International

Three bodies found after S. Korean helicopter crash near disputed islets

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean rescuers located three bodies believed to be among seven who went missing after their chopper crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from islets disputed with Japan, officials said Saturday. The helicopter had just picked an injured fisherman up from Dokdo, which is known as Takeshima in Japan, when it went down on Thursday night. One body was found inside the chopper located at a depth […]

Malaysia rejects ‘less than $2bn’ Goldman offer over 1MDB

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia rejected a compensation offer of “less than $2 billion” from Goldman Sachs for the role of its subsidiaries in the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal, an aide to the country’s prime minister said Saturday. Huge sums were stolen from Malaysian state fund 1MDB in a fraud allegedly involving former prime minister Najib Razak and his cronies, and spent on everything from high-end real estate to a luxury super-yacht. Goldman’s role has […]

China, US hold ‘constructive’ call on trade mini-deal

  by Douglas Gillison with Jing Xuan Teng in Beijing WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Senior Chinese and US officials again sent positive signals on Friday about their efforts to formalize the partial trade bargain announced last month, with President Donald Trump saying he may meet with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the state of Iowa. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Friday spoke by telephone with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary […]

Jane Fonda under arrest again, in US climate protest

by Cyril Julien  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Hollywood legend and activist Jane Fonda was arrested Friday in Washington protesting politicians’ failure to address climate change. “This time, I may be detained overnight and that’s fine for one night, big deal!” Fonda joked to reporters, noting that this was not her first arrest as police put plastic wire around her wrists. Along with several dozen activists including actresses Rosanna Arquette and Catherine Keener, Fonda sat […]

Brazil in ‘civil war,’ says head of Congress’ pro-gun faction

by Jordi Miro with Pascale Trouillaud  BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) — Brazil is caught in a “civil war” of crime and violence, the head of Congress’ pro-gun faction says, warning that ordinary Brazilians need to be armed and ready to fight back. Wearing an electric blue suit with matching glasses, and a heavy gold ring with the seal of Congress on his finger, Jose Augusto Rosa is both a high-profile lawmaker and a reserve captain in […]

Thousands protest to maintain pressure on Chile government

SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — Dressed in black, marching silently and raising one fist, around a thousand women on Friday demanded justice for those killed and injured during the last two weeks of social unrest in Chile. Their march started off a day of demonstrations on a long weekend in the country, expanding later as tens of thousands answered social media calls to match last Friday’s huge protest that attracted more than a million people. Santiago […]

Fosun buys Thomas Cook brand for £11 million

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese conglomerate Fosun has snapped up the Thomas Cook brand for £11 million ($14.2 million), weeks after the renowned British travel group went bust and left hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers stranded abroad. Thomas Cook’s demise in September sparked 22,000 job losses worldwide and triggered Britain’s biggest repatriation since World War II, with the government paying to fly home 140,000 tourists. The 178-year-old British institution declared bankruptcy in September after an […]

Huawei moving on 5G while politics plays out

  SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Major state telecom operators are rolling out 5G wireless advances in China as the country races to close a technology gap with the United States amid a bruising trade war. The new-generation telecommunication networks move data at blazing speeds, promising economic and technological advantages to countries where they are deployed. US regulators earlier this week proposed rules to block telecom carriers from buying from Chinese tech companies Huawei […]

Vietnam ‘strongly condemns’ human trafficking after UK truck tragedy

  HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Vietnam said Saturday that it “strongly condemns” human trafficking, after British police confirmed 39 people found dead in a truck last week are believed to be Vietnamese. Most of the victims are thought to come from central Vietnam, where easy-to-find brokers help to arrange trips to Europe — often via Russia — for migrants hoping to earn money overseas. The extreme risks of the journeys were laid bare after eight […]

Trump announces new acting US homeland security chief

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump announced Friday that a senior department official, Chad Wolf, would become the nation’s new acting homeland security chief, a role at the center of his crackdown on undocumented immigration. Asked to confirm rumors that Wolf, a department undersecretary, would assume the role, Trump told reporters: “Well he’s right now acting and we’ll see what happens. We have great people in there.” Trump announced the resignation of […]

Trump leaves Trump Towers in New York City, decides to move to Florida

  by Catherine TRIOMPHE Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — After years of flying south for the winter Donald Trump is making his Florida nest permanent, breaking with the city that molded his persona in a decision that’s left most fellow New Yorkers unmoved. “Good riddance” appeared the collective take on the billionaire’s announcement late Thursday that he would not return to his gilded three-level penthouse in Manhattan after his presidential tenure […]

Four killed, several injured in Orinda shooting

LOS ANGELES, California (AFP) — At least four people were killed and several were wounded in a shooting at a party near San Francisco, local authorities and media reported. The shooting took place at a rented Airbnb home around Thursday night in Orinda, around 17 miles (30 km) northeast of San Francisco, according to NBC Bay Area news. “Orinda homicide update – four fatalities, several injuries,” the Contra Costa County sheriff’s office tweeted early Friday. […]