The Trump administration is proposing a major overhaul of the US State Department that would involve axing a war crimes office and shifting the focus of staff looking at migration and refugees. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the restructure was designed to get rid of offices that are “misaligned with America’s core national interests”. … Read more
Thomas Mackintosh BBC News, London Getty Images The decision, which cannot be appealed, could end the Tidjane Thiam’s ambition to run for president Ivory Coast’s main opposition leader has been removed from the electoral roll by the judiciary which says he is ineligible to run in October’s presidential election. Tidjane Thiam renounced his French citizenship … Read more
Ghanaian President John Mahama has suspended the country’s Supreme Court chief justice – a move that marks a first in the country’s history. Three undisclosed petitions have been filed against Gertrude Torkornoo calling for her removal while an investigation is launched. Chief justices in Ghana enjoy security of tenure – meaning they can only be … Read more
David Willey, who spent decades reporting from Rome for the BBC, reflects on the transformation of the Vatican under Francis – the eighth Pope of our former correspondent’s lifetime. I have suddenly realised with something of shock that I am already not only four years older than the late Pope Francis, but that my own … Read more
Yolande Knell BBC Middle East Correspondent Getty Images For months, Pope Francis called almost nightly to check in on the people sheltering at the Holy Family Catholic Church “As-salaam Alaikum” or “peace be upon you,” Pope Francis ventured in Arabic while talking to parishioners in Gaza earlier this year. A short video released by the … Read more
An explosion has taken place at a Russian ammunition depot east of Moscow, military authorities and local media are reporting. The blast in an ammunition warehouse took place at a defence facility in the western Vladimir region on Tuesday. The site is believed to be a key ammunition storage site for the Russian army. The … Read more
CCTV footage captured the moment a manhole exploded in Poughkeepsie, New York moments after a woman pushing a stroller and walking with a child passed by. The Poughkeepsie Fire Department said there were no injuries reported in the incident but that high levels of carbon monoxide were discovered in multiple buildings on the block. Occupants … Read more
In a stark warning, the head of the UN’s food aid agency in Ethiopia has said millions in the country are “one shock away from falling into a catastrophe”. Zlatan Milišić’s statement came as he announced that because of a lack of funding the World Food Programme (WFP ) “is being forced to halt treatment” … Read more
the Visual Journalism team BBC News Getty Images The Vatican has released several photographs of Pope Francis lying in an open coffin in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, his former residence. We’ve taken a look at who was in the chapel and some of the symbolism on show in the images. Getty Images … Read more
Aleem Maqbool BBC Religion Editor Getty Images Pope candidates (left to right) Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, cardinal Pietro Parolin, cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, and cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu Who will be the next pope? The decision could have a profound impact on the Catholic Church and the world’s 1.4 billion baptised Roman Catholics. It … Read more