International

Turkey becomes last NATO nation to ratify Finland membership

by Burcin GERCEK Agence France-Presse ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Turkey on Thursday became the final NATO nation to ratify Finland’s membership of the US-led defense alliance in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Lawmakers unanimously backed the Nordic country’s accession two weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly blessed the bid. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the ratification, saying on Twitter it would “make the whole NATO family stronger and safer.” Turkey’s approval leaves […]

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Florida lawmakers approve permit-free concealed weapons

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Residents in the US state of Florida will be able to carry concealed firearms without a license, according to legislation approved Thursday by the state’s Republican-led Senate and supported by Governor Ron DeSantis. The bill, which passed Florida’s House of Representatives last week, cleared the Senate on a 27-13 vote, at the state legislature in Tallahassee. When the measure becomes law, those wishing to carry a concealed weapon in public […]

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Nine dead in crash of two US Army helicopters

by W.G. Dunlop Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Two US Army helicopters crashed during a nighttime training mission in Kentucky, killing all nine soldiers on board, a general said Thursday. The crash — which involved variants of the Black Hawk designed for medical evacuation — was the deadliest such incident in more than eight years. The aircraft were flying in formation with pilots using night vision goggles during a routine training exercise, and […]

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France’s Macron dismisses unrest, promises drought action plan

by Marina Laouchez and Valerie Leroux Agence France-Presse SAVINES-LE-LAC, France (AFP) — President Emmanuel Macron announced new water-saving measures for France on Thursday as he sought to brush aside weeks of political turmoil over a deeply unpopular pensions reform. Dozens of protesters calling for him to resign gathered in the Alpine village of Savines-le-Lac ahead of his announcement, as he faces the biggest challenge of his second term in office. Two people were arrested before […]

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Trump indicted, first US president to face criminal charges

by Nicolas REVISE Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A New York grand jury on Thursday indicted Donald Trump over hush money payments made to a porn star, making him the first ever serving or former US president to face criminal charges. The historic indictment of the 76-year-old Republican — who denies all wrongdoing in connection with the payments made ahead of the 2016 election that sent him to the White House — […]

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Finland heads for elections under new iron curtain

by Elias HUUHTANEN Agence France-Presse IMATRA, Finland (AFP) — When Russia invaded Ukraine, a new iron curtain severed once-close ties between Moscow and Helsinki — something Ari Joronen can see with his own eyes from his farm in eastern Finland. “The trees have been cleared because of the new border fence,” he says, overlooking part of his property in the town of Imatra that adjoins the Russian border, a few hundred meters from his house. […]

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Australian parliament approves emissions caps on big polluters

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia will force coal mines, smelters and oil refineries to cut their emissions by about five percent each year after passing breakthrough climate laws Thursday targeting the nation’s worst polluters. “It’s the first time greenhouse gas emissions reduction has been written into Australian law,” University of New South Wales sustainability expert Tommy Wiedmann said. The laws apply to some 215 major industrial facilities — each producing more than 100,000 tons of […]

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Toys and tales helping Ukraine kids process war trauma

by Anna MALPAS Agence France-Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — In the cellar of a Kyiv kindergarten decorated with bunting and wall paintings of doughnuts and cats, dozens of children are taking shelter during an air raid. The staff try to reduce the psychological impact on children who can barely remember a time without sirens and fear. “They go calmly, none of them cries,” says one of the carers, Tetiana, 68. The children chatter and giggle […]

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Taiwan president in US for visit that has China threatening reprisal

by Nicolas Revise with Amber Wang in Taipei Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York Wednesday for a visit that has triggered threats of reprisal by China if she meets with House speaker Kevin McCarthy — and US warnings for Beijing not to overreact. Tsai is stopping over in the United States en route to Central America, where she will meet with the leaders of Guatemala […]

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S.Africa’s Pistorius up for parole in girlfriend’s murder

  Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Wednesday 3/29/2023  by Umberto BACCHI South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius might be released from prison this week, a decade after he killed his girlfriend in a crime that gripped the world. A parole board is to decide whether Pistorius should be let out early, after a hearing in Pretoria on Friday. “The board must determine whether the purpose of imprisonment has been served,” said Department of Correctional […]

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Astronomers discover one of biggest black holes ever recorded

  Paris, France | AFP | by Daniel Lawler One of the largest black holes ever recorded has been discovered using a new technique that could spot thousands more of the insatiable celestial monsters in the coming years, according to astronomers. The ultramassive black hole, one of just four ever observed, is more than 30 billion times the mass of the Sun, a new study said. It is the first black hole ever observed using […]

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US approves sale of anti-overdose drug Narcan without prescription

  Washington, United States | AFP | Wednesday 3/29/2023 The US drug regulator announced Wednesday that Narcan, the treatment which reverses overdoses, can be distributed without prescription, a move that comes as the country battles an acute opioid addiction crisis. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) said that four milligram nasal spray doses of naloxone hydrochloride, the generic name for Narcan, can be sold over the counter almost anywhere, from pharmacies to supermarkets to gas stations. […]

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