Europe

Great Barrier Reef fund unveiled

Australia yesterday pledged half a billion dollars to restore and protect the Great Barrier Reef in what it said would be a game-changer
UK minister Rudd resists calls to quit

Britain's interior minister Amber Rudd resisted calls to quit on Friday, apologising for not being aware of the use of deportation
416 donors to IS identified in France

French authorities have identified 416 people who gave money to the Islamic State (IS) group, France's top anti-terror prosecutor said yesterday, as
UN hails rise of women inventors

The UN yesterday hailed a significant increase in women listed as inventors in global patent filings over the past decade, but warned a pronounced gender gap remained.
Tackle fake news by year-end

The EU yesterday warned US tech giants to crack down on the spread of "fake news" by the end of the year or face regulation in the wake of a scandal involving the illegal harvesting of Facebook users' data.
UK MPs up pressure over post-Brexit customs plans

Lawmakers debated yesterday whether Britain should stay in a customs union with the EU after Brexit, as supporters reported growing parliamentary opposition to the government's plans for future ties with the bloc.
William to be Harry's best man

Britain's Prince Harry has finally asked Prince William to be his best man at his wedding next month, Kensington Palace confirmed yesterday, reinforcing the brotherly bond between them.
UN, EU push for aid, revival of talks

The EU and UN yesterday began a two-day push to drum up fresh aid pledges for war-torn Syria and reinvigorate the faltering Geneva
I worked for 'peace'

Convicted criminal Radovan Karadzic yesterday accused Bosnian Muslims of "declaring war" on Serbs, insisting at his appeal before a
7 major fatal vehicle-ramming attacks in US, Europe

Vehicle attacks have been carried out to deadly effect by extremists in a number of capitals and major cities, including London, Paris, New York and Nice. In seven of such major attacks, at least 50 people were killed and more than 200 injured in the Europe and US.
Dog helps save girl lost in bush

A deaf and partially blind dog that kept a lost three-year-old girl safe in Australian bushland overnight was awarded police honours
Threat of nuke weapons use growing: UN

A top UN official yesterday denounced growing rhetoric claiming that nuclear arms are necessary and warned that the risk of such
Paris attacks suspect sentenced to 20 years

A Belgian court yesterday sentenced the sole surviving suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, to 20 years in prison on terror
Throw out genocide conviction: Karadzic

Once-feared Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic yesterday urged UN judges to overturn his conviction for war crimes during the
Trump to visit Britain mid-year: reports

US President Donald Trump will visit Britain midway through 2018, possibly in July, British newspapers reported yesterday, citing
Dog save kid lost in the wild, honoured

A deaf and partially blind dog that kept a lost three-year-old girl safe in Australian bushland overnight was awarded police honours
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 92nd birthday

Queen Elizabeth II marked her 92nd birthday yesterday with traditional gun salutes and a Commonwealth-themed charity concert
Pak 'can't afford any crisis'

Pressure from Pakistan's judiciary won't influence the outcome of upcoming general elections this year, Pakistan's Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday, adding he hoped the election would be free and fair.
Opponents unite against Macron

President Emmanuel Macron yesterday faced mass protests as trade unionists seek to galvanise angry students, public sector workers and striking train drivers into a joint movement against his multi-pronged drive to overhaul the French economy.
Queen puts forward son as next head of C'wealth

Queen Elizabeth II, the Head of the Commonwealth, opened the Commonwealth summit for what may be the last time yesterday voicing hope that her son would be allowed to carry on her role.
Russia's RT channel faces 7 probes in UK

Britain's broadcasting watchdog on Wednesday opened seven impartiality probes concerning Russia's RT news channel, noting "a
FB rolling out privacy choices under EU rules

Facebook announced yesterday it would begin rolling out changes to how it handles private data this week to comply with forthcoming
Erdogan calls Turkey snap polls for June 24

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday called snap elections in Turkey for June 24, bringing the polls forward by over a year-and-a-
No new EU sanctions on Iran for now

EU foreign ministers on Monday discussed how they could persuade the US not to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, but stopped short of
Canada to pull out diplomats' families

Canada announced Monday it was sending home the families of its diplomats in Cuba, after a year-long investigation into a
US, Britain point finger at Russia

The US and Britain on Monday accused Russia of launching cyber attacks on computer routers, firewalls and other networking
May says sorry to Caribbean countries

Prime Minister Theresa May personally apologised to Caribbean leaders yesterday after her government threatened to deport people who
Maldives rejects UN body's call to let Nasheed fight election

The Maldives yesterday rejected a demand by a UN human rights watchdog that former president Mohamed Nasheed be allowed to
Russian court rules to block Telegram

A Moscow court yesterday ruled to block the popular messaging app Telegram in Russia, after it refused to give state security services
Pharma waste polluting rivers worldwide: studies

River systems around world are coursing with over-the-counter and prescription drug waste harmful to the environment, researchers