Nanterre, France | AFP | A Paris court will rule Tuesday on whether the Michelin restaurant guide must hand over its reasons for stripping a French chef of his third star, a move that could prove a watershed moment for the world of fine dining. Marc Veyrat known as much for …
Read More »Chinese giant Huawei says ‘survival’ top priority as sales fall short
Beijing, China | AFP | Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei said Tuesday that “survival” was its top priority after announcing 2019 sales were expected to fall short of projections as a result of US sanctions. The global leader in telecom networking equipment has been effectively banned by the United States from …
Read More »Thousands trapped on Australia beaches encircled by huge fires
Sydney, Australia | AFP | Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia Tuesday, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land. Four thousand people were trapped on the foreshore of the town of Mallacoota and many others sought …
Read More »Now, China jails scientist who gene-edited babies
Beijing, China | AFP | A Chinese court on Monday sentenced the doctor who claimed to be behind the world’s first gene-edited babies to three years in prison for illegal medical practice, state media reported. He Jiankui, who shocked the scientific community last year by announcing the birth of twins …
Read More »Ukraine rivals to exchange prisoners in controversial swap
Kramatorsk, Ukraine | AFP | Ukrainian authorities and pro-Russian separatists in the war-torn east of the country are expected Sunday to swap dozens of prisoners in a frontline operation that stirred controversy in Kiev. As part of the swap, Kiev is expected to hand over to separatists several riot policemen suspected …
Read More »‘Mass stabbing’ reported at US rabbi’s house
Washington, United States | AFP | Multiple people were stabbed at a Jewish place of worship in upstate New York late Saturday night, a public affairs group said. “At 9:50 this eve, a call came in about a mass stabbing… It’s the house of a Hasidic Rabbi. 5 patients with …
Read More »Rhino said to be world’s oldest dies aged 57 in Tanzania
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | AFP | A black rhino believed to be the oldest in the world has died in Tanzania at the age of 57, according to authorities in Ngorongoro where the animal was living. The female rhino, named Fausta, died of what is believed to be natural …
Read More »NASA’s trip to Mars begins in California ‘clean room’
Pasadena, United States | AFP | NASA’s Mars 2020 rover will head off for the Red Planet next year. But like Voyager, Galileo and Cassini before it, the mission’s epic journey began in a “clean room” in California. One of two ultra-sterile labs used for spacecraft assembly at the Jet Propulsion …
Read More »Born to revolt: Why the French go on strike
Paris, France | AFP | France, it sometimes seems, is either in the throes of a major strike or facing the looming shadow of one. Workers in the country go on strike more than most nations in Europe. The current open-ended stoppages, which began on December 5, have halted most public …
Read More »Navy SEAL cleared by Trump called ‘freaking evil’ by comrades
Washington, United States | AFP | A Navy SEAL platoon leader controversially pardoned of war crimes by US President Donald Trump was described as “toxic” and “freaking evil” by veterans who served with him in Iraq, The New York Times reported Friday. Video testimony provided to war crimes investigators and published by the newspaper …
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