Europe

British MPs vote for bigger role in Brexit process

by James PHEBY LONDON, United States (AFP) — British MPs voted on Monday to play a bigger role in Brexit, giving themselves the power to express their preference for different options in an unprecedented move that the government called “dangerous”. MPs won a vote that will allow them to seize control of parliamentary business on Wednesday by 329 to 302, with three junior ministers quitting after voting against the government. Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt […]

Probe opened after elderly ‘yellow vest’ protester injured

NICE, France (AFP) — French officials faced fresh questions Sunday about the handling of the “yellow vest” protests after an elderly activist was seriously injured during a police charge in the southern city of Nice. Prosecutors there have opened an inquiry to try to establish what happened Saturday when 73-year-old Genevieve Legay suffered head injuries. When paramedics evacuated veteran activist Legay from the demonstration she was bleeding from the head, but still conscious, AFP journalists […]

Stricken Norwegian liner reaches port after airlift drama

by Pierre-Henry DESHAYES OSLO, Norway (AFP) — A cruise liner that ran into trouble in stormy seas off Norway reached port under its own steam Sunday after hundreds of passengers were winched to safety by helicopter in a spectacular rescue operation. Escorted by tugboats, the Viking Sky arrived in the port of Molde at around 4:15 pm (1515 GMT), television images showed. Nearly a third of its 1,373 passengers and crew had already been airlifted […]

Xi meets Macron as French president seeks united EU front on China

by Vincent-Xavier MORVAN / Julie Pacorel BEAULIEU-SUR-MER, France (AFP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron met for dinner in the south of France Sunday ahead of official talks with the host leader seeking to forge a united European front to contend with Beijing’s advances. “Very happy to welcome President Xi Jinping and his wife to France,” Macron wrote in a tweet. “This visit will strengthen our strategic partnership and affirm […]

French sex abuse victims seek answers from top Vatican official

  LYON, France (AFP) — A pedophilia victims’ group is calling for a Vatican cardinal to be stripped of his immunity so he can face prosecution over the cover-up of alleged sex abuse by a French priest, one of the victims said Wednesday The announcement comes a day after Catholic Church’s Pope Francis rejected the resignation of a French cardinal Philippe Barbarin, who was given a six-month suspended jail sentence for failing to report the […]

Macron, Merkel, Juncker and Xi to meet Tuesday in Paris

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron will hold trade and climate talks on Tuesday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The leaders will be joined by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker as they seek “points of convergence between Europe and China”, Macron’s office said Thursday. The meeting is part of Xi’s European tour, which comes with Europe divided over his “Belt and Road” trade infrastructure project and under […]

Besieged May pleads with EU to help save her Brexit plan

By Dave Clark Agence France-Presse (AFP) — A dogged but isolated Prime Minister Theresa May headed back to Brussels on Thursday to beg for more time to deliver her Brexit plan, but EU leaders are likely to refuse her request for a three-month postponement. Instead, as the 28 heads of government meet for their spring summit, they will tell her that if she can win over British lawmakers to back her withdrawal agreement next week, […]

Police probe attacks on four mosques in Birmingham

Four mosques in the central English city of Birmingham have been attacked overnight, with a man wielding a sledgehammer seen smashing windows at two places of worship, the police said on Thursday. Counter-terrorism officers are investigating attacks on the mosques in four different areas in the north of the city, West Midlands Police said in a statement. The force added the incidents “are being treated as linked”. “At the moment we don’t know the motive […]

Catholic Church’s Pope Francis rejects resignation of French cardinal convicted for sex abuse cover-up

  LYON, France (AFP) — Catholic Church’s Pope Francis has rejected the resignation of French cardinal Philippe Barbarin who was handed a six-month suspended jail sentence this month for failing to report sex abuse by a priest under his authority, prompting surprise among Church leaders and condemnation from victims. The pope’s decision, announced by Barbarin in a statement and confirmed by the Vatican, comes ahead of a judicial appeal of the case. But it also […]

Britain’s May says still ‘determined’ to deliver Brexit

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday she remained “determined” to deliver Brexit, hours after formally requesting European Union leaders grant a three-month delay to Britain’s departure from the bloc. “I passionately hope MPs will find a way to back the deal I have negotiated with the EU,” she said in a statement, referring to an agreement British lawmakers have already rejected twice but which May plans to put to […]

Italy driver hijacks, torches school bus

by Catherine MARCIANO ROME, Italy (AFP) — Italian police on Wednesday rescued 51 children taken hostage by their school bus driver, who doused the vehicle in petrol and set it alight apparently in protest at migrant deaths in the Mediterranean. Some of the children were tied up during the 30 minute ordeal, which saw the bus slam into a car but was brought to an end by police after one of the children was able […]

Brussels warns May against June 30 Brexit delay

The EU on Wednesday warned Britain it would have to hold elections to the European Parliament if it wants to delay Brexit until June 30, as Prime Minister Theresa May has requested. Before May put in the request, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker urged her in a phone call not to set a date that was beyond the May 23 to 26 European elections. An internal commission briefing note prepared ahead of this week’s EU […]