International

Trump taps Jon Huntsman as US ambassador to Russia: White House

WASHINGTON DC, United States (AFP) – President Donald Trump has tapped veteran diplomat and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman as ambassador to Russia, the White House said Tuesday. The announcement came amid swirling controversy and multiple investigations into allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow to win the 2016 election. Huntsman, 57, previously served as US ambassador to China and Singapore. If confirmed by the US Senate, Huntsman would venture to Moscow for a […]

US Senate vote set for next week on Obamacare repeal

WASHINGTON DC, United States (AFP) – The United States Senate will vote next week on proceeding to a bill that repeals the Affordable Care Act without a ready replacement plan, the chamber’s top Republican said Tuesday. “At the request of the president and vice president and after consulting with our members, we will have the vote on the motion to proceed to the Obamacare repeal bill early next week,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. […]

Controversial French anti-terror bill clears hurdle

PARIS, France (AFP) – A controversial bill to toughen France’s security laws cleared its first hurdle late Tuesday when the conservative-dominated Senate approved the legislation by a majority. Senators backed a first reading of the bill by 229 votes to 106, meaning the text will now be handed to the lower house, the National Assembly, for debate in October. The new laws — a campaign pledge of President Emmanuel Macron — will replace a state […]

Trump fumes as US health care reform bid collapses

by Michael Mathes Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States – An angry President Donald Trump railed Tuesday against dissenters in his party who dashed his months-long effort to dismantle his predecessor’s landmark health care law, insisting it was finally time to “let Obamacare fail.” With four Republicans now lined up against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s health overhaul, the plan has flatlined in the 100-member chamber, where the party could afford only two defectors in order […]

Five killed as building collapses in Pakistan

Karachi, Pakistan (AFP) — Five people died when an apartment building collapsed in southern Pakistan early Tuesday as most of its residents were sleeping, officials said. Rescuers struggled to pull survivors from the rubble of the three-storey building in the southern city of Karachi. “Five bodies were recovered from the rubble,” the city’s deputy  commissioner, Fareed Uddin, told AFP. Another local official said a woman and a 13-year-old boy were among the dead. Rescuers pulled at least nine injured people […]

Swiss couple found on glacier 75 years after disappearance

Geneva, Switzerland (AFP) — A couple who disappeared in the Alps 75 years ago has been found preserved in a receding glacier, ending decades of uncertainty for their seven children, Swiss media reported Tuesday. The bodies were found lying near each other in the Diablerets massif in southern Switzerland, along with backpacks, a bottle, a book and a watch, according to Le Matin daily. The head of the Glacier 3000 ski resort, Bernard Tschannen, told Le Matin that the […]

Egypt to end visas on arrival for Qataris

CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — Egypt said it would end visas on arrival for Qatari citizens as a dispute between four Arab states and the Gulf emirate continues over allegations that Doha supports terrorism. The measure, which goes into effect on Thursday, will not include spouses of Egyptians or university students who will be granted tourist visas on arrival, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said. The decision was announced on Monday as Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry […]

US health care reform collapses as two more Republicans say no

by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Two more United States Republican senators announced their opposition Monday to their party’s efforts to revamp Obamacare, derailing the controversial legislation in its current form and potentially dealing a monumental setback to President Donald Trump. Republican leaders are desperate for a major legislative victory this year — and keen to fulfill Trump’s campaign pledge to dismantle the 2010 health care reforms of his predecessor […]

Rescuers free men from flood-stranded truck in Chongqing

BEIJING, China (CCTV) — Rescuers freed two men from a truck stranded in the middle of a flooded river Sunday afternoon in Chongqing Municipality of southwest China. In Fengjie County, water level increased in the rivers due to continuous heavy rainstorm. The truck got stranded when the driver tried to cross the raging river without realizing the risk involved. When firefighters arrived, they found the truck stranded one kilometer away from the shoreline, while the […]

6.4-magnitude earthquake hits Peru: USGS

LIMA, Peru (AFP) — A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck just off Peru’s southern coast Monday, the US Geological Survey said, with no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The quake hit at approximately 9:05 pm local time (0205 GMT) with a depth of 44 kilometers (27 miles). It occurred some 220 kilometers west of Arequipa, Peru’s second most populous city. Though there was no initial evidence of damage, the tremor provoked alarm among Peruvians, with the […]

Prince William, Kate on Brexit diplomacy tour of Poland, Germany

by Anna Maria Jakubek / Michel Viatteau Agence France Presse WARSAW, Poland (AFP) — Prince William on Monday hailed the “warmth” of Polish-British ties at a Warsaw reception alongside his wife Kate to kick off a five-day diplomacy tour of Poland and Germany following the Brexit vote, which has cast a shadow over Britain’s status in Europe. “We in the United Kingdom value our links with Poland enormously,” the prince told guests at the gala […]

Japan pledges $1 billion to back UN development goals

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Japan on Monday pledged $1 billion over the next two years to back the United Nations’ development agenda, raising its profile as one of the world’s largest foreign aid donors. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told a meeting at the UN that the funding will go to help children and youth worldwide, in particular to promote education, health, disaster response and gender equality. The announcement provided a boost to the […]