How Powerful Is France’s President?

France’s outgoing President Sarkozy and his wife leave the Elysee Palace after the handover ceremony with President Hollande, May 15, 2012. French presidents have more power than the leaders of most other advanced democracies, including Germany, the United Kingdom, and, arguably, the United States.

Central Africans Use Radio Network to Stay Safe From LRA

Two decades after the Lord’s Resistance Army began terrorizing civilians in northern Uganda, the LRA boasts just a fraction of its former strength, about 100 fighters active in parts of central Africa. But the communities most at risk of attack have little protection in remote lawless regions of the Central African Republic and the Congo.

What you need to know when buying tickets for Ed Sheeran’s UK and European tour

Tickets for Ed Sheeran’s UK and European tour will go on sale tomorrow – with hundreds of thousands of fans hoping for a chance to see the Suffolk superstar perform live. Ed’s much-anticipated return to the limelight this year has already seen him achieve music history as the first artist to occupy the top two positions in the UK Singles Chart with Castle on the Hill, his “love song for Suffolk” and Shape of You.

Business Rx: This farming start-up seeks help cultivating advisors to help it grow

This week, a start-up that helps farmers in emerging economies find markets for their goods seeks advice on how to assemble an advisory board.- Dan Beyers After graduating from Brown University in 2007 with a degree in Business Economics, Ashley King-Bischof spent a season playing professional basketball in Europe. The travel for games piqued her interest in exploring more of the world.

Lukashenka-Style Visa-Free Regime: Foreigners To Be Checked Against Databases Of Belarus, Russia

The foreigners arriving under the visa-free regime to Minsk airport will be checked against the databases of the police and the secret services of Belarus and Russia. Belarusian expert in national security issues Aliaksandr Tsishchanka has said this during the video-conference dedicated to introduction of the visa-free regime for the citizens of 80 states in Belarus, BelTA reports.

Jury Selection Finishing in Cuban Ballplayer Smuggling Case

Jury selection is wrapping up in Miami federal court for a sports agent and an associate charged with illegally smuggling Cuban baseball players from the communist island to the U.S. A federal judge said final questioning of jurors is scheduled for Wednesday morning in the case of Bartolo Hernandez and Julio Estrada, both of whom have pleaded not guilty. Opening statements are expected that afternoon.

Mystery over Chinese tycoon’s disappearance from Hong Kong

Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of a Chinese-born Canadian billionaire reportedly seized in Hong Kong by mainland Chinese police, in a case that could rekindle concerns about overreach by Chinese law enforcement in the semiautonomous city. Xiao Jianhua is in mainland China, according to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post on Wednesday, citing an anonymous source close to the tycoon, one of China’s richest individuals.

UAE developer Nakheel announces record $1.35B net profit

The 2016 results – which take Nakheel’s cumulative results since 2010 to Dh19.9 billion – follow improved year-on-year performances by the company’s retail, hospitality and residential leasing businesses. UAE-based Nakheel , one of the world’s leading developers, has announced a record net profit of Dh4.96 billion for 2016 – the highest in the company’s history – up 13 per cent over Dh4.38 billion the previous year, thus indicating a stable and mature real estate sector in Dubai.

Ban Ki-moon abandons S. Korea presidency bid

Former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon announces an end to his attempt to seek South Korea’s presidency at the National Assembly in Seoul on February 1, 2017. Photo: AFP Former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon abruptly ended his attempt to seek South Korea’s presidency Wednesday, dropping a lifetime of diplomacy to denounce his country’s political establishment.

Palestinian President Abbas arrives in Dhaka

A red carpet was rolled out as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Dhaka today on a three-day official visit at the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Hamid. President Hamid received the Palestinian President near the VVIP Tarmac of Hazarat Shahjalal International Airport amid a 21-gun salute, while President Hamid’s two grandson and granddaughter – Namira and Jim – presented him a bouquet.

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The Latest on the global reaction to President Donald Trump’s temporary suspension of immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries : Five U.N. human rights experts say President Donald Trump’s move to bar entry to the United States to citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries violates U.S. obligations on human rights. The five, who are commissioned by the United Nations, said in a statement issued in Geneva on Wednesday that Trump’s executive order signed last week is “clearly discriminatory” and leads to greater stigmatization of Muslims.

Ekushey book fair kicks off

The much-awaited month-long book fair “Amar Ekushey Granthamela” begins on the Bangla Academy premises and extending into the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on Wednesday, February 1, 2017. Photo: Prabir Das The much-awaited month-long book fair “Amar Ekushey Granthamela” begins on the Bangla Academy premises and extending into the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka today.

Buffalo Grove eye doctor sees value of his work in Nicaragua

Villagers wait outside for the chance to be seen in one of the eight eye clinics set up inside the school in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. Dr. Larry Nierman examines one of the hundreds of patients he saw over the course of the week on a medical mission to Nicaragua with Volunteering Optometric Services to Humanity.

Nearly half of Britons back Trump state visit: YouGov poll

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at his election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 9, 2016. Around half of Britons believe U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned UK state visit should go ahead, even though a similar number would not like to see his controversial migrant ban implemented in Britain, according to a poll on Wednesday.

Cenda a: Learn protection

The Department of Health conferred with the National Youth Commission in the development of proposal to give students access to condoms in schools. The proposal was first mentioned by DOH Secretary Paulyn Ubial last December 1, 2016 at a World AIDS Day event.

Took scooter for test run

While fixing his brother’s scooter a 24-year-old man took it for a test run and was detected by police for traffic offences. Aaron Whitla, Victoria Street, Lurgan, was fined 200 last Friday at Craigavon Magistrates Court for not having insurance on October 12 last year.

Santner wants repeat of tight bowling against Aus

Mitchell Santner of New Zealand fields off his own bowling during the one-day international cricket match between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park in Auckland on January 30, 2017. Photo: AFP New Zealand need to bowl as well as they did at the start of Australia’s innings in the first one-day international in Auckland if they are to wrap up the series on Thursday, according to all-rounder Mitchell Santner.

Dollar caught in crossfire as Trump talks currency wars

People walk past an electronic board showing stock prices outside a brokerage at a business district in Tokyo, Japan, January 23, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon The dollar was put on the defensive in Asia on Wednesday after the Trump administration accused Germany and Japan of devaluing their currencies to gain a trade advantage, fuelling a risk-off mood that also kept stocks subdued.

Dureza wants to retain gov’t truce despite Reds withdrawal

THE Duterte administration respects the decision of the New People Army’s to withdraw its unilateral ceasefire with the government, Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Jesus Dureza said on Wednesday. “We respect their decision,” Dureza said in a statement, in reaction to NPA’s move to cancel its truce with the government.

DOST-Bicol’s SETUP grants P15M to 21 MSMEs

By Philippine News Agency Some 21 micro, small and medium enterprises in the Bicol Region received P15.15 million to become the first batch of recipients of the fund for this year under the Department of Science and Technology – Bicol’s banner program called “Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program” or SETUP. The fund, which was handed over to the “new technology-adoptor-beneficiaries” by DOST-Bicol Director Tomas B. Brinas, is in the amount of P15,152,494, said Dr. Rafaelita Lucena, public information officer of DOST-Bicol.

Alfie Mawson celebrates his first half opener at the Liberty Stadium last night. PICTURE: PA Wire.

Goals from Alfie Mawson and Gylfi Sigurdsson secured back to back Premier League wins for Swansea City for the first time this season – and continued the club’s recent revival under new manager Paul Clement. And fittingly, the goals came from the home side’s two best players on the night, with the outstanding Mawson heading in a Sigurdsson corner to give his side a half time lead, and after Shane Long levelled in the second half for the visitors, it was the Icelander who proved the match-winner as he volleyed home debutant Luciano Narsingh’s cross.

Bristol to be ‘badly hit’ by Brexit, as figures reveal two-thirds of exports go to the EU

Politicians from Bristol’s opposition parties have urged Theresa May to ditch her plans for a hard Brexit after it was revealed that two-thirds of the city’s exports are sold to countries within the European Union. According to the Cities Outlook report, Bristol is the third-most reliant city in the country on the European market, with 66 per cent of our 2014 exports heading to EU members, putting it behind only Plymouth and Exeter.

Sri Lanka arrest astrologer who predicted president’s death

Most Sri Lankans follow advises of astrologers for making decisions, and the suspect, astrologer Vijitha Rohana Wijemuni, is a former navy sailor convicted of attempting to assassinate India’s then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by assaulting him when he visited the island in 1989. The Police Media Division said Wijemuni was arrested Tuesday evening on the charges of making false predictions and comments that could mislead people.

Politics | The Banality of Trump: Guest MINDSETTERa Geoff Schoos

The past ten days have seemed like a lifetime, with each hour presenting us with some new Executive Order addressing a controversial public topic. Whether the Affordable Care Act, the “Wall” on the US/Mexico border, or just a few days ago the ban on entry into the United States, it becomes increasingly evident that this administration is ruling by executive fiat rather than by any sense of a Constitutional process and rule of law.

Administrator to meet with Stevenson staff

A meeting is to be held with staff at Maurice Stevenson Ltd today after the company was placed into administration earlier this week – putting 33 jobs at risk. Maurice Stevenson Limited , one of Northern Ireland’s longest established mechanical installation firms, has appointed Administrator Gerard Gildernew to assess the options available in respect of the business.