America : US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran, suggesting it will be destroyed if a conflict breaks out between the two countries. “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran,” he said in a tweet on Sunday. “Never threaten the United States again!” The US…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Varanasi seat is up for grabs as Indians vote in the last phase of the general election. Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition Congress party are battling it out with powerful regional rivals in what analysts believe will be a close fight. Many see this election as…
London : Brexit talks between British Prime Minister Theresa May’s government and the opposition Labour Party have broken down after they failed to result in a deal. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Friday that the negotiations have “gone as far as they can go” and that the two sides had been unable to bridge…
Taiwan : Taiwan’s parliament has become the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage following a vote on Friday. In 2017, the island’s constitutional court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry. Parliament was given a two-year deadline and was required to pass the changes by 24 May. Lawmakers debated three different…
America : President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency to protect US computer networks from “foreign adversaries”. He signed an executive order which effectively bars US companies from using foreign telecoms believed to pose national security risks. The order does not name any company, but is believed to target Huawei. The Chinese tech giant…
China : Huawei is “willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments” including the UK, its chairman Liang Hua said. It follows concerns from some countries that China could use products made by the telecoms firm for surveillance. The Chinese company has denied that its work poses any risks of espionage or sabotage. Huawei has also…
Philippines : Voting is under way in the Philippines, in mid-term polls seen as a popularity test for President Rodrigo Duterte after his first three years in office. Gaining a Senate majority would allow him to push for constitutional changes and restore the death penalty. Some 61 million people from more than 7,000 islands are…
Sweden : Swedish prosecutors are set to announce whether they are reopening an inquiry into a rape allegation against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. The investigation may be revived at the request of the alleged victim’s lawyer. Assange, who denies the charges, has avoided extradition to Sweden for seven years after seeking refuge at the Ecuadorean…
Georgia : A new abortion law in the US state of Georgia has fuelled calls for a Hollywood boycott from actors and production companies. Actors signed an open letter in March pledging not to work should the law – which bans most abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy – pass. Georgia is the…
Pakistan : Three gunmen who stormed a five-star hotel in the restive Pakistani province of Balochistan, killing at least one guard, have been shot dead by security forces, officials say. The attack and subsequent siege, which targeted the Zaver Pearl-Continental Hotel in the strategic port city of Gwadar, lasted several hours. A hotel spokesman said…
