International

Britain’s US ambassador resigns after Trump spat

  LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s ambassador to Washington Kim Darroch said Wednesday he was resigning after drawing Donald Trump’s ire for calling the US president “inept” in leaked confidential cables to London. Darroch said in a resignation letter to the Foreign Office that the scandal made it “impossible” for him to continue representing British interests in the United States. Trump has said his administration would no longer “deal” with Darroch. “Since the leak […]

US-China trade talks resume: US officials

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US officials held a phone call on Tuesday with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the ongoing trade conflict between the countries, US officials said. It was the first official contact since President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to resume talks just over a week ago. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer “spoke with Vice Premier Liu He and Minister Zhong Shan today to […]

Trump congratulates new Greek PM, pledges cooperation

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Tuesday congratulated Greece’s new conservative prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, pledging in a telephone call to keep pursuing the countries’ warming relations, the White House said. “The two leaders expressed their mutual interest in working together and continuing strong cooperation between the United States and Greece,” the White House said. A State Department spokeswoman separately called Greece “one of our closest allies.” The United States hopes […]

46 hospitalized in Canada carbon monoxide leak: fire service

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — A carbon monoxide leak at a Canadian hotel on Tuesday sent 46 guests to the hospital and left 15 of them in critical condition, firefighters in the city of Winnipeg said. The incident occurred at a Super 8 motel in the Prairie-region city. “This was a major serious incident,” Alex Forrest, president of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, told CBC News. He said carbon monoxide readings at the motel came […]

China demands US cancel arms sale to Taiwan

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China demanded Tuesday that the United States “immediately cancel” a potential sale of $2.2 billion in arms to self-ruled Taiwan, including battle tanks and anti-aircraft missiles, adding fuel to tensions between the two powers. The US later shrugged off China’s complaints, responding that the equipment would contribute to “peace and stability” in Asia. The sale would be the first transfer of big-ticket US military gear to the democratically-governed island in decades, […]

Trump can’t block Twitter critics, appeals court affirms

  WASHINGTON, D.C. (AFP) — A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that US President Donald Trump cannot legally block users on Twitter based on their political differences with him, affirming a lower court decision. The three-judge panel agreed with last year’s ruling by a federal judge that Trump was using “viewpoint discrimination” in violation of the constitutional rights of people with opposing views. The court sidestepped the question of the president’s free speech rights under […]

Kremlin condemns ‘absurdity’ as Britain bars RT, Sputnik from conference

  MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — The Kremlin on Tuesday said it regretted that Russia’s RT and Sputnik news organisations were barred from taking part in a global conference on media freedom in London, calling the decision absurd. Britain on Monday said it refused to accredit the Russian state media outlets “because of their active role in spreading disinformation.” Some 60 ministers and 1,000 journalists and members of civil society are expected to attend the meeting […]

Hong Kong protest group vows new rallies, rejects city leader’s comments

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — A key Hong Kong protest group behind mass rallies against a widely loathed China extradition bill vowed on Tuesday to hold fresh protests as they rejected a promise from the city’s leader that the bill was “dead”. “If our five demands are still not heard by Carrie Lam and her government, the Civil Human Rights Forum will continue to hold protests and assemblies,” spokeswoman Bonnie Leung told reporters, adding details […]

Iran passes uranium enrichment cap set by endangered deal

by Kay Armin Serjoie TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran on Monday breached a uranium enrichment cap set by a troubled 2015 nuclear deal and warned Europe against taking retaliatory measures, as France decided to send an envoy to Tehran to try to calm tensions. The move came more than a year after Washington pulled out of the landmark accord between world powers and Tehran, which says it has lost patience with perceived inaction by the […]

Hong Kong leader Lam says China extradition bill ‘dead’

  HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday said a widely loathed proposal to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland “is dead” — but again stopped short of protester demands to withdraw the bill. The finance hub has been plunged into its worst crisis in recent history following a month of huge marches as well as separate violent confrontations with police involving a minority of hardcore protesters. “There are […]

US State Dept approves potential $2.2 billion arms sale to Taiwan

by W.G. Dunlop WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US State Department has approved the potential sale to Taiwan of $2.2 billion in arms, including Abrams tanks and Stinger missiles, the Pentagon said on Monday. The announcement is likely to anger Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory and has previously expressed “serious concerns” about the possible sale. Congress has been notified about the potential deal, which would include 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks, […]

First Democratic candidate drops from White House race

by Elodie CUZIN WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Congressman Eric Swalwell became the first candidate to drop out of the Democratic Party race for the White House Monday, as debates and fundraising drive a narrowing of voter focus on the sprawling field. The 38-year-old California representative never garnered more than one percent support in polls, according to Real Clear Politics — though he got a slight boost in the June 26-27 party debates when he […]