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New York said to conditionally approve Aetna deal for Humana

  Bloomberg New York’s insurance regulator has conditionally approved Aetna Inc.’s $37 billion takeover of Humana Inc., one of the last state sign-offs needed for the deal, people familiar with the matter said. The transaction is still under review by U.S. officials. State insurance regulators have been conducting their own assessments, which are in some cases required before a transaction ...

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International tribunal rules against Beijing in South China Sea dispute

  The Hague / AFP An international tribunal ruled on Tuesday against China’s claims it had “historical rights” in the South China Sea in a bitter dispute that risks further stoking regional tensions. Manila — which had lodged the suit against Beijing —welcomed the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration but Beijing reacted furiously, saying it “neither accepts nor ...

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EU head cautions China to respect int’l system

  Beijing / AFP European Union President Donald Tusk on Tuesday cautioned China to respect the international system, as the world’s second-largest economy finds itself locked in disagreements over maritime law and global trade practices. His comments preceded a judgement from a UN-backed tribunal declaring that China had no “historic rights” in the strategically vital South China Sea, a ruling ...

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Pentagon chief Carter lands in Afghanistan

Afghanistan / AFP US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter arrived in Afghanistan on Tuesday for talks with President Ashraf Ghani, days after the United States and NATO pledged to keep thousands of troops in the troubled country. Carter flew in to Bagram air base outside Kabul, and was due to meet with Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in the capital later. The ...

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36,000 people displaced by S Sudan violence since Friday

  Geneva / AFP At least 36,000 people have fled their homes in Juba since heavy fighting erupted in the South Sudanese capital on Friday, the United Nations said on Tuesday. “The latest fighting since Friday has displaced 36,000 people,” Vanessa Huguenin, spokeswoman for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, said, speaking in French. She added that the number was likely ...

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Nepal’s Maoists quit coalition govt

  Kathmandu / AFP Nepal’s former rebel Maoists withdrew from the ruling coalition on Tuesday, leaving the government without a majority and threatening to plunge the quake-hit country into a fresh political crisis. The Maoists, who hold 80 out of 575 elected seats in parliament, said they wanted to form a “national consensus government” to implement a divisive new national ...

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Cameron chairs last cabinet as British Prime Minister

  Londres, United Kingdom / AFP David Cameron chaired his final cabinet meeting on Tuesday after six years as Britain’s prime minister, with incoming premier Theresa May preparing to form a new government to deliver Brexit. May led tributes to Cameron at the meeting, which was described by ministers as “emotional”, and posed for photographers on the steps of the ...

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Stealth candidate Theresa May to be UK’s next leader

  London / AP After all of the flamboyant characters and very public backstabbing in the race to become Britain’s next PM, the winner turned out to be an understated workhorse who maintained a low profile throughout the campaign. Home Secretary Theresa May, 59, is not well-known internationally, but she has served for six years in one of Britain’s toughest jobs, ...

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