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North Korea’s Kim says hopes for ‘successful’ Putin summit

MOSCOW: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said after crossing into Russia on Wednesday that he was looking forward to having a useful and successful summit with President Vladimir Putin.“I hope that this visit will be successful and useful, and I hope that during the talks … I will be able to have concrete discussions […]

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Death Toll Rises To 359 In Sri Lanka Bombings

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The death toll from the Easter suicide bombings in Sri Lanka rose to 359, police said Wednesday, as the country’s leaders vowed to overhaul the security apparatus amid a series of intelligence lapses before the attacks. U.S. Ambassador Alaina Teplitz, meanwhile, told reporters that “clearly there was some failure in […]

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Trump says Congress ‘can’t impeach’ him

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Monday that Congress “can’t impeach” him over the findings of the Mueller report into Russian election meddling and his alleged attempts to hamper the investigation.Defiantly insisting that he did nothing wrong, Trump also denied a portrait of dysfunction in the White House where disobedient aides are said to have […]

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Sudan tensions escalate after talks with military break down

KHARTOUM (SUDAN): Tensions are rising in Sudan after talks broke down between protesters and the country’s military rulers who earlier in April ousted President Omar al-Bashir after months of street protests against his rule.Large crowds lit up the night sky with their cellphones, singing and chanting as protest leaders delivered fiery speeches in the capital, […]

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Holy Land Catholics condemn deadly Sri Lanka blasts

JERUSALEM: The Catholic Church in the Holy Land has voiced support for Sri Lanka‘s Christians and condemned Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels there that killed at least 156 people.A statement issued in Jerusalem said the blasts were particularly sad as they “came while Christians celebrate Easter.”“We pray for the souls of the victims […]

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Soccer Stars Boycotting Social Media To Protest Racism Receive Racist Abuse

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Soccer players in England boycotting social media in a protest against racism were targeted with abuse about the 24-hour campaign. Talks with the social media companies are now being urgently sought by the Professional Footballers Association, which coordinated the “Enough” campaign to demand a crackdown on racism by the platforms. There […]

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Blind Japanese sailor completes non-stop Pacific voyage

TOKYO: A blind Japanese sailor completed his non-stop Pacific voyage on Saturday, local media reported, becoming the first sightless person on record to navigate a vessel across the vast ocean.Mitsuhiro Iwamoto arrived at port in Fukushima in his 12-metre (40-foot) sailboat on Saturday morning, around two months after he left California.Iwamoto, a 52-year-old San Diego […]

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Paris Officials Consider Building Temporary Wooden Cathedral Outside Notre Dame

French officials are planning to construct a temporary wooden cathedral on the esplanade in front of the Notre Dame while the fire-ravaged landmark is being rebuilt.  Monsignor Patrick Chauvet, Notre Dame’s chief priest, has suggested building an “ephemeral cathedral” to give faithful Catholics a place to congregate until the 850-year-old architectural treasure reopens. “We mustn’t say […]

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Electrical Short-Circuit Likely Caused Notre Dame Cathedral Fire

A massive fire at Paris’ iconic Notre Dame cathedral on Monday was likely caused by an electrical short-circuit, according to multiple reports on Thursday. A French judicial police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press the investigation was still ongoing. Investigators still have not been able to go inside the cathedral to search for […]

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North Korea says it tested new weapon, wants Mike Pompeo out of talks

SEOUL: North Korea said Thursday that it had test-fired a new type of “tactical guided weapon,” its first such test in nearly half a year, and demanded that Washington remove Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from nuclear negotiations.The test, which didn’t appear to be of a banned mid- or long-range ballistic missile that could scuttle […]

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66 minutes: The frantic race to save Notre Dame

PARIS: Fueled by a lattice of centuries-old timbers, the fire moved hungrily across Notre Dame’s rooftop toward the cathedral’s iconic spire. It belched yellow smoke, spitting out gritty particles of wood, stone, lead and iron and wanted more. Far below, their vision obscured by fumes and tears, firefighters, priests and municipal workers passed treasures hand-to-hand, […]