BERLIN (AFP) -- The European Union will next month consider further sanctions against Russia over the latest flare-up in the Ukraine conflict, the foreign minister of Austria, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said Tuesday."On the issue of further sanctions, time will tell -- we have a summit in December," Karin Kneissl told reporters after talks with her German counterpart Heiko Maas."Everything depends on the accounts of events and the actions of both sides. But it will need to be review

LONDON (AFP) -- Stock markets largely headed south once more Tuesday with traders on edge after US President Donald Trump warned he would ramp up his trade war with China should he fail to reach a deal with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at upcoming talks. Xi Jinping and Donald Trump (AP)The pound meanwhile suffered after Trump warned Prime Minister Theresa May's EU divorce agreement could hamper the chances of a trade deal between  Washington and London.Oil prices steadied after recent extreme volat

Ukraine's parliament approved the introduction of martial law in border regions on Monday, as Russian state TV aired images of Ukrainian sailors captured after Moscow seized three of Kiev's ships in a confrontation at sea.After intense debate, 276 lawmakers voted in favour of President Petro Poroshenko's request for martial law in border areas for 30 days.The decision came after Russian forces boarded and captured Kiev's ships on Sunday, with Moscow accusing the vessels of illegally entering Rus

The deadliest and most destructive fire in California's history was finally brought totally under control by firefighters, more than two weeks after it erupted, authorities said on Sunday.The so-called Camp Fire, which broke out on November 8, is so far known to have killed 87 people although another 249 people remain unaccounted for. That figure has fallen sharply over the weekend, having stood at 474 on Friday. A burnt car at a gas station on November 11, 2018 after the "Camp" fire tore throug

Up to 145 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding on a remote part of a small New Zealand island, authorities said Monday.The stranding was discovered by a hiker late Saturday on Stewart Island, 30 kilometres (19 miles) off the southern coast of the South Island.Half of the whales were already dead and due to the condition of the remaining whales and the remote, difficult to access location, the decision was made to euthanise the remainder. The remote location of the stranding meant the whale

More than half the women who were murdered worldwide last year were killed by their partners or family members, making home "the most dangerous place for a woman," a new UN study said Sunday.In statistics released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime calculated that of a total 87,000 female homicide cases worldwide in 2017, some 50,000 –- or 58 percent -– were committed by the victims' intimate partners or family mem

Tens of thousands of people rallied across Europe on Saturday against sexist violence, with more than 30,000 turning out in Paris.Demonstrations across France drew around 50,000 people in all, according to organiser Caroline de Haas, to answer a citizen collective's call for a "feminist tidal wave" of outrage against gender violence brought into sharp focus by the #MeToo movement.Around 50,000 people turned out for rallies in several French cities demanding action against gender violence (AFP)El

European Union leaders meet Sunday to approve a historic Brexit deal, which British Prime Minister Theresa May said would deliver her country a "brighter future".At a special summit in Brussels that was almost derailed by a row over Gibraltar, the other 27 leaders will gather to sign off the agreement before May joins them to mark the milestone.Theresa May met European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on the eve of a summit to approve a historic Brexit deal (AFP)Forged during 17 months o

Voters in Taiwan backed anti-gay marriage referendums Saturday in what LGBT activists said was a major blow to the island's reputation as a rights trailblazer.The result came at the end of a dramatic evening which saw Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen resign as leader of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party after it suffered major defeats in key mid-term polls, a significant blow to her prospects for re-election in 2020. Taiwan`s President Tsai Ing-wen Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party

A man was shot in the wrist after a fight at a crowded New Jersey mall on Black Friday, police said, sparking panic on the busiest shopping day of the year.It was not immediately clear what the motive behind the shooting was as the victim was refusing to cooperate, but the gunshot led to the evacuation of the Jersey Gardens mall as police converged on the scene. (Yonhap)Videos posted on social media showed shoppers taking cover, while others were being urged to "get down." Some took to Twitter t

South Korean officials on Thursday began to dismantle the country's largest canine slaughterhouse complex, as animal rights activists push to end the custom of eating dog meat.About one million dogs are eaten a year in South Korea, often as a summertime delicacy with the greasy red meat -- invariably boiled for tenderness -- believed to increase energy. The Taepyeong-dong complex housed at least six dog slaughterhouses that could hold several hundred animals at a time (AFP)But the tradition has

The fate of Nissan's disgraced Carlos Ghosn as chairman of the Japanese car giant is set to be decided Thursday when board members meet to vote on his dismissal, days after the tycoon's arrest for financial misconduct.The fallen superstar executive credited with turning around the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi Motors alliance is in detention over allegations he under-reported his pay by millions of dollars.His arrest on Monday has sent shockwaves through the global car sector, corporate Japan and be

A United Arab Emirates court sentenced British student Matthew Hedges to life in jail on spying charges on Wednesday, prompting a "shocked" Britain to warn of repercussions for relations with its longstanding Gulf ally.Hedges, a 31-year-old PhD student, had protested his innocence ever since his arrest at Dubai airport on May 5 and British ministers had raised his case at the highest level."We can confirm that he was sentenced to life in prison," a family spokesperson told AFP."The hearing laste

South Korean budget carrier Jeju Air has ordered 40 airplanes from US manufacturer Boeing for $4.4 billion, the airline said on Tuesday, one of the country's largest-ever aircraft purchases.  Jeju Air is placing firm orders for 40 B737-MAX 8 models, with deliveries running from 2022 to 2026, with options for 10 more, it said in a regulatory filing. (Yonhap)The firm was spending $4.4 billion to buy the planes, it said, describing the deal as the biggest contract by a South Korean carrier for a si

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) -- Instagram on Monday said it is booting fake followers, likes, and comments generated by applications tailored to make accounts appear more popular than they actually are.The crackdown comes as Instagram parent Facebook strives to assure people that the leading social network and its services can be trusted.“Recently, we’ve seen accounts use third-party apps to artificially grow their audience,” Instagram said in a blog post.“Starting today, we will begin removing inauthent

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- Rap great Snoop Dogg thanked himself on Monday as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame just days before the 25th anniversary of his debut album “Doggystyle.”“I want to thank me for believing in me,” the 16-time Grammy nominee said after the star was unveiled on the famed walk.“I want to thank me for doing all this hard work. I want to thank me for having no days off. I want to thank me for never quitting. I want to thank me for always being a giver, and trying to

NEW YORK (AFP) -- US lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret announced Monday that it had appointed fashion executive John Mehas as new lingerie CEO, hoping to boost its ailing fortunes.Mehas will take over in the New Year, replacing Jan Singer, who resigned with the brand under fire for slumping sales, idealized glamazonian femininity and reluctance to put larger and transgender models on the catwalk.His appointment was announced as Victoria’s Secret parent company L Brands reported third-quarter resu

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Apple CEO Tim Cook predicts that new regulations of tech companies and social networks to protect personal data are "inevitable."In an interview with news website Axios being broadcast Sunday on HBO television, Cook said he expected the US Congress would take up the matter."Generally speaking, I am not a big fan of regulation," Cook said in an excerpt released by Axios. "I'm a big believer in the free market. But we have to admit when the free market is not working. And it ha

PARADISE, Calif. (AFP) -- The toll from the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California's history rose further on Sunday to 77, the sheriff's office said, after a vigil to honor the victims. "One human remain was located today," raising the toll by one in the so-called Camp Fire which broke out 10 days earlier in northern California, a statement from the Butte County Sheriff said, following US President Donald Trump's visit on Saturday to survey thedevastation.On Sunday, mourners gathe

In China, where children are often saddled with a packed schedule of extracurricular activities before they even enter grade school, some parents are making room for a surprising pursuit: hip-hop dance classes.Inside a dance studio in central Beijing, a group of kids bopped up and down to an American hip-hop beat as they mimicked their teacher, a young woman in a dark blue beret and loose clothing.Some practised in earnest -- bending their arms just so -- while others giggled, treating the class