WASHINGTON D.C. (AFP) — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of being behind attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman Thursday, and said it was taking the case to the UN Security Council. “It is the assessment of the United States that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks,” Pompeo told reporters. “This is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the […]
International
Police face mounting brutality claims after Hong Kong clashes
by Helen ROXBURGH Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Their motto has been “Asia’s Finest” since colonial times, but videos of Hong Kong police beating unarmed protesters have fuelled public anger and sparked accusations of brutality. Tens of thousands of demonstrators occupying city streets scattered when police used tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds on Wednesday. Police insisted the force was necessary to fend off protesters throwing bricks and […]
China snubbed Trudeau request for talks about detained Canadians
OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — China ignored Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s personal request for dialogue to end a spiralling diplomatic row, his office revealed Wednesday. Trudeau requested the call in January with Premier Li Keqiang so he could “personally advocate” for the immediate release of two Canadians detained a month earlier and for clemency in the case of another Canadian who would later be sentenced to death for drug trafficking, his spokeswoman Chantal Gagnon said […]
In Tehran, Japan’s Abe urges Iran to play ‘constructive role’
by Amir HAVASI TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged Tehran to play a “constructive role” for Middle East peace Wednesday during a rare diplomatic mission to the Islamic republic aimed at defusing US-Iran tensions. Iran has been locked in a bitter standoff with the United States since US President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal in May last year. Washington has since reimposed crippling unilateral sanctions — which […]
South Korean president calls for new Trump-Kim meeting
OSLO, Norway (AFP) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in called Wednesday for US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to meet soon, saying a prolonged impasse could weaken their willingness to pursue dialogue on the Korean peninsula. During a visit to Oslo, Moon said it was “desirable that Chairman Kim and President Trump meet in the near future”. “If the period of no dialogue is prolonged, then the passion for […]
Hong Kong police start using tear gas, pepper spray, water spray to disperse rally
(Eagle News) — Hong Kong police started to use tear gas, pepper spray and high-pressure water hoses to disperse thousands of protesters rallying against an extradition bill that would allow violators to be brought to China and tried in courts there. The police started using tear gas after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, as massive protests blocked entry into Hong Kong government headquarters, delaying a legislative session on the proposed extradition bill. The passage […]
Hong Kong football fans boo China anthem in match vs Taiwan Tuesday night
AS mounting criticism of Hong Kong government plans to allow extradition to China, Hong Kong football fans booed the Chinese national anthem and held signs opposing the extradition bill that sparked fears in the territory known for its independence. The incident happened in a home match against Taiwan on Tuesday night where the Chinese national anthem was played. Footage posted on social media from Hong Kong’s 0-2 defeat by Taiwan on Tuesday night showed fans […]
URGENT: Protesters must disperse, ‘not defy law’: top Hong Kong official
Protesters blocking roads around Hong Kong’s parliament must disperse and obey the law, a top government figure warned Wednesday, in the first official reaction to the latest protests sparked by plans to allow extraditions to China. Matthew Cheung, the city’s chief secretary, called on demonstrators to unblock key arteries and withdraw. “I also urge citizens who have gathered to show restraint as much as possible, disperse peacefully and do not defy the law,” he […]
Thousands rally in Hong Kong over China extradition bill
by Helen ROXBURGH Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Thousands of protesters rallied in central Hong Kong, seizing two main highways on Wednesday, in a defiant show of strength against government plans to allow extraditions to China. The Asian financial hub was rocked over the weekend by the largest protest march since the city’s 1997 return to China, as vast crowds — estimated by organisers at over one million — called on […]
Four passengers die in ‘unbearable’ heat on Indian train
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — Four people died in ‘unbearable’ heat while travelling by train in northern India, which has been in the grip of a heatwave for two weeks, officials and passengers said Tuesday. The four died Monday while travelling from Agra — the city of the Taj Mahal — to Coimbatore in the country’s south. “Heat seems to be a factor,” Indian Railways spokesman Ajit Kumar Singh told AFP, “it is really unfortunate”. […]
Indian toddler dies after 110 hours down well
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — A two-year-old Indian boy stuck in a narrow well for more than four days was pulled out dead on Tuesday, triggering protests over delays in reaching the toddler. The case of Fatehveer Singh captured national attention after he fell into the 33-meter (110 feet) deep well in the Punjab state district of Sangrur while playing on Thursday. The disused well was just 23 centimeters (nine inches) wide, complicating desperate efforts […]
Beating Boris: Race to replace UK’s May kicks off
by Alice RITCHIE LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The contest to succeed Theresa May as Britain’s next leader heated up on Monday, with candidates lining up to define themselves against the “bluff and bluster” of Brexit-backing frontrunner Boris Johnson. Ten Conservative MPs gathered enough support to qualify by Monday’s deadline for the race to replace May, who quit as the party’s leader on Friday over her failure to take Britain out of the European Union […]





