BBC: Ukraine has battled endemic corruption since the first days of its independence in 1991, and government officials and independent campaigners alike say that fight is key to winning the existential war it is fighting with Russia. They have had some success. Anti-corruption organisation Transparency International ranks Ukraine at its highest level since 2006: currently […]
BBC: Seven Palestinians, including a doctor, have been killed by Israeli forces during an operation in Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry has said. Dr Aseed Jabareen, a 50-year-old surgeon at Jenin Government Hospital, was shot dead on his way to work, according to the ministry. Palestinian media […]
BBC: A 73-year-old British man has died and more than 30 other people have been injured on a Singapore Airlines flight from London which was hit by severe turbulence. The Singapore-bound Boeing 777-300ER was diverted to Bangkok, making an emergency landing at 15:45 local time (08:45 GMT). Passengers said the aircraft suddenly dropped – and […]
Reuters: TAIPEI, May 21 – Lawmakers in Taiwan jostled, unfurled banners and shouted at each other on Tuesday in a dispute about efforts to widen parliament oversight pushed by the opposition, despite the anger of the ruling party, which says there has been no consultation. The squabble comes as Lai Ching-te took office on Monday as the […]
BBC: A group of tourists wheel their bulky luggage and wind their way through the crowds in search of the perfect shot. They huddle on a pavement opposite a convenience store – but this is no ordinary store. Rising behind it is Japan’s highest summit, the majestic Mount Fuji. The snowy 3,776m-peak forms a stunning […]
BBC: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has announced five days of mourning following the death of the country’s President, Ebrahim Raisi. Mr Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in a mountainous area of north-western Iran, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. State media confirmed they were killed after the helicopter they were travelling […]
CNN: A knife-wielding man who attacked people on a train car in the central Taiwanese city of Taichung early Tuesday was subdued by passengers, according to authorities. The attack came on the tenth anniversary of a deadly knife rampage on Taipei’s metro that shocked an island with a reputation for being generally safe, and […]
Reuters: THE HAGUE, May 20 – The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor said on Monday he had requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defence chief and three Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement issued after more than seven months of war in Gaza that he had […]
Reuters: DUBAI, May 20 – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said on Monday. The charred wreckage of the helicopter which crashed on Sunday carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister […]
Reuters: TAIPEI, May 20 – Taiwan President Lai Ching-te asked China on Monday to stop its military and political threats, saying in his inauguration speech that peace is the only choice and that Beijing had to respect the choice of the Taiwanese people. Lai, addressing the crowd outside the Japanese-colonial-era presidential office in central Taipei, […]
CNN: Taipei— Tsai Ing-wen never set out to be a leader. Growing up shy, she aspired to become an archeologist, because “people that are dead already wouldn’t jump up and argue with you.” But instead of picking over the remains of history, the self-described introvert ended up charting a new course for Taiwan in some of […]
Al Jazeera: The Israeli army has stepped up attacks across Gaza, killing dozens of Palestinians in the central part of the besieged enclave, as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan travelled to Israel to hold talks with senior officials. Sullivan was expected to press Israeli leaders on Sunday to take a more targeted approach in the […]