Europe

Madrid to keep Catalonia reins if Puigdemont seeks remote rule

MADRID, Spain (AFP) –Spain warned Monday that Madrid would maintain its unpopular direct control over Catalonia if ousted regional leader Carles Puigdemont tries to govern again from exile in Belgium. Speaking to party members in Madrid, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Puigdemont had “to be physically present” in Catalonia to take office. And if that did not happen, he warned, the central government would maintain the direct rule imposed after Catalan leaders declared independence in October. Puigdemont is […]

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UK construction firm Carillion liquidates business

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British construction and outsourcing services group Carillion announced its immediate liquidation Monday after the heavily-indebted company failed to secure a financial rescue from the UK government and banks. Carillion, which employs 43,000 staff worldwide including 19,500 in Britain, said that the government would nevertheless provide some funding to allow current state projects to continue, following crunch talks over the weekend. “This is a very sad day for Carillion, for our […]

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Japan’s Abe seeks to drum up EU pressure on North Korea

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AFP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought to drum up EU pressure on North Korea on Sunday in Sofia, while pledging to boost economic cooperation with Bulgaria and the Balkans. “During today’s talks we discussed the constantly worsening security situation in Eastern Asia and we were unanimous with Premier Boyko Borisov about the importance of close cooperation on the North Korea issue,” Abe said. He met with his Bulgarian counterpart Borisov as […]

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83 countries affected by Lactalis salmonella scandal: CEO

PARIS, France (AFP) – A salmonella scandal at French dairy group Lactalis has affected 83 countries, where 12 million boxes of powdered baby milk are being recalled, the company’s CEO said Sunday in an interview with French media. Emmanuel Besnier, scion of the secretive family behind one of the world’s biggest dairy groups, was speaking publicly for the first time since an outcry erupted over claims the company hid the salmonella outbreak at a plant making the […]

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East-west clash as Czechs vote for new president

by Jan FLEMR Agence France-Presse PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AFP) — Czech President Milos Zeman appeared Saturday to be heading for a run-off as voting began on day two of a presidential election pitting the pro-Russian incumbent against a flock of more liberal pro-European rivals. Opinion surveys show the divisive 73-year-old ex-communist, who is also staunchly anti-Muslim and pro-Chinese, leading the pack of nine candidates ahead of Jiri Drahos, 68-year-old pro-European former head of the Czech […]

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Facebook joins Europol talks to fight Islamist propaganda

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — Facebook took part this week in key talks with European police agencies on how to stop and eliminate violent and terror-related Islamic jihadist posts, in an evolving battle against such propaganda. Representatives from the giant social network travelled to The Hague for Thursday’s unprecedented talks at Europol’s headquarters in the city, officials said Friday. They were also joined by Instagram officials and police from Britain, France and Belgium, aiming “to […]

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British crown jewels buried in biscuit tin during WWII

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Precious stones from Britain’s crown jewels were hidden in a biscuit tin and buried at Windsor Castle during World War II, a BBC documentary to be shown on Sunday reveals. Gems, including the Black Prince’s Ruby from the Imperial State Crown, were buried under a secret exit from the mediaeval castle used in times of emergency. The operation, intended to ensure the priceless gems did not fall into Nazi hands, […]

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UK blames protests as Trump cancels London trip

by Alice Ritchie © Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The British government blamed the threat of mass protests for President Donald Trump’s decision Friday to cancel a visit to London to open the new US embassy, and warned that criticism of the White House risked harming US-UK relations. Trump said he was abandoning next month’s trip because he did not like the location and cost of the new embassy building. But Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson […]

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All jewels stolen from Paris’ Ritz hotel recovered: source

PARIS, France (AFP) — All jewels worth millions of euros stolen from shops in Paris’s landmark Ritz hotel have been recovered, a source close to the case said Thursday. Some of the loot was recovered on Wednesday after the arrest of three of the thieves as they tried to flee the hotel and the rest was in a “bag seized yesterday by police,” the source said. The gems and watches stolen were thought to be […]

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Catholic Pope Francis mum about Chile clergy sex abuse scandals in video message ahead of visit

  (Eagle News) — Catholic Church’s Pope Francis did not address directly the controversial sex abuse scandals confronting at least 80 priests in Chile, in his recent video message released by the Vatican ahead of his scheduled visit in Chile and Peru. Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, said that he would be conveying his message of peace and hope to both countries, which had been rocked by sexual abuse scandals involving Catholic priests and […]

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Facebook to compensate N. Irish teen

BELFAST, United Kingdom (AFP) — Facebook has settled a legal case involving naked photos posted on the social media platform of a Northern Irish teenager, the lawyer for the victim confirmed to AFP on Wednesday. Pearse McDermott, who has been representing the teenage girl, said they reached a confidential agreement with the US tech titan. “Facebook has agreed to pay the costs of the action,” he said. The girl had sued the company for damages, […]

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Ahead of pope’s Chile visit, priests accused of child sex abuse

by Giovanna Fleitas Agence France-Presse SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — Almost 80 Roman Catholic clergies have been accused of sexually abusing children in Chile since 2000, a US-based monitoring group said Wednesday ahead of a visit to the country next week by Pope Francis. Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, has spoken out against such abuse, which has rocked the church for years but has faced calls to improve accountability and transparency. BishopAccountability.org compiled its database […]

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