Backed by military aircraft, Brazilian troops on Saturday were deploying in the Amazon to fight fires that have swept the region and prompted anti-government protests as well as an international outcry. President Jair Bolsonaro also tried to temper global concern, saying that previously deforested areas had burned and that ... Read More »
Chinese State Media Warns of Intervention as Hong Kong Protests Turn Violent
In the wake of violent clashes in Hong Kong on Sunday, during which a live gunshot was fired for the first time since protests began in early June, Chinese state media used its harshest rhetoric yet to condemn the unrest and warned that Beijing could soon intervene. The 12th ... Read More »
An Israeli aircraft fired two rockets at a Palestinian guerrilla base in east Lebanon early Monday, Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV reported. The station said the predawn attack targeted a base for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) in the Bekaa Valley village of Qousaya, near ... Read More »
Shares across Asia fall sharply amid US-Chinese trade tensions
Australia’s ASX200 index down 1.46%, Tokyo off 2% and Hong Kong falls 3.3% as fears grow about a global recession Shares in Australia and across Asia Pacific have fallen sharply amid a new flare-up of US-Chinese trade tensions. Despite a senior Chinese leader saying Beijing wanted to resolve the ... Read More »
South Korea calls Japan reports of North Korea sanctions breach ‘grave challenge’
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Monday Japan’s reported accusations that South Korea had exported banned goods to North Korea posed a “grave challenge” amid a growing dispute over Japanese export curbs. Japan has tightened restrictions on the export of three materials used in high-tech equipment, citing “inadequate management” ... Read More »
Amazon rainforest fires: Macron calls for ‘international crisis’ to lead G7 discussions
Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro lashes out at ‘sensationalist’ comments saying they were for ‘personal political gain’ France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has said the fires in the Amazon are an “international crisis” and called for them to be top of the agenda at the G7 summit, prompting a furious response from ... Read More »
Merkel gives Johnson 30 days to find solution to avoid no-deal Brexit
Macron rules out renegotiating Brexit deal, as French see no deal as ‘most likely outcome’ Angela Merkel has challenged Boris Johnson to come up with a solution to avert a no-deal Brexit “in the next 30 days”, putting responsibility for stopping the UK crashing out of the EU firmly ... Read More »
Indonesia blocks internet in West Papua as protest rages
Indonesia’s information ministry says ‘temporary’ shutdown is meant ‘to accelerate government effort to ‘restore order’. Indonesia has blocked internet access in West Papua, in a move that followed the government deployment of additional military and police personnel to the region to help to quell ongoing protests and secure vital public ... Read More »
Trump admin formally approves fighter jet sale to Taiwan amid China trade fight
The Trump administration has formally approved a major $8 billion arms sale to Taiwan involving 66 new F-16C/D fighter jets, the State Department announced Tuesday, a move that comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing over a range of issues, including trade and Hong Kong. Administration officials and others ... Read More »
Trump cancels Denmark trip after PM says Greenland is not for sale
President says he is postponing meeting with Mette Frederiksen because she was not interested in discussing transaction Donald Trump has cancelled his trip to Denmark and postponed his meeting with the Danish prime minister after she said that Greenland was not for sale. Speaking on Sunday during a trip ... Read More »