Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

Brigitte Bardot, the French actor and singer who became one of the most recognisable sex symbols of the 20th century before abandoning cinema for animal rights activism, has died aged 91. Her death was announced on Sunday by the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse. No details were given about when or where she died. Tributes poured in from across France’s political and cultural spectrum. President Emmanuel Macron said Bardot had “embodied a life of freedom” and described her as “a legend of the century”. Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right National Rally party, which Bardot…

Bulgaria is preparing to adopt the euro in January as political instability and concerns over Russia-linked disinformation fuel public distrust of the new currency.

A winter storm bringing a mix of snow and ice swept across the north-eastern United States early on Saturday, disrupting post-holiday travel and forcing emergency declarations in several states. Air travel was badly affected. By mid-morning, more than 14,400 domestic flights had been cancelled or delayed, according to the tracking service FlightAware. Most disruptions were centred on the New York area, including John F Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports. A further 2,100 international flights scheduled to depart from or arrive in the US on Saturday were also cancelled. Road travel was equally hazardous. Residents across much of the north-east…

Italian authorities have arrested nine people linked to three charities on suspicion of raising millions of euros for the militant group Hamas. Anti-terrorism prosecutors said the suspects channelled about €7m (£6m) to organisations in Gaza, the Palestinian territories and Israel that were allegedly owned, controlled or linked to Hamas. The charities publicly claimed to be raising money for humanitarian aid for Palestinians. However, police said more than 71 per cent of the funds collected were diverted to directly finance Hamas or groups affiliated with it. Investigators also alleged that part of the money was sent to family members involved in…

The Central African Republic will go to the polls on Sunday, with President Faustin-Archange Touadéra seeking a third term in office. About 2.3 million registered voters are expected to take part in what observers describe as a quadruple election, covering the presidency, parliament, and local and municipal councils. Seven candidates are contesting the presidency. They include former prime ministers Anicet Georges Dologuélé and Henri-Marie Dondra, who were cleared to run by the constitutional court after initially being barred. Dologuélé finished second in the presidential races of 2015 and 2020, while Dondra previously served under Touadéra. Opposition figures are hoping to…

Poland plans to complete a new network of anti-drone defences along its eastern borders within two years, following repeated incursions by suspected Russian drones into its airspace earlier this year. The deputy defence minister, Cezary Tomczyk, said the first elements of the system could be operational within six months, with full completion expected within 24 months. Speaking in Warsaw, Tomczyk said the new defences would be integrated into an older protective line built around a decade ago. The system will consist of several layers, including machine guns, cannons, missiles and electronic drone-jamming technology. Some elements, he noted, would only be…

Guinea goes to the polls on Sunday for its first presidential election since the 2021 military coup that brought Colonel Mamady Doumbouya to power. In September 2021, Doumbouya, then a little-known army colonel, appeared on national television to announce that soldiers had overthrown President Alpha Condé, ending more than a decade of civilian rule. “The will of the strongest has always supplanted the law,” he said at the time, claiming the coup was necessary to restore the will of the people. Soon after seizing power, Doumbouya promised a 36-month transition to civilian rule. He rejected pressure from the Economic Community…

Somaliland already hosts a United Arab Emirates military base in Berbera, which includes a port and an airstrip.

A third of Kyiv has been left without heating after a major Russian drone and missile attack cut power supplies across the Ukrainian capital, exposing hundreds of thousands of residents to freezing conditions. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Russia launched nearly 500 drones and about 40 missiles overnight, including ballistic missiles. He said energy facilities and civilian infrastructure in Kyiv were the primary targets. The bombardment lasted about 10 hours, killing one person and injuring at least 24 others, according to Ukrainian officials. The strikes came ahead of a scheduled call on Saturday between Zelenskyy and several European leaders, as…

A leading US transplant surgeon has said gene-edited pig kidneys could one day prove superior to human donor organs, as the first clinical trial involving living patients gets under way. Dr Robert Montgomery, director of the Transplant Institute at NYU Langone, said the first transplant in the trial had already been carried out, with another expected in January. Six patients are initially set to receive pig kidneys that have been gene-edited in 10 places to reduce the risk of rejection. If approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the trial will later be expanded to include a further…