WORLD

Tehran, Iran | AFP | President Hassan Rouhani appealed Wednesday for “unity” and flagged the need for radical changes to the way Iran is run, after a wave of angry protests over the accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner. The Kiev-bound Boeing 737 was shot down in a catastrophic error shortly …

Bamako, Mali | AFP | Brutal attacks that have killed nearly 300 people in less than two months have propelled the Islamic State to the status of the Sahel’s most-feared jihadist group, eclipsing al-Qaeda, experts say. The vast fragile region on the southern rim of the Sahara has been battling an …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | The Russian government resigned on Wednesday after President Vladimir Putin proposed a series of constitutional reforms, Russian news agencies reported. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the proposals would make significant changes to the country’s balance of power and so “the government in its current form has …

Washington, United States | AFP |  The Senate impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump is likely to begin in seven days with key players sworn in later this week, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday. McConnell said he expected the House of Representatives to deliver the articles of impeachment against …

Washington, United States | AFP |  New video footage has emerged showing two Iranian missiles tearing through the night sky and hitting a Ukrainian passenger plane, sending the aircraft down in flames and killing all 176 passengers and crew on board. The projectiles were fired 30 seconds apart and explain why …

Washington, United States | AFP | The US House of Representatives will transmit articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate on Wednesday, setting the stage for the US leader’s trial for abuse of power, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced. “Tomorrow, we will transmit those articles & name …

Rome, Italy | AFP | Former pope Benedict XVI has asked that his name be removed from a controversial new book in which he comes down firmly against married priests, his secretary told Italian newswire ANSA. The book, excerpts of which were published on Sunday by French newspaper Le Figaro, set off a firestorm with …

Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iran announced Tuesday its first arrests over the shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner last week, as it struggles to contain the fallout from the disaster that sparked three days of protests. The Ukraine International Airlines plane was brought down by a missile shortly after takeoff …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | The Vatican was gripped Tuesday by a dispute over whether elderly ex-pope Benedict XVI was being used by the Catholic Church’s ultra-conservative wing to undermine his successor Pope Francis. At least three Vatican correspondents cited a source close to Benedict saying the former pontiff …

Paris, France | AFP | Three EU countries on Tuesday said they were launching a dispute mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran after accusing Tehran of repeated violations, but insisted they were committed to the agreement. The move by Britain, France and Germany comes as tensions soar between the West and Iran following …