New York, United States | AFP | Donald Trump makes his maiden address to the United Nations on Tuesday, a spectacle closely watched at home and around the world, with the potential to move armies, markets and polls. His appearance — which aides say will last around a half-hour — …
Read More »World’s biggest beer festival Oktoberfest opens in Munich
Munich, Germany | AFP | The drinking has begun as wet weather and enhanced security did not dampen the spirits of beer enthusiasts at the 184th Oktoberfest which opened in Munich on Saturday. Six million people from all over the world are expected to visit the world’s largest beer festival, which …
Read More »US role in spotlight as nations meet on Paris climate deal
Montreal, Canada | AFP | A top European environment official said Saturday the United States appeared to be softening its stance on the Paris climate accord, but the White House quickly pushed back. The remark came as environment ministers from some 30 countries gathered in Montreal seeking headway on the Paris …
Read More »Indian priest thankful, even to abductors, after release from Yemen
Rome, Italy | AFP | An Indian priest kidnapped last year during a deadly attack by Islamist militants in Yemen thanked on Saturday all those involved in his release, and even had a kind word for his abductors for not harming him. “I thank in the name of the Lord God …
Read More »Police arrest teenager over London train attack, hunt for other potential suspects
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British police arrested an 18-year-old man in the ferry departure area of the port of Dover on Saturday on suspicion of being involved in the bombing of a London Underground train and were looking for more potential suspects on the loose. The man, who has …
Read More »Manhunt for London bomber as threat level raised
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British police raced Saturday to track down whoever planted a bomb on a packed London Underground train, as authorities raised the national threat level to maximum, meaning another attack may be imminent. Friday morning’s blast, which left 29 people injured, was Britain’s fifth terror attack …
Read More »‘Take cover’ – but where? Japanese helpless over N.Korea threat
Take cover in a sturdy building or get underground. Tokyo, Japan | AFP | That’s the emergency advice given to the Japanese people in the event of a North Korean missile strike. But there are two big problems: most Japanese homes are made of wood and lack a basement. In the …
Read More »EU ministers make push for Google, Facebook tax
Tallinn, Estonia | AFP | Google and Facebook may face higher tax bills in Europe as the EU rushed Saturday to change rules so that more of Silicon Valley’s mega profits fall into public coffers. Public anger against the billions of euros earned by online behemoths is growing louder in Europe …
Read More »Lawsuit accuses Google of paying women less than men
San Francisco, United States | AFP | A trio of former Google employees on Thursday filed a lawsuit accusing the technology giant of paying women less than men for the same work. The lawsuit filed in a San Francisco state court on behalf of the three women accused Google of “systemic …
Read More »Report finds staggering decline in Canada wildlife
Montreal, Canada | AFP | Half of the vertebrate populations in Canada are in staggering decline, despite the country’s vast outback, according to a WWF report Thursday that highlighted threats to beluga whales and caribou. The World Wildlife Fund in its Living Planet Report pointed to 451 shrinking animal populations out …
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