CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — A fire allegedly set during an attempted jailbreak from Venezuelan police holding cells killed 68 people on Wednesday, the country’s top prosecutor and an inmates’ rights group said. The blaze at the detention facility in Carabobo state is the latest in a series of deadly incidents in Venezuela’s overcrowded jails. “In light of the terrible events that took place in the Carabobo state police headquarters, where 68 people died in a presumed […]
International
Malala makes first trip to Pakistan since Taliban attack
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AFP) — Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai returned to Pakistan on Thursday, officials said, in her first visit to her native country since she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for advocating education for girls in 2012. Precise details of her itinerary have been “kept secret in view of the sensitivity surrounding the visit,” a government official said of the trip, which is expected to last four days and include […]
Trump ousts Veterans Affairs chief, taps WH doctor to replace him
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump shook up his cabinet once again on Wednesday, sacking embattled Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and nominating White House doctor Ronny Jackson as his successor. “I am pleased to announce that I intend to nominate highly respected Admiral Ronny L. Jackson, MD, as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs,” said Trump, who has also replaced his secretary of state and national security advisor in the last […]
Brazil judge orders Facebook to cut ‘fake news’ on slain activist
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — A Brazilian judge on Wednesday ordered Facebook to remove fake news posted about slain black rights’ activist Marielle Franco. Judge Jorge Jansen Counago Novelle, in Rio de Janeiro, gave the US-based giant 24 hours to pull “publications of false information with criminal content on the councilwoman Marielle Franco,” the court said in a statement. Facebook responded in a statement that it would comply and “remove the specific URL content […]
American DiCarlo becomes first female UN political chief
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Long-serving American diplomat Rosemary DiCarlo was on Wednesday appointed to become the first woman to head UN political affairs, one of the most high-profile positions at the world body. DiCarlo will replace Jeffrey Feltman, another American who held the post of under-secretary-general for political affairs since 2012, overseeing UN efforts to end conflicts worldwide. A former deputy US ambassador to the United Nations, DiCarlo “brings more than 35 years […]
Facebook overhauls privacy settings amid data breach outcry
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Wednesday launched a fresh effort to quell the firestorm over the hijacking of personal data, unveiling new privacy tools and settings aiming to give users more control over how their information is shared. The new features follow fierce criticism of the social network giant after it was revealed that the personal data of tens of millions of users was harvested by a British firm linked to Donald Trump’s […]
UN council condemns Yemen missile attacks on Saudi Arabia
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned “in the strongest possible terms” multiple missile attacks launched by Yemen’s Huthi rebels on Saudi Arabia, saying they posed a threat to regional security. Saudi forces on Sunday intercepted seven missiles fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels toward cities in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh, killing one person. Council members “expressed alarm at the stated intention of the Huthis to continue these attacks […]
Two Koreas to hold high-level talks
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Top officials from Pyongyang and Seoul will meet in the Demilitarized Zone Thursday to prepare for a summit between Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in, days after the North Korean leader made his international debut with a surprise trip to China. Kim is due to meet South Korean President Moon next month, followed by a landmark nuclear summit with US President Donald Trump, which could come as early as May. The […]
N. Korea’s Kim shows unity with China’s Xi in first foreign trip
by Laurent Thomet Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was treated to a lavish welcome by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a secretive trip to Beijing as both sides seek to repair frayed ties ahead of landmark summits with Seoul and Washington. On his first trip abroad since taking power, Kim and his wife were met with honor guards and a banquet hosted by Xi, according to state […]
French cop who ‘always put others first’
by Chantal Valery with Katy Lee in Paris Agence France Presse CARCASSONNE, Russia (AFP) — Arnaud Beltrame’s family were devastated to hear that he had sacrificed his life to help end a jihadist attack, but they were not surprised: he was always putting other people first. The police officer, who receives a full national honor ceremony on Wednesday, has been hailed as a hero for offering himself as a hostage during Friday’s attack in southwest […]
Russian mall fire: Calls for sackings over safety violations
by Dmitry Serebryakov Agence France Presse KEMEROVO, Russia (AFP) — Russia holds a day of national mourning Wednesday for the dozens of victims of a Siberia shopping center fire, as calls multiply for the sacking of negligent officials and a thorough probe into blatant safety violations. Russian President Vladimir Putin took the unusual step — for him — of visiting the Siberian industrial city of Kemerovo, where the tragedy occurred, and faced emotional questions about […]
Xi accepted Kim’s invitation to visit N. Korea: KCNA
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping accepted an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to visit Pyongyang when they met for the first time in Beijing, the North’s state media said Wednesday. On behalf of the North’s ruling party and government, Kim invited Xi “to make an official visit to the DPRK at a convenient time and the invitation was accepted with pleasure,” KCNA reported, using the country’s official acronym. © Agence […]
