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BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — The agreement reached on Tuesday for Syrian rebels to withdraw from their one-time bastion of east Aleppo is the latest by opposition forces surrounded by government forces. For much of the conflict in Syria, the government has promoted “local reconciliation” deals that have often involved the evacuation from opposition territory of civilians and rebels who have surrendered. The government says such deals are the best way to end the conflict that […]
ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Turkey confirmed Tuesday that a ceasefire deal was agreed following talks between the Syrian opposition and Russia, which would mean rebels evacuating from war-ravaged eastern Aleppo. The agreement comes as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime is close to recapturing all of east Aleppo, which rebels have held since 2012. “We can confirm there is a ceasefire in the city after talks between Russian military and the opposition in eastern Aleppo,” Turkish […]
by Maram MAZEN CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a bomb attack on a Cairo church that killed 25 people, the first claim for one of the worst attacks on the Coptic Christian community in recent memory. IS identified the suicide bomber who carried out Sunday’s attack by the pseudonym Abu Abdallah al-Masri in a statement circulated on social media on Tuesday. The bomber “got in between the […]
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Bill Gates on Tuesday called on Donald Trump to inspire Americans to embrace innovation as John F. Kennedy once did by urging them to fly to the moon. “In the same way President Kennedy talked about the space mission and got the country behind that,” the Microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist told MSNBC, “I think whether it’s education or stopping epidemics… there can be a very upbeat message that (Trump’s) administration (is) […]
by Jean-Louis Doublet Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump’s pick of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state on Tuesday mirrors the case of Dick Cheney, another oil industry executive tapped for a top Republican administration post. When former president George W. Bush selected Cheney as his choice for running mate in 2000, the future vice president had spent five years as chairman and CEO of Halliburton, the world’s second-largest […]
by Rim Haddad Agence France Presse ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) – Once renowned for its bustling souks, grand citadel and historic gates, Aleppo’s Old City has been rendered virtually unrecognisable by some of the worst violence of Syria’s war. For centuries, Aleppo was Syria’s economic and cultural powerhouse, attracting tourists from around the world to its celebrated heritage sites. But now, only gaunt stray cats roam the rubble-strewn alleyways of its Old City, a UNESCO World […]
by Eugenia LOGIURATTO Agence France Presse BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) – Brazil’s Senate on Tuesday approved a 20-year government spending freeze billed as the centerpiece of austerity reforms aimed at restoring economic health to the troubled Latin American giant. The upper house voted 53 to 16 to lock in the spending ceiling. Center-right President Michel Temer says tough measures are needed to get Brazil’s finances back under control, but his austerity policies have prompted violent protests […]
by Becca MILFELD Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday tapped ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson as his nominee to be secretary of state, despite concerns on both sides of the political aisle about the oilman’s deep ties to Russia. The nomination was the one most awaited by observers at home and abroad as the 70-year-old Republican billionaire builds his cabinet before taking office on January 20 — and […]
by Aurélia END Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – IMF boss Christine Lagarde faced a grilling Tuesday, the second day of her trial, over the “colossal” damages payout authorised for a tycoon while she was French finance minister. Presiding judge Martine Ract Madoux forced the head of the International Monetary Fund on the defensive as she questioned why 45 million euros ($48 million) had been paid to Bernard Tapie in compensation. These so-called “moral […]
by Luc Olinga Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to slap punitive tariffs on Chinese goods is a worry for firms that trade with the country in the US Midwest, a decisive region in the Republican’s election triumph. Strong support across America’s “Rust Belt,” and frustration at lost industrial jobs blamed on globalization, carried Trump to victory last month in key battleground states, including Michigan and Ohio. But […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan is postponing a summit with China and South Korea, the government said Tuesday, after the impeachment of South Korean President President Park Geun-Hye. The Asian powers were planning to hold an annual trilateral gathering this month in Japan, which is the rotating chair. South Korea’s parliament voted Friday to impeach Park, who is engulfed in a scandal over her friendship with a long-time confidante who has been charged with meddling […]
by Maria Panina with Ursula Hyzyin Tokyo Agence France Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to Japan Thursday to meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the latest bid to reach an elusive deal on a territorial dispute that has prevented their nations signing a formal treaty to end World War II. Abe will host Putin at the hot springs in his ancestral city of Nagato in the hope of breaking the […]
