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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Asia Bibiʼs husband Ashiq Masih appeals to US President Donald Trump for asylum Despiteher acquittal by the Supreme Court in a blasphemy appeal caseon Wednesday, Asia Bibi is still in detention. Her husband, Ashiq Masih, has now appealed to US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help the family exit the country. Following Bibiʼs acquittal, the hardline Tehreeke-Labaik (TLP) party took to the streets and forced the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan tostrike a deal to end the protest. According to the deal, the government will not block a review petition for the acquittal and will take measures to ban Bibi from travelling abroad. "I am requesting the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to help us exit from Pakistan," Masih said in a video recorded by the British Pakistani Christian Association.

Bahrain opposition leader gets life sentence in Qatar spy case A Bahrain appeals court sentenced the leader of the now-shuttered Shiite opposition to life in prison on Sunday for spying for regional rival Qatar. Sheikh Ali Salman, the head of thedissolved AlWefaqmovement, had been acquitted by Bahrainʼs High Criminal Court in June alongside two other prominent aides, Sheikh Hassan Ali Juma Sultan and Ali Mahdi Ali alAswad, who were tried in absentia. The court on Sunday overruled the previous acquittal and jailed all three to life in prison for transferring confidential information and receiving financial support from Qatar. Human rights group Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) condemned the appeals court decision. "This is a political persecution and it canʼt happen without authorization by the highest authority" of the ruling Al Khalifa family, said BIRDʼs Director of Advocacy, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei.

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Angela Merkel touts Germanyʼs ʼwell-positionedʼ economy Angela Merkel was speaking in her first video message after announcing standing down

The German chancellor has lauded the countryʼs sustained economic growth and low unemployment. Angela Merkel was speaking in her first video message after announcing she would stand down as political party leader.

Will Brits say ʼau revoirʼ to French dream post-Brexit? British entrepreneurs who have settled down in France have been a blessing for the countryʼs rural areas, but will this remain so after the UKʼs exit from the EU? Lisa Louis looks for answers in Verteillac. Verteillac is a typical French village in the southwest of the country. It has a church, two barbershops, a meat market and a bakery. The central market square is flanked by white limestone houses and boasts a mind-soothing fountain. But a second glance reveals the village may not be so typical after all: 40 percent of the 650 inhabitants are British citizens. They contribute a lot to communuity life and the local economy. Itʼs completely uncer-

tain, though,how many of them will stay here after the United Kingdomʼs exit from the European Union in March 2019. The EU and UK are still negotiating a deal that would guarantee an orderly departure from the bloc. But no matter what the outcome will be, Brexit could deal a severe blow to Verteillacʼs economy. "Come on in, I show you where the bar is," says Rebecca Walters, or Bex as sheʼs known here. She heads a restaurant that offers both French wine and British chips. The 41-year-old bought Le Calice last November, invested €10,000 ($11,600) in maintenance work and has since welcomed customers from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Air pollution linked to half million premature deaths in Europe Air quality across Europe has improved but remains an "invisible killer" that causes nearly a half million premature deaths each year, the European Environment Agency said in anannual reportreleased Monday. Air pollution continues to remain above EU and World Health Organization (WHO) limits in large parts of Europe, the data collected in 2016 from 2,500 measuring stations showed. About 422,000 premature deaths in 41 European countries were

caused by tiny particulate matter known as PM2.5 in 2015, of which 391,000 were in the 28-member EU, the report said. "Air pollution is an invisible killer and we need to step up our efforts to address the causes. In terms of air pollution, road transport emissions are often more harmful than those from other sources, as these happen at ground level and tend to occur in cities, close to people," said EEA chief Hans Bruyninckx.

Bodies retrieved from flooded Sicily house as fierce storms wreak havoc in Italy Italian authorities said Sunday the bodies of the family, including those of three children aged one, three and 15, were found in their house in Casteldaccia next to a small river which had burst its banks. Three other members of the same family managed to escape, according to local rescue officials. Giovanni Di Giacinto, mayor of Casteldaccia, said the discovery of the bodies was an "immense tragedy," Italian news agency ANSA reported. In a separate incident, a man was found dead in his car. At least two other people around the Sicilian capital Palermo are reportedly missing.

New Caledonia rejects independence from France Voters on the Pacific islands of New Caledonia voted overwhelmingly in favor of remaining part of France on Sunday, according to partial results of an independence referendum. The local electoral authority said the "No" camp against independence had 59.5 percent of the vote, with 70 percent of ballots counted so far. French President Emmanuel Macron said he took pride in the votersʼ decision for New Caledonia to remain French.

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8 / 19 °C Precipitation: 0 mm


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