South America

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 […]

Clashes break out as Brazil is gripped by first general nationwide strike in decades

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) — Clashes broke out in Rio de Janeiro on Friday (April 28) as Brazilian unions led the nation’s first general strike in over two decades to protest President Michel Temer’s austerity measures, hitting public transport and closing schools, factories, banks and other businesses in every state. Even so, analysts and government officials said the strike would have little impact on Temer’s efforts to push economic reforms through Congress, which are […]

Venezuela opposition defiant as protesters shot dead

by Maria Isabel Sanchez Agence France-Presse CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuela’s opposition vowed no letup Tuesday in its bid to remove leftist President Nicolas Maduro from power even as more protesters were shot dead in an increasingly violent political crisis. Maduro’s center-right rivals planned to push on with a wave of street protests that have seen 26 people killed this month in clashes involving protesters and security forces. In the latest unrest, public prosecutors said a 23-year-old man died […]

Obama says he is ready to train new leaders in first post-presidency speech

by Nova Safo Agence France-Presse Former United States president Barack Obama returned to the public spotlight Monday, saying he hopes to spend the next phase of his life helping to “prepare the next generation of leadership.” After three months off, Obama — looking rested and sporting a coat with no tie — broke his silence in his adopted hometown of Chicago, speaking to a packed auditorium of more than 400 high school and college students at the […]

Heavily armed gang steals millions in stunning Paraguay heist

by Hugo Olazar Agence France Presse ASUNCION, Paraguay — Dozens of suspected Brazilian gangsters blasted into a secure vault containing millions of dollars in southeastern Paraguay on Monday, leaving a policeman dead in what officials called the “robbery of the century.” Some 50 gunmen with explosives and military-grade weaponry left the city of Ciudad del Este looking like a war zone after a two-hour overnight assault on a security firm and police headquarters, authorities and […]

Central Chile hit by 7.1-magnitude quake: USGS

SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — A strong 7.1-magnitude earthquake rattled central Chile on Monday, US geologists said. The quake, which struck at 6:30 pm (2130 GMT), was centered off the coast of the resort city of Valparaiso and had a depth of 9.8 kilometers (about six miles), according to the US Geological Survey. Authorities urged residents to evacuate coastal areas as a precaution against a possible tsunami. Chile lies on what is known as the “Ring […]

Venezuela protesters vow to block roadways

by Maria Isabel SANCHEZ Agence France-Presse CARACAS, Venezuela – Protesters rallied Monday vowing to block Venezuela’s main roads to raise pressure on President Nicolas Maduro after three weeks of deadly unrest that have left 21 people dead. Riot police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to break up one of the first rallies in eastern Caracas early Monday while other groups were gathering elsewhere, the opposition said. It called for crowds to fill the main […]

Chile earthquake

Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits off Chile coast

Santiago, Chile (AFP) — A magnitude 5.9 earthquake rocked central Chile late Saturday, monitors said, though there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The tremor took place at 11.36 pm (0236 GMT), centered off the coast at 42 kilometers (26 miles) west of Valparaiso, according to the US Geological Survey. It had a depth of 9.8 kilometers. Chile’s National Emergency Office, or ONEMI, estimated its strength at 6.1 on the Richter scale. The […]

Boy, woman killed in Venezuela mass protests

by Alex VASQUEZ Agence France Presse CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — A teenage boy and a woman died after being shot Wednesday during massive protests in Venezuela against President Nicolas Maduro, bringing to seven the number killed this month in a mounting political crisis. Riot police fired tear gas to force back stone-throwing demonstrators as tens of thousands of people joined protest marches in Caracas and several other cities. The opposition has accused Maduro of letting […]

5.1 quake kills one in El Salvador

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AFP) — A 5.1-magnitude earthquake killed at least one person and injured two others in El Salvador on Monday, officials said. The quake struck four kilometers (2.5 miles) below the surface at 2352 GMT in the town of Antiguo Cuscatlan near the capital, the environment ministry said on Twitter. The National Civil Police said a person was killed when a rock fell on their vehicle on a highway west of the […]

Industry, academic partners team up to fight fake news

by Rob Lever / with Glenn Chapman in San Francisco Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A global alliance of tech industry and academic organizations unveiled plans on Monday to work together to combat the spread of “fake news” and improve public understanding of journalism. The News Integrity Initiative will launch with $14 million from Facebook, the Ford Foundation, Mozilla and others, based at the City University of New York’s journalism school, which will […]

Colombia mudslides kill more than 200; sweep homes away

by Luis ROBAYO / with Alina DIESTE in Bogota MOCOA, Colombia (AFP) — Rescuers clawed through piles of mud and twisted debris Sunday searching for survivors after violent mudslides destroyed homes in southern Colombia, killing over 200 people and injuring hundreds more. They were the latest victims of deadly floods and mudslides that have struck the Pacific side of South America over recent months, also killing scores of people in Peru and Ecuador. In the […]