Hong Kong passes security law which critics say further threatens freedoms
Hong Kong, China Reuters Hong Kong lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously passed a new national security bill within two weeks of it being presented, fast-tracking a major piece of legislation that critics say further threatens the China-ruled city’s freedoms. The package, known as Article 23, punishes offences including treason, sabotage, sedition, the theft of state secrets, […]
Lukashenko to run for president in 2025, Belarus blasts US over poll criticism
Moscow, Russia Reuters Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko said he would run for president again in 2025, Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported on Sunday. Lukashenko made his comments after voting in parliamentary and local council elections, denounced by the United States as a sham. The ex-Soviet state’s top election official dismissed the criticism and told […]
US urges Pakistan to lift internet shutdowns, social media restrictions
Washington DC, US Reuters The US State Department on Wednesday condemned internet shutdowns in Pakistan, including restrictions on social media platforms, and urged the Pakistani Government to lift such restrictions. Supporters of the Grand Democratic Alliance, an alliance of political parties, carry flags as they gather for a sit-in protest against, what they call election […]
Indonesia’s Prabowo claims victory after presidential election rout
Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto declared victory in Wednesday’s presidential election after unofficial results showed him trouncing rivals in his third shot at the top job in the world’s third-largest democracy. Former special forces commander Prabowo clinched about 58 per ent of votes according to unofficial “quick counts” by four independent pollsters, […]
Senegalese President Sall postpones presidential vote
Dakar, Senegal Reuters President Macky Sall postponed Senegal’s planned 25th February presidential election, announcing in a televised address to the nation on Saturday that he had cancelled the relevant law due to electoral issues he warned would fuel disputes. With little more than three weeks to go before the vote, the unprecedented step of delaying […]
US warns of Russian effort to tilt 2024 elections in Europe against Ukraine
Washington DC, US Reuters The United States believes Russia will conduct “information operations” aimed at turning opinion in Europe against Ukraine as countries across the continent go to the polls this year, the head of the State Department’s office for disinformation said on Thursday. Dozens of countries worldwide will elect new leaders in 2024, including […]
Pakistan deported Afghans waiting for US resettlement – sources
Washington DC, US/Islamabad, PakistanReuters Pakistan’s huge deportation drive has forcibly repatriated scores of Afghans awaiting resettlement in the United States, an advocacy group and Afghan applicants say, adding that Pakistani authorities often ignored US embassy letters of protection. That complicates the efforts of such Afghans, as the US has shuttered its embassy in Kabul and […]
Thousands of Ukrainian children taken to Belarus – Yale research
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsReuters More than 2,400 children from Ukraine aged between six and 17 years old have been taken to 13 facilities across Belarus since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, research published by Yale University said on Thursday. Ukraine’s prosecutor general said in May that he was investigating the alleged role of […]
US imposes sweeping new sanctions targeting Russia over war in Ukraine
Washington DC, USReuters The United States on Thursday imposed sweeping new measures against Moscow over the war in Ukraine, targeting Russia’s future energy capabilities, sanctions evasion and a suicide drone that has been a menace to Ukrainian troops and equipment, among others, in sanctions on hundreds of people and entities. The latest measures target a […]
Israeli troops raid Gaza as Arab nations condemn bombardment
Gaza, JerusalemReuters Israeli forces carried out their biggest Gaza ground attack overnight in their 20-day-old war with Hamas as anger grew in the Arab world over Israel’s relentless bombardment of the besieged Palestinian territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said Israeli troops were still preparing for a full ground invasion, while the US and other […]