Tag: US

John McCain, war hero and political maverick, dead at 81

  by Olivia Hampton Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — John McCain, a war hero and towering figure in American politics, known for reaching across the aisle in an increasingly divided nation, died Saturday following a battle with brain cancer. He was 81. The senator’s passing marked the end of a storied, 35-year political career that brought the independent-minded Republican within reach of the White House as his party’s presidential nominee. “It’s been […]

Hurricane Lane pummels Hawaii with torrential rain

  by Ronit Fahl Agence France Presse Torrential rains struck Hawaii as Hurricane Lane moved toward the island state, triggering land slides and flash flooding. At 0600 GMT, the National Weather Service said the hurricane was packing winds in excess of 120 miles per hour (195 kilometers per hour), despite being downgraded to category three. Currently located some 230 miles south of the capital Honolulu, Hurricane Lane was expected to hit very close to the […]

Four questions on Iran’s legal challenge to US sanctions

  by Jan Hennop Agence France-Presse THE HAUGE, Netherlands (AFP) — Iran’s legal challenge against renewed sanctions by the United States goes before the UN’s International Court of Justice on Monday. Here are four key questions regarding the case: What is the case about? Iran’s attempt to block the reinstatement of sanctions, announced by US President Donald Trump earlier this year, is the latest in a series of court battles that Tehran and Washington are fighting […]

Team Trump warns impeachment would prompt revolt, economic crash

  by Andrew Beatty  Agence France-Presse   WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump and his allies tried to head off mounting talk of his impeachment Thursday, warning it would sink the world’s largest economy and spark a public “revolt.” After Trump was implicated as a co-conspirator in two campaign finance violations, both of them federal felonies, he and his closest advisors offered dire words of caution about the consequences of removing him from […]

Trump declares emergency as Hawaii braces for hurricane

  by Ronit Fahl Agence France Presse Hurricane Lane drenched Hawaii Thursday ahead of its arrival in the island state, prompting US President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency as landslides and flash flooding left roads blocked. The National Weather Service said Lane — located about 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of Hawaii — remained a powerful category four hurricane, packing winds in excess of 130 miles per hour. The eye was expected […]

US-Mexico trade talks progressing but no breakthrough with China

    by Heather Scott Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Negotiations between the United States and Mexico to revise the nearly 25-year-old North American Free Trade agreement are making progress but will not be concluded this week, Mexico’s Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said Thursday. But a Chinese delegation, in Washington for talks aimed at defusing the spiraling US trade war with Beijing, left without any breakthrough. NAFTA and China have been two key targets of US President […]

Russia will block US bid for UN blacklist of Russian ships over N.Korea

    by Carole Landry  Agence France-Presse UNITED NATIONS , United States (AFP) — Russia will oppose a US request to the UN Security Council to blacklist two Russian shipping firms and six Russian-flagged vessels over their dealings with sanctions-hit North Korea, the Russian ambassador said Thursday. The United States presented a request to a UN sanctions committee on Wednesday — its third bid in two months to seek UN action and turn up the pressure […]

Pressure mounts on Catholic Church’s Pope Francis for tougher action on abuse scandals

  by Catherine Marciano Agence France Presse VATICAN CITY (AFP) — With the Catholic Church rocked by a devastating US report into child sex abuse, Catholic Church’s Pope Francis has this week sharpened his criticism on the explosive issue — but he remains under pressure to enact far-reaching changes. The US grand jury report accused more than 300 “predator” priests in the state of Pennsylvania of abusing more than 1,000 children over seven decades, sparking […]

US actor speaks out over Asia Argento assault claim

  NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The US actor who accuses Asia Argento of sexually assaulting him as a teenager said Wednesday that he had been too “ashamed and afraid” to speak publicly against the Italian actress and abuse campaigner. Argento, who shot into the headlines for accusing disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of rape, paid Jimmy Bennett hush money after he claimed that she sexually assaulted him in a California hotel room in […]

Facebook to pull VPN app from App Store over data worry

  SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook will pull Onavo Protect virtual private network application from the App Store after getting word that it violates Apple’s data collection rules, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The free application creates an encrypted VPN connection that routes internet activity through computer servers managed and secured by Facebook. The app also alerts users when sites they visit might be malicious. Facebook is able to gather information […]

US, China talks raise optimism on eve of new trade tariffs

  by Heather Scott Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US and Chinese trade negotiators on Wednesday opened talks aimed at averting further confrontations, with a new round of tariffs about to hit, and the Federal Reserve warning that escalation poses a serious economic risk. These are the first formal discussions with China since June on the spiraling and multifaceted trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Meanwhile, US and Mexican officials […]

Rare hurricane warning as Hawaii braces for major storm; Hurricane Lane slightly weakens to category 4 storm

by Ronen Zilberman Agence France Presse HONOLULU, Hawaii (AFP) — Residents of Hawaii on Wednesday were bracing for a rare landfall by a powerful hurricane as they stocked up on water, food and emergency supplies. Hurricane Lane, which weakened slightly to a category 4 storm overnight, is packing 155-mile-per-hour winds and is expected to reach the archipelago’s Big Island by nightfall. President Donald Trump, in a tweet, urged residents to prepare for the storm, which […]