North America

Trump moves to review status of America’s nature preserves

by Jerome CARTILLIER Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States  – After moving to unstitch climate change rules, US President Donald Trump Wednesday opened the door to undoing the federally protected status of some of America’s vast nature preserves. He signed an executive order reviewing decisions by predecessors Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to designate public land a “national monument” under a 1906 law known as the Antiquities Act. “Today I’m signing a new […]

Trump slams US court ruling against immigration order as ‘ridiculous’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed as “ridiculous” a US judge’s ruling blocking an executive order that could deny billions of dollars to so-called sanctuary cities harboring illegal immigrants. Judge William Orrick of San Francisco’s federal court on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction barring any attempt to implement Trump’s January 25 executive order. “First the Ninth Circuit rules against the ban & now it hits again on sanctuary cities – […]

Trump picks trade fight with Canada

By Jean-Louis Doublet Agence France Presse Trade tensions spiked between Washington and Ottawa on Tuesday as United States President Donald Trump accused Canada of being “very rough” on America and threatened to retaliate against restrictions on US dairy products. Trump also touted his administration’s surprise decision late Monday to rekindle an old trade conflict with America’s second-largest trading partner by slapping new tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber. “People don’t realize, Canada has been very rough […]

US judge blocks Trump order on sanctuary cities

by Frankie Taggart with Paul Handley in Washington Agence France Presse A United States judge on Tuesday blocked an executive order by President Donald Trump that could deny billions of dollars to so-called sanctuary cities as punishment for harboring illegal immigrants. Dealing a fresh setback to Trump’s pledged crackdown on undocumented residents, Judge William Orrick of San Francisco’s federal court issued a preliminary injunction barring any attempt to implement the January 25 executive order. “Federal […]

US state of Arkansas executes two prisoners in one night: official

by Sébastien Blanc Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) –The southern state of Arkansas, rushing to execute several inmates before a lethal drug expires next week, put to death two inmates late Monday, the first double execution in the United States in 17 years. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said that Jack Jones and Marcel Williams, both sentenced to death in the 1990s, were executed by lethal injection after higher courts rejected their final legal […]

Military, other leaders to brief senators on N. Korea: Pentagon

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US defense leaders and other top officials will give a classified briefing on North Korea to all senators in an unusual meeting at the White House, the Pentagon said Monday. The briefing will be conducted Wednesday by Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and General Joe Dunford, who is America’s top officer and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They […]

Arrest of WikiLeaks’ Assange a “priority:” US top cop

(Agence France Presse) — The arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a United States “priority,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday, as media reports indicated his office was preparing charges against the fugitive anti-hero. “We are going to step up our effort and already are stepping up our efforts on all leaks,” Sessions, America’s top cop, said at a news conference in response to a reporter’s question about a US priority to arrest Assange. […]

Trump says ‘strong Europe’ is important for US

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States President Donald Trump, who once celebrated Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, said Thursday that he wants the bloc to remain strong. “Yes, a strong Europe is very, very important to me as president of the united states,” Trump told reporters at a joint news conference with Italy’s Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. “And it is also in my opinion — in my very strong opinion — important […]

Trump’s threatened ‘armada’ still far from N. Korea: official

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — An aircraft carrier the United States Navy said was steaming toward the Korean Peninsula amid rising tensions has not yet departed, a US defense official acknowledged Tuesday. The Navy on April 8 said it was directing a naval strike group headed by the USS Carl Vinson supercarrier to “sail north,” as a “prudent measure” to deter North Korea. Pentagon chief Jim Mattis on April 11 said the Vinson was “on […]

6.2-magnitude earthquake shakes Peru

LIMA, Peru (AFP) — A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook a rural area in northern Peru on Tuesday but no damage was immediately reported, the country’s Geophysical Institute said. The quake struck at 1749 GMT in the sparsely populated Loreto region at a depth of 142 kilometers, the institute’s director Hernando Tavera said on the radio. Officials said residents in towns in Peru and neighboring Ecuador evacuated buildings and took precautionary measures but emergency services reported […]

At UN, US warns of human rights in Iran, Cuba, N.Korea

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The United States on Tuesday singled out North Korea and Syria over human rights violations and warned at the United Nations that new conflicts could be triggered by abuses in Iran, Cuba and North Korea. US ambassador Nikki Haley made the case at the Security Council that more attention should be focused on rights abuses to prevent conflict, a view challenged by Russia, China and other countries at the […]

Chemicals spill at Tesla battery factory; no serious injuries

NEVADA, United States (Reuters) — A hazardous material spill at Tesla Inc’s Gigafactory battery plant in Nevada on Monday (April 17) was being investigated by emergency workers but there were no serious injuries, the company said. Tesla spokesperson Dave Arnold said a drum of “standard construction cleaning solvent” was spilled at a loading dock and a small area of the building was evacuated. “Out of an abundance of caution, a couple of employees who may […]