WORLD

Washington, United States | AFP | US Republicans ditched decades of tradition Thursday by changing Senate rules to ensure Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, bypassing the first-ever successful opposition blockade of a high-court nominee. President Donald Trump’s pick, embraced by conservatives but opposed by most Democrats, failed to …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | The Kremlin on Thursday said US allegations that Syrian forces carried out a deadly chemical attack are not based on “objective” information. “We consider a much more measured approach necessary and do not think it is possible to surrender oneself to hasty conclusions about what happened …

The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | War crimes judges will Friday hear why South Africa failed to arrest Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir during a 2015 visit, as they mull whether to report Pretoria to the United Nations for possible action. South Africa’s lawyers will defend the decision not to detain …

Our systems of government have been captured by the corrupting influence of vested interests in big oil deals By: Lili Fuhr and Simon Taylor Anti-corruption campaigners achieved a number of crucial victories in 2016, not least by ensuring accountability for one of Big Oil’s most crooked deals: the acquisition of …

Saint Petersburg, Russia | AFP | Alexander Kaverin, the driver of the Saint Petersburg metro train hit by a deadly explosion, has become an unlikely hero in a tragedy that has claimed 14 lives and injured dozens. The 50-year-old Russian appeared stunned in the spotlight of state television, describing how …

Washington, United States | AFP | The US government plans to stop funding the United Nations Population Fund because of the organization’s “coercive” family planning practices, including providing abortions, officials in Washington said late Monday. According to a State Department official, President Donald Trump has instructed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson …

Tunis, Tunisia | AFP |  Tunisian authorities have shut down a nightclub and begun an investigation after a DJ played a remix recording of the Muslim call to prayer, an official said Monday. A video, widely shared online since Sunday, shows clubbers dancing at the weekend to music that includes …

US President Donald Trump is reeling from yet another setback in his young tumultuous administration- the failure to pass a healthcare law, hastily assembled to replace Obamacare. Trump faced stiff resistance from fellow Republicans who denounced the bill as unhelpful to the average American battling rising healthcare costs. For seven …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Britain has apologised after an egg was thrown at a Saudi military official during a visit to London, Saudi state media said Sunday. An anti-war activist last week attempted a citizen’s arrest of General Ahmed Assiri, spokesman for the Saudi-led Gulf coalition fighting rebels in …

Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | Clouds of smoke billowed over central Dubai on Sunday after a fire burned for several hours in a residential tower under construction near the city’s largest shopping mall. The blaze erupted around 6:30 am (0230 GMT) at the complex, which is near the …