International

Google says does not change search results after Hong Kong anthem row

HONG KONG, China (AFP) – Google said Thursday it does not manipulate search results, after Hong Kong’s government said the tech giant had refused its demand to remove a popular protest song. The controversy began after it emerged that links to the pro-democracy song “Glory to Hong Kong” appeared ahead of China’s official “March of the Volunteers” when people searched for the city’s anthem. The song was accidentally played for Hong Kong athletes at two international […]

Shallow 6.2-magnitude earthquake jolts Taiwan

⚠Preliminary info: M6.1 #earthquake (#地震) about 30 km SE of #Hualian (#Taiwan) 3 min ago (local time 12:03:17). Updates at:📱https://t.co/LBaVNedgF9🌐https://t.co/AXvOM7I4Th🖥https://t.co/wPtMW5ND1t pic.twitter.com/VQeqVCLN9y — EMSC (@LastQuake) December 15, 2022 Taipei, Taiwan (AFP) A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off Taiwan’s eastern coast on Thursday followed by multiple lighter aftershocks, the island’s weather bureau said, with shaking felt in the capital Taipei. The quake hit just after midday (0400 GMT) about 30 kilometres (19 miles) off the coast of Hualien […]

Biden seeks principled Africa partnership as US businesses pour in

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – President Joe Biden called Wednesday for a long-term partnership with Africa rooted in good governance as US businesses unveiled billions of dollars led by tech investment for a continent where China has become a top player. Addressing a summit that brought 49 African leaders to the Washington cold, Biden avoided uttering China’s name but made clear the United States would take a different approach. At the first such gathering since Barack […]

Peru declares state of emergency as ousted leader remains in prison

by Luis Jaime CISNEROS / Patrick FORT Agence France-Presse LIMA, Peru (AFP) — Peru declared a nationwide state of emergency Wednesday over violent protests against the ouster and arrest of ex-president Pedro Castillo that have left seven people dead. Castillo’s supporters have taken to the streets and set up roadblocks countrywide in protests that have also left 200 injured as they demand his release and the holding of early elections. The country plunged into crisis […]

US political world seeks distance from disgraced donor Bankman-Fried

by Aurélia END Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — After years of benefitting from the enormous contributions of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried — accused of massive financial fraud — America’s political elite are now skittering away, eager to put distance between themselves and the disgraced cryptocurrency darling. The 30-year-old tycoon — currently detained in the Bahamas awaiting US extradition proceedings — had in recent years become one of the largest public donors to the […]

Japan to radically overhaul defence policy on China threats

    Tokyo, Japan (AFP) by Sara HUSSEIN Japan is expected to announce its biggest defence overhaul in decades this week, hiking spending, reshaping its military command and acquiring new missiles to tackle the threat from China. The policies, to be outlined in three defence and security documents as soon as Friday, will reshape the defence landscape in a country whose post-war constitution does not even officially recognise the military. “Fundamentally strengthening our defence capabilities […]

As Peru protests rage, court denies ex-president’s release appeal

by Carlos MANDUJANO / Patrick FORT Agence France-Presse LIMA, Peru (AFP) — A court in Peru rejected on Tuesday an appeal by former president Pedro Castillo to be freed from detention on charges of rebellion and conspiracy, as officials warned protests demanding his release could spiral out of control. Prosecutors late Tuesday filed a request to hold Castillo in pre-trial detention for 18 months, marking the formal start of the investigation against him, a prosecution […]

Ukraine secures 1 bn euros in aid ‘to get through winter’

by Adam Plowright and Delphine Touitou Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Ukraine’s Western allies pledged an additional one billion euros ($1.1 billion) in emergency winter aid on Tuesday, responding to pleas from President Volodymyr Zelensky to help the country withstand Russia’s onslaught against its energy grid. Around 70 countries and international organizations gathered in Paris for a meeting aimed at enabling Ukrainians “to get through this winter”, said French President Emmanuel Macron. In a […]

Nicaragua bishop who criticized govt charged with conspiracy

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AFP) — A Nicaraguan bishop who has been a sharp critic of the government of President Daniel Ortega and who has been under house arrest since August was charged Tuesday with conspiracy and propagation of false news, a judicial body reported. Bishop Rolando Álvarez, 56, was charged with “crimes of conspiracy to undermine national integrity and propagation of false news through information and communication technologies to the detriment of the Nicaraguan state and […]

China says tracking Covid cases now ‘impossible’ as infections soar

BEIJING, China (AFP) — The true scale of Covid-19 infections in China is now “impossible” to track, the country’s top health body said Wednesday, as officials warned of a rapid spread in Beijing after the country abruptly dropped its zero-tolerance policy. China last week loosened restrictions for mass testing and quarantine after nearly three years of attempting to stamp out the virus, prompting officially reported infections to fall quickly from the all-time highs recorded last […]

DR Congo leader blames climate change for devastating floods

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo joined the United States on Tuesday in blaming climate change for major floods that have claimed around 100 lives in the capital Kinshasa. “The DRC is under pressure but unfortunately it’s not sufficiently heard or supported,” President Felix Tshisekedi told Secretary of State Antony Blinken as they met at a US-Africa summit in Washington. The flooding is an example of “what we […]

Aid staves off Somalia famine, for now: UN

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Humanitarian aid and support from local communities have helped avert a dreaded famine declaration in Somalia this year, but the situation remains “catastrophic,” the UN said on Tuesday. The United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said the latest assessment found that, technically, Somalia was not yet in the grip of full-blown famine. The report “does not lead to a declaration of famine at this point, in large part thanks to the response […]