discuss Libya, Qatar crisis
AFP, Rabat
French President Emmanuel Macron was in Morocco Wednesday on a 24-hour visit for talks on battling terrorism as well as the Libyan conflict and Qatar’s dispute with its Gulf neighbours.
As he stepped off the plane for his first visit to Morocco since his election in May, the French president, his wife Brigitte at his side, was welcomed on the tarmac by King Mohammed VI.
Five dead after strong quake hits Guatemala
AFP, Guatemala City
A strong 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit Guatemala and southern Mexico Wednesday, killing five people, causing power outages, and knocking down homes, officials said.
The epicenter was about 156 kilometers (97 miles) west of Guatemala City in the department of San Marcos, the Institute of Seismology said.
The tremor was felt across most of the country, including the capital, as well as in neighboring Mexico, according to Guatemala’s National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction.
7 dead, 59 injured in China kindergarten blast
AFP, Beijing
An explosion at a kindergarten in eastern China on Thursday killed at least seven people and injured 59 others, state media said.
The blast occurred near the nursery, according to the Fengxian county government in Jiangsu province.
Turkish oppon party begins 250-mile protest march
AP, Istanbul
Turkey’s main opposition party has started a 400-km (250-mile) march from the capital to an Istanbul prison to protest the imprisonment of one of its lawmakers.
The leader of the pro-secular Republican People’s Party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said Thursday he is seeking justice. He called the march after parliamentarian Enis Berberoglu was convicted to 25 years in prison for revealing state secrets.
Pak PM questioned before anti-graft probe
AFP, Islamabad
Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif appeared before an anti-corruption investigation commission Thursday, in an ongoing case that has gripped Pakistan and threatened to topple him after the Panama Papers leak last year.
The controversy erupted with the publication of 11.5 million secret documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca documenting the offshore dealings of many of the world’s rich and powerful.
Power outage hits Brussels airport
AP, Brussels
A power outage has hit Brussels airport that is causing chaos during the morning rush hour and is set to delay planes throughout the day.
Florence Muls of Brussels airport says the outage hit at 5 a.m. (0400 GMT; 11 p.m. EDT) Thursday and specifically affected the luggage and air conditioning systems. Hundreds of passengers were left outside the terminal at dawn and were allowed inside around two hours later.
