International

Canada bans Huawei and ZTE from 5G networks

by Michel COMTE Canada will ban Chinese telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE from its 5G wireless networks due to national security concerns, officials said Thursday. The long-awaited move follows the United States and other key allies, and comes on the heels of a diplomatic row between Ottawa and Beijing over the detention of a senior Huawei executive on a US warrant, which has now been resolved. The United States has warned of the security implications […]

Israel arrests Al Jazeera reporter’s pallbearer, probe into killing ‘ongoing’

  Israel on Thursday confirmed the arrest of one of the pallbearers of slain Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, as the army said the investigation into her killing remained “ongoing”. Abu Akleh was shot dead during an Israeli army raid in the West Bank last week. Palestinians and the TV network said Israeli troops killed her, while Israel said she may have been killed by Palestinian gunfire or a stray shot from an Israeli soldier. […]

Germany school shooting injures one, suspect arrested

  by Michelle FITZPATRICK A 21-year-old gunman opened fire at a secondary school in northern Germany on Thursday, badly injuring a female member of staff before being arrested, police said. The incident happened at the Lloyd Gymnasium in the centre of Bremerhaven. School shootings are relatively rare in Germany, a country with some of the strictest gun laws in Europe. But a recent spate of incidents has rattled the population. “The armed person has been […]

US supermarket shooting suspect back in court

  The white teenager accused of gunning down 10 Black people during a racist rampage at a supermarket in New York state was back in court Thursday. Payton Gendron, 18, wore orange prison fatigues and a white face mask as he appeared for the pre-trial felony hearing at the county court in Buffalo. He said nothing during the hearing, which lasted just a few minutes. Several of the suspect’s family members were in the courtroom, […]

Jordan king says ‘delusional’ half-brother to remain under house arrest

  Jordan’s King Abdullah II said Thursday his half-brother Prince Hamzah, accused of involvement in a coup plot last year, is in a state of “delusion” and will remain under house arrest. Authorities in Jordan announced in April last year that they had foiled a bid to destabilise the Western-allied kingdom, marking a rare crisis in a nation seen as a pillar of regional stability. Two former officials were sentenced to 15 years in jail […]

Indonesia to lift ban on palm oil exports from Monday, relieving pressure on global vegetable oil market

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia will lift its ban on palm oil exports next week, President Joko Widodo said Thursday, relieving pressure on the global vegetable oil market after prices spiked because of the suspension and the war in Ukraine. The archipelago nation issued the ban last month to secure supplies of the commodity, used in a range of goods from chocolate spreads to cosmetics, in the face of a domestic shortage. “Based on […]

Brazil’s Lula ties the knot months before presidential election

  SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the front-runner in Brazil’s October presidential elections, took a break from campaigning Wednesday to marry his fiancee and fellow Workers’ Party member, sociologist Rosangela da Silva. The former president posted a photo on Instagram Wednesday night in which he appears to be saying his vows to Da Silva while placing a wedding ring on her finger. Lula, 76, and Da Silva, 55, tied the […]

Tokyo med school ordered to pay over gender discrimination

A medical school in Tokyo that made it harder for female students to pass entrance exams was on Thursday ordered to pay compensation to 13 women for gender discrimination. Juntendo University said in 2018 that it had raised the bar for women in the exams in order to “narrow the gap with male students”, as a scandal over medical school admissions uncovered improper practices at several institutions. The university argued at the time that women […]

US cites ‘possibility’ of N.Korea nuclear test during Biden’s Asia trip

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States believes there is a “genuine possibility” that North Korea could conduct a nuclear test or other saber rattling while Joe Biden is on his first trip as president to Asia, a top US official said Wednesday. “Our intelligence does reflect the genuine possibility” of nuclear-capable missile tests or a nuclear weapon test around the time of Biden’s trip, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. Biden departs […]

War in Ukraine: Latest developments

Kyiv, UKRAINE (AFP) — Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine: – More than 1,000 Mariupol fighters remain: separatist – More than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers including senior commanders, remain inside the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the southern port city of Mariupol, says Denis Pushilin, a pro-Russian separatist leader. Russia says 959 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered at the plant, including 80 wounded, since Monday. It says the injured are being treated in […]

Rare monkeypox outbreaks detected in N.America, Europe

Health authorities in North America and Europe have detected dozens of suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox since early May, sparking concern the disease endemic in parts of Africa is spreading. Canada was the latest country to report it was investigating more than a dozen suspected cases of monkeypox, after Spain and Portugal detected more than 40 possible and verified cases. Britain has confirmed nine cases since May 6, and the United States verified its […]

N. Korea completes preparation for nuclear weapon test: Seoul lawmaker

Seoul, SOUTH KOREA (AFP) — North Korea has completed preparations for a nuclear test and is seeking the best moment to carry it out, a South Korean lawmaker said Thursday, a day before US President Joe Biden is due to arrive in Seoul. Despite North Korea’s recent Covid-19 outbreak, “preparations for a nuclear test have been completed and they are only looking for the right time”, lawmaker Ha Tae-keung told reporters after being briefed by […]