Police, protesters clash as Hong Kong celebrates Christmas

HONG KONG (AFP) -- Hong Kong's Christmas celebrations were marred by sporadic clashes between police and pro-democracy activists on Wednesday as the city's pro-Beijing leader said the festive season was being "ruined" by demonstrators.Police used pepper spray and tear gas as activists held small flashmob protests in malls and multiple districts across the city.In Mong Kok, an area that has seen frequent clashes over the last six months, police fired multiple rounds of tear gas to dispe

Dec. 26, 2019

Pope's Christmas message appeals for peace in global flashpoints

VATICAN CITY (AFP) -- Christmas was celebrated all around the world on Wednesday, with Pope Francis appealing for peace in many of the world's hotspots while festivities were muted for Filipinos battered by a typhoon, as well as in strike-bound France."May Christ bring his light to the many children suffering from war and conflicts in the Middle East and in various countries of the world," Francis said in his traditional Christmas message at the Vatican, singling out the crises in Vene

Dec. 26, 2019

[Graphic News] South Korea is world’s 4th-largest customer of US arms: data

　South Korea is the fourth-largest buyer of US weapons over the past 10 years, government data showed.　According to the global defense market yearbook published by South Korea’s Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, the United States exported weapons worth $93.1 billion between 2009 and 2018 to the outside world. 　Of the total, South Korea bought $6.28 billion, standing at the fourth spot.　Saudi Arabia was the No. 1 customer by purchasing US arms worth $13.47 billion, followed by Aust

Dec. 25, 2019

White-bearded 'Merry Christmas' bank robber throws cash at passers-by

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- A white-bearded man robbed a bank two days before Christmas, but threw the stolen cash in the air and wished passers-by a merry Christmas, US media reported.Colorado police confirmed in a statement an "older white male" robbed the Academy Bank in Colorado Springs after threatening workers with an unidentified weapon and leaving with an unknown amount of money around midday Monday. "He started throwing money out of the bag and then said, 'Merry Christmas!"

Dec. 25, 2019

Hong Kong clashes resume in shopping centers, streets

HONG KONG (AP) -- Clashes resumed in Hong Kong on Tuesday between police and anti-government protesters, some of them donned in Santa Claus hats, as the more than 6-month-long demonstrations look set to move into the new year. Black-clad protesters smashed shop windows, while police responded with tear gas and the arrest of a number of demonstrators.  The protests demanding greater democratic rights show no sign of ending despite the overwhelming victory by anti-establishment candidates in

Dec. 25, 2019

[Graphic News] India leads world in pollution-linked deaths: study

　India leads the world in pollution-linked deaths followed by China and Nigeria, according to a report that estimated the global impact of contaminants in the air, water and workplace.　The report by the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution found pollution to be the largest environmental cause of premature death on the planet, causing 15 percent of all deaths, amounting to some 8.3 million people.　Among the 10 countries with the most pollution deaths in 2017, the latest year for which data was

Dec. 22, 2019

Trump slams 'unfair' Pelosi delay, rallies conservatives

WEST PALM BEACH (AP) -- President Donald Trump complained Saturday about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's delayed transmission of the articles of impeachment to the Senate, which may delay a trial in the GOP-controlled chamber."It's so unfair," Trump said, days after he was impeached by the House, as he spoke at a conservative student conference organized by the group Turning Point USA. "They are violating the Constitution," he added. Pelosi has refused so far to send the article

Dec. 22, 2019

Trump touts 'very good' Xi phone call

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump touted a "very good talk" Friday with Xi Jinping on a deal to resolve their trade war, while Chinese media said Xi had complained about US interference in Hong Kong and elsewhere.Trump tweeted that China "already started large scale" increases in purchases of US farm goods, in line with the deal.However, he did not give a date for when the so-called "phase one" agreement will actually be signed. "Formal signing being arrange

Dec. 21, 2019

Impeachment trial plans in disarray as Congress heads home

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress has headed home for the holidays leaving plans and a possible timeline for President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in disarray.Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that Senate Republicans must provide details on witnesses and testimony before she would send over the charges for Trump's trial. No deal, replied Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after meeting with his Senate Democratic counterpart."We remain at an impasse," he sa

Dec. 20, 2019

[Graphic News] Macao celebrates 20th anniversary

　The former Portuguese colony of Macao on Friday marks the 20th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule under the “one country, two systems” principle also in place in Hong Kong.　Macao owns some of the world’s largest casinos operated by multinational casino companies and is economically quite dependent on its gambling industry.　Macao, Asia’s most famous gambling hub, had 41 casinos and nearly 36 million tourists visited in 2018. (AFP)

Dec. 19, 2019

Ozil cut from video game in China over Xinjiang comments

SHANGHAI (AFP) -- Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has been deleted from Chinese versions of the popular Pro Evolution Soccer mobile game, the title's China distributor has said, as the fallout continued over his criticism of the country's treatment of its Uighur minority.US-listed Chinese internet company NetEase said it removed Ozil from the game due to his "extreme comment about China."Ozil, a German national of Turkish origin, condemned China's crackdown on Muslim minorities in the we

Dec. 19, 2019

Impeached Trump says Democrats 'consumed with hatred'

BATTLE CREEK (AFP) -- US President Donald Trump railed against a Democratic Party "consumed with hatred" after he was impeached Wednesday for abuse of power and obstructing Congress.  "While we're creating jobs and fighting for Michigan, the radical Left in Congress is consumed with envy and hatred and rage, you see what's going on,"  the Republican leader seethed at campaign rally in the state. "These people are crazy." Trump said the Democratic Party, wh

Dec. 19, 2019

House votes to impeach Trump for obstruction of Congress

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The US House of Representatives voted 229-198 on Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump for obstruction of Congress.Trump was facing two articles of impeachment -- for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress -- and both articles were passed in the Democratic-majority House. The House impeached Trump for abuse of power by a 230-197 vote.The 45th US president is just the third occupant of the White House in US history to be impeached.Trump will now face a trial in the S

Dec. 19, 2019

Trump impeached for abuse of power

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- President Donald Trump was impeached for abuse of power in a historic vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, setting up a Senate trial on removing him from office after three turbulent years.By a 230 to 197 vote in the Democratic-majority House, the 45th US president becomes just the third occupant of the White House in American history to be impeached.Democrats said they had "no choice" but to formally charge the Republican president, whose impeachment

Dec. 19, 2019

Solemnity, tension for Trump impeachment reckoning

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- As lawmakers trickled into the US House of Representatives Wednesday to debate the impeachment of Donald Trump, the congresswoman who gaveled in the session felt the full weight of history upon her shoulders."Of course I was nervous," House Democrat Diana DeGette told AFP just outside the chamber, after presiding over the opening hours of debate on whether to charge Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress."It's a big responsibility, it's sobering,

Dec. 19, 2019

Xi heads to Macau for China handover anniversary party

MACAU (AFP) -- Chinese president Xi Jinping will land in Macau on Wednesday as the city prepares to mark 20 years since the former Portuguese colony was returned, a celebration that stands in stark contrast to months of unrest in neighbouring Hong Kong.Security has been ramped up ahead of Xi's three-day visit which culminates on Friday's anniversary.China's authoritarian leadership is keen to showcase Macau as a successful example of its "one country, two systems" model, with party lea

Dec. 18, 2019

US says China 'can't hide' Uighur plight after Arsenal retaliation

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday denounced China for its heavy-handed actions against Arsenal over footballer Mesut Ozil's support for incarcerated Uighurs, saying Beijing could not hide reality.Arsenal distanced itself from Ozil but Beijing dropped state television broadcasts of the English Premier League club's Sunday match -- a move that could have major commercial ramifications in the lucrative Chinese market. "China's Communist Party propaganda outlets c

Dec. 18, 2019

Impeachment vote set for Wednesday as Trump rages

WASHINGTON  (AFP) -- An enraged US President Donald Trump said he was being subjected to an "attempted coup" and a witch trial as Democrats set a historic impeachment vote for Wednesday.In an extraordinarily angry six-page letter, Trump on Tuesday told Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the Democratic-led House of Representatives, that "history will judge you harshly."Referring to a famous miscarriage of justice and religious extremism in the 17th-century United States, resulting

Dec. 18, 2019

China says Arsenal's Ozil 'deceived by fake news'

SHANGHAI (AFP) -- China accused Mesut Ozil Monday of being "deceived by fake news" and said he should visit Xinjiang to see for himself after the Arsenal footballer decried the treatment of the region's Uighur minority.Ozil, a German national of Turkish origin, condemned China's crackdown on Muslim minorities in the western region in a tweet Friday and criticised Muslim countries for failing to speak up about the alleged abuses.Arsenal have distanced themselves from his comments, but t

Dec. 17, 2019

UK exit poll suggests majority for Johnson's Conservatives

LONDON (AP) -- An exit poll in Britain's election projected Thursday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party would likely win a solid majority of seats in Parliament, a decisive outcome that should allow Johnson to fulfill his plan to take the UK out of the European Union next month.The survey, released just after polls closed, predicted the Conservatives would get 368 of the 650 House of Commons seats and the Labour Party 191. That would be the biggest Tory majority for several d

Dec. 13, 2019