North America

Trump ultimatum: Pass health bill Friday or Obamacare stays

by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump warned Republicans that he is done negotiating and wants a vote Friday on replacing Obamacare, warning that if the effort fails, his predecessor’s health care reforms will stand, lawmakers in an emergency meeting said. In a high-stakes closed-door huddle with Republican lawmakers late Thursday, White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney essentially issued an ultimatum from Trump after House Republican leaders postponed the […]

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South Korea prepares to move sunken Sewol ferry to port

by Hwang Sunghee Agence France Presse Salvage operators were preparing to move South Korea’s sunken Sewol ferry on to another vessel to transfer it to port Friday, nearly three years after it went down with the loss of more than 300 lives. The top of the wreck had been raised to 13 metres above sea-level by late morning, the maritime ministry said in a statement, just high enough to fit it onto a semi-submersible standing […]

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US health care vote postponed in blow to Trump

by Andrew Beatty and Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump’s bid to repeal his predecessor’s signature health care law suffered a bitter blow Thursday, as opposition from within his Republican Party forced the delay of a crucial vote in Congress. “No vote tonight,” a House leadership source told AFP, signaling a stunning political setback for Trump — who prides himself on his dealmaking skills — to win […]

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Trump will attend NATO summit in May: White House

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House confirmed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will take part in a summit of North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders in Brussels on May 25, the first since his election victory last year. “The President looks forward to meeting with his NATO counterparts to reaffirm our strong commitment to NATO, and to discuss issues critical to the alliance, especially allied responsibility-sharing and NATO’s role in the fight against terrorism,” […]

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North Korea’s parliament to hold rare meeting: state media

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea will hold a rare parliamentary session next month, state media reported Wednesday, as regional tensions intensify following the nuclear-armed state’s recent missile tests. The country’s legislative body meets only once or twice a year, mostly for day-long sessions to rubber-stamp budgets or other decisions deemed necessary by the ruling Workers’ Party. The last meeting was held in June 2016 when North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was elected chairman […]

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California lawmakers warn companies against working on Trump wall

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Three California lawmakers have introduced legislation that would penalize firms keen to take part in President Donald Trump’s plan to build a wall along the United States-Mexico border. The legislation announced on Monday calls for California’s two public pension funds — the largest in the nation — to divest from companies involved in the construction of the controversial barrier. “Californians build bridges not walls,” Phil Ting, one of the […]

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US to ban some airline passengers from carrying large electronic devices

LOS ANGELES, United States (Reuters) — Passengers traveling on certain United States-bound foreign airline flights will have to check in electronic devices larger than a cell phone once US authorities formalize a new ban in response to an unspecified terrorism threat, US officials told Reuters on Monday (March 20). The new rule is expected to be announced Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security, the officials said, adding that it had been under consideration since the […]

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Trump daughter Ivanka now has office in White House

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka now has an office at the White House, although she will not be a government employee, an administration official told AFP Monday. Since Trump’s inauguration on January 20, his eldest daughter, aged 35, has been seen often in the presidential mansion’s West Wing, the hub of United States executive power. On Friday, she attended a roundtable discussion at the White House with the US […]

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FBI chief confirms probe of possible Russia links to Trump team

by Paul HANDLEY Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States – FBI Director James Comey confirmed for the first time Monday that the agency is investigating Russian interference in last year’s presidential election and notably Moscow’s possible collusion with President Donald Trump’s campaign. He also rejected Trump’s claim that predecessor Barack Obama wiretapped his Trump Tower in New York, saying both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department had no evidence to support such allegations. […]

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NATO chief to visit US for first time since Trump was elected

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) chief Jens Stoltenberg headed for Washington on Monday for the first time since United States President Donald Trump was elected, holding talks with senior officials about defeating the Islamic State group, his office said. Stoltenberg will meet US Defense Secretary James Mattis on Tuesday, then meet foreign ministers from the coalition working to defeat the group, according to his office.

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‘No evidence of collusion’ between Trump campaign, Russia: US lawmaker

by Stephanie GRIFFITH Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A congressional panel so far has found “no evidence” that Donald Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election, its chairman said Sunday, ahead of testimony by the head of the FBI on the US president’s potential Russia ties. Based on “everything I have up to this morning — no evidence of collusion,” by Trump’s team and Moscow, Representative Devin Nunes, chairman of […]

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Rock ‘n’ roll legend Chuck Berry dead at 90

By Shaun Tandon NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Chuck Berry, one of the creators of rock ‘n’ roll who helped shape modern youth culture with his dance-ready rhythms but who struggled to overcome institutional racism, died Saturday. He was 90. Police in the St. Louis area, where Berry was born and lived most of his life, said that first responders found the guitar legend unresponsive when they answered an emergency call at his home. […]

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