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by Jerome TAYLOR / Yan ZHAO HONG KONG, China (AFP) — About two million protesters choked Hong Kong’s streets in a powerful rebuke of a reviled extradition law, organizers said Sunday, piling pressure on the city’s embattled pro-Beijing leader who apologized for causing “conflict” but refused to step down. The show of force saw vast crowds marching for hours in tropical heat, calling for the resignation of chief executive Carrie Lam, who was forced to […]
by Helen ROXBURGH Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Their motto has been “Asia’s Finest” since colonial times, but videos of Hong Kong police beating unarmed protesters have fuelled public anger and sparked accusations of brutality. Tens of thousands of demonstrators occupying city streets scattered when police used tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds on Wednesday. Police insisted the force was necessary to fend off protesters throwing bricks and […]
OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — China ignored Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s personal request for dialogue to end a spiralling diplomatic row, his office revealed Wednesday. Trudeau requested the call in January with Premier Li Keqiang so he could “personally advocate” for the immediate release of two Canadians detained a month earlier and for clemency in the case of another Canadian who would later be sentenced to death for drug trafficking, his spokeswoman Chantal Gagnon said […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump said Monday a secret provision of the US immigration deal with Mexico will require the approval of that country’s legislature and warned US tariffs will be reinstated if it is not forthcoming. Trump did not say what the provision entails, only that it would be revealed “in the not too distant future and will need a vote by Mexico’s Legislative body.” “We do not anticipate a […]
by Jerome TAYLOR / Yan ZHAO HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing leader on Monday refused to scrap a controversial plan to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland, a day after huge crowds came out to oppose the proposal. Striking a defiant tone after the city’s largest protest since the 1997 handover, chief executive Carrie Lam said the legislature would debate the bill on Wednesday as planned, rejecting calls to delay or withdraw […]
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuela has announced it will close its consulates in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, leaving only its embassy in Ottawa to handle its affairs in Canada. The Venezuelan foreign ministry, which announced the decision Saturday, said it was in response to Canada’s temporary closing of its embassy in Caracas. Canada is one of more than 50 countries, led by the United States, that recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s acting president […]
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — US billionaire Michael Bloomberg said Thursday he will spend half a billion dollars in the “fight of our time” to move the US away from carbon energy and combat climate change. The former New York mayor and philanthropist said the $500 million investment will go toward launching the Beyond Carbon initiative, which aims to close nearly 250 coal plants throughout the country by 2030 and prevent new ones […]
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) – The United Arab Emirates, which has been a key supporter of Sudan’s ruling generals, called Thursday for resumed talks on its political future following a deadly crackdown on protesters. The military council, which ousted longtime president Omar al-Bashir on April 11, had offered on Wednesday to reopen negotiations. But the offer was rejected by protest leaders who demanded justice for the 108 people doctors say have been killed […]
by Rob Lever Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — YouTube announced Wednesday it would ban videos promoting or glorifying racism and discrimination as well as those denying well-documented violent events, like the Holocaust or the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. The announcement by the Google-owned video-sharing platform was the latest of a series of tech industry moves to filter out hateful and violent content, which have spurred calls for tougher regulation. “YouTube […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea approved $8 million in humanitarian aid for the impoverished North on Wednesday, authorities said, with negotiations over Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal deadlocked and inter-Korean relations at a standstill. It will be the first such aid Seoul has provided Pyongyang since 2015 and follows the North’s lowest recorded harvest for a decade, according to the United Nations. The donation — to be made through the UN — comes as […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australians enjoying a sunny winter morning were shocked by the sight of three Chinese warships steaming into Sydney Harbour Monday, forcing the prime minister to reassure jittery residents. Amid heightened concern about Beijing’s growing clout and military muscle-flexing, the appearance of a Chinese flagged task group and around 700 sailors came as a surprise. It also came as Prime Minister Scott Morrison was away on a visit to the Solomon […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australians enjoying a sunny winter morning were surprised by the sight of three Chinese warships steaming into to Sydney Harbour Monday, forcing the prime minister to reassure jittery residents. Amid heightened concern about Beijing’s growing clout and military muscle flexing, the appearance of a Chinese flagged task group and around 700 sailors came as a surprise. “It may have been a surprise to others, but it certainly wasn’t a surprise to […]
