International
Indian police battle baton charge students over fee protests
New Delhi - Indian police fought street battles in New Delhi on Monday 18 November 2019 with thousands of students who stepped up protests over fee increases at one of the country’s top universities. Police baton charged some groups of demonstrators and media reports said dozens of students f
Australia warns of 'catastrophic' fires on Tuesday
Firefighters in Australia have given warnings of a “catastrophic” blaze for the Greater Sydney area on Tuesday 12-11-2019, with weather conditions set to worsen. A state-wide fire ban was put in place for all of New South Wales, Australia’s most populated state, for Monday and Tue
Emmanuel Macron facing backlash from Europeans over Nato comments
Emmanuel Macron took the salute at the annual Armistice commemoration in Paris on Monday and looked forward to three hectic days of diplomacy as world leaders gather in Paris for the president’s signature Peace Forum initiative. The backdrop to the summit was as overcast as the incessant rain
Cyclone Bulbul smashes into India, Bangladesh coasts
Twenty people died and more than two million others spent a night huddled in storm shelters as Cyclone Bulbul smashed into the coasts of India and Bangladesh with fierce gales and torrential rains, officials said Sunday. The cyclone packed winds of up to 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour when it
North Korea says ‘window of opportunity closing’ for outcome of talks with US
Moscow - North Korean diplomat Jo Chol-su said on Friday 8 November 2019 that the window of opportunity for normalizing relations with the United States was getting smaller, adding that Pyongyang expects some steps in this direction from Washington by the end of the year. “We’ve given t
Thousands hold vigils as Hong Kong student's death triggers outrage
Thousands of Hong Kongers held vigils Friday night for a student who died from a fall during recent protester clashes with police, triggering fresh outrage from the pro-democracy movement and fears of more violent unrest. Although the precise chain of events leading to 22-year-old Alex Chow's fal
Xi voices 'trust' in Hong Kong leader
Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed a "high degree of trust" in Hong Kong's unpopular leader Carrie Lam as the two met after months of increasingly violent protests in the semi-autonomous city. Xi's show of support follows speculation that Beijing was preparing to remove Lam as city author
Ethiopian PM Abiy defends response to ethnic clashes
Addis Ababa - Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday 11-3-2019 pushed back against portrayals of his government as weak and timid in the face of recent unrest that left more than 80 people dead. Protests against Abiy, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, erupted in Addis Ababa and i
In Bangkok, Southeast Asian leaders meet under US-China trade war cloud
BANGKOK - Southeast Asian countries must stick together in the face of a trade war started by US President Donald Trump, Malaysia’s veteran leader said on Saturday at the start of a regional summit held in the shadow of US-China tensions. But as leaders of the 10 member Association of S
Zimbabwe minister barred from US over rights offences
The United States said on Friday that it would refuse entry to Zimbabwe's security minister in response to a crackdown on protests and the opposition. The announcement came the same day the Zimbabwean government organised a mass protest against longstanding US sanctions. The State Department said
Russian President Putin and Hungarian PM Orban Hold Talks in Budapest - Video
The meeting in Hungary comes one year after Putin hosted a meeting with Orban at the Kremlin. The two politicians agreed on the parameters for Russian gas supplies for 2020 and discussed further bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Pri
Will the DA survive Mmusi Maimane's resignation?
South Africa's official opposition is in crisis. Mmusi Maimane's resignation on Wednesday as leader and member of the Democratic Alliance (DA) marked a critical climax of the party's undoing following a poor electoral performance that highlighted its challenges to win over the majority black vote.
Naruhito: Emperor of a modern Japan
Marked by elaborate ceremonies and attended by delegations from nearly 200 countries and organizations, the enthronement of Japanese Emperor Naruhito took place on Oct. 22. He ascended to the imperial throne on May 1, becoming Japan’s 126th emperor, according to the country’s traditional
Thai king dismisses consort for undermining the queen
Thailand’s king has stripped his royal noble consort of her titles and military ranks for disloyalty, accusing her of seeking to undermine the position of his official wife for her own benefit.Sixty-seven-year-old King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s royal command issued Monday came just three m
Barcelona rocked by violence on fifth day of separatist protests
Hundreds of protesters battled police in the heart of Barcelona on Friday 10-18-2019, setting up fiery barricades and hurling rocks at security forces on the fifth day of unrest following the jailing of Catalan separatist leaders. The violence followed a largely peaceful demonstration which drew mo
At least 62 killed and dozens injured in blast at Afghan mosque
At least 62 people were killed by a blast inside an Afghan mosque during Friday prayers, according to officials, a day after the United Nations said violence in the country had reached "unacceptable" levels.The attack – the year's second most deadly to date – took place in the eastern
Former Catalan independence leader hands himself in as protests escalate
Catalan independence protests continued on Friday 10-18-2019 as the movement’s former president, who led the country’s failed bid for independence two years ago, handed himself into authorities in Belgium in response to the reactivation of an international arrest warrant earlier this wee
EU criticises 'unlevel playing field' in Mozambique election
A European Union observer mission to Mozambique's election raised the alarm on Thursday over unfair conditions and unjustified use of state resources by the ruling party, as well as widespread violence. Results are not in yet from Tuesday's presidential, legislative and provincial poll. But its out
