Washington, United States | AFP |President Donald Trump heaped pressure on US lawmakers Monday to pass a health care reform bill before Congress goes on its August recess, with Republicans teetering on the edge of a potentially major failure. As Senators returned for work in Washington after a week off, …
Read More »Turkey marks failed coup that changed country
Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | Turkey marks one year on July 15 since a coup attempt aiming to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that failed within hours but etched far-reaching consequences into its society and politics. The country is in the throes of the biggest purge in its history against …
Read More »Cardinal Pell back in Australia to face abuse charges
Embed from Getty Images Sydney, Australia | AFP | Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell arrived back in Australia on Monday ahead of a court appearance later this month over historical sex abuse charges. The 76-year-old, a top advisor to Pope Francis, touched down in Sydney and was met …
Read More »Stormy G20 ends with opt-outs for Trump on climate, trade
Hamburg, Germany | AFP | World leaders made concessions on trade and climate language to Donald Trump Saturday at the end of the most fractious and riot-hit G20 summit ever, in exchange for preserving a fragile unity of the club of major industrialised and emerging economies. In a departure from final …
Read More »1,200 Fiat 500s mass for iconic car’s 60th birthday
Garlenda, Italy | AFP | More than 1,200 Fiat 500s from across Europe revved into the Italian foothills on Saturday to mark the 60th birthday of the iconic little car. The Italian classic took its first spin on July 4, 1957. Eighteen years later, more than 4.2 million had rolled …
Read More »Mosul victory imminent, US says, as Iraqi forces celebrate
Mosul, Iraq | AFP | Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in areas they control. The Islamic State group seized Mosul in a lightning offensive on June 10, 2014 …
Read More »In first talks, Trump presses Putin on meddling
Hamburg, Germany | AFP |Donald Trump pressed Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday on allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 US election in their eagerly-awaited first face-to-face talks, according to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. “The president opened the meeting with President Putin by raising the concerns of …
Read More »Netanyahu slams UNESCO Hebron vote, cuts funding
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP |Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed a UNESCO vote Friday declaring old Hebron an endangered world heritage site and announced a $1-million cut in funding to the United Nations. “It is another delusional decision by UNESCO,” Netanyahu said in Hebrew, in a video posted online. “This …
Read More »US, Russia agree on ceasefire in south Syria from Sunday: Lavrov
Hamburg, Germany | AFP |Russia and the United States have agreed to a ceasefire in southern Syria starting from midday on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced Friday in Hamburg. “Today in Amman Russian, American and Jordanian experts… agreed on a memorandum of understanding to create a de-escalation zone” …
Read More »Trump, Putin hold first meeting at protest-marred G20 summit
Putin warns against ‘losing cool’ on N.Korea Hamburg, Germany | AFP | US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face meeting Friday at a G20 summit marred by violent protests and a rift between America and its Western allies over climate change and trade. “We …
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