Thursday, 23 Jan, 2025

International

Taiwan president quits as party head after local election losses

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has resigned as head of the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after her strategy to frame local elections as showing defiance to China’s rising bellicosity failed to pay off and win public support. Tsai offered her resignation on Saturday

Covid protests widen in China after Urumqi fire

Protests against Covid restrictions in China appear to have intensified following a fire which killed 10 people in an apartment block in Urumqi. In the city of Shanghai, videos posted on social media by foreign journalists show hundreds of people calling for President Xi Jinping to

Gunmen Kill 15 In Northern Nigeria: Govt

Gunmen on Friday killed 15 people in multiple attacks in northwest Nigeria's Kaduna state, the latest violence in the volatile region, a government official said. Northwest and central Nigeria have been terrorised by criminal gangs known locally as bandits who raid villages,

China wants to work with North Korea for peace, Xi tells Kim

Chinese President Xi Jinping has told North Korea’s Kim Jong Un that Beijing is willing to work with Pyongyang for global peace and stability, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The report on Saturday came days after North Korea fired an intercontinental

10 killed, nine injured after fire engulfs apartment in China’s Xinjiang region

At least 10 people were killed and nine injured after a fire ripped through an apartment in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region, state media reported on Friday. The fire broke out at a high-rise building on Thursday night in the regional capital of Urumqi, where temperatures

Ukraine battles to restore power as millions face blackouts

Ukraine has been battling to reconnect water and electricity services to millions of people after a barrage of Russian missiles and drones hit energy infrastructure on Wednesday, leaving nearly 80 percent of the country in the dark. By Thursday evening, more than 24 hours after the

Malaysia’s Anwar starts work promising inclusive government

Anwar Ibrahim has started work as Malaysia’s prime minister after promising to lead a government inclusive of everyone in the multiethnic, multireligious Southeast Asian nation. Anwar clocked in at 9am (01:00 GMT) at the prime minister’s office in the country’s

US Walmart shooting: Manager kills six at Virginia

A longtime manager at a Walmart store in the US state of Virginia has shot dead six people and injured six others. Officers were called to the busy branch in Chesapeake after the gunman opened fire on colleagues in a staff room. He then turned the gun on himself and died of a

Pakistan PM picks Lt Gen Asim Munir as new Army chief

After weeks of intense speculation and rumours, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday chose Lt Gen Asim Munir as the new chief of army staff (COAS). Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb made the announcement on Twitter, saying the premier had made the choice while exercising his

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar appointed prime minister

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was appointed prime minister on Thursday, the sultan's palace said, and will be sworn in at 5 p.m. (0900 GMT). A general election on Saturday ended in an unprecedented hung parliament with neither of two main alliances, one led by Anwar and

UN report: 5 women killed every hour by family member

A UN report published Wednesday said that at least 45,000 women and girls around the world were killed by partners or family members in 2021.  The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women said the figure meant that more than five women or girls were killed

Turkish Airstrike Hits 300 Meters From US Forces in Syria 

A Turkish airstrike launched as part of Ankara's new offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters came uncomfortably close to hitting U.S. forces in northeastern Syria, further escalating tensions in the region, two sources told VOA. U.S. Central Command, which oversees the

Violent protest at largest iPhone factory in China

China’s COVID-19 cases are surging toward record highs, signalling more pain for the world’s second-largest economy as hopes fade for a quick exit from Beijing’s draconian “zero-COVID” policies. The National Health Commission on Wednesday reported 29,157

US shooting: Man kills up to 10 in Virginia Walmart store

A gunman has killed up to 10 people in a Walmart supermarket in Chesapeake, in the US state of Virginia, police say. A man believed, to be the store manager, opened fire then turned the gun on himself, and is now dead. The City of Chesapeake tweeted "police confirm an active

6.2-magnitude quake hits Baja California, Mexico: USGS

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 jolted Baja California, Mexico at 16:39:05 GMT on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 30.7832 degrees north latitude and 116.3899 degrees west longitude. Source:

At least 35 hurt after magnitude-6.1 quake in Turkiye

A magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck northwest Turkiye during Wednesday’s early hours, injuring at least 35 people. The shallow tremor struck about 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of Istanbul, the country’s largest city, where it was strongly felt. National authorities said

Earthquake death toll in Indonesia's Java rises to 268; 151 missing

The death toll from the earthquake that shook the Indonesian island of Java leapt to 268 on Tuesday as more bodies were found beneath collapsed buildings, and 151 people are still missing, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said. Agency head Suharyanto, who like many Indonesians

Plane crashes into Colombia building, all 8 onboard die

A small plane crashed into a residential area of Colombia's second-largest city Medellin, airport authorities and the mayor said. Medellin's Mayor, Daniel Quintero, said that all on board were killed in the accident. “There has been a plane accident in the Belen Rosales

Tsunami warning issued as 7.0 quake hits Solomon Islands

Authorities in Solomon Islands said no tsunami warning would be issued after two earthquakes his just off the south-west coast. A tsunami warning was issued by the United States Geological Survey after the first, magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck on Tuesday, but this warning was

Indonesia: Java quake kills scores and injures hundreds

An earthquake on the main Indonesian island of Java has killed scores of people and injured hundreds, say officials. The 5.6 magnitude quake struck Cianjur town in West Java, at a shallow depth of 10km (6 miles), according to US Geological Survey data. Scores of people were taken to