WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Former FBI director James Comey says in a farewell letter to colleagues that he will “be fine,” and won’t dwell on how he was fired by President Donald Trump, CNN reported Wednesday. Comey was abruptly dismissed Tuesday by the Republican president, who said the issue was Comey’s inability to lead. But Trump floored many since it was Comey himself leading the investigation of Trump’s campaign and Russia. “I have long […]
North America
CIA forms special unit focused on North Korea threat
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States Central Intelligence Agency said Wednesday it had formed a special unit dedicated to assessing North Korea’s nuclear weapons threat. The CIA created its first single country-focused mission center, pulling together resources from a range of units to collect and analyze information on Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missile technology that could extend its military threat across the Pacific. The move comes as North Korea appears poised […]
Trump fires FBI director Comey
by Andrew Beatty Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday fired his Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey, the man who leads the agency charged with investigating his campaign’s ties with Russia — a move that sent shockwaves through Washington. The surprise dismissal of Comey, who played a controversial role in the 2016 presidential election, came as he was leading a probe into whether Trump’s aides colluded with […]
Workers at US nuclear site take cover after tunnel collapse
by Jocelyne Zablit Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States – Hundreds of workers at a nuclear site in the United States state of Washington were ordered to take cover Tuesday after a storage tunnel filled with contaminated material collapsed, but there was no initial indication of a radioactive leak. Employees at the sprawling Hanford Site plant, located about 170 miles (275 kilometers) southeast of Seattle, were sent an early morning alert by management telling them to […]
Canada’s army rolls in after devastating floods
by Julien Besset / Catherine Legault Agence France Presse PIERREFONDS, Canada (AFP) — Canada mobilized its army to help thousands of flood victims try to hold back waters and save their homes Monday after the worst flood in half a century struck, but authorities were optimistic that rising water levels would soon crest. Several rivers and lakes have overflowed their banks in Quebec province, between Gatineau in the Canadian capital region and Montreal 200 kilometers (125 miles) […]
White House was told Trump aide Flynn ‘could be blackmailed’
by Paul Handley Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House was warned in January that President Donald Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn was vulnerable to Russian blackmail, a top former official told lawmakers Monday, as the issue of Moscow’s meddling in the US election returned to the spotlight. Former acting attorney general Sally Yates, a Barack Obama appointee who was sacked by Trump early in his presidency, made the disclosure during […]
Trump congratulates Macron in post-election call: White House
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States President Donald Trump congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his French election victory during a call on Monday, the White House said. He spoke with “the French president-elect to congratulate him on his victory,” White House spokesperson Sean Spicer said. The Republican president had tweeted his congratulations to the 39-year-old centrist Macron on Sunday, saying he looked forward to working with him.
Former top US justice official to testify on Flynn-Russia links
by Paul HANDLEY Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States – The simmering controversy over Russia’s alleged meddling in last year’s US election returns to the spotlight Monday, with a former top Justice Department official set to testify on links between President Donald Trump’s advisers and Moscow. Former acting attorney general Sally Yates, a Barack Obama appointee held over for the start of the new administration, could offer new details about how Trump handled concerns that national security […]
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 […]





