by Lucie Peytermann Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — A US-based group that compiles data on sexual abuse by Catholic clerics and bishops accused of covering it up fears that a bid by Pope Francis to tackle the scandals is a case of too little, too late. Speaking ahead of a Vatican summit of bishops this week to discuss the crisis, Anne Barret Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, complained of a “disconnect” between the […]
International
16 US states sue Trump over border wall emergency
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Sixteen US states sued President Donald Trump’s administration Monday over his decision to declare a national emergency to fund a wall on the southern border with Mexico, saying the move violated the constitution. Trump announced the emergency Friday in order to bypass Congress, which approved only a quarter of the $5.6 billion he wanted for the wall in a spending bill. But the lawsuit, filed in a federal […]
Kiev reports first measles death as cases soar
KIEV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine’s capital has seen its first death from measles in a major outbreak, the health ministry said Monday. A 57-year-old woman died in hospital of complications from the highly infectious illness, health ministry spokeswoman Maryna Dadinova told AFP. Eight people, including two children, have died of measles in Ukraine this year. There were 16 deaths nationwide in 2018. Around 20,000 people in Ukraine have contracted the highly contagious viral disease since […]
Two policemen killed in Cairo explosion: interior ministry
CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — An explosion in Cairo on Monday killed two policemen who were chasing a man believed to have targeted security staff near a mosque last week, Egypt’s interior ministry said. “As security surrounded the man and was set to arrest and control him, an explosive device in his possession went off,” the ministry said. The blast in the crowded Darb al-Ahmar district in downtown Cairo also killed the bomber and injured three other policemen. The man was being pursued […]
Top advisor to Canada PM Trudeau resigns amid controversy
OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s top advisor quit on Monday amid allegations of political interference in the criminal prosecution of engineering giant SNC-Lavalin. One of the key architects of Trudeau’s 2015 electoral win and his longtime friend, Gerry Butts said he resigned as the prime minister’s principle secretary to avoid distractions for the government facing another tough ballot fight in eight months. In a statement, Butts “categorically” denied accusations that […]
Brazil president sacks close aide amid political scandal
BRASÍLIA, Brazil (AFP) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday sacked a close aide who helped get him elected after a storm within his party over suspected improper campaign financing. The allegations are the latest scandal to hit the party of the far-right president, who comfortably won elections last October in large part by vowing to stamp out corruption. Bolsonaro “has decided to dismiss as of today Gustavo Bebianno as minister of the general […]
Chinese food producer says swine fever found in dumplings
SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — A major Chinese food producer said Monday that traces of the African swine fever virus had been found in its frozen dumplings. China, the world’s biggest consumer and producer of pork, has struggled to contain an outbreak of the virus since the first cases were detected last August. Officials have said hundreds of thousands of pigs were culled in a bid to stop its spread — an effort that has also […]
Seven killed in new Kashmir battle
SRINAGAR, India (AFP) — Indian troops suffered new losses Monday in a fierce battle with Kashmir militants that left at least seven dead just days after a suicide bomber killed 41 paramilitaries in the troubled territory, officials said. The confrontation piled more pressure on the Indian government, which has blamed Pakistan for Thursday’s suicide attack on a paramilitary convoy that sparked widespread calls for action against the country’s neighbor and nuclear arch-rival. Shooting continued for […]
N. Korea faces ‘historic turning point’, says state media ahead of summit
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea is facing a “significant, historic turning point”, state media said on Monday, ahead of a highly-anticipated second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. The meeting between the two leaders — which will be the second time the pair have come together following their Singapore summit in June — is scheduled for Hanoi, Vietnam on February 27-28. Attention has been focused on whether the US team will […]
Four Indian soldiers killed in battle with Kashmir militants: police
SRINAGAR, India (AFP) — At least four soldiers died Monday in a fierce gunfight with rebels in Indian-administered Kashmir just four days after a suicide bomber killed 41 paramilitaries in the troubled territory, officials said. One soldier and one civilian were also critically wounded in the shootout as troops launched a search operation in Pulwama district where the suicide bomber struck on Thursday. “Four soldiers were killed during the shootout and another one is injured,” a senior police officer told AFP […]
Four Indian soldiers killed in Kashmir battle with militants: police
SRINAGAR, India (AFP) — At least four soldiers died Monday in a fierce gunfight with rebels in Indian-administered Kashmir just four days after a suicide bomber killed 41 paramilitaries in the troubled territory, officials said. One soldier and one civilian were also critically wounded in the shootout as troops launched a search operation in Pulwama district where the suicide bomber struck on Thursday. “Four soldiers were killed during the shootout and another one is injured,” […]
Venezuela’s Guaido calls for ‘million volunteers’ in aid standoff
by Maria Isabel SANCHEZ Agence France Presse CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido set a goal Sunday of enlisting a million volunteers within a week to confront a government blockade that has kept tons of humanitarian aid, most of it from the United States, from flowing into the country. Guaido has given February 23 — one month to the day after he proclaimed himself acting president — as the date for a […]





