International

Japan’s Abe wants to increase investments in Israel

JERUSALEM, Israel (AFP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Wednesday and voiced hope for increased Japanese investment in Israel. “I hope we will continue developing investments between our two countries,” he said after talks with the Netanyahu. The leaders agreed to push forward on establishing direct flights between the two countries to boost tourism, investment and business, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office. Netanyahu praised “the tremendous […]

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Nine aboard US military plane destroyed in fiery crash

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — An aging US military cargo plane carrying nine troops was destroyed in a fiery crash Wednesday as it made its final scheduled flight before being mothballed, officials said. The C-130 “Hercules” cargo plane from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard crashed around 11:30 am (1530 GMT) near the Savannah airport. Footage of the crash showed it falling from the sky then exploding in a fireball. Officials at first said five […]

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Trump hints of imminent news on Americans detained in N.Korea

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump hinted Wednesday that there would be imminent news about three Americans detained in North Korea, after sources said they had been relocated ahead of their possible release. The development comes as Trump is preparing for a historic summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “The past Administration has long been asking for three hostages to be released from a North Korean Labor camp, but […]

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Little Libraries raise reading awareness in Sacramento community

(Eagle News) — Tom Bennett, Senior Vice President of Community Impact, and the Literacy Program Coordinators from United Way, Sacramento contemplated on the following: “How do we get books into communities that don’t have it?” With this single thought, Little Libraries were brought to life in the state capital of California. The concept of the Little Library was a sustainable and easy model, where you take a free book to read and when you are […]

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Tens of thousands of Armenian protesters shut down capital

YEREVAN, Armenia (AFP) — Tens of thousands of Armenians on Wednesday converged on the capital, blocking roads and government buildings, as popular anger exploded over the ruling party’s rejection of opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan’s premiership bid. In an unprecedented show of defiance, protesters paralyzed Yerevan, with nearly all streets closed to traffic and many stores shut, AFP correspondents reported. The road linking Yerevan with its airport was also blocked. © Agence France-Presse

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Macron warns over China dominance in Indo-Pacific

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — No country can be allowed to dominate the Indo-Pacific, the leaders of France and Australia said Wednesday, as regional capitals fret over the rise of an increasingly assertive China. French President Emmanuel Macron said the two nations — alongside fellow democracy India — had a responsibility to protect the region from “hegemony” — a veiled reference to Beijing’s growing might. “What’s important is to preserve rules-based development in the region… and […]

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China’s foreign minister arrives in N. Korea

PYONGYANG, United States (AFP) — China’s foreign minister arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday, the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit North Korea in years as Beijing tries to mend fences with its nuclear-armed neighbor. The two-day visit by Wang Yi follows a landmark inter-Korean summit and precedes a meeting between the North’s leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump in coming weeks. Wang, who will meet his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho during […]

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109 in custody after Paris May Day violence: police

PARIS, France (AFP) — French police said 109 people were in custody on Wednesday after violent May Day protests in Paris, correcting an earlier figure of 209 given by Interior Minister Gerard Collomb. Hooded youths had torched a McDonald’s restaurant and several vehicles after joining the traditional May 1 union-led demonstration for workers’ rights. © Agence France-Presse

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Rundown of sex abuse within the Catholic church

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell on Tuesday became the highest-ranked Catholic ever to be sent to trial for sex offences, adding to a series scandals facing the church globally. Here is a rundown of notable cases: – Australia – Cardinal George Pell, the third highest member of the Vatican hierarchy, has been ordered to stand trial on “multiple” historical sex charges, which he denies. His case coincided with a public […]

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S. Korea: US troop withdrawal not linked to possible peace treaty

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday dismissed claims that US troops stationed in the country would have to leave if a peace treaty was signed with the North. Seoul and Pyongyang have remained technically at war since the 1950s but Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed at a landmark summit last week to work towards a permanent treaty to replace a 65-year-old armistice agreement. “US Forces […]

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Pope aide Pell to stand trial on multiple sex abuse charges

  by Daniel De Carteret Agence France Presse MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — The Vatican’s finance chief Cardinal George Pell Tuesday became the highest-ranked Catholic to be sent for trial over historic sex offences, as the elderly priest vowed to fight the charges. The 76-year-old was impassive throughout the hearing in the Australian city of Melbourne that ordered him to face a jury on “multiple” charges, although half of the allegations against him — including some […]

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Mueller questions for Trump probe possible obstruction: report

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump lashed out Tuesday at the “disgraceful” disclosure of questions Special Counsel Robert Mueller has sought to ask the US president about potential obstruction and other matters as part of his probe into Russian election interference. Compiled by the president’s lawyers, the questions lay out detailed lines of inquiry by Mueller into whether Trump may have tried to obstruct the Russia probe, The New York Times reported. The questions […]

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