Tag: US

Most business economists see US growth above 2%: poll

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Most business economists predict that US economic growth will surpass two percent over the next year, despite softening in some business conditions, according to a survey released Monday. The improving forecasts for US growth come amid a weakening profit outlook and continued uncertainty over thorny debates in Washington on trade and tax policy, said the National Association for Business Economics, summarizing a quarterly survey of 85 economists. “Policy developments, including those […]

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Somalia truck bomb death toll jumps to 358 dead

MOGADISHU, Somalia  (AFP) – Somalia’s deadliest ever attack, a truck bomb in the capital Mogadishu, has now killed 358 people with 228 more injured, the government said late Friday, a major jump in the fatality toll. A truck packed with explosives blew up in Hodan on October 14, destroying some 20 buildings in the bustling commercial district, leaving scores of victims burned beyond recognition. Several experts told AFP the truck was probably carrying at least 500 kilos […]

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Pentagon chief, French minister meet amid Niger ambush questions

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis thanked his French counterpart Friday for France’s assistance in the immediate aftermath of a Niger ambush that killed four US troops, as questions mounted in Washington about what happened. French warplanes flew overhead and armed helicopters evacuated the US wounded following the October 4 attack near the Mali border, which is thought to have been carried out by jihadists. The Pentagon chief has previously praised the less […]

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‘Thor: Ragnarok’ could cap record year for Marvel

by Frankie Taggart Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — It may not get the same affection lavished on “Iron Man” or “Captain America,” but the “Thor” franchise looks set to complete a record year for Marvel on its opening weekend. Bolstered by glowing early reviews, “Thor: Ragnarok” — the third instalment of the God of Thunder’s intergalactic exploits — is projected to take $90 to $100 million from Friday through Sunday. If it […]

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California fire death toll rises to 38, around 100,000 people evacuated

  by Frankie Taggart Agence France Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The death toll from California’s raging wildfires rose to 38 on Saturday, with more than 10,000 firefighters battling 16 large blazes and 100,000 people evacuated, the state’s fire service said. Around 335 square miles (864 square kilometers) of residential neighborhoods, forests and other property have been burned since Sunday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). “These […]

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Canada, Mexico stick to NAFTA guns despite Trump threats

by Joshua Howat Berger  Agence France-Presse MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — The leaders of Canada and Mexico stuck to their upbeat view on the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement on Thursday, despite US President Donald Trump’s threats to axe it. Visiting Mexico on the heels of a tense trip to Washington, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau downplayed Trump’s attacks on NAFTA as part and parcel of the negotiations on updating the 23-year-old accord. “We […]

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California fires kill 31, deadliest in state’s history

by Julie Charpentrat Agence France-Presse SANTA ROSA, United States (AFP) — The death toll from raging California wildfires rose to 31 Thursday as body recovery teams used cadaver dogs to locate victims, making it the deadliest series of blazes in the state’s history. The fires, which began on Sunday, have swept through California’s wine country, leaving thousands of people homeless and burning over 190,000 acres (76,000 hectares) of land. Gusty winds on Thursday were hampering the efforts […]

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Trump breaks with allies as US goes it alone on Iran

by Andrew Beatty Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Donald Trump will unveil a more aggressive strategy to check Iran’s growing might Friday, withdrawing presidential backing for a landmark nuclear deal and targeting the country’s missile program and militia proxies. During a White House speech at 12:45 pm (1645 GMT), Trump is expected to declare a 2015 deal, which curbed Iran’s nuclear program in return for massive sanctions relief, is no longer in the US national […]

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US, Israel pull out of UN cultural body over ‘anti-Israel’ bias

by Adam Plowright with Dave Clark in Washington and Mike Smith in Jerusalem Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The United States and its ally Israel said Thursday they were pulling out of the UN’s culture and education body, in a move that underlined Washington’s drift away from international institutions. The US decision, announced in Washington, follows years of tension at the organization which it accused of having an “anti-Israel bias.” “This decision was not taken lightly, […]

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Myanmar’s army chief says Rohingya exodus ‘exaggerated’

 YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — The media has “exaggerated” the number of Rohingya refugees fleeing an army crackdown, Myanmar’s commander-in-chief said Thursday, in a brash rebuttal of accusations of ethnic cleansing by his forces. Some 520,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar’s western Rakhine state since August 25, when the military launched a sweeping campaign against militants from the Muslim minority. The crackdown has been so intense that the UN on Wednesday accused Myanmar of trying to purge its entire Rohingya […]

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SpaceX launches, lands recycled rocket

  MIAMI, United States (AFP) — SpaceX on Wednesday launched a rocket that had already flown to space and landed it successfully on an ocean platform, as part of its ongoing effort to recycle costly rocket components. On a clear autumn evening at 6:53 pm (2253 GMT), the tall, white Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying the Echostar 105/SES-11 satellite. “Couldn’t be more perfect weather for a launch,” said a commentator […]

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US sacks top navy commanders after deadly warship collision

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The US navy on Wednesday sacked two top commanders from a warship that was involved in a deadly collision with a tanker off Singapore, citing a “loss of confidence” in the officers. On August 21, the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain smashed into a tanker as the warship headed to Singapore, tearing a huge hole in the hull. The collision killed 10 sailors and injured five others. That incident came after another […]

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