Seine River rises, flooding Paris parks

Paris' Seine River keeps rising after recent storms. At 4.5 meters by Feb. 7, the river had nearly submerged several parks and squares along its banks.

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  • Sussex society: The key figures at the centre of the Meghan bullying claims

    Buckingham Palace is to investigate claims that the Duchess of Sussex bullied members of her staff. These are the key figures at the centre of the allegations. Simon Case Briefly director of strategy at GCHQ before going on to work for the Duke of Cambridge as his private secretary (pictured below). He then returned to government, first as permanent secretary in Downing Street to Boris Johnson and then more recently as Cabinet Secretary.

  • North Korea's Kim stresses roles of city, county leaders: KCNA

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stressed the significance of the role that city and county chief secretaries have in improving the lives of the people and carrying out his five-year economic policies, state news media KCNA said on Thursday. North Korea's drastic measures to contain COVID-19 have exacerbated human rights abuses and economic hardship, including reports of starvation, for its citizens, already battered by international sanctions, a United Nations investigator said. Kim said the city and county chief secretaries had responsibility for taking care of their residents and urged them to embark on a fresh "turning point" to help develop their areas in line with his new five-year strategy unveiled at the January party congress.

  • A lawyer for an accused Oath Keeper Capitol rioter says the group's 'quick reaction force' of weapon suppliers was actually just one guy

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  • Meghan Markle wore earrings from Mohammed bin Salman 3 weeks after Saudi agents murdered Jamal Khashoggi, report says

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  • Boris Johnson sparks fresh EU row as UK acts unilaterally to protect Northern Ireland supermarkets

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  • US warns of military response to rocket attack on Iraq base

    The White House warned that the U.S. may consider a military response to the rocket attack on Wednesday that hit an air base in western Iraq where American and coalition troops are housed, raising concerns this could trigger a new round of escalating violence. A U.S. contractor died after at least 10 rockets slammed into the base.

  • Dr. Fauci has a stunningly simple way to explain how Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine differs from Pfizer's and Moderna's shots

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  • Trump's cash plea could complicate GOP fundraising efforts

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  • A Palm Beach mansion owned by the Trump family just hit the market for $49 million, and it's right across the street from Mar-a-Lago

    The home was previously owned by Donald Trump's sister, who sold it to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump in 2018.

  • Kuwait swears in new government amid mounting crises

    Kuwait’s new Cabinet was sworn in Wednesday, state-run media reported, weeks after the government quit amid a deepening deadlock with parliament that has blocked badly needed reforms in the tiny oil-rich Gulf Arab state. Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah swapped out four ministers whose selections had angered various lawmakers for less contentious, veteran politicians, an apparent gesture to appease parliament. The worsening rift between Kuwait’s emir-appointed government and elected parliament presents the first significant challenge to Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who ascended the throne last fall.

  • Rockets hit Iraqi base with US troops less than a week after Biden officials said Syria strikes would 'de-escalate' tensions in the region

    Biden has faced bipartisan criticism for not seeking congressional approval prior to giving the order for the Syria airstrikes on February 25.

  • Former Pakistan PM wins Senate election in setback to gov't

    A former Pakistani prime minister Wednesday defeated a ruling party candidate in Senate elections in a major setback to the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, election authorities and opposition parties said. Yusuf Raza Gilani defeated the ruling Tehreek-e-Insaf party's Hafeez Sheikh, an adviser to Khan who was named finance minister in December 2020, Gilani received 169 votes to Sheikh's 164. Gilani's success suggested some ruling party lawmakers revolted and didn't vote for Sheikh for the key seat reserved for the capital Islamabad.

  • 75 ex-top prosecutors endorse Biden’s pick for associate AG

    More than 75 former U.S. attorneys are throwing their support behind President Joe Biden’s nominee for associate attorney general and urging congressional leaders to quickly confirm her to the post. Vanita Gupta has been nominated for the No. 3 position in the Justice Department, a position in which she would be responsible for overseeing the department’s civil, antitrust and civil rights litigation, but also for helping to implement policy decisions on a host of nationwide issues. The Senate has scheduled the confirmation hearing for Gupta and Lisa Monaco, Biden’s nominee for deputy attorney general, for March 9.

  • 16 times brides looked stunning in daring wedding dresses

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  • Myanmar army tells U.N. it is ready to weather sanctions, isolation, envoy says

    Myanmar's military says it is ready to withstand sanctions and isolation after its Feb. 1 coup, a top United Nations official said on Wednesday as she urged countries to "take very strong measures" to restore democracy in the Southeast Asian nation. U.N. special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, said 38 people died on Wednesday - the most violent day since the coup - as the military quelled protests. Schraner Burgener is due to brief the U.N. Security Council on Friday.

  • Concerns over China vaccine diplomacy "narrow-minded": political advisory body

    Concerns about China using vaccines to sway other countries are "narrow-minded," a top political advisory body said, apparently dismissing a notion among rival powers that Beijing exploits the fight against COVID-19 to boost its global influence. Guo Weimin, spokesman for the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said some suspect China is using COVID-19 vaccines to "expand our geopolitical influence." "This idea is extremely narrow-minded", Guo said at a news conference on Wednesday ahead of the opening of the annual meeting of CPPCC on Thursday.

  • 11 of the most pioneering women in rock-and-roll history

    These musicians blazed new trails for the genre, often collaborating with or inspiring some of rock's biggest male performers.

  • Volvo to go all-electric by 2030

    It already has some electric models coming down the production line. But now Volvo says all its cars will be fully electric by 2030. Even hybrids will be a thing of the past. The Swedish brand says it's convinced no one will want a petrol engine by the end of the decade. Volvo aims to get half way to its goal by 2025. To get there it will launch a new family of electric cars over the next few years. All will be sold online only, and feature wireless upgrades and fixes - an approach pioneered by Tesla. The move comes as carmakers face emissions targets in Europe and China, and fossil fuel bans in some countries. Last month Ford said its lineup in Europe would be fully electric by 2030. Other brands including Jaguar and Bentley have made similar pledges. Now going electric is an expensive process for carmakers, which have to totally rethink design and production. It also spells upheaval, and maybe job losses, for suppliers, as EVs require far fewer parts than conventional vehicles. But Volvo says the move will ultimately allow it to 'radically reduce' the complexity of its model lineup.

  • Intense preparations before pontiff meets Iraqi ayatollah

    In Iraq’s holiest city, a pontiff will meet a revered ayatollah and make history with a message of coexistence in a place plagued by bitter divisions. One is the chief pastor of the world-wide Catholic Church, the other a pre-eminent figure in Shiite Islam whose opinion holds powerful sway on the Iraqi street and beyond. Pope Francis and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani are to meet on Saturday for at most 40 minutes, part of the time alone except for interpreters, in the Shiite cleric’s modest home in the city of Najaf.