International

EU needs to hear UK plan before deciding Brexit delay: Barnier

The European Union must hear from Britain how it plans to proceed with Brexit before deciding whether to delay the divorce, negotiator Michel Barnier said Wednesday. On Tuesday, British MPs rejected the Brexit withdrawal plan that Prime Minister Theresa May had agreed with EU negotiators — with just 16 days to go before Britain is due to leave the bloc. The lawmakers are to vote again on Wednesday to indicate how they plan to proceed, […]

Environment damage behind 1 in 4 global deaths, disease: UN

by Patrick GALEY A quarter of all premature deaths and diseases worldwide are due to manmade pollution and environmental damage, the United Nations said Wednesday in a landmark report on the planet’s parlous state. Deadly smog-inducing emissions, chemicals polluting drinking water, and the accelerating destruction of ecosystems crucial to the livelihoods of billions of people are driving a worldwide epidemic that hampers the global economy, it warned. The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) — a report […]

Ethiopia cannot read black boxes, ‘might’ send them abroad: airline

Ethiopia does not have the equipment to analyse the black boxes from Sunday’s deadly Ethiopian Airlines plane crash, and is considering sending them abroad, a spokesman for the airline said Wednesday. “It could be sent abroad because there is no equipment to read it here,” said spokesman Biniyam Demssie. The airline’s chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam earlier told CNN the black boxes would have to be examined outside the country, in a destination to be chosen […]

China offers Venezuela help to restore power

China on Wednesday offered to help Venezuela as it faces a crippling multi-day power blackout that President Nicolas Maduro has blamed on the United States. “China hopes that Venezuela can quickly find the cause of this accident and restore normal power and social order,” foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a regular briefing. “China is willing to offer assistance and technical support to Venezuela to restore the power system,” Lu said. Power has been […]

Israel says uncovers Hezbollah unit led by notorious commander

Israel’s army said Wednesday it had uncovered a unit recently created by Hezbollah across the ceasefire line in the Syrian Golan Heights and led by a commander previously jailed over an attack on US forces. With President Bashar al-Assad regaining control of southern Syria with the help of Russia and Hezbollah backer Iran, Israel is concerned that a front against it could be established there. Hezbollah, based in neighbouring Lebanon, has also been supporting Assad […]

Floods kill 66 in Mozambique

  MAPUTO, Mozambique (AFP) — At least 66 people have been killed and 141,000 affected after heavy rains deluged central and northern Mozambique, the government has said as it appealed for funds to manage the crisis. “The government has decreed a red alert due to the continuing rains and the approach of the tropical cyclone Idai, expected to reach the country between Thursday to Friday,” said cabinet spokeswoman Ana Comoana. She spoke to reporters late […]

Cardinal Pell victim says ‘hard to take comfort’ from sentencing

The former choirboy molested by Australian Cardinal George Pell led the response to his sentencing Wednesday, saying it was “hard to take comfort” from his six-year jail term. Pell was sentenced in the County Court of Victoria after being found guilty of five counts of sexual and indecent assault in the sacristy of a Melbourne cathedral in 1996 and 1997. Chief Justice Peter Kidd told the court the 77-year-old would be eligible for parole after […]

Hong Kong bans Boeing 737 MAX flights

Hong Kong on Wednesday barred Boeing 737 MAX airliners from its airspace, the latest in a series of government bans worldwide in the wake of a deadly plane crash in Ethiopia. Despite Boeing’s assurances in the wake of the disaster, the European Union, Britain and India joined China and other countries grounding the plane or banning it from their airspace as they await the results of the crash investigation. The semi-autonomous Chinese city’s Civil Aviation […]

UAE regrets inclusion in EU tax blacklist

The United Arab Emirates has slammed a European Union decision to add it to a tax haven blacklist despite the Gulf state’s efforts to meet EU requirements. The EU on Tuesday added 10 countries to the list, created in 2017 as part of efforts to battle tax evasion by the wealthy. The UAE was among the new countries included. “This inclusion was made despite the UAE’s close cooperation with the EU on this issue and […]

British MPs set to vote on no-deal Brexit

By Dario THUBURN LONDON, March 13, 2019 (AFP) – British MPs will vote Wednesday on whether the country should leave the EU without a deal in just over two weeks, after overwhelmingly rejecting a draft divorce agreement. The House of Commons is expected to vote against a “no deal” Brexit, although this could still happen on March 29 unless it can agree on what should happen instead. MPs on Tuesday rejected for a second time […]

US says ‘no basis’ to ground Boeing 737 MAX jets after crash

by Heather SCOTT The United States said there is “no basis” to ground Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, after a second deadly crash involving the model in less than five months prompted governments worldwide to ban the aircraft. Despite the aviation giant’s assurances that the plane is safe and reliable, the European Union, Britain and India joined China and other countries grounding the plane or banning it from their airspace as they await the results of […]

Timeline of Cardinal Pell child sex abuse case

  MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Born in 1941, Cardinal George Pell grew up in rural Australia and, inspired by his devout Catholic mother, chose a career in the church. His star rose fast, and in 2003 he was named to the Vatican’s powerful College of Cardinals — a position that allowed him to vote in the conclaves that elect popes. At home, he was an outspoken conservative who former prime minister Tony Abbott described as […]