Washington, United States | AFP | Former US president Barack Obama took on a new high-profile role as Father Christmas on Wednesday for a surprise visit to sick children in Washington. Sporting a festive Santa hat and armed with a sack of gifts, he delighted young patients at Children’s National …
Read More »Now, Trump orders full withdrawal of US troops from Syria
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States will withdraw all of its troops from Syria, a US official said Wednesday, after President Donald Trump claimed America has “defeated ISIS” in the war-ravaged country. The stunning move will have extraordinary geopolitical ramifications — and plunges into uncertainty the fate …
Read More »Pope accepts US bishop’s resignation over ‘misconduct’ with minor
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Los Angeles auxiliary bishop Alexander Salazar over his “misconduct” with a minor, the Vatican said Wednesday. The case is the latest in a litany of child sexual abuse scandals to have rocked the Roman Catholic Church …
Read More »Trump plans full withdrawal of US troops from Syria
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States will withdraw its troops from Syria, a US official told AFP on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump said America has “defeated ISIS” in the war-ravaged country. The move will have extraordinary geopolitical ramifications and throws into question the fate of US-backed Kurdish …
Read More »Pennsylvania lets Uber self-driving cars back on roads
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Authorities in the US state of Pennsylvania have given Uber the green light to resume testing self-driving cars, the ride-sharing giant said Tuesday, after a fatal crash in Arizona prompted a pause. Uber said it had received authorization to put autonomous cars back …
Read More »US offers $4.5 bn investment in Central America, Mexico
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States, hoping to stem migration, said Tuesday it was ready to support $4.5 billion in investment in Central America and southern Mexico. The United States promised to back new Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s push for development in Central America, the …
Read More »Journalists become increasing ‘targets’ for killings: watchdog
Washington, United States | AFP | Journalists faced growing dangers of being targeted for killing for their work in 2018 even as the risks from war and conflict declined, a media watchdog said Wednesday. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 34 of the 53 journalists killed on duty this year …
Read More »$5 billion for his border wall? Trump eases shutdown threat
Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump has stood firm for days: no spending deal to keep government operating if Congress does not approve $5 billion to build a US-Mexico border wall. On Tuesday he softened his position. “We have other ways that we can get to that …
Read More »Latest Spider-Man spin-off scales box office heights
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” snared North American viewers in its web this weekend, earning $35.4 million in ticket sales, final figures showed Monday. Sony’s action-packed animation sees Peter Parker make way for Miles Morales as Spider-Man — a black, Latino character new to …
Read More »Jesuits release list of 89 US priests accused of sex abuse
Chicago, United States | AFP | Jesuit authorities for 20 US states on Monday released the names of 89 priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse dating as far back as 1950. The disclosures by the Jesuit provinces of Maryland and USA Midwest are the latest chapter in the …
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