North America

Trump appeals asylum ban to Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court Tuesday to allow him to enforce a ban on granting asylum to illegal immigrants, after suffering two lower court setbacks. The Justice Department told the high court that the ban, announced by Trump on November 11, needed to be enforced immediately to deter thousands of Central Americans now at the US southern border from crossing into the country illegally in search of […]

Canadian judge grants bail to Huawei exec

VANCOUVER, Canada (AFP) — A Canadian judge granted bail Tuesday to a top Huawei executive after her arrest on a US warrant, in a case that has frayed relations between the North American allies and China. Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, is wanted by US authorities for violating Iran sanctions but Beijing has expressed outrage over her detention and is holding a former Canadian diplomat in China, intensifying the row. “The risk of (Meng’s) non-attendance […]

Canadian ex-diplomat held in China: Trudeau, think tank

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — A Canadian, believed to be a former diplomat, has been detained in China, prompting concern in Ottawa and Washington, as Beijing fumes over the arrest of a senior technology executive. “We are aware of the situation of a Canadian detained in China. We have been in direct contact with the Chinese,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters, adding that Ottawa was taking his arrest “very seriously.” The International Crisis Group earlier […]

Trump ‘tantrum’ threatens US government shutdown

by Sebastian Smith Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — An angry Donald Trump told Democratic leaders at the White House on Tuesday that he will shut down the US government because they refuse to approve billions of dollars in funding for his controversial Mexico border wall. The president and top opposition congressional leaders had been meant to hold a reassuring Oval Office photo-op. Instead, their blazing row in front of the world’s media […]

Beijing detains Canadian as tensions soar over exec arrest

by Deborah JONES / with Michel COMTE in Ottawa Agence France Presse VANCOUVER, Canada (AFP) — A Canadian national was confirmed as being held in China on Tuesday, intensifying a diplomatic stand-off over the arrest of a top executive of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, as a judge in Vancouver considered her bail application. Michael Korvig, a former diplomat who served in Beijing, was reported as having been detained as Meng Wanzhou was due in court […]

US military declares five missing Marines dead after Japan crash

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The US military said Tuesday it had pronounced five missing Marines dead and was ending search operations nearly a week after two US military aircraft crashed off Japan. The announcement brings the final toll in the December 6 crash to six, with a seventh crew member rescued after the deadly incident. The crash involving an F/A-18 fighter jet with two crew onboard and a KC-130 refuelling tanker with five crew occurred […]

US sanctions top Kim Jong Un aides over N.Korea rights

by Shaun TANDON Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on three North Korean officials as it called the regime’s human rights record among the world’s worst, in an abrupt shift from President Donald Trump’s efforts to woo the regime. In actions required by Congress, the Trump administration said it would seize any US assets of Choe Ryong Hae, described as the right-hand man of leader Kim […]

China court bans iPhone sales in patent dispute: Qualcomm

(AFP) — A Chinese court ordered a ban in the country on iPhone sales in a patent dispute between US chipmaker Qualcomm and Apple, according to a Qualcomm statement Monday. The statement said the Fuzhou Intermediate People’s Court had granted Qualcomm’s request for two preliminary injunctions against four subsidiaries of Apple, ordering them to immediately to stop selling the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone […]

US stocks open mixed after last week’s rout

NEW YORK (AFP) — Wall Street stocks were mixed early Monday as US markets sought to recover from last week’s rout amid worries over trade wars and slowing US growth. About 15 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.2 percent at 24,331.19. The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 0.1 percent to 2,630.96, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.5 percent to 7,002.90. Major US indices had fallen the most last week […]

Huawei exec to seek Canada bail on health grounds

By Deborah JONES / with Michel COMTE in Ottawa Agence France-Presse CANADA (AFP) — A top executive of Chinese telecom giant Huawei will seek release from Canadian detention Monday on health grounds, as Beijing escalates its protests over her arrest on a US warrant. Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, faces US fraud charges related to alleged sanctions-breaking dealings with Iran, and has been awaiting a Canadian court’s bail decision. She was detained in Vancouver […]

‘I can’t breathe’ were Khashoggi’s final words, report says

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Jamal Khashoggi’s final words were “I can’t breathe,” CNN said Sunday, citing a source who has read the transcript of an audio tape of the final moments before the journalist’s murder. The source told the US network the transcript made clear the killing was premeditated, and suggests several phone calls were made to give briefings on the progress. CNN said Turkish officials believe those calls were made to top officials […]

China summons US ambassador over Huawei arrest

by Laurent THOMET / Laurent Thomet, with Delphine Touitou in Washington Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — China summoned the US ambassador on Sunday to protest the arrest of a top executive from telecom giant Huawei in Canada, as Washington’s top trade negotiator rejected suggestions that the case could affect talks aimed at settling a trade war. The arrest of Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou has infuriated Beijing, which demanded Washington drop its […]