International

Gunmen kill officer, free militant in Kashmir hospital raid: police

SRINAGAR, India (AFP) – Two gunmen opened fire Tuesday in a hospital in India-administered Kashmir where a Pakistani militant was brought for treatment, an official said, escaping with the high-profile prisoner and killing a police officer in the daring assault. A manhunt is underway after the assailants stormed the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital in Srinagar and opened fire on police guarding Naveed Jutt, a Pakistani rebel imprisoned in the restive province since 2014. “The militants attacked […]

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Pilot injured as S. Korean jet catches fire at Singapore Airshow

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — A pilot was slightly injured when a South Korean aircraft taking part in the Singapore Airshow skidded off the runway and caught fire Tuesday while taking off, authorities said. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said the aircraft from the South Korean air force’s aerobatic team Black Eagles “skidded and crashed into the grass verge” at the side of the runway and caught fire. The accident happened as the plane was taking […]

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In Iraq, death-row jihadists ‘confess’ on prime-time TV

by Sammy Ketz Agence France-Presse BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Every Friday in Iraq, a gripping show on state television beams the alleged confessions of death-row jihadists into homes around the country. At peak viewing time, it broadcasts gruesome images of their purported crimes before interviewing the convicts, who appear clad in orange or yellow jumpsuits. Baghdad declared victory against the Islamic State group in December, after years of fighting to regain vast stretches of territory […]

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Japan authorities find body part after army helicopter crash

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese authorities said Tuesday they had recovered a body part during the search for a crew member missing in a deadly military helicopter crash in the country’s southwest. The Apache helicopter crashed Monday in a residential area in Saga province, killing co-pilot Hiroki Takayama and leaving lead pilot Kenichi Saito missing. “We were informed that a body part was found. But we’re still confirming the identity of the body part,” a […]

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Maldives chief justice arrested: police

MALE, Maldives (AFP) — Maldives Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another Supreme Court judge were arrested at dawn Tuesday, hours after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency, police said. Justices Saeed and Ali Hameed were arrested along with the court’s top administrator Hassan Saeed after security forces stormed the court complex in Male, with police citing complaints of corruption against them in a brief statement. The high profile arrests followed the arrest Monday […]

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100 years of women’s suffrage: How one group changed British history

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British women won the right to vote 100 years ago after an intense struggle marked by a violent fringe campaign that shocked the country but helped to change the world. On February 6, 1918, the Representation of the People Bill became law and added to the voting roll around eight million women who were aged over 30 and met other conditions. It was not until 1928 that British women gained […]

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Cape Town now faces dry taps by May 11

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AFP) — Residents of drought-stricken Cape Town received rare good news Monday when city officials said they now face losing piped water to their homes on May 11 — a month later than previously forecast. But Capetonians are not yet out of the woods. If drastic consumption reductions are not achieved by so-called “Day Zero”, people will have to queue at 200 standpipes for daily rations of 25 litres (6.6 US […]

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Trump focused on ‘strong’ fundamentals amid market sell-off

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House said Monday that President Donald Trump was focused on the long-term health of the economy, claiming the fundamentals were “exceptionally strong,” despite a strong market sell-off. Wall Street stocks endured a brutal first session of the week, with the Dow seeing its steepest ever one-day point drop, wiping 4.6 percent off the value of America’s 30 largest companies. “The president’s focus is on our long-term economic fundamentals, […]

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US, Russia clash at UN over Syria chlorine attacks

by Carole LANDRY Agence France Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The United States and Russia clashed at the UN Security Council on Monday over a push by Washington to condemn reported chlorine gas attacks in Syria that have left many injured in recent days, including children. US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council that there was “obvious evidence from dozens of victims” to corroborate the chlorine attacks in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta. “Now we […]

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US won’t rule out Olympics talks with North Korea

LIMA, Peru (AFP) — Vice President Mike Pence or other US officials might meet with North Koreans at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang next week, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday. Washington has previously said it won’t seek to initiate contact with North Koreans attending the South Korean games, but it does want talks with Kim Jong-Un in an effort to get him to abandon his nuclear program. Asked during a visit to Peru […]

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Syria raids kill nearly 30, as war of words escalates over chlorine use

by Abdulmonam Eassa Agence France-Presse ARBIN, Syria – Regime bombardment killed nearly 30 people in a rebel enclave near Damascus on Monday, as Syria’s seven-year conflict left civilians paying a heavy price. Residents across several Syrian battlefronts have reported escalating bombardment and have accused Syrian troops of deploying toxic chemicals against rebel-held zones. The United States on Monday said there was “obvious evidence” of multiple chlorine gas attacks in recent weeks, including in the opposition-held enclave of Eastern […]

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EU negotiator warns Britain: time to choose Brexit future

by Alice RITCHIE Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom – EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier warned Monday that Britain faced “unavoidable” trade barriers after Brexit if it also quit the bloc’s single market and customs union, urging Prime Minister Theresa May to make her choice. After talks with May and Brexit minister David Davis in London, Barnier repeated that the EU needed “clarity” on what they wanted from the future relationship. “Without customs union and outside the single market, […]

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