Tag: US

Trump vows to hit Taliban ‘harder’ than ever as US marks 9/11

by Peter Hutchison with Sebastian Smith in Washington NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump pledged to hit the Taliban “harder” than ever as America on Wednesday marked the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that led the country into war in Afghanistan. Trump’s remarks came after he aborted what would have been a historic Afghanistan peace summit, and as relatives remembered the victims of the deadliest terror attacks on US soil at […]

New York remembers 9/11 attacks, 18 years on

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — New York honored Wednesday the almost 3,000 people killed on September 11, 2001 in a solemn ceremony at Ground Zero where hijacked Al-Qaeda planes brought down the Twin Towers. Relatives of victims, police officers, firefighters and city leaders gathered at the National September 11 Memorial to mark the 18th anniversary of the deadliest single attack on US soil. They held poignant moments of silence at 8:46 am (1246 GMT) […]

Eyes on Biden as Democrats ready for third 2020 debate

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Ten Democrats seeking the White House will gather Thursday for their party’s third debate of the 2020 cycle, with frontrunner Joe Biden sharing the stage with top rival Elizabeth Warren for the first time. The televised showdown in Houston will be the longest to date in the primary contest, a three-hour marathon that will give voters their first opportunity to see all the leading candidates onstage together. The previous […]

Uber trims more staff as it seeks a route to profit

  SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Uber on Tuesday said it was laying off about eight percent of its product and engineering teams as the smartphone-summoned ride service tries to map a route to profitability. The San Francisco-based company is cutting about 265 people from its engineering group and another 170 or so jobs from its product team, a spokesman told AFP. While a fast-growing startup, ranks of Uber employees swelled to more than […]

Pentagon to keep 5,500 troops at Mexico border

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Defense Department said Tuesday that it would keep up to 5,500 troops deployed at the Mexican border for the coming year to help combat illegal immigration. A week after announcing it would divert $3.6 billion in funds for the construction of an anti-migrant wall on the frontier, the Pentagon said it had also approved a request from the Department of Homeland Security to maintain a troop presence […]

Trump fires national security chief Bolton

  WASHINGTON, DC (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the firing of his hawkish national security advisor John Bolton, saying he disagreed “strongly” with his positions, in the latest upheaval for US foreign policy. “I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning,” Trump announced on Twitter, saying he would name a replacement next week. Bolton, who had been due to give a press conference at the White House […]

Clashes after peaceful crowd takes Hong Kong message to US consulate

  by Jerome TAYLOR / Yan ZHAO Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Pro-democracy activists jammed Hong Kong streets in a march to the United States consulate on Sunday in a bid to ramp up international pressure on Beijing, but hardcore protesters later clashed with riot police across the city’s core. Millions have demonstrated over the last 14 weeks in the biggest challenge to China’s rule since the city’s handover from Britain in […]

One week after Dorian, Bahamians struggle amid the ruins

by Cyril JULIEN NASSAU, Bahamas (AFP) — One week after Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, residents struggled amid the ruins Sunday, with many forced to seek refuge far from their shattered homes as the death toll from the top-intensity storm hit 44 in the islands. Dorian, now classified as a post-tropical storm, caused “severe damage” in eastern Canada and was expected to move soon into the North Atlantic after cutting a destructive swath through the […]

Clashes after peaceful crowd takes Hong Kong message to US consulate

by Jerome TAYLOR / Yan ZHAO HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Pro-democracy activists jammed Hong Kong streets in a march to the United States consulate on Sunday in a bid to ramp up international pressure on Beijing, but hardcore protesters later clashed with riot police across the city’s core. Millions have demonstrated over the last 14 weeks in the biggest challenge to China’s rule since the city’s handover from Britain in 1997. The protests were […]

US job creation cools in August as Trump hammers Fed

  by Douglas Gillison WASHINGTON, United States | AFP America’s jobs engine downshifted in August as employers unexpectedly held back hiring across major industries, another sign that the world’s largest economy is cooling off, government data showed Friday. As the numbers were released early Friday, President Donald Trump, whose record as a job creator could pale ahead of next year’s election, renewed his attacks on the US central bank, which he blames for failing to […]

Hurricane Dorian lashes US east coast

  by Lucie AUBOURG Agence France Presse CHARLESTON, United States (AFP) — Hurricane Dorian lashed the Carolinas with driving rain and fierce winds as it neared the US east coast Thursday after devastating the Bahamas and killing at least 20 people. Parts of downtown Charleston were flooded, with video footage showing people kayaking in the dark in gushing knee-deep water in the stately city on the coast of South Carolina. Trees bent in wind gusting […]

33 bodies recovered after California dive boat disaster

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Rescue workers have recovered a total of 33 bodies from a scuba-diving boat disaster off the coast of California, authorities said Wednesday, adding that one person remains missing. Search operations for survivors were suspended Tuesday morning, and rescuers have begun an operation to free remains still trapped in the wreckage, which sank 66 feet (20 meters), and to determine the cause of the catastrophe. The remains of 11 women […]