Beijing (AFP) – China’s troubled property sector suffered another blow this month when frustrated homebuyers stopped making mortgage payments on units in unfinished projects. The boycott came with many developers struggling to manage mountains of debt,…
Thousands evacuated as California wildfire grows
Midpines (United States) (AFP) – A fierce California wildfire expanded early Sunday burning several thousand acres and forcing evacuations, as tens of millions of Americans sweltered through scorching heat with already record-setting temperatures due t…
US heat wave soars as California wildfire rages
Washington (AFP) – Tens of millions of Americans already baking in a scorching heat wave braced Saturday for record-setting temperatures to climb, while a major fire ravaged part of California. The country’s central and northeast regions face the brunt…
Biden’s Covid symptoms ‘continue to improve’: W.House doctor
Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden’s Covid symptoms “continue to improve” and he is tolerating treatment well, his White House physician said Saturday, two days after the 79-year-old tested positive for the virus. Biden, who is isolating at the …
Russian strikes on Odessa port cast doubt over grain deal
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Russian missiles hit Ukraine’s port of Odessa Saturday, in what Kyiv called a “spit in the face” of a day-old deal between the warring sides to resume cereal exports blocked by the conflict. The Ukrainian military said its air de…
Amazon forges ‘Lord of the Rings’ prequel hype at Comic-Con
San Diego (AFP) – Nomadic hobbits, bearded female dwarves and enslaved elves — Amazon finally lifted the lid on its highly anticipated “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” TV series at Comic-Con on Friday. The enormously ambitious small-screen saga…
US releases $270 mn in military aid to Ukraine including rocket systems
Washington (AFP) – The United States on Friday signed off on another $270 million in military aid to Ukraine including four new Himars precision rocket systems. Russia has “launched deadly strikes across the country, striking malls, apartment buildings…
Ex-Trump aide Bannon found guilty of contempt of Congress
Washington (AFP) – A federal jury found Donald Trump’s former aide Steve Bannon guilty of contempt of Congress on Friday for defying a subpoena to testify before lawmakers investigating the assault on the US Capitol. Bannon, who led Trump’s 2016 presid…
Ex-Trump aide Bannon found guilty of contempt of Congress
Washington (AFP) – A federal jury found Donald Trump’s former aide Steve Bannon guilty of contempt of Congress on Friday for defying a subpoena to testify before lawmakers investigating the assault on the US Capitol. Bannon, who led Trump’s 2016 presid…
Trump, Pence hold duelling rallies as rivalry intensifies
Washington (AFP) – Donald Trump and his ex-wingman Mike Pence, who went from White House partners to bitter rivals, will hold duelling rallies Friday in Arizona, where a state primary could serve as an early battleground in their potential 2024 showdow…