Politics

Australian PM Says 24 Nationals Were On New Zealand Volcano

December 9, 2019 5:01 pm

At least 24 Australians were on New Zealand’s White Island when its volcano erupted unexpectedly, and an unknown number of them were missing and feared dead, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said.

Up to 50 people were visiting the popular tourist attraction when it exploded on Monday, with five confirmed dead, another 18 injured and the rest missing.

Some of the injured suffered serious burns.

Police have said they expect no more survivors will be found on the island off New Zealand’s east coast after aerial reconnaissance flights found no signs of life.

The country’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern …

Great Day For Losers: Wimpy Kid Author Gets French Medal

December 9, 2019 5:00 pm

The Wimpy Kid has finally done good — and his creator Jeff Kinney has even got a medal from France to prove it.

The American creator of the bestseller “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books was made an officer of France’s Order of Arts and Letters on Monday, an honour also conferred on Nobel laureates T. S. Eliot and Seamus Heaney as well as music megastars such as Bono and David Bowie.

As the medal was pinned to his chest, Kinney, 48, said he never expected his stories to become such a cult children’s hit, selling more than 200 …

Putin, Zelensky Meet In Paris Push To End Ukraine War

December 9, 2019 5:00 pm

Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Monday met Ukranian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time ever at a Paris summit aimed at agreeing measures to help end five years of conflict in the east of Ukraine.

No comprehensive peace deal is expected from the meeting — mediated by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel — but diplomats hope the summit will help to bolster trust between the two men.

The four-way talks at the Elysee Palace are expected to be followed by a hotly-awaited bilateral between wily ex-KGB agent Putin — in power for two decades — …

French Strike Snarls Commutes In Crucial Week For Macron

December 9, 2019 4:59 pm

Travellers across France endured a fifth day of turmoil on Monday amid a massive strike over planned pension reforms, as the government held a final meeting with union officials before unveiling details of the overhaul this week.

Unions have vowed to keep up the fight until President Emmanuel Macron abandons the plan, with another mass demonstration planned in Paris and other cities on Tuesday.

Most Paris metro lines were shut completely while others provided only a few trains during rush hour — leading to huge traffic jams in the capital — with network operator RATP forecasting similar disruptions for Tuesday.…

Trump Thanks Iran As American Freed In Prisoner Swap

December 9, 2019 2:50 pm

President Donald Trump had rare positive words for Iran on Saturday, thanking the US foe for a “very fair” negotiation to successfully pull off a prisoner swap that saw an American released from Iranian detention amid soaring tensions.

The exchange, which took place in neutral Switzerland, involved a Princeton graduate student jailed in Iran for espionage since 2016 and an Iranian national arrested over a year ago in Chicago.

“Thank you to Iran on a very fair negotiation,” tweeted Trump, as Xiyue Wang made his way home to his family. The US leader was expected to welcome Wang in person …

EU Budget Rules Need Rethink, Says New Commissioner

December 9, 2019 2:49 pm

The EU’s new economy commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said the bloc should consider loosening its strict budget deficit rules to respond to climate risks and weak growth, echoing a similar call by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The rules, which aim to enforce budgetary discipline among European Union members, were born out of the financial crisis and needed to be updated, Gentiloni told the Monday edition of the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

“We have different challenges now: the fight against climate change and the danger of having low growth and low inflation for an extended period,” he said in comments translated into German.…

Ukraine Crowds Protest Over Russia Summit

December 9, 2019 2:48 pm

Some 5,000 Ukrainians rallied in Kiev on Sunday warning President Volodymyr Zelensky to resist pressure from Russia’s Vladimir Putin when the two men meet on Monday for talks on the conflict in Ukraine’s east.

Protesters held placards with slogans such as “No to capitulation”, “Stay away from Moscow” and “Russian gas is a noose around our necks” during the rally, led by Zelensky’s political opponents.

The two leaders are due to meet for the first time since Zelensky’s election in April at the talks in Paris, mediated by French and German leaders Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel.

The meeting is …

Iran Unveils Budget Of ‘Resistance’ Against US Sanctions

December 9, 2019 2:42 pm

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday presented to parliament what he called a “budget of resistance” against crippling sanctions imposed by arch-enemy the United States.

“Next year, similar to the current year, our budget is a budget of resistance and perseverance against sanctions,” Rouhani told parliament in remarks broadcast on state radio.

“This budget announces to the world that despite sanctions we will manage the country, especially in terms of oil,” he added.

Read Also: PG&E Agrees To $13.5 Billion Payout For California Fires

The budget for the financial year starting late March 2020 comes after fuel price hikes that …

North Korea Conducts ‘Very Important Test’: KCNA

December 9, 2019 2:41 pm

North Korea said Sunday it had carried out a “very important test” at its space launch centre, as Pyongyang ramps up pressure on Washington over stalled nuclear talks.

The announcement of Saturday’s test at the Sohae satellite launch site came just hours after US President Donald Trump said he would be “surprised” by any hostile action from the North.

“A very important test took place at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground on the afternoon of December 7, 2019,” a spokesman for North Korea’s Academy of the National Defence Science said.

The result of the latest test will have an “important …

Pearl Harbor Veteran Interred On Sunken Ship

December 9, 2019 2:40 pm

With speeches and salutes, veterans and officials on Saturday commemorated the 78th anniversary of the 1941 sneak attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor, which brought a previously reluctant United States into World War II.

A ceremony in Hawaii honoring survivors was attended by US Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and Washington’s ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris.

It was held within sight of the sunken USS Arizona, which was bombed in the opening moments of the attack that killed more than 2,400 Americans.

Later in the day, the remains of Lauren Bruner, who died in September aged 98 and was among …

US Opposition Pushes Trade Court To Brink Of Collapse

December 9, 2019 2:40 pm

The World Trade Organization’s capacity to settle international disputes, a core function throughout the body’s 25-year history, is on the brink of collapse following relentless US opposition.

The appellate branch of the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), sometimes dubbed the supreme court of world trade, was a target of US criticism before President Donald Trump took office.

His predecessor Barack Obama’s administration began a policy of blocking the appointment of appeals judges over concerns that their rulings violated American interests.

Trump’s trade team has both extended that policy and escalated the fight.

Barring a shock breakthrough in the coming …

Air Of Menace As Britain’s Election Gets Nasty

December 9, 2019 2:39 pm

Candidates hoping to be elected to parliament in Britain have faced all manner of threats and abuse in a particularly hostile campaign, with some worried for their safety when out canvassing.

When one man on Facebook threatened a violent attack on Dominic Graham, the would-be MP immediately called the police, who made an arrest.

It was far from an isolated case in the run-up to Thursday’s snap polls, called on the increasingly divisive issue of Brexit.

Graham is standing for the third time for the centrist, pro-EU Liberal Democrats, who want to cancel Brexit altogether.

“We didn’t see anything close …

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