by Thomas Watkins Agence France Presse LAREDO, United States (AFP) — They started work in the cool of the morning and moved quickly, uncoiling reel after reel of vicious-looking fencing and tying it with barbed wire to green poles hammered into the ground. Over the course of three days, a gleaming, shoulders-high barrier of concertina-wire emerged like a silver snake along a lush riverbank, stretching as far as the eye could see. This was […]
International
Toll rises to 77 in deadliest California wildfire
PARADISE, United States (AFP) — The toll from the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history rose further on Sunday to 77, the sheriff’s office said. “One human remain was located today,” raising the toll by one in the so-called Camp Fire which broke out 10 days ago in northern California, a statement from the Butte County Sheriff said. The number of people unaccounted for has fallen to 993, down from a peak of […]
Strong undersea quake off Fiji, but no tsunami
SUVA, Fiji (AFP) — A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fiji Monday, the United States Geological Survey said, but it was too deep to cause any damage. It was centered 534 kilometers (331 miles) deep and 283 kilometers east of the capital Suva where residents said they did not notice any shaking. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami threat from the tremor which occurred at 9:25 am (2025 GMT […]
Michael Bloomberg donates $1.8 bn for college education
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sunday he’s giving $1.8 billion for financial aid at Johns Hopkins University, believed to be the largest ever donation to a post-secondary institution. Bloomberg said he was making the gift to help qualified low-and middle-income students more easily afford access to university in a country where post-secondary education fees at elite schools often exceed $50,000 a year, a prohibitive barrier for most […]
‘Sad’ Trump visits fire-wracked California, blames mismanagement
by Sebastian Smith Agence France Presse PARADISE, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump expressed sadness Saturday at the devastation caused by fires in a California town, but persisted in his controversial claim that forest mismanagement is responsible for the tragedy which has left 76 dead and more than 1,000 listed as missing. “This is very sad,” Trump said after surveying the remains of Paradise, where nearly the only people out on the road were […]
Divided APEC leaders battle for unity after US, China spat
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AFP) — New Zealanders have been quick to find a way to celebrate Ireland’s historic Test win in Dublin, highlighting that the All Blacks loss was at least masterminded by a Kiwi. In a country where 20 percent of the population claim Irish ancestry, the All Blacks’ defeat on Saturday was still seen by some as a win for New Zealand. The 16-9 victory was the third time in the […]
Cyclone death toll in southeast India hits 33: official
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — The death toll from a cyclone that battered India’s eastern coast has reached 33, a disaster official said Sunday, as authorities assessed the damage caused by the powerful storm. Cyclone Gaja, which packed winds of up to 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour, had barrelled into Tamil Nadu state after hitting the coast on Friday. Thousands of trees were felled by winds that destroyed homes and hundreds of thousands were […]
Pence says US to partner in Papua New Guinea military base
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AFP) — The United States said Saturday it will join forces with Australia in the development of a new naval base in Papua New Guinea, a project seen as a move to curb China’s influence in the Pacific. Australia, which has long-standing military ties with the US, has already announced plans to redevelop PNG’s Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island. China’s desire to build a military facility on Fiji’s […]
Pence vows tariffs to remain until ‘China changes its ways’
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AFP) — Vice President Mike Pence warned Saturday that US sanctions and pressure on China would remain in place until Beijing reforms its trade practices. “We’ve put tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods and that number could more than double,” he told CEOs from around the region. “We hope for better, but the United States will not change course until China changes its ways.” © Agence France-Presse
Number of missing jumps to more than 1,000 in California fire
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The number of people missing in a devastating wildfire in northern California jumped to more than 1,000 on Friday, authorities said, as the remains of eight other victims were found by rescuers. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said the number of missing had soared from 631 on Thursday to 1,011 on Friday as more reports of missing were being sent in and as emergency calls made when the fire broke […]
China’s Xi: No one wins from ‘cold war, hot war, trade war’
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AFP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping said Saturday that no one wins from military, political or trade confrontation, amid fears that rivalry between Beijing and the US could escalate. “History has shown that confrontation — whether in form of cold war, hot war or trade war — will produce no winners,” Xi told a business conference ahead of an APEC summit expected to be dominated by a tussle for influence […]
China’s Xi at APEC: protectionism ‘doomed to failure’
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AFP) — Protectionist actions are short-sighted and doomed to fail, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Saturday ahead of an APEC summit at which US-China trade tensions are likely to take centre stage. “Attempts to erect barriers and cut close economic ties work against the laws of economics and the trends of history. This is a short-sighted approach and it is doomed to failure,” Xi told business leaders on the sidelines of […]
