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NEW DELHI, Aug 23, 2023 (AFP) – India became the first nation to successfully land a craft on the Moon’s south pole on Wednesday, the latest milestone in a renewed push for lunar exploration that has drawn in both the world’s top space powers and new players. New Delhi’s attempt came days after the crash-landing on the Moon of Russia’s Luna-25 probe. Here is the latest on various missions to the celestial body: – India’s […]
HONG KONG, Aug 22, 2023 (AFP) – Hong Kong’s top court on Tuesday issued a landmark ruling affirming mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted of national security crimes, potentially affecting dozens of pro-democracy figures standing trial or appealing jail terms. The national security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 after months of democracy protests sets out minimum jail terms for serious offences, a feature rarely seen in the former British colony’s criminal justice […]
LONDON, Aug 22, 2023 (AFP) – A heightened fear for their safety, increased worry for their families, and a desperate search for international support — this is what dominates everyday life for two activists in Britain who are among Hong Kong’s most wanted. Last month, Hong Kong police announced bounties of HK$1 million ($128,000) on eight democratic activists living abroad, encouraging the public to pass on information that could lead to their arrest. Former legislator […]
MANILA, Aug 22, 2023 (AFP) – The Philippines said a resupply mission had reached a remote outpost in the disputed South China Sea Tuesday, despite attempts by Chinese vessels to “block” the boats carrying provisions for Filipino marines. Two Philippine Coast Guard boats escorted two supply vessels to Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, where a handful of troops are stationed on a crumbling navy ship. They arrived just over two weeks after China […]
NEW YORK, Aug 18, 2023 (AFP) – Embattled Chinese property giant Evergrande Group filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States on Thursday, court documents showed, a measure that protects its US assets while it attempts to restructure. Evergrande, once China’s top property developer, was found in 2021 to be struggling with more than $300 billion in liabilities, as it came under intense pressure after officials tightened scrutiny on the real estate industry. The company’s […]
BEIJING, Aug 13, 2023 (AFP) – The death toll from a landslide triggered by heavy rains in northern China has risen sharply to at least 21, authorities said on Sunday, with six others missing. China has faced deadly floods and historic rainfall in recent weeks, with dozens killed in storms in the northern part of the country. “Twenty-one people were found dead so far, and six others are still missing,” the Xi’an emergency management bureau […]
TAIPEI, Aug 12, 2023 (AFP) – Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai flies to the United States on Saturday in a sensitive trip that has angered Chinese officials. The democratic island is claimed by China, which has vowed to take the territory one day — by force, if necessary — and has ramped up political and military pressure. It opposes other countries’ official exchanges with Taiwan, and often reacts angrily to Taiwanese leaders’ stopovers in the […]
MANILA, Aug 9, 2023 (AFP) – President Ferdinand Marcos said Wednesday he was “not aware” of any agreement with China to remove a Philippine Navy vessel grounded on a reef in the disputed South China Sea. Marcos’ remarks were in response to Beijing’s insistence in recent days that Manila had “repeatedly” promised to tow away the crumbling BRP Sierra Madre from Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. The BRP Sierra Madre, which the Philippines […]
HONG KONG, Aug 9, 2023 (AFP) – Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific on Wednesday swung to a healthy profit in the first half of the year thanks to a pick-up in travel, with the airline expecting passenger capacity to reach 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels by end of the year. The airline said it made a $546 million profit in January-June, rebounding from a loss of $640 million in the same period last year. It […]
BEIJING, Aug 9, 2023 (AFP) – China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia this week, Beijing said on Wednesday as it seeks to build ties in the region. Wang, who returned to the post last month after the unexplained disappearance of predecessor Qin Gang, will travel to the three countries from Thursday to Sunday, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement. “China hopes to strengthen strategic communication with the three […]
TAIPEI, Aug 8, 2023 (AFP) – Former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso warned a Taipei security forum Tuesday that the international community must “wake up” to the worsening situation surrounding the Taiwan Strait, a hotspot waterway separating the democratic island from China. Taiwan has in recent years been under increased political and military pressure from China, which claims the island as its territory and has vowed to retake it one day. The past year has […]
