Other News

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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Why books could help empty France’s prisons

by Alexandra Del Peral and Eric Randolph Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Deep in the vast La Sante prison in Paris, law student Morgane is discussing the classic novel “The Outsider” by Albert Camus with one of the prisoners. Adama finds some of the language tricky, but said reading is a “lifeboat”. “It allows me to escape, to think of something else. I imagine the scenes in my head. It’s as if I was […]

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Hamilton says he will be with Mercedes till ‘last days’

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton on Thursday emphatically put to bed any concerns that he wanted to leave Mercedes, saying he planned to be the team “till my last days”. The Briton’s disappointment after the season-opening grand prix in Bahrain, where he finished a distant fifth in his under-performing W14 car, led to claims that he was set to seek a move elsewhere. He insisted that was not the case after […]

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Over 20 Vietnamese, Chinese vessels spotted in West Philippine Sea from March 16 to 21: PCG

(Eagle News) — More than 20 Vietnamese and Chinese vessels were spotted around Sabina and Ayungin Shoals and Pag-asa Island from March 16 to 21, the Philippine Coast Guard said. According to the PCG, included among the vessels spotted by the BRP Malapascua (MRRV-4403) when it was conducting its maritime patrol in the West Philippine Sea were several China Coast Guard Vessels (CCGVs) and a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) Type 056A Jiangdao II Class Missile […]

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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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12 killed after fire rips through Philippine ferry

MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — At least 12 people died and 230 were rescued after a fire engulfed a ferry in the southern Philippines, authorities said Thursday. The Lady Mary Joy 3 was travelling from Zamboanga City on Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu province when the fire broke out late Wednesday, prompting passengers to jump overboard, disaster officer Nixon Alonzo said. Rescuers, including the Philippine Coast Guard and fishermen, saved 195 passengers and 35 […]

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Mavs woes deepen with Sixers loss, Davis sparks Lakers win

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Joel Embiid led a fourth-quarter rally Wednesday as the Philadelphia 76ers put a huge dent in the Dallas Mavericks’ hopes of reaching the playoffs with a 116-108 victory. Sixers star Embiid led the scoring with 25 points, nine rebounds and four assists as Philadelphia outscored the Mavericks 27-17 in the final quarter to snap their three-game losing streak. James Harden added 15 points with 12 assists on his return […]

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