WASHINGTON, Jan 4, 2024 (AFP) – Police were responding to a shooting at a high school in the midwestern US state of Iowa on Thursday morning, authorities said, though there was no immediate confirmation of any victims. “There was an active school shooting situation at Perry High School,” some 35 miles (55 kilometers) from the state capital Des Moines, an employee from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office told AFP. A news conference was scheduled for […]
Tag: US
China slams ‘provocative’ US moves in South China Sea as both sides conduct drills
BEIJING, Jan 4, 2024 (AFP) – China on Thursday slammed what it called “provocative” moves by the United States and its ally the Philippines in the South China Sea, as both sides held drills in the disputed waters. Warships from China and the US conducted rival exercises in the sea this week amid heightened tensions involving US ally the Philippines. Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command Wednesday said a two-day deployment of its […]
Several US state capitols evacuated over bomb threats: officials
WASHINGTON, Jan 3, 2024 (AFP) – Several state capitol buildings across the United States were evacuated Wednesday over multiple bomb threats, according to officials, one of whom said a “mass email” was responsible for triggering the security response. No explosives or threatening items were found as police evacuated and swept the statehouses in Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Montana following an apparent hoax threat, officials and local media reported. “While everyone is […]
Trump appeals to US Supreme Court over Colorado ballot ban
WASHINGTON, Jan 3, 2024 (AFP) – Former president Donald Trump urged the US Supreme Court on Wednesday to toss out a ruling by Colorado’s highest court that would keep him off the presidential primary ballot in the western state. The Colorado Supreme Court barred Trump last month from appearing on the Republican primary ballot in the state because of his role in the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters. Lawyers […]
US, allies warn Huthis as ship attacks rattle global commerce
By Shaun Tandon and Danny Kemp with Gregory Walton at the United Nations WASHINGTON, Jan 3, 2024 (AFP) – Twelve nations led by the United States on Wednesday jointly warned Yemen’s Huthi rebels of unspecified consequences unless they immediately halt sea attacks that are increasingly disrupting global commerce. President Joe Biden’s administration described the statement — joined notably by Britain, Germany and Japan — as a final warning as he weighs possible military strikes against […]
Black box from US Osprey found off Japan
TOKYO, Jan 4, 2024 (AFP) – The black box from an Osprey military aircraft that crashed off Japan in November with eight people on board has been recovered, the US military said Thursday, five weeks after the accident. “Critical equipment identified by investigation officials has been recovered, including the Voice and Data Recorder, often called the black box,” US Air Force Special Operations Command spokeswoman Rebecca Heyse said. “The equipment will be transported to laboratories […]
Maersk extends suspension of Red Sea passage
COPENHAGEN, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – Shipping giant Maersk said on Tuesday it would not resume passage through a key Red Sea strait “until further notice,” after Yemeni rebels attacked one of its merchant ships. “We have decided to pause all transits through the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden until further notice,” Maersk said in a statement. “In cases where it makes most sense for our customers, vessels will be rerouted and continue their journey around […]
Harvard president resigns after rows over plagiarism, anti-Semitism
By Gregory WALTON NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – The president of Harvard University resigned Tuesday after coming under ferocious attack over plagiarism accusations and her response to anti-Semitism on campus amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Claudine Gay was criticized in recent months after reports surfaced alleging that she did not properly cite scholarly sources. The most recent accusations came Tuesday, published anonymously in a conservative online outlet. Gay was also engulfed by scandal after […]
Xi says willing to work with US for stable relationship
BEIJING, Jan 1, 2024 (AFP) – China’s President Xi Jinping said Monday he was willing to work with the United States to promote stable bilateral ties, exchanging congratulations with his US counterpart on the anniversary of diplomatic relations, state media said. Xi and US President Joe Biden met in San Francisco in November, vowing to improve communication in an effort to stop competition from spilling over into conflict. And in an exchange of messages to […]
US strikes kill 10 Huthi rebels attacking ship in Red Sea
HODEIDA, Yemen, Dec 31, 2023 (AFP) – The US military said Sunday its Navy helicopters fired at Iran-backed Huthi rebel boats off Yemen that were attacking a cargo ship, with Yemeni sources reporting 10 rebels killed. The clash in the Red Sea marked a deadly escalation since the United States set up a multinational naval task force in early December to protect the vital shipping lane against Huthi attacks. The rebels — who say they […]
China ties dominate Taiwan presidential debate
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Dec 30, 2023 (AFP) – Taiwan’s presidential candidates clashed on Saturday over their positions on the self-ruled island’s relations with China, in a debate before an upcoming vote closely watched from Beijing to Washington. Democratic Taiwan is two weeks from the pivotal election, the results of which could determine Taipei’s future ties with an increasingly bellicose China. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has vowed to take it by force if […]
No second trial for crypto fraudster Bankman-Fried
NEW YORK, Dec 30, 2023 (AFP) – A federal prosecutor in New York has decided against pursuing a second trial, this one over corruption and illegal political donations, against former crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried. The founder and CEO of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange platform, Bankman-Fried had been charged earlier with misappropriating billions of dollars of his clients’ funds without their consent. He was found guilty in early November of seven counts including fraud, conspiracy and […]
