International

Israel ex-president Peres suffers ‘major’ stroke

by Joe Dyke with Mike Smith in Jerusalem RAMAT GAN, Israel (AFP) — Former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres, the last of Israel’s founding fathers, suffered a “major” stroke and was breathing with the aid of a respirator in intensive care early Wednesday. Nationwide concern mounted over the condition of 93-year-old Peres, widely respected as an elder statesman both in Israel and abroad. Peres suffered “a major stroke today with a component […]

Taiwan braces for super typhoon Meranti

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) –Taiwan braced for approaching super typhoon Meranti on Tuesday, evacuating nearly 1,800 tourists from offshore islands and closing some schools and offices. Meranti is expected to skirt past the island’s southern tip, bringing torrential rain and powerful winds from late Tuesday, the Central Weather Bureau said. “Typhoon Meranti is maintaining its strength and speed, and its impact will be the strongest on Wednesday and early Thursday,” said forecaster Hung Jen-sheng. The super typhoon […]

N. Korea floods ‘major, complex disaster’: Red Cross

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea is experiencing a “major and complex disaster” the Red Cross has warned, after floods killed scores of people and left tens of thousands in need of urgent help. Rescue workers are struggling to reach stricken communities in the country’s far north, where thousands have been left homeless, and the risk of disease is looming. “From what we saw, it is clear that this is a very major and […]

US bombers in show of force against N. Korea

PYEONGTAEK, South Korea (AFP) — Two huge US strategic bombers flew over South Korea on Tuesday in a show of force against North Korea following Pyongyang’s fifth and largest-ever nuclear test. The supersonic B-1B Lancers reached airspace over the US Osan Air Base at Pyeongtaek, 64 kilometres (40 miles) south of Seoul, at around 10:00 am (0100 GMT). Each aircraft, which had flown from the US Pacific Command’s Andersen Airforce base at Guam, was escorted by US […]

Obama hopeful on spending, Zika funds after meeting Congress leaders

  WASHINGTON, United States (Reuters) — U.S. President Barack Obama said after meeting with the top four congressional leaders on Monday (September 12) that he was encouraged that lawmakers would be able to pass short term spending legislation to keep the government open during the 2017 fiscal year. Democrat Obama said he was hopeful about reaching agreements with the Republican-majority Congress on funding to fight the Zika virus and for disaster relief after flooding in […]

China, Russia to stage military drills in S.China Sea

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China and Russia were to start war games in the South China Sea on Monday, Beijing’s defense ministry said, in a show of force after an international tribunal invalidated the Asian giant’s extensive claims in the area. The eight-day joint drills will include exercises on “seizing and controlling” islands and shoals, Chinese navy spokesman Liang Yang said in a statement. They will involve surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters, marine […]

‘Last chance’ Syria ceasefire takes effect

by Karam al-Masri and Maher al-Mounes ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) — A US- and Russia-brokered ceasefire dubbed by Washington as maybe the “last chance to save Syria” took effect at sundown on Monday, amid scepticism over how long it would hold. An initial 48-hour truce came into force at 7:00 pm local time (1600 GMT) across Syria except in areas held by jihadists such as the Islamic State group. AFP correspondents in Syria’s devastated second city […]

N. Korea flood death toll rises to 133 with 395 missing: UN

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) – Severe flooding in a North Korean border region has killed at least 133 people with hundreds more missing, according to the UN, which said the scale of the disaster was “beyond anything experienced” by local officials. Some 107,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the area along the Tumen River, the world body said in a statement received Monday which cited Pyongyang government figures. The North’s official media has described the […]

Libya unity govt loses third oil port to rivals

TRIPOLI, Libya (AFP) – by Mohamad Ali Harissi Libya’s UN-backed unity government lost control Monday of a third oil port seized by rival forces, raising fears of a major outbreak of fresh violence in the chaos-ridden country. The loss comes after fighters backing a rival administration in east Libya seized two other terminals from guards loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) on Sunday. All three Mediterranean ports are in Libya’s “oil crescent”, […]

MH370 ‘debris’ handed to Australian agency

CANBERRA, Australia (AFP) – An American amateur investigator handed possible debris from missing flight MH370 to Australian officials Monday and said several pieces were blackened by flames, raising the prospect of a flash fire onboard. Mystery has surrounded the fate of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 since it disappeared on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 passengers and crew on a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The Boeing 777 is believed to have crashed in […]

N. Korea ready for another nuclear test

  Seoul, South Korea—North Korea has completed preparations for another nuclear test in a previously unused tunnel at its Punggye-ri site, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Monday. The North on Friday conducted its fifth and most powerful atomic test, just eight months after its previous one. “We have detected signs that North Korea has finished preparations to conduct a nuclear test at any time in the third tunnel at its Punggye-ri test site,” Yonhap […]

Clinton diagnosed with pneumonia, ‘dehydrated’ at 9/11 event

  by Jennie Matthew with Anita Chang Beattie in Washington New York, United States  (AFP) — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is suffering from pneumonia and was overheated and dehydrated when she quickly left a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York on Sunday, her doctor said. The incident at Ground Zero, in which the 68-year-old Clinton seemed to lose her footing as she was helped into her vehicle, sparked new questions about her health — […]