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OTTAWA — The United States is working to secure the release of two Canadians held by China, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday, calling their detention "arbitrary and unacceptable" after he met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other Canadian officials. The two Canadians -- former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor -- were detained in December and accused of espionage. The detentions came nine days after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a US warrant. While no official link was made, the arrest of the two men was widely viewed as retaliation. "Please note that our team is focused on helping those two Canadians be  released," Pompeo told Trudeau. "We're working on it diligently." "It's wrong that they are being held," he added. Pompeo was in Ottawa to discuss trade, China and the upcoming G7 summit with Trudeau and Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland. He also met with Canadian business executives -- including Canada's largest … [Read more...] about Pompeo says China’s detention of two Canadians is ‘wrong’

ROME — Italian President Sergio Mattarella has set a Tuesday deadline for squabbling political parties to form a workable coalition government, two days after a dysfunctional populist alliance broke up throwing the eurozone's third largest economy into political turmoil. Mattarella, 78, concluded two days of crisis talks with key political players on Thursday to see if a viable coalition could be formed following the disintegration of the partnership between the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League. "On Tuesday, I will hold further consultations and make the necessary decisions," Mattarella told reporters at the presidential palace. "The crisis must be resolved in a timely manner and with clear decisions," he said. After an intense 48 hours of political wrangling, Mattarella said a future coalition would need a specific programme that could be passed in parliament. If a coalition is not formed then Mattarella could consider a technical government … [Read more...] about Italian president sets Tuesday deadline to find new coalition

Lifestyle / Travel by Leanne Milligan August 23, 2019, 12:01 am Sign up to our Weekly newsletter STAY Founded in 1824, The Shelbourne Hotel is steeped in history – it’s where the Irish Constitution was drafted. Located at St Stephen’s Green, it’s also the perfect spot for exploring Ireland’s capital. EAT Visitors to Dublin shouldn’t miss out on the impeccable food at Delahunt. They specialise in home curing, slow-cooked braises, pickles and preserves and focus on seasonal, local produce. Their homemade Guinness bread is a must try! Literary fans will love this location as the building, previously a grocery store, was mentioned in James Joyce’s masterpiece Ulysses. Or try a traditional Irish stew at the Brazen Head – Ireland’s oldest pub. DRINK The decadent Café En Seine is located over three floors and features a beautiful indoor street garden. The cocktail menu is vast and has been curated to enhance … [Read more...] about Travel: How to spend 48 hours in the delightful Dublin

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's administration announced on Wednesday that it would remove tough legal limits on how long migrant children can be detained as part of its broader crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security said it was terminating the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement, a binding legal ruling that said the government could not hold migrant children in detention for more than 20 days. A new policy, to be implemented in 60 days, will not limit how long children or their families can be detained. The move is aimed at deterring migrant expectations that they will be released after being arrested by the US border authorities and able to disappear into the US population. "To protect these children from abuse, and stop this illegal flow, we must close these loopholes. This is an urgent humanitarian necessity," Trump said in a statement. Kevin McAleenan, the acting DHS secretary, cited the challenge of "an unprecedented flow of family … [Read more...] about US to allow indefinite detention of migrant children: DHS

    Vietnamese players celebrate their third group match win at the AFF Women's Football Championship. Việt Nam beat Myanmar 4-0 yesterday in Chonburi, Thailand. Photo aseanfootball.org   HÀ NỘI  Việt Nam beat Myanmar 4-0 yesterday at the ASEAN Football Federation Women’s Championships, making it three wins out of three in the group stage.   In previous games they team beat Cambodia 10-0 and Indonesia 7-0. With nine points they top Group B and but will have to wait for results from other groups to see who they will face in the knock-out stages. Both Việt Nam and Myanmar already qualified for the semi-finals and the result of the game was just to identify who topped the group. With their goal difference of 17, Việt Nam just needed a draw to finish on top but they did it better at the Institute of Physical Education in Chonburi, Thailand. The Southeast Games champions proved their power just two … [Read more...] about Việt Nam beat Myanmar to top group at regional event