News

By JERRY HARMER Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Taxi fleets in Thailand are giving new meaning to the term “rooftop garden,” as they utilize the roofs of cabs idled by the coronavirus crisis to serve as small vegetable plots. Workers from two taxi cooperatives assembled the miniature gardens this week using black plastic garbage bags

CAIRO (AP) — A global human rights group has accused Egypt’s main domestic security agency of harassing and intimidating rights advocates and activists to silence them. The report was the latest rebuke to Egypt’s government, which faces increasing pressure from the U.S. to improve its human rights record. Amnesty International said in the report released

By VESELIN TOSHKOV Associated Press SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has reappointed a retired general as interim prime minister to lead a new caretaker government until the next early election is held in November. The Balkan country is the European Union’s poorest member. It is gearing up for its third parliamentary election

By ARNO PEDRAM Associated Press PARIS (AP) — The city of Paris is unveiling a monumental artwork built around an actual monument: the Arc de Triomphe completely wrapped in silver and blue fabric. The installation by late artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who conceived of the project in 1961, will open Saturday. Visits will take

LONDON (AP) — Irish airline Ryanair is planning to create 5,000 jobs over the next five years as part of its recovery from the shock of the coronavirus pandemic. The additional pilots, cabin crew and engineers will mean that the company will have more than recouped the 3,000 jobs it got rid of at the

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s executive arm asked its member countries Thursday to better protect journalists amid a rise of physical attacks and online threats against media professionals. According to the European Commission, 908 journalists and media workers were attacked across the 27-nation bloc in 2020. A total of

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin says dozens of his staff have been infected with the coronavirus and that he will continue his self-isolation because of the outbreak. The Kremlin announced earlier this week that he would self-isolate after someone in his inner circle was infected although Putin had tested negative for the virus

LONDON (AP) — Elton John says he is postponing European dates on his world tour until 2023 so that he can have an operation on an injured hip. The 74-year-old singer-songwriter had been due to play cities in Britain and Europe this year. The dates were part of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour followed

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The U.S., Britain and Australia have announced they’re forming a new security alliance that will help equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. The alliance will see a reshaping of relations in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. In announcing the deal, none of the leaders mentioned China,

PRAGUE (AP) — Hospitalized Czech President Milos Zeman has undergone medical checks that haven’t revealed any problems or disease that would threaten his life. The presidential office said Thursday that doctors carried out CT scans, sonography checks and blood tests at Prague’s military hospital where the president was admitted on Tuesday. It says the president

BERLIN (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Germany said Thursday they have indicted four men on suspicion of supporting the Islamic extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra. Prosecutors said in a statement that one the men is also accused of membership in the group, which was formed as al-Qaida’s branch in Syria but later broke away. Marius A.