International

Anger in France over Trump comments on Bataclan attacks

by Adam PLOWRIGHT Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — France on Saturday condemned remarks by US President Donald Trump about the 2015 attacks in Paris and called on him to show respect for the victims of the worst bloodshed on French soil since World War II. “France expresses its firm disapproval of the comments by President Trump about the attacks of November 13, 2015, in Paris and asks for respect of the memory of […]

Navalny, 1,600 supporters detained at anti-Putin rallies

by Anais LLOBET with Marina KORENEVA in Saint Petersburg Agence France Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was detained along with nearly 1,600 of his supporters on Saturday during nationwide rallies against Vladimir Putin as police and paramilitary activists used force to break up rallies in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Riot police beat protesters with truncheons, dragged them along the ground and threw them into police vans in Moscow, in an […]

Toll rises to 7 after earthquake in S.African mine

  JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — An earthquake that hit a South African gold mine claimed a total of seven lives, its owner said Saturday, after rescue operations were completed at the site outside Johannesburg. The epicenter of the 2.2-magnitude quake was close to where the miners were working on Thursday, and 13 employees were trapped about three kilometers (two miles) below the surface. “The last three employees who were recovered (had) passed away from […]

Thousands flee after Hawaii quake triggers new volcano eruptions

by Frederic J. Brown Agence France Presse LEILANI ESTATES, United States (AFP) — Thousands of people have been forced to flee after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook Hawaii’s Big Island, triggering the collapse of a coastal cliff and prompting fresh eruptions of a volcano that has been spewing lava near residential areas. No injuries have been reported but several homes were destroyed or badly damaged by the quake Friday, the biggest to hit the island […]

Thousands stage anti-Macron protest in Paris

by Nadeje Puljak Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) –Depicting the object of their ire as Napoleon, Dracula, Jupiter, a banker-king and Margaret Thatcher, tens of thousands marched through central Paris on Saturday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s sweeping reforms, a year after he took office. Some 2,000 security forces including riot police were deployed just in case a generally good-natured rally went the same way as May Day protests hijacked by anarchists. Marchers […]

At least 350 held as anti-Putin protests sweep Russia: monitor

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — At least 350 people were detained at opposition protests across Russia on Saturday, as police violently attempted to disperse an unsanctioned rally in Moscow using tear gas, an independent monitor and AFP correspondents said. Top opposition leader Alexei Navalny, his ally Nikolai Lyaskin and a number of their supporters were detained in Moscow as police roughly rounded up protesters, according to AFP correspondents. Independent monitoring group OVD-Info said more than 350 […]

Russian protest leader Navalny detained at anti-Putin rally

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was detained on Saturday at an unsanctioned rally in central Moscow, two days ahead of Vladimir Putin’s inauguration for a fourth Kremlin term. The 41-year-old protest leader was detained along with a number of his supporters as a huge crowd packed a central square in Moscow to protest Putin’s swearing ceremony on Monday. As police grabbed Navalny some supporters shouted “Shame” in Ukrainian, a famous slogan […]

Honduras regrets loss of US protection status for its nationals

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AFP) — Honduras expressed regret Friday that around 60,000 of its citizens living and working in the United States are losing special protection status under tougher migration changes brought in by President Donald Trump. The US Department of Homeland Security announced in a statement that it was ending the so-called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans, but giving 18 months’ time, to January 5, 2020, “to allow for an orderly transition.” Trump’s government […]

Trump to host S. Korea’s Moon for May 22 talks: White House

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump will host South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in for talks at the White House on May 22, as anticipation builds for much-awaited meetings with the North’s leader. “This third summit between the two leaders affirms the enduring strength of the United States-Republic of Korea alliance and the deep friendship between our two countries,” the White House said in a statement. Moon met with North Korean leader Kim Jong […]

Trump says Kim summit date, venue to be announced soon

by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Friday that a date and venue for his landmark summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un would be unveiled soon, as anticipation builds for the unprecedented talks between the mercurial leaders. And while Trump said he was not envisaging a drawdown of troops in South Korea for now — something the regime in Pyongyang has long wanted — he […]

Russia detains Navalny supporters during anti-Putin rallies

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian police on Saturday detained several dozen supporters of opposition leader Alexei Navalny as nationwide protests kicked off on the eve of Vladimir Putin’s inauguration for a fourth Kremlin term. Navalny, who was barred from challenging Putin in the March presidential election, had called on Russians to stage a day of rallies across the country ahead of Putin’s inauguration. Protests kicked off in Russia’s Far East and Siberia regions, with several […]