World News

Biden meets Australian, British leaders in California on subs pact

President Joe Biden meets Monday with the leaders of Australia and Britain at a California naval base for an expected announcement of a nuclear submarines deal aimed at stabilizing the Asia-Pacific region as it faces a rising China.. According to US media, Biden will announce a long-term, multi-stage plan destined to make Australia a full partner in fielding top-secret US nuclear technology previously only shared with historic ally Britain.

Mon, Mar 13, 2023 2 mins read

World News

Mum and Malaysia celebrate Yeoh's Oscar win

"Malaysia boleh!". "I'll call her to come back (to Malaysia) and celebrate very soon.

Mon, Mar 13, 2023 2 mins read

World News

Indonesian farmers fight for their land in nickel mining boom

Three women with machetes stood guard at their farm hilltop on Indonesia's Wawonii Island, directing their blades towards the nickel miners working in the forest clearing below.. - 'I will continue to fight' - Nickel miner PT Gema Kreasi Perdana (PT GKP), owned by one of Indonesia's wealthiest families, has two concessions on Wawonii totalling 1,800 hectares (4,450 acres).

Mon, Mar 13, 2023 5 mins read

World News

Dead or alive? The Palestinians wrongly declared 'martyrs'

For two weeks after Palestinian mother Basma Aweidat received the devastating news her son had been shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, she was in mourning.. "The women in the camp started coming to congratulate me because my son is alive, a few days after coming to mourn," said Basma Aweidat.

Mon, Mar 13, 2023 3 mins read

World News

China premier warns 2023 growth target 'no easy task'

China's new premier warned Monday that the country's five percent growth target for 2023 will not be "easy" to achieve, as its rubber-stamp parliament wrapped up over a week of meetings.. "I'm afraid that reaching our growth target of around five percent will be no easy task, and will require that we redouble our efforts," Li said at a press conference in Beijing held to mark the closing of the rubber-stamp National People's Congress.

Sun, Mar 12, 2023 2 mins read

World News

'Navalny' wins best documentary feature Oscar

"Navalny," a film that examines the poisoning of jailed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, on Sunday won the Oscar for best documentary feature.. The film, which premiered at the Sundance film festival in January 2022, won a BAFTA last month.

Sun, Mar 12, 2023 1 mins read

World News

China's Xi spotlights national security in congress closing speech

China's Xi Jinping on Monday emphasised the need to strengthen national security, in his first address since being handed a historic third term as the country's president.. Xi, 69, on Monday thanked the thousands of delegates at Beijing's Great Hall of the People for giving him a third term, vowing to "take the needs of the country as my mission, and the interests of the people as my yardstick".

Sun, Mar 12, 2023 1 mins read

World News

Boycott threat over Ukraine war clouds Paris Olympics

One of the major headaches, not just for the Paris 2024 organising committee but also for the International Olympic Committee, is how to handle the ongoing war in Ukraine.. "It's up to the IOC to ultimately decide whether the Russian delegation will be allowed to participate in the Paris Olympics," Organising Committee president Tony Estanguet said in February.

Sun, Mar 12, 2023 3 mins read

World News

Russia and security 'the major issues for IOC and Paris Olympics'

The decision on whether Russian athletes should compete in the Paris Olympics is the biggest headache facing organisers 500 days out from the opening ceremony, former senior IOC officials have told AFP. Last year's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war has prompted many observers to argue that Russia should be banned.. Another former IOC marketing executive, Terrence Burns, who since leaving the organisation has played a key role in five successful Olympic bid city campaigns, says the issue of Russia "is the biggest challenge for Paris and indeed the Olympic movement."

Sun, Mar 12, 2023 3 mins read

World News

500 days before the Paris Olympics, the race is on

In 500 days on Tuesday, the 2024 Summer Olympics will burst into life in Paris as the teams float down the River Seine on barges in a unique opening ceremony.. - Ceremony plans cause concerns - The plans to take the opening ceremony out of its traditional stadium setting and stage it on the River Seine, framed by the Eiffel Tower and other monuments, is an organisational headache and has provoked concerns from the security services.

Sun, Mar 12, 2023 3 mins read