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Taiwan condemns 'evil neighbour' China over war drills
Taiwan blasted its "evil neighbour next door" on Friday after China encircled the island with a series of huge military drills that were condemned by the United States and other Western allies.

Chinese missiles flew over Taiwan during drills: state media
Chinese missiles flew over Taiwan during Beijing's latest military drills, state media reported Friday, as the country pressed ahead with exercises encircling the island following a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Ukraine's Zelensky accuses Amnesty of victim blaming, more grain shipments expected
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has lashed out at Amnesty International after it accused his forces of violating international law and endangering civilians in their defence against Russia's invasion.

Pelosi says US will 'not allow' China to isolate Taiwan
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that the United States will "not allow" China to isolate Taiwan, after her visit to the self-ruled island infuriated Beijing.

'Not bad!': Swimming between continents in Istanbul
Every morning, his skin bronzed by the sun, pensioner Metin Cakmakci rushes to grab a deckchair under a parasol on his local beach on the Asian side of Istanbul.

Most Asian markets up as oil drops, eyes on Taiwan and US jobs
Asian equities mostly rose Friday as a drop in oil prices to pre-Ukraine war levels stirred hopes of a slowdown in inflation and central bank interest rate hikes, while focus turns to key US jobs data later in the day.

China to hold fresh drills around Taiwan despite US condemnation
China was set to press ahead Friday with its largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan despite firm statements of condemnation by the United States, Japan and the European Union.

'Balancing act': Erdogan to sound out Putin on Ukraine and Syria
Ending the war in Ukraine and starting a new one in Syria are expected to dominate talks on Friday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Moscow TV protester plays 'Russian roulette' with risky comeback
Marina Ovsyannikova, who denounced Russia's intervention in Ukraine during a live TV broadcast, knew that coming back to Moscow would be akin to playing a game of Russian roulette.

China fires missiles around Taiwan, sparking US condemnation
China fired ballistic missiles and deployed fighter jets Thursday as it held its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan, a show of force condemned by Washington as a gross overreaction to Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island.

Hungary PM Orban tells US conservatives global right must unite
Right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Thursday that "globalists can all go to hell," as he invited American conservatives to join hands in a worldwide fight against progressives.

Ukraine forces endangering civilians: Amnesty
Ukrainian forces are violating international law and endangering civilians by establishing bases in residential areas, including in schools and hospitals, Amnesty International said Thursday, drawing a furious response from Kyiv.

US says Russia will fake scene around mass POW deaths to blame Ukraine
The White House accused Moscow Thursday of preparing to plant fake evidence to make it look like the recent mass killing of Ukrainian prisoners in an attack on a Russian-controlled prison was caused by the Ukraine military.

US condemns China missile launches near Taiwan, urges deescalation
The United States on Thursday condemned China's launch of 11 ballistic missiles around Taiwan during major military drills as an overreaction to Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island, urging Beijing to decrease tensions.

Peruvian president gives statement in graft probe against him
Peruvian President Pedro Castillo appeared Thursday before prosecutors investigating corruption charges against him, insisting he was innocent but declining to answer their questions.

Salvini warns of 'Europe's refugee camp' on Lampedusa election stop
Italian anti-immigration leader Matteo Salvini warned Thursday his country would not host "the refugee camp of Europe" as he visited a migrant centre on the tiny island of Lampedusa on a campaign stop for September elections.

Poverty and turmoil: S.Sudan's post-independence history
South Sudan's leaders have announced they will remain in power two years beyond an agreed deadline, sparking criticism from foreign partners.

France will appoint LGBTQ ambassador to defend rights abroad
The French government will create an ambassador's post to promote LGBTQ rights across the world, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said Thursday.

Italy's Salvini hits campaign trail with migrants in Lampedusa
Hundreds of migrants were ferried off the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa Thursday ahead of a visit by anti-immigrant leader Matteo Salvini, who is campaigning for September elections vowing to stop new arrivals.

Who could be part of a US-Russia prisoner exchange
Moscow and Washington have been in talks about a new prisoner exchange, in a rare moment of dialogue with tensions soaring over Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.

US House Speaker Pelosi lands in Japan, final stop on Asia trip
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Japan on Thursday for the final stop on her Asian tour, following a visit to Taiwan that incensed China.

Iran nuclear talks restart in Vienna
Negotiators kicked off a fresh round of talks over Iran's nuclear programme in Vienna on Thursday, seeking to salvage the agreement on Tehran's atomic ambitions.

Rwanda attacked Congo troops, backed rebels: experts for UN
Rwandan troops have attacked soldiers inside DR Congo and aided the M23 rebel group, according to a report by independent experts for the UN seen by AFP on Thursday.

Radio warnings signal Taiwan angst over China blockade drills
In Taiwan's Keelung port dispatchers spent much of Thursday broadcasting warnings to fishing boats heading north, reminding them that China's military was conducting live-fire drills nearby.

Taliban say 'no information' about Al-Qaeda chief Zawahiri in Afghanistan
The Taliban said Thursday they have no knowledge of Ayman al-Zawahiri's presence in Afghanistan, days after US President Joe Biden announced the Al-Qaeda chief's killing by a drone strike in Kabul.

ASEAN ministers warn Taiwan tensions could spark 'open conflicts'
Southeast Asian foreign ministers urged restraint Thursday as China launched massive military drills off Taiwan, warning the situation risked spiralling into "open conflicts".

China fires missiles around Taiwan in major military drills
China fired ballistic missiles and deployed fighter jets and warships on Thursday as it held its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan, a show of force sparked by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island.

Seoul says Pelosi DMZ visit sends clear message to North
After her high-profile trip to Taiwan, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in South Korea Thursday where her agenda included a visit to the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) -- but not a meeting with the country's president.

Bemused tourists granted front row seats to China's latest fire and fury
The hum of holiday vibes and the selfie-snapping is interrupted by the roar of explosions as projectiles shoot up into the sky, prompting oohs and aahs from the surprised tourists.

Taiwan govt websites attacked during Pelosi visit
Major Taiwanese government websites were temporarily forced offline by cyber attacks believed to be linked to China and Russia during US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island, Taipei said Thursday.

Markets track US rally, eyes on China's Taiwan drills
Asian markets on Thursday tracked a Wall Street rally fuelled by healthy economic and earnings data, while traders kept a wary eye on Chinese military drills around Taiwan.

A painful pause as Ukraine's frontline troops think of family
Soldiers on Ukraine's eastern front have spent five exhausting months under Russian bombardment, measuring out the long days and longer nights in the metronomic cadence of relentless artillery fire.

'Baba' Odinga: Kenya's diehard presidential hopeful
Raila Amolo Odinga, a veteran Kenyan political leader and one-time prime minister, has long cast himself as an anti-establishment firebrand, despite belonging to one of the country's top political dynasties.

Marijuana and snakes: the maverick shaking up Kenya's election
Once a street child in Nairobi and a grave digger in Britain, George Luchiri Wajackoyah barged onto the political scene with a "bhang": vowing to legalise marijuana, breed snakes and sell hyena testicles to China to offset Kenya's mammoth debt.

A stone's throw from Taiwan, beachgoers aren't worried about war
On a beach in the Chinese coastal city of Xiamen, just a few kilometres from an island controlled by the Taiwanese authorities, life is carefree despite some of the worst cross-strait tensions in decades.

China begins major Taiwan military drills after Pelosi visit
China's largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan kicked off Thursday, in a show of force straddling vital international shipping lanes after a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In South Korea, Pelosi set to visit heavily fortified DMZ
After her high-profile trip to Taiwan, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in South Korea Thursday and her agenda included a visit to the border with the nuclear-armed North, an official told AFP.

China to stage major drills around Taiwan after Pelosi visit
China is due on Thursday to kick off its largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan, in a show of force straddling vital international shipping lanes following a visit to the self-ruled island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Oil prices tumble on demand worries as global stocks mostly rise
Oil prices tumbled on demand worries Wednesday while global equities mostly rose as US-China tensions receded somewhat after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan.