International

Jon Huntsman confirmed as US ambassador to Russia

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Senate on Thursday confirmed businessman, veteran diplomat and former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman as ambassador to Russia, filling a crucial post as a probe of Moscow’s influence on the American election widens. The 57-year-old Huntsman, who served as governor of Utah, has worked in numerous US administrations, notably as ambassador to China under Democrat Barack Obama, before running unsuccessfully for president as a Republican in 2012. Huntsman, who […]

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Months after being shot, US lawmaker Scalise back in Congress

 WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Republican US lawmaker Steve Scalise made a spirited return to Congress Thursday for the first time since being gravely wounded in a mass shooting at a June baseball practice. A beaming Scalise drew loud cheers, fist bumps, and multiple prolonged standing ovations from colleagues when he walked using crutches onto the floor of the House of Representatives and addressed the chamber, three and a half months after he nearly died in an attack […]

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After long silence, IS says chief calls on jihadists to ‘resist’

by Rana Moussaoui Agence France Presse BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — The Islamic State group released a recording Thursday of what it says is its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, calling on jihadists under pressure in Syria and Iraq to “resist” their enemies. In his first alleged message in nearly a year and following reports of his possible death, the elusive jihadist leader called on his supporters to target the “media centres” of countries fighting his group. […]

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Myanmar’s conflict-hit Rakhine a magnet for Chinese cash

by Marion Thibaut  with Julien Girault in Beijing Agence France-Presse BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) – Battered by global outrage over an army crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, Myanmar has found comfort in an old friend –- China, an Asian superpower whose unflinching support is tied to the billions it has lavished on ports, gas and oil in violence-hit Rakhine state. Close to half a million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in the last month after a militant attack sparked […]

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Hanging cow at Australia restaurant sparks controversy

ADELAIDE, Australia (AFP) – An Australian pizzeria that hung a taxidermied dairy cow from its ceiling to call attention to the industrialization of the farming industry has been criticized on social media for cruelty. Owners Federico and Melissa Pisanelli, who are passionate about animal welfare, defended their decision to hang the large Friesian-Hereford cow from its hind legs, saying they wanted to remind patrons of how meat was sourced. “We have worked hard to educate […]

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Panel falls from plane in Japan, second case in a week

  TOKYO, Japan (AFP) – A panel weighing three kilogrammes fell from a plane onto a factory near Tokyo, Japanese officials said Thursday, the country’s second case in a week after a similar part landed on a car. No injuries were reported after the panel was discovered inside the factory near Narita Airport in the suburbs of the Japanese capital, a spokesman for All Nippon Airways told AFP. “After consulting with a panel manufacturer, we […]

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Japan’s Abe calls snap election; faces Koike challenge

by Hiroshi Hiyama and Richard Carter Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe officially dissolved parliament Thursday, effectively kicking off a national election campaign where he faces an unexpected and formidable challenge from the popular governor of Tokyo. Members of the lower house raised their arms and shouted “Banzai” three times — the Japanese equivalent of “three cheers” — after the speaker read out a letter from Abe officially dissolving the chamber. Voters in […]

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EU leaders to debate Macron’s grand plan

by Alex Pigman Agence France-Presse TALLINN, Estonia (AFP) — European Union leaders will meet over dinner in Estonia on Thursday for a frank debate on the future of Europe, featuring first impressions of French President Emmanuel Macron’s new vision for the bloc.Most of the EU 28’s leaders are coming to Tallinn, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, although Brexit negotiations are not expected to be on the menu. The discussion on the EU’s future will take place over […]

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Yosemite rock fall kills at least one person, hurts another

MARIPOSA COUNTY, California (Reuters) — At least one person was killed and another hurt on Wednesday (September 27) when a rockslide from the famed El Capitan granite monolith in Yosemite National Park in California rained bolders onto a popular hiking trail, a park spokesman said. Search and rescue teams responded to the scene and were assessing the situation, along with a park helicopter, Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman said in a statement. Gediman said crews were […]

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No obvious signs of torture on American held by N. Korea: coroner

CHICAGO, United States (AFP) — Otto Warmbier, the American student who died days after being released from North Korea in a coma, displayed no obvious signs of torture despite assertions by his parents and President Donald Trump, an Ohio medical examiner said Wednesday. The coroner said the 22-year-old, who had been sentenced to 15 years hard labor while visiting the reclusive country, had suffered brain damage caused by the lack of oxygen to the brain. […]

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Quake and storm leave ruinous human, economic toll for Mexico

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — A pair of devastating earthquakes and Tropical Storm Lidia in Mexico killed more than 400 people and toppled 150,000 houses and other buildings and structures, authorities said Wednesday. The damage included almost 12,000 ruined schools to the tune of 717 million dollars. And that was in addition to 1,500 national monument structures worth about $440 million dollars. All three disasters hit in September. “The raw, preliminary numbers cross over from homes, to monuments, […]

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Israeli president denounces Palestinian Interpol membership

Jerusalem, Undefined (AFP) — Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday criticized Interpol’s decision to admit the Palestinian Authority as a member, saying it would weaken the global police body’s anti-terror capabilities. “This decision will harm Interpol’s ability to fight international terror,” his office quoted him as saying a conference call with American Jewish leaders. “This is not a decision based on professional need. It is absolutely a political decision,” he told members of the Conference of Presidents of […]

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