Finnish PM to stand-in for Swedish colleague at EU Summit Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven won’t be at Thursday’s European Union summit meeting as he will be attending his mother’s funeral, so he will be represented by his counterpart from neighboring Finland September 30, 2020, 9:36 AM • 2 min read HELSINKI — Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven won’t take part in a European Union meeting in Brussels starting on … Read More
South African Airways suspends operations amid huge debt South Africa’s state-owned airline has suspended all its operations as it struggles to raise a bailout of more $591 million By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME Associated Press September 30, 2020, 10:15 AM • 2 min read JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s state-owned airline has suspended all its operations as it struggles to raise a bailout of more than 10 billion rands ($591 million). … Read More
Foreign observers note ‘chaos,’ ‘rancor’ in US debate BEIJING — “Chaos, interruptions, personal attacks and insults,” one outspoken Chinese newspaper editor said of the U.S. presidential debate. An Australian counterpart said it was “swamped” by the “rancor engulfing America.” The first debate pitting Republican President Donald Trump against Democratic challenger Joe Biden was not a highlight of political oratory in the eyes of many overseas. Yet interest ran … Read More
UK economy slump not as bad as feared but still a record The British economy did not contract as much as originally thought during the second quarter of the year when coronavirus lockdown measures were at their most intense September 30, 2020, 8:22 AM • 2 min read LONDON — The British economy did not contract as much as originally thought during the second quarter of the year when coronavirus lockdown measures … Read More
Germany’s Merkel defends government record during pandemic German Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended her government’s record during the coronavirus pandemic September 30, 2020, 8:21 AM • 2 min read BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday defended her government’s record during the coronavirus pandemic, telling lawmakers that the country had fared well compared to many of its peers. The far-right Alternative for Germany, the largest opposition … Read More
Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf sworn in as new ruler of Kuwait Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah has been sworn in as the ruling emir of the tiny oil-rich country, propelled to power by the death of his half-brother after a long career in the security services September 30, 2020, 8:22 AM • 2 min read DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad … Read More
Shell plans to cut up to 9,000 jobs as oil demand slumps Royal Dutch Shell says it is planning to cut between 7,000 and 9,000 jobs worldwide by the end of 2022 following a collapse in demand for oil and a subsequent slide in oil prices during the coronavirus pandemic September 30, 2020, 7:45 AM • 2 min read LONDON — Royal Dutch Shell said Wednesday it’s planning to cut between 7,000 … Read More
Tunisians fleeing economy, not COVID, cause tension in Italy RAS JEBEL, Tunisia — Once it was just the jobless young men who set off from Tunisia’s rocky northern beaches for Sicily, usually defying their parents in hopes of a better future. Now Tunisian families, even those with work or seemingly good prospects, are following that path across 130 kilometers (80 miles) of open water — nearly 10,000 since the … Read More
Israel approves law to curb protests during virus lockdown Israel’s parliament has passed a law that would allow the government to curtail public protests during the country’s nationwide virus lockdown September 30, 2020, 6:09 AM • 2 min read JERUSALEM — Israel’s parliament on Wednesday passed a law that would allow the government to curtail public protests during the country’s nationwide coronavirus lockdown, a measure that drew fierce opposition … Read More
Gazans left stranded abroad by Israeli-Palestinian standoff JERUSALEM — For the last four months, Ahmed al-Kurdi, his wife and three children have been stranded in Jordan, where they traveled from their home in the Gaza Strip for life-saving medical treatment for his 2-year-old daughter. At a time when the coronavirus pandemic has led to border closures and travel restrictions, they find themselves stuck, not because of quarantine … Read More
