United Nations, United States | AFP |  UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon paid an emotional farewell to the United Nations on Friday, wistfully describing his two-term stint at the helm of the global body as something of a fairy tale. “I feel a bit like Cinderella. Tomorrow at midnight, everything changes!” …

Paris, France | AFP |  From Donald Trump’s victory to the Brexit vote and the fall of Syria’s Aleppo, here is a snapshot of 10 stories that dominated the news in 2016: – Trump wins US vote – On November 8, Republican billionaire Trump, a 70-year-old populist with no political …

Paris, France | AFP |  The shock election of Donald Trump to the White House, Britain crashing out of the European Union, attacks in Europe and the deaths of Mohammed Ali and David Bowie: 2016 has been a momentous news year. Here are some of the main events that marked …

Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria has recently trumpeted a major victory in its battle against Boko Haram, claiming that its army has routed the jihadists from their forest bastion, but the war against them is far from over. After years of devastating battles and a recent surge in attacks, …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Ninety-three journalists and media staff were killed around the world in the course of their work in 2016, with Iraq and Afghanistan the deadliest countries, the International Federation of Journalists said Friday. The IFJ said the figure, 19 less than in 2015, was for journalists …

Beijing, China | AFP |  China will ban all domestic ivory trade and processing by the end of 2017, state media reported Friday, in a move hailed by activists as a “game changer” for African elephants. African ivory is highly sought after in China where it is seen as a …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP |  Saudi Arabia has invited regional rival Iran to discuss a return of its nationals to next year’s hajj after Iranians were excluded from the pilgrimage following a major diplomatic row, reports said Friday. The Al-Hayat daily reported that Riyadh’s pilgrims minister Mohammed Bentin had …

Islamabad, Pakistan | AFP |  China’s State Grid Corporation is set to build a $1.5-billion power line across Pakistan to enable the transmission of 4,000 megawatts of electricity from the country’s north to south, the government said Friday. Pakistani and Chinese officials signed an investment agreement in Beijing on Thursday …

Frankfurt am Main, Germany | AFP | The euro, used by nearly 340 million people each day, celebrates its 15th birthday on Sunday. Like a teenager in the throes of adolescence, the euro has lurched from crisis to crisis in recent years, but still manages to enjoy firm support across …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | After turning the tide on the ground in Syria with his country’s military might, Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to cement his authority by forging an unlikely peace deal. The Kremlin strongman on Thursday announced a new truce and talks between Damascus and rebel …