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by Sarah Benhaida with Ali Choukeir in Baghdad GOGJALI, Iraq (AFP) — Jihadist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on his fighters to resist as Iraqi forces were poised Thursday to enter the city of Mosul where he declared a “caliphate” two years ago. The appeal was made in an audio recording released on the Internet and purported to be by the elusive leader of the Islamic State group, his first message this year. “Do not […]
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Almost half the population of the Middle East and North Africa would abstain if given the right to vote in next week’s US presidential election, an opinion poll revealed Thursday. But Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton came far ahead of her Republican opponent Donald Trump as the preferred candidate to lead the United States, which plays a key role in the Arab world. Out of 3,017 people polled across 18 countries, […]
SYDNEY, Australia | AFP | — Flight MH370 was likely out of control when it plunged into the ocean with its wing flaps not prepared for landing, a new report said Wednesday, casting doubt on theories a pilot was still in charge. Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014 carrying 239 passengers and crew. The report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found the plane’s […]
SYDNEY, Australia | AFP | — Australia is considering joint patrols with Indonesia in the disputed South China Sea, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Tuesday, in a move set to irk Beijing. The possibility was raised by Jakarta during meetings between Bishop and Defence Minister Marise Payne and Indonesian officials including Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu last week. “We have agreed to explore options to increase maritime cooperation and of course that would include […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — All 33 miners missing after a colliery explosion in China earlier this week have been confirmed dead, state media reported Wednesday, in the country’s latest mining accident. The bodies of the last 15 were retrieved from the Jinshangou mine in the southwestern municipality of Chongqing in the early hours, the official Xinhua news agency said. Only two workers escaped Monday’s blast alive. Though the cause of the explosion was still unknown, […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean coastguard vessels have, for the first time, fired machine guns against Chinese boats illegally fishing in Korean waters, an official said Wednesday. There were no casualties reported from the incident on Tuesday, which was the first of its kind since the coastguard announced last month that it would pursue a “more aggressive” firearms policy with Chinese trawlers. Disputes over illegal fishing have dogged relations between South Korea and […]
by Sarah Benhaida with Ammar Karim in Baghdad BARTALLA, Iraq (AFP) — Iraqi forces fought their way into jihadist-held Mosul on Tuesday, the military said, as a top commander declared the “true liberation” of the city from the Islamic State group had begun. Just over two weeks into the massive offensive to retake Mosul — IS’s last major stronghold in Iraq — soldiers managed to push within city limits. Troops had “entered the Judaidat Al-Mufti […]
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad Monday congratulated his new Lebanese counterpart Michel Aoun on his election, hoping it would contribute to “reinforcing stability” in Lebanon, state news agency SANA said. Lebanese lawmakers earlier Monday elected the 81-year-old ex-army chief, who promised to protect the country from spillover from the five-year war in neighbouring Syria. In a phone call, “Assad congratulated General Michel Aoun on his election,” SANA said, hoping it would “contribute […]
(Reuters) — Twenty-six people were killed and dozens more injured after two days of heavy flooding hit several Egyptian cities on Friday and Saturday (October 28-29), Egypt’s health ministry said. The rain hit in the early hours of Friday (October 28) morning sweeping away cars and destroying houses. Seven people were killed in the Red Sea city of Ras Ghareb, health officials added. Authorities said two main roads in the city were closed due […]
by Jung Ha-Won SEOUL, South Korea | AFP | — South Korean President Park Geun-Hye is facing calls to resign over allegations she allowed a close personal friend to meddle in state affairs. The woman at the heart of the scandal is an elusive figure with no government post or security clearance but a reportedly Rasputin-like grip on the president’s trust and affections. Here are five key questions about an ongoing and sometimes bizarre […]
by Park Chan-Kyong SEOUL, South Korea | AFP | — Pressure mounted Saturday on beleaguered South Korean President Park Geun-Hye over a personal and political scandal, as prosecutors raided the homes of senior aides and thousands joined a protest in central Seoul demanding her resignation. With just over a year left to run, Park’s presidency has suddenly unravelled over shocking revelations of how she allowed a close personal friend, with no official position, to […]
(Reuters) — Japanese Youtube star and singer of the recent hit Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen (PPAP), Pikotaro, performed and unveiled the track’s long version on Friday (October 28) in Tokyo. Pikotaro, whose real name is Kazuhiko Kosaka, is known for a quirky music video featuring him miming the joining of an imaginary apple and pineapple with an imaginary pen. The video uploaded in early September quickly went viral, racking up over 600 million views (as of October […]
