AFP Top News

Romania’s far-right candidate Calin Georgescu on Saturday urged voters to go to polling stations despite the country’s top court having scrapped the presidential elections over alleged irregularities amid claims of Russian interference.The court’s shock ruling, coming just before the presidential run-off which had been due Sunday,  opens the way for a new electoral process starting …

Romania far-right candidate urges voters to turn up for scrapped election Read More »

French officials solved an awkward seating dilemma at the Notre Dame cathedral re-opening on Saturday by placing First Lady Brigitte Macron between US President-elect Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s wife and daughter in the front row at the ceremony.The presence of Trump and the outgoing president’s family presented protocol planners with a headache so soon …

French first lady helps keep Trump, Bidens apart at Notre Dame Read More »

The archbishop of Paris re-opened Notre Dame cathedral on Saturday by symbolically knocking on the doors and entering the 12th-century landmark which has been restored after a devastating fire in 2019.Wearing new designer vestments and carrying a staff cut from one of the roof beams that survived the inferno, Laurent Ulrich joined hundreds of VIPs …

Notre Dame re-opens five years after fire Read More »

President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday hosted three-way talks with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, discussing what the American president-elect termed a world that was a “little crazy”.Zelensky’s meeting with Trump just before the three men headed to Notre Dame for the re-opening ceremony of the great Paris cathedral was his first face-to-face meeting …

Macron, Trump, Zelensky discuss ‘crazy’ world in Paris Read More »

At least four people died Saturday when an apartment complex in The Hague collapsed after a huge explosion and fire, authorities said, but firefighters managed to pull someone still alive from the rubble.The blast and resulting inferno destroyed at least five homes but it was not clear how many people were buried in the debris, …

At least four dead in Hague explosion, building collapse Read More »

France on Saturday prepared to throw open the doors of Notre Dame cathedral after a half-decade closure during a ceremony attended by dozens of world leaders celebrating the rebirth of the Paris landmark ravaged by a devastating fire.Held up as an example of French creativity and resilience by President Emmanuel Macron, Notre Dame’s renaissance so …

‘Dazzling’ Notre Dame re-opens five years after fire Read More »

A visibly bruised Pope Francis created 21 new cardinals from five continents on Saturday, including bishops from Algiers, Tehran, Tokyo and Abidjan — many of whom may one day help choose his successor.In the tenth such consistory since he became pope in 2013, Francis, 87, greeted the assembled cardinals-to-be with a large bruise on his …

Pope looks to his legacy and creates 21 new cardinals Read More »

US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday said that the world was “a little crazy” as he met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris ahead of the re-opening of Notre Dame cathedral on his first international trip since his re-election.The two men embraced and shook hands several times on the steps of the French presidential palace, with …

Trump says world ‘a little crazy’ as he meets Macron in Paris Read More »

Ghanaians voted in tight elections on Saturday, with Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia trying to shake off anger over economic woes under the current government to stave off opposition party ex-president John Mahama.Ghana’s struggling economy dominated the race, after the West Africa gold and cacao producer went through a debt default, high inflation and negotiations for …

Ghana votes in tight presidential election Read More »

Romanian police raided houses on Saturday probing alleged vote irregularities in favour of the far right, a day after the top court took the unprecedented decision to scrap the presidential election amid claims of Russian interference.Coming just before the presidential run-off, the court’s shock move opens the way for a new electoral process starting from …

Romania police raid houses after vote scrapped over ‘irregularities’ Read More »