COLU @ CONCEPTS

Image copyright AFP Image caption Kurdish Peshmerga forces have played a key role in the fight against so-called Islamic State Thousands of Kurdish fighters have been deployed to Iraq's disputed Kirkuk region, officials say, amid fears that government forces want to retake it. The autonomous Kurdistan Region's Vice-President, Kosrat Rasul, said it was responding to "threats" by the army. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said he would not use the army against Iraqi citizens, but convoys were seen heading towards Kirkuk late on Thursday. The move comes two weeks after the Kurds held an independence referendum. Voters living in Kurdish-controlled areas - including Kirkuk - voted overwhelmingly in favour of secession, prompting calls from Kurdish officials for negotiations. But Mr Abadi said the referendum was illegal and demanded it be annulled. Iraqi Kurds decisively back independence Independence: What is at stake? Kirkuk is an oil-rich province cla...

Media caption President Trump won big in Kentucky last year but the state also depends heavily on Obamacare US President Donald Trump will end subsidies to health insurance providers designed to help low income households, as he continues his attempts to dismantle Obamacare. The White House announced the move hours after Mr Trump signed an executive order allowing the sale of health insurance plans which are exempt from some of the law's regulations. The announcements come after Congress repeatedly failed to repeal Obamacare. They were instantly criticised. Democrat Party leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement denouncing the end of subsidies as a "spiteful act of vast, pointless sabotage" which would harm the poorest citizens. Meanwhile, critics of the initial announcement argued it could de-stabilise the Obamacare market by encouraging healthy consumers to leave their current plans, prompting a spike in premium cos...

Image copyright REUTERS Image caption Jacob Zuma has always denied the allegations linked to a government arms deal South Africa's President Jacob Zuma must face charges of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering, the Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled. It agreed with a lower court ruling last year that prosecutors could bring back 783 counts of corruption relating to a 1999 arms deal. The charges had been set aside eight years ago, enabling Mr Zuma to become president. The president has always maintained his innocence. In a statement , Mr Zuma's office said the ruling was "disappointing", but anticipated. The president now expected South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to consider representations from his legal team before making a decision about whether to prosecute him, it added. Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories Jacob Zuma - a born survivor? The charges relate to Mr Zuma's relationship with a busines...