Chatting excitedly as they try on their Chinese imperial-themed wedding outfits, Ren Weilian and Zhu Tiantian are as nervous as any couple as they prepare to exchange vows in their lesbian marriage. China does not recognise same-sex unions but that’s not stopping couples like Ren and Zhu from tying the knot in informal ceremonies as … Read more
Djibouti’s foreign minister has accused neighbouring Eritrea of occupying a disputed territory along their border shortly after Qatar peacekeepers left the location this week. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said on Friday Djibouti’s military was “on alert” and that it has lodged complaints to the United Nations and the African Union. “Qatari peacekeepers withdrew on June 12 … Read more
At long last, One Time Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and The Immediate Past Corps Marshal of The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Chief Osita Chidoka, Joins United Progressives Party (UPP) And declares intent to run for the governorship position of Anambra State, in grand style. It’s no longer News, that, the man with the Midas touch, … Read more
The Islamic State group is launching fewer chemical weapons attacks in Syria as their Iraqi stronghold in Mosul, where the arms are made, comes under pressure, according to a report out Tuesday. IS has allegedly used chemical weapons in one attack in Syria this year, on January 8 in Aleppo province, according to global market … Read more
Flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea Tuesday after saying he wants to “open the door” to the regime and claiming that US President Donald Trump would be pleased with his mission. Sporting a baseball cap, sunglasses, multiple facial piercings and a black t-shirt emblazoned with the logo of sponsor PotCoin — … Read more
Sony has teased a string of new games for its PSVR virtual reality headset hardware prior to the E3 video games show in Los Angeles. VR content for role-playing adventure Skyrim was shown, as was a new first-person horror title, The Inpatient. A virtual reality fishing simulator for Final Fantasy – Monster of the Deep … Read more
It was Efrem Desta’s yearning for freedom that made him flee his home country of Eritrea and enter Sudan illegally, hoping that he could later make it to Europe. But he and a group of fellow migrants were abducted by Sudanese Bedouin Rashaida tribesmen after they crossed into east Sudan near Al-Laffa village. “We fled … Read more
Many Iraqi Kurds hailed last week’s announcement of a September referendum on independence as historic, but major obstacles will remain on the path to statehood after an expected landslide “yes”. The autonomous region is still at war with the Islamic State group, it hosts a displaced population of more than a million and its once … Read more
French election results favoring President Emmanuel Macron’s party boosted the euro but hit European equities Monday, while US stocks retreated due to another round of technology weakness. The euro jumped above $1.12 in the aftermath of Sunday’s first round of voting for the France’s National Assembly. Projections showed Macron’s Republique en Marche (Republic on the … Read more
General Electric announced a leadership shakeup on Monday as it faces scrutiny after a corporate makeover executed by outgoing chief Jeff Immelt in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis failed to ignite strong growth. Immelt, 61, will step down as chief executive on August 1, handing the reins to GE Healthcare president John Flannery, … Read more
Uber on Monday was mulling a shake-up of top management, including a possible leave of absence for its chief executive, as the ridesharing giant prepares to release results of an independent inquiry into misconduct and ethical practices, reports said. The San Francisco startup, which operates in dozens of countries, was set to release the report … Read more
The Xbox One X, dubbed the world’s most powerful games console, has been unveiled by Microsoft at E3 in Los Angeles. Costing $499 (£449), Microsoft’s new compact but powerful console is also set to be the world’s most expensive console when it is released on November 7. Code-named Project Scorpio, the rival of the PlayStation … Read more
Marissa Mayer was hailed as Yahoo’s savior when she took charge of the pioneering internet firm five years ago. But Mayer was unable to stem the decline of the iconic Silicon Valley company, which is set to close a deal on Tuesday selling its core internet operations to telecom giant Verizon. She is likely headed … Read more
Microsoft on Sunday unveiled Xbox One X — billing it as the most powerful video console ever made, and escalating a battle with market king PlayStation 4. The $499-addition to the lineup was built with the muscle for seamless play on ultra-high definition 4K televisions and will be available worldwide on November 7, according to … Read more
Video game giant Electronic Arts on Saturday courted fans with titles such as “Star Wars Battlefront” and snatched the spotlight ahead of a major industry trade show in Los Angeles. Gamers who have become stars on YouTube for streamed play or commentary joined EA executives in the Hollywood Palladium to provide world premier glimpses into … Read more
In her first interview since being released from a top-security US military prison, WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning says justice “has been served.” Manning, a former army intelligence analyst who served seven years for one of the largest dumps of classified documents in US history, acknowledged responsibility for leaking the material. “I’ve accepted responsibility,” Manning, 29, … Read more
Three years after the Islamic State group routed them in Mosul, Iraqi forces are now on the cusp of retaking the city from the jihadists and avenging a historic debacle. The fall of Mosul was the worst defeat that Iraqi forces suffered in the war with IS, and regaining it would cap a major turnaround … Read more
Installing a controversial US missile defence system in South Korea was never going to be easy but, caught between Beijing’s opposition and American insistence, the country’s new president has a strategy: delay. Seoul suspended deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system this week following a furious campaign of economic sanctions and diplomatic protests … Read more
Pyongyang on Friday hailed the successful test of a new type of surface-to-ship cruise missile, which it said was designed to hit “any enemy group of battleships” that threatened North Korea. The launch Thursday — the North’s fifth weapons test in a month — was overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un, the State-run Korean Central News … Read more
Turkey is keen to support its close ally Qatar in a diplomatic crisis with Doha’s Gulf neighbours, but has found itself with little room to manoeuvre given its ties with Riyadh, analysts say. “This is a most unwanted crisis for Turkey given its close relationship with both Qatar and Saudi Arabia,” Sinan Ulgen, chairman of … Read more