Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP |Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed a UNESCO vote Friday declaring old Hebron an endangered world heritage site and announced a $1-million cut in funding to the United Nations. “It is another delusional decision by UNESCO,” Netanyahu said in Hebrew, in a video posted online. “This …
Read More »US, Russia agree on ceasefire in south Syria from Sunday: Lavrov
Hamburg, Germany | AFP |Russia and the United States have agreed to a ceasefire in southern Syria starting from midday on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced Friday in Hamburg. “Today in Amman Russian, American and Jordanian experts… agreed on a memorandum of understanding to create a de-escalation zone” …
Read More »Trump, Putin hold first meeting at protest-marred G20 summit
Putin warns against ‘losing cool’ on N.Korea Hamburg, Germany | AFP | US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face meeting Friday at a G20 summit marred by violent protests and a rift between America and its Western allies over climate change and trade. “We …
Read More »Explosions in sky as Pyongyang celebrates ICBM launch
Pyongyang, North Korea | AFP | Fireworks lit up the sky over Pyongyang’s Juche Tower as North Korea celebrated its launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a milestone in its decades-long weapons drive. The stone monument to the ideology of founder Kim Il-Sung stands in the centre of the capital, …
Read More »‘Welcome to Hell’ anti-G20 protests begin
Hamburg, Germany | AFP | Several thousand demonstrators vowing to “Smash G20!” marched Thursday with Hamburg police bracing for possible violence from a hardcore of several hundred hard-left activists. Police put the number of participants at some 8,000 at the beginning of the procession that was due to head towards …
Read More »Saudi Arabia says Qatar boycott to remain in place
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Arab states that have cut ties with Qatar vowed Wednesday to maintain their boycott of the emirate, criticising its “negative” response to their list of demands to end the diplomatic crisis. Qatar appealed for “dialogue” to resolve the row while US President Donald Trump spoke to …
Read More »Pentagon is confident it can stop N Korean ICBM
Washington, United States | AFP |The Pentagon is confident it can protect the United States against an incoming North Korean rocket, an official said Wednesday following Pyongyang’s first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Tuesday’s launch saw North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un fire a new type of missile from …
Read More »US, S. Korea send North missile warning after ICBM test
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korea and the United States fired off missiles Wednesday simulating a precision strike against North Korea’s leadership, in response to a landmark ICBM test described by Kim Jong-Un as a gift to “American bastards”. Tuesday’s launch — acknowledged as an intercontinental ballistic missile by …
Read More »COMMENT: The real side of fake news
With advertising revenues declining, media organisations are increasingly desperate for clicks |Steven Rosenbaum| Today’s digital devices and social networks deliver so much information that even the savviest consumer cannot evaluate all of it. We seem to be living in a version of Aldous Huxley’s `Brave New World’, where truth is …
Read More »Trump urges China to get ‘heavy’ with North Korea
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump said it was time for China to take decisive action against North Korea after Pyongyang’s latest ballistic missile launch, urging Beijing to “end this nonsense once and for all”. “Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?” …
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