LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain and Ireland were lashed by howling winds and inundated with driving rain Sunday as Storm Ciara left homes without power, wiped out sports events and disrupted travel around northern Europe. The bad weather also hit France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany throughout Sunday, causing scores of flights to be canceled. In Britain, more than 30,000 homes were left without power, largely in eastern England. The highest wind speed […]
Europe
Two train drivers killed in Italy high-speed rail crash
by Miguel Medina with Alexandria Sage in Rome LODI, Italy (AFP) — Two rail workers were killed and about 30 people injured on Thursday when a high-speed train derailed before dawn near Milan in northern Italy, authorities said. The crash occurred just after 5:30 am (4:30 GMT) near the town of Lodi, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Milan. “It was a serious accident that had a tragic end with the death of two […]
Kremlin starts temperature checks at Putin events over virus fears
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — The Kremlin said Thursday it has begun checking the body temperature of officials and reporters attending events involving President Vladimir Putin due to coronavirus fears. “This is a precautionary measure,” presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti after journalists underwent checks at the Kremlin on Thursday afternoon. Peskov said that all participants of meetings involving the 67-year-old Russian leader would be checked. “There is a new screening […]
World has ‘window of opportunity’ to halt virus spread: WHO chief
by Nina LARSON GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The dramatic measures taken by China to rein in the deadly new coronavirus outbreak have prevented significant spread abroad, providing a “window of opportunity” to halt transmission, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. But the UN health agency’s chief also called for greater solidarity, accusing some governments of wealthy countries of being “well behind” in sharing data on virus cases. “While 99 percent of cases are in China, […]
36 evacuated from China to France show virus symptoms: minister
AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France (AFP) — Thirty six people aboard an evacuation flight from China that landed in France on Sunday showed symptoms of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 360 people, Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said. In all, 254 people arrived in France from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the deadly virus was first detected, on the second such flight. “About 20 people who presented symptoms have stayed on the tarmac” at Istres […]
London police kill man after ‘Islamist-related’ terror stabbings
by Robin MILLARD / Joe JACKSON / Charlotte DURAND LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British police on Sunday shot dead a man in London wearing a “hoax device” and suspected of stabbing two people, leaving one of them with life-threatening injuries, in an “Islamist-related” terrorist incident. The Metropolitan Police said armed officers responded immediately “as part of a proactive counter-terrorism operation” when they shot the attacker, who was declared dead at the scene — a […]
20 China evacuees in France showing coronavirus symptoms: health minister
AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France (AFP) — Around 20 of the 250 people flown back to France from China Sunday because of the coronavirus outbreak are presenting symptoms of the virus, the country’s health minister said. “About 20 people who presented symptoms have stayed on the tarmac” at Istres airport in the south of France, Agnes Buzyn told journalists. They included French and non-European nationals. Army medics there were carrying out tests to establish whether or not they […]
Cheers, fears and tears as Brexit finally dawns
by James PHEBY and Dmitry ZAKS Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Union Jack-waving Brexit backers danced in the London rain on Friday as the hours wound down to Britain’s split from the European Union after years of epic drama — but for others there were only fears and tears. After 47 years in the European fold, the country leaves the EU at 11:00pm (2300 GMT) on Friday, with a handful of […]
‘I’m more useful here’: French doctor stays put in virus-hit Wuhan
by Sébastien RICCI WUHAN, China (AFP) — France is preparing to airlift hundreds of its citizens from the Chinese city at the center of a deadly coronavirus outbreak, but one Frenchman is staying put. Philippe Klein is head of the International SOS Hospital in Wuhan, the first city to be locked down by Chinese authorities as they battle the spread of the virus. “It’s not an act of heroism. It’s been well thought out, it’s […]
Chinese communities warn of Italy ‘racism’ over virus
ROME, Italy (AFP) — Prominent figures in Chinese communities in Italy warned Thursday of episodes of “latent racism” against their compatriots by Italians fearful of catching a deadly viral outbreak. Tensions increased after some 7,000 people were held on a cruise ship in an Italian port following the isolation of two Chinese passengers over fears they could be carrying the coronavirus, despite preliminary tests coming up negative. Italian newspapers have reported cases of bullying or […]
Italy lets passengers off cruise ship after virus scare
by Sonia Logre with Ella Ide in Rome CIVITAVECCHIA, Italy (AFP) — Thousands of stranded tourists were free to disembark from a cruise ship at an Italian port after authorities said two Chinese passengers feared to have the coronavirus tested negative Thursday. Italy’s Institute for infectious diseases examined samples taken from a Chinese woman ill with a fever, as well as her traveling companion, and both were negative for coronavirus, the health ministry said. Italian […]
French citizens evacuated from virus-hit Wuhan
WUHAN, China (AFP) — A jet carrying around 200 French citizens flew out of the virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan on Friday, according to AFP journalists on board the flight. The French military aircraft is bound for southern France, where the passengers will undergo a 14-day quarantine, in case they are carrying the new coronavirus. The United States and Japan have already carried out airlifts from Wuhan for their citizens. A second US flight is […]





