WORLD

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Southern African leaders paid glowing tributes to the late revolutionary icon Fidel Castro, but if one country will forever be heavily indebted to his leadership of Cuba, it is Angola. Castro sent tens of thousands of troops when oil-giant Angola became embroiled in a …

Havana, Cuba | AFP |  From Dwight Eisenhower, who broke US diplomatic relations with Cuba, to Barack Obama, who decided to normalize them, 11 US presidents faced off with Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who died late Friday. Dwight Eisenhower (Republican, 1953-1961): Provided arms to dictator Fulgencio Batista, who was …