International

At El Chapo trial, ex-hitman tells of kingpin’s gruesome tactics

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A former hitman for Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman on Thursday offered gruesome testimony in a US court about acts of torture and killings of rivals allegedly committed by the ex-Sinaloa boss. It was the first time that the federal court heard details of executions carried out by El Chapo himself. The jury had heard other witnesses relate killings ordered by the once powerful drug lord. While […]

Philippines breaks tourism record in 2018

MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — The Philippines welcomed a record 7.1 million tourists to its beaches and dive spots in 2018, despite its most famous resort Boracay being shut half the year to recover, authorities said Thursday. The archipelago nation of over 7,000 islands saw the number of visitors jump by nearly eight percent over the previous year, with South Koreans leading the way as its top tourists. This growth came without much help from Boracay, […]

Ghosn resigns as Renault boss, French group enters new era

by Daniel ARONSSOHN / Corentin DAUTREPPE Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Arrested car boss Carlos Ghosn has resigned as chief executive and chairman of Renault, ending his leadership roles in the auto industry and signalling the start of new era for the French manufacturer. Ghosn, the most powerful man in car-making until his sensational arrest last November in Japan on financial misconduct charges, had already been sacked as chairman of Japanese auto groups Nissan […]

UN chief warns ‘we are losing the race’ on climate change

DAVOS, Switzerland (AFP) — UN chief Antonio Guterres on Thursday warned that the world is “losing the race” on climate change as he demanded that governments make bolder commitments beyond the Paris accord. “Climate change is the defining issue of our time. We are losing the race,” he said on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos. “It is absolutely central to reverse this trend.” Guterres said he was “not hopeful” that nations […]

South Australia heatwave smashes record temperatures

ADELAIDE, Australia (AFP) — Temperatures in southern Australia topped 49 degrees on Thursday, shattering previous records as sizzling citizens received free beer and heat-stressed bats fell from trees. The Bureau of Meteorology reported temperatures of 49.5 Celsius (120 Fahrenheit) north of Adelaide, while inside the city temperatures reached 47.7 Celsius, breaking a record that had stood since 1939. Adelaide residents are used to sweltering days during the southern hemisphere summer, but even they struggled with […]

Trump says to give State of the Union address ‘when the shutdown is over’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump announced late Wednesday he would give the State of the Union address when the ongoing government shutdown ends, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi effectively blocked him from delivering the annual speech in Congress. “As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address. I agreed,” the president tweeted. “She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting […]

13 dead in two days of Venezuela unrest: rights group

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Thirteen people have died during two days of unrest in Venezuela amid protests against leftist leader Nicolas Maduro, a Caracas-based rights group reported Wednesday. The deaths, mostly from gunshot wounds, were recorded in the capital and across the country, along with reports of looting in Brazilian border state Bolivar, the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict told AFP. Unrest first kicked off on Monday when 27 soldiers rose up against Maduro at a […]

Four arrested in plot to target Muslims in NY state

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Four young men were arrested in New York state for allegedly planning a “potentially lethal” attack on a Muslim community regularly targeted by US extremist sites, police said Wednesday. Police in Greece, New York recovered three explosive devices and 23 weapons — mostly shotguns — from the homes of the suspects, according to spokesman, Jared Rene. The four, whose ages range from 16 to 20, were accused of planning […]

Kim ‘satisfaction’ over Trump letter as talks approach

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has expressed “great satisfaction” after receiving a letter from US President Donald Trump ahead of a second summit between the two leaders, Pyongyang’s state media reported Thursday. Kim is making “good technical preparations” for the meeting, the official KCNA news agency said, in the isolated nation’s first comments on the talks scheduled for next month. The letter was handed to Kim by one of his […]

Regional powers recognize Maduro opponent as interim leader

DAVOS, Switzerland (AFP) — The United States, Canada and major South American nations recognized the head of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled legislature as the country’s interim leader on Wednesday, leaving President Nicolas Maduro increasingly isolated. Major regional players Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Argentina all gave their backing to Juan Guaido’s self-proclamation as Venezuela’s acting president, which he made in front of crowd of tens of thousands of supporters in Caracas. Mexico, however, stood apart, saying it […]

Gunman kills five at US bank: police

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — A gunman killed at least five people on Wednesday at a bank in Sebring, Florida in the southern United States, police said. “We have at least five victims, people who were senselessly murdered,” Police Chief Karl Hoglund told a news conference. The alleged shooter, identified as a 21-year-old resident of Sebring, has been taken into custody, Hoglund said. Their motive was not immediately clear, and the investigation into the shooting […]

Erdogan and Putin vow closer cooperation on Syria at Moscow talks

by Maria PANINA Agence France Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday vowed to coordinate their actions more closely in Syria. “Cooperation between Russia and Turkey is a touchstone for Syrian peace and stability,” Erdogan said in translated comments at a joint press conference after their talks, which lasted around three hours. “With our Russian friends, we intend to […]