Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea has conducted a fifth nuclear test, its most powerful to date, South Korea’s President Park Geun-Hye said Friday, condemning the move as an act of “self-destruction” that would deepen its isolation. The test will send tensions soaring over the North’s nuclear and …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Trump’s Mexico trip haunts president
Mexico City, Mexico | AFP | Donald Trump may have visited Mexico for only a few hours, but President Enrique Pena Nieto is still feeling political pain from last week’s ridiculed meeting with the White House hopeful. Public anger over the trip continues to flare even after felling Pena Nieto’s …
Read More »China exports down 2.8% in August on-year
Beijing, China | AFP | China’s imports rose 1.5 percent year-on-year in August, figures showed Thursday, the first increase in nearly two years, in a positive sign for the world’s second-largest economy. Exports dropped 2.8 percent on-year to $190.6 billion, a smaller fall than the median forecast in a survey …
Read More »Apple makes splash with waterproof iPhones
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Apple is out to make a splash with new waterproof iPhones, a smartphone game starring Nintendo’s beloved “Mario” and a push on wireless headphones. The iPhone 7 and larger iPhone 7 Plus, with sophisticated camera technology, improved water resistance and other features, were …
Read More »Denmark to pay for Panama Papers data on tax evaders
Copenhagen, Denmark | AFP | The Danish government said on Wednesday it would pay an anonymous source for leaked data from the Panama Papers on hundreds of Danish taxpayers. “We must use the necessary measures to catch the tax evaders hiding fortunes in for example Panama with the aim to …
Read More »WHO: Safe sex for 6 months after visting Zika-hit areas
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization on Tuesday toughened its advice on preventing the spread of Zika, saying anyone returning from areas hit by the virus should practise safe sex for six months afterwards. The updated guidelines mean the UN health body’s recommendations regarding sexual transmission are …
Read More »Disgraced Bill Cosby faces June 5 sex assault trial
Norristown, United States | AFP | Disgraced US megastar Bill Cosby is due to stand trial for sexual assault on June 5, 2017 in what could see up to 13 other alleged victims testify against the award-winning comedian turned pariah. Judge Steven O’Neill set the date after the 79-year-old pioneering …
Read More »Five things to take away from the G20 summit
Hangzhou, China | AFP | This year’s most exclusive and closely-watched diplomatic party –- the G20 summit –- saw presidents and prime ministers from countries representing 85 percent of the global economy gather in the Chinese city of Hangzhou. How did the first China-hosted G20 go? While analysts correctly foresaw …
Read More »Fertile times for Europe’s populist parties
Vienna, Austria | AFP | Alternative for Germany is not the only populist party enjoying electoral success. Across Europe, these are fertile times for protest movements tapping into unease about immigration to attack a long-cosy political establishment. The anti-immigration AfD scored a major symbolic victory on Sunday by relegating German …
Read More »Clinton kicks off fall campaign, with press in tow
New York, United States | AFP | Hillary Clinton embarks Monday on a campaign swing across battleground states, bringing traveling press aboard her plane for the first time as she seeks to regain momentum against her White House rival Donald Trump. Clinton, the Democratic nominee, will attend events with working …
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