WORLD

Prague, Czech Republic | AFP |  Masks and gloves will be the order of the day when the prime ministers of four ex-communist countries on Thursday hold  the first major face-to-face meeting of European leaders since the coronavirus crisis. The Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak leaders are due to discuss the …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Asia-focused banking giant HSBC’s vocal support for China’s controversial Hong Kong security law has not been well received in Britain, the former ruler of the city. The London-headquartered lender last week backed Beijing’s contentious legal proposal for Hong Kong, which critics fear will be used …

Washington, United States | AFP |  The posters began appearing at protests rocking the United States, all with the same message of support — Arabs, Latinos and South Asians for “Black Lives Matter.” George Floyd’s shocking death in police custody has prompted many minority communities across the country to begin reflecting …

Paris, France | AFP | The world added 12 percent more clean power capacity in 2019 than the year before, but new renewable energy planned over the next decade falls far short of what is needed to forestall dangerous global warming, the UN warned on Wednesday. An additional 184 gigawatts (GW) …

Washington, United States | AFP | George Floyd’s death and the resulting wave of rage against racism and police brutality may have changed the political calculus for US presidential contender Joe Biden, who faces pressure to pick a black female running mate. Senator Kamala Harris, an early favorite, House Democrat Val …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Brussels waded into the dispute between President Donald Trump and Twitter on Wednesday, backing the US social media giant’s decision to fact-check two tweets by the US leader. The European Commission’s top official on countering disinformation praised Twitter for tagging two claims made by Trump last …

Washington, United States | AFP | The brother of George Floyd, whose killing by police sparked worldwide protests against racism, told the US Congress Wednesday to “stop the pain” by passing reforms to address and reduce police brutality. One day after burying his brother in Houston, Philonise Floyd appeared in person before a House hearing, …

Baku, Azerbaijan | AFP |  Nineteen staff in the office of Azerbaijan’s president have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said, as authorities in the repressive Caucasus nation struggle to contain an escalating crisis. A further 13 infections were also confirmed among employees of the emergency situations ministry and the …

  Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | Swedish prosecutors on Wednesday named their main suspect in the 1986 killing of prime minister Olof Palme, closing the murder case that has gripped the Scandanavian country for more than three decades. The suspect was named as Stig Engstrom, a former advertising consultant known …

Frankfurt am Main, Germany | AFP |  Cabin crews on standby with destinations revealed only hours before the flight, pilots put on simulators to keep up to date — an airline restarting after the pandemic is a far cry from the clockwork precision of the pre-coronavirus world. “Flexibility” is the top …