MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Pilotless drones carrying explosives attacked Russian bases in Syria over the weekend without causing any casualties or damage, Russia’s defense ministry said Monday. “Ten drones carrying explosives attacked the Russian air base at Hmeimim and three others targeted the Russian naval base in Tartus”, both in western Syria, the ministry said in a statement run by Russian press agencies. The “terrorist” attacks took place on Friday night causing “neither casualties nor […]
International
First official dialogue in more than 2 years: North and South Korea set for official talks today
by Hwang Sunghee Agence France Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Top officials from North and South Korea will hold their first official dialogue in more than two years on Tuesday after months of high tensions over Pyongyang’s weapons ambitions. The long-stalled talks come after the North’s leader Kim Jong-Un indicated in his New Year’s speech that Pyongyang was willing to send a delegation to the Winter Games in the South. Seoul responded with an […]
Oprah for president? Speech sparks fevered speculation
by Jennie Matthew Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Could Oprah Winfrey run for president and beat Donald Trump? Hollywood, liberals and fans are abuzz with speculation that the billionaire chat show queen is harboring White House ambitions after an impassioned Golden Globes speech. Winfrey had barely heralded a “new day” following a sexual harassment watershed, before calls snowballed for one of America’s most famous women, a self-made tycoon born into poverty, to […]
German justice minister victim of own social media law
BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Germany’s justice minister has fallen victim to the rules he himself championed against online social media, as one of his tweets was deleted following several complaints, Bild daily reported Monday. The tweet dated back to 2010, when Heiko Maas was not yet a minister. In the post, he had called Thilo Sarrazin, a politician who wrote a controversial book on Muslim immigrants, “an idiot.” Maas told Bild on Monday that he […]
US military chopper makes second emergency landing in Okinawa
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — An American military helicopter made an emergency landing in Okinawa on Monday, just two days after a similar incident on the southern Japanese island. It was the latest in a series of accidents involving US military equipment that have fuelled local opposition to the basing of American forces on the island. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage after the helicopter landed near a hotel in the village of […]
Explosion risk for oil tanker ablaze off China: authorities
BEIJING, China (AFP) — An Iranian oil tanker ablaze off the Chinese coast is at risk of exploding or sinking, authorities said Monday, as they reported there was no sign of survivors 36 hours after the vessel erupted in flames. A huge fire was still raging around the stricken ship, which had been carrying 136,000 tons of light oil, with fierce heat and thick black smoke billowing from the vessel and the surrounding sea. Rescuers […]
Seoul seeks to put family reunions on N. Korea talks agenda
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea will seek discussions on resuming reunions of separated families at this week’s inter-Korean talks, Seoul’s top delegate said Monday, as the North trumpeted the importance of achieving reunification. The two Koreas agreed last week to hold their first official dialogue in more than two years and will meet Tuesday at the truce village of Panmunjom. The talks will largely focus on the North’s participation in next month’s Winter […]
NY airport terminal flooded as brutal cold grips US East Coast
by Jennie Matthew Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — International flights were suspended into a flooded terminal at New York’s flagship airport on Sunday, flung into chaos after a water main broke during brutally cold temperatures following a deadly winter storm. Gushing water compounded meltdown at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where furious passengers have camped out for days as a result of equipment damaged by the storm and a backlog of […]
Saudi princes arrested for sit-in against having to pay utilities
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Eleven Saudi princes face trial after their arrest at a sit-in protesting having to pay their utility bills, authorities said Sunday, as the monarchy pursues reforms amid hefty debt and high unemployment. Saudi Arabia’s attorney general said “no one is above the law” after the princes were detained outside a palace in Riyadh, where they had gathered last week to demonstrate against a government decision to stop paying the water […]
Explosion at Syria jihadist base kills 23: monitor
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — An explosion at a base for Asian jihadists in northwestern Syria’s Idlib city on Sunday killed 23 people including seven civilians, a monitor said. Extremist groups fighting in Syria count thousands of Asians among their ranks, including many from central Asian states and members of the Muslim Uighur ethnic minority of China’s Xinjiang province. “A large explosion on Sunday evening hit the base of the Ajnad al-Qawqaz faction in Idlib,” said […]
N. Korea must stop nuclear testing before any talks with US: Haley
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — North Korea must stop conducting nuclear tests before the United States would enter into any talks with the isolated Pyongyang regime, US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Sunday. “They have to stop testing. They have to be willing to talk about banning their nuclear weapons. Those things have to happen,” she said Sunday, one day after President Donald Trump indicated he would be open to speaking directly […]
Bannon backs away from his published criticism of Trump’s son
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon, a target of White House wrath over an explosive new book that paints a harsh picture of the president, issued a statement Sunday expressing “regret” and underscoring his “unwavering” support for Trump. But Bannon’s statement to the Axios news website — a response to the book “Fire and Fury” by Michael Wolff, who quotes Bannon extensively — did not specifically deny any of his […]





