International

China must prepare for ‘people’s war at sea’: minister

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s Defense Minister has urged preparations for a “people’s war at sea” to counter offshore security threats and safeguard sovereignty, state media reported Tuesday. Chang Wanquan’s comments came several weeks after an international tribunal dismissed the country’s claim to most of the South China Sea, a judgement it angrily rejected. Chang “called for recognition of the seriousness of the national security situation, especially the threat from the sea”, Xinhua news agency […]

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Obama says Trump ‘unfit’ to be president

by Andrew BEATTY WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — In a searing and virtually unprecedented presidential rebuke, Barack Obama declared embattled Republican White House nominee Donald Trump “unfit” to be president Tuesday and called on party leaders to disown him. Obama piled on as Trump’s campaign reeled from multiple self-inflicted scandals, calling the 70-year-old mogul “woefully unprepared” and “unfit to serve as president.” “He keeps proving it,” said Obama, standing alongside the prime minister of Singapore […]

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Trump says ‘much easier’ to get Purple Heart as gift from vet

ASHBURN, United States (AFP) – Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump on Tuesday courted controversy when he said receiving a Purple Heart from a US military veteran was “much easier” than being awarded the medal given to those wounded in combat. The statement immediately started trending on Twitter, with some users mocking the billionaire real estate mogul for accepting the honor — awarded by sitting US presidents — while on the campaign trail. The comments also […]

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Czech president refuses to welcome any migrants

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AFP) – Czech President Milos Zeman has rejected a government proposal to take in some 2,700 migrants languishing in Italy and Greece, claiming they might pose a security threat, his spokesman said Tuesday. “The president is against welcoming any migrants on Czech territory. Our country can’t afford to run the risk of having terrorist attacks like those committed in France and Germany,” Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek told reporters. Islamic State group jihadists have […]

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Japan approves huge stimulus for sluggish economy

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) – by Daniel LEUSSINK Japan’s cabinet Tuesday approved a mammoth 28-trillion yen ($273 billion) package in its latest attempt to stimulate lacklustre growth, including cash to improve infrastructure and raise the birthrate in the ageing nation. The stimulus plan announced last week is the latest in a series in recent years designed to fire up the world’s number three economy. “We have been able to put together a strong package that includes bold […]

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Austrian chancellor rejects Turkish ‘intimidation’

VIENNA, Austria (AFP) – Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said he will not bow to “intimidation” from Turkey after receiving online death threats as tensions rise between the EU and Ankara, in comments published Tuesday. “We should not allow ourselves to be intimidated in any way. Threats, even death threats, from the right wing and the radical part of the Turkish community have become reality for me”, Kern told the Oesterreich daily. “Appeasement has to stop. Of course […]

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Japan warns China over territorial aggression

  TOKYO, Japan (AFP) – Beijing risks triggering unintended conflict with Asian rivals through its aggressive stance in maritime disputes, Japan warned Tuesday in an annual security assessment. China’s sweeping claims over the strategic South China Sea, where it has built a series of artificial islands capable of supporting military operations despite overlapping claims from other nations, have stoked international alarm. The region’s superpower “continues to act in an assertive manner” and its actions “include dangerous […]

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Dutch activists sue government over air pollution

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) – Dutch environmentalists said Tuesday they are suing the government over poor air quality, saying people’s “fundamental” rights to good health were being infringed. In a lawsuit filed on Monday, the Milieudefensie group alleged “the Netherlands exceeds the legal standards for air quality and is violating fundamental human rights by doing too little to combat air pollution.” “This pollution causes thousands of deaths every year, and leaves tens of thousands of people […]

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Olympics: IOC chief slams ‘contemptuous’ doping as Russia appeals mount

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) – Russian appeals against Olympic bans were piling up Tuesday as IOC president Thomas Bach slammed what he called the “contemptuous” doping system blamed on the Moscow government. Bach said the Russia scandal along with Brazil’s political and economic crises had made the runup to the first Olympics in South America “challenging”. An investigation by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren which revealed state-organised doping in Russia, has overshadowed the buildup to […]

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Anger as Hong Kong pro-independence leader barred from polls

HONG KONG,  China (AFP) – A high-profile Hong Kong pro-independence leader said Tuesday he had been barred from standing in upcoming parliamentary elections — the latest candidate backing separation from mainland China to be disqualified. The apparent ban for Edward Leung, of the Hong Kong Indigenous party, from the September vote came despite him signing a controversial new form declaring Hong Kong is an “inalienable” part of China. Critics have slammed the new stipulation by electoral […]

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Turkey issues arrest warrants for 100 staff at Ankara hospital: official

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – Turkey on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for 100 staff, including doctors, at the main military hospital in Ankara as part of an investigation into last month’s failed coup, a Turkish official and reports said. Police were searching the Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) hospital in the capital, the private NTV television reported. It was not immediately clear if any suspects had been detained. The Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed […]

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Vets, Republicans repudiate Trump clash with hero’s family

  by Michael Mathes WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Veterans groups and Republicans Monday savaged Donald Trump’s war of words with the parents of a slain Muslim American soldier, the latest example of the presidential nominee making statements considered beyond the pale.  The feud has shaken the US presidential campaign, becoming a flash point 99 days before the November election that pits the Republican against Democrat Hillary Clinton, whom Trump on Monday called “the devil.”  Criticism […]

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