Other News

China unveils island-building vessel

BEIJING, China (Agence France Presse) — China has unveiled a massive ship described as a “magic island maker” that is Asia’s largest dredging vessel, state media reported Saturday. The ship, capable of building artificial islands of the sort the country has constructed in the contested South China Sea, was launched Friday at a port in eastern Jiangsu province, according to the state-owned China Daily. The boat named Tian Kun Hao is capable of digging 6,000 […]

After Pearl Harbor, Trump embarks on Asia tour

by Jim Watson Agence France Presse After stopping in Hawaii to pay his respects at a Pearl Harbor memorial, US President Donald Trump reboarded Air Force One on Saturday for a marathon Asia tour as North Korea’s nuclear threat looms large. Trump and his wife Melania tossed flower petals into the waters of the USS Arizona memorial, later taking part in a wreath-laying ceremony to honor soldiers who died in a Japanese surprise attack in […]

INFOGRAPHICS: November 5 is World Tsunami Awareness Day

Though it is rare, tsunami is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the world which can kill thousands of lives in just a spur of the moment. The deadliest tsunami in history happened on December 26, 2004 in Indonesia when the 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Sumatra with an estimated depth of 30 kilometers and height of 50 meters, reaching 5 km inland. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the […]

6.8-magnitude quake off Tonga, no tsunami threat

  SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Tonga Saturday in the tectonically active Pacific region, but there was no tsunami threat, seismologists said. The tremor hit at a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles) some 90 kilometers off the Tonga island of Niuatoputapu, and 230 kilometres southwest of the Samoan capital Apia, the US Geological Survey reported. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no current tsunami threat. […]

Trump makes Pearl Harbor stop en route to Asia

  HONOLULU, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump paid a somber visit to Pearl Harbor ahead of his first official trip to Asia, also meeting with military officials overseeing US operations in the Pacific region. Trump and his wife Melania tossed white pikake flower petals into the waters at the USS Arizona memorial, where hundreds of US service members died when Japan launched a surprise attack in 1941, triggering the US entry into […]

US lawmakers seek to slap new sanctions on Myanmar military

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US lawmakers proposed sanctions Friday against Myanmar’s military, in some of the strongest efforts yet by Washington to pressure the Southeast Asian nation to end abusive treatment of its Rohingya Muslim minority. House Republicans and Democrats introduced legislation that would curtail assistance or cooperation with Myanmar’s military and require the White House to identify senior military officials who would have US visa bans imposed or reimposed against them. A bipartisan group […]

Spain’s most wanted: Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont

by Daniel Bosque © Agence France-Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Catalonia’s deposed leader Carles Puigdemont, who has fled to Belgium and is facing an EU arrest warrant, has been a convinced secessionist since his youth, long before the issue moved to the centre of Catalan politics. Spanish prosecutors want to charge Puigdemont, with rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds over his role in the region’s tumultuous independence drive. The 54-year-old has ignored a summons to appear […]

In reversal, US tech firms back bill on human trafficking

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Major US tech firms reversed course Friday and endorsed a proposal in Congress which could hold website owners liable for human trafficking. The Internet Association, which includes giants Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Amazon, said in a statement it supported the measure after reaching a compromise with legislative sponsors. The association “is committed to combating sexual exploitation and sex trafficking online” president Michael Beckerman said in endorsing the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA). “Important […]

We need to do more’ about misinformation, Google says

by Lucie Godeau Agence France-Presse DUBLIN, Ireland (AFP) — A top Google executive has said the US internet giant has to do more to crack down on illegal content and misinformation, after American firms were grilled in Congress over Russian meddling in the 2016 US election. “We’ve made some progress and we obviously need to do more,” Matt Brittin, president of Google’s Europe, Middle East and Africa division, told reporters at Google’s European headquarters in Dublin on […]

Tennis: Nadal quits Paris with knee injury to cast doubt on London

by Jed Court © Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Paris Masters before his quarter-final with a knee injury on Friday which could also rule the 16-time Grand Slam champion out of the season-ending World Tour Finals. World number one Nadal, who has suffered from knee and wrist injuries throughout his career, decided to withdraw on Friday morning after having his right knee strapped during his third-round win over Pablo Cuevas. […]

Houston Astros celebrate World Series win; White House visit uncertain

CHICAGO, United States (AFP) — Hundreds of thousands of revelers poured into Houston’s streets Friday to celebrate the baseball team’s first-ever World Series title win, just two months after America’s fourth-largest city was hit with historic floods. The celebration was tinged with uncertainty, as the team said it had not decided about a potential White House visit, considering its controversial occupant. Such a visit is traditional for a championship team, but President Donald Trump has had a […]

NBA: James pours in 57 as Cavs topple Wizards

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Four-time league MVP LeBron James poured in 57 points for the second-best scoring performance of his career as the Cleveland Cavaliers busted out of a slump with a 130-122 win over the Washington Wizards. James also delivered 11 rebounds and seven assists on Friday for the Cavaliers who shot 56 percent from the field and improved to 4-5 on the season. The 32-year-old American sank 23 of 34 shots, including two three-pointers […]