Asia

Putin in Turkey to push energy deals despite Syria crisis

by Stuart WILLIAMS ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Turkey on Monday for talks with counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pushing forward ambitious joint energy projects as the two sides try to overcome a crisis in ties. Only a few months ago, Putin and Erdogan were exchanging acrimonious accusations over Syria. But the pair are expected to reaffirm their commitment to the planned TurkStream gas pipeline to pump Russian gas under the Black […]

China house collapse buries more than 20: report

BEIJING, China (AFP) — More than 20 people were buried under rubble after four houses collapsed in China on Monday, a local government and state media reported. The buildings caved in during the early hours in Wenzhou in the eastern province of Zhejiang, the Lucheng district government said in a statement. The Xinhua news agency said on social media that an “initial estimate” was that more than 20 people had been buried. The Lucheng government […]

Car bomb attack kills 18 at Turkish military checkpoint

ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Eighteen people were killed Sunday when a van packed with five tonnes of explosives blew up in Turkey’s restive southeast, the prime minister said, in an attack blamed on Kurdish militants. The bombing, which killed 10 soldiers and eight civilians, was one of the deadliest attacks on Turkish security forces since the attempted coup of July 15 when a rogue military faction tried to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “The attack […]

Activity at N. Korea nuclear site fuels test fears

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Analysis of recent satellite images of North Korea’s nuclear test site shows activity at all three of its tunnel complexes, fuelling speculation of another test ahead of a key political anniversary next week. North Korea has already conducted two nuclear tests this year — in January and September — and experts say it is capable of carrying out a third as soon as the order is given. Past nuclear tests, […]

Blast at Syria-Turkey border kills 20 rebels: monitor

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — At least 20 Syrian rebels were killed in a blast at a border crossing with Turkey on Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based monitoring group said it was unclear what caused the blast at the Atme crossing between Turkey and the northern Syrian province of Idlib, adding that around 20 people had also been wounded. Turkey’s state-run Anatolia news agency confirmed the blast left 20 people dead […]

Trump factory jobs sent to China may never come back

by Ben Dooley DONGGUAN, China (AFP) — US presidential candidate Donald Trump has pledged to bring long lost American manufacturing jobs back from China. But he may be too late — even for products that bear his family name. A Chinese company that makes shoes for his daughter’s fashion line is moving production to Africa, where labour is much cheaper. The billionaire tycoon has frequently accused China of stealing US jobs through unfair trade practices […]

Watch: Powerful typhoon Chaba hits South Korea

Typhoon Chaba hits South Korea, bringing heavy rains that swelled rivers to bursting point, flooding city streets and forcing mass flight cancellations.  The typhoon left six persons dead and at least four missing after triggering flashfloods in the southern coast of the country.

Typhoon Chaba leaves six dead in S. Korea

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea cleaned up Thursday after Typhoon Chaba lashed its southern coast with powerful winds and heavy rains that triggered flash floods and left six people dead and four missing. The violent storm passed over the southern tip of the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, pummelling the port of Busan — the country’s second-largest city — and the industrial city of Ulsan. In Ulsan, a man drowned near his apartment […]

Powerful typhoon Chaba barrels toward Japan

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Authorities issued storm and heavy rain warnings on Wednesday as powerful typhoon Chaba barrelled toward Japan, after it hit a South Korean resort island causing flight cancellations and flooding streets. The violent storm was moving north-northeast off the Tsushima islets chain near Japan’s southern Kyushu, packing gusts of up to 180 kilometres (110 miles) per hour, Japan’s weather agency said. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued warnings for gusts, heavy rains, high […]

Russia sends missile system to Syria port

by Karam al-Masri with Ayham al-Mohammad in Hasakeh ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) — Russia said Tuesday it has sent an advanced missile system to the Syrian port of Tartus, as tensions escalate between Moscow and Washington over the five-year conflict. The announcement came after Washington said it was suspending talks with Moscow aimed at reviving a ceasefire deal over Russia’s support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. On the ground, Assad’s forces advanced on […]

Turkey suspends more than 12,000 police officers in coup probe: statement

ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish authorities suspended more than 12,000 police officers over alleged links to Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused of masterminding the July failed coup, the police headquarters said on Tuesday. Of the 12,801 suspended from duty as part of the investigation into the coup attempt, 2,523 were police chiefs, the police authorities said in a statement. In total, Turkey has around 270,000 police officers. They were suspended over suspected links to the […]

Former Qaeda in Syria confirms a leader killed in raid

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A jihadist group that was formerly Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria on Monday confirmed that an air strike killed a senior leader after the Pentagon said it had targeted him. Ahmed Salama Mabrouk, an Egyptian also known by his nom de guerre Abu Faraj “was martyred after a coalition air strike in the west of Idlib province,” the Fateh al-Sham Front said in a statement on the Telegram app. Born in […]