New York, United States | AFP | More than 730 people aged five to 76 have changed gender on New York birth certificates since 2015, an explosion in applications after rules were relaxed two years ago, officials said Thursday. The 731 gender-change applications approved since January 2015 come in stark …
Read More »South Korean president sacked by top court
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korean President Park Geun-Hye was fired by the country’s top court on Friday, as it upheld her impeachment by parliament over a wide-ranging corruption scandal. The unanimous decision brought to a climax months of political turmoil that brought millions of people onto the streets …
Read More »Oil prices fall to 2017 low as US petroleum supply surges
New York, United States | AFP | Oil prices slumped to their lowest level of 2017 Wednesday following a bearish US supply report that also dented American petroleum-linked shares. The US oil benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, slid more than five percent to $50.28 a barrel, its lowest price since December. …
Read More »Global marches, strikes demand equality on Women’s Day
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Protesters took to the streets in cities around the world Wednesday, marking International Women’s Day with strikes and marches demanding equal rights. In Moscow, a group of feminist activists was briefly detained after protesting inside the tightly guarded Kremlin with banners for an end to patriarchy, …
Read More »May sacks top Conservative over Brexit rebellion
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May has sacked Michael Heseltine, a senior figure in her Conservative Party, from various advisory roles for rebelling against the government in a Brexit vote in the House of Lords. Heseltine, 83, a former deputy prime minister nicknamed “Tarzan” for his …
Read More »Republican backlash over Trump-backed health care bill
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump faced mounting concern from fellow Republicans Tuesday over their party’s plan to replace Obamacare, with conservatives warning the bill was too similar to existing controversial health care law. Several far-right lawmakers said the Republican plan abandons conservative fiscal principles by …
Read More »Lords defy May for a second time on Brexit
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Prime Minister Theresa May suffered her second defeat in a week over Brexit Tuesday when the House of Lords voted to give parliament the final say on how Britain leaves the European Union. Peers voted by 366 to 268 to amend the bill empowering …
Read More »Pressure mounts on Uber and CEO after missteps
Washington, United States | AFP | After a series of embarrassing revelations, ridesharing giant Uber faces challenges in keeping growth on track, with top executive Travis Kalanick likely to face pressure to give up some control. Analysts say Uber’s rocky past month — marred by disclosures about a culture of …
Read More »Why tuberculosis persists
By Michael C. Fairbanks Many of history’s greatest personalities; Eleanor Roosevelt, George Orwell, Franz Kafka all died of TB It surprises many people in Europe and North America that tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the great scourges in human history. One out of every three people in the world is …
Read More »Malaysia PM says citizens ‘effectively hostages’ in North Korea
North Korea bans Malaysians from leaving in Kim spat Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | North Korea on Tuesday banned Malaysians from leaving the country, prompting an immediate tit-for-tat response from Kuala Lumpur and dramatically escalating an already-heated diplomatic row over the murder of Kim Jong-Nam. Pyongyang’s extraordinary move, which …
Read More »