North America

Biden slams “baseless stunt” as House formally launches impeachment inquiry

By Camille CAMDESSUS WASHINGTON, Dec 14, 2023 (AFP) – The US House of Representatives voted Wednesday to formalize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, escalating Republicans’ battle with Democrats ahead of the 2024 election in a move Biden himself slammed as a “baseless” stunt. Republicans, seizing on Biden’s son Hunter’s controversial international dealings, have yet to provide evidence of corruption by the president, and the Democratic-led Senate would be unlikely to convict him even […]

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Zelensky aid plea hits Republican wall as Biden warns of ‘gift’ to Putin

WASHINGTON, Dec 12, 2023 (AFP) – President Joe Biden told President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday that the United States will not abandon Ukraine in its desperate fight against Russia, even as Republicans signaled opposition to extending US war funding. Standing alongside the Ukrainian leader at a White House press conference, Biden vowed: “I will not walk away from Ukraine and neither will the American people.” And he said that allowing a Ukrainian defeat would mean […]

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US F-16 fighter jet crashes in S. Korea during training exercise: Yonhap

SEOUL, Dec 11, 2023 (AFP) – A US F-16 fighter jet crashed Monday in South Korea during a routine training exercise after experiencing “an in-flight emergency”, the US military said, adding the pilot had been rescued. The incident involving an F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing happened early Monday over the Yellow Sea, the US Air Force said in a statement. “The pilot ejected the aircraft. The pilot has been recovered by […]

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‘Nothing more to say’: Trump cancels plan to testify in NY fraud trial

WASHINGTON, Dec 10, 2023 (AFP) – Donald Trump changed his mind about testifying in his own defense in his New York fraud case on Monday, he said, announcing that he will not take the stand as expected because he has “nothing more to say.” The 77-year-old posted the surprise statement on Truth Social on Sunday, adding that he has “already testified to everything” in the ongoing trial against him, his eldest sons Don Jr and […]

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Tennessee tornadoes leave trail of destruction, six dead

WASHINGTON, Dec 10, 2023 (AFP) – Tornadoes tore through the US state of Tennessee on Saturday, leaving at least six people dead, damaging homes and causing blackouts, authorities said. Three people died in a suburb of Nashville, the southeastern state’s capital, while photos posted by the city’s Office of Emergency Management showed downed trees and collapsed homes. “Unfortunately we can confirm there are 3 fatalities as a result of the severe weather on Nesbitt Lane,” […]

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Mexico rattled by 5.8-magnitude earthquake

MEXICO CITY, Dec 7, 2023 (AFP) – A 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook much of central Mexico on Thursday including the capital, prompting people to run into the streets, the country’s seismological institute said. There were no initial reports of damage in Mexico City, a sprawling metropolis of nine million people, Mayor Marti Batres wrote on X, formerly Twitter. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was briefed by civil protection officials and said afterward in a video posted […]

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Las Vegas gunman was professor turned down for job: US media

By Robin GREMMEL LAS VEGAS, Dec 7, 2023 (AFP) – The gunman who killed three people and injured another at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas was an academic who had applied for a professorship but was not hired, US media reported Thursday. The incident at UNLV, a short distance from the gambling hub’s tourist-packed Strip, marked the latest shooting in a country plagued by gun violence, and comes six years after Las Vegas suffered […]

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Suspect arrested after 6 killed, 3 hurt in Texas shooting rampage

HOUSTON, Dec 7, 2023 (AFP) – A Texas gunman has been arrested after a rampage across the US state left six people dead and three injured, including two police officers, authorities said Wednesday. The shooting spree occurred over the span of several hours Tuesday in Austin, where four people were shot dead and the suspect engaged in a shootout with police, and in the San Antonio area where a man and woman were found dead […]

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US Senate blocks Ukraine, Israel aid in row over immigration

By Danny Kemp and Frankie Taggart WASHINGTON, Dec 6, 2023 (AFP) – Republican senators blocked a White House request for $106 billion in emergency aid primarily for Ukraine and Israel Wednesday as conservatives balked at the exclusion of immigration reforms they had demanded as part of the package. The vote marked a significant defeat for President Joe Biden, who had warned Congress earlier in the day that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not stop with […]

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Japan crash prompts grounding of US marine Ospreys

WASHINGTON, Dec 7, 2023 (AFP) – The US military announced Wednesday it was grounding its fleet of V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft following a deadly crash last week off the coast of Japan. The Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement the move was to “mitigate risk while the investigation continues” on the November 29 crash which killed eight US airmen. The Naval Air Systems Command said later Wednesday it was following suit. The […]

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‘Are you not entertained?’ Taylor Swift named Time Person of the Year

By Gregory WALTON, Maggy DONALDSON NEW YORK, Dec 6, 2023 (AFP) – With a prolific musical output, a remarkably bankable tour and a name that’s headline catnip, it’s no surprise that Time Magazine has declared 2023 the Year of Taylor Swift. In its annual issue honoring a Person of the Year — a nearly century-old designation whose recipients include Volodymyr Zelensky, Martin Luther King Jr. and Greta Thunberg — the magazine called music’s reigning deity […]

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Meta sued by New Mexico for child exploitation on Facebook and Instagram

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 6, 2023 (AFP) – The US state of New Mexico filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing Facebook and Instagram of being a “breeding ground” for predators who target children. The new suit comes less than two months after dozens of US states accused Facebook and Instagram owner Meta of profiting “from children’s pain,” damaging their mental health and misleading people about the safety of its platforms. In total more than 40 states are […]

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