Pyongyang, North Korea | AFP | North Korea executed its special envoy to the United States following the collapse of the second summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper reported Friday. The Chosun Ilbo said Kim Hyok Chol, who laid the groundwork for the …
Read More »Pope to ‘go beyond fear’ in Romania
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis heads to Romania on Friday with a message of integration not just for its faith communities but for a post-election European Union, following nationalist gains. During the three-day trip to the mainly Orthodox country, which sits at the crossroads of Western and Eastern …
Read More »Huawei a key beneficiary of China subsidies that US wants ended
Beijing, China | AFP | A replica of the Palace of Versailles, medieval turrets, and spires rise across Huawei’s new campus in southern China, a monument to the telecom giant’s growing fortune — and the benefits of state aid. The fairytale-like facilities rest on land that was sold by the local …
Read More »Trump would be ‘in handcuffs’ if not president, says Democrat Warren
Washington, United States | AFP | Democratic White House hopeful Elizabeth Warren said Thursday that if Donald Trump were not protected by his presidential status, he would be “in handcuffs and indicted” for obstructing the investigation into Russia’s 2016 election interference. The progressive US senator from Massachusetts, one of the leading …
Read More »Mahathir says Malaysia will use Huawei ‘as much as possible’
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Malaysia will continue using Huawei products “as much as possible,” bucking a global trend prompted by security concerns and a US ban on the Chinese firm, the country’s prime minister said Thursday. Mahathir Mohamad, speaking at a conference in Tokyo, acknowledged the security concerns but said …
Read More »White House wanted USS McCain ‘hidden’ from Trump: reports
Washington, United States | AFP | The White House requested a Navy ship bearing the name of US President Donald Trump’s late rival senator John McCain be kept “out of sight” during a recent presidential trip to Japan, US media reported Wednesday. The request came from an official who …
Read More »Huawei asks US court to throw out federal ban
Shenzhen, China | AFP | Chinese telecom giant Huawei stepped up its legal battle on Wednesday to overturn US legislation barring American federal agencies from buying its products amid an escalating high-tech dispute. Huawei filed suit against the US bill in March, calling it “unconstitutional” and saying the US Congress had …
Read More »From European dream to global giant: Airbus marks half century
Paris, France | AFP | Fifty years ago at the Paris air show, France’s transport minister and Germany’s economy minister signed an agreement that would change aviation history. The year was 1969 and Europe needed a smaller, lighter and more cost-effective passenger aircraft than American rivals. Five years later, the A300B2 …
Read More »Renault and Fiat Chrysler flirt with audacious mega-merger
Paris, France | AFP | French automaker Renault said Monday that it would study “with interest” a 50-50 merger proposal from Fiat Chrysler, a deal that could reshape the industry as Renault reviews its options following the arrest in Japan of its chief executive. Renault had for years tied its strategy …
Read More »Britain’s Brexit Party triumph raises chances of no-deal
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Nigel Farage’s anti-EU Brexit party topped European Parliament polls in Britain, putting intense pressure on the ruling Conservatives who suffered a historic rout and raising the chances of a no-deal outcome. The populist party, founded just three months ago, capitalised on public anger over delays …
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