World News

China's Xi to visit Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan this week

China's President Xi Jinping will make state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week, Beijing said Monday -- his first trip abroad since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.. The Chinese president will also "pay state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan" from Wednesday to Friday at the invitation of Presidents Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the foreign ministry said in a statement. 

Huge queue as Hong Kongers mourn Elizabeth II

Crowds of Hong Kongers queued in sweltering heat on Monday to pay tribute to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, some expressing nostalgia for the city's colonial past at a time when China is seeking to purge dissent.. - 'Mourning the past not a crime' - Britain never gave Hong Kongers universal suffrage and many democracy veterans now in jail used to campaign against colonial rule.

Death of Queen Elizabeth II: What happens next?

As preparations build for next week's state funeral and with a procession of the coffin along Edinburgh's Royal Mile on Monday: here is how the UK plans to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II. - Monday, September 12 - King Charles III and his wife Camilla, now Queen Consort, visit parliament, to receive condolences from the speakers of the lower and upper houses, before delivering a reply.. - Friday, September 16 - Charles III and his wife visit Wales where a service is held at Cardiff's Llandaff Cathedral and Charles receives a message of condolence at the Senedd, the Welsh national assembly building.

Appeal trial opens over 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack in France

The appeal trial opened in Paris on Monday for two men suspected of helping the gunmen who stormed the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly and a Jewish supermarket in January 2015, the first of a wave of Islamist terror attacks that have rocked France in recent years.. A day later, Amedy Coulibaly killed a 27-year-old police officer during a traffic check outside Paris, before killing four Jewish men during a hostage-taking at the Hyper Cacher supermarket on January 9, claiming to act in the name of the Islamic State group.

Ethiopia rivals urged to seize moment for peace

The international community on Monday urged warring sides in Ethiopia to seize the moment for peace after Tigrayan rebels said they were ready for talks led by the African Union to end almost two years of brutal warfare.. Tigrayan authorities said Sunday they were "prepared to participate in a robust peace process under the auspices of the African Union," after previously rejecting AU mediation and saying they wanted Kenya to lead any talks.

South Korean drama 'Squid Game' competes for Emmys history

South Korea's "Squid Game" is bidding to make Emmys history Monday by becoming the first foreign-language television show to win top honors for best drama.. "I do think ['Squid Game'] is going to win best actor," noted Hammond -- an outcome that would make Lee Jung-jae the category's first winner for a non-English performance.

Asian markets rally in early trading, building on US gains

Asian markets rallied in early trading on Monday, building on the momentum of gains in the United States and Europe at the end of last week, as investors price in the expectation of further interest rate hikes aimed at taming inflation.. Traders expect the Fed to impose another large hike in interest rates next week, after two 75-basis-point increases already.

Jimmie Akesson leads Sweden's soaring far-right

As leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats, Jimmie Akesson has steered his party from "pariah" to heavyweight whose support is indispensable if the right-wing bloc wants to govern after Sunday's election.. - 'Zero tolerance' - Akesson joined the Sweden Democrats in the 1990s after a disappointing teenage stint in the main right-wing party, the conservative Moderates.

New monarch gives fresh impetus to Scotland's independence debate

Queen Elizabeth II's death in Scotland indelibly associates the nation with the handover to a new monarch, but her passing also reignites the debate over Scottish independence from the UK. Thousands of people stood for hours on Sunday to see the 96-year-old's coffin arrive from her Balmoral estate to Edinburgh's Palace of Holyroodhouse, and the formal proclamation of Charles as king. . "King Charles will love Scotland just as much as the queen.

The royals and Scotland: a special relationship

Queen Elizabeth was particularly attached to Scotland, but it will now be forever linked to a turning point for her son Charles and the United Kingdom.. It was in Scotland, at Balmoral Castle, that Queen Elizabeth died Thursday at the age of 96, sealing the rise to the throne of Charles III. In his maiden speech as monarch on Friday, Charles pointed out that his son William, now heir to the crown, also inherited the Scottish titles which "meant so much" to him.