Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump will dissolve his charitable foundation — which acknowledged breaking federal rules on “self-dealing” last year — once an investigation concludes, US media reported Monday. In December, Trump vowed to shutter the organization to avoid any conflicts of interest, after it was …
Read More »Trump declares North Korea state sponsor of terror
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday even as his top diplomat said Washington has not given up hope of a negotiated end to its nuclear standoff with Kim Jong-Un’s regime. Trump promised a rapid ramp-up of US …
Read More »Pope urges police to show ‘mercy’ in traffic stops
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis on Monday called on police to show “mercy” during traffic stops while standing firm against those who use the streets as their own Formula 1 race track. Meeting with representatives of the Italian traffic and railway police, the Argentine-born pontiff spoke …
Read More »Libya slave auctions may be crime against humanity: UN chief
United Nations, United States | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday he was horrified by video footage showing migrants being sold as slaves in Libya and that these auctions should be investigated as possible crimes against humanity. US television network CNN aired the footage last week of an apparent live …
Read More »US military in Japan under alcohol ban after accident
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | US Forces in Japan banned all personnel from consuming alcohol after a drink-driving accident on the island of Okinawa where anti-base sentiment runs high. A US Marine crashed his vehicle into a mini-truck at an intersection on Sunday, killing the other driver, 61. The 21-year-old, …
Read More »EU to vote on relocation of agencies after Brexit
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The fight for some of the most prized spoils of Brexit comes to a climax on Monday when 27 EU states pick the new host cities for two London-based regulatory agencies. In a process only half-jokingly compared to the Eurovision Song Contest, ministers will vote …
Read More »‘Robo-taxis’ hold promise, and perils, for automakers
Paris, France | AFP | It’s November 22, 2028 and Sarah, a young mother, gives her two children a kiss goodbye before buckling them into the driverless car that will bring them to school. Sarah doesn’t have a car and has no plans to buy one. Living in a suburb, she …
Read More »France to take in refugees rescued from Libya by UN
Paris, France | AFP | France will be the first to welcome African refugees evacuated from Libya to NIger by the United Nations refugee agency, French officials announced Monday. After experiencing appalling living conditions at camps in the north African country, the refugees were taken to Niger on November 11 by …
Read More »Honda recalls 800,000 minivans over faulty seats
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Honda is recalling about 800,000 of its Odyssey minivans in the United States over faulty parts blamed for 46 minor injuries, the company said, just a month after settling a huge lawsuit on other defects. The recall, which affects the 2011-2017 models sold in the US, …
Read More »Germany in political turmoil as coalition talks fail
Berlin, Germany | AFP | Chancellor Angela Merkel was left scrambling for ways to drag Germany out of crisis Monday after high-stakes talks to form a new government collapsed, potentially forcing Europe’s top economy into snap elections. Germany now faces weeks, if not months of paralysis with a lame-duck government that …
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