International

Liberal, Green gains upset EU parliament power balance

by Lachlan CARMICHAEL BRUXELLES, Belgium (AFP) — Liberals and Greens say they have broken the two centrist blocs’ grip on power in the European Parliament based on a projected shift in the electoral fortunes of the four. Liberals and Greens are now pushing harder to snag the head of the European Commission, the 28-nation EU executive, and shape key laws, such as on climate change and taxation. The center-right EPP (European People’s Party) still has […]

Trump becomes first foreign leader to meet Japan’s new emperor

by Richard CARTER / Sebastian Smith TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Donald Trump on Monday became the first foreign leader to meet Japan’s newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito — an honor Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes will help charm the US president when it comes to thorny trade talks. After Trump and Naruhito greeted each other in the Tokyo palace, they stood outside on a red carpet for the two countries’ national anthems, the flags of the […]

Clashes between prisoners in Brazil jail leave 15 dead: official

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Clashes between inmates killed 15 people at a jail in Amazonas state in northern Brazil on Sunday, the regional prison authority said. The clashes broke out around 11:00 am (1500 GMT) during visiting hours at the facility, located some 28 kilometers (17 miles) from the state capital Manaus, the prison authority said. © Agence France-Presse

Powerful tornado devastates US town, killing two

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Rescuers in the US state of Oklahoma were searching Sunday for survivors in the tangled remains of mobile homes and other structures demolished overnight by a powerful tornado that killed at least two people. “Right now (we are) doing a search effort to assess everything,” El Reno Mayor Matt White told reporters in a televised news conference. “We can confirm there have been two fatalities at this time.” “It is […]

Strong 8.0-magnitude earthquake jolts Peru

by Carlos MANDUJANO LIMA, PERU (AFP) — A powerful 8.0-earthquake struck northern Peru in the early hours of Sunday, toppling houses, blocking roads and knocking out power to some localities. One person was killed and 18 others injured as the shockwave extended into neighboring Ecuador, authorities said. “There are many old houses that have collapsed after this strong earthquake,” said Hugo Araujo, the mayor of Yurimaguas, a town near the epicenter. The quake hit in […]

Tearful May calls time on premiership overshadowed by Brexit

by Joe JACKSON LONDON, United States (AFP) — Her voice breaking, Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation on Friday after three years of Brexit turmoil, dramatically increasing the likelihood of Britain crashing out of the EU within months. May, who took over in the aftermath of the 2016 Brexit referendum, was forced to make way following a Conservative mutiny over her ill-fated strategy to end Britain’s near five-decade membership of the European Union. “It […]

Iraq warns of ‘danger of war’ as Iran’s top diplomat visits

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Iraqi leaders have warned of the risks of war during a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, whose country is locked in a tense standoff with the United States. Zarif’s visit to neighboring Iraq — which is caught in the middle of its two allies, the US and Iran — follows a decision by Washington to deploy 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East. “We are currently repelling all […]

Center-right wins EU vote, eurosceptics advance: projection

BRUXELLES, United States (AFP) — The center-right European People’s Party (EPP) won the most seats in the European Parliament but eurosceptic parties made strong gains, officials said Sunday, citing their latest projection. The EPP won 178 seats, down sharply from 216 in the outgoing parliament but more than the 152 won by the Socialists and Democrats, its center-left rival, parliament spokesman Jaume Duch told reporters. The Socialists dropped from 185 seats. “I don’t feel a […]

Papua New Guinea PM Peter O’Neill resigns amid gas deal tensions

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill resigned on Sunday following a string of high-profile political defections that threatened his leadership. O’Neill — who had been in power since 2011 — handed over the reins to veteran politician Julius Chan, who has twice been prime minister. “I will be stepping down as prime minister in the coming days, when I visit the governor-general… (to) pave way for a new government,” O’Neill told reporters in the […]

Two Afghan youths get 30 years jail for killing of young girl

An Afghan court Sunday sentenced two teenage boys to 30 years in prison for the abduction and killing of a young girl whose brutal murder provoked a national outcry. Six-year-old Mahsa Ahmadi was snatched off a Kabul street in March and was killed after her parents were unable to pay a ransom of $300,000. Police eventually arrested two boys and released a video clip showing them confessing. They said they had picked up Mahsa, driven […]

Three French IS members sentenced to death in Iraq

An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced three French citizens to death after they were found guilty of joining the Islamic State group, the first IS members from France to be handed capital punishment, a court official said. Captured in Syria by a US-backed force fighting the jihadists, Kevin Gonot, Leonard Lopez and Salim Machou were transferred to Iraq for trial. They have 30 days to appeal. Iraq has taken custody of thousands of jihadists repatriated […]

Over 600 people test HIV positive in Pakistan city

Pakistan said on Sunday over 600 people, most of them children, had tested HIV positive in a city in southern Sindh province. Concern grew after hundreds of people were allegedly infected by a doctor using a contaminated syringe in Rato Dero city and surrounding villages of Larkana district. “Some 681 people, of which 537 were children from two to 12 years of age, had been tested positive for HIV until yesterday in Rato Dero,” special […]