Beijing said it has dispatched a warship to drive away a US missile destroyer which had “violated” its sovereignty by sailing close to a shoal in the disputed South China Sea. The USS Hopper sailed within 12 nautical miles of Huangyan Island on the night of January 17 without alerting Beijing, the foreign ministry said, referring to the shoal by its Chinese name. Also known as Scarborough Shoal, the ring of reefs lies about 230 […]
International
Trump says Democrats put immigrants ahead of military after shutdown
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)US President Donald Trump on Saturday said opposition Democrats were more concerned with “illegal immigrants” than the military or the country’s border security after lawmakers failed to agree a stop-gap spending deal. “Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border,” he wrote in an early morning tweet. “They could have easily made a deal but decided to play […]
One year on, Trump leads divided US into government shutdown
by Dave Clark Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump marked the first anniversary of his inauguration Saturday with his government in shutdown, accusing Democrats of taking Americans hostage with their demands. From midnight Friday, in the absence of an agreed spending plan, federal services began to come to a halt or be scaled back, even as lawmakers continued to argue on the floor of the Senate. Essential services and military activity […]
Fukushima operator releases fresh images of reactor wreckage
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The operator of Fukushima’s crippled nuclear power plant has released fresh images of the wreckage inside a damaged reactor, showing broken metal parts and debris that could be melted fuel. Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) inserted a special camera into one of the plant’s three melted-down reactors on Friday, a company spokesman said, as part of its efforts to dismantle the disaster-hit facility in northeastern Japan. Images captured by the camera […]
One dead as accident mars fourth leg of Volvo Ocean Race
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — A collision between a mainland Chinese fishing boat and the American-Danish team during the fourth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race left one man dead, police said Saturday, overshadowing a historic victory for the Hong Kong team as the city hosted the race for the first time. Local group Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag triumphed despite some significant setbacks in the gruelling 5,800 nautical mile stage from Melbourne, Australia, closely followed by […]
Thai police arrest ‘kingpin’ in Asian wildlife trafficking
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Thai police have arrested an alleged kingpin in Asia’s illegal trade in endangered species, dealing a blow to family-run syndicate that smuggles elephant ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts to Chinese and Vietnamese dealers. Boonchai Bach, 40, a Vietnamese national with Thai citizenship, was arrested on Friday evening over the smuggling of 14 rhino horns worth around $1 million from Africa to Thailand. His downfall follows the December 12 arrest of […]
Black NASA astronaut is replaced in sudden crew shuffle
MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Jeanette Epps, 46, a former CIA agent turned astronaut, was about to become the first African-American to embark on a mission lasting several months at the International Space Station. It’s still unclear why, but plans for her June liftoff suddenly changed, and another astronaut was chosen in her place, NASA has announced. “A number of factors are considered when making flight assignments; these decisions are personnel matters, for which NASA […]
URGENT: US government in shutdown as midnight deadline passes
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US government officially shut down on Saturday, the first anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, after lawmakers failed to agree a stop-gap spending deal. Republicans and Democrats traded blame for the crisis, which came to a head when the Senate failed to agree to bring forward a motion to fund federal spending and the military from midnight. Senators were still negotiating on the Senate floor as the clock […]
IOC, two Koreas meet to finalise historic Olympic deal
by Ben Simon Agence France-Presse LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AFP) – After the two Koreas struck a deal for the North to attend the Winter Games in the South, Olympic bosses will try Saturday to resolve the devils in the details of the landmark pact. With less than three weeks to go before the Games in Pyeongchang begin, the most momentous decisions have already been made. North and South Korea will march together at the opening ceremony under a […]
Gambians enjoy freedom post-Jammeh, but criticise economy
by Emil TOURAY Agence France-Presse BANJUL, Gambia (AFP) – A year ago, Gambians wept for joy as Yahya Jammeh went into exile, bringing the curtain down on a brutal 22-year rule. Today, many say freedom of speech in this small west African state is a right they cherish under President Adama Barrow’s administration. “There is a democracy, everybody feels free. Disappearances without a trace — all that’s over now,” said teacher Kalipha Dampha, referring to the dreaded […]
US condemns arrests of AFP reporter, others at Sudan demo
by Dave Clark Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – The United States condemned Sudan’s arbitrary detention of journalists Friday after an AFP reporter and two colleagues were arrested covering a street protest. Abdelmoneim Abu Idris Ali of Agence France-Presse and at least two more journalists were taken away by authorities on Wednesday as they reported on a demonstration against rising food prices. They have not been allowed contact with their families or employers and authorities say […]
Tensions rise as new inmate attack fuels French prison strikes
by Marie DHUMIERES / Joseph Schmid Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – French police fired tear gas to break up a picket line of striking prison guards at Europe’s biggest jail on Friday, as a fresh assault by inmates on staff at a facility in Corsica fueled demands for better security. The scuffles at the huge Fleury-Merogis prison just south of Paris came as unions were pressing a fourth day of strikes across France sparked by a […]





