News AFP NewsSyria force evacuates women, children from IS holdout
US-backed fighters trucked out civilians from the last speck of the Islamic State group's dying "caliphate" in Syria on Friday, eager to press on with the battle to crush the jihadists. More than four years after IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq, and declared a "
News AFP NewsStar conductor Barenboim hits back after criticisms
World renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim has hit back at critics after coming under fire in several reports which quoted members of his Berlin orchestra complaining about his "temperamental" directing style. "In my view, it's linked to a campaign to prevent me from staying on in
News AFP NewsUK backlash at Meghan's lavish US baby shower
Meghan Markle drew fresh scorn from British media this week after celebrating the imminent arrival of her first baby with what they described as an "extravagant" trip to New York in a private jet. The Duchess of Sussex, due to give birth in the spring, returned to Britain Thursday after enjoying
News AFP NewsSwedish teenager brings climate action campaign to France
Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg brought her class-boycott campaign to Paris on Friday, hoping to encourage more French students to hit the streets with demands for bold efforts to combat global warming. The Friday protests that the 16-year-old Swede launched in August have gained little traction
News AFP NewsRebels named leaders of Philippine Muslim territory
The Philippines on Friday handed over the reins of a new Muslim-led territory to rebel leaders who waged a decades-long fight for autonomy, but are now tasked with securing peace and prosperity. President Rodrigo Duterte personally swore in Murad Ebrahim, head of the Catholic-majority nation's largest
News AFP NewsBMW, Daimler to invest 1 bn euros in joint carsharing scheme
German auto giants BMW and Daimler said Friday they would invest one billion euros ($1.1 billion) in combining and extending their carsharing schemes DriveNow and Car2Go, in future offering a slew of "mobility services", including for electric cars. "We are pooling the strength and expertise
News AFP NewsIn Russia, a battle to free nearly 100 captured whales
Dozens of orcas and beluga whales captured for sale to oceanariums have brought Russia's murky trade into the spotlight, but efforts to free them have been blocked by government infighting. Russia is the only country where orcas, or killer whales, and belugas can be caught in the ocean for the purpose
