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by Yan ZHAO / Xinqi SU HONG KONG, China (AFP) — A huge New Year’s Day pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong ended in mass arrests and clashes between police and hardcore protesters, as demonstrators sought to carry their movement’s momentum into 2020. Hong Kong has been battered by nearly seven months of unrest — its biggest political crisis in decades — which has seen millions come out on the streets demanding greater democratic freedoms. Organizers […]
by Sebastien BERGER SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared an end to moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and threatened a demonstration of a “new strategic weapon” soon. Analysts said the announcement, reported by state media on Wednesday, amounted to Kim putting a missile “to Donald Trump’s head” — but warned that escalation by Pyongyang would probably backfire. Washington was swift to respond, with Secretary of […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Microsoft said Monday it obtained a court order allowing it to seize web domains used by North Korean hacking groups to launch cyber attacks on human rights activists, researchers and others. The US technology giant said a federal court allowed it to take control of 50 domains operated by a group dubbed Thallium, which tricked online users by fraudulently using Microsoft brands and trademarks. “This network was used to target victims […]
Seoul, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has convened a key meeting of top ruling party officials, state media said Sunday, ahead of a year-end deadline for Washington to shift its stance on stalled nuclear talks. The plenary session, which opened on Saturday, follows widespread speculation that Pyongyang is preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile — as a threatened “Christmas gift” for Washington. Kim presided over the meeting which discussed a […]
ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AFP) — At least 14 people died Friday when a passenger plane carrying 100 people crashed into a house shortly after takeoff from Kazakhstan’s largest city, authorities said. The Bek Air plane “fell off the radar” minutes after it took off from Almaty airport at 7.05 am (01:05 GMT) on its way to the capital, Nur-Sultan, the airport authority said in a statement. “There are 14 dead at the (crash) site,” the city […]
TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — An earthquake struck Iran on Friday less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the country’s only nuclear power plant, monitors said. There were no immediate reports of any damage. The US Geological Survey said the 5.1 magnitude quake struck 44 kilometers (27 miles) from the southwestern city of Borazjan and at a depth of 38 kilometers. Its reported epicenter is 45 kilometers east of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, on the […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Skywatchers from Saudi Arabia and Oman to India and Singapore were treated to a rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse Thursday. Annular eclipses occur when the Moon is not close enough to the Earth to completely obscure the Sun, leaving a thin ring of the solar disc visible. While these types of eclipses occur every year or two, they are only visible from a narrow band of Earth each time […]
by Jing Xuan TENG Agence France Presse China hosted the leaders of squabbling neighbors South Korea and Japan for their first official meeting in over a year on Tuesday, flexing its diplomatic muscle with America’s two key Asian allies and seeking unity on how to deal with a belligerent North Korea. The gathering in the southwestern city of Chengdu was held with the clock ticking on a threatened “Holiday gift” from North Korean leader Kim […]
by Haeril HALIM Agence France Presse Banda Aceh, Indonesia (AFP) — Surfboard tucked under his arm, Dery Setyawan sprints into the crashing waves. It is not just a physical challenge but an emotional one — most of his family and friends were swept to their deaths when a tsunami hit these shores 15 years ago. His hometown of Lampuuk was almost destroyed entirely, but despite his devastating loss, the father-of-two sees the water as a […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Hong Kong should “continue to be free and open”, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the Chinese president on Monday, as the city is rocked by months of pro-democracy protests. Abe met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing ahead of flying to the southwestern city of Chengdu to join a trilateral meeting Tuesday, which will also be attended by South Korean President Moon Jae-in. In a press briefing after the […]
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — The death toll from storms that have battered Spain, Portugal, and France rose to nine on Sunday as the region braced for more violent winds and heavy rain. Storms Elsa and Fabien have flooded rivers, brought down power lines, uprooted trees and disrupted rail and air travel across the region, leaving more than 118,000 households without electricity. Two people have so far died in Portugal and seven have now been killed […]
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — Fresh deadly clashes between Indian police and demonstrators erupted on Friday after more than a week of unrest triggered by a citizenship law seen as anti-Muslim, as thousands rallied at the nation’s biggest mosque. Three protesters were shot dead on Thursday and police said another was killed in clashes in Uttar Pradesh state Friday. Four new protesters have died in fresh clashes with police in northern India, a medical […]
