Seoul / AFP A snowballing political scandal moved closer to embattled South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Thursday, with her newly nominated prime minister warning she could face a probe, hours after prosecutors detained a former presidential aide. Ahn Jong-Beom was taken into custody late Wednesday over suspicions he helped Park’s friend Choi Soon-Sil coerce companies into donating large sums …

  Johannesburg/ AFP South African President Jacob Zuma on Thursday faced increasing calls to resign after a damaging probe unearthed further evidence of alleged corruption at the top of the ANC government. The country’s anti-graft watchdog ordered a judicial inquiry into possible criminal activity in Zuma’s relationship with the Guptas, a wealthy Indian family accused of wielding undue political influence. Zuma, …

  Eau Claire / AFP Syrian rebels renewed their bid to break a government siege on eastern Aleppo on Thursday, shelling regime-held parts of the city, hours before a brief Russian-declared ceasefire was due to begin. State media said at least 12 people had been killed in rebel rocket and gunfire on western neighbourhoods, after an assault that began with a …