Taiwan accused China Monday of kidnapping eight Taiwanese who had been cleared of criminal charges by a court in Kenya, and angrily demanded their immediate return from the mainland. The alleged abduction — described by Taiwan’s foreign ministry as “illegal” and “uncivilised” — posed a potential challenge to president-elect Tsai Ing-wen, who takes office next month. Kenyan authorities in November 2014 arrested 28 Taiwanese along with 49 other ethnic Chinese on charges of illegally entering […]
International
Rescue underway after three-storey building collapses in Shanghai
SHANGHAI, China (Reuters) – A woman and her child were rescued after a three-storey building collapsed in eastern China’s Shanghai on Monday (April 11). According to state broadcaster CCTV, the incident took place at around 1:25 p.m. (0525 GMT) in Songjiang district, an area southwest of downtown. As of 8 p.m. (1200 GMT), one spot in the ruins had shown signs of life and rescuers were moving debris with hands, CCTV said. Sensors and sniffer […]
Thousands of dead sardines swamp southern Chile
QUEULE, Chile (Reuters) – Thousands of dead sardines were found floating on Monday (April 11) along the shores of Queule River in the southern Chilean region of Araucania. Experts are still investigating the cause of the death. Television news footage showed masses of the lifeless silver fish more than a foot deep choking the waters in and around the river shores and boats. At the weekend, Chilean health authorities began removing tons of sardines, scooping […]
China urges G7 to take attitude of seeking truth
BEIJING, China (Reuters) – China urged on Monday (April 11) the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies to take an attitude of seeking truth in handling issues relevant to East and South China Seas, after G7 opposed provocation in the region, where China is locked in territorial disputes with nations including the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan. In the latest verbal exchange on who controls the vital trade waterways, China said it had not seen the […]
Brazil impeachment committee backs ousting President Dilma Rousseff
Brasilia, Brazil (AFP)—-A congressional committee on Monday recommended impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, setting the stage for a crucial vote in the lower house to decide whether she should face trial. The committee voted 38 to 27 in favor of Rousseff’s ouster. Both sides yelled slogans and waved placards as the vote was completed after hours of bad-tempered debate that often descended into shouting matches, reflecting Brazil’s increasingly bitter divisions. The decision was […]
Heatwave shuts more than 250 Malaysian schools: reports
KUALA Lumpur, Malaysia (AFP) — More than 250 Malaysian schools were closed on Monday due to a heatwave brought on by the El Niño weather phenomenon which is severely affecting food production and causing chronic water shortages in many countries. Authorities ordered schools in the states of Perlis and Pahang to shut after temperatures soared above 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over a 72-hour period, according to local reports. The education ministry said the […]
US and Japan foreign ministers meets ahead of Hiroshima memorial park visit
HIROSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday (April 11) ahead of a visit to the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park. Kerry will be the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Hiroshima’s atomic bomb museum and pay respects at a memorial for victims of the 1945 U.S. nuclear attack, raising expectations that President Barack Obama may make an historic visit next month. “We would like to […]
Greeks gather on street to support refugees in port city of Piraeus
Reuters – Greeks gathered to show support to refugees in the port city of Piraeus in the past weekend. Some threw leaflets to sky, on which printed Arabic slogans saying the western countries should be blamed for leaving so many homeless after wars. The protesters said opening the border is in accordance with humanitarian principles and they oppose the decision of the European Union deporting refugees. Some leaflets said the Greeks will stand together with […]
China ships first core kit to Arctic pole
China has shipped its first self-designed core kit of liquefied natural gas to the Arctic from Qingdao City, Shandong Province on Saturday. This is the first time China has transported a core process module of liquefied natural gas overseas. It will be shipped to the Yamal L-N-G, a liquefied natural gas plant located deep in the Arctic Circle. China has undertaken design and manufacturing of 36 process modules from the plant. “It is the world‘s […]
Cruz, Sanders notch gains in White House primaries
by Gregory FEIFER WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Ted Cruz both scored weekend victories against their front-running rivals in a tightening race as the two major parties prepare to pick their White House nominee. Cruz, the Texas Senator, chipped away at Donald Trump’s lead by taking all 13 Colorado delegates at stake in a state Republican convention Saturday, notching his fourth win in a row against the brash billionaire with […]
US Navy leads 30-nation maritime exercise in Middle East
The U.S. Navy is leading a 30-nation maritime exercise across Middle Eastern waters which it says will help protect international trade routes against possible threats, including from Islamic State and al Qaeda. The exercise, which is partly being held in the Gulf, comes as tensions run high between Gulf Arab countries and Iran over its role in the region, including its support for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s civil war, for the Houthis in the […]
G7 Foreign minister meeting kicks off in Japan
G7 Foreign ministers meeting kicks off in the central Japanese city of Hiroshima. Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven Industrialised Nations (G7) began arriving in the central Japanese city of Hiroshima on Sunday (April 10) for a two day meeting. They were greeted at the entrance of the Grand Prince Hotel in Hiroshima by Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko. The first guests to arrive were French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and […]
