ROME, Italy (AFP) — Ten people were injured by flying rock and lava after Mount Etna, Europe’s biggest active volcano, burst into life on Thursday, according to a BBC journalist and others caught up in a terrifying drama on the upper slopes. The 10 suffered minor burns, cuts and bruises and six were hospitalized. German volcanologist Boris Behncke described on his Facebook page how the explosion was triggered by a build-up of steam after molten […]
Europe
Prince William and Kate to visit Paris almost 20 years after Diana’s death
by Guy JACKSON Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate will pay an official visit to Paris on Friday and Saturday, months before the 20th anniversary of the death of William’s mother Diana in a car crash in the French capital. The second-in-line to the throne and his spouse will meet President Francois Hollande and launch an initiative called “Les Voisins” (The Neighbors) designed to foster closer relations […]
Rutte’s party scoops largest number of seats in Dutch parliament
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Wednesday paid tribute to people who had voted “against populism” as his party scooped the largest number of seats in parliament. “This was the evening when The Netherlands, after Brexit and the American elections, said ‘stop’ to the wrong kind of populism,” Rutte told cheering supporters.
EU court rules workplace headscarf ban legal
by Bryan McManus Agence France Presse LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg (AFP) — European companies can ban employees from wearing religious or political symbols including the Islamic headscarf, the EU’s top court ruled Tuesday in a landmark case. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) said it does not constitute “direct discrimination” if a firm has an internal rule banning the wearing of “any political, philosophical or religious sign.” The Luxembourg-based court was considering the case of a Muslim […]
Down’s woman presents weather on French television
PARIS, France (AFP) — Melanie Segard, a 21-year-old woman with Down’s Syndrome, broke new ground for the disabled on Tuesday by presenting the weather forecast on French national TV. Segard provided a summary of the weekend weather on France 2, achieving a personal goal that she hopes will also boost awareness for people with Down’s. She soared to prominence after an advocacy group, UNAPEI, launched an awareness campaign ahead of World Down’s Syndrome Day on […]
Scotland sows confusion in May’s grand Brexit plan
by Dario THUBURN Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom – Scotland’s plans for a second independence referendum have wrong-footed Prime Minister Theresa May, who could now be forced into giving the go-ahead for the vote — but only after Brexit. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s bombshell announcement on Monday came at the start of a week in which May had been expected to announce the start of the process for extracting Britain from the EU. Downing […]
Scotland takes a step towards new independence vote
by Mark McLAUGHLIN with Robin MILLARD in London Agence France-Presse EDINBURGH, United Kingdom – Scotland’s announcement on Monday that it will begin preparations for a new independence bid raised the spectre of one of Brexit’s most feared consequences — the break-up of the United Kingdom. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would seek the semi-autonomous Scottish parliament’s authority next week to ask the UK government in London for the powers to hold a referendum before Brexit […]
Dutch PM says he won’t apologize to Turkey
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Sunday ruled out apologizing for banning Turkish ministers from joining pro-Ankara rallies here, but said he hoped a diplomatic row could be defused. “There’s absolutely no way excuses can be made, they should make excuses for what they’ve done yesterday,” Rutte told reporters as he campaigned for Wednesday’s general election. The Dutch have been particularly angered after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan likened them to […]
Dutch PM defends expulsion of ‘undesirable’ Turkish minister
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Sunday stood by his government’s decision to expel a Turkish minister, saying she had been an “undesirable” visitor to The Netherlands. “What happened yesterday is totally unacceptable,” Rutte told the public NOS broadcaster, after Turkey’s Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya ignored repeated Dutch requests to Ankara not to travel to Rotterdam for a planned rally. “It was undesirable that she was here,” Rutte added, […]
Two killed in shooting at Basel cafe, one badly injured: Swiss police
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Two men shot dead two people and seriously injured a third on Thursday at a cafe in Basel, north-west Switzerland, police said as they hunt for the suspects. “Two men came into Cafe 56” around 8.15 pm local time (1915 GMT) “and fired several rounds of shots,” police said in a statement, without providing information on a possible motive. “Two customers were killed. Another is in a critical condition.” The assailants […]
Axe attackers injure five at German station: police
DUSSELDORF, Germany (AFP) — Attackers wielding axes injured five people at the main train station in the west German city of Duesseldorf late Thursday, local police told AFP. Two suspects were arrested, said police, who warned that others may have fled the scene. No details were given of those arrested or their possible motives. “People travelling were injured by the assailants’ axes,” the police said, adding that it was unclear exactly how many attackers were […]
Woman with Down Syndrome to present weather on French TV
PARIS, France (AFP) — A Frenchwoman with Down’s Syndrome will realize a “dream” by presenting the prime time weather bulletin on French television next week, an advocacy group for the disabled said Wednesday. Melanie Segard, 21, will begin training for the broadcast next Tuesday at the studios of public television station France 2, UNAPEI said in a statement. Segard has scored more than 200,000 “likes” on Facebook in less than two weeks since the association […]