World News Roundup: U.S. troops in Afghanistan should be 'home by Christmas; No progress in Kyrgyz impasse as businesses warn of economic damage and more

The 12, who are accused of crimes tied to anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year, are being held in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen after mainland authorities intercepted their boat and accused them of illegal border crossing.


Reuters | Updated: 08-10-2020 18:58 IST | Created: 08-10-2020 18:30 IST
World News Roundup: U.S. troops in Afghanistan should be 'home by Christmas; No progress in Kyrgyz impasse as businesses warn of economic damage and more
US President Donald Trump (Source: Trump's Twitter) Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Relatives accuse Hong Kong government of lying over surveillance of detainees

Relatives of some of the 12 Hong Kong activists arrested by Chinese authorities at sea more than six weeks ago as they tried to flee by boat to Taiwan have accused the Hong Kong government of lying over the circumstances surrounding their capture. The 12, who are accused of crimes tied to anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year, are being held in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen after mainland authorities intercepted their boat and accused them of illegal border crossing.

No progress in Kyrgyz impasse as businesses warn of economic damage

Kyrgyzstan's parliament has failed to gather a quorum in an overnight session, deputies said on Thursday, leaving the Central Asian nation in a power vacuum as rival groups tried to claim power after ousting the cabinet. The former Soviet republic, which borders China and hosts a Russian military airbase, has been gripped by unrest since thousands of people protesting against the results of a parliamentary election seized government buildings on Tuesday.

U.S. troops in Afghanistan should be 'home by Christmas': Trump

All U.S. troops in Afghanistan should be "home by Christmas," President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, just hours after his national security adviser said Washington would reduce its forces in Afghanistan to 2,500 by early next year. A landmark deal between the United States and the Taliban in February said foreign forces would leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the Taliban, which agreed to negotiate a permanent ceasefire and a power-sharing formula with the Afghan government.

New fighting as Russia, U.S. and France seek Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire

Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians fought new clashes on Thursday before talks at which the United States, France and Russia will discuss how to secure a ceasefire and avert a wider war in the South Caucasus. Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov will meet U.S., Russian and French envoys in Geneva on Thursday and Armenia's foreign minister, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, is expected to meet officials form the three countries in Moscow on Monday.

Paraguay finance minister Lopez to step down, take IDB job: gov't source

Paraguay's Finance Minister Benigno López will step down from his ministry position in the next few days to take a senior role at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a government source told Reuters on Thursday. The regional lender has picked Lopez as vice president for sectors and knowledge, according to a note seen by Reuters, which would involve a three-year term starting in mid-October.

American poet Louise Gluck wins Nobel literature prize

American poet Louise Gluck has won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature for "her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal", the Swedish Academy said on Thursday. Academy Permanent Secretary Mats Malm said Gluck was "surprised and happy" at the news despite receiving it in the early morning North American time.

France and Germany ready to 'play hardball' with Russia

The EU must stand up to Russia when it violates international norms, France and Germany's foreign ministers said on Thursday, adding that a decision to push sanctions over the poisoning of a Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny did not end dialogue. France and Germany said on Wednesday they would propose European Union sanctions against Russian individuals after receiving no credible answers from Moscow over the use a nerve agent on Navalny.

China tells Indian media not to call Taiwan a country, Taiwan says 'get lost'

China was accused by Taiwan of trying to impose censorship in India after its embassy in New Delhi advised journalists to observe the "one-China" principle after newspapers carried advertisements for Taiwan's national day. Coming just months after deadly clashes between Indian and Chinese troops on the disputed Himalayan border between the two Asian giants, the controversy has flared at a time when Indian sentiments toward China are filled with antipathy and suspicion.

UK will leave EU without a deal if it has to: PM Johnson's spokesman

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is prepared to fully leave the European Union without a deal when the Brexit transition period ends, his spokesman said on Thursday, but the British leader still believes there is a deal to be done. "He thinks there is a deal to be done and we have a clear commitment to trying to reach an agreement," the spokesman said before adding two further points.

U.S. dismantles global disinformation campaign tied to Iran: Justice Department

U.S. prosecutors have seized a network of web domains which they said were used in a campaign by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to spread political disinformation around the world. In a statement released late on Wednesday, the Justice Department said it had taken control of 92 domains used by the IRGC to pose as independent media outlets targeting audiences in the United States, Europe, Middle East and South East Asia.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Give Feedback