International
JAKARTA, Indonesia. — Indonesian President Joko Widodo has postponed a vote that could have criminalized consensual extramarital sex after outcry from human rights groups worldwide. The vote would have been on a new penal code, which the government agreed on last week. The code was set to pass into law on Tuesday, with lawmakers describing the […]
HONG KONG — Hong Kong is headed into its sixteenth consecutive weekend of anti-government protests, as police warned the level of violence is escalating potentially beyond control, as the force faced renewed allegations of brutality. Last week saw multiple fights between protesters, counter demonstrators and apparent bystanders on the sidelines of an unauthorized march which dissolved into pitched battles […]
JAKARTA, Indonesia. — Indonesia is set to pass a highly controversial new penal code that would criminalize consensual sex outside of marriage and effectively outlaw same-sex relations, in a move rights groups have criticized as a violation of basic rights. The draft code, which will also introduce penalties for insulting the president, is set to be adopted […]
TEL AVIV, Israel. — As counting gets underway in Israel’s unprecedented repeat general election, exit poll projections show the country’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and former military chief, Benny Gantz, locked in a tight race. Just after polling stations closed across Israel, the country’s three main TV stations flashed the result of their individual exit polls — […]
JERUSALEM, Israel. — Israelis will vote on Tuesday in the second national election in five months, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition following weeks of negotiations. Just as in April, this election pits the longtime leader of Israel against the one-time leader of the military, former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of […]
SAUDI ARABIA — Crude oil futures are trading at their highest levels since July after attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia disrupted about half of the kingdom’s production capacity, or more than 5{fdbcabf771828492f9ea8159017cf64899a634f8417cacba890e13c34db45301} of the global supply of crude. The market reaction was violent: US oil futures surged as much as 15{fdbcabf771828492f9ea8159017cf64899a634f8417cacba890e13c34db45301} when trading […]
(CNN) — A transatlantic flight was forced to divert to the Republic of Ireland because a pilot spilled a cup of coffee on the aircraft’s controls, it has emerged. According to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, the Airbus A330-243, operated by Condor, was traveling from Frankfurt in Germany to Cancún in Mexico on February 6 when it was […]
(CNN) — Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans to annex parts of the West Bank if he wins re-election next week. Netanyahu told reporters at a press conference that, if re-elected and able to form a coalition, he would apply Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea. He said […]
PYONGYANG, North Korea. — North Korea launched two unidentified projectiles from South Pyongan Province toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, on Tuesday morning, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement. The JCS said they received warnings of the twin launches at 6:53 am and 7:12 am Korean time. They […]
WASHINGTON — The Taliban says more Americans will die after President Trump called off a secret meeting at Camp David. The Afghan terrorist group said Trump’s decision to call off talks that had been scheduled for Sunday “will lead to more losses to the U.S.” A Trump tweet Saturday night was the first mention of […]