[Newsmaker] Trump acquitted, denounced in historic impeachment trial

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Donald Trump was acquitted Saturday of inciting the horrific attack on the US Capitol, concluding a historic impeachment trial that spared him the first-ever conviction of a current or former US president but exposed the fragility of America's democratic traditions and left a divided nation to come to terms with the violence sparked by his defeated presidency. Barely a month since the deadly Jan. 6 riot that stunned the world, the Senate convened for a rare weekend session to

Feb. 14, 2021

[Newsmaker] Trump returns to spotlight in trial — but not on his terms

His rallying cry to supporters has been dissected. His videos, press conferences and calls to Fox News have played on loop. His Twitter account is once again dominating news coverage, his missives read aloud in the Senate chamber. More than three weeks removed from the White House, Donald Trump’s voice is again permeating the nation’s capital — but not on his terms. Stripped of his social media megaphone, the former president has watched the searing opening days of his hist

Feb. 12, 2021

[Newsmaker] Mori to resign Tokyo Olympics over sexist remarks: reports

The long saga of Yoshiro Mori appears to be near the end. Japan's Kyodo news agency and others reported on Thursday citing unnamed sources that Yoshiro Mori will step down on Friday as the president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee. The move follows his sexist comments about women more than a week ago, and an ensuing and rare public debate in Japan about gender equality, A decision is expected to be announced on Friday when the organizing committee's executive board meets. The execu

Feb. 11, 2021

Biden in call with China's Xi raises human rights, trade

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday held his first call as president with Xi Jinping, pressing the Chinese leader about trade and Beijing's crackdown on democracy activists in Hong Kong as well as other human rights concerns. The two leaders spoke just hours after Biden announced plans for a Pentagon task force to review US national security strategy in China and after the new US president announced he was levying sanctions against Myanmar's military regime  following this month's coup i

Feb. 11, 2021

What the WHO coronavirus experts learned in Wuhan

A World Health Organization team has left China after gaining some new insights into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 2.3 million people but with the major questions still unanswered. The visit was politically sensitive for China which is concerned about any allegations it didn't handle the initial outbreak properly and has been closely watched around the world. Team member Peter Daszak sounded upbeat on arriving at the airport Wednesday at the end of the four-

Feb. 11, 2021

US backs Japan concerns on China ships

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced concern Wednesday over China's incursions into Japanese territorial waters, recommitting to the ally's defense. In a telephone call, Blinken and Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi "expressed concern over increased Chinese assertiveness around the Senkaku Islands following China's enactment of a new coast guard law," State Department spokesman Ned Price said. "Secretary Blinken reaffirmed that the Senkakus fall within the scope

Feb. 11, 2021

Moscow police raid homes of Jehovah's Witnesses

MOSCOW (AFP) -- Russian security services raided the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow on Wednesday, in an ongoing crackdown on the US-based religious movement. Moscow outlawed the Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017, labelling it an extremist organisation and has since sentenced several members to lengthy jail terms. The Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said on Wednesday several  "organisers and members" had been detained. Prosecutors, the FSB security

Feb. 10, 2021

Row escalates between Twitter and India over blocking accounts

NEW DELHI (AFP) -- Twitter said Wednesday it had blocked some accounts in India over comments on mass farmers' protests in New Delhi, but the social media giant refused to shut down others despite the threat of criminal action by the government. Indian officials last week demanded that Twitter block hundreds of users that have tweeted on demonstrations against proposed new agriculture laws, saying they were a "grave threat to public order." Twitter initially complied by blocking a nu

Feb. 10, 2021

[Newsmaker] Trump trial begins but Republicans signal likely acquittal

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Donald Trump's second impeachment trial began Tuesday with harrowing video footage of his supporters' assault on Congress, but Republican senators made clear how difficult it will be to win a conviction. Senators voted 56-44 in favor of the constitutionality of the historic trial, rejecting a bid by Trump's lawyers to throw it out on grounds that a former president cannot be tried by lawmakers. The vote, held before the main part of the trial was to get underway Wednesday,

Feb. 10, 2021

From N. Korea to UK election candidate: defector fights for 'voiceless'

Jihyun Park shares the civic concerns of any other would-be town councilor in Britain, from local education to potholes in the roads. But she is unique in one regard: no other candidate has fled North Korea. Park is believed to be the first defector from the oppressive state to have run for office in any country, other than South Korea, after fleeing human trafficking in China and the brutal privations of a North Korean prison camp. Thirteen years after finding refuge in Britain, the 52-year-o

Feb. 7, 2021

AstraZeneca COVID jab 'less effective against S. African strain': study

The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine fails to prevent mild and moderate cases of the South African coronavirus strain, according to research reported in the Financial Times. But in its study, due to be published Monday, the pharma group said it could still have an effect on severe disease -- although there is not yet enough data to make a definitive judgement. None of the 2,000 participants in the trial developed serious symptoms, the FT said, but AstraZeneca said the sample size was too small to m

Feb. 7, 2021

Internet access restored as Myanmar coup protests grow

As enthusiastic crowds of tens of thousands marched through the streets of Myanmar's biggest city on Sunday to protest last week's coup, their spirits were lifted by the return of internet services that had been blocked a day earlier. Separate protests that began in various parts of Yangon converged at Sule Pagoda, situated in the center of a roundabout in the city's downtown area. Protesters chanted “Long live Mother Suu” and “Down with military dictatorship.” Authorit

Feb. 7, 2021

Iran: US must lift sanctions before it lives up to nuke deal

Iran's supreme leader urged the United States to lift all sanctions if it wants Iran to live up to commitments under its nuclear deal with world powers, state TV reported Sunday, his first comments on the matter since US President Joe Biden took office. “If (the US) wants Iran to return to its commitments, it must lift all sanctions in practice, then we will do verification. Then we will return to our commitments,” state TV quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying. Former President

Feb. 7, 2021

Glacier breaks in India's north; flood kills 3, 140 missing

Indian authorities launched a search operation Sunday after part of a mountain glacier broke, sending a massive flood of water and debris slamming into two dams and damaging a number of homes. At least three people were killed and 140 were missing. The flood was caused when a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning. A video shared by officials and taken from the side of steep hillside shows a wall of water surging into one o

Feb. 7, 2021

[Newsmaker] Myanmar anti-coup protests grow as army broadens internet crackdown

YANGON (AFP) -- Myanmar saw its largest anti-coup protests yet on Saturday with young demonstrators spilling on to the streets to denounce the country's new military regime, despite a nationwide internet blackout aimed at stifling a growing chorus of popular dissent. Soon before nearly all lines of communication in and out of the country went dark, an Australian advisor to ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi told media he had been detained. The shutdown did not stop thousands of demonstrat

Feb. 7, 2021

Angelina Jolie asks int'l community to avoid selfish behavior amid pandemic

Angelina Jolie pleaded with the world Friday to come together and stop acting selfishly amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Academy Award winning actress spoke virtually in her capacity as a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) during an international forum hosted by Yonsei University, a school in Seoul attended by her eldest son, Maddox. She said the virus had exposed the world's vulnerabilities and areas where more work needed to be done, including climate

Feb. 5, 2021

UK strips China's state media channel of broadcast license

The UK has stripped China's state-owned TV channel of its broadcasting license in the country, after an investigation found the license holder lacked editorial control and had links to China's ruling Communist Party. The communications regulator, Ofcom, said Thursday it revoked the UK license for China Global Television Network, or CGTN, an international English language satellite news channel. CGTN had been available on free and pay TV in the UK It could not be reached immediately for comment

Feb. 4, 2021

Sweden to launch digital vaccination certificate

Sweden says it will develop a digital vaccination certificate this summer to allow people who have been vaccinated to travel. Digitalization Minister Anders Ygeman said three authorities in Sweden had been asked to work on producing the certificate, and the plan is to coordinate it with the World Health Organization and the European Union. On Wednesday, Denmark said it was joining forces with the country's business community to develop a digital corona passport that would be ready for use late

Feb. 4, 2021

WHO team in Wuhan says discussions open, meetings frank

World Health Organization investigators looking for clues into the origin of the coronavirus in the central Chinese city of Wuhan said that the Chinese side has provided a high level of cooperation, but cautioned against expecting immediate results from the visit. "I keep saying that we need to be realistic, a short mission like this one will not have all the answers but it helps advance the understanding of the (hash)virusorigin (hash)wuhan," Hung Nguyen-Viet, co-leader of the Animal

Feb. 4, 2021

Britain to test mixing and matching of COVID-19 vaccines

British scientists are starting a study Thursday to find out if it's OK to mix and match COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccines being rolled out now require two doses, and people are supposed to get two shots of the same kind, weeks apart. Guidelines in Britain and the US say the vaccines aren't interchangeable, but can be mixed if the same kind isn't available for the second dose or if it's not known what was given for the first shot. Participants in the government-funded study will get one shot of

Feb. 4, 2021