Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump signaled support Monday for improving background gun checks amid mounting pressure for reform in the wake of the Florida school shooting, as the accused gunman appeared in court. Nikolas Cruz, charged with killing 17 people, sat silently with his head …
Read More »Florida students to march on Washington in call for gun reform
Washington, United States | AFP | Students who survived a mass shooting at their Florida school on Sunday announced plans to march on Washington in a bid to “shame” politicians into reforming laws that make firearms readily available. The “March for our Lives” will take place on March 24, with …
Read More »Trump says Russia succeeding in sowing US discord
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump, hitting out at the probes and congressional hearings into Russian election meddling, said Sunday Moscow is succeeding beyond its “wildest dreams” if its intention is to sow discord within the United States. “They are laughing their asses off in Moscow. Get …
Read More »US vows investigation into Syria attack involving Russians
Washington, United States | AFP | US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Saturday vowed to investigate an attack involving Russian citizens on American-allied forces in Syria but stopped short of accusing Moscow of orchestrating the assault. Russia has acknowledged that five of its citizens were killed in a US-led coalition …
Read More »Trump turns on FBI over school shooting after criticism from survivors
Fort Lauderdale, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump said Saturday the FBI was so caught up in the Russia probe that it failed to heed signs which could have prevented the Parkland school shooting. His comments came as he faces criticism from survivors of the attack over …
Read More »Russia’s propaganda tools in the 2016 US election
Washington, United States | AFP | Fake social media accounts, rallies for and against Donald Trump, paid protesters: Russia managed a vast propaganda operation to support the Trump campaign in the 2016 presidential election, according to a court indictment. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, investigating possible collusion between the campaign and …
Read More »‘Shame on you!’ student tells Trump at Florida anti-gun rally
Fort Lauderdale, United States | AFP | A student survivor of the Parkland school shooting called out US President Donald Trump on Saturday over his ties to the powerful National Rifle Association, in a poignant address to an anti-gun rally in Florida. “To every politician taking donations from the NRA, …
Read More »Lavrov calls US election meddling claims ‘blabber’
Munich, Germany | AFP | Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday dismissed as “blabber” accusations that Moscow had interfered in the US election that brought President Donald Trump to power. “So as long as we don’t see facts, everything else is blabber,” Lavrov said at the Munich Security Conference, …
Read More »S. Korea’s Moon says ‘too early’ for Pyongyang summit
Pyeongchang, South Korea | AFP | South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in on Saturday said it was too early to think about a summit with North Korea despite the Olympic-driven rapprochement with its nuclear-armed neighbour. Moon last week received an invitation from the North’s leader Kim Jong Un for a summit …
Read More »IMF’s Lagarde warns on rate risk from US tax reform
Paris, France | AFP | IMF chief Christine Lagarde warned Saturday that economic stimulus from US tax cuts may lead to a rapid rise in interest rates which would weigh on countries with high debt levels. The International Monetary Fund was going to be “attentive” to the consequences of the …
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