International

Fiji urges Trump to honour Paris climate deal

SUVA, Fiji (AFP) — Fiji pleaded with US President Donald Trump not to abandon the Paris climate deal Wednesday, as the tiny Pacific nation prepares to lead the latest UN talks on reducing global emissions. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said the world needed America’s leadership “as we confront the greatest challenge of our age”. Climate sceptic Trump should honour his country’s commitments under the Paris deal, said Bainimarama, who will serve as president of the […]

Le Pen, Macron clash in fiery final French debate

PARIS, France (AFP) – French centrist Emmanuel Macron and his far-right presidential rival Marine Le Pen clashed over terrorism, the economy and Europe Wednesday in a TV debate that laid bare their profoundly different visions for the country. The duel ahead of this Sunday’s election was billed as a confrontation between Macron’s call for openness and pro-market reforms and Le Pen’s France-first nationalism. The tone was set in the opening minutes, with Le Pen branding the […]

Crane collapses in South Korea, kills five

GEOJE, South Korea (Reuters) – At least five people were killed in Geoje, South Korea on Monday (May 1) after a crane collapsed and fell onto a construction site, fire station authorities said. Samsung Heavy Industries’ 32-tonne crane toppled at around 2:50 p.m. (0550 GMT) injured 20 people. Six of them are in serious condition, authorities added. Geoje is a coastal city located about 400 km (250 miles) southeast of Seoul South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries […]

China tunnel collapse kills 12

BIJIE, GUIZHOU PROVINCE, China (CCTV) — A tunnel collapse in Southern China’s Guizhou Province killed 12 and injured a further 12 state media reported on Wednesday (May 3). The tunnel, under construction, was intended for a new highspeed rail line, CCTV reported. It collapsed on Tuesday afternoon (May 2) following an explosion. The dead and injured were construction workers, CCTV added. Search and rescue operations concluded on Wednesday morning.

Abe announces plan to revise Japan’s pacifist charter

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday announced plans to seek the first-ever changes to Japan’s post-war pacifist constitution and said he wants the revisions to take effect in 2020. The changes, which would spell out the status of the nation’s “self-defense” military forces, were announced as Japan marked the 70th anniversary of the constitution written by American occupiers. The charter, which renounces Japan’s right to wage war, has been championed by […]

Blast in Afghan capital kills four

KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) — A suicide bombing near the U.S. embassy in Kabul on Wednesday (May 3) killed four people and wounded at least 22, Afghan officials said, in an attack on a convoy of armored personnel carriers used by the NATO-led Resolute Support mission. The blast hit the NATO coalition convoy during the morning rush hour in one of the busiest areas of Kabul. There was no immediate word on whether any foreign troops […]

Ivanka Trump publishes women’s self-help book

by Jennie MATTHEW Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US First Daughter Ivanka Trump revived ethics concerns Tuesday by publishing a self-help book for working women, which was immediately criticized for offering little help to millions of Americans living outside the moneyed elite. “Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success” was released simultaneously in hardback, ebook, 497-minute audio download and CD, Donald Trump’s favorite child sitting on the cover in a dark […]

Trump, Putin discuss first meeting, Syria during ‘very good call’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed steps to ease Syria’s civil war and a possible first face-to-face meeting, during what the White House described as a “very good call” Tuesday. The US and Russian leaders spoke by telephone, focusing on the six-year-old Syrian conflict, which has pitched Moscow and Washington into rival camps. “President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too […]

US envoy pick says will push China on North Korea

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Beijing said Tuesday he would urge his friend Chinese leader Xi Jinping to honor a commitment to rein in North Korea. Terry Branstad, governor of Iowa, appeared before the Senate foreign affairs committee to seek confirmation as Washington’s next envoy to its biggest rival and trading partner. The state of Iowa exports around $1.4 billion in farm products like soya and pork […]

IS attack kills dozens at Syria camp

by Maya Gebeily Agence France-Presse BEIRUT, Lebanon -A jihadist assault led by suicide bombers killed dozens Tuesday at a camp for the displaced near Syria’s border with Iraq, as pressure grows on the Islamic State group in both countries. The violence left at least 38 people dead and came as another surprise IS attack on Tuesday killed 10 soldiers in Iraq, to the south along the border. The jihadist group appears to be lashing out […]

Trump advocates US government shutdown

by Andrew BEATTY Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States – President Donald Trump took the unusual step of advocating a shutdown of the US government Tuesday, after Republicans and Democrats reached a budget deal that ignored key White House demands. After Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress jettisoned his promise to build a border wall and cut environmental spending, the embattled president lashed out, saying maybe the government should not be funded at all. Previous shutdowns have […]

Black rhinos to come back home to Rwanda

by Cyril BELAUD Agence France-Presse KIGALI, Rwanda – Around 20 of Africa’s endangered Eastern black rhinos are returning in an “extraordinary homecoming” to Rwanda after the species disappeared there 10 years ago, the African Parks organisation said Tuesday. The rhinos are being moved from South Africa to the Akagera national park in eastern Rwanda, according to the non-profit group that manages protected areas for African governments. “This extraordinary homecoming will take place over the first […]