Indo-Pacific is standing up against China, US admiral sayson February 13, 2020CANBERRA: Countries in the Indo-Pacific region are beginning to take a stand against Chinese attempts to manipulate them through debt-trap diplomacy, coercion and bullying, a senior US naval commander said Thursday. Adm. Philip S. Davidson, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, told a foreign policy think-tank in Sydney that all nations in the region were […]
Puerto Rico’s economy in limbo as governor rejects debt dealon February 10, 2020SAN JUAN: Puerto Rico’s fragile economy is facing an uncertain future after the island’s governor rejected a settlement announced late Sunday with bondholders that would reduce the US territory’s public debt by 70 percent. The settlement is the biggest one to date since the island’s government announced in 2015 that it was unable to pay […]
Israel accused of torturing Palestinians after fatal bombingon February 10, 2020RAMALLAH: One of the men was hospitalized with kidney failure and 11 broken ribs. Another was nearly unrecognizable to his wife when he was wheeled into a courtroom. A third was stitched up after being attacked by a security dog. Then the three Palestinians were returned to their Israeli interrogators. They had been swept up […]
Anger and virus cases grow in China with 722 total deathson February 8, 2020BEIJING: The number of confirmed cases of the new virus has risen again in China while fatalities increased to 722 on Saturday, as the ruling Communist Party faced anger and recriminations from the public over the death of a doctor who was threatened by police after trying to sound the alarm about the disease over […]
US demands more from Taliban on cease-fire before dealon February 3, 2020TASHKENT: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday demanded “demonstrable evidence” from the Taliban that they can and will reduce violence before signing a deal that would lead to Afghanistan peace talks and a withdrawal of American troops from the country. Speaking at a news conference in neighboring Uzbekistan, Pompeo said a deal is […]
More homes destroyed in southeast Australia wildfireson February 2, 2020CANBERRA: Dozens of homes were destroyed overnight in Australia’s southeast but the wildfire threat had diminished by Sunday across New South Wales state and around the national capital Canberra, officials said. Bega Valley Mayor Kristy McBain said damage in her region 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Canberra had yet to be assessed by the […]
Saudi Arabia evacuates students as first coronavirus death outside of China reportedon February 2, 2020BEIJING: The Philippines on Saturday reported the first death related to a new virus outside of China. The Department of Health says a 44-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan was admitted on Jan. 25 after experiencing fever, cough, and sore throat. He developed severe pneumonia, and in his last few days, “the patient was stable and […]
Mexican forest guardian suffered head trauma before drowningon January 31, 2020Mexico: An anti-logging activist prominent in efforts to protect a Mexican forest where monarch butterflies spend the winter suffered head trauma and drowned in a pond, authorities announced Thursday night, potentially adding weight to the fears of family and other activists that he was murdered. Even before the announcement, relatives of Homero Gómez González speculated […]
Daesh tries to stage comeback amid rising US-Iran tensionson January 29, 2020But tensions between the US and Iran and the resulting clash over the US military presence in the region provide a comeback opportunity for the extremist group, whose remnants have been gradually building up a guerrilla campaign over the past year, experts say. American troops in Iraq had to pause their operations against Daesh for […]
Palestinian leader roundly rejects Trump peace planon January 29, 2020RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said “a thousand no’s” Tuesday to the Mideast peace plan announced by President Donald Trump, which strongly favors Israel. “After the nonsense that we heard today we say a thousand no’s to the Deal of The Century,” Abbas said at a press conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, […]