Thai authorities began extradition proceedings on Thursday against a Chinese investigative reporter wanted by Beijing and detained for months in Thailand, his lawyer and an official told AFP. Bai Zhaodong, 56, exposed government corruption in China over two decades before leaving in 2023 to escape “mounting persecution from the state”, according to Reporters Without Borders […]
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COP31 organisers say to seek ‘ambitious’ action with their text
Organisers of an upcoming UN climate summit in Turkey said Thursday they would prepare a summary text for countries to adopt, as they lead a push for “ambitious” action on keeping the goal of global temperature rise of 1.5 C within reach. The UN-sponsored global climate summit — known as COP31 — will be held […]
Diplomats, schools in Saudi take safety measures after blasts heard: sources to AFP
Diplomats stationed in the Saudi capital were sheltering in place and international schools took safety measures on Thursday, diplomats and residents told AFP, after explosions echoed across the city. The explosions heard in Riyadh came hours after the Houthis in Yemen, which borders Saudi Arabia, claimed their latest attack on the kingdom. The Iran-backed fighters […]
Israel drastically reduces British diplomatic presence in Jerusalem
Israel said the British consulate in Jerusalem ended its functions on Thursday but that seven diplomats would be allowed to remain in a limited capacity, with the UK saying it would continue to offer “vital services”. The move comes after Israel ordered the closure of the consulate in September as retaliation after London led Western sanctions […]
From refuge to repatriations: Malaysia’s Myanmar U-turn
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim once urged his Muslim-majority nation to show solidarity with the persecuted Rohingya who fled Myanmar en masse, but this week rolled out the red carpet for the man accused of orchestrating their genocide. Min Aung Hlaing touched down on Wednesday, invited for a two-day visit to discuss thousands of Myanmar […]
North Korea demands South show ‘utmost respect’ to restore relations
The powerful sister of North Korea’s leader said Thursday that Seoul must show the “utmost respect” to mend ties, after Pyongyang denied responsibility for a DMZ mine blast that wounded South Korean soldiers. North Korea has rejected claims it was behind the explosion that injured three soldiers last month inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the […]
Saudi says three dead in airport attacks claimed by Houthis
Saudi authorities said Wednesday three people were killed in attacks on two of the kingdom’s international airports, including in the capital Riyadh, after Yemen’s Houthis claimed to have fired on both transport hubs. The Iran-backed Houthis have claimed a wave of attacks on Saudi civilian infrastructure in recent weeks, which came as Riyadh-backed forces pressed […]
‘A sun as black as my lungs’: how corruption crucified a polluted Albania city
For several days this summer the Albanian city of Elbasan choked in a dense cloud of stinging smoke coming from the direction of its notorious steelworks. Environmental inspectors who rushed to two fires discovered 318 tonnes of toxic industrial dust that had been stored for months in a chrome factory, AlbChrome, with no transfer contracts […]
US says Fiji-based Chinese official paid bribes for Beijing
The United States accused on Thursday a Fijian man working for a Chinese state agency of allegedly paying bribes to advance Beijing’s interests in the Pacific nation. Zhao Fugang — Director of the Overseas Chinese Service Centre in Fiji’s capital of Suva — engaged in “significant corruption” on behalf of actors in China, according to […]