PARIS – French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira has stepped down from her job, shortly before MPs are due to debate plans to strip people convicted of terrorism of their citizenship. Ms Taubira was known to disagree with the controversial proposals, The citizenship plans were put forward after the 13 November Paris attacks in which 130…
CHARSADDA – Militants raided a university in northwest Pakistan, timing their attack to a ceremony at the school to ensure maximum casualties. As security forces combed the campus block by block after the massacre Wednesday, they counted the bodies of at least 21 students. Four militants were also killed, said army spokesman Lt. Gen. Asim…
DAVOS – Global chief executives are more pessimistic about growth than this time last year, according to a survey. Only 27% of interviewees thought growth would improve, against 37% in 2015, the report by consultants PwC showed. Business leaders are increasingly worried about geopolitical risks, as well as China’s economic slowdown and the falling oil…
BEIJING – China’s economy grew by 6.9% in 2015, compared with 7.3% a year earlier, marking its slowest growth in a quarter of a century. China’s growth, seen as a driver of the global economy, is a major concern for investors around the world. Beijing had set an official growth target of “about 7%” for…
LONDON – Donald Trump is used to being the one doing the tough talk. But on Monday the Republican presidential hopeful was on the receiving end of the harsh words — with no opportunity of rebuttal — as British MPs made their disdain for him clear during a parliamentary debate on whether to ban him…
TAIPEI – Tsai Ing-wen has been elected Taiwan’s first female president. Ms Tsai, 59, leads the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that wants independence from China. In her victory speech, she vowed to preserve the status quo in relations with China, adding Beijing must respect Taiwan’s democracy and both sides must ensure there are no provocations….
ISTANBUL – At least 10 people have been killed in an explosion in a district of Istanbul popular with tourists, the city authorities say. Foreign tourists are reportedly among those hurt in the blast, which occurred in the city’s historic Sultanahmet district, near the Blue Mosque. Fifteen people were also wounded in the blast, the…
JOHANNESBURG – South Africa has resolved a trade row with the US which threatened millions of dollars worth of business, its trade minister has said. The US had said it would throw South Africa out of its preferential trade programme over its refusal to allow the importation of American chickens. President Obama had set the…
WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama is to widen background checks on buyers of firearms, in a series of measures to address gun violence. The plans will be announced on Tuesday by the president, despite opposition from Congress to new gun laws. All sellers who operate online or at gun shows will be forced to…
NEW DELHI – An earthquake measuring 6.7 magnitude has hit northeast India, near its borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, killing at least nine people. The quake hit at 04:35 local time (23:05 GMT Sunday) about 29km (18 miles) northwest of Imphal, the capital of Manipur state, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Strong tremors…
