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Irish ex-soldier jailed for 15 months for joining IS in Syria
Irish ex-soldier jailed for 15 months for joining IS in Syria
World
by  AFP

Dublin's Special Criminal Court on Friday sentenced former soldier Lisa Smith to 15 months in jail for joining the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. Judge Hunt rejected her lawyer's plea to impose a suspended sentence but heeded his call for a jail term at the lower end of the scale.

France's hung parliament passes 20-bn-euro inflation package
France's hung parliament passes 20-bn-euro inflation package
Business and Economy
by  AFP

France's divided parliament on Friday passed its first major piece of legislation since elections last month, greenlighting a 20-billion-euro ($20-billion) package to help low-income families struggling with inflation. Although the cost-of-living bill passed with a wide majority, analysts say other pieces of planned legislation, such as pension reform, will be far more difficult.

Thousands flee feuding Taliban in Afghanistan's north
Thousands flee feuding Taliban in Afghanistan's north
World
by  AFP

When fighting erupted between Taliban forces and a breakaway group led by one of their former commanders in northern Afghanistan last month, Zahra and her family fled to the mountains. In Balkhab, Mujahid and his followers have fled into the mountains, according to defense ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khwarizmi, and fighting has stopped.

Ukraine grain deal set for signing as Russia batters Donbas
Ukraine grain deal set for signing as Russia batters Donbas
Africa
by  AFP

Kyiv and Moscow are set to sign a deal Friday in Istanbul to unblock grain exports and relieve a global food crisis, even as Russian forces launch deadly artillery barrages over east Ukraine. In the south, Ukraine said Russian forces were shelling villages along the frontline in the Kherson area, where Kyiv's army is trying to claw back Moscow-occupied territory.