HONG KONG, China -- A Hong Kong court on Monday began the trial of 13 people over the storming and ransacking of the city's legislature in 2019, which was an unprecedented challenge to the Beijing-backed government. It was the most violent episode in the initial phase of huge democracy protests that...
PARIS, France -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday warned that global plastics pollution was a "time bomb", as diplomats began five days of talks in Paris to make progress on a treaty to end plastic waste. Representatives of 175 nations with divergent ambitions met at UNESCO headquarters...
A woman wearing sun protective clothing commutes on a bicycle amid hot weather in Shanghai on May 29, 2023. Shanghai on May 29 recorded its hottest May day in 100 years, the city's meteorological service announced, shattering the previous high by a full degree. STR / AFP SHANGHAI, China -- Shanghai...
KAMPALA, Uganda -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday signed into law a controversial anti-gay bill, his office and the country's parliament said, introducing draconian measures against homosexuality that have been described as among the world's harshest. Museveni "has assented to the...
Nepali people take part in a procession to mark the 16th International Everest Day or a day to mark the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest in Kathmandu on May 29, 2023. NISHA BHANDARI / AFP KHUMJUNG, Nepal -- The sons of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa led celebrations...
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Ermine Erdogan wave to his supporters following his victory in the second round of the presidential election at the Presidential Palace in Ankara early May 29, 2023. Adem ALTAN / AFP ANKARA, Türkiye -- Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin were among world...
VATICAN CITY, Holy See -- Pope Francis returned to work Saturday after taking a day off with a fever, the Vatican said, with the pontiff set to hold several private audiences. The 86-year-old, who was hospitalised with bronchitis nearly two months ago, had a full calendar of meetings lined up, it...
GENEVA, Switzerland -- The World Health Organization said Friday it was helping a growing number of farmers turn away from tobacco to help strengthen food security, particularly in Africa. Ahead of World No Tobacco Day on Wednesday, the WHO said it had teamed up with other United Nations agencies to...
SEOUL, South Korea -- A man who opened an emergency exit on an Asiana Airlines flight in mid-air felt "suffocated" and wanted to get off quickly, South Korean police said on Saturday. The plane was carrying nearly 200 passengers as it approached the runway on Friday at Daegu International Airport,...
Sudanese men carry bottles of water back to their home in Khartoum on May 25, 2023, Fighting eased in Sudan, the second full day of a ceasefire that has allowed beleaguered civilians to venture out, even as they await safe aid corridors and escape routes. (AFP) KHARTOUM, Sudan -- Fighting in Sudan...
This screen grab from a UGC video taken and posted by Michael Goode on Facebook on May 25, 2023 shows a fire in central Sydney. (Michael GOODE / Facebook page of Michael Goode / AFP) SYDNEY, Australia -- Two 13-year-olds have turned themselves over to police after a blaze gutted a seven-storey...
Police officers stand guard near the scene of a standoff where a suspect, believed to be a farmer in his 30s, was holed up inside a building in the Ebe area of Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, late on May 25, 2023. (STR / JIJI Press / AFP) TOKYO, Japan --Â Japanese police on Friday detained a man who...
