Friday, 29 Nov, 2024

International

Speculation grows over Xi Jinping's G20 absence

This weekend is being billed as India's moment, when leaders from the world's top 20 economies travel to Delhi for the G20 summit. But one major leader will be conspicuously absent: China's Xi Jinping. He canceled his participation without giving a reason, allowing

Hong Kong hit by heaviest rainfall in 140 years

Hong Kong has been flooded by the heaviest rainfall in nearly 140 years, leaving the city's streets and some subway stations underwater and forcing its schools to close. Just across the border on Friday, authorities in China's tech hub Shenzhen recorded the heaviest rains since

Attack on boat, army base in Mali kills 49 civilians, 15 soldiers

Armed groups have attacked a passenger boat and military camp in Mali, killing at least 49 civilians and 15 soldiers, according to the country’s armed forces. Approximately 50 assailants were also killed in the attack. “On September 7, 2023, at around 11am [11:00 GMT],

Gabon military government appoints ex opposition leader as interim PM

Gabon’s military government, which seized power in a coup last week, appointed a former opposition leader, Raymond Ndong Sima, as the prime minister of its transitional government. Sima, a 68-year-old economist, was an outspoken critic of President Ali Bongo, who was removed by

Ex-Trump adviser convicted of contempt of Congress

Former Trump aide Peter Navarro has been convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to co-operate with an inquiry into alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election result. Prosecutors said Navarro acted "above the law" by ignoring a subpoena from a congressional

North Korea launches new ‘tactical nuclear attack’ submarine

North Korea has launched its first operational “tactical nuclear attack submarine”, a key part of leader Kim Jong Un’s plan to develop a nuclear-armed navy to counter the United States and its Asian allies. Submarine No 841 – named Hero Kim Kun Ok after a

Mexico Supreme Court decriminalizes abortion nationwide

Abortion is not a crime, Mexico's Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday. The court said the section of the federal penal code that criminalized abortion would no longer have any effect, the Information Group for Chosen Reproduction (GIRE) said. The nongovernmental organization said

Claudia Sheinbaum named Mexico ruling party’s 2024 presidential candidate

Mexico’s ruling party has named former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum as its candidate for the 2024 presidential elections, putting her in pole position to become the country’s first woman leader. Mexico will go to the polls on June 2 to elect a successor to popular

US announces $1bn in new aid for Ukraine 

The new US aid would include HIMARS missile systems, Javelin weapons, Abrams tanks as well as humanitarian assistance. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced new aid for Ukraine totalling more than $1bn in a visit to Kyiv, including about $665m in new military and civilian

Palestinians set out terms for agreeing to historic Saudi-Israeli deal

A cash boost of hundreds of millions of dollars and more control of land in the occupied West Bank are among Palestinian demands in the event of a three-way deal involving the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel, the BBC has learned. Officials from the Palestinian Authority (PA) held talks in

California is first US state to pass ban on caste discrimination

California's legislature has become the first in the US to approve a bill banning caste discrimination. Legislators said the measure would protect people of South Asian descent who allege unfair treatment. The governor must now decide whether to sign the bill into law. Seattle

New Saudi ambassador to Iran arrives in Tehran

Saudi Arabia’s new ambassador to Iran Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anazi arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to start his mission, Saudi Press Agency reported. Upon his arrival in the Iranian capital, Al-Anazi said the directives of the Saudi leadership emphasize the importance of strengthening

53 men of Burkina Security Forces killed in 'jihadist attack'

Fifty-three members of the security forces have been killed in an attack by suspected jihadists in northern Burkina Faso, the army said on Tuesday. Seventeen soldiers and 36 civilian volunteers for the army died on Monday while repelling an "attack," the army general staff

5 killed as rainstorms, floods hit Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria

At least five people have been killed in torrential rainstorms and flooding in Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria, including two people who were washed away when floodwaters swept through a camping ground in Turkey’s northwestern province. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said

G20 summit: Who is coming to India, and who is not

Host India has coined the optimistic slogan "One Earth, One Family, One Future", but the leaders of the Group of 20 nations are riven by differences and strategic fault lines. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are skipping the September 9-10

Canada truck attack: Man pleads not guilty to murdering Muslim family

A Canadian man accused of murdering four members of a Muslim family with his vehicle in London, Ontario, has pleaded not guilty. Nathaniel Veltman, 22, is accused of intentionally targeting the family because of their faith, running them over in 2021. He has been charged with four

Wagner to be declared a terrorist organisation by UK

Wagner, the Russian mercenary group, is set to be proscribed as a terrorist group by the UK government - meaning it will be illegal to be a member or support the organisation. A draft order to be laid in Parliament will allow its assets to be categorised as terrorist property and

Ex-Proud Boys leader jailed for 22 years for Capitol riot

The Proud Boys' former leader has been jailed for 22 years for orchestrating the US Capitol riot, the longest sentence so far for a ringleader of the raid on the seat of American democracy. Enrique Tarrio was convicted of seditious conspiracy, a US Civil War-era charge, and other

Myanmar rejects ASEAN statement condemning violence as ‘one-sided’

Southeast Asian leaders have “strongly condemned” the continuing violence in Myanmar, directly blaming the bloodshed on the generals who seized power in a coup in February 2021. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is meeting in Jakarta after the

N Korea would pay price if it supplies Russia with weapons: US 

A top White House official has said North Korea would pay “a price” if it sells weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine, after Washington warned that Pyongyang was in talks with Moscow about a potential arms deal. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday