International

Trump threatens $100 billion more tariffs on China

by Andrew Beatty Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump barreled through warnings of a damaging trade war with China Thursday, vowing an additional $100 billion in tit-for-tat tariffs on Beijing. Having already asked for $50 billion worth of Chinese goods to be punitively taxed, Trump responded to Beijing’s countermeasures by doubling down. “Rather than remedy its misconduct, China has chosen to harm our farmers and manufacturers,” Trump said in […]

Chinese double amputee to climb Everest after ban revoked

by Paavan MATHEMA Agence France Presse BHAKTAPUR, Nepal (AFP) — A Chinese climber who lost both legs to frostbite on Everest four decades ago is hoping to finally reach the summit after Nepal’s top court overruled a controversial government ban on blind and double amputee climbers. Xia Boyu is the first double amputee to be given a permit to climb the world’s highest mountain after the ban was revoked. The 69-year-old said the measure, introduced […]

Brazil’s Lula given 24 hours to start prison sentence

by Paula Ramon  © Agence France-Presse SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Brazil’s former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, once one of the most popular politicians on the planet, was given 24 hours to surrender to police Thursday and start a 12 year prison sentence for corruption. The order from Judge Sergio Moro, head of Brazil’s huge “Car Wash” anti-graft probe, came as a complete surprise given that lawyers had earlier said the leftist former two-term […]

Conor McGregor attacks fighter bus at New York event

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor left a rival with facial injuries on Thursday after attacking a shuttle bus carrying fighters from an Ultimate Fighting Championship media event in New York, reports said. Video of the incident clearly showed McGregor hurling a dolly through a side window of the bus as it moved slowly in a car park at the Barclays Center in New York. UFC President Dana White said […]

Russia rails against Britain at UN, denies Skripal role

  UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Russia unleashed a blistering war of words against Britain and the United States at the UN Security Council on Thursday, again denying it was responsible for poisoning a former double agent in England. “It’s some sort of theater of the absurd. Couldn’t you come up with a better fake story?” Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, told the council. “We have told our British colleagues that ‘you’re playing […]

US to update Saudi artillery for $1.31 billion

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Thursday approved a contract to sell Saudi Arabia 180 self-propelled artillery systems for $1.31 billion, in the latest stage of perhaps the world’s biggest arms deal. When US President Donald Trump visited Riyadh last year he boasted that the desert kingdom would spend $110 billion on US equipment and the howitzer contract is one more step towards that goal. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince […]

Germany urges EU response to ‘intransparent’ Facebook

  BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Germany’s justice minister on Thursday accused Facebook of unethical behavior and said the social media giant should face a strong European response over a huge data leak involving millions of more users than initially thought. “Facebook is a network of intransparency,” Katarina Barley said. “Ethical convictions have fallen victim to commercial interests.” She called for “a clear reaction from European countries” over the company’s misuse of private information. Some 310,000 […]

Two Koreas meet to plan landmark summit

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Officials from North and South Korea discussed protocol headaches and other logistics of a rare summit later this month, which will see Kim Jong Un become the first North Korean leader to set foot in the South since the end of the Korean War. Kim and the South’s president Moon Jae-in are due to meet on April 27 at the South’s side of the demilitarized zone for the landmark inter-Korean […]

Saudi crown prince on official visit to France next week: French presidency

PARIS, France (AFP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will pay an official visit to France on Monday and Tuesday, the French presidency confirmed Thursday. The 32-year-old prince, who is the Gulf kingdom’s de facto political leader, will meet President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday to discuss “a new strategic partnership”, with a particular focus on investment in renewable energy and the digital economy, Macron’s office said. © Agence France-Presse

Trump orders National Guard to Mexican border

by Thomas WATKINS / with Sofia MISELEM in Matias Romero, Mexico Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered the National Guard to deploy to America’s southern border, ratcheting up pressure on Mexico and taking another step in his quest to clamp down on illegal immigration. Trump’s latest border move came the same day as a caravan of Central American migrants — whose trek across Mexico had infuriated […]

Turkey, Russia, Iran urge ‘lasting ceasefire’ in Syria

by Raziye Akkoc and Maria Panina Agence France Presse ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — The presidents of Iran, Turkey, and Russia vowed to work for a lasting ceasefire after over seven years of civil war in Syria, following a summit aimed at boosting both peace prospects and also their influence in the country. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran’s Hassan Rouhani, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their commitment to cooperating for “the achievement of a lasting […]

NATO does not want new arms race: secretary general

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — NATO does not want a new arms race with Russia, the alliance’s secretary general said Wednesday amid heightened tensions following an ex-spy’s poisoning in England. “We don’t want a new arms race, so we are focused on how can we respond” in a “firm strong predictable, but also measured and defensive, way,” Jens Stoltenberg told reporters alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa. “We don’t want a new Cold War,” he […]