London, United Kingdom | AFP | British travel firm Thomas Cook collapsed into bankruptcy on Monday, leaving some 600,000 holidaymakers stranded and sparking the UK’s biggest repatriation since World War II. The 178-year-old debt-plagued group, which had struggled against fierce online competition for some time and blamed Brexit uncertainty for a …
Read More »‘Moment of truth’ at key UN climate summit
United Nations, United States | AFP | Some 60 world leaders convene on Monday for a UN summit on “climate emergency” aimed at reinvigorating the faltering Paris agreement, at a time when mankind is releasing more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than at any time in history. From heat waves to …
Read More »UK’s Johnson says Iran behind attacks on Saudi oil sites
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused Tehran of being behind attacks on Saudi oil installations, in remarks to reporters en route to New York where he will meet with Iran’s president. “I can tell you that the UK is attributing responsibility with a very high …
Read More »Travel giant Thomas Cook fails to find funds to avert collapse, seeks bailout
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Iconic British travel firm Thomas Cook has failed to find further private investment to stave off collapse and is now relying on an unlikely government bailout, a source close the matter told AFP on Saturday. The operator said Friday that it needed £200 million …
Read More »Fear spreads as digital threats multiply ahead of 2020 US elections
Washington, United States | AFP | It could be a manipulated video embarrassing a candidate. Or a computer voting system locked by ransomware. Or doubts about electronic voting machines with no paper backups. As Americans prepare for 2020 elections, digital threats to election security are multiplying, stoking fears of a …
Read More »Iran warns any country that attacks will be ‘main battlefield’
Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander on Saturday warned any country that attacks the Islamic republic will see its territory become the “main battlefield” as he opened an exhibition of captured drones. Major General Hossein Salami also said Iran was “ready for any type of scenario” following …
Read More »The whistleblower and Trump phone call: What we know
Washington, United States | AFP | A mysterious whistleblower, a telephone call between President Donald Trump and a foreign leader, and military aid to Ukraine. Here’s what we know about the latest political firestorm swirling around Washington: – Whistleblower – On August 12, an unknown whistleblower in the US intelligence …
Read More »School children throng streets in vast global climate strike
New York, United States | AFP | Huge numbers of children skipped school Friday to join a global strike against climate change that teen activist Greta Thunberg hopes will mark a turning point in persuading leaders to act against environmental disaster. Chanting slogans and waving placards, youngsters and adults filled the …
Read More »Millions’ protest in youth-led global climate strike
New York, United States | AFP | Masses of children skipped school Friday to join a global strike against climate change that teen activist Greta Thunberg said was “only the beginning” in the fight against environmental disaster. Some four million people filled city streets around the world, organizers said, in …
Read More »Tension as US sends military reinforcements to the Gulf region
US sending more troops to Gulf, Trump announces Iran sanctions Washington, United States | AFP | The United States announced Friday that it was sending military reinforcements to the Gulf region following attacks on Saudi oil facilities that it attributes to Iran, just hours after President Donald Trump ordered new …
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