North America

US Democrats to Trump: Don’t spoil historic opportunity with N. Korea

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Democrats on Monday urged President Donald Trump not to squander the “historic” opportunity of a face-to-face summit with North Korea’s leader, as the lawmakers opposed any easing of sanctions without complete and verifiable denuclearization. Affirming their support for Trump’s scheduled June 12 meeting with Kim Jong Un in Singapore, seven influential Democrats including Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned Trump against signing a deal at any cost, and laid […]

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Guatemala volcano eruption kills 25

GUATEMALA CITY (AFP) — At least 25 people were killed when Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupted Sunday, belching ash and rock and forcing the airport to close, the country’s disaster agency said. “The toll was 25 dead as of 9:00 pm (0300 GMT Monday),” the spokesman for the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred) said in a WhatsApp group. Search and rescue operations for the missing and dead have been suspended due to low light and […]

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At least six killed as Guatemalan volcano erupts

  GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (AFP) — At least six people were killed when Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupted Sunday, belching ash and rock and forcing the airport to close. The strong eruption was the second major one this year. The dead were from farming communities just south of the volcano who were trapped by hot lava flow, National Disaster Relief Agency spokesman David de Leon told reporters. Another 20 people have been injured, and more than 2,000 […]

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US-NKorea summit on June 12 confirmed, Trump says after meeting Kim envoy

  by Andrew Beatty and Dave Clark Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Friday he will meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un as originally scheduled on June 12 for a historic summit after extraordinary Oval Office talks with a top envoy from Pyongyang. Speaking after more than an hour of talks with Kim Yong Chol in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that denuclearization — and a formal […]

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World on brink of trade war as US slaps tariffs on allies

  by Simon Morgan with Delphine Touitou Agence France Presse The world’s largest economies stood on the brink of all-out trade war as the EU, Canada and Mexico drew up retaliatory measures to Washington’s stinging steel and aluminium tariffs that came into effect on Friday. Washington angered its major allies by slapping duties of 25 percent and 10 percent on imports of aluminium and steel. The measures had actually been decided back in March, but […]

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Trade war looms as US tariffs roil G7 meet

    by Delphine TOUITOU / Douglas Gillison / with Heather Scott in Washington © Agence France-Presse WHISTLER, Canada (AFP) — The world’s largest economies stood at the precipice of all-out trade war as major US allies announced retaliation against stinging steel and aluminum tariffs that took effect on Friday. President Donald Trump’s decision Thursday not to extend exemptions for Canada and the European Union — the largest sources of foreign aluminum and steel respectively for […]

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Canada hits US with billions in retaliatory tariffs in steel row

  by Michel Comte © Agence France-Presse OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canada hit back at steep US tariffs on aluminum and steel on Thursday, announcing retaliatory duties on up to Can$16.6 billion (US$12.8 billion) in American imports. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference the US tariffs were “totally unacceptable.” “These tariffs are an affront to the long standing security partnership between Canada and the United States, and in particular, an affront to the […]

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US will veto UN draft on protecting Palestinians: Haley

  UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The United States will “unquestionably veto” a UN draft resolution calling for the protection of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said ahead of a Security Council vote on Thursday. Haley described the text put forward by Kuwait on behalf of Arab countries as a “grossly one-sided approach that is morally bankrupt and would only serve to undermine ongoing efforts toward peace between the […]

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Mental health, school security among topics for discussion after Texas mass shooting

CHICAGO, United States (AFP) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott unveiled dozens of recommendations Wednesday focused on mental health and school safety after the latest US mass shooting to claim children’s lives. The governor’s recommendations came nearly two weeks after a 17-year-old student gunned down eight fellow students and two teachers at Santa Fe High School in rural Southeast Texas, and injured 13 others. Of the 40 recommendations put forth by the Republican governor of the […]

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First Lady Melania Trump says she’s ‘feeling great’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US First Lady Melania Trump, after surgery and three weeks out of public view, sought on Wednesday to quell speculation about her health, saying she was “feeling great.” Melania Trump’s last public appearance was on May 10, when she accompanied the president to Andrews Air Force base in Maryland to welcome home three American hostages from North Korea. She underwent surgery at Walter Reed hospital on May 14 for what […]

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NY grand jury indicts Weinstein on rape, sex crime charges

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A Manhattan grand jury Wednesday indicted Harvey Weinstein on rape and sex crime charges, the next step in efforts by prosecutors to bring the disgraced Hollywood mogul to trial for alleged sex crimes. The 66-year-old was initially charged last week in what was hailed a landmark for the #MeToo movement, nearly eight months after his career imploded in a blaze of accusations of misconduct. “This indictment brings the defendant […]

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‘You’re all going to die’: Parkland shooter’s phone videos released

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Nikolas Cruz, the now infamous shooter behind February’s Parkland school massacre, filmed his disturbing plans to attack his former school in footage released by Florida prosecutors Wednesday. “It’s going to be a big event. When you see me on the news, you’ll know who I am,” Cruz said, filming with his cellphone. “My name is Nik, and I’m going to be the next school shooter of 2018,” said the 19-year-old, […]

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