North America

Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, 2-year mission

FLORIDA, United States (Reuters) –The U.S. military’s experimental X-37B space plane landed on Sunday (May 7) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, completing a classified mission that lasted nearly two years, the Air Force said. The unmanned X-37B, which resembles a miniature space shuttle, touched down at 7:47 a.m. EDT (1147 GMT) on a runway formerly used for landings of the now-mothballed space shuttles, the Air Force said in an email. The Boeing-built space […]

Trump meets Australian Prime Minister Turnbull in New York

NEW YORK, United States (Reuters) — United States President Donald Trump met with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in New York on Thursday (May 4). It was their first face-to-face talks since an acrimonious phone call about refugees early in Trump’s term. Trump and Turnbull were to hold their meeting aboard the USS Intrepid, a World War Two aircraft carrier that was turned into a museum and is moored on Manhattan’s west side. They also […]

UN chief ‘encouraged’ by deal on Syria safe zones

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is encouraged by the agreement signed Thursday by Turkey, Russia and Iran to set up safe zones in Syria and de-escalate fighting, his spokesperson said. “It will be crucial to see this agreement actually improve the lives of Syrians,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Russia, Iran and Turkey signed the agreement to set up the four safe zones following talks in […]

Trump savors win as House passes Obamacare repeal

by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States President Donald Trump extracted a much-needed victory from Congress Thursday as Republicans narrowly pushed through the House a bill repealing the landmark health reforms of his predecessor. The vote of 217-213 could hardly have been closer in the Republican-controlled chamber, highlighting the concerns of many in Trump’s party who fear the bill could bump millions of Americans off their coverage and send costs […]

Ivanka Trump publishes women’s self-help book

by Jennie MATTHEW Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US First Daughter Ivanka Trump revived ethics concerns Tuesday by publishing a self-help book for working women, which was immediately criticized for offering little help to millions of Americans living outside the moneyed elite. “Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success” was released simultaneously in hardback, ebook, 497-minute audio download and CD, Donald Trump’s favorite child sitting on the cover in a dark […]

Trump, Putin discuss first meeting, Syria during ‘very good call’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed steps to ease Syria’s civil war and a possible first face-to-face meeting, during what the White House described as a “very good call” Tuesday. The US and Russian leaders spoke by telephone, focusing on the six-year-old Syrian conflict, which has pitched Moscow and Washington into rival camps. “President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too […]

US envoy pick says will push China on North Korea

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Beijing said Tuesday he would urge his friend Chinese leader Xi Jinping to honor a commitment to rein in North Korea. Terry Branstad, governor of Iowa, appeared before the Senate foreign affairs committee to seek confirmation as Washington’s next envoy to its biggest rival and trading partner. The state of Iowa exports around $1.4 billion in farm products like soya and pork […]

Trump advocates US government shutdown

by Andrew BEATTY Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States – President Donald Trump took the unusual step of advocating a shutdown of the US government Tuesday, after Republicans and Democrats reached a budget deal that ignored key White House demands. After Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress jettisoned his promise to build a border wall and cut environmental spending, the embattled president lashed out, saying maybe the government should not be funded at all. Previous shutdowns have […]

THAAD missile defense system now operational in S. Korea

by Thomas Watkins Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A controversial missile defense system whose deployment has angered China is now operational in South Korea, a United States defense official said Monday. Washington and Seoul agreed to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery deployment in July in the wake of a string of North Korean missile tests. “It has reached initial intercept capability,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. This initial […]

Trump would be ‘honored’ to meet N. Korea’s Kim, if conditions right

  by Andrew Beatty Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States President Donald Trump said he would be “honored” to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions, dialing back threats of military action against the regime Monday. As Pyongyang threatens to carry out a sixth nuclear test that would further enflame tensions on the Korean peninsula, Trump appeared to offer the prospect of a diplomatic off-ramp. “If it would be […]

Storms in US South and Midwest kill at least 14; Missouri governor declares state of emergency

  Deadly weekend storms have left at least 14 dead in the midwestern and southern United States, according to officials, as eastern regions faced potential damaging winds and isolated tornadoes into Monday. Missouri Governor Eric Greitens declared a state of emergency as early as Sunday (April 30) due to flooding that he described as “historic” for some parts of the state. Greitens said thousands of National Guard troops might be called upon to assist in […]

Trump says North Korea missile launch ‘disrespected’ China

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Friday assailed North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch as a show of disrespect toward its ally China. “North Korea disrespected the wishes of China & its highly respected President when it launched, though unsuccessfully, a missile today. Bad!” Trump wrote on Twitter a few hours after the failed launch. © Agence France-Presse