Some 20,000 protesters rallied in Georgia on Wednesday after lawmakers advanced a controversial "foreign influence" law that opponents say will undermine Tbilisi's longstanding European aspirations.
The EU and US have pledged to impose new sanctions on Iran following its attack on Israel. The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, says these further sanctions will be discussed by European leaders at their summit in Brussels, which is now under way. Monte Francis takes a closer look at the existing penalties imposed on Tehran.
2024-04-17 21:36 'The House has been sitting on a $91 billion package'
Mount Ruang, a stratovolcano in North Sulawesi Province, first erupted at 9:45 pm on Tuesday (1345 GMT) and four times throughout Wednesday, the country's volcanology agency said. The alert level for the volcano, which has a peak of 725 metres above sea level, was then raised on Wednesday evening from three to four, the highest possible level in the four-tiered system. "Based on the result of visual and instrumental observation that showed an increase in volcanic activity, Mount Ruang's level... Читать дальше...
The Court of Arbitration, to which Ronaldo appealed, "orders Juventus Turin to pay the sum of 9,774,166.66 euros", plus interest and procedural costs, it stated in its decision. The sum equates to the difference between the salary actually received by Ronaldo and that which he should have received after tax and other deductions. Ronaldo, who spent three seasons in Italy with Juventus (2018-21) before joining Manchester United (2021-22) and then the Saudi club Al Nassr, was claiming 19.5 million... Читать дальше...
The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world number 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of the 2023 season, is hoping to compete at the French Open in May where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was not the moment he was saving himself for, instead targeting his Roland Garros return as the time to go... Читать дальше...
The Senegalese diplomat, who on Tuesday tendered his resignation after only 18 months at the helm of the UN support mission UNSMIL, has repeatedly accused rival leaders of perpetuating divisions to serve their own interests. Libya is still struggling to recover from years of war and chaos after the 2011 overthrow of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, and the country remains split between a UN-recognised government based in Tripoli and a rival administration in the country's east. Speaking to reporters... Читать дальше...
Morocco striker Soufiane Rahimi was the star of the show after he scored a first-half hat-trick in a 4-2 win for Al Ain in their semi-final first leg. Al Hilal, the four-time Asian champions, last failed to win a game in September last year when they drew a Saudi Pro League match. Wednesday's game had been postponed 24 hours after torrential rain swamped the UAE and the record-setting Saudis must have wished it had kept raining. Rahimi opened the scoring after just six minutes from a pass by... Читать дальше...
A year and a half after the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, police in Iran have resumed “morality patrols” to crack down on women violating the Islamic Republic’s strict hijab rules. Patrols consisting of uniformed male officers and female officers in black chadors have been seen in the capital Tehran and other cities, along with the notorious white vans used to transport arrested women to police stations. The FRANCE 24 Observers spoke to one woman arrested in Tehran shortly after the crackdown was announced on April 11.
Thousands of German soldiers moved in on southeastern France's Vercors Plateau in July 1944 in a bid to crush a regional uprising led by a rural French Resistance group. Over 100 Resistance fighters died in the bloody battles on the mountainside. Many of them were of African origin but who they were and why they decided to join the French Resistance has only recently begun to come to light.
The Columbia administrators were the latest school leaders hauled before Congress for questioning about protests fueled by the Israel-Hamas conflict roiling US college campuses. University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill resigned in December in the wake of her responses to a congressional committee and Harvard University's Claudine Gay stepped down in January. Columbia president Nemat Shafik and board of trustees members were grilled by members of the Republican-led House Committee on Education... Читать дальше...
Medium-pace bowler Mukesh Kumar stood out with figures of 3-14 to help bundle out Gujarat in 17.3 overs and Delhi raced to their target in 8.5 overs in Ahmedabad. Delhi, who were without injured David Warner, registered just their third win and second successive of this season to jump three places to sixth in the 10-team table. Pant, who returned to this year's IPL after surviving a horror car crash, stood unbeaten on 16 after Australian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk made a brisk 20. The 26-year-old Pant... Читать дальше...
Medium-pace bowler Mukesh Kumar stood out with figures of 3-14 to help bundle out Gujarat in 17.3 overs and Delhi raced to their target in 8.5 overs in Ahmedabad. Delhi, who were without injured David Warner, registered just their third win of this season to jump three places to sixth in the 10-team table. Pant, who returned to this year's IPL after surviving a horror car crash, stood unbeaten on 16 after Australian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk made a brisk 20. The 26-year-old Pant, a left-hand batsman... Читать дальше...
Heavy thunderstorms lashed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, dumping the heaviest rain ever recorded in the country in the span of several hours that flooded portions of major highways and Dubai's international airport. Unexpected rain also fell in Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back on court this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well but eventually crumbled against the hard-working world number 11 from Australia. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of the 2023 season, is hoping to compete at the French Open in May where he is the record 14-time champion. "On a personal level, for what is to come, the 6-1 in the second set is what had to happen today," said Nadal, who explained he did not want to push himself too far. Читать дальше...
Published in 1967, the novel is considered a masterpiece that defined "magical realism" as a literary genre and has been translated into 46 languages. It centers around seven generations of the Buendia family in the fictional Colombian town of Macondo. "In the mythical town of Macondo, the Buendia family confronts a curse, madness and impossible love," the streaming platform said on X. No date has been given for the release of the 16-episode series, which was first announced in 2019 and filmed in Garcia Marquez's home country, Colombia. Читать дальше...
Boeing is the subject of back-to-back Senate hearings Wednesday, as Congress examines allegations of major safety failures at the embattled aircraft manufacturer.
Leaders around the world are calling for restraint on Israel's part as the nation's war cabinet meets on Wednesday to discuss a potential response to Iran's attack Saturday. “Israel is not looking for a regional escalade,” said Hen Feder, spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in France. Sanctions on Iran, however, are “imperative” and should “come sooner than later”, he said.
But slashing greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible remains crucial to avoid even more devastating economic impacts after mid-century, they reported in the journal Nature. Economic fallout from climate change, the study shows, could increase tens of trillions of dollars per year by 2100 if the planet were to warm significantly beyond two degrees Celsius above mid-19th century levels. Earth's average surface temperature has already climbed 1.2C above that benchmark, enough to amplify heatwaves... Читать дальше...
Palestinian health officials and Hamas media said an Israeli airstrike had also killed 11 Palestinians, including children, in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. "My brothers were sitting by the door, my brother was injured, and his cousin too, and I lost my son, I do not have a house, nor a husband, nor anything anymore," said Wafaa Issa al-Nouri, whose son Mohammad and husband were killed in the strike.
Georgia's parliament has voted in the first reading to approve a controversial law that has sparked mass protests in the country. The bill, which would require media and non-commercial organisations to register as being under foreign influence if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, has been denounced by opponents as "the Russian law" due to similar legislation in Russia. “When the law that is used is a copy of the law that President Putin has imposed upon Russia with the success that we’ve seen... Читать дальше...
East Africa has been experiencing torrential rains in recent weeks that have cost the lives of at least 58 people in Tanzania in the first half of April, and 13 people in Kenya. Burundi, which the UN says is one of the 20 countries most vulnerable to climate change, has been pelted by almost non-stop rain since September, with its main city of Bujumbura ravaged by floods. "The heavy rainfall due to the El Nino phenomenon is causing severe flooding linked to overflowing rivers and the rising waters of Lake Tanganyika. Читать дальше...
Georgian lawmakers gave a first green light Wednesday to a controversial "foreign influence" law that has sparked mass street protests over concerns it would undermine Tbilisi's European aspirations. Opposition deputies boycotted the vote, and on Monday and Tuesday night thousands took to the streets to protest the draft law.
France’s education system continues to grapple with staff shortages despite promises made by then education minister, now prime minister, Gabriel Attal who vowed to address the lack of teachers at public schools.
The 24-year-old Ivory Coast international dropped to the ground in the 70th minute of Sunday's match, which was abandoned after Ndicka, who remained conscious, left the field on a stretcher. "He's doing well. A collapsed lung is a painful thing but luckily, if we can say that, he's not suffering from what we feared when he collapsed on the pitch," De Rossi told reporters. Roma earlier this week ruled out heart problems as the cause, and Ndicka was pictured smiling while sat upright in his hospital bed just hours after the incident. Читать дальше...