International

Argentina’s Macri on course for mid-term poll boost

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AFP) – Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri’s center-right coalition was on course to win crucial mid-term elections Sunday and emerge with a strengthened hand to carry through pro-market economic reforms, according to partial results. “It’s an unforgettable day. Today we confirmed our commitment to change,” a triumphant Macri told supporters in Buenos Aires. Ex-president Cristina Kirchner took a seat in the Senate, despite trailing Macri candidate Esteban Bullrich in the key province of Buenos Aires, […]

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Abe targets N. Korea after storming to ‘super-majority’ vote win

by Richard Carter/ Miwa Suzuki  © Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stormed to a landslide “super-majority” in snap Japanese elections, near complete projections showed Monday, with the hardline nationalist immediately pledging to “deal firmly” with North Korea. Abe’s conservative coalition is on track to win at least 312 seats with only a handful left to call, according to public broadcaster NHK, giving him a coveted two-thirds majority in the lower house of […]

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No dialogue yet between rivals in Gulf crisis: Tillerson

DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday said talks between feuding Gulf states remained unlikely, as a Saudi-led boycott of Qatar nears its sixth month. “We cannot force talks among people who are not ready to talk,” Tillerson said at a press conference in Doha. “There is not a strong indication that parties are ready to talk yet,” he added. “We cannot and will not impose a solution on anyone.” […]

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Abe: Nationalist blueblood at home, shrewd diplomat abroad

by Shingo ITO Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Shinzo Abe, on course to become Japan’s longest-serving leader after Sunday’s election win, is seen as a pragmatic and canny diplomat who has cozied up to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin while pushing a nationalist agenda at home. Groomed for power from birth, the 63-year-old is often viewed as arrogant but has also shown a self-deprecating sense of humour, dressing up as video game icon […]

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Trump says US ‘totally prepared’ for potential NKorea threat

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States is “totally prepared” to respond to threats from Pyongyang, US President Donald Trump said in an interview aired Sunday, while also emphasizing his “exceptional relationship” with China’s leader. “We’re so prepared like you wouldn’t believe,” Trump told the Fox News program Sunday Morning Futures while discussing tensions with North Korea, which have soared over Pyongyang’s nuclear program. “You would be shocked to see how totally prepared we […]

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Two dead as typhoon slams into Japan after election day

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A powerful typhoon ripped into central Japan early Monday, leaving two dead and more than 10 injured, hours after millions struggled to the polls for a national election. Authorities advised thousands living in coastal areas or near rivers to evacuate to shelters as Typhoon Lan, described as “very large and very strong”, made landfall in Shizuoka southwest of Tokyo at around 3.00 am (1800 GMT Sunday). The storm, which had already […]

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Tampa Bay Rowdies defeat FC Cincinnati with 3-0 Victory

By Jay Rosquites EBC Florida Bureau ST. PETERSBURG, FL (Eagle News) – The Tampa Bay Rowdies definitely stirred up soccer fever as they hosted FC Cincinnati at Al Lang Stadium during the United Soccer League (USL) Playoffs. After missing the playoffs for five straight seasons, the Rowdies came out aggressive with a goal from Marcel Schafer only eight minutes into the game. In the 25th minute, Schafer notched in another goal, as the Rowdies completely dominated […]

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Learning to fly: ex-flight attendant aims high in Japan vote

by Alastair HIMMER Agence France-Presse KOSHIGAYA, Japan (AFP) – An elderly woman hunched over a cane stares intently as Japanese political hopeful Asami Miwa greets locals in the rural voting district the former flight attendant is contesting in Sunday’s election. Waving her white-gloved hands and bowing to potential voters in drizzly Saitama, an hour north of Tokyo, the 30-year-old Party of Hope candidate is a welcome splash of color in a sepia-tinged world dominated by men in […]

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Heartbroken residents get glimpse of Raqa in ruins

by Maya Gebeily Agence France-Presse RAQA, Syria (AFP) – Tears streaming down her freckled face, 35-year-old Asya took in the shattered glass, gutted storefronts and crumbling cafes — all that remain of her favorite shopping street in Syria’s Raqa. “This was once the most beautiful city, my God,” said the woman in a mustard-coloured headscarf, gesturing out of the back seat of a car moving slowly down Raqa’s once-bustling Tal Abyad boulevard. “Now look around you. Look […]

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Five things to know about Czech Republic

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AFP) – The Czech Republic, holding a two-day general election which ends Saturday, has been an EU member since May 1, 2004, but has chosen to remain outside the eurozone for the time being. Here are five key points about the country and its history. Independence in 1993 In 1918, Western Slavs shook off Austro-Hungarian rule, establishing Czechoslovakia, a new country comprising Czechs and Slovaks. But by 1938, Nazi Germany annexed its borderland regions […]

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‘Czech Trump’ poised to win vote, promises ‘new stage’

by Jan Flemr and Jan Marchal Agence France-Presse PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AFP) – A billionaire populist dubbed the “Czech Trump” vowed a new stage in Czech politics as voters head to the polls Saturday in day two of an election expected to sweep him into power. Betting on his anti-euro, anti-migrant and anti-corruption ticket, ANO (Yes) movement chief Andrej Babis topped opinion polls by a wide margin ahead of the ballot that ends Saturday afternoon. Babis […]

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Somalia truck bomb death toll jumps to 358 dead

MOGADISHU, Somalia  (AFP) – Somalia’s deadliest ever attack, a truck bomb in the capital Mogadishu, has now killed 358 people with 228 more injured, the government said late Friday, a major jump in the fatality toll. A truck packed with explosives blew up in Hodan on October 14, destroying some 20 buildings in the bustling commercial district, leaving scores of victims burned beyond recognition. Several experts told AFP the truck was probably carrying at least 500 kilos […]

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