China fires back at US over environment, South China Sea
Beijing: US-China friction flared again Monday, with Beijing firing back at accusations by Washington that it is a leading cause of global environmental damage and has reneged on its promise not to militarise the South China Sea. A document issued last week by the State Department cited China’s record on issues from greenhouse gas emissions […]
Russia, China block release of UN report criticising Russia
United Nations: Russia and China blocked the official release of a report by UN experts on Libya that accused its warring parties and their international backers — including Russia — of violating a UN arms embargo on the conflict-wracked country, UN diplomats said Friday. Germany’s deputy UN ambassador, Günter Sautter, said he brought the issue […]
At least 13 people drown in migrant shipwreck off Libya
Cairo: Over a dozen migrants trying to reach Europe drowned in the Mediterranean Sea when their small dinghy capsized off the coast of Libya, the United Nations reported Friday, the latest shipwreck to underscore the deadly risks facing those who flee the war-afflicted North African country. Libyan fishermen spotted the sinking boat late Thursday, said […]
Terror probe opened after 2 wounded in Paris knife attack
Paris: French terrorism authorities are investigating a knife attack that wounded at least two people Friday near the former offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, authorities said. A suspect has been arrested. The area in eastern Paris remained cordoned off by police two hours after the attack. Children were being sequestered in […]
Paris police barricade Eiffel Tower after bomb threat
Paris: Paris police have blockaded the area around the Eiffel Tower after a phone-in bomb threat. Police cars and tape surrounded the streets below the tower and the bridge stretching across the Seine River to Trocadero Plaza. Some tourists were still walking in the area, but it was unclear if any were still inside the […]
Britain turns over evidence to US in IS ‘Beatles’ case
London: Britain says it has turned over to US authorities evidence against two members of an alleged terror cell known as “the Beatles,” ending a drawn out legal battle to block the handover of the information. The evidence against Shafee El Sheikh and Alexanda Kotey was given to US prosecutors after the High Court of […]
China blasts US House bill, denies forced labour in Xinjiang
Beijing: China on Tuesday lashed out at the passage of a bill by the U.S. House of Representatives that threatens sanctions over the alleged use of forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region, calling the accusation a lie. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the bill “maliciously slandered the human rights situation in Xinjiang” and sought […]
Russia’s FM laments sanctions at UN amid tension with West
Moscow: Russia’s foreign minister complained about countries using sanctions to meddle in the domestic affairs of other nations, telling the UN General Assembly that such penalties hamper an effective worldwide response to issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, military conflicts and international terrorism. In a speech delivered when it was early Tuesday in […]
Amid China’s bumpy rise, Xi faces delicate moment at UN
Tokyo: The descriptions that China’s state media rolled out ahead of leader Xi Jinping’s speech Tuesday at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations were hardly unexpected. The Xinhua news agency lauded him as as a “champion of the U.N. ethos,” and commentaries laid out his expectations and plans as he prepared […]
Europe scrambles to contain rise in coronavirus cases
Berlin: Political pressure grew Monday in Europe for governments to tackle the rising number of coronavirus case without resorting to a spring-style lockdown that would hit the continent’s struggling economies. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met Monday with the president of the Madrid region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, to coordinate a stronger response to the outbreaks […]
