President

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19, his office has confirmed. Officials said 55-year-old President Assad and his wife Asma are both in "good health and in a stable condition". The pair will return to work after spending two to three weeks in isolation in their home. Live coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world In a statement, Mr Assad's office said the couple took PCR tests after they felt minor symptoms consistent with coronavirus. Advertisement Syria, which marks 10 years of war next week, has recorded nearly 16,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 1,000 deaths from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University. The country began a vaccination campaign last week, but no details have been given about the process. More from UK Meghan and Harry interview latest: Live updates as Duke of Sussex tells Oprah about awkward call with Queen Meghan and Harry interview: Queen … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and wife test positive for coronavirus

Prince Harry and Meghan have given an explosive tell-all interview to Oprah Winfrey, opening up about racism concerns, suicidal thoughts and Royal Family rifts. The two-hour prime-time interview with the US chat host - where "no subject is off limits" - has given the couple their chance to tell their story and left many reeling from the unexpected revelations . As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex admit they walked away from life as senior royals because they felt "trapped", we look at the network of famous and influential figures they've got on speed dial now they've built a new life in the US. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris While the Royal Family remain staunchly apolitical, Prince Harry and Meghan's departure from "The Firm" has allowed them freedom to have a more friendly relationship with political movers and shakers. Advertisement Harry's past work on military issues bought him into close contact with the Bidens, … [Read more...] about Harry and Meghan: The celebrities and influential figures who make up their LA inner circle

Family dynasty Since August 3, 1979, Equatorial Guinea has been ruled by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema. The 78-year-old leader, who is constitutionally allowed to rule by decree, became the second president after overthrowing his uncle, Macias Nguema. Despite more than a dozen attempts to topple him, President Obiang has clung to power for more than 40 years and earned the title of Africa's and the world's longest-serving president. Equatorial Guinea boasts the highest adult literacy rate in sub-Saharan Africa President Obiang's son, Teodoro Nguema, is the country's vice president. Another son, Gabriel Obiang Lima, is the minister for mines and hydrocarbons. While the country allowed a multi-party system in 1992, Obiang's Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea has won over 90% of votes at every election. The opposition has boycotted some of the polls. In the last election in 2016, he scored 93.7% of the vote, according to the electoral commission, his worst result so … [Read more...] about 5 surprising facts about Equatorial Guinea

The wooden spire of Notre-Dame cathedral is being re-built using centuries-old oak trees felled from a former royal forest - almost two years after it was destroyed in a fire. The lead-coated spire, which for more than 150 years had defined the central Paris skyline, was consumed by the blaze in April 2019, collapsing through the stone-vaulted roof to the tears and gasps of distraught onlookers. President Emmanuel Macron announced last summer the 96-metre (315ft) spire would be reconstructed as originally designed by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, and the hunt for the 1,000 oaks required to build the spire and the frame of the cathedral's transept began. At the beginning of this year, the perfect trees were identified in Domaine de Berce, near Le Mans. They must all be chopped down before the end of March before the sap rises and the wood contains too much moisture. Aymeric Albert, the French forestry commission's commercial director, described the … [Read more...] about Notre-Dame fire: Cathedral’s spire to be rebuilt with 200-year-old oaks from royal forest

RUSSIANS are snubbing the country’s own Sputnik V vaccine out of distrust for Vladimir Putin’s government. The Sputnik V jab has been sent around the world with Germany the latest country to consider using it but just 3 per cent of Russians have taken it. Russia's tiny vaccine uptake compares to 32.1 per cent in the UK and 17.1 per cent in the US, according to Our World in Data. Recent polls show that less than a third of Russians are willing to get the Sputnik V vaccine amid mistrust of Vladimir Putin's government. Lingering distrust of the authorities from the Soviet Communist era means that as many as three quarters of Russians believe Covid is a man-made biological weapon, reports the Wall Street Journal. Vadim Ivanov, a 55-year-old driver for St. Petersburg’s city maintenance department: “I’m not getting a vaccine because I don’t believe in the coronavirus. “It’s all about deception. People say it’s all nonsense, it’s all far-fetched, it’s all … [Read more...] about Massive blow to Putin as Russians SNUB vaccine with just 3% taking jab because they ‘don’t trust him’