New York became the first state to offer free college tuition to residents on Monday when governor Andrew Cuomo approved the 2018 State Budget . The budget, unanimously passed by the Senate, invests $163 million in the Excelsior Scholarship program, making tuition free for middle class and low-income students attending 2 and 4-year SUNY and [...]
Judge Neil Gorsuch was sworn in Monday, becoming the 113th person to serve on the US Supreme Court . Gorsuch’s confirmation will return the court to a balance of four conservatives, four liberals and Justice Anthony Kennedy as the swing vote. In accepting the post, Gorsuch stated , “To my new colleagues and the staff [...]
A Pakistani military court on Monday sentenced Kulbushan Jadhav , an Indian naval officer who was detained in Pakistan for the past year, to death. The court handed down the death sentence after finding Jadhav guilty of espionage and sabotage. The sentence was subsequently approved by Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa . The [...]
The anti-corruption group Global Witness (GW) said Monday that recently leaked emails reveal that Shell knowingly briber Nigerian officials so the company could access a Nigerian offshore oilfield. GW alleges Shell and its Italian business parter Eni paid $1.1 billion to the Nigerian government, knowing that the money would go to former oil Minister Dan [...]
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi announced a national state of emergency following two terror attacks on Coptic Christian churches on Sunday. The attacks killed at least 44 people and injured 100 others after suicide bombers in two different cities tried to enter the churches while services were underway. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for both attacks. [...]
Numerous African and international nongovernmental organizations urged Zambia to reaffirm its membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday. The calls come in response to the African Union’s (AU) decision to adopt an “ICC withdrawal strategy” back in February. Zambia, as a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) , was a vocal [...]
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions will not renew the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS) , according to a statement released Monday. The NCFS is a 30-member group of scientists, academics, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges originally commissioned in 2013 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) during President Obama’s administration. The commission [...]
Eugene Owusu , the top United Nations humanitarian official in South Sudan, called on the government and opposition of South Sudan on Saturday, to ensure the protection of civilians and aid workers in the country. The plea comes after a week that saw both armed opposition forces and state security officials detain and beat up [...]
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told CNN in an interview set to air Sunday that removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria is one of the top priorities of Donald Trump’s administration. Haley said that it was hard to see a peaceful and stable Syria with Assad as president , [...]
The Venezuelan government announced on Saturday that opposition leader Henrique Capriles has been banned from holding office for 15 years by the Venezuelan state comptroller. The ban, which was imposed for alleged “administrative irregularities” during his time as the governor of Miranda and misuse of donations from the British and Polish embassies, would bar Capriles [...]
