Pakistan flight departs for Paris after EU ban lifted
Islamabad (AFP) – Pakistan’s state-owned airline, plagued by a history of deadly crashes and a pilot licence scandal, resumed flights to Europe on Friday after a four-year ban was lifted by EU regulators.
Nicolas Maduro: Venezuela's iron
Caracas (AFP) – Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, due to be sworn in Friday for a third six-year term after elections he is widely accused of stealing, has been written off many times during a turbulent decade in power.
Ukraine's French
Undisclosed (Ukraine) (AFP) – With its soldiers trained in France and high-profile endorsements from the French and Ukrainian presidents, the “Anne of Kyiv” brigade was supposed to be a flagship unit for Ukraine’s army.
France imposes curfew for cyclone
Pamandzi (France) (AFP) – Authorities announced a nighttime curfew Tuesday to curb looting after a devastating cyclone hit the French overseas territory of Mayotte, with the country’s prime minister warning the death toll could rise.
AI startup Databricks raises $10 bn as value soars
San Francisco (AFP) – Young startup Databricks, which specializes in scaling and building artificial intelligence, said Tuesday it raised $10 billion, bringing the company’s valuation to $62 billion.
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Saim Ayub, Salman Agha steer Pakistan to victory in first ODI
Paarl (South Africa) (AFP) – Saim Ayub hit a superb 109 and Salman Agha starred with bat and ball as Pakistan beat South Africa by three wickets in the first one-day international at Boland Park on Tuesday.
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Assad's fall clears way for expanded US strikes on IS jihadists
Washington (AFP) – Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow has cleared the way for US strikes against the Islamic State group in areas previously shielded by Syrian and Russian air defenses — but the jihadists may also try to exploit the vacuum left by his fall.
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No 'credible civilian' purpose for Iran uranium: UK, France, Germany
United Nations (United States) (AFP) – Britain, France and Germany accused Iran on Tuesday of growing its stockpile of high enriched uranium to “unprecedented levels” without “any credible civilian justification.”
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Syria Kurdish leader proposes 'demilitarised zone' in northern town
Beirut (Lebanon) (AFP) – The leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Tuesday proposed a “demilitarised zone” in the northern town of Kobane as fighting with Turkish-backed groups grips northern Syria.
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Chelsea, Lyon top Women's Champions League groups with perfect records
Madrid (AFP) – Catarina Macario scored two penalties in the space of five second-half minutes to lead Chelsea to a 2-1 comeback over Real Madrid in the Women’s Champions League on Tuesday and confirm their status as group winners.
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Syria ex
Latakia (Syria) (AFP) – The military chief of Syria’s victorious Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said on Tuesday it would be “the first” to dissolve its armed wing and integrate into the armed forces.
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Russia's chemical weapons chief killed in Moscow blast
Moscow (AFP) – The head of the Russian army’s chemical weapons division was killed Tuesday in a brazen Moscow attack claimed by Kyiv, the most senior military figure assassinated in Russia yet as the Kremlin’s campaign in Ukraine drags on.
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Japan's Honda and Nissan to begin merger talks: report
Tokyo (AFP) – Japanese auto giants Honda Motor and Nissan Motor will enter talks on a merger aimed at helping them compete against Tesla and other electric vehicle makers, newspaper Nikkei reported early Wednesday.
