Barcelona, Spain | AFP |“Never again a summer like this”: Exasperated with the hordes of visitors they blame for making their city unliveable, Barcelona residents have risen in protest. The hugely popular Catalan metropolis has become the latest European hotspot to eye tourism with hostility. From the romantic canals of …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The Belgian government said Wednesday that it would take legal action to obtain compensation for businesses that lost money over insecticide-tainted eggs that were shipped across the European Union and as far away as Hong Kong. The government pledged the civil action as part of several …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s Parliament said Wednesday it would reconsider plans to silence Big Ben for four years after Prime Minister Theresa May chimed in to a growing MPs’ revolt. Westminster’s Elizabeth Tower, one of Britain’s most cherished tourist attractions, is due for conservation work and the clock’s …

Washington, United States | AFP | US military leaders have been denouncing racism and intolerance since a white supremacist rally in Virginia — with condemnation mounting after President Donald Trump said counter-protesters also were to blame for the violence. Trump on Tuesday held a New York press conference in which he …

New York, United States | AFP | Donald Trump found himself in the eye of a political storm Wednesday after his stunning remarks on the unrest in Charlottesville, which sparked unease within his own camp and could be a turning point in his already chaotic presidency. Just about 200 days into …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | German Chancellor Angela Merkel, campaigning Wednesday for the youth vote on YouTube ahead of September 24 elections, said her favourite emoticon was the “smiley” and dismissed fears about a potential World War III. The 63-year-old leader, in power for nearly 12 years, also said she hoped …

Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Amazon, claiming the US online colossus is doing “great damage” to other retailers and destroying jobs. Trump, who has criticized Amazon in the past, offered no specific facts to back up his argument. He launched his tirade …

Monaco, Principality of Monaco | AFP | Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim has claimed that star striker Kylian Mbappe was left on the bench last weekend “to protect him” rather than as a punishment. The 18-year-old sensation reportedly wants away from the French champions, with Paris Saint-Germain his favoured destination but Real …

Washington, United States | AFP | A tweet by former president Barack Obama about the violence in Charlottesville has become the most liked message in the history of Twitter, the company said Wednesday. The tweet by the country’s first black president quoted Nelson Mandela. “No one is born hating another person …

Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | Concerns shifted Wednesday to the estimated 600 people still missing and thousands made homeless in Sierra Leone by deadly floods in the capital, as it emerged that at least a third of those killed were children. The United Nations said Tuesday that it was evaluating …