Agen, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled Tuesday a series of court overhauls aimed at finding alternatives to jail, a bid to tackle chronic overcrowding at the country’s prisons. His proposals came on the heels of nearly two weeks of protests in January by prison guards angry over …
Read More »Under scrutiny at home, Netanyahu cheered at US pro-Israel lobby
Washington, United States | AFP | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put aside his domestic legal woes on Tuesday to find a warm welcome in Washington at a meeting of the pro-Israeli lobby. On the home front the veteran Israeli right-winger faces an intensifying corruption probe that could see the 68-year-old forced …
Read More »UN offers to help advance North Korea talks
United Nations, United States | AFP | The United Nations on Tuesday welcomed plans for a summit between North and South Korean leaders and said it was ready to help advance talks on ending the crisis over Pyongyang’s drive to develop nuclear weapons. “Obviously, we are encouraged by these discussions,” said …
Read More »#MeToo throws new spotlight on International Women’s Day
Paris, France | AFP | As the world marks International Women’s Day this week, it remains to be seen whether campaigns such as #MeToo and #Timesup can really advance the fight for women’s rights and gender equality worldwide or whether their effects will be more transitory. The #MeToo and #Timesup campaigns …
Read More »25 killed as wedding party truck overturns in India
Ahmedabad, India | AFP | A truck carrying a wedding party plunged off a bridge early Tuesday in western India killing at least 25 people, most of them women and children, officials said. Initial investigations indicated the driver lost control causing the truck to swerve off the bridge and fall …
Read More »Nine civilians killed as Syria regime strikes shake Ghouta
Douma, Syria | AFP | At least nine civilians were killed Tuesday in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta as fresh regime air strikes and clashes shook the rebel enclave outside Damascus, a monitor and AFP correspondents said. Regime air strikes killed nine civilians in the town of Jisreen early Tuesday, the Britain-based …
Read More »Trump vows Mexico, Canada steel tariffs without ‘fair’ NAFTA deal
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump vowed Monday not to exempt Mexico and Canada from new steel tariffs without a “fair” trade deal, but his chief negotiator warned the trio’s talks were not living up to expectations. Speaking as US, Mexican and Canadian trade officials gathered …
Read More »Thieves steal $5 million from Lufthansa plane at airport
Sao Paulo, Brazil | AFP | A group of thieves stole $5 million in cash, which had been due to travel from Brazil to Switzerland aboard a Lufthansa jet, at a large freight airport near Sao Paulo, police said Monday. The spectacular heist, which took place late Sunday, was completed …
Read More »Toyota to stop selling diesel cars in Europe
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Japanese car giant Toyota announced Monday that it will stop selling diesel cars in Europe, beginning the phase-out this year. “Diesel will be phased out in our passenger cars in 2018,” Johan van Zyl, president of Toyota Motor Europe, said in Geneva, where Europe’s first …
Read More »Merkel vows swift return to government work to boost Europe
Berlin, Germany | AFP | German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised Monday that her new government would start work swiftly and lend a strong voice to Europe, a day after she secured a coalition for her fourth term. Germany’s second biggest party, the Social Democrats (SPD), on Sunday finally gave the …
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