Tehran, Iran | AFP | Britain’s foreign minister visited Iran on Saturday to press for the release of British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe amid accusations at home that one of his gaffes has seriously harmed her case. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson held talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif also expected …
Read More »Abu Dhabi authorities ‘acquired’ $450 mn Da Vinci: museum
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | AFP | The Louvre Abu Dhabi said Friday that local Emirati authorities had “acquired” a $450-million painting by Renaissance master Leonardo Da Vinci, as reports swirled about the original source of funding. “Louvre Abu Dhabi is looking forward to displaying the Salvator Mundi by Leonardo …
Read More »US leaning towards 2030 Winter Games bid
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | The United States Olympic Committee said Friday 2030 was the preferred option as it eyes a bid for the Winter Olympics. USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun said US officials were tilting away from a bid for the Winter Olympics in 2026. The United States …
Read More »S.Africa court orders prosecution chief to leave job
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | A South African court on Friday overturned President Jacob Zuma’s appointment of the head of public prosecutions, dealing a sharp reprimand to the scandal-tainted leader. Shaun Abrahams, who was in 2015 named by Zuma as director of public prosecutions, has often been criticised for allegedly …
Read More »Court orders Dakar mayor’s trial to open next week: lawyer
Dakar, Senegal | AFP | A lawyer for Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, detained since March on corruption charges, on Friday said the prosecutor’s office had ordered his trial to begin next week, despite pending appeals. Sall is accused of misappropriating 1.83 billion CFA francs ($2.85 million, 2.7 million euros) of city …
Read More »India’s PM Modi faces test as his home state votes
Ahmedabad, India | AFP | Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat began voting on Saturday, in a key electoral test of his popularity after a series of controversial economic reforms. Voters, with their election cards in hand, started lining up at polling booths early in the morning …
Read More »Brazil’s prison population doubles in decade: government
Brasília, Brazil | AFP | Brazil’s prison population more than doubled between 2005 and 2016 and cells are now so crowded that there are almost two people for every space, the justice ministry said Friday. With 726,712 detainees in June 2016, Latin America’s biggest country now has the third highest prison …
Read More »Aid agencies suspend work in C.Africa after worker killed
Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | Humanitarian groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) have suspended operations, the UN said Friday, after an aid worker was killed in the north of the restive, landlocked nation. “The humanitarian community in CAR continues to pay a heavy price from the rise in …
Read More »Security Council authorizes UN support for G5 Sahel troops
United Nations, United States | AFP | The Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution authorizing UN peacekeepers in Mali to provide logistical and operational support to the new G5 Sahel anti-jihadist force there. The resolution, drafted by France, was the subject of tough negotiations with the United States, which …
Read More »Norway populist fails in Nobel bid
Oslo, Norway | AFP | A controversial former leader of Norway’s anti-immigration party on Friday failed in his bid to join the committee that awards the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. According to Alfred Nobel’s will, the five members of the committee are elected by the Norwegian Parliament, which takes into account …
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