North America

Dozens injured in Mexican plane crash

    DURANGO, Mexico (AFP) — Dozens of people were injured as an airliner crashed on takeoff during a heavy hail storm in northern Mexico, engulfing the plane in flames, officials said Tuesday. “It is confirmed that there have been no deaths from the flight #AM2431 accident,” tweeted Jose Rosas, the governor of Durango, where the crash happened. Passengers said there had been “a strange movement” on takeoff and “that was when the accident happened,” Rosas […]

Facebook uncovers political influence campaign ahead of midterms

    by Glenn Chapman, with Michael Mathes in Washington Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook said Tuesday it shut down 32 fake pages and accounts involved in an apparent “coordinated” effort to stoke hot-button issues ahead of November midterm US elections, but could not identify the source although Russia is suspected of involvement. It said the “bad actor” accounts on the world’s biggest social network and its photo-sharing site Instagram could […]

Watch: Anaheim City Mayor greets INC on its 104th year

    (Eagle News) — The mayor of the City of Anaheim, California greeted the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) on the occasion of its 104th anniversary since it was first registered in the Philippines, and its 50th year in the West. Mayor Tom Tait congratulated the Church on its anniversary and recognized its many activities that had helped many people, including the residents of Anaheim. “This city is certainly a better place because […]

Trudeau attends tribute for Toronto shooting victims

TORONTO, Canada (AFP)–Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute Monday to the victims of last week’s Toronto shooting, and attended the funeral of one of them — an 18-year-old girl. Trudeau said he was moved by “the resilience and the strength” of Toronto residents in the wake of the tragedy, after laying a wreath at an improvised memorial to the victims. The premier had earlier attended the funeral of Reese Fallon, 18, who had been […]

‘Come and get me,’ boy pleaded before California fire death

by Gianrigo MARLETTA Agence France Presse REDDING, United States (AFP) — A young boy pleaded for rescue before he died along with two others in a California wildfire, an anguished relative recounted Monday, while other shaken survivors told of their flight from a “tornado” of fire. Thousands of firefighters in California made some progress against several large-scale blazes that have turned close to 200,000 acres (80,940 hectares) into an ashen wasteland, destroyed expensive homes, and […]

First Senate Democrat meets with Trump’s Supreme Court pick

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump’s US Supreme Court nominee finally met with a Democrat on Monday, as Senator Joe Manchin bucked his party and welcomed Brett Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill. The appeals court judge offered smiles but no remarks to reporters as he entered Manchin’s office and left two hours later — the longest of his meetings to date with senators who will decide whether he gets confirmed to the nine-justice bench. […]

Trump says willing to meet with Iran leaders ‘any time’

by Andrew BEATTY Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump seemed to jettison threats of impending war with Iran Monday, saying he was willing to meet the country’s leaders without precondition, a dramatic about-face by the enigmatic US president. Barely a week after warning Iran it would suffer untold “consequences,” Trump said he would meet the country’s leader Hassan Rouhani “any time” and without preconditions. “I would meet with Iran if they […]

Lawmakers protest US deal allowing free plans for 3D guns

  by Sylvie Lanteume Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Dozens of US legislators are demanding that the Trump administration explain a recent agreement to allow the free distribution of plans for using 3D printers to make plastic handguns that will be easy to hide and almost impossible to control. After a lengthy legal battle, the government reached agreement last month with Cody Wilson, a militant gun rights advocate from Texas. He successfully argued […]

US cardinal caught up in abuse scandal resigns

  The Catholic Church’s Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a prominent US cardinal who is accused of sexually abusing a teenager nearly five decades ago, the Vatican said Saturday. Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, was removed from the ministry in June after a review board found there was “credible” evidence that he had assaulted the teen while working as a priest in New York in the early 1970s. The Vatican, in […]

Premier of Alberta, Canada congratulates INC on its 104th anniversary

  (Eagle News) — The Premier of Alberta, Canada sent her greetings to the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) on the occasion of its 104th anniversary and 50 years of foreign mission. Premier Rachel Notley congratulated the INC on “reaching this significant milestone” and wished the Church “many more years of growth and service.” “This church reflects the grace, humility, and strength of our province’s diverse communities and your contributions make Alberta one of […]