Paris, France | AFP | Fifty years ago at the Paris air show, France’s transport minister and Germany’s economy minister signed an agreement that would change aviation history. The year was 1969 and Europe needed a smaller, lighter and more cost-effective passenger aircraft than American rivals. Five years later, the A300B2 …
Read More »Renault and Fiat Chrysler flirt with audacious mega-merger
Paris, France | AFP | French automaker Renault said Monday that it would study “with interest” a 50-50 merger proposal from Fiat Chrysler, a deal that could reshape the industry as Renault reviews its options following the arrest in Japan of its chief executive. Renault had for years tied its strategy …
Read More »Britain’s Brexit Party triumph raises chances of no-deal
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Nigel Farage’s anti-EU Brexit party topped European Parliament polls in Britain, putting intense pressure on the ruling Conservatives who suffered a historic rout and raising the chances of a no-deal outcome. The populist party, founded just three months ago, capitalised on public anger over delays …
Read More »Beaten but not vanquished, Macron seeks to shakeup EU parliament
Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron tasted defeat in European elections, but not disaster, and is set to continue pushing both his pro-EU agenda and a realignment of parties in the European Parliament. Macron’s Republic on the Move (LREM) party finished second behind the far-right National Rally (RN) …
Read More »Final votes cast as Europe chooses future course
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Tens of millions of Europeans will vote Sunday as 21 countries choose their representatives in a battle between the nationalist right and pro-EU forces to chart a course for the bloc. Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania and Cyprus were the first to open their polling stations …
Read More »UK leadership hopefuls vow to succeed where May failed on Brexit
London, United Kingdom | AFP | The race to become Britain’s next premier opened Saturday with an array of hopefuls promising to succeed where Theresa May failed and finally pull the divided country out of the EU. But European leaders insisted they had made their final offer after months of acrimonious …
Read More »US orders new troops to Middle East to counter Iran ‘threat’
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States announced Friday it was deploying 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East in response to what the Pentagon called an “campaign” of recent attacks approved by Iran’s top leadership. The escalation of the US military presence follows a decision in early …
Read More »‘I feel badly for Theresa’ – world reacts to May resignation
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Prime Minister Theresa May’s resignation looks likely to make Britain’s looming departure from the EU even more difficult, with some suggesting a hard or “no-deal” Brexit is now almost inevitable. Here are the main international reactions to the announcement she will step down as leader …
Read More »SpaceX launches first satellites of its internet network
Florida, United States | AFP | SpaceX on Thursday launched a rocket containing the first 60 satellites of its “Starlink” constellation, which is intended to provide internet from space and could one day number 12,000 satellites. One of the company’s Falcon 9 rockets took off without incident from Cape Canaveral in …
Read More »Britain’s May throws in towel in emotional end
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation in an emotional address on Friday, ending a dramatic three-year tenure of near-constant crisis over Brexit. “It is and will always remain a matter of deep regret to me that I have not been able to …
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