WORLD

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Chinese tech giant Huawei launches its latest high-end smartphone in Munich on Thursday, the first that could be void of popular Google apps because of US sanctions. Observers are asking whether a phone without the Silicon Valley software that users have come to depend on can …

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 …

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 …

    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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …