International

House speaker won’t ‘defend’ Trump, as Clinton poll lead grows

by Ivan Couronne with Michael Mathes in Washington DETRIOT, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump’s presidential aspirations took more tough hits Monday as the nation’s top elected Republican all but conceded the race to Hillary Clinton, who returned to the campaign trail invigorated by polls showing her lead expanding. With Trump’s campaign already teetering on the precipice after revelations of his lewd comments about women, House Speaker Paul Ryan told fellow Republican lawmakers that he […]

Trump still alive, but Republican Party in tatters

by Jerome CARTILLIER WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — After nearly 18 months of vitriolic campaigning and two incendiary presidential debates, it is clear that the 2016 race for the White House is truly like no other. The release of a 2005 video containing lewd and sexist comments made by Republican nominee Donald Trump has further roiled his party, which was already in tatters and without a path forward. Now, many party stalwarts have abandoned their […]

Russia, Turkey sign pipeline accord after crisis

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – by Fulya OZERKAN Stuart WILLIAMS Russia and Turkey on Monday signed an agreement to build a gas pipeline under the Black Sea, as President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to intensify relations after a bitter crisis. Making his first visit to Turkey since the shooting down of a Russian war plane by Turkey led to the worst dispute between Ankara and Moscow since the Cold War, Putin […]

Contract theory earns pair Nobel Economics Prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AFP) – by Pia OHLIN Two US-based academics won the Nobel Economics Prize on Monday for groundbreaking research on contract theory that has helped design insurance policies, executive pay and even prison management. Oliver Hart, a British-American economist, and Bengt Holmstrom of Finland “have developed contract theory, a comprehensive framework for analysing many diverse issues in contractual design, like performance-based pay for top executives, deductibles and co-pays in insurance, and the privatisation of public-sector […]

Germany fetes Syrian ‘heroes’ who nabbed bomb plot suspect

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – Germany on Monday hailed three Syrians who helped police capture a compatriot suspected of planning a jihadist bomb attack, with social media coming alive with jibes against anti-migrant protesters. “Syrian turns in terror suspect. I’m celebrating this. What about you, Pegida and co?” said Julia Frick on Twitter, in reference to the Islamophobic movement that has been ranting against migrants in the eastern city of Dresden. Another Twitter user took a […]

Trump, Clinton hit campaign trail after fiery debate

WHITE PLAINS, United States (AFP) – by Ivan Couronne Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on Monday headed back to the campaign trail after a fiery presidential debate, with the Republican looking to bounce back after a weekend that crippled his White House bid. With just over four weeks to go before American voters head to the ballot boxes to choose their next commander-in-chief, the candidates traveled to swing states — Trump to Pennsylvania and Clinton to […]

Saudi says $60 oil ‘not unthinkable’ by year-end

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Saudi Arabia said on Monday it was “not unthinkable” that the price of crude oil could surge to $60 a barrel by the end of the year but warned against drastic production cuts that might shock markets. Speaking in the opening keynote speech at the World Energy Congress in Istanbul, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said that whatever the oil price the kingdom was in good shape to implement its reform […]

Taiwan calls for renewed talks with China

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday called for a resumption of talks with China and pledged that “anything” can be on the table for discussion. Relations with Beijing have deteriorated under Taiwan’s first female president, whose China-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took office in May after a landslide victory over the Kuomintang party (KMT). Tsai has refused to accept the concept of “one China”, prompting Beijing to cut off all official […]

Africa unites to battle pirates and illegal fishing

PARIS, France (AFP) — Africa will come together to battle piracy and illegal fishing for the first time at an African Union maritime security summit that kicks off in Togo on October 15. The continent urgently needs to fight “extremely high stakes” piracy and illegal fishing in its waters by joining forces over policy and working to raise necessary funds, Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey told AFP ahead of the meeting. Why is this meeting […]

German police arrest Syrian bomb plot suspect

by Hui Min NEO BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — German police on Monday arrested a Syrian man suspected of plotting a jihadist bomb attack, after a massive manhunt lasting almost two days. Security had been stepped up at airports and train stations after Jaber Albakr, 22, went on the run Saturday, when police raided his apartment and found several hundred grams of “an explosive substance more dangerous than TNT”. “We’ve succeeded, really overjoyed: the terror suspect […]

Putin in Turkey to push energy deals despite Syria crisis

by Stuart WILLIAMS ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Turkey on Monday for talks with counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pushing forward ambitious joint energy projects as the two sides try to overcome a crisis in ties. Only a few months ago, Putin and Erdogan were exchanging acrimonious accusations over Syria. But the pair are expected to reaffirm their commitment to the planned TurkStream gas pipeline to pump Russian gas under the Black […]

Trump lambasted for Clinton jail threat

ST. LOUIS, United States (AFP) — A chorus of critics painted Donald Trump as a dictator in the making Sunday, after he threatened to imprison Hillary Clinton if he wins the White House. Trump was called “dangerous,” “unfit” to be president and drew a series of unfavorable comparisons to Venezuela and Russia after he told his rival he would have her jailed if he were victorious in November. “If I win, I’m going to instruct […]