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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — A United States warship has sailed through the Taiwan Strait, Taipei’s defence ministry said Friday, the first such passage since the island resoundingly re-elected its independence-leaning president. The warship was on a “routine mission”, the ministry said, as it traversed the stretch of water that divides the self-ruling island from the authoritarian Chinese mainland. The waterway bristles with hardware on both sides and China views any sail-by as a breach […]
PARIS, France (AFP) – Stuart WILLIAMS Global decision-makers gather in Davos starting Tuesday for their annual meeting, with challenges facing the planet — from climate change to conflict in the Middle East — as imposing as the Alps that surround the Swiss resort. Observers fear the annual World Economic Forum will serve only to again expose the differences between East and West, the US and the EU, and business and activists in combating the most […]
SARAJEVO, BOSNIA AND HERZGOVINA (AFP) – Rusmir SMAJILHODZIC and Emmy VARLEY in Belgrade As winter grips the Balkans, the poor are caught in a cruel bind, being forced to light fires at home for heating while fuelling a pollution crisis smothering the region. In recent weeks, Balkan capitals from Belgrade Sarajevo to Skopje and Pristina have been ranked among the world’s top 10 most polluted major cities, according to the monitoring application AirVisual. While […]
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — A 5.3 magnitude earthquake shook the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca on Thursday, causing some damage, according to local authorities. The quake struck south of Ciudad Ixtepec, according to the National Seismological Service. “There is damage in the area near the isthmus due to tonight’s earthquake. We are monitoring the area,” state Civil Protection authorities said on Twitter. The local Civil Protection coordinator, Heliodoro Diaz, separately said that two houses […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Heavy rain fell on bushfires in eastern Australia Friday for a second straight day, offering further relief from a months-long crisis, but dozens of blazes remained out of control. This week’s wet weather has given exhausted firefighters a major boost in battling unprecedented blazes that have been fuelled by climate change and drought. The fires have claimed 28 lives, scorched massive tracts of pristine forests and destroyed thousands of homes. Following […]
SUVA, Fiji (AFP) — Fiji opened evacuation centers and warned of “destructive force winds” as Tropical Cyclone Tino took aim at the Pacific island nation on Friday. The Fiji Meteorological Service said the cyclone was approaching from the north and strengthening as it headed for Fiji’s second-largest island, Vanua Levu. “We have told them to be prepared, the Ministry of Education has shut down all schools, the evacuation centers are open as well. So, everyone, […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — A second person has died in China from a mystery virus that has stricken dozens and appeared in two other Asian countries, officials said. Local authorities said a 69-year-old man died on Wednesday in Wuhan, the central Chinese city believed to be the epicenter of an outbreak of a coronavirus from the same family as the deadly SARS pathogen. The outbreak has caused alarm because of the link with SARS (Severe […]
DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Qatar scrapped mandatory exit permits for migrant domestic staff and other groups on Thursday, as part of efforts to boost rights for guest workers amid scrutiny of its record. Previously all foreigners working permanently in the gas-rich country required authorization from bosses to leave, but now only military personnel will routinely require such a dispensation. Qatar has made a series of reforms to its employment regulations since being selected to host […]
TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Friday he wants to avoid war after Tehran and Washington appeared on the brink of direct military confrontation in early January for the second time in less than a year. Ahead of parliamentary elections on February 21 — predicted to be a challenge for Rouhani’s camp — and amid high tensions between Tehran and the West over Iran’s nuclear program, the president said dialogue with the […]
by Paul HANDLEY Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Articles of impeachment charging President Donald Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress will be formally read to the Senate Thursday, setting in motion a historic trial that threatens the US leader with removal from office. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will then be sworn in to preside over the trial and senators sworn in as jurors, as preparations get […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — A trade deal signed Wednesday between Washington and Beijing has “considerably addressed the concerns” of both sides, said Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, as the world’s two biggest economies marked a truce in the lingering trade impasse. Liu, who led negotiations for Beijing, added in a briefing with Chinese media that the freshly-inked “phase one” deal bears both economic and political significance, reported the official Xinhua news agency. The US and […]
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (AFP) — Search teams found the bodies of 14 people buried by avalanches and heavy snowfall in Pakistani-administered Kashmir Wednesday, with harsh weather hampering rescuers as they race to find any survivors, officials said. The death toll from days of bad weather now stands at 76 in Kashmir, and at least 100 across the country, according to a statement from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Most were killed in Kashmir’s picturesque Neelum […]
