International

Floods paralyze Saudi city of Jeddah

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Flash floods triggered by heavy rains swept through Jeddah on Tuesday, leaving motorists stranded and forcing authorities to shut schools and universities in Saudi Arabia’s second biggest city. Dozens of people were plucked from vehicles engulfed by floodwaters, Saudi civil defense authorities said, with heavy rainfall expected to last at least until Wednesday. Local residents posted videos on social media, with one showing a convoy of official cars wading through […]

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Mugabe resigns, ending 37-year reign over Zimbabwe

by Susan Njanji, Fanuel Jongwe, Reagan Mashavave and Ben Sheppard Agence France Presse HARARE, Zimbabwe (AFP) — Robert Mugabe resigned as Zimbabwe’s president on Tuesday, finally swept from power as his 37-year reign of autocratic control and brutality crumbled within days of a military takeover. The move looks set to end Zimbabwe’s worst political crisis since it won independence from Britain in 1980. The bombshell announcement came at a special joint session of parliament convened […]

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Putin briefs Trump on Syria after surprise Assad talks

by Maria Panina Agence France Presse SOCHI, Russia (AFP) — President Vladimir Putin discussed Syria on Tuesday with his US counterpart Donald Trump, with both speaking of the need for progress toward a peace settlement following the Russian leader’s surprise summit with Bashar al-Assad. Putin’s talks with Assad were part of Moscow’s effort to reboot the Syrian peace process, after military successes on the ground. Putin’s flurry of diplomacy also included phone talks with Saudi […]

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Teenage suicide bomber kills at least 50 in Nigeria mosque

  by Aminu ABUBAKAR with Phil HAZLEWOOD in Lagos Agence France Presse KANO, Nigeria (AFP) — At least 50 people were killed on Tuesday when a teenage suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque in northeast Nigeria, police said, in an attack blamed on Boko Haram jihadists. The blast happened during early morning prayers at the Madina mosque in the Unguwar Shuwa area of Mubi, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) by road from the […]

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PM Hariri back in Lebanon after shock resignation

by Rana Moussaoui Agence France Presse BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Lebanon’s prime minister Saad Hariri returned to his home country late Tuesday, on the eve of its independence day and after a nearly three-week absence dominated by his surprise resignation. Hariri stepped down from his post in a televised address on November 4 from Saudi Arabia and then remained in Riyadh, where he spent two weeks before making brief trips to Abu Dhabi, Paris and […]

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China urges talks after US brands N.Korea a terror sponsor

    By Andrew Beatty / Julien Girault with Dave Clark in Washington Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — China called Tuesday for extra efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis through talks after US President Donald Trump re-branded Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism. Beijing has repeatedly pushed for negotiations to end the standoff. Some analysts warned that the terror designation could further inflame tensions. “We still hope all relevant parties […]

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Putin says he will talk to Trump following Assad meeting

SOCHI, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said he will talk to US counterpart Donald Trump on the telephone on Tuesday after an unannounced meeting with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in Sochi. “On the basis of our meeting today, I will hold consultations with the leaders of the countries that I already spoke about. There is already a planned talk with the Emir of Qatar today and tomorrow (another one) with the president of […]

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Concert promoter, hotels in Las Vegas massacre are sued

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Lawsuits were filed Monday against the company that staged the Las Vegas country music concert at which a gunman killed 58 people and wounded nearly 500. Two hotel chains are also named in the suits, which accuse the defendants of negligence and failing to provide security in the October 1 massacre. Perched in a 32-floor room of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Stephen Paddock opened fire on the […]

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South Korea says U.S. designation of North Korea as terrorist sponsor to contribute to denuclearization

SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) — South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday (November 21) the United States’ decision to put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism is expected to contribute to the peaceful denuclearization of the North. The announcement will not change the joint stance of South Korea and the U.S. in trying to bring North Korea to the dialogue table, the ministry’s spokesman said during a regular news briefing. “The […]

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UPDATED: Missing Argentine submarine remains out of contact

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (Reuters) — Missing Argentine submarine ARA San Juan still has not sent any signals back and remains out of contact, according to Gabriel Galeazzi, spokesman for the Argentine Navy. The search for the missing submarine has not gone well, said Galeazzi, as he confirmed that all seven formerly-received signals were not in fact from ASA San Juan. “Communication satellite companies analyzed a spectrum of more than 400 satellite calls’ signals, and […]

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Chinese human rights lawyer jailed for two years

BEIJING, China (AFP) — A Chinese court sentenced prominent human rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong to two years in prison for “inciting subversion” on Tuesday, the latest jailing in an intensifying crackdown on rights defenders and activists. Jiang, 46, had taken on many high-profile cases, including those of Falun Gong practitioners, Tibetan protesters and victims of the 2008 contaminated milk powder scandal, before being disbarred in 2009. Jiang sat in court, flanked by two police officers, as a […]

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Germany seeks way out of crisis after govt talks collapse

by Frank ZELLER Agence France Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Germany’s president was to lead a push from Tuesday to save the EU’s top economy from the political turmoil sparked by the collapse of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition talks. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who takes centre stage because he can call snap elections, was to use his diplomatic skills as former foreign minister to persuade parties to return to the negotiating table. The head of state, who […]

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