(Agence France Presse) — US President Donald Trump urged China and Russia on Thursday to act fast to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis, warning that “time is quickly running out.” “We must act fast. And hopefully China will act faster and more effectively on this problem than anyone,” Trump said as he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. Trump thanked Xi for his efforts to restrict trade with North Korea and cut […]
Tag: US
US carriers in rare Pacific op amid N. Korea tensions
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Three US aircraft carriers will stage joint drills in the western Pacific for the first time in a decade, the US Navy said Thursday, as tensions in the region over North Korea reach fever pitch. The USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt will conduct “coordinated operations in international waters,” the navy said, as US President Donald Trump’s high-stakes trip through Asia takes him to China. The operation shows Washington’s “ironclad […]
Emboldened Xi, weakened Trump face tough talks
by Laurent Thomet Agence France-Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will put their professed friendship to the test Thursday as the least popular US president in decades and the newly empowered Chinese leader hold tough talks on trade and North Korea. Trump will be treated to more pomp and ceremony on the second day of his first state visit to China, the crucial stop in his 12-day, five-nation tour of Asia. The two […]
Barack Obama answers call for jury duty in Chicago
CHICAGO, United States (AFP) — Former US president Barack Obama answered a jury summons Wednesday, arriving at a Chicago courthouse to perform the civic duty asked of all Americans. The former leader of the free world was the only juror to arrive by motorcade, however, accompanied by tight security and met with a throng of news media. As a prospective juror, Obama joined fellow citizens at the courthouse, waiting to see if they are chosen to serve on a […]
Twitter purists mourn end of 140-character limit on posts
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — It was a sad day for Twitter purists, dismayed that the 140-character limit restricting users on the social media platform to crisp, succinct posts had been doubled to a gaudy 280. And they have been expressing their outrage — how else? — with short tweets and hashtags like #140forlife. “Personally, I enjoyed the challenge of fitting my thoughts into 140 characters!” tweeted Weather Channel meteorologist Maria LaRosa, with the hashtag #lessismore. “Like […]
Trump lands in China for talks on North Korea’s ‘cruel dictatorship’
by Laurent Thomet with Jerome Cartillier in Seoul Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing Wednesday for the critical leg of his Asia tour to drum up an uncompromising, global front against the nuclear weapons ambitions of the “cruel dictatorship” in North Korea. Trump heaped more praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping before touching down in Beijing but he also used a speech in Seoul to urge China […]
Trump claims progress on ‘worldwide threat’ of North Korea
by Jerome Cartillier Agence France Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea poses a worldwide threat that needs worldwide action, President Donald Trump said in Seoul Tuesday, but insisted “we are making a lot of progress” in reining in the rogue state. The US leader, standing alongside his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In, reiterated he was prepared to use the full range of American military might to halt Pyongyang’s march towards becoming a full-fledged […]
S. Korea ‘in talks to buy nuclear submarine’ from US: reports
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea is negotiating with the United States to buy nuclear-powered submarines to guard against threats from Pyongyang, local reports said Tuesday, as President Donald Trump said Seoul would buy “billions of dollars” of US weapons. Nuclear-powered submarines can stay submerged for months, giving them a far greater range than their diesel-powered counterparts, and are also crucial to any seaborne nuclear deterrent. Such a purchase would redraw the balance of […]
Waymo cars hit the road without drivers
by Glenn Chapman Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Waymo on Tuesday said that its self-driving cars are hitting the road without anyone behind the wheel as the Alphabet subsidiary steers toward launching an automated ride service. The subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet has been testing autonomous cars for years, but with a driver behind the wheel to take over if needed. Waymo chief executive John Krafcik used the Web Summit in Lisbon to announce […]
Who’s great again? Trump faces ‘king of China’ Xi
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Xi Jinping and Donald Trump have one thing in common — they both want to make their nations great again. But while China’s leader is on the rise, the US president arrives in Beijing laden down with heavy baggage. Xi will roll out the red carpet for Trump when his five-nation Asia tour takes him to China on Wednesday, bringing the leaders of the world’s top-two economies together for the third […]
‘Thor,’ swinging his mighty hammer, smashes Hollywood’s slump
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — After a dismal October for Hollywood, Disney and Marvel Studio’s “Thor: Rognarok” proved a smashing success over the weekend weekend, pulling in $122.7 million in North American theaters for a global total of $306 million, industry figures showed Monday. How big was the film’s three-day opening? The latest “Thor” episode, boosted by strong reviews and the self-mocking humor of Chris Hemsworth as the powerful Norse god (with Cate Blanchett as Hela, […]
Trump due in Seoul amid N. Korea tensions
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Donald Trump’s marathon Asia tour moves on Tuesday to South Korea, another key ally in the struggle with nuclear-armed North Korea, but one with deep reservations about the US president’s strategy for dealing with the crisis. As tensions over Pyongyang’s weapons program have soared, the US president has traded personal insults and threats of war with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, but his next stop, Seoul — and its 10 million inhabitants […]





