International

Neighborhoods west of Denver evacuated ahead of fast-moving wildfire

  COLORADO, United States (Reuters) —  fast-growing wildfire prompted the evacuation on Monday (November 28) from an area of Green Mountain, Colorado, NBC said. The blaze charred about 300 acres and could be seen as far as 12 miles (19.31 km) away from Denver, according to local media. Firefighters managed to contain some 70 percent of the blaze, officials said. The fire was spreading in the mountains despite the cold weather with temperatures as low […]

S. Korea president says willing to leave office early

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea’s scandal-hit President Park Geun-Hye said Tuesday she was willing to stand down early and would let parliament decide on her fate. “I will leave the issue of my departure, including the (possible) reduction of my term in office, to a decision by the National Assembly”, she said in a speech carried live on television. “Once lawmakers come up with measures to transfer power in a way that minimises any […]

Ohio stabbing suspect identified as Abdul Razak Ali Artan-police

  OHIO, United States (Reuters) — The man who drove a car into a crowd of pedestrians at Ohio State University (OSU) before jumping out and stabbing bystanders Monday morning has been identified as Abdul Razal Ali Artan, OSU’s director of public safety Monica Moll told reporters on Monday (November 28). Abdul Razak Ali Artan, a student at the university, was shot and killed within minutes of plowing into the group by police officer Alan […]

Canadian military pilot killed in fighter jet crash in training area

ONTARIO, Canada (Reuters) — A Canadian CF-18 fighter pilot was killed on Monday (November 28) when his single-seat jet crashed in a training area near Cold Lake, Alberta, the country’s military said. Canada’s Minister of National Defense, Harjit Sajjan, said the military is investigating the cause. “The department and the Air Force are on scene, and they’re going to allow them the space to be able to do their work to find out what has […]

Putin, Iran’s Rouhani back OPEC bid to stabilise oil prices

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Monday expressed support for OPEC’s plans to limit the cartel’s output ahead of a crucial meeting this week. In a telephone conversation, the two leaders said the cartel’s efforts were “an essential element” for returning stability to global oil prices, a Kremlin statement said. “The importance of steps taken by OPEC to limit the production of commodities was emphasized as […]

Presidents attending, skipping Castro’s funeral rites

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) — African and Latin American heads of state will attend funeral rites for Cuba’s communist icon Fidel Castro on Tuesday, but US President Barack Obama and several European leaders are staying away. Three days after his death at age 90, the list of attendees and absentees highlights the polarizing effect of the major Cold War player. Western absences – Barack Obama: While the US leader and Fidel’s brother, Cuban President Raul Castro, […]

Exodus as Syria rebels lose northeast Aleppo

by Karam al-Masri with Sara Hussein in Beirut ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) — Syria’s rebels lost all of the northern neighborhoods of their stronghold in east Aleppo on Monday, as the army made significant advances in its offensive to recapture the entire city. The regime gains have prompted an exodus of thousands of desperate civilians, some fleeing to districts held by the government or Kurdish forces, others heading south into areas still under opposition control. “The […]

Trump threatens to ‘terminate’ US-Cuba thaw

by Michael Mathes WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Monday threatened to end the US thaw with Cuba unless Havana makes key concessions, potentially upending the historic rapprochement engineered by the White House, which insists the opening serves American interests. Trump’s tough comments sparked a flurry of speculation about the incoming Republican administration’s policies regarding the communist-ruled island, and come after former leader Fidel Castro’s death Friday. “If Cuba is unwilling to […]

Ohio State attacker was a university student: officials

COLOMBUS, United States (AFP) — Police identified the assailant who rammed his car into a crowd of pedestrians at Ohio State University Monday and attacked them with a butcher knife, as student Abdul Razak Ali Artan. “We can tell you the suspect is an OSU student,” Craig Stone, police chief at the university, told a news conference at which officials released the name of the suspect, who was shot dead by police. “We do not […]

S.Africa’s Zuma on the ropes as resignation calls grow

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) – by Ben Sheppard South African President Jacob Zuma on Monday faced the biggest challenge to his leadership since taking power in 2009 as the ruling ANC party debated his future and calls grew for him to resign. Zuma has been hit by a series of corruption scandals and damaging court rulings this year, while the ANC suffered a sharp setback in local polls in August and unemployment has hit a 13-year […]

In major blow, Syria rebels lose all northeast Aleppo

ALEPPO, Syria (AFP ) – by Karam al-Masri with Sara Hussein in Beirut Syria’s rebels lost all of the northern neighbourhoods of their stronghold in east Aleppo on Monday, as the army made significant advances in its offensive to recapture the entire city. The regime gains have prompted an exodus of thousands of desperate civilians, some fleeing to districts held by the government or Kurdish forces, others heading south into areas still under opposition control. […]

Cubans begin emotional farewell to Fidel Castro

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) – by Laurent THOMET Massive crowds of Cubans streamed onto Havana’s iconic Revolution Square to pay tribute to Fidel Castro on Monday, kicking off an emotional, week-long farewell to the divisive Cold War titan. Long lines of mourners, many of whom had been waiting since before dawn, filled the square as the memorial began with a salvo of 21 cannon shots from a colonial fort overlooking Havana harbor. They filed silently past […]