WELLINGTON, (APP/AFP): New Zealand said Thursday its budget was in the black and predicted ongoing surpluses, but warned a British exit from the European Union could pose economic risks if it hit key exports like lamb and dairy. The former British colony was badly affected in the early 1970s when London joined the European market, […]
International News
New Zealand budget flags concerns over Brexit
-
Seven migrants dead in shipwreck off Libya: navy
ROME, (APP/AFP): At least seven migrants have drowned off the Libyan coast after the heavily overcrowded boat they were sailing on overturned, the Italian navy said Wednesday. The navy said 500 people had been pulled to safety and seven bodies recovered, but rescue operations were continuing and the death toll could rise. The navy’s Bettica […]
-
Afghan Taliban appoint new leader after deadly drone strike
KABUL, (APP/AFP): The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday announced Haibatullah Akhundzada as their new leader, elevating a low-profile figure in a swift power transition after officially confirming the death of Mullah Mansour in a US drone strike. The surprise announcement coincided with a Taliban suicide bombing that targeted court employees near Kabul, killing 11 people in […]
-
Strike-hit France smashes blockades as fuel runs dry
DOUCHY-LES-MINES, France, (APP/AFP): French police fired water cannon Wednesday to disperse scores of activists blocking a northeastern oil depot, as pumps ran dry and unions stepped up strikes in a bitter battle over labour reforms. With a fifth of petrol stations in France running low, police moved in to break a blockade at the depot […]
-
UN chief fuels presidential speculation with S. Korea trip
SEOUL, (APP/AFP) – Ban Ki-Moon was due to arrive in South Korea on Tuesday for a six-day visit that has fuelled speculation the UN chief is lining up a tilt at the presidency of his home country. Ban’s schedule involves a number of international forums, including the UN NGO conference in the southern city of […]
-
Anti-Trump protesters hurl rocks as Trump wins Washington primary
LOS ANGELES, (APP/AFP) – Protesters opposed to Donald Trump hurled rocks and bottles outside a Trump rally in New Mexico on Tuesday, the same day the bombastic billionaire won the Republican presidential primary in Washington state. The primary victory brings Trump, the last Republican standing in the 2016 US presidential race, one major step closer […]