Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Monday told his South Korean counterpart Washington was willing to approve arms sales worth “many billions of dollars” to Seoul following Pyongyang’s test of what it said was a miniaturized hydrogen bomb. President Trump “provided his conceptual approval for the …
Read More »Debt, sanctions and disrepair: Venezuela’s oil sector in agony
Caracas, Venezuela | AFP | After decades of being Venezuela’s cash cow, the state oil company PDVSA is a ragged shadow of its former self: overburdened, underfed, and in hock to Russian and Chinese creditors. The woes of the group, whose full name is Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., look set to …
Read More »Trump ends amnesty for 800,000 young immigrants
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Tuesday ended an amnesty that protected from deportation 800,000 people brought to the United States illegally as minors. “I am here today to announce that the program known as DACA that was effectuated under the Obama Administration is being rescinded,” Trump’s …
Read More »Europe rights court backs employee fired over private messages
Strasbourg, France | AFP | Europe’s top rights court ruled Tuesday in favour of a Romanian man fired by his employer over private messages sent at work, overturning a previous decision with wide ramifications for privacy in the workplace. The apex body of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) …
Read More »Danish submarine inventor in court over journalist’s death
Copenhagen, Denmark | AFP | A Danish submarine inventor being held over the grisly death of Swedish journalist Kim Wall is to appear in a Copenhagen court on Tuesday, where the suspicions against him could be ramped up to murder. Peter Madsen is expected to appear in person at …
Read More »Putin warns of ‘global catastrophe’ in N.Korea impasse
Xiamen, China | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Tuesday of a global “catastrophe” unless a diplomatic solution over North Korea is reached, saying imposing further sanctions on Pyongyang would be useless. Putin’s comments, following an international summit in China, came after the United States called for the “strongest …
Read More »US says N. Korea ‘begging for war,’ pushes for tougher UN sanctions
United Nations, United States | AFP | The US has accused North Korea of “begging for war” and pushed for the “strongest possible measures” on Pyongyang following its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. As world powers scramble to react to the latest grave step in the North’s rogue weapons …
Read More »Total sells Norwegian assets to Kuwait
Paris, France | AFP | French oil giant Total said Monday it has agreed to sell its remaining stake in a Norwegian oil field to Kuwait so that it can focus on its recent acquisition of Denmark’s Maersk Oil. “Total has signed an agreement to divest its remaining 15-percent interest in …
Read More »Merkel ahead as Schulz fails to land knock-out punch in sole debate
Berlin, Germany | AFP | Angela Merkel appeared to be powering ahead Monday to a fourth term as chancellor of Germany, after her rival Martin Schulz failed to halt her advance in a crucial televised debate three weeks before elections. Sunday’s prime-time TV clash had been billed as Schulz’s last chance …
Read More »N. Korea could be preparing new missile launch: Seoul
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea could be preparing another missile launch, Seoul said Monday as it strengthened its defences following Pyongyang’s biggest-ever nuclear test and declaration it had a hydrogen bomb. The South and the United States will deploy more of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile …
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