Washington, United States | AFP | US aviation regulators came in for heavy criticism on Friday over lapses in certifying the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which has been grounded following two crashes that killed 346 people. The report, authored by a team of international aviation regulators, said the US Federal Aviation …
Read More »EU and UK intensify Brexit talks ahead of key summit
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | British and EU negotiators agreed Friday to intensify efforts to find a new Brexit withdrawal agreement, just days before a key European summit. European Union member states will review progress on Monday, following a meeting between influential leaders French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela …
Read More »Trump announces ‘very substantial’ but partial China trade deal
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Friday hailed a breakthrough in his drawn-out trade war with China, saying the two sides reached an initial deal that included a surge in purchase of American farm products. With the agreement — which also covers intellectual property, financial services and …
Read More »Brexit deal hopes hang on British breakfast with Barnier
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Britain and Europe’s top Brexit negotiators sit down together Friday to test what British and Irish leaders say might be a “pathway” to a deal. Technical talks on an agreement to govern Britain’s EU divorce are stalled, just days before what had been billed as a …
Read More »Bookies bet on Greta Thunberg for Peace Prize, experts don’t
Oslo, Norway | AFP | Bookies have Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as the name to beat ahead of Friday’s Nobel Peace Prize announcement, although experts say Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed or a representative of the free press are more likely. Speculation in Norwegian media on the eve of the announcement …
Read More »Kipchoge, the monastic marathon man, aims for the moon
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | As he prepares for more assaults on the peaks of marathon running, Eliud Kipchoge stays true to an austere lifestyle despite his fame and fortune. The Kenyan superstar, who holds the marathon world record and is reigning Olympic champion, hopes to become the first man …
Read More »Jacob Kiplimo, one of 6 Ugandans in Kipchoge marathon record bid
Jacob Kiplimo 🇺🇬 Ronald Musagala 🇺🇬 Abdallah Mande 🇺🇬 Thomas Ayeko 🇺🇬 Mande Bushendich 🇺🇬 Timothy Toroitich 🇺🇬 Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Eliud Kipchoge believes he is ready to make history and create his “moon-landing” moment in his quest to run an historic first sub-two-hour marathon at the INEOS …
Read More »Six months on, Notre-Dame’s rebirth still years away
Paris, France | AFP | One day after the blaze that scarred Notre-Dame, President Emmanuel Macron addressed a nation in shock at the damage to one of its great cultural landmarks, with a promise that rang as clearly as the peal of the cathedral’s bells. “We will rebuild the cathedral even …
Read More »North Korea slams Europeans over criticism of missile test
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea on Thursday slammed a statement by European UN Security Council members urging strict enforcement of sanctions against Pyongyang for its latest missile test, calling the move a “serious provocation”. Pyongyang fired a sea-launched missile on October 2 in the latest — and most …
Read More »Turkey launches ground offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria
Ras al-Ain, Syria | AFP | Turkey has launched a broad assault on Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria, with intensive bombardment followed by a ground offensive made possible by the withdrawal of US troops. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday the start of the attack on Twitter and soon after jets …
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