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Hong Kong, China | AFP | A Hong Kong court on Wednesday allowed a veteran British lawyer to represent jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai at his upcoming national security trial despite opposition from city authorities. Lai and a group of executives from the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper are being prosecuted for “colluding with foreign forces”, an offence under a new security law China imposed on Hong Kong to stamp out dissent. The trial is set […]
Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | A US citizen jailed in Saudi Arabia is being punished for “mild” Twitter posts on topics including the war in Yemen and the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, his son told AFP on Wednesday. Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a 72-year-old of Saudi origin, was this month sentenced to 16 years in prison, the latest in a spate of what human rights groups describe as draconian sentences for social […]
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood was Wednesday released on bail, days after being charged with attempted rape. The 21-year-old forward was also charged with controlling and coercive behaviour and assault at the weekend. He appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday and was remanded in custody. A bail application was held in private at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday. Following the hearing, a spokesman for the court […]
Washington, United States | AFP | President Joe Biden will announce Wednesday he’s putting the final 15 million barrels on the market from a record release of US strategic oil reserves, with more releases possible if energy prices spike, a senior US official said. The new tranche of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve will be “completing the 180 million barrel release authorized in the spring,” in response to price hikes linked to Russia’s […]
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | The co-CEO of a South Korean company that owns the country’s biggest mobile messenger app stepped down Wednesday following a massive service outage that left more than 50 million without access to its widely used services for days. Kakao’s flagship messaging app KakaoTalk is installed on around 90 percent of phones in the country and its heavily used services including maps, online payments, ride-hailing, streaming and gaming. The outage started […]
Moscow, Russia | AFP | The head of the Russian-controlled region of Kherson in southern Ukraine said Wednesday that pro-Kremlin officials were evacuating from the region’s main city but vowed Moscow’s forces would keep fighting. “The entire administration is already moving today,” to the left bank of the Dnieper river, the region’s Moscow-installed head Vladimir Saldo, said on Russian state television. He said the measure, along with the organised movement of civilians from the […]
Wellington, New Zealand | AFP | New Zealand’s government proposed on Wednesday a string of amendments to the country’s counter-terrorism laws, in a bid to stop people planning new attacks after the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings. Under the amendments, which parliament has yet to approve, New Zealand’s police would have expanded powers to place so-called “control orders” on people and groups suspected of posing a threat, Justice Minister Kiri Allan said. Control orders impose restrictions […]
London, United Kingdom (AFP) British inflation jumped back above 10 percent in September on soaring food prices, official data showed Wednesday, with the country gripped by a cost-of-living crisis bedevilling the government. The Consumer Prices Index accelerated to 10.1 percent on an annual basis, up from 9.9 percent in August, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement. The September rate matched the level in July and is the highest in 40 years as […]
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | A corruption scandal surrounding the Tokyo Olympics widened on Wednesday as a former Games executive was re-arrested on suspicion of taking bribes from two firms, one of which reportedly sold official mascot toys. Prosecution documents seen by AFP accused former Tokyo 2020 board member Haruyuki Takahashi of accepting 54 million yen ($360,000) in bribes from a major advertising firm and a merchandise company. It was the fourth time the 78-year-old […]
Beijing, China | AFP | China said Wednesday it has lodged a formal complaint with Britain over an altercation between its diplomats and a Hong Kong protester on the grounds of its Manchester consulate. British police have said a group of men came out of the consulate during a weekend demonstration, dragging one of the protesters inside the grounds and assaulting him. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation in Britain and triggered an international row […]
Hong Kong, China | AFP | by Holmes Chan and Su Xinqi Hong Kong’s leader unveiled plans to resuscitate the business hub’s fortunes on Wednesday, hoping to lure back international expertise after an exodus of talent — but he vowed no let-up in a political crackdown that has transformed the city. John Lee, a Beijing-anointed former security chief, gave a debut policy speech that prioritised the revival of an economy mired in recession and […]
Jakarta, Indonesia (AFP) — The Indonesian government announced on Wednesday a ban on all syrup and liquid medicine prescription and over-the-counter sales, after the deaths of nearly 100 children from acute kidney injury this year. The ban comes as the Southeast Asian country’s health authorities probe an unexplained rise since January in the number of children’s deaths from acute kidney injury (AKI). It also comes after nearly 70 children died in The Gambia earlier this […]
