World
N Korea state media hits out at 'imbecile' Biden
North Korean state media on Wednesday slammed former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden as an "imbecile" and a "fool of low IQ" after he criticized leader Kim Jong Un. Biden, who served two terms as President Barack Obama's deputy, has been on the campaign trail since announcing last month his… Read
U.S. House Democrats subpoena more Trump ex-aides, including Hicks
A U.S. House committee chairman on Tuesday subpoenaed two more former White House aides, including Hope Hicks, just hours after former White House Counsel Donald McGahn was a no-show for testimony before the panel at President Donald Trump's request. As tensions rose between the Republican president and the Democrats who… Read
U.S. officials seek to tone down Trump rhetoric on Iran
U.S. officials who briefed Congress about Iran on Tuesday sought to convince lawmakers that President Donald Trump's administration wants to deter Tehran's aggression, not attack the Islamic republic, members of Congress said. "I hope they're tamping down (the rhetoric). They tried to give that impression," Representative Eliot Engel, chairman of… Read
May tries to break Brexit deadlock with offer of 'new deal'
Prime Minister Theresa May set out a "new deal" on Tuesday for Britain's departure from the European Union, offering sweeteners to parliament including the chance to vote on whether to hold a second referendum to try to break the impasse over Brexit. Three years after Britain voted to leave the… Read
U.S. suspects Syria in new chemical attack, threatens reprisal
The United States said Tuesday it suspected that Syrian government forces have carried out a fresh chemical attack and it threatened reprisals. The State Department said it was assessing indications that the regime used chemical weapons on Sunday during its offensive in Idlib, the most significant remaining holdout in Syria… Read
U.N. envoy warns Libya is on verge of descending to civil war
The U.N. envoy for Libya warned Tuesday that the oil-rich nation "is on the verge of descending into a civil war" that could divide the country and imperil the security of its neighbors and the wider Mediterranean region. Ghassan Salame told the Security Council that extremists from the Islamic State… Read
Malaysia, flooded with plastic waste, to send back some scrap to source
Malaysia, which has become the dumping ground for the world's plastic waste, will send back non-recyclable plastic scrap to the developed countries that sent it there, its environment minister said on Tuesday. Malaysia last year became the leading alternative destination for plastic scrap after China banned imports of such waste,… Read
Mexicans buy fake cell phones to hand over in muggings
Armed robberies have gotten so common aboard buses in Mexico City that commuters have come up with a clever if disheartening solution: Many are buying fake cell phones, to hand over to thieves instead of their real smartphones. Costing 300 to 500 pesos apiece — the equivalent of $15 to… Read
Police fire tear gas to disperse crowds after Indonesia confirms president's re-election
Indonesian police fired tear gas on Wednesday to disperse protesters in central Jakarta following a rally held after official results showed President Joko Widodo had been comfortably re-elected, a Reuters witness said. The General Election Commission (KPU) confirmed unofficial counts by private pollsters in the April 17 election, which gave… Read
Omani writer wins Man Booker literature prize
Jokha Alharthi on Tuesday became the first Arabic author to win the Man Booker International prize for her novel "Celestial Bodies" which reveals her Omani homeland's post-colonial transformation. "I am thrilled that a window has been opened to the rich Arabic culture," Alharthi, 40, told reporters after the ceremony at… Read
