LONDON – Islands in the Caribbean have made last-minute preparations for Hurricane Irma, the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade, with officials warning of its “potentially catastrophic” effects. The category five hurricane, the highest possible level, has sustained wind speeds reaching 300km/h (185mph). It made landfall in the Leeward Islands and will move on…
TOKYO – North Korea has fired a missile over northern Japan in a move Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called an “unprecedented” threat to his country. The missile, launched early on Tuesday Korean time, flew over Hokkaido island before crashing into the sea. The UN Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting in…
NEW YORK – Donald Trump says he will close down the US government if necessary to build his wall along the Mexico border. The president told supporters at a “Make America Great Again” rally in Phoenix, Arizona, that the opposition Democrats were being “obstructionist”. During the 80-minute speech, he also took aim at the media,…
BEIJING – A strong earthquake shook a mountainous region in southwestern China near a famous national park, killing 13 people, injuring 175 others and knocking out power and phone networks. At least five of the dead were tourists, China’s official Xinhua News Agency said. At least 28 people had serious injuries, according to the Aba…
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that 755 staff must leave US diplomatic missions, in retaliation for new US sanctions against Moscow. The decision to expel staff was made on Friday, but Mr Putin has now confirmed the number who must go by 1 September. It brings staff levels to 455, the same…
PARIS – The head of the French armed forces has quit after a clash with President Emmanuel Macron over budget cuts. Gen Pierre de Villiers said in a statement he could no longer “guarantee the durability of the army model” that he considered necessary to ensure France’s protection. France’s government last week revealed major cuts…
NEW YORK – President Donald Trump has been party to an eye-watering 4,000 lawsuits over the last 30 years, US media say. And now the mogul turned commander-in-chief has attracted one more, after seven people sued him for blocking them on Twitter. Mr Trump is an avid user of the social media forum, which he…
HAMBURG – US President Donald Trump is to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for the first time at a G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. They have both said they want to repair ties damaged by the crises in Syria and Ukraine, as well as Russia’s alleged meddling in the US election. Climate change and…
NEW YORK – US President Donald Trump has warned North Korea that he is considering a “pretty severe” response following the country’s long-range missile test. “They are behaving in a very, very dangerous manner and something will have to be done about it,” he said. But he moderated his comments, saying: “We’ll just take a…
PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed a radical overhaul of the country’s government. Speaking at the historic Palace of Versailles, he said he planned to cut the number of lawmakers by a third. Doing so would produce a more efficient government and put France on a “radically new path”, said Mr Macron. The…
