Strasbourg, France | AFP | The European Union’s two top officials handling troublesome Brexit talks warned Wednesday the risk of a no-deal exit looms large unless Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government swiftly offers concrete proposals. “The risk of a no deal remains very real. That will maybe be the choice of …
Read More »Trump orders increase in Iran sanctions as Germany extends Saudi arms ban
Washington, United States | AFP | Trump has ordered government to ‘substantially increase’ Iran sanctions but in Berlin, Germany has extended Saudi arms exports ban as tensions rise in the Middle East. Trump announced what he said would be substantial new sanctions against Iran in the first response to what US …
Read More »Pompeo heads to Saudi Arabia after US blames Iran
Washington, United States | AFP | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo departed for Saudi Arabia Tuesday to discuss possible retaliation after Washington said it had proof that attacks on Saudi oil installations originated in Iran. Vice President Mike Pence announced that Pompeo was on his way to the …
Read More »The long road to clean energy
Paris, France | AFP | The vital transition to a zero-carbon economy is likely to be a long and rocky road. So-called green energy is booming, but not fast enough to curb climate change, which is accelerating at an alarming pace as oil, gas and coal consumption soar. – Booming renewables …
Read More »Dutch say the tax party’s over for multinationals
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | Long criticized at home and abroad for being a haven for giant corporations, the Netherlands announced fresh measures Tuesday to crack down on tax breaks for multinationals. Business-minded Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, leading a fragile coalition, is backing a proposal originally tabled by …
Read More »Israel exit polls show possibility of another deadlock
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger Benny Gantz were locked in a tight race in the country’s general election after polls closed Tuesday, exit surveys showed, raising the possibility of another deadlock. Three separate exit polls carried by Israeli television stations showed …
Read More »Andreas Gabalier, Austria’s ‘populist’ pop star, faces far-right claims
Vienna, Austria | AFP | With his lederhosen and lyrics about his love for the mountains, Andreas Gabalier has become the biggest name in Austrian pop music, but recently has had to defend himself against claims of far-right sympathies. As the political atmosphere in Austria hots up ahead of parliamentary elections …
Read More »Under-pressure Merkel govt to unveil climate strategy
Berlin, Germany | AFP | Feeling the heat from a vocal climate protest movement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government plans Friday to unveil a multi-billion-euro grand plan for tackling global warming. Days before a UN climate summit in New York, Merkel’s team was due to announce details as the top EU …
Read More »Britain’s Supreme Court enters Brexit drama
London, United Kingdom | AFP | The Brexit drama switches venues from Brussels to the UK Supreme Court on Tuesday for hearings on Boris Johnson’s explosive decision to suspend parliament for over a month. The British prime minister’s first talks Monday with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and top EU …
Read More »Amnesty chief Naidoo says US strike would worsen Mideast suffering
Washington, United States | AFP | The head of Amnesty International warned Monday that a US military intervention in response to the attack on Saudi oil facilities blamed on Iran would only aggravate suffering in the Middle East. The rights group’s secretary general, Kumi Naidoo, said the world instead should …
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