World News

China confirms Xi to attend G20 summit, meet Biden

Xi Jinping will attend the G20 summit in Indonesia next week and meet his US counterpart Joe Biden, Beijing's foreign ministry confirmed on Friday, in their first in-person talks since the Chinese president sealed a historic third term as leader last month.. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular press briefing Xi will meet Biden and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron next week in Bali, between November 14 and 17, as well as Senegal's Macky Sall and Argentina's Alberto Fernandez.

Fri, Nov 11, 2022 2 mins read

World News

Repeat hacks highlight Australia's cyber flaws

Inadequate privacy safeguards and the stockpiling of sensitive customer information have made Australia a lucrative target in the eyes of foreign hackers, cybersecurity experts told AFP following a series of major data breaches.. Australian National University cybersecurity expert Thomas Haines said many companies had been hoarding personal data that they should not have been hanging on to. 

Fri, Nov 11, 2022 3 mins read

World News

Hun Sen hands out Cambodian-made watches to summit VIPs

World leaders attending a summit in Phnom Penh will receive Cambodian-made watches from host Hun Sen, a noted fan of luxury timepieces.. Hun Sen -- who has ruled the kingdom for 37 years  and is Asia's longest-serving leader -- said the new watches "show the progress in science and technology of Cambodia."

Fri, Nov 11, 2022 2 mins read

World News

Australia blames Russian hackers for medical data theft

Russian hackers carried out a cyberattack on a major Australian healthcare company that breached the data of 9.7 million people, including the country's prime minister, police said Friday.. The hackers started leaking the data earlier this week after Medibank -- the country's largest health insurer -- refused to pay a $9.7 million (Aus$15 million) ransom.

Fri, Nov 11, 2022 2 mins read

World News

Bong! Big Ben's back in Britain

Getting up close to Big Ben requires earplugs, and ear defenders over them to be safe.. As the top of the hour approaches, it is time to don the ear defenders again for the continuing series of tests. 

Thu, Nov 10, 2022 3 mins read

World News

Turkey seeks Central Asia inroads with Russia distracted

Turkey on Friday will lead a summit of Central Asian countries, aiming to strengthen economic ties with the region's resource-rich ex-Soviet states while Moscow is distracted by war in Ukraine.. Turkey is also deepening military ties with former Soviet states, in particular with the sale of drones.

Thu, Nov 10, 2022 3 mins read

World News

ASEAN leaders struggle for answers to Myanmar crisis

The escalating crisis in Myanmar was set to dominate summit talks Friday between Southeast Asian leaders struggling to find a way to calm the bloodshed in the junta-ruled country.. Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc will discuss ways to implement a peace plan agreed with Myanmar last year which the junta has so far ignored.

Thu, Nov 10, 2022 3 mins read

World News

Turkish journalist on Erdogan's wishlist worries about future in Sweden

A Turkish journalist exiled in Stockholm is increasingly worried he will be used as a bartering chip after Turkey's president singled out his extradition as key to approving Sweden's NATO bid.. Bulent Kenes, the former editor-in-chief of the Zaman daily, is the only person President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has identified by name among the dozens Ankara wants extradited in exchange for approving Sweden's membership bid.

Thu, Nov 10, 2022 3 mins read

World News

Banned from education, 'idle' Afghan girls are married off

Thirteen-year-old Zainab should have been shopping for a new school uniform this autumn but, with no prospect of girls' schools reopening in Afghanistan, she was instead forced to pick out a wedding dress.. "I cried a lot and kept telling my father that the Taliban would reopen girls' schools," Zainab said.

Thu, Nov 10, 2022 4 mins read

World News

Flowery facelift for heart of revolt in Iraqi capital

Three years ago, Fadel Abbas marched with tens of thousands of fellow Iraqis chanting for the "fall of the regime" in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, meaning "liberation" in Arabic.. A scar runs across his left hand, a reminder of the violent crackdown unleashed by the security forces three years ago.

Thu, Nov 10, 2022 2 mins read