WORLD

Lisbon, Portugal | AFP | Portugal is to reduce the number of eucalyptus groves after the highly flammable plant was blamed for last month’s deadly forest fires. Parliament voted for the measure Wednesday as part of ongoing forest law reforms that started in April, before the blaze in the central Pedrogao …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Beleaguered British Prime Minister Theresa May batted off jokes about her weakened government Wednesday during her final parliamentary grilling before escaping for the summer recess. After a string of terror attacks and an electoral humiliation last month, the Conservative leader opened prime minister’s questions in …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | A couple that disappeared in the Alps 75 years ago has been found preserved in a receding glacier, ending decades of uncertainty for their seven children, Swiss media reported Tuesday. The bodies were found lying near each other in the Diablerets massif in southern Switzerland, …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP |  A trial against two former members of a Vatican foundation charged with embezzling charity money to refurbish the luxury apartment of a cardinal opened Tuesday. The former executives of the Vatican’s Bambino Gesu pediatric hospital are accused of diverting 422,000 euros ($485,000) in …

Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump blamed Democrats and a few holdouts in his own party Tuesday for the collapse of the latest Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare — one of Trump’s key campaign pledges. A Republican drive in the Senate to come up with a …

Shocking footage of Senegal stadium wall collapse that left eight dead Dakar, Senegal | AFP | Senegalese prosecutors on Monday announced the opening of a judicial enquiry into a stadium tragedy, as a local team whose fans were accused of triggering a deadly stampede were suspended from the country’s football federation. …

Paris, France | AFP | It’s not quite E=mc2, but scientists unveiled Monday a simple, powerful formula that explains why some animals run, fly and swim faster than all others. Call it the “speed rule”: strength alone does not determine top velocity because land mammals, birds and fish can only accelerate …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia’s Supreme Court Monday confirmed a ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses, labelled by authorities as an “extremist organisation”. “The Russian Supreme Court has decided to reject the appeal of the organisation against its ban,” the court, quoted by RIA-Novosti news agency, said in its decision. In April, …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Two more US Republican senators announced their opposition Monday to their party’s efforts to revamp Obamacare, derailing the controversial legislation in its current form and potentially dealing a monumental setback to President Donald Trump. Republican leaders are desperate for a major legislative victory this …

  Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Britain and the EU vowed to get to the “heart of the matter” as they launched fresh Brexit negotiations in Brussels on Monday, even as bitter infighting gripped the British government. Brexit minister David Davis met EU negotiator Michel Barnier for a second round of …