Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The Tanzanian government said Sunday it had confiscated diamonds worth nearly $30 million after accusing British company Petra Diamonds of having declared a lower value when trying to export the gems. Speaking on government television channel TBC 1, Finance Minister Philip Mpango said the diamonds extracted …
Read More »Bell Pottinger accused of ‘racial’ S.Africa PR campaign
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British public relations firm Bell Pottinger was expelled from a trade body Tuesday over a controversial campaign in South Africa which was found “likely to inflame racial discord”. The decision by the Britain-based Public Relations and Communications Associations (PRCA) comes after Bell Pottinger ran a …
Read More »England’s Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor dies aged 85
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the former leader of England’s Roman Catholics, died on Friday after a battle with cancer, the church said. The former archbishop of Westminster, who was 85, was admitted to hospital last month. “Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor died peacefully this afternoon, surrounded by …
Read More »Princes lead tributes to Diana, 20 years after her death
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Princes William and Harry paid tribute to their late mother Princess Diana on Wednesday for the 20th anniversary of her death as wellwishers left candles and flowers outside the gates of her former London residence. The princes inspected the dozens of bouquets left in front …
Read More »Last bongs for Big Ben as four-year repairs begin
London, United Kingdom | AFP | London landmark Big Ben fell silent for four years starting Monday, as a political outcry mounted over renovations that will rob Britain of a cherished symbol at a time of national uncertainty. The 12 bongs from the famous bell rang out for midday in front …
Read More »Malala wins place at Oxford University
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban for advocating education for girls in her native Pakistan, announced Thursday she has won a place to study at Oxford University. “So excited to go to Oxford!!” the 20-year-old posted on Twitter, along …
Read More »Rethink after British PM chimes in on Big Ben ding-dong
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s Parliament said Wednesday it would reconsider plans to silence Big Ben for four years after Prime Minister Theresa May chimed in to a growing MPs’ revolt. Westminster’s Elizabeth Tower, one of Britain’s most cherished tourist attractions, is due for conservation work and the clock’s …
Read More »William, Harry lead tributes to mother Diana, 20 years on
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Two decades on from the death of princess Diana, her sons Princes William and Harry are working to keep her legacy alive with unusually emotional tributes after years of official silence. As the 20th anniversary of her death on August 31 approaches, the brothers have …
Read More »Chelsea owner Abramovich splits from wife
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich and his wife, gallerist Darya or “Dasha” Zhukova, have separated, a spokesman for Abramovich confirmed to AFP. “After 10 years together, the two of us have made the difficult decision to separate, but we remain close …
Read More »Tainted eggs scandal spreads to Britain, France
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Britain and France said Monday that some insecticide-tainted eggs may have entered the country, as millions of chickens faced being culled in the Netherlands in a growing European contamination scandal. Belgium meanwhile vowed full transparency about why it kept the scandal secret despite originally learning in …
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