OTTAWA, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – Canada’s parliament on Tuesday elected Greg Fergus as its first black speaker, following his predecessor’s resignation over the public celebration of a Ukrainian veteran who fought for the Nazis. Fergus, a Liberal MP, said the Commons is where “hard debates will happen,” but urged lawmakers to “treat each other with respect.” “There can be no dialogue unless there is a mutual understanding of respect.” As speaker of the chamber, […]
Other News
Florida man convicted of two murders executed by lethal injection
MIAMI, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – A Florida man convicted of murdering two women in 1996 was executed by lethal injection on Tuesday, local media said. Michael Zack, 54, was put to death at the Florida State Prison in the town of Raiford, the Pensacola News Journal reported. The newspaper said the lethal drug cocktail was administered at 6:02 pm and Zack was pronounced dead 12 minutes later. Zack was sentenced to death in 1997 […]
Meta plans to charge Europeans for ad free Facebook and Instagram: source
WASHINGTON, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – Meta is proposing to offer European users a subscription-based version of Instagram and Facebook if they would rather not be tracked for ads, a source said on Tuesday. The idea, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as the social media giant seeks to comply with a growing list of EU regulations designed to curb the power of US big tech. The company founded by Mark Zuckerberg makes […]
United orders 110 new planes from Boeing, Airbus
By Daniel AVIS NEW YORK, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – United Airlines announced Tuesday it had ordered a total of 110 new planes from Boeing and Airbus, and secured options to purchase 90 more, in a major deal signaling confidence in the aviation sector. The US airline said in a statement it had ordered 50 Boeing 787-9 and 60 Airbus A321neo aircraft, with deliveries due to begin in 2028. The combined orders are worth $22.4 […]
France to hold crisis meetings on bedbug ‘scourge’
By Sami ACEF with David COURBET in Marseille PARIS, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – The French government said Tuesday it would host emergency meetings this week to examine surging numbers of reported bedbug cases, which are being increasingly seen as a major potential public health problem. Bedbugs have in recent weeks gone from being a subject of potential derision to a contentious political issue in France, with aghast citizens reporting seeing the creatures in locations […]
US House speaker ejected in brutal, historic rebellion
WASHINGTON, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – Kevin McCarthy was axed Tuesday as speaker of the US House of Representatives in a brutal, historic rebellion by far-right Republicans accusing him of a string of broken promises and furious at his cooperation with Democrats. The maneuver laid bare the chaotic levels of infighting among Republicans heading into the 2024 presidential election, with its likely candidate Donald Trump making history of his own as the only former or […]
No new Nipah cases detected in India: WHO
GENEVA, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – No new cases of Nipah virus have been detected in India since September 15, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, following an outbreak earlier in the month that caused two deaths. Nipah has no vaccine and a fatality rate ranging from 40 to 75 percent, according to the WHO. From September 12 to 15, India’s health ministry reported six laboratory-confirmed Nipah virus cases, including two deaths, in Kozhikode district […]
21 killed after bus falls from Venice bridge and catches fire
VENICE, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – At least 21 people, including two children and foreign tourists, were killed Tuesday and several others wounded when a bus running on methane plunged off a bridge in Venice and caught fire. “A tragedy has struck our community this evening”, mayor Luigi Brugnaro wrote on Facebook, describing the site of the crash as “an apocalyptic scene”. “The provisional toll is at least 21 fatalities and over 20 people hospitalised,” […]
US slaps TV provider with first-ever space debris fine
WASHINGTON, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – US authorities said they have issued a “breakthrough” first-ever fine over space debris, slapping a $150,000 penalty on a TV company that failed to properly dispose of a satellite. On Monday the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) came down on Dish for “failure to properly deorbit” a satellite called EchoStar-7, in orbit since 2002. “This marks a first in space debris enforcement by the Commission, which has stepped up its […]
Dollar tops 150 yen for first time in a year
LONDON, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – The dollar rose above 150 yen on Tuesday for the first time in a year, as the Japanese currency weakened further on a mix of ultra-loose monetary policy in Japan coupled with rising US interest rates that are attracting investors to the greenback. In mid-afternoon trading, the dollar/yen rate hit 150.16, a level not seen since October 2022, before falling back. Analysts say the yen’s decline could prompt the […]
Energy transition at risk from commodity market fragmentation: IMF
By Daniel AVIS WASHINGTON, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – Growing geopolitical fragmentation since the invasion of Ukraine has hit commodity markets, threatening to slow the transition to renewable energy as the world looks to combat climate change, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. The fractures have led to a doubling in new trade restrictions on commodities since 2021, with low-income countries bearing the brunt of the costs, the IMF announced Tuesday. “To achieve net-zero-carbon emission […]
Ukraine frontline attacks ‘failed’: Moscow
MOSCOW, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – Kyiv’s attempts to penetrate Russian defences on frontlines in the east and south of the country have “failed”, Moscow said on Tuesday, four months into a closely-watched Ukrainian counteroffensive. Kyiv launched the long-awaited counteroffensive in June but has acknowledged slow progress as its forces crash into sophisticated and kilometres-deep Russian defensive positions. “The enemy’s attempts to break through our defences in the areas of Verbovoye and Rabotino on the […]
