International

Koreas hold talks on connecting railway

SOUL, South Korea (AFP) – North and South Korea held talks Tuesday on connecting the railways that run across their border, a physical link that would transform the relationship between the two sides of the divided peninsula. The discussions, the first on the issue for 10 years, took place in the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone. A rail line already exists from Seoul to Pyongyang and on to Sinuiju on the Chinese […]

Italy’s Salvini in Libya as migrants in limbo at sea

by Imed Lamloum with Olivier Baube in Rome Agence France-Presse TRIPOLI, Libya (AFP) – Italy’s pugnacious new government took its fight to block migrants to Libya on Monday as a new boat with hundreds on board remained stranded at sea, deepening a crisis shaking Europe. With European leaders at each other’s throats over the large number of migrants arriving from North Africa, Italy’s far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini paid a surprise visit to Tripoli. There, […]

Mnuchin rebuts reports on new China investmernt restrictions

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday denounced media reports detailing plans to impose restrictions on Chinese investment in US companies and on tech exports to China. The reports were widely cited Monday as helping to spark a global stocks selloff, with investors increasingly gloomy about the prospects of de-escalation in the emerging US-China trade war. The White House in late May announced plans to impose steep tariffs on Chinese […]

Bodies found in Colombia are journalists from Ecuador

  CALI, Colombia (AFP) — Colombian prosecutors said Monday that bodies found in a border jungle area were those of three Ecuadoran journalists who were killed after being held hostage. The bodies, found on Thursday, were those of reporter Javier Ortega, 32, photographer Paul Rivas, 45, and their driver Efrain Segarra 60. The trio was abducted on March 26. The bodies “will be handed over to Ecuadoran authorities who already have arranged the air transport from […]

Erdogan wins increased powers as rival concedes defeat

by Stuart Williams with Raziye Akkoc in Ankara Agence France-Presse ISTANBUL, Turkey – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday celebrated winning sweeping new powers in a decisive election victory, as his main rival accepted the outcome despite complaints over an unequal campaign that alarmed the EU. A night of triumph for Erdogan saw the man who has dominated Turkey for the last 15 years declared winner of Sunday’s presidential poll without needing a second […]

Argentina paralyzed by anti-IMF deal strike

by Nina Negron Agence France-Presse BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Argentina ground to a halt Monday as public service unions blocked road, rail and air transport with a nationwide 24-hour strike in protest at the government’s latest deal with the International Monetary Fund. In a massive show of force against the center-right government of President Mauricio Macri, organizers said at least one million workers were taking part in the industrial action which halted trains, subways, buses […]

Lakeland Tropics cruise to victory over FC Miami City

By Melissa Sarmiento Allen EBC Florida Bureau LAKELAND, FL (Eagle News) — The future remains bright for the Lakeland Tropics as a 55-minute rain delay did not dampen the spirits of loyal fans, who witnessed their team’s 3-1 victory over FC Miami City at Bryant Stadium late Saturday night. Tropics Head Coach Eoghan Conlon was very pleased with his team’s performance and credited the whole team for the win. “They performed well individually and collectively […]

World reaction to Erdogan’s election victory

PARIS France (AFP) — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a decisive victory in an election that will give him five more years in office with sweeping new powers. Here are some of the first reactions on Monday from foreign governments: Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin “stressed that the results of the vote fully speak of Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s great political authority (and) mass support of the course conducted under his leadership to solve Turkey’s […]

Zimbabwe rally blast injured 41: minister

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (AFP) — A blast that rocked a rally in which Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa narrowly escaped unscathed injured at least 41 people, including his two deputies, the health minister told a state Sunday paper. Health Minister David Parirenyatwa, said wounded rallygoers had been treated at three main hospitals across the city and “a total of 41… have so far approached our health institutions complaining of injuries”. Footage circulating on social media showed an […]

Nearly 1,000 migrants rescued off Libya coast: navy

TRIPOLI, Libya (AFP) – Libya’s coastguard has rescued nearly 1,000 migrants who were on boats in distress in the Mediterranean on their way to Europe, the navy said on Monday. Three separate operations took place on Sunday with the coastguard bringing ashore in Libya a total of 948 migrants, navy spokesman Ayoub Kacem said. The migrants were on inflatable dinghies which were facing difficulties in the Mediterranean off the coast of Garabulli east of the […]

32 Fulani civilians killed in Mali attack: local group

BAMAKO, Mali (AFP)–At least 32 civilians were killed and 10 are missing following an attack in central Mali, believed to have been carried out by traditional hunters, local officials said Sunday, as the government said 16 bodies had been found. Armed Dozo hunters, linked to the Dogon ethnic group, were suspected of ambushing the isolated village of Koumaga in the Mopti region on Saturday, killing dozens of Fulani herders, including children. “They surrounded the village, separated the […]

UPDATED: 5.5-magnitude earthquake off coast of southern Greece: USGS

ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of southern Greece on Monday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The earthquake hit at a depth of 30 kilometers (19 miles), about 70 kilometers southwest of the city of Kalamata, the US Geological Survey said. The epicenter was in the sea off the town of Pylos. “The quake had a long duration and initially we were worried, but right […]