By Danny KEMP The United States said Sunday it will not join any Israeli counterattack on Iran, with President Joe Biden warning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “think carefully” about any escalation. The White House said Biden did not want a wider war after helping key ally Israel repel a massive aerial attack by Tehran — itself in retaliation for a presumed Israeli strike that killed an Iranian general in Damascus. “We’re not looking for […]
North America
G7 ‘ready to take measures’ over destabilisation by Iran
ROME, April 14, 2024 (AFP) – G7 leaders offered their full support for Israel on Sunday following an attack by Iran, and said they were ready to “take further measures” in response to “further destabilising initiatives”. In a statement following a video meeting, the leaders of the Group of Seven powers said they “unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel”. “We express our full solidarity and support to Israel […]
US does not want to see Middle East crisis ‘escalate’
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2024 (AFP) – The United States does not want to see an escalation of the crisis in the Middle East, a top White House official said Sunday after Israel repelled a massive missile and drone attack from Iran. “We don’t want to see this escalate,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on NBC’s “Meet the Press”. “We’re not looking for a wider war with Iran.” Israel was on high […]
Race for AI isn’t zero-sum, says Amazon cloud boss
By Julie JAMMOT SAN FRANCISCO, April 14, 2024 (AFP) – As Google races with Microsoft and OpenAI to create world-changing generative artificial intelligence, some critics see Amazon as lagging behind. “I respectfully disagree” with that viewpoint, said Adam Selipsky, Amazon’s cloud chief, in an interview with AFP. Tech giants like Microsoft, Google and Meta have made headlines talking about their own foundational models, or those of their close partners, that are key to AI and […]
President Biden says US helped Israel down nearly all Iran attacks
By Danny Kemp and W.G. Dunlop WASHINGTON, April 14, 2024 (AFP) – President Joe Biden said US forces helped Israel shoot down nearly all the drones and missiles fired by Iran Saturday, but appeared to guide the key US ally away from retaliating against Tehran by saying Israel had now shown its strength. Biden added that he was convening fellow G7 leaders on Sunday to coordinate a diplomatic response against Tehran, in another sign that […]
US says China helping Moscow in biggest defense expansion since Soviet era
By Aurélia END WASHINGTON, April 12, 2024 (AFP) – China is helping Russia undertake its biggest military expansion since Soviet times, US officials said Friday, stepping up public pressure as concerns rise over Ukraine. US officials are hoping the release of the intelligence will encourage European allies to press China, as Chancellor Olaf Scholz heads to Beijing this weekend and Group of Seven foreign ministers meet next week in Italy. Unveiling US findings, officials said […]
Biden says expecting Iranian attack on Israel ‘sooner than later’
WASHINGTON, April 12, 2024 (AFP) – US President Joe Biden said Friday he was expecting Iran to attempt to strike Israel in the short term in retaliation for a strike in Syria but warned the clerical state not to attack. “I don’t want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later,” Biden told reporters after an event. Asked what his message was to Iran on striking Israel, Biden said, “Don’t.” “We […]
Scientists at Spain meeting sound alarm over ocean warming
By Rosa SULLEIRO BARCELONA, April 12, 2024 (AFP) – Scientists at a United Nations conference in Spain called Friday for more research into the sharp rise in ocean temperatures which they warn could have devastating consequences. “The changes are happening so fast that we are not able to keep pace with the impact,” the executive secretary of UNESCO’s intergovernmental oceanographic commission, Vidar Helgesen, told AFP on the sidelines of the three-day “Ocean Decade” conference in […]
O.J. Simpson, protagonist in sensational murder trial, dies at 76: family
(AFP) — O.J. Simpson, the star NFL football player whose 1995 acquittal in the so-called “trial of the century” for the brutal murders of his wife and a male friend gripped the world, has died at the age of 76, his family announced. “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” a message signed by the family said on social media site X. © Agence France-Presse
Whistleblower claims Boeing prioritized profit over safety in 787 Dreamliner production
NEW YORK, April 10, 2024 (AFP) – Federal aviation authorities are investigating claims by a Boeing engineer that the 787 Dreamliner suffers from assembly defects that threaten safety, US officials said Tuesday. Attorneys for the whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, accuse the company of putting profit over safety — and retaliating against him after he raised concerns by “involuntarily” transferring him to the 777 program. At the 777 program, he raised more issues, for which his attorneys […]
US says ‘very, very concerned’ about Chinese actions in disputed sea
SYDNEY, April 9, 2024 (AFP) – The top US military officer in the Pacific on Tuesday said Washington was “very, very concerned” about Beijing’s recent “dangerous” actions in the disputed South China Sea, after confrontations with Philippine vessels. Speaking in Sydney, United States Indo-Pacific Command head Admiral John Aquilino referenced recent encounters between Chinese and Philippine boats around a remote shoal in the Spratly Islands. “I’m very concerned about what’s happening at the Second Thomas […]
North America goes dark: captivating photos of the 2024 total solar eclipse
Eclipse fever swept North America on April 8th. Tens of millions witnessed a breathtaking celestial show, a rare convergence of science, commerce, and…celebration! The Moon’s shadow plunged Mexico’s Pacific coast into darkness, then raced eastward across the US at supersonic speed. This incredible event, witnessed from coast to coast, won’t be seen again from most of North America until 2044. (AFP PHOTOS)





