CAIRO , Egypt (AFP) — The Egyptian military deployed search aircraft and naval vessels to locate an EgyptAir flight with 66 people on board that vanished over the Mediterranean on Thursday, the army said. Greece was also participating in the search for the Airbus A320 that lost radar contact after entering Egyptian airspace en route from Paris, it added. se/kir © 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse
Europe
Out of this world: ‘Moon and Mars veggies’ grow in Dutch greenhouse
by Sophie MIGNON WAGENINGEN , Netherlands (AFP) — Establishing a human colony on the Moon and travelling to Mars has been the stuff of dreams since the dawn of the space age. But these visions face many hurdles. How can humans survive for months or years in the ultra-hostile environment of space? What, for instance, will they eat? Agricultural researchers at a Dutch university say they are taking the first steps towards providing an answer. […]
Catholic Pope rules out early resignation for French cardinal in paedophilia storm
PARIS, France (AFP) — Catholic Pope Francis has ruled out seeking the fast-track resignation of a French cardinal accused of failing to inform the authorities about an alleged paedophile priest, the French newspaper La Croix reported on Tuesday. In an interview with the Catholic daily on Monday, the pope said it would be “contradictory, imprudent” to seek Cardinal Philippe Barbarin’s resignation at this stage. “We will see after the end of (any) trial. But (to seek […]
World powers meet to save Syria peace hopes
by Dave Clark VIENNA , Austria (AFP) — Senior envoys from world and regional powers are to meet once again in Vienna on Tuesday in an effort to salvage stumbling efforts to halt Syria’s bloody civil war. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov — diplomacy’s odd couple, at loggerheads over much else in the world — will chair the meeting. At the gathering, the 17-nation International Syria Support Group […]
CIA spy tip-off led to arrest of Mandela: report
LONDON , United Kingdom (AFP) — A tip from a CIA spy to authorities in apartheid-era South Africa led to Nelson Mandela’s arrest, beginning the leader’s 27 years behind bars, a report said on Sunday. Donald Rickard , a former US vice-consul in Durban and CIA operative, told British film director John Irvin that he had been involved in Mandela’s arrest in 1962 which was seen as necessary because the Americans believed he was “completely under […]
Spaniards march on anniversary of Indignados movement
MADRID , Spain (AFP) — Thousands took to Madrid’s streets on Sunday to mark the fifth anniversary of the birth of Spain’s Indignados movement, which shook the country’s political system and sparked “occupy” movements around the world. Crowds marched through the Spanish capital to the beat of drums, holding banners proclaiming: “Indignados, united or defeated!”, “Unemployed on the march!” and “European Union of people, not nations!”. Thousands also gathered in the city’s central Puerta del […]
Andre Brahic, discoverer of Neptune’s rings, dies aged 73
PARIS , France (AFP) — French astrophysicist Andre Brahic, one of the discoverers of Neptune’s rings, died in Paris Sunday at the age of 73, his publisher Odile Jacob said. “He was a brilliant character… extraordinarily warm, profound and authentic ,a great scholar and also a storyteller, a writer,” said Jacob, who was close to Brahic. An expert on the solar system, in 1984 he launched a programme which led to the discovery, with US […]
French minister admits acting ‘inappropriately’ towards female reporter
by Frédéric Dumoulin PARIS, France (AFP) — French Finance Minister Michel Sapin has admitted acting “inappropriately” towards a female journalist after twice denying any improper conduct with her, adding to a sexual harassment scandal in French politics. Sapin acknowledged late Tuesday “making a comment” while placing his hand on the woman’s back at a conference early last year — following two previous denials of a claim that he had tweaked her knicker elastic. Sapin’s admission came […]
One killed, three wounded in ‘apparently Islamist’ attack in Germany
MUNICH, Germany (AFP) — A man killed one person and wounded three others in a knife attack at a German railway station on Tuesday that prosecutors said had “an apparent Islamist motive.” Police said the man had slashed four people around 5am (0300 GMT) at the station in the town of Grafing east of Munich. A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office later said one man had died from wounds suffered in the attack. He said […]
Austrian chancellor quits after far-right triumph
by Simon STURDEE VIENNA, Austria (AFP) — Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann quit Monday, bowing to intense pressure two weeks after the opposition anti-immigration far-right dealt his coalition a historic blow in the first round of presidential elections. The centre-left Faymann, 56, chancellor since 2008, said in a statement that he no longer had “strong backing” in his party, the Social Democrats (SPOe). “As a result of this insufficient support I am drawing the consequences and […]
Labour’s Sadiq Khan elected London mayor: final result
LONDON , United Kingdom (AFP) — Opposition Labor lawmaker Sadiq Khan was elected mayor of London with 57 percent of the vote, final results showed Saturday, making him the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital. Khan, the son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver, won 1,310,143 votes against 994,614 for his main rival Zac Goldsmith, a multimillionaire environmentalist from Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative party. After a negative campaign in which Khan was […]
London elects first Muslim mayor
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – by Dario Thuburn London became the first major Western capital to elect a Muslim mayor on Friday as Labour claimed victory for its candidate Sadiq Khan despite setbacks elsewhere in Britain for the main national opposition party. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hailed Khan’s win over Conservative Zac Goldsmith, after a bitter campaign in which Prime Minister David Cameron sought to link Khan to Islamic extremists. “Congratulations Sadiq Khan. Can’t wait […]
