EU
Slovaks Elects Woman As President For The First Time
The electing of Zuzana Čaputová as Slovakia’s first female president was greeted Sunday as a vote for change. The 45-year-old environmental lawyer’s clear victory on Saturday over the ruling party’s candidate was a blow to the populist-left Smer-SD — the largest grouping in parliament — and could spell trouble for them in the EU elections …
Facebook boss to apologise to European Parliament over data scandal
Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg will say sorry to the European Parliament on Tuesday, pledging that the social media giant has learned hard lessons from a massive breach of users’ personal data. Zuckerberg’s comments, released in advance of the hearing in Brussels, are the latest part of a tour of contrition over the Cambridge Analytica scandal …
Vladimir Putin sworn in as president for fourth term
Vladimir Putin was sworn in as Russia’s president for a fourth term on Monday, extending his almost two-decade rule by another six years at a time of high tension with his Western rivals. The 65-year-old, in power since 1999, is on course to become the longest-serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin after his victory in …
Cuba’s Raúl Castro hands over power to Miguel Díaz-Canel
Miguel Díaz-Canel has been sworn in as Cuba’s new president, replacing Raúl Castro who took over from his ailing brother Fidel in 2006. It is the first time since the revolution in 1959 that a Castro is not at the helm of the government. Mr Díaz-Canel had been serving as first vice-president for the past …
Kremlin says US, UK accusations of Russian hacking ‘groundless’
The Kremlin on Tuesday dismissed as “groundless” warnings from Britain and the United States that Russian state-sponsored hackers were threatening their crucial computer networks. “We don’t know what these new accusations are based on,” said President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “As before, neither our American nor our British colleagues have bothered to search for …
POLITICIANS FOCUS ON ELECTIONS, I’M BOTHERED ABOUT SECURITY, ECONOMY, BUHARI TELLS MAY
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that though his fellow politicians are currently preoccupied with the forthcoming general elections in 2019, he is more bothered about the need to provide security and revamp the economy. According to the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Femi Adesina, this was part of the discussions Buhari …
US, France, Britain Launch New UN Bid For Syria Chemical Weapons Probe
The United States, France and Britain on Saturday launched a new bid at the United Nations to investigate chemical weapons attacks in Syria, just hours after firing military strikes against Syrian targets. The three allies circulated a joint draft resolution at the Security Council that also calls for unimpeded deliveries of humanitarian aid, enforcing a …
Protest erupts in Damascus after U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria
Hours after airstrikes by the U.S., Britain and France against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, pro-government supporters flooded the streets of Syria’s capital on Saturday to show their solidarity. Convoys of honking cars accompanied Syrian flags and victory signs in Damascus’ Omayyad Square immediately after the attack. Some residents waved the flags of regime allies …
Nigeria high fertility rate fueling underdevelopment — Experts
By Chioma Obinna When John and Josephine Adigwe got married several years back, all they could think about at that time, was making babies. Today, Josephine is a mother of eight. Faced with the current economic challenges in the country, the meagre income of her husband, a carpenter, cannot meet the needs of the family. The …
Nigerian Embassy sacks 15 local staff in Washington
The Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, has disengaged some 15 local workers at the embassy. Senior officials at the embassy told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the benefits of the 15 local workers would be paid soon. They said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, approved the disengagement of the workers due to …