BAKU, Azerbaijan — The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Tuesday he’s hopeful that meetings this week with Iranian officials, including the country’s new president, can lead to a breakthrough in monitoring the country’s nuclear program, a longstanding issue that has gained new urgency as Israel has twice struck Iran amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the …
Church of England head Justin Welby resigns over handling of sex abuse scandal
London — Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, resigned Tuesday after an investigation found that he failed to tell police about serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps as soon as he became aware of it. Pressure on Welby had been building since Thursday, when release of the …
Spain’s Valencia struggles to get children back to school after deadly floods
CATARROJA, Spain — Thousands of students in Spain’s eastern Valencia region returned to classes on Monday, two weeks after floods killed over 200 people and devastated towns in the area. Controversy over the regional government’s handling of the floods still rages, and a teachers’ union accused it of exaggerating the number returning and leaving the clean-up to teachers and pupils. Twenty-three people remain missing in the …
Ishiba survived rare runoff to remain Japan’s prime minister but will face turmoil
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, battered in parliamentary elections last month, has survived a rare runoff vote against the opposition to remain the country’s leader but he still faces turmoil ahead. One of his top priorities is dealing with the aftermath of a major corruption scandal in the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in which dozens of lawmakers from the party are alleged to have …
At least 14 killed in Gaza, airstrikes in Beirut
Israeli strikes killed at least 14 people in Gaza, Palestinian authorities said, and plumes of smoke were rising above the southern Beirut’s suburbs less than an hour after Israeli forces told residents to evacuate. While fighting continues, international aid groups issued a report saying Israel has not met a Tuesday deadline set by the U.S. to allow more aid into the Gaza Strip. But the …
Russian airstrike kills 4, injures 14
A Russian airstrike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown killed a mother and her three children and left 14 people wounded, officials said Tuesday. Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said rescue and recovery operations were complete after the residential building in Kryvyi Rig was hit a day earlier. The office of the prosecutor general said a 32-year-old woman and children who were 10, 2 and 2 …
Russia and China must counter any US attempt at containment, Shoigu says
MOSCOW — The key task for Russia and China is to counter any attempt by the United States to contain their countries, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin told China’s foreign minister on Tuesday. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose steep tariffs on China and other countries, raising fears of a trade war and the United States casts China as its biggest competitor …
Russia and China must counter any U.S. attempt at containment, Shoigu says
MOSCOW — The key task for Russia and China is to counter any attempt by the United States to contain their countries, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin told China’s foreign minister on Tuesday. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose steep tariffs on China and other countries, raising fears of a trade war and the United States casts China as its biggest competitor …
China’s largest air show takes off with fighter jets, attack drones
Zhuhai, China — Stealth fighter jets and attack drones took center stage as China’s largest air show officially opened on Tuesday, an opportunity for Beijing to showcase its growing military might to potential customers and rivals alike. China has poured resources into modernizing and expanding its aviation capabilities as it faces off against the United States and others around regional flashpoints like Taiwan. Record numbers of …
Church of England head under pressure to resign amid abuse scandal
LONDON — The head of the Church of England, spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, is under pressure to resign after an investigation found that he failed to inform police about serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps as soon as he became aware of it. Some members of the General Synod, the church’s national assembly, have started a petition …
ICC confirms probe into alleged misconduct by war crimes prosecutor
AMSTERDAM — The International Criminal Court’s governing body will launch an external probe into its chief prosecutor Karim Khan over alleged sexual misconduct, it said in a statement on Monday, confirming a previous report by Reuters. “An external investigation is … being pursued in order to ensure a fully independent, impartial and fair process,” the statement said, also calling upon all parties to cooperate fully. Khan …
New Zealand’s leaders formally apologize to survivors of abuse in state and church care
wellington, new zealand — New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made a “formal and unreserved” apology in Parliament on Tuesday for the widespread abuse, torture and neglect of hundreds of thousands of children and vulnerable adults in care. “It was horrific. It was heartbreaking. It was wrong. And it should never have happened,” Luxon said, as he spoke to lawmakers and a public gallery packed with …
First emperor penguin known to reach Australia found on tourist beach
MELBOURNE, Australia — An emperor penguin found malnourished far from its Antarctic home on the Australian south coast is being cared for by a wildlife expert, a government department said Monday. The adult male was found on November 1 on a popular tourist beach in the town of Denmark in temperate southwest Australia — about 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) north of the icy waters off the …
US carried out strikes against Iranian-linked targets in Syria
washington — The U.S. military said Monday that it had carried out strikes against nine targets associated with Iranian groups in Syria. In a statement, the U.S. military said the strikes were made against two locations in Syria and were a response to several attacks on U.S. personnel in Syria in the past 24 hours. The U.S. has occasionally carried out strikes against targets linked to …
Polish president urges sustained US commitment to Europe’s security
warsaw, poland — Polish President Andrzej Duda marked Independence Day on Monday with a call for sustained U.S. commitment to Europe’s security in view of Russian aggression in the region and argued that Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders should be restored. Weighing on the minds of many is the war across Poland’s border in Ukraine, and an expectation that Donald Trump’s return to the White House will bring …
Jailed Swedish Eritrean journalist wins rights prize
stockholm — A Swedish Eritrean journalist held incommunicado without charge in Eritrea for more than 23 years won a Swedish rights prize on Monday for his fight for freedom of expression, the jury said. Dawit Isaak was among a group of around two dozen people, including senior cabinet ministers, members of parliament and independent journalists, who were seized in a purge in September 2001. He was …
Iran calls to expel Israel from UN after strike on Syria
Tehran, Iran — Iran’s foreign ministry is calling for an arms embargo on Israel and the expulsion of its arch-foe from the United Nations, following a deadly strike in Syria. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran “strongly condemned the aggressive attack carried out by the Zionist regime against a residential building” in the Damascus area. The strike on an apartment Sunday belonging to the Lebanese …
Palau’s president secures 2nd term amid attempt to navigate US-China competition
Taipei, Taiwan — Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr. has secured another term in office after defeating former President Tommy Remengesau Jr. in its Nov. 5 election that was closely monitored. Palau sits on the front line of competition for geopolitical influence between the United States and China in the Pacific Ocean. While election authorities still haven’t finished counting absentee ballots, Whipps has won the vote with …
Former UK soldier accused of helping Iran pleads guilty to prison escape
London — A British soldier accused of passing sensitive information to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pleaded guilty Monday to escaping from prison while awaiting trial. Daniel Abed Khalife is on trial at London’s Woolwich Crown Court, accused of collecting sensitive information between May 2019 and January 2022. Khalife, who is no longer a member of the British armed forces, also denies leaving a fake bomb …
Israel sees progress in Lebanon cease-fire talks, says Russia can help
Jerusalem/Beirut — Israel said on Monday there was progress in talks about a Lebanon cease-fire and indicated Russia could play a part by stopping Hezbollah rearming via Syria, although the Iran-backed group said it had not received any new truce proposals. Pummeled by Israel’s offensive, Hezbollah said diplomatic contacts were under way involving its backers in Tehran, Washington and Moscow, whilst reiterating its readiness to fight …
Houthis fire missile toward Israeli base
An intercepted missile fired from Yemen sparked blazes near Jerusalem Monday, and later the Houthi rebels said they carried out a successful attack on central Israel. The Iran-backed militant group said it executed a “military operation targeting the Nahal Sorek military base” southeast of Jaffa, and that the “hit was accurate and led to a fire.” Meanwhile, the main television news outlet operated by the …
Taiwan closes exploding pagers case, says not made by Taiwanese firms
Taipei, Taiwan — Taiwan on Monday said it had closed a probe into pagers that exploded in Lebanon in September and caused a deadly blow to Iran-backed Hezbollah, saying no Taiwanese citizens or companies were involved. Israeli media reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed responsibility for the attack during a cabinet meeting, telling ministers that senior defense officials and political figures were opposed to …
Ukraine on high alert, Russian troops amass near Kursk
While Ukraine was on high alert for air attacks on Monday, the country’s top military commander said tens of thousands of Russian troops were ready to advance on the Kursk region. “Following the order of their military leadership, they are trying to dislodge our troops and advance deep into the territory we control,” Ukraine’s General Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Ukraine launched …
The Singles’ Day shopping festival loses its shine under China’s lagging economy
HONG KONG — Merchants and consumers alike found the Singles’ Day shopping festival Monday less shiny than in years past as e-commerce firms look abroad for growth. The annual event named by the numeric form of its Nov. 11 date was started by e-commerce platform Alibaba, which offered attractive discounts to entice shoppers to spend big. The extravaganza has since expanded to other platforms like JD.com …