WASHINGTON (AFP) - Global trade tensions, continued uncertainty and rising prospects for a no-deal Brexit are sapping the strength of the world economy, which faces a "precarious" 2020, the International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday.Trade conflicts are undercutting investment and weakening manufacturing, and the IMF urged countries to avoid using tariffs to resolve their differences.In the quarterly update of its World Economic Outlook, the IMF trimmed the global forecast issued in

World Business July 24, 2019

 GWANGJU, South Korea (AFP) - World championship swimmers slammed China's Sun Yang over lurid doping allegations and said competitors were firmly behind Australia's Mack Horton, who snubbed the Olympic star on the podium.    America's Matt Grevers claimed many competitors "don't trust" Sun, while world record-holder Lilly King revealed athletes "erupted in applause" after Horton refused to join his rival on the podium for photos after the 400 metres f

More Sports July 22, 2019

BEIJING (AFP) -- China reacted furiously on Monday to anti-government protesters vandalising the walls of the Beijing representative's office in Hong Kong and defacing the national emblem, branding their actions "absolutely intolerable".Thousands of masked pro-democracy demonstrators briefly occupied the road outside the office in the semi-autonomous city Sunday night and targeted the building with eggs, projectiles, laser lights and graffiti in a stark rebuke to Beijing's rule. Hong K

World News July 22, 2019

SINGAPORE (AFP) -- Harry Kane scored a stunning 93rd minute winner from the halfway line as Tottenham Hotspur edged Juventus 3-2 in an entertaining pre-season friendly in Singapore on Sunday.The England captain latched onto Lucas Moura's short pass and launched a first-time shot high over a scrambling substitute keeper Wojciech Szczesny as Spurs rallied past new manager Maurizio Sarri's Italian champions in front of a delighted National Stadium crowd. "It's probably one of the best goals of

Soccer July 22, 2019

SEOUL (AFP) -- North Korea's state media has slammed Japan for its recent trade restrictions against Seoul over wartime slavery disputes, accusing Tokyo of "destroying the trend of peace" on the Korean peninsula.After South Korea's high court ordered Japanese firms that used forced labour to compensate Korean victims, Tokyo earlier this month restricted the export of several chemicals to South Korea that are crucial to its world-leading chip and smartphone companies. South Korea's left

North Korea July 21, 2019

HOUSTON (AFP) -- Americans were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing on Saturday, a generation-defining event watched by half a billion people globally, as the US seeks to pivot to a new era of crewed space exploration.At 4:18pm ET (2018 GMT) on July 20, 1969, the lunar module carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin touched down on the Sea of Tranquility, following a four-day journey.NASA replayed online the CBS broadcast that was seen around the world. "Hou

World News July 21, 2019

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Donald Trump said Friday he remained at the ready to help South Korea and Japan solve their lingering dispute over World War II-era forced labor that has blighted their trade ties.After South Korea's high court ordered Japanese firms that used forced labor to compensate victims, Tokyo in early July restricted exports of chemicals vital to Seoul's world-leading chip and smartphone industry in an escalation of their decades-old row.South Korean President Moon Jae-in

Foreign Affairs July 20, 2019

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Tensions in the Gulf region mounted Thursday as US President Donald Trump said an American naval vessel shot down an Iranian drone that threatened the ship as it was entering the Strait of Hormuz. It was the first US military engagement with Iran following a series of increasingly serious incidents.Trump announced that the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, "took defensive action" against the Iranian drone as it was "threatening the safety of the ship and t

World News July 19, 2019

TOKYO (AFP) -- Thirteen people are believed to have died in a suspected arson attack at an animation company in the Japanese city of Kyoto on Thursday, a fire department official told AFP. "Twelve people were found in cardio-respiratory arrest in the ground and first floor," the official said, using a phrase commonly used in Japan to signify victims have died but their deaths have not yet been officially certified.The 12 victims were found after the fire department confirmed a first de

World News July 18, 2019

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The United States said Tuesday it hoped to hold denuclearization talks with North Korea, despite a warning from Pyongyang that US-South Korean military exercises could affect their planned resumption. The North had earlier Tuesday hinted that it could even reconsider its moratorium on nuclear testing over next month's drills, which have been held for years but were scaled down to facilitate dialogue with Pyongyang.It was the first statement from the North on the talks since U

North Korea July 17, 2019

TEHRAN (AFP) -- Iran on Monday urged the European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal "to take practical, effective and responsible decisions" to save the landmark agreement."We stress that the continued voluntary and goodwill based actions by the Islamic Republic of Iran are rooted in the principle of reciprocity of rights and duties" in the nuclear deal, the foreign ministry said in a statement.On Sunday the European parties to the deal -- Britain, France a

World News July 15, 2019

HONG KONG (AFP) - Riot police and protesters fought running battles in a Hong Kong shopping mall Sunday night as unrest caused by a widely loathed plan to allow extraditions to mainland China showed no sign of abating.Police used pepper spray and batons against small groups of protesters, who responded by hurling bottles and other projectiles, in a night of fresh violence in the international hub.Sunday's clashes took place at the end of another huge rally -- this time in Sha Tin a district that

World News July 15, 2019

An Australian student who was expelled from North Korea denied on Tuesday that he had been spying on the authoritarian state while he lived there.Alek Sigley, 29, was released last week after being detained for several days, with Pyongyang later accusing him of promoting propaganda against the country online.“The allegation that I am a spy is (pretty obviously) false,” he wrote on Twitter, adding that he was “well both mentally and physically”.“I am still very inter

North Korea July 10, 2019

A South Korean man who made a rare defection to North Korea was partly driven by the stigma and financial hardship that followed his parents' own high-profile flight to Pyongyang more than three decades ago, friends said Tuesday.Choe In-guk, 72, arrived in Pyongyang on Saturday and announced he would live there in a video published by North Korean media, following in the footsteps of his parents who made a switch of allegiance in 1986.Such a move is highly unusual and is more frequently seen in

North Korea July 9, 2019

A South Korean actress faces up to five years in a Thai jail for catching endangered giant clams in a reality TV stunt, an official said Saturday, despite the show's extensive apology.Lee Yeol-eum was filmed diving for giant clams at a Thai marine park for a June 30 episode of "Law of the Jungle" -- a popular South Korean reality show.After prising two giant clams from the coral-laid seabed, Lee pumped them in the air yelling "I caught it!"The creatures are listed as an endan

Social Affairs July 7, 2019