International

Paris commuter train overturns, 7 slightly injured: minister

PARIS, France (AFP) — A landslip caused by heavy rains Tuesday led three carriages of a Paris suburban RER train to overturn, slightly injuring seven people, France’s transport minister said. “There has been… a landslip on the RER B” between the southern suburbs of St-Remy-les-Chevreuse and Orsay, the minister, Elisabeth Borne, told Franceinfo radio. It caused “three carriages to overturn. Fortunately, there are only seven slightly injured.” © Agence France-Presse

Kim vows to ‘leave the past behind’

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — North Korea and the US have decided to “leave the past behind”, Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong Un said after his summit with President Donald Trump. “Today, we had a historic meeting and decided to leave the past behind and we are about to sign a historic document,” Kim said, thanking Trump for making the meeting happen and adding: “The world will see a major change.” © Agence France-Presse

China urges ‘full denuclearization’ as Kim-Trump meet

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China on Tuesday praised the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as historic and called for “full denuclearisation” to resolve tensions on the Korean peninsula. The fact that the two leaders “can sit together and have equal talks has important and positive meaning, and is creating a new history,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters. “The crux of the peninsula nuclear issue is […]

Trump says ‘a lot of progress’ made in historic Kim meeting

by Andrew BEATTY / Richard CARTER Agence France Presse SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Tuesday there had been a “lot of progress” in his historic talks with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, and the pair were expected to sign a document together. The first-ever summit between sitting leaders of the two Cold War foes went “better than anybody could have expected”, Trump said as he strolled in the gardens of […]

France challenges Beijing in South China Sea

by Daphné BENOIT Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — France is increasing its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, sending warships through the South China Sea and planning air exercises to help counter China’s military build-up in disputed waters. In late May, the French assault ship Dixmude and a frigate sailed through the disputed Spratly Islands and around a group of reefs that China has turned into islets to push back against Beijing’s claim […]

Warm words from North Korea on Cold War frontier

by Ed JONES Agence France Presse PANMUNJOM, North Korea (AFP) — On the world’s last Cold War frontier, where troops have long faced off at the truce village that divides the two Koreas, propaganda broadcasts have fallen silent and soldiers from the North are hopeful a historic summit will herald a new era for their country. The blue huts of Panmunjom are emblematic of the truce that stopped the fighting in the Korean War, and […]

Tearful Rodman claims vindication for Kim ties

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Basketball star and improbable North Korean envoy Dennis Rodman broke down in tears live on television Tuesday as he recounted the hostility he faced for meeting dictator Kim Jong Un. Amid a landmark summit between President Donald Trump and the young North Korean strongman, Rodman appeared on CNN to voice hope, and vindication. “I got death threats,” Rodman said breaking down in tears. “I couldn’t even go home … I had […]

In photos: Trump, Kim handshake starts historic summit; Trump predicts “terrific relationship” ahead

  United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made history on Tuesday, June 12, becoming the first sitting US and North Korean leaders to meet and shake hands, as they seek to end a tense decades-old nuclear stand-off. Trump predicted he would have a “terrific relationship” with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Tuesday, as the pair met for a historic Singapore summit. “We will have a terrific relationship, I have […]

Trump, Kim share historic handshake

by Andrew BEATTY / Richard CARTER Agence France Presse SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un made history Tuesday, becoming the first sitting US and North Korean leaders to meet and shake hands, as they seek to end a tense decades-old nuclear stand-off. The two men strode toward each other and shared the momentous handshake beneath the white-washed walls of an upscale hotel in neutral Singapore, before sitting down for a half-day […]

Ortega stays mum as Nicaragua continues violent downward spiral

by Julia Rios and Maggy Donaldson Agence France-Presse MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Armed riot police and pro-government paramilitaries attacked barricades manned by anti-government activists in the Nicaraguan capital, plunging city neighborhoods into violence and chaos in an attempt to stamp out a two-month-old uprising against President Daniel Ortega. The government offensive launched overnight into early Monday comes as Ortega enters his fifth day of silence regarding the Roman Catholic Church’s proposal to restart talks aimed at […]

Trump, Kim to meet for historic handshake

by Andrew BEATTY Agence France-Presse SINGAPORE, Singapore – Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un will make history on Tuesday, becoming the first sitting US and North Korean leaders to meet, shake hands and negotiate to end a decades-old nuclear stand-off. The extraordinary summit — unthinkable only months ago — comes after the two nuclear-armed foes appeared on the verge of conflict late last year as they slung personal insults and Kim conducted nuclear and missile […]

Canada rallies to Trudeau after Trump’s insult

by Jacques LEMIEUX Agence France-Presse OTTAWA, Canada – Canadian politicians of all stripes rallied round their prime minister on Monday after his cautious and polite defense of free trade rules drew an extraordinary personal rebuke from US President Donald Trump. The United States is Canada’s single biggest trade partner, with two-way exchanges of goods and services totalling $673.9 billion in 2017, and Washington enjoys a $8.4 billion surplus. Nevertheless, Trump appears determined to up-end the […]