International

Sexual assault reports on rise in US military: Pentagon

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The number of sexual assaults reported in the US military increased last year by 10 percent, Pentagon officials said Monday, attributing the spike to the fact that victims feel freer to come forward. The number of sexual assaults brought to the attention of military authorities was 6,769 in 2017, up from 6,172 in 2016, according to the report from the Defense Department’s sexual assault prevention and response office. For the […]

Trump pushes Korean truce village for Kim summit

  by W.G. Dunlop Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Monday he was confident his landmark summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will go ahead, as he talked up the idea of holding it in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas. Trump revealed last week that two or three locations were under consideration for the historic meeting — which would be the first between a […]

Netanyahu says has new ‘proof’ of Iran nuclear weapons programme

by Mike Smith Agence France Presse JERUSALEM, Israel (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address Monday he had new “proof” of an Iranian nuclear weapons plan that could be activated at any time, as the US considers whether to pull out of the atomic accord with Tehran. But while Netanyahu accused Israel’s main enemy Iran of lying about its nuclear ambitions, he did not provide evidence that it had actively […]

Sexual assault reports on rise in US military: Pentagon

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The number of sexual assaults reported in the US military increased last year by 10 percent, Pentagon officials said Monday, attributing the spike to the fact that victims feel freer to come forward. The number of sexual assaults brought to the attention of military authorities was 6,769 in 2017, up from 6,172 in 2016, according to the report from the Defense Department’s sexual assault prevention and response office. For […]

Ten journalists including Agence France Presse photographer among dozens killed in Afghan attacks

  by Mushtaq Mojaddidi Agence France Presse KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — Ten journalists including Agence France-Presse’s chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai, were among dozens killed in attacks across Afghanistan Monday, the deadliest day for the country’s media since 2001. The attacks highlight the dangers journalists face in the war-torn country, where violence is increasing as the resurgent Taliban step up their campaign while the Islamic State group makes inroads. A double suicide blast in […]

EBC marks 50th year with outreach activities; gov’t officials laud efforts in US

  (Eagle News) – As part of the celebration of its 50th anniversary, Eagle Broadcasting Corporation’s bureaus in the United States conducted outreach activities that included helping Samaritan House, an organization in Virginia that helps homeless families and victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. The event, spearheaded by EBC’s Washington D.C. Bureau in partnership with the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ), a global church active in community service and outreach programs, was lauded […]

Landslide in northern China kills 9

BEIJING, China (AFP) — A landslide killed nine people in a village in northern China on Monday, authorities said. The disaster occurred in the village of Caijiazhuang shortly before 5:00 am (2100 GMT Sunday), Luliang municipal government in Shanxi province said on its official social media account. More than a hundred firefighters, medical workers, and rescuers — some using earth-moving machinery — were sent to the site to search for survivors trapped under the fallen […]

Central American migrants reach US border

TIJUANA, Mexico (AFP) — At least 150 Central American migrants reached the border between Mexico and the United States on Sunday, determined to seek asylum from the US. The group arrived in the Mexican border town of Tijuana, part of a caravan of more than 1,000 people who set out from Mexico’s southern border on March 25. “We still need to ask for asylum and we hope the US government will open the doors,” Reyna […]

North-linked firms soar on Seoul market after summit

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Shares in South Korean builders, railway component makers and other firms with links to the North rocketed on Monday as Friday’s inter-Korea summit fuelled optimism for new cross-border projects. The historic meeting saw the North’s leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowing to “encourage more active cooperation, exchanges” and promote “co-prosperity.” The declaration sent shares of many firms which were once involved in now moribund inter-Korean […]

Tehran dismisses Pompeo’s ‘unfounded’ accusations

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran on Monday dismissed “unfounded” accusations by new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over its “ambition to dominate the Middle East.” Pompeo lashed out at Tehran on Sunday during a rapid tour of Middle East allies ahead of a crucial White House decision on whether to quit a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Speaking during a visit to Iran’s arch-rival and key US ally Saudi Arabia just days after […]

Japan’s Abe in the UAE to boost ties

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in the United Arab Emirates late Sunday for talks aimed at boosting political and economic ties. Abu Dhabi is the first leg of Abe’s Middle East tour which will also take him to Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. Abe is scheduled to meet UAE leaders on Monday and also attend a Japan-UAE business forum to highlight the scope for cooperation between […]

Twin Kabul suicide blasts kill at least 21, including journalists

KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — At least 21 people were killed, including Agence France-Presse chief photographer Shah Marai and three other journalists, when two suicide blasts ripped through Kabul on Monday, the health ministry and AFP have confirmed. Ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh told Afghanistan’s largest private TV channel Tolo news that at least 27 people were wounded and rushed to the hospital, warning that some were in critical condition and the toll could yet rise. The second […]