Thursday, 16 Jan, 2025

International

South Korea warns of response not 'seen before’ to North Korea

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol warned of an unprecedented joint response with allies if North Korea goes ahead with a nuclear test, and urged China to help dissuade the North from pursuing banned development of nuclear weapons and missiles. In a wide-ranging interview with

Riots in Belgium, Netherlands as Morocco win at World Cup

Riots broke out in several Belgian and Dutch cities after Morocco’s 2-0 upset win over Belgium at the World Cup Sunday. Police detained about a dozen people after they deployed water cannons and fire tear gas to disperse crowds in Brussels and eight more in the Northern city of

Zelenskyy warns of more Russian missile attacks on Ukraine

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned of new Russian missile attacks on his country, urging defence forces and citizens to be prepared to withstand a new week of strain on the power grid. The warning on Sunday came as snow fell in Kyiv and temperatures hovered around

China protests spread, reports of clashes with police in Shanghai

Hundreds of demonstrators and police have clashed in Shanghai as protests over China’s severe COVID-19 restrictions continued into a third day and spread to several other cities. The latest demonstrations — unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping took

Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan calls off long march to avoid ‘chaos’

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has called off the ‘long march’ to the capital Islamabad fearing chaos and announced his party would resign from state assemblies in a new bid to push for early elections. “I have decided not to go to Islamabad because

N Korea aims to have ‘world’s strongest’ nuclear force: Kim

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said that his ultimate goal is to possess the world’s most powerful nuclear force, according to state media. Kim made the announcement on Saturday as he promoted dozens of military officers involved in the recent launch of North Korea’s

Taiwan president quits as party head after local election losses

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has resigned as head of the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after her strategy to frame local elections as showing defiance to China’s rising bellicosity failed to pay off and win public support. Tsai offered her resignation on Saturday

Covid protests widen in China after Urumqi fire

Protests against Covid restrictions in China appear to have intensified following a fire which killed 10 people in an apartment block in Urumqi. In the city of Shanghai, videos posted on social media by foreign journalists show hundreds of people calling for President Xi Jinping to

Gunmen Kill 15 In Northern Nigeria: Govt

Gunmen on Friday killed 15 people in multiple attacks in northwest Nigeria's Kaduna state, the latest violence in the volatile region, a government official said. Northwest and central Nigeria have been terrorised by criminal gangs known locally as bandits who raid villages,

China wants to work with North Korea for peace, Xi tells Kim

Chinese President Xi Jinping has told North Korea’s Kim Jong Un that Beijing is willing to work with Pyongyang for global peace and stability, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The report on Saturday came days after North Korea fired an intercontinental

10 killed, nine injured after fire engulfs apartment in China’s Xinjiang region

At least 10 people were killed and nine injured after a fire ripped through an apartment in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region, state media reported on Friday. The fire broke out at a high-rise building on Thursday night in the regional capital of Urumqi, where temperatures

Ukraine battles to restore power as millions face blackouts

Ukraine has been battling to reconnect water and electricity services to millions of people after a barrage of Russian missiles and drones hit energy infrastructure on Wednesday, leaving nearly 80 percent of the country in the dark. By Thursday evening, more than 24 hours after the

Malaysia’s Anwar starts work promising inclusive government

Anwar Ibrahim has started work as Malaysia’s prime minister after promising to lead a government inclusive of everyone in the multiethnic, multireligious Southeast Asian nation. Anwar clocked in at 9am (01:00 GMT) at the prime minister’s office in the country’s

US Walmart shooting: Manager kills six at Virginia

A longtime manager at a Walmart store in the US state of Virginia has shot dead six people and injured six others. Officers were called to the busy branch in Chesapeake after the gunman opened fire on colleagues in a staff room. He then turned the gun on himself and died of a

Pakistan PM picks Lt Gen Asim Munir as new Army chief

After weeks of intense speculation and rumours, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday chose Lt Gen Asim Munir as the new chief of army staff (COAS). Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb made the announcement on Twitter, saying the premier had made the choice while exercising his

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar appointed prime minister

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was appointed prime minister on Thursday, the sultan's palace said, and will be sworn in at 5 p.m. (0900 GMT). A general election on Saturday ended in an unprecedented hung parliament with neither of two main alliances, one led by Anwar and

UN report: 5 women killed every hour by family member

A UN report published Wednesday said that at least 45,000 women and girls around the world were killed by partners or family members in 2021.  The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women said the figure meant that more than five women or girls were killed

Turkish Airstrike Hits 300 Meters From US Forces in Syria 

A Turkish airstrike launched as part of Ankara's new offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters came uncomfortably close to hitting U.S. forces in northeastern Syria, further escalating tensions in the region, two sources told VOA. U.S. Central Command, which oversees the

Violent protest at largest iPhone factory in China

China’s COVID-19 cases are surging toward record highs, signalling more pain for the world’s second-largest economy as hopes fade for a quick exit from Beijing’s draconian “zero-COVID” policies. The National Health Commission on Wednesday reported 29,157

US shooting: Man kills up to 10 in Virginia Walmart store

A gunman has killed up to 10 people in a Walmart supermarket in Chesapeake, in the US state of Virginia, police say. A man believed, to be the store manager, opened fire then turned the gun on himself, and is now dead. The City of Chesapeake tweeted "police confirm an active