Europe

Fires in southern France ‘under control’

MARSEILLE, France (AFP) — Huge fires that forced mass evacuations of residents and holidaymakers in southern France were “under control” early Thursday, firefighters said, although they warned new blazes were still starting. In the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas, located near beaches popular with tourists on the Cote d’Azur, “the fire is not completely under control but we are winning the fight,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Bernier, the civil security officer leading the emergency effort there. “Things are […]

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From the Garden of England to Poland, UK farmers look abroad after Brexit

ENGLAND, United Kingdom (Reuters) — For 70 years, Tim Chambers’ family has harvested fruit in south-east England, but after Britain’s vote last year to leave the European Union he expanded into Poland and is ready to sell some of his land if a shortage of migrant workers worsens. His firm, W. B. Chambers & Son, has relied heavily on seasonal staff from eastern Europe for the past two decades as it focused on growing raspberries […]

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Russia says US sanctions vote ‘step towards destroying’ better ties

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — An overwhelming vote by the United States House of Representatives to slap tough new sanctions on Moscow is a “serious step” towards wrecking chances of improving ties, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said Wednesday. “The authors and sponsors of this bill are taking a very serious step towards destroying the possibilities for normalizing relations with Russia,” Sergei Ryabkov told state-run TASS news agency. © Agence France-Presse

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10,000 evacuated over new wildfire in France

by Claudine Renaud / Ambre Tosunoglu Agence France Presse MARSEILLE, France (AFP) — At least 10,000 people were evacuated overnight after a new wild fire broke out in southern France, which was already battling massive blazes that have consumed swathes of forest, authorities said Wednesday. The new fire came a day after France asked for Europe’s help to tackle the flames already raging in the tinder dry south, including near the popular resort of Saint-Tropez. […]

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Hunt for Swiss chainsaw attacker widens

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Swiss police issued an international arrest warrant on Tuesday for a chainsaw-wielding attacker who remained on the run after wounding multiple people in an office building rampage. The assailant has been identified as Franz Wrousis, 51, who has a criminal history and had reportedly been living in a forest. Wrousis targeted the CSS insurance company on Monday in the northern town of Schaffhausen, storming into their office where he injured two […]

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Hundreds battle wild fires across southern France

BASTIA, France (AFP) — Hundreds of firefighters were battling blazes across southern France on Monday, with one inferno spreading across 900 hectares of forest and threatening homes on the island of Corsica, emergency services said. Residents were evacuated from homes at the edge of the town of Biguglia, on the island’s northeastern coast. “The fire is very fierce and heading to urban areas of Biguglia,” lieutenant-colonel Michel Bernier, of France’s civil defense forces, told AFP. The […]

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London fire survivors heckle authorities at tense meeting

  by Rosie SCAMMELL Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Survivors of last month’s deadly tower block inferno in London packed a tense meeting Wednesday and heckled the new leader of the local authority that has been attacked for its handling of the disaster. Under tight security prompted by previous confrontations with the angry residents, at least 70 people who lost their homes in the devastating blaze crowded into the Kensington and Chelsea town […]

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Antidepressants during pregnancy linked to autism in kids: study

  PARIS, France (AFP) – Children exposed to antidepressants during pregnancy are more likely to suffer autism, but the added risk is very small and may not, in fact, stem from the drugs, researchers said Wednesday. The connection between medications used to treat depression and autism in children has shown up in earlier research, but investigators have been unsure whether the link is down to pre-existing illness the antidepressants, or some other mix of factors. […]

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Controversial French anti-terror bill clears hurdle

PARIS, France (AFP) – A controversial bill to toughen France’s security laws cleared its first hurdle late Tuesday when the conservative-dominated Senate approved the legislation by a majority. Senators backed a first reading of the bill by 229 votes to 106, meaning the text will now be handed to the lower house, the National Assembly, for debate in October. The new laws — a campaign pledge of President Emmanuel Macron — will replace a state […]

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Swiss couple found on glacier 75 years after disappearance

Geneva, Switzerland (AFP) — A couple who disappeared in the Alps 75 years ago has been found preserved in a receding glacier, ending decades of uncertainty for their seven children, Swiss media reported Tuesday. The bodies were found lying near each other in the Diablerets massif in southern Switzerland, along with backpacks, a bottle, a book and a watch, according to Le Matin daily. The head of the Glacier 3000 ski resort, Bernard Tschannen, told Le Matin that the […]

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Prince William, Kate on Brexit diplomacy tour of Poland, Germany

by Anna Maria Jakubek / Michel Viatteau Agence France Presse WARSAW, Poland (AFP) — Prince William on Monday hailed the “warmth” of Polish-British ties at a Warsaw reception alongside his wife Kate to kick off a five-day diplomacy tour of Poland and Germany following the Brexit vote, which has cast a shadow over Britain’s status in Europe. “We in the United Kingdom value our links with Poland enormously,” the prince told guests at the gala […]

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Blair says EU would level with UK on mass migration

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — European Union leaders would accept tightening up immigration rules to accommodate Britain, so the option of the UK staying in the bloc should remain open, former prime minister Tony Blair said Saturday. More than a decade of mass immigration from the EU under freedom of movement rules was a major factor in the referendum that saw Britons vote to leave the EU. David Cameron as prime minister sought reform but […]

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