obamacare, when a plan to repeal the health care law — with no replacement at the ready — failed to advance in the chamber. The washout …

Washington, United States | AFP |  President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that transgender people may not serve “in any capacity” in the US military, citing the “tremendous medical costs and disruption” their presence would cause. In late June, Pentagon chief Jim Mattis delayed for six months a plan put in …

Washington, United States | AFP | The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to impose tough new sanctions on Iran, North Korea and Russia, a move that will antagonize the Kremlin as well as European nations fearing economic ramifications. The measure notably constrains President Donald Trump’s ability to waive …

Tehran, Iran | AFP | The names may be unfamiliar but the services are immediately recognisable: Snapp is Iran’s answer to Uber, Digikala is its Amazon, and Pintapin its Booking.com. US sanctions have protected the Islamic republic’s tech sector, barring Silicon Valley from profiting from one of the world’s most promising …

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Monday announced he had ended a program to support rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because it was “massive, dangerous, and wasteful.” The comments came days after General Tony Thomas, the head of US special operations confirmed that …

Pyongyang, North Korea | AFP | Washington’s ban on US citizens travelling to North Korea will have no effect on the country’s tourism industry and Pyongyang does not care about it “at all”, a senior development official insisted Tuesday. The measure is due to be enacted this week and once it …