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by Layal Abou Rahal and Joe Dyke Agence France Presse BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Lebanon’s teetering government approved an economic rescue plan Monday but the last-ditch move was met with deep distrust from a swelling protest movement seeking the removal of the entire political class. A proposed tax on mobile messaging applications last week sparked a spontaneous, cross-sectarian mobilization — at first dubbed a “WhatsApp revolution” — that has brought Lebanon to a standstill […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States was awarded ownership of a North Korean cargo ship that was seized for violating international sanctions, the US Justice Department said. The Wise Honest — the first North Korean vessel to be seized by the US for sanctions violation — was caught carrying a $3 million shipment of coal in Indonesian waters last year and later handed over to the US. The latest ruling by the Southern […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) –Japan’s Emperor Naruhito on Tuesday formally proclaimed his enthronement in front of royals and leaders from around the world, completing his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Dressed in a ceremonial outfit dominated by a draped outer robe in copper, Naruhito announced: “I hereby declare my enthronement at home and abroad.” The ceremony was conducted largely in silence, with only drums and gongs sounding. Some 2,000 guests, including foreign dignitaries and royalty, stood […]
by Mike Smith and Delphine Matthieussent JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed Israel’s president Monday he could not form a new government following deadlocked September elections, making way for his opponent Benny Gantz to try. The decision was an important defeat for Netanyahu as he seeks to continue his tenure as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, but it does not mean the end of those efforts since he still has various cards to […]
by Natsuko FUKUE TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito will formally proclaim his ascension to the throne on Tuesday in a ritual-bound ceremony, but the after-effects of a deadly typhoon will cast a shadow over proceedings. Naruhito officially assumed his duties as emperor on May 1, a day after his father became the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in 200 years. But the transition will not be complete until his new role is […]
Beijing, China (AFP) — China’s defense minister made an uncompromising call Monday for the “reunification” of Taiwan with the mainland, telling a high level defense forum that the process was something “no force” could stop. Self-ruled Taiwan is viewed by China as a renegade province which will eventually be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary, after the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war. China will not stop in its efforts […]
by Yan ZHAO / Xinqi SU HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong police fired water cannon and tear gas Sunday as crowds held an illegal march, with hardcore protesters throwing petrol bombs and trashing businesses to cap a week of anger after recent attacks on pro-democracy demonstrators. Authorities had forbidden the rally in Tsim Sha Tsui, a densely-packed shopping district filled with luxury boutiques and hotels, citing public safety and previous violence from hardcore […]
JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AFP) — Villagers searched for the bodies of their loved ones on Saturday in the rubble of a mosque in eastern Afghanistan that collapsed in a blast during Friday prayers, killing 70 people including dozens of children, officials said. The attack — the country’s second most deadly this year — took place in Haska Mina district of eastern Nangarhar province and also wounded at least 36 people. “We have reports that the […]
by Anna SMOLCHENKO Agence France Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Fifteen people were killed and another 13 missing after an illegally built dam collapsed at a gold mine in a remote Siberian settlement on Saturday, in the latest deadly accident to hit Russia. The dam on the Seiba River in the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk burst and flooded several cabins where the victims lived, Russian authorities said. Muddy flood waters hit the cabins near […]
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Supporters of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement made their presence felt Friday as the Brooklyn Nets played their first game in New York since they were caught in the middle of the NBA’s rift with China. Tensions between Beijing and the American basketball league erupted this month after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted an image in support of the demonstrations that have rocked the financial hub for […]
by Delil Souleiman Agence France Presse TAL TAMR, Syria (AFP) — Deadly Turkish air strikes Friday shattered an hours-old US-brokered deal to stop Ankara’s military offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria. The ceasefire announced late Thursday was meant to provide a pause for the evacuation of Kurdish fighters from the battleground border town of Ras al-Ain and other areas Turkey wants to control along its border with Syria. The five-day suspension looked designed […]
by Shaun Tandon and Raziye Akkoc ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Turkey has agreed to suspend its Syria offensive for five days and will end the assault if Kurdish-led forces withdraw from a safe zone along the border, US Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish officials said on Thursday. The agreement for a 120-hour ceasefire to allow a Kurdish militia to pull out was hailed by US President Donald Trump as a “great day” for Turkey […]
