International

Billionaire Pinera to return as Chile’s president: results

by Paulina ABRAMOVICH Agence France Presse SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — Billionaire Sebastian Pinera will return to power as Chile’s president next year, according to near-complete results from a runoff election held Sunday. Electoral authorities said the 68-year-old conservative, who previously led the South American nation from 2010-2014, had 55 percent of the vote with 98 percent of ballots counted. His leftist rival Alejandro Guillier, a 64-year-old TV presenter turned senator who ran as an independent […]

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Trump says no plans to fire Mueller

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump insisted Sunday he has no intention of sacking Robert Mueller, after his transition team claimed the special counsel unlawfully obtained tens of thousands of emails for his probe into Russian meddling in the US election. When asked if he intended to fire Mueller, Trump told reporters: “No, I’m not.” Republicans have cast doubt on the impartiality of Mueller and pressed for a new independent prosecutor to investigate […]

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Saudi crown prince ‘buyer of $300 million French chateau’

by Katy Lee Agence France Presse PARIS France (AFP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been revealed as the owner of a French chateau described as the world’s most expensive home, according to a report in the New York Times. The purchase of the vast property west of Paris for $300 million (275 million euros) would be the latest in a string of extravagant purchases by the powerful prince, who has been waging […]

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Putin thanks Trump for help in foiling attack plot

by Thibault MARCHAND Agence France Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked his US counterpart Donald Trump on Sunday for the CIA’s help in thwarting a planned attack in Saint Petersburg, the second time in a week that the leaders have exchanged praise. Putin spoke by phone with Trump to convey his gratitude for intelligence supplied by the CIA which allowed Russia’s FSB security service to break up a “terrorist cell” that […]

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British embassy worker found murdered in Lebanon: official

BEIRUT Lebanon (AFP) — A British woman employed at the UK embassy in Lebanon has been found murdered, a senior official said Sunday, adding that the crime did not appear to be political. “Our first impression is that it’s not politically motivated,” the official, who is involved in the investigation, told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. He confirmed that the victim’s name was Rebecca Dykes but could not elaborate on the exact circumstances of […]

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Peru Congress to debate impeachment of president

by Carlos Mandujano / Moises Avila © Agence France-Presse LIMA, Peru (AFP) — Peru’s Congress voted overwhelmingly on Friday to consider impeaching President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski next week over allegations he received bribes from Brazilian contractor Odebrecht. Ninety-three of the 118 legislators present supported the proposal to debate impeachment on December 21. “This decision will be communicated to the president to exercise his right to defense (during the next session) and assist with a lawyer if required,” […]

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Rahul Gandhi extends family grip on India’s Congress party

NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India’s Rahul Gandhi took over Saturday as president of the main opposition Congress, becoming the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to head the party that has ruled the country for much of its independent history. Fireworks erupted over the party headquarters in New Delhi drowning out the voice of his mother Sonia Gandhi as she handed over the reins of power to her 47-year-old son. Rahul, wearing a long flowing white kurta, […]

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Venezuela government, opposition hold new round of talks

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic  (AFP) — Venezuela’s government and opposition concluded a new round of talks Friday in an effort to bridge deep and entrenched differences to find a way to end the dire political and economic crisis tearing apart their country. After eight hours of discussions at the foreign ministry in Santo Domingo, the two sides agreed to resume negotiations on January 11, Dominican President Danilo Medina announced. It will be followed by a meeting of […]

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Toll rises to two dead after Indonesia quake

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — At least two people have been killed following a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Indonesia’s main island of Java, an official said Saturday. The quake struck at a depth of 91 kilometres (56 miles) just outside the coastal town of Cipatujah on Java island late Friday, the US Geological Survey said. The tremor was felt across the island including in the capital Jakarta, some 300 kilometres (190 miles) from the epicentre. A 62-year-old man […]

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Chile votes in what could be a close presidential run-off

SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — Chilean voters will decide their next president on Sunday in a run-off election whose outcome is far from certain after an unexpectedly strong surge for the left. Sebastian Pinera, a conservative billionaire former president who ruled from 2010-2014, is trying for a comeback to succeed center-left incumbent leader Michelle Bachelet, who is constitutionally excluded from standing again. But his plan could be upset by Alejandro Guillier, a senator and veteran TV presenter who […]

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Islamic State: What happened to all the foreign fighters?

by Michel Moutot © Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — An estimated 40,000 people traveled from around the world to take up arms for the Islamic State group as it occupied territory in Syria and Iraq and declared a caliphate in 2014. A few hundred are believed to still be fighting as IS struggles to survive, having lost most of its territory to campaigns by Western-backed Syrian and Iraqi coalition armies. But what happened to the […]

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Japan eyes $46bn defense budget to counter N. Korea: report

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan plans a record $46 billion defence budget for the next fiscal year to strengthen its missile defence against the threat posed by North Korea, a report said Saturday. The government is expected to set aside 5.19 trillion yen for defence in the country’s initial budget proposal for the fiscal year starting April 2018, the Nikkei daily said. It will mark the sixth straight year of increases in defence outlays, topping the 5.12 trillion yen […]

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