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SEOUL, Nov 16, 2023 (AFP) – A Russian delegation led by natural resources minister Alexander Kozlov has left Pyongyang after a two-day visit, North Korea’s state media said Friday, with the two countries’ growing cooperation triggering concern in Washington and Seoul. The visit came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned this month that ties between Pyongyang and Moscow were “growing and dangerous”, urging the North’s ally China to restrain the nuclear-armed country. The […]
By Mai Yaghi and Adel Zaanoun Israeli forces were searching building to building at Gaza’s main hospital Thursday as Hamas said the military had “destroyed” parts of the compound where concern has mounted for Palestinians trapped inside. Soldiers raided Al-Shifa since early Wednesday in the hunt for a command centre they say the militants built below the complex, a charge denied by Hamas and managers at the hospital which has become a focal point of […]
NEW YORK, Nov 16, 2023 (AFP) – An appeals court judge on Thursday temporarily lifted a partial gag order imposed on Donald Trump in his New York civil fraud trial. Judge David Friedman issued an interim stay of the gag order imposed by another judge, who is presiding over the business fraud trial of the former president. Judge Arthur Engoron slapped a limited gag order on Trump on October 3 after he insulted the judge’s […]
JERUSALEM, Nov 16, 2023 (AFP) – Israeli soldiers near Gaza’s largest hospital found the body of a hostage seized by Hamas militants in their attacks on southern Israel on October 7, the army said Thursday. A military spokesman identified the slain woman as Yehudit Weiss, saying she had been “murdered” by militants in the war-torn Palestinian territory. “Yehudit was murdered by the terrorists in the Gaza Strip and we didn’t manage to reach her in […]
By Danny KEMP SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 16, 2023 (AFP) – US President Joe Biden reassured Asia-Pacific economies of American commitment at a summit in San Francisco Thursday, and said his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping would provide stability for the region and the whole world. “We’re not going anywhere,” Biden told the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) group, which includes 21 members but lives under the shadow of US-China relations. The summit opened with a […]
By Claire LEE SEOUL, Nov 16, 2023 (AFP) – More than half a million students in South Korea sat the crucial national university entrance exam Thursday, with authorities taking extraordinary measures, including halting flights, to minimise distractions. The nine-hour test, which was taken by 504,588 pupils this year, is crucial for securing spots in top universities. It is also considered key to elevated social status, lucrative careers, and even marriage prospects. Enormous pressure placed on […]
BANGKOK, Nov 16, 2023 (AFP) – Thailand’s government has been given assurances by Hamas that 25 of its nationals held hostage by the Palestinian armed group are “safe”, a member of the kingdom’s hostage release negotiating team said Thursday. The hostages could be released in days if a ceasefire is agreed between Israel and Hamas, Thai politician Lepong Syed said. More than 240 people were taken hostage during Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, which […]
By Daniel SILVA MADRID, Nov 16, 2023 (AFP) – Pedro Sanchez won the backing of Spain’s parliament on Thursday for another term as prime minister, with the country divided over his decision to grant Catalan separatists an amnesty in exchange for their crucial support in a vote of confidence. Sanchez, in office since 2018, won the backing of 179 lawmakers, three more than the absolute majority of 176 in the 350-seat parliament after an often […]
BEIJING, Nov 16, 2023 (AFP) – China condemned on Thursday US President Joe Biden’s description of Xi Jinping as a dictator as “extremely wrong”, after the two leaders wrapped up a summit in California. Asked about Biden’s remarks, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said: “This kind of speech is extremely wrong and is irresponsible political manipulation. China firmly opposes it.” “I need to point out that there are always some people with ulterior motives attempting […]
YANGON, Nov 16, 2023 (AFP) – Myanmar’s military shelled a town in western Rakhine state and used helicopters to attack fighters from an ethnic minority there on Thursday, residents and local media said. Arakan Army (AA) fighters have launched attacks on security forces across Rakhine this week, opening another front as the military battles opponents in the north and east. AA fighters had taken “complete control” of the town of Pauktaw, 25 kilometres (16 miles) […]
JERUSALEM, Nov 16, 2023 (AFP) – Three gunmen attacked a checkpoint near Jerusalem on Thursday, Israeli police said, wounding several people before the attackers were “neutralised”. Four people suffered gunshot wounds, including one who was critically injured, said the emergency medical service Magen David Adom in a statement, with another two people lightly wounded. All those injured were members of security services, according to police. The attack on a checkpoint guarding access to road tunnels […]
BEIJING, Nov 16, 2023 (AFP) – Twenty-six people have died and dozens were sent to hospital after a fire tore through a building in northern China’s Shanxi province on Thursday, state media reported. The fire started at a four-storey building belonging to the Yongju coal company in Luliang city at around 6:50 am local time (2250 GMT on Wednesday), state media said, citing local authorities. Twenty-six people were confirmed dead, state news agency Xinhua reported. […]
