US drops key obstacle to global digital tax: Treasury
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told her G20 colleagues Friday that Washington is dropping a push for a controversial provision in a global digital tax, opening the door to a likely agreement.
France
US ‘disappointed,’ but still open to Iran nuclear talks after Tehran’s rejection
The Biden administration said Sunday it remains open to talks with Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal despite Tehran’s rejection of an EU invitation to join a meeting with the US and the other original participants in the agreement.
Israel’s entry ban on citizens ‘unparalleled in democratic world,’ watchdog says
The Israel Democracy Institute on Sunday challenged Israel’s coronavirus restrictions on entry to the country that have left thousands of Israelis stranded abroad, saying they constitute an extreme erosion of rights that could infringe on citizens’ rights to vote in the March 23 elections.
UK, France and Germany condemn Iran over UN inspection limits
Britain, France and Germany on Tuesday said they “deeply regret” Iran’s decision to restrict site inspections by the UN’s nuclear watchdog after a US refusal to lift existing sanctions.
Europe’s Top Court Asked To Condemn Turkey’s Deportation Of Pastor
Europe’s top rights court has been asked to support a Canadian-American pastor who was reportedly deported from Turkey after 19 years for evangelism.
Biden debuts on world stage as president with G-7, Munich meetings
President Biden’s vow to expand U.S. engagement with allies will be put to the test later this week when he participates in a virtual meeting with leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies and then delivers remarks to the annual Munich Security Conference.
France: Proposed law against Islamic extremism may backfire on Christians
Evangelicals in France are concerned a proposed law designed to end Muslim separatism and curtail Islamic extremism could end up infringing on Christians’ right to freedom of worship as well, Christianity Today reports.
Iran’s Khamenei: US must lift sanctions before we return to nuclear deal
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Sunday that the United States must lift all sanctions before Tehran reverses any nuclear production steps.
France: Dogs to detect COVID-19 by smelling perspiration
Scientists and veterinarians in France have partnered in a project which trains dogs to detect the new coronavirus through smelling human sweat, en24News reports. The stated aim of the ‘Cynocov’ project is to provide a “complimentary solution” to the pandemic crisis at a time when “a comprehensive, rapid and non-invasive screening offering is needed.”
COVID-19: Paris protests over privacy law boil over amid anger at coronavirus restrictions
Thousands of demonstrators in Paris were met with water cannon as protests against a new privacy law attracted larger crowds keen to air their grievances over coronavirus restrictions and France’s slow vaccine rollout.
Taiwan denounces incursion of air defense zone by Chinese fighter jets, bombers
Eight Chinese bomber planes and four fighter jets entered the southwestern corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on Saturday, and Taiwan’s air force deployed missiles to “monitor” the incursion, the island’s Defence Ministry said.
Germany and France Oppose Trump’s Twitter Exile
Germany and France attacked Twitter Inc. and Facebook Inc. after U.S. President Donald Trump was shut off from the social media platforms, in an extension of Europe’s battle with big tech.
Europe Warns Iran Over Nuclear Ambitions Amid Missile Launches
European powers urged Iran to observe a nuclear deal after the Islamic nation test-fired long-range missiles and planned uranium metal production.
EU Concerned About Iran’s Ambitions
The European Union has warned Iran that its decision to increase uranium enrichment could undermine efforts to keep a nuclear deal alive. The warning comes amid diplomatic efforts to bring the United States back on board under a new administration.
Germany, France call for 2-states at 67-line, prior to Biden presidency
The United States has an important role to play in relaunching an Israeli-Palestinian peace process that would create a two-state resolution to the conflict at the pre-1967 lines, the Munich Group said in advance of US President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.
Egypt, Germany, France, Jordan discuss Israeli-Palestinian talks ahead of Biden inauguration
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Germany, France, and Jordan met in Cairo Monday to discuss reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks as US President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on January 20, the Times of Israel reports.
East Africa braces for a return of the locusts
The first wave of the pests emerged at the end of 2019, numbering in hundreds of billions, multiplying by a factor of 20 per generation, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The second generation in March and April numbered in the trillions. A plague that spread like wildfire — up to now.
Explosion in Lebanon injures at least 10 people
At least 10 people were injured when an explosion erupted in a warehouse holding gas canisters in Lebanon Sunday, France24 reports. The wounded were rushed to the hospital by Lebanese Red Cross rescuers who had been sent to the site of the explosion near Lebanon’s border with Syria.
Islamist Militants Kill Dozens In Niger
Suspected Islamist militants have killed scores of people in simultaneous attacks on two villages in Niger, near the border with Mali, security officials said.
Hungary Rushes As EU Nations Receive COVID Vaccines
Hungary rushed to be the first European Union state to vaccinate people against the coronavirus, amid a rising death toll. Besides Hungary, batches of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 jab arrived across the EU as authorities prepared to administer the first shots to the most vulnerable people.