While fighting continued in Gaza and Lebanon on Thursday, Human Rights Watch issued a report accusing Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The report said Israeli officials who have repeatedly displaced and relocated civilians are “committing the war crime of forcible transfer,” and the actions “appear to also meet the definition of ethnic cleansing” in the areas where Palestinians will not be able …
BRICS offered Turkey partner country status, Turkish trade minister says
ANKARA, turkey — Turkey was offered partner country status by the BRICS group of nations, Trade Minister Omer Bolat said, as Ankara continues what it calls its efforts to balance its Eastern and Western ties. Turkey, a NATO member, has in recent months voiced interest in joining the BRICS group of emerging economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, and the United …
Swiss villagers pack up for evacuation over fears of another rockslide
GENEVA — Families in a tiny Swiss village were packing up Wednesday after authorities issued an evacuation order with a weekend deadline because of the threat of a possible rockslide from an Alpine mountainside overhead. Authorities in charge of the eastern village of Brienz said in a statement Tuesday that they analyzed the potential danger with geology and natural-hazards specialists and recommended the precautionary evacuation by …
UN nuclear chief in Iran to ‘reach diplomatic solutions’
Tehran, Iran — International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi was to hold talks with top Iranian officials Thursday on Tehran’s nuclear program, a week after Donald Trump’s re-election as US president. During his first term in the White House from 2017 to 2021, Trump was the architect of a policy called “maximum pressure,” which levied against Tehran biting sanctions that had been lifted through a …
At APEC and G20, Biden faces leaders worried about US policy changes
White House — In what will likely be his farewell appearance on the world stage, President Joe Biden faces a daunting question: what to tell world leaders wondering about potential changes in U.S. policies when President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House with his America First agenda. Biden is set to depart for Peru and Brazil Thursday for two major economic summits. Biden is scheduled …
Six Israeli troops killed in nation’s deadliest day in Lebanon
Jerusalem — Israel suffered one of the deadliest days of its ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon on Wednesday when six of its soldiers were killed in combat near the border. The soldiers “fell during combat in southern Lebanon,” the army said in a statement. Their deaths brought to 47 the number of Israeli troops who have been killed in combat with Hezbollah since September 30, …
Russian exiles plan massive anti-Putin march in Berlin
Russian exiles plan a march Sunday in Berlin demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the prosecution of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal, and the release of all political prisoners. Ricardo Marquina reports. Narrator: Elizabeth Cherneff. …
Ukraine drone attacks spark fires in Russia’s Bryansk, Kaluga regions
Ukrainian overnight drone attacks have set several non-residential buildings on fire in Russia’s Kaluga and Bryansk regions, regional governors said on Sunday. “Emergency services and firefighters are on the site,” Alexander Bogomaz, governor of the Russian border region of Bryansk, wrote on the Telegram messaging app, without providing further detail. The defense ministry said its air defense units had destroyed 23 Ukrainian drones overnight, including …
Biden, Xi to meet in Lima on sidelines of APEC summit in Peru
U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet November 16 on the sidelines of the 2024 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC summit in Lima, Peru, the White House announced Wednesday. The meeting follows the leaders’ last in-person engagement a year ago on the sidelines of the APEC summit in California, and their 2022 meeting in Bali on the sidelines of the …
Gaza war drives up unemployment, poverty in West Bank
While some parts of Gaza are on the verge of famine, Palestinians in the West Bank are also suffering. They are unable to work in jobs in Israel, and the entire economy of the West Bank is contracting. Linda Gradstein reports from the West Bank town of Ramallah. Camera: Ricki Rosen …
China looks to expand global influence with Xi’s Latin America tour
Taipei, Taiwan — Chinese President Xi Jinping departs on a nine-day diplomatic tour to Latin America on Wednesday, during which he will inaugurate a Chinese-financed megaport in Peru and attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Lima and the G20 Summit in Brazil. Analysts say the trip is part of China’s attempt to expand its global influence and present itself as “a responsible global power” at …
In Brussels, Blinken pledges support for Ukraine ahead of Trump transition
Brussels — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Ukraine and its NATO allies on Wednesday that Washington remains committed to putting Ukraine “in the strongest possible position” in the final months of President Joe Biden’s administration, before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. At the same time, the United States expressed alarm about Russia possibly bolstering North Korea’s capabilities, including its “nuclear capacity.” “President …
Poland hails opening of US missile base as sign of its security
The United States opened a new air defense base in northern Poland on Wednesday, an event the European nation’s president said showed the country was secure as a member of NATO even as Russia wages war in neighboring Ukraine. Situated in the town of Redzikowo near the Baltic coast, the base has been in the works since the 2000s. At a time when Donald Trump’s …
Germany to hold February election amid fears political turmoil imperils Ukraine aid
London — Germany’s plan to hold a snap election in February has raised uncertainties over the country’s military aid program for Ukraine, as the government has not yet approved its 2025 budget. Berlin is the second biggest donor of weapons and equipment to Kyiv, after the United States. The political turmoil in Europe’s biggest economy comes as allies prepare for a second term for President-elect Donald …
Iran hangs man ‘for second time’ after previous execution halted
Iran hanged a 26-year-old man for a second time Wednesday months after a previous execution was halted half a minute in, an NGO said. Ahmad Alizadeh was arrested in October 2018 on a murder charge, which he denied, and was sentenced to death, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), which tracks executions in Iran, said in a statement. His death sentence was carried out on April …
US Military says it hit Iran-backed group in Syria
American forces on Tuesday carried out strikes against targets linked to an Iran-backed group in Syria, the U.S. military said, with a war monitor saying the attacks killed five fighters. The raids were in response to a rocket attack on U.S. troops in the country, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The strikes targeted the group’s “weapons storage and logistics headquarters facility… in response to …
Development bank financing pledge gives COP29 summit early boost
BAKU, Azerbaijan — COP29 negotiators welcomed as an early boost to the two-week summit a pledge by major development banks to lift funding to poor and middle-income countries struggling with global warming. A group of lenders, including the World Bank, announced a joint goal on Tuesday of increasing this finance to $120 billion by 2030, a roughly 60% increase on the amount in 2023. “I think …
At UN climate talks, nations big and small get chance to bear witness to climate change
BAKU, Azerbaijan — When more than two dozen world leaders deliver remarks at the United Nations’ annual climate conference on Wednesday, many have detailed their nations’ firsthand experience with the catastrophic weather that has come with climate change. “Over the past year, catastrophic floods in Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as well as in southern Croatia have shown the devastating impact of rising temperatures,” said …
China clears memorial to mass killing victims as government scrambles to respond
ZHUHAI, China — Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai removed wreaths, candles and even bottles of Chinese alcohol laid at the scene of the deadliest mass killing in the country in a decade, as the government scrambled to respond and censor the outrage online. On Monday, a male driver angry at his divorce settlement rammed his car into a crowd at a sports center …
Ex-Philippine President Duterte says ICC should ‘hurry up’ on drug war investigation
Manila, Philippines — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said the International Criminal Court (ICC) should ‘hurry up’ with its probe of his war on drugs, remaining firm in his defense of the brutal campaign as he said the investigation should start immediately. “I’m asking the ICC to hurry up, and if possible, they can come here and start the investigation tomorrow,” Duterte said in a congressional …
British writer Samantha Harvey’s space-station novel ‘Orbital’ wins Booker Prize for fiction
LONDON — British writer Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize for fiction on Tuesday with “Orbital,” a short, wonder-filled novel set aboard the International Space Station that ponders the beauty and fragility of the Earth. Harvey was awarded the 50,000-pound ($64,000) prize for what she has called a “space pastoral” about six orbiting astronauts, which she began writing during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. The confined characters loop …
Indonesia’s Prabowo meets Biden after signing maritime deal with Beijing
President Joe Biden and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met Tuesday at the White House to strengthen U.S.–Indonesia ties. The meeting came days after Jakarta signed a maritime agreement with Beijing that critics say could lend credibility to China’s “nine-dash line” that reflects its expansive claims in the South China Sea. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report …
After Trump’s reelection, calls grow to renew US focus on Uyghur rights
Washington — Following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, leaders in the Uyghur American community are advocating for renewed U.S. attention on human rights abuses in Xinjiang in northwest China, where Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities have reportedly faced severe repression. Advocates urge Trump to continue his administration’s previous measures against China, citing the impact of his first-term policies on Uyghur rights. During Trump’s first term, his administration …