Akranes, Iceland | AFP | After more than half a century, revving engines in the tough off-road sport known locally as “torfaera” still draw crowds who love the noise and daring drivers. It’s late summer and Akrafjall mountain, which looms over the small town of Akranes, has been turned into a …
Read More »Belarus leader visits Austria, seeking closer EU ties
Vienna, Austria | AFP | Belarus’s isolated leader Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday visits Austria, marking his first trip to an EU member in more than three years as he seeks closer ties amid tensions with Russia. Lukashenko will meet Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen in his first official visit to …
Read More »Boeing says 737 MAX expected to resume flying in January
New York, United States | AFP | Boeing on Monday said it expects the 737 MAX airplane, which was grounded after two crashes killed 346 people, to resume flying in January, delaying its return by one month. In a statement, the group said it still hopes to receive certification next month …
Read More »A Brexit threat in Labour’s heartlands?
Hartlepool, United Kingdom | AFP | In places like eurosceptic Hartlepool in northeast England, long-held party allegiances being reshaped by Brexit could trigger a political earthquake at next month’s election. The former shipbuilding and steel hub on Teesside, which voted by almost 70 percent to leave the European Union in the …
Read More »Trump: Bolivia leader’s resignation sign to ‘illegitimate regimes’
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Monday hailed the resignation of Bolivia’s leftist leader Evo Morales as a sign to “illegitimate” regimes and praised the role of the country’s military. “These events send a strong signal to the illegitimate regimes in Venezuela and Nicaragua that democracy and the will of …
Read More »How Trump’s impeachment will unroll
Washington, United States | AFP | The start of open hearings in the impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump on Wednesday will give the American public their first chance to witness live the explosive showdown between Democrats and Republicans over the US leader’s future. The hearing before the House Intelligence Committee …
Read More »Bolivian President Evo Morales throws in the towel
La Paz, Bolivia | AFP | Bolivian President Evo Morales announced his resignation Sunday, caving in following three weeks of sometimes-violent protests over his disputed re-election after the army and police withdrew their backing. “I resign my post as president,” Morales said in a televised address, capping a day of fast-moving …
Read More »Denmark and Iceland clash over priceless mediaeval manuscripts
Copenhagen, Denmark | AFP | They recount tales of Viking raids, Norse history, kings and gods: a priceless collection of mediaeval manuscripts, bequeathed by an Icelandic scholar to the University of Copenhagen in the 18th century, that Iceland now wants back. The UN cultural organisation UNESCO has called them “the single …
Read More »Greece speeds up ‘Golden Visa’ scheme for Chinese investors
Athens, Greece | AFP | Chinese investor Jiang Rungong, who moved to Greece three years ago, says he and his family could not be happier in their new home on the Athens coast. “We chose Greece because of its cultural heritage, its history, the democracy, the freedom. We really like its …
Read More »Pupils assemble AK-47s as Russia marks Kalashnikov at 100
Moscow, Russia | AFP | More than a hundred Russian schoolchildren were taught to assemble AK-47s in a Moscow park on Saturday as the country this weekend celebrates the centenary of the birth of Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of the legendary rifle. On Sunday, the 100th anniversary of Kalashinkov’s birth …
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