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by Thomas WATKINS Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — New Pentagon chief James Mattis on Wednesday heads to South Korea and Japan, where he will seek to reassure the key US allies about American security commitments in the region. The defense secretary’s visit marks the first overseas trip of any senior official in the government of President Donald Trump, who suggested while campaigning that America’s longstanding role in Northeast Asia could change. “The trip […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, one of the world’s most recognized South Koreans, announced Wednesday he will not stand for the presidency of his country. Ban returned home last month after a decade in New York and was widely expected to run in elections due this year, but his putative candidacy ran into a series of stumbles. “I will withdraw from politics,” he told reporters at a press conference. […]
by Yemeli ORTEGA Agence France Presse MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexicans are replacing profile pictures on social media with their country’s flag. Others are calling for boycotts of American products like Coca-Cola and Starbucks. US President Donald Trump’s vow to make Mexicans pay for a massive border wall has not only caused a diplomatic row, it has sparked patriotic fervor south of the border. On Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, people are using the hashtag […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated federal appellate judge Neil Gorsuch as his Supreme Court nominee, tilting the balance of the court back in the conservatives’ favor. “He will make an incredible justice as soon as the Senate confirms him,” Trump said at the White House, before ceding the podium to Gorsuch, who has served on the Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver, Colorado since 2006. © […]
by Clément SABOURIN Agence France Presse QUEBEC CITY, Canada (AFP) — Alexandre Bissonnette cut a low profile as a shy, withdrawn political science student, keen on far-right ideas. Now, he stands accused of gunning down six worshippers at a Quebec mosque in one of the worst attacks ever to target Muslims in a western country. The 27-year old grew up in a quiet suburb of Quebec City, posting online about friends, family and food. He studied […]
by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Senate Democrats blocked committee votes Tuesday on two of Donald Trump’s nominations for key cabinet posts, drawing White House charges of obstruction amid sharpening partisan tensions. “Today Senate Finance Democrats refused to move forward with nominations of Mnuchin & Price,” Senator Ron Wyden, top Democrat on the finance committee, said on Twitter, referring to Treasury secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin and Tom Price, […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries singled out for “extreme vetting” will face scrutiny of their social media footprint and phone records, the new Homeland Security secretary said Tuesday. Secretary John Kelly sought to explain President Donald Trump’s travel ban four days after he issued it with no warning, setting off mass protests, legal challenges and confusion. “There are many countries, seven that we are dealing with right now, that […]
by Andrew BEATTY Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – US President Donald Trump has crushed the most defiant display yet of official opposition to his immigration and refugee restrictions — but resistance continued to spread Tuesday, inside and outside the government. Trump’s swift dismissal of acting attorney general Sally Yates for refusing to defend his executive orders capped a night of high drama, Washington-style, that drew comparisons with a flurry of urgent housekeeping […]
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday sharpened his criticism of the US ban on travellers from seven Muslim nations, saying such “blind measures” are unlikely to be effective in fighting terrorism. Guterres said countries seeking to strengthen control of their borders cannot do so “based on any form of discrimination related to religion, ethnicity or nationality.” Such discrimination “triggers widespread anxiety and anger that may facilitate the propaganda of the […]
by Andrew Beatty / Olivia Hampton WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Monday fired the acting attorney general, a holdover from the Obama administration, after she ordered Justice Department attorneys not to defend his controversial immigration orders. In a sharply worded statement, the White House called Sally Yates “weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration” and also criticized Democrats for not yet confirming the appointment of attorney general-designate […]
MEXICO VITY, Mexico (Reuters) — Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said Friday’s conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump had left room for more dialogue as the two governments to look to navigate troubled relations. Trump wants a wall on the U.S. southern border to keep out illegal immigrants and says Mexico will pay for it. Mexico has flatly refused, making the issue a point of national pride, a point Pena Nieto reiterated in a video […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea’s defense chief and his new US counterpart vowed Tuesday to push ahead with a plan to deploy a US anti-missile system this year, Seoul’s military said, despite angry protests by China. The two allies last year announced the plan to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system following a series of atomic and missile tests by nuclear-armed North Korea. New US Defense Secretary James Mattis and […]
