Asia

Death toll in Europe from storm hits nine

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — The death toll from storms that have battered Spain, Portugal, and France rose to nine on Sunday as the region braced for more violent winds and heavy rain. Storms Elsa and Fabien have flooded rivers, brought down power lines, uprooted trees and disrupted rail and air travel across the region, leaving more than 118,000 households without electricity. Two people have so far died in Portugal and seven have now been killed […]

Fresh clashes over India law, death toll hits 14

  NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — Fresh deadly clashes between Indian police and demonstrators erupted on Friday after more than a week of unrest triggered by a citizenship law seen as anti-Muslim, as thousands rallied at the nation’s biggest mosque. Three protesters were shot dead on Thursday and police said another was killed in clashes in Uttar Pradesh state Friday. Four new protesters have died in fresh clashes with police in northern India, a medical […]

Afghanistan and Pakistan jolted by strong 6.1 quake: USGS

  KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — A strong earthquake rattled Afghanistan and Pakistan on Friday afternoon, the US Geological Survey said, forcing residents into the streets in Kabul and Islamabad. The 6.1-magnitude quake hit around 50 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of Jurm in northern Afghanistan and was over 200 kilometres deep, the USGS said. In both capital cities, residents felt two short tremors in quick succession, however there were no immediate reports of damage. The quake […]

Indian lawmaker gets life for raping teen in landmark case

  NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — An Indian lawmaker was sentenced to life Friday for raping a teenager whose plight police ignored until she tried to set herself on fire, in a case highlighting the impunity often enjoyed by the powerful. The day after she did so last year her father died in police custody, with the family alleging he was tortured for pursuing the case. Later she was critically injured in a suspicious car […]

Hong Kong police freeze HK$70 million in protest fund

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong police on Thursday said they had frozen HK$70 million ($10 million) from a major fund for donations to help pro-democracy protesters, and arrested its four members for money laundering. Police said their investigation focused on Spark Alliance, a non-profit online platform formed in 2016 that collects donations to provide support to political critics of the city’s pro-Beijing authorities. It is one of two crowd-sourced funding platforms that have […]

Thousands sign Hiroshima petition to save A-bomb buildings

TOKYO Japan (AFP) — Thousands of people have signed an online petition against the planned demolition of two early 20th-century buildings that remained intact after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima devastated the Japanese city. A local government official confirmed to AFP on Tuesday they had received the petition signed by 12,000 citizens calling for the preservation of the buildings that stand 2.7 kilometres (2 miles) from the 1945 blast. The three-storey red-brick buildings are part […]

Trump watching North Korea ‘closely’ as talks deadline nears

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Monday he’d be “disappointed” if North Korea had something “in the works” as a year-end ultimatum from Pyongyang about the fate of their nuclear talks approaches. The nuclear-armed North has issued increasingly strident declarations in recent weeks, even promising an ominous holiday “gift” if Washington does not come up with some concessions. The top US envoy to the negotiations with North Korea, Stephen Biegun, said […]

US envoy: N. Korea comments ‘hostile and unnecessary’

  by Sunghee Hwang Agence France Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — The top US representative in talks with North Korea on Monday slammed Pyongyang’s demands as hostile and unnecessary as its end-of-year deadline approaches, but held open the door for fresh negotiations. The North has insisted that Washington offer it new concessions by the end of 2019 with the process largely deadlocked since the collapse of a summit in Hanoi in February. Pyongyang has […]

North Korea conducts ‘crucial test’ at Sohae launch site: KCNA

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea has conducted another “crucial test” at its Sohae satellite launch site, state media reported, as nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington remain stalled with a deadline approaching. The announcement Saturday comes one day before US Special Envoy on North Korea Stephen Biegun is set to arrive in Seoul for a three-day visit, and after the United States tested a medium-range ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean on […]

China gives Hong Kong leader ‘unwavering support’

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s premier told beleaguered Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Monday that she had Beijing’s “unwavering support” after a huge rally earlier this month and her government’s thrashing at recent local elections. The city has been upended by six months of massive pro-democracy protests that have seen violent battles between police and hardcore demonstrators, as well as regular transport disruption. Protesters have called for the unpopular Lam to stand down […]

Calm broken as clashes break out in Hong Kong malls

Hong Kong, China (AFP) — Hong Kong police used pepper spray and made multiple arrests on Sunday as small groups of black-clad pro-democracy protesters targeted some of the city’s malls, ending a rare lull in violence. Flashmob protests and vandalism broke out in multiple locations, prompting riot police to use pepper spray and make arrests in at least two shopping centres as members of the public heckled the officers. AFP reporters in a Sha Tin […]

Six dead in protests against Indian citizenship law

    by Jalees Andrabi  / Anup Sharma / with Sailendra Sil in Kolkata GUWAHATI, India (AFP) — The death toll from violent protests in northeast India against a contentious citizenship law has risen to six, officials said Sunday, as authorities maintained internet bans and curfews to quell unrest. Tension remained high at the epicenter of the unrest in Assam state’s biggest city, Guwahati, with troops patrolling the streets in vehicles amid tight security. Some […]