Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump has stood firm for days: no spending deal to keep government operating if Congress does not approve $5 billion to build a US-Mexico border wall. On Tuesday he softened his position. “We have other ways that we can get to that …
Read More »CPJ announces legal support to defend fearless journalists
New York, US | THE INDEPENDENT | The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and First Look Media’s Press Freedom Defense Fund today announced they are partnering on a fundraising campaign to provide legal support for journalists facing extensive legal battles meant to suppress critical journalism. The International Center for Journalists …
Read More »Electricity is creating new hope in medicine
A radical new approach to treating disease Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. This saying is particularly apt in medicine where doctors treat nearly every condition–from depression to hypertension–with a pill. If your doctor prescribed you anything other …
Read More »Man United sack Mourinho, eye Zidane
Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester United have sacked manager Jose Mourinho after their worst start to a season in almost 30 years, the club announced on Tuesday. The 55-year-old Portuguese’s last match in charge was the 3-1 defeat by Premier League league leaders Liverpool on Sunday which left …
Read More »Latest Spider-Man spin-off scales box office heights
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” snared North American viewers in its web this weekend, earning $35.4 million in ticket sales, final figures showed Monday. Sony’s action-packed animation sees Peter Parker make way for Miles Morales as Spider-Man — a black, Latino character new to …
Read More »Colombian ELN rebels announce Christmas ceasefire
Bogota, Colombia | AFP | Colombia’s ELN Marxist guerrilla group announced Monday a Christmas ceasefire as peace talks with the country’s government have been on hold since August. Such moves by the ELN are common this time of year and the group said it was granting a unilateral truce “at …
Read More »EU agrees to cut emissions from new cars by 37 percent by 2030
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | European Union members and the European Parliament on Monday agreed to slash carbon dioxide emissions from new cars by 37.5 percent by 2030, the European Commission announced. The announcement comes two days after the end of the COP24 summit in Poland where one of the …
Read More »Jesuits release list of 89 US priests accused of sex abuse
Chicago, United States | AFP | Jesuit authorities for 20 US states on Monday released the names of 89 priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse dating as far back as 1950. The disclosures by the Jesuit provinces of Maryland and USA Midwest are the latest chapter in the …
Read More »UK opposition launches parliamentary confidence manoeuvre against May
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn on Monday tabled a non-binding no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Theresa May after she told MPs they will only get a delayed vote on her Brexit deal in the new year. May said a vote on the deal — …
Read More »Nissan fails to agree Ghosn replacement, as tensions with Renault grow
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | The board of automaker Nissan failed Monday to agree a replacement for former chairman Carlos Ghosn after his arrest for financial misconduct, as tensions grow in the firm’s alliance with Renault. The Japanese company removed Ghosn from his post last month after he was detained …
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