SEOUL – North Korea said it has issued a standing order for the execution of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her spy chief for what it said was a plot to assassinate its leader, and it demanded that the South hand the pair over. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said…
LONDON – The Queen is to receive an 8% increase in income from public funds, after the Crown Estate’s profits rose by £24m. The Sovereign Grant, which pays for the salaries of her household, official travel and upkeep of palaces, is to increase by more than £6m in 2018/19. It comes as accounts revealed the…
NEW YORK – President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor Barack Obama of inaction over alleged Russian interference in the US election in 2016. Mr Trump said Mr Obama had learned well before the 8 November poll about the accusations and “did nothing”. His comments followed an article in the Washington Post which said that…
NEW YORK – Donald Trump has said he doesn’t want “a poor person” running the economy of the United States and has defended his decision to appoint wealthy individuals to his cabinet. Speaking to his supporters in Iowa on Wednesday, Trump said: “Somebody said why did you appoint a rich person to be in charge…
PARIS – France’s Justice Minister, François Bayrou, has handed in his resignation hours before President Emmanuel Macron reshuffles his government. Mr Bayrou’s centrist party MoDem has now lost all three posts in Mr Macron’s cabinet within 24 hours. President Macron came to power with a promise to fight political sleaze. MoDem, allied to Mr Macron’s…
YULIN – A controversial dog meat festival has begun in the Chinese city of Yulin, despite earlier reports it had been cancelled or toned down this year. The Lychee and Dog Meat festival takes place annually in Guangxi province. Earlier this year, US campaigners claimed that vendors had been told by authorities not to sell…
PARIS – A man has been shot by police outside the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris after he tried to attack an officer using a hammer, police say. The suspect has been wounded in the chest, French media report. Officials say this is a “terrorist incident”. Some 900 people are still inside the cathedral. Pictures…
LONDON – The death toll has risen to seven, with 48 others injured, after the London terror attack in which three suspects were shot dead by police. A white van hit pedestrians on London Bridge at about 22:00 BST on Saturday, then three men got out and stabbed people in nearby Borough Market. Police said…
NEW YORK – Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has returned to Harvard University under rainy skies to give a graduation speech and receive an honorary degree. The world’s fifth-richest person, worth $62.3bn (£48.1bn), famously dropped out of Harvard after launching the global social-networking website. Mr Zuckerberg called for students to “not only create new jobs, but…
TRIPOLI – Libya has arrested a brother and the father of the man suspected of carrying out the bombing in the British city of Manchester, a relative and security sources said on Wednesday. The family source, asking not to be identified, said intelligence services had arrested Hashem Abedi, who like his older brother Salman was…
