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MOSCOW, June 30, 2022 (AFP) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo said in Moscow on Thursday he delivered a message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Putin hosted Widodo more than four months into Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, as Russia seeks to pivot toward Asia and Africa following the onset of unprecedented Western sanctions. Indonesia holds the rotating presidency of the G20 this year and is preparing to host a summit […]
LOK MA CHAU, China, July 1, 2022 (AFP) – Freedom and democracy have disappeared in Hong Kong, Taiwan’s premier said Friday, as Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited the business hub to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its handover from Britain. Xi used the rare trip to hail China’s rule over the city and insist it is flourishing after a years-long political crackdown that has silenced dissent. “One only has to see the pain that Hong […]
by Xinqi SU HONG KONG, July 1, 2022 (AFP) – John Lee, a former beat cop who became Hong Kong’s security chief and played a key role in suppressing democracy protests, became the business hub’s new leader on Friday in a ceremony overseen by Chinese President Xi Jinping. “It is the greatest honour for me today to shoulder this historic mission given to me by the central authorities and the people of Hong Kong,” Lee […]
by Xinqi Su Agence France-Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — President Xi Jinping hailed China’s rule over Hong Kong on Friday as he led 25th anniversary celebrations of the city’s handover from Britain, insisting that democracy was flourishing despite a years-long political crackdown that has silenced dissent. At a tightly choreographed ceremony, which included the inauguration of Hong Kong’s new government, Xi showcased the Chinese Communist Party’s hold after unleashing a sweeping crackdown against the […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Confidence among Japan’s largest manufacturers sagged for a second quarter on rising costs and supply constraints, though the service sector was boosted by economic reopening, a key survey showed Friday. The Bank of Japan’s closely watched Tankan survey showed confidence among large manufacturers at plus nine, below expectations of 12 and sharply lower than the 14 in the March survey. A positive figure means more manufacturers see business conditions as favorable […]
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday told Sweden and Finland that he could still block their drives to join NATO if they fail to implement a new accession deal with Ankara. Erdogan issued his blunt warning at the end of a NATO summit at which the US-led alliance formally invited the Nordic countries to join the 30-nation bloc. The two nations dropped their history of military non-alignment and announced plans […]
by Xinqi Su Agence France-Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping was set to preside Friday over tightly choreographed celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from Britain, with once annual demonstrations silenced and a massive security presence in force. Xi’s two-day visit, which will also see him inaugurate Hong Kong’s new government on Friday, is a chance for the Chinese Communist Party to showcase its power over the city […]
by Yasmin Zaher and Ben Simon Agence France Presse JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli lawmakers dissolved parliament on Thursday, forcing the country’s fifth election in less than four years, with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid set to take over as caretaker prime minister at midnight. After the unanimous 92-0 vote, the centrist Lapid embraced outgoing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose year in charge of an unwieldy, eight-party coalition was ultimately undone by its ideological divisions. Lapid, […]
by Holmes CHAN Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — When Hong Kong transitioned from British to Chinese rule, Edmond Hui was a floor trader at the bustling stock exchange, witnessing the roaring growth of a city at the crossroads of the West and Asia. Under a deal signed with Britain ahead of the 1997 handover, China promised Hong Kong could keep its capitalist system for 50 years, an arrangement that helped the city […]
MUMBAI, June 28, 2022 (AFP) At least 19 people were killed when monsoon rains caused a four-storey building to collapse in the Indian megacity of Mumbai, authorities said Tuesday. The structure — located next to a slum in a central city district — collapsed just before midnight on Monday, according to local officials. Fourteen people had been rescued by Tuesday evening but emergency workers retrieved 19 bodies from the rubble. “Search and rescue operations are […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China on Tuesday (June 28) reduced the length of mandatory quarantine for inbound travellers, in the biggest relaxation of entry restrictions after sticking to a rigid zero Covid policy throughout the pandemic. The new guideline cuts the length of mandatory quarantine for overseas travellers to seven days plus three more of home monitoring — a drastic drop from about 21 days of quarantine and home monitoring combined. China closed off […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s government warned Monday of a power crunch as extreme heat hits the country, with temperature records toppling and Tokyo’s rainy season declared over at the earliest date on record. Residents in and around the capital have been asked to conserve energy, particularly in the early evening. Temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) are forecast in Tokyo throughout Monday, and the mercury is not expected to drop below […]
