Paris, France | AFP | Air France said Saturday that hundreds of its flights have been cancelled as pilots, cabin crew and ground staff pursued a fifth day of strikes aimed at securing higher pay. The walkout has affected international and domestic travel, with a quarter of long-haul flights cancelled. Around …
Read More »Mattis on Syria: ‘We’ll work all this out’
Washington, United States | AFP | Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday that the military is talking with Kurdish partners and others in Syria to resolve questions over US support once the United States eventually withdraws from the war-torn country. President Donald Trump last week said he wants the US presence …
Read More »Facebook to verify identities, require labels for political ads
Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook announced Friday it will require political ads on its platform to state who is paying for the message and would verify the identity of the payer, in a bid to curb outside election interference. The social network, which is under fire for enabling manipulation …
Read More »Russia promises ‘tough response’ to US sanctions
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Moscow on Friday promised a “tough response” to new US sanctions imposed on seven of Russia’s most influential oligarchs following the diplomatic crisis sparked by the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal. “We will not let the current attack, or any new anti-Russian attack, go without …
Read More »New brain cells in the old? Study stokes debate
Tampa, United States | AFP | People as old as 79 may still generate new brain cells, US researchers said Thursday, stoking fresh debate among scientists over what happens to our brains when we age. The report by scientists at Columbia University in New York, published in the journal Cell …
Read More »Up to 2.7 million Europeans affected by Facebook data scandal: EU
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Facebook has admitted it may have “improperly shared” the personal data of up to 2.7 million people in the European Union, the bloc announced Friday, saying it would demand further answers from the social media giant. The EU wrote to Facebook last week to ask …
Read More »UN chief urges ‘extreme caution’ from Israel over Gaza
United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday urged Israel to exercise “extreme caution” on the eve of expected protests in Gaza, a week after Israeli troops killed 18 Palestinians. “I particularly urge Israel to exercise extreme caution with the use of force in …
Read More »Park’s downfall: from student protests to 24-year sentence
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | The epic scandal that led Friday to the jailing of former South Korean president Park Geun-hye for 24 years broke more than 18 months ago. The once-popular leader and her confidante Choi Soon-sil were ensnared by allegations of dodgy links with big business, abuse …
Read More »‘Threats, disrespect’ unjustified, Mexican president tells Trump
Mexico City, Mexico | AFP | Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto lashed out at his US counterpart Donald Trump on Thursday amid growing tensions over migration and border security, saying “threatening or disrespectful attitudes” were unjustified. Speaking after Trump ordered National Guard troops to secure the US-Mexican border, Pena Nieto …
Read More »Almost 80% of UK firms pay men more than women: data
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Almost eight out of 10 companies and public sector bodies operating in Britain pay men more than women overall, said data published Thursday confirming long-standing gender inequality in the workplace. Prime Minister Theresa May introduced laws last year to force all employers with more …
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