JOSO – Widespread flooding and landslides in north-east Japan have forced more than 90,000 people to abandon their homes. The city of Joso, north of the capital, Tokyo, was hit by a wall of water after the Kinugawa River burst its banks. Helicopter rescue teams have been plucking people from rooftops. One person has been…
MINNESOTA – The US dentist who sparked an international outcry after killing a lion in Zimbabwe has said he did nothing wrong and is planning to return to work this week. Speaking in his first interview since the July killing of Cecil the lion, Walter Palmer said he had been unaware of the animal’s significance….
VIENNA – The massive flood of refugees in Europe are pushing Germany and Austria to a tipping point. Well over 17,500 refugees have poured into the two countries in just the past two days, trying to escape the bombings, terrorists and dire conditions ravaging their homelands. “We have helped more than 12,000 people in an…
WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed concern to Moscow over reports of Russian military build-up in Syria, the state department says. US media reports said Russia has sent advisers and hardware to Syria, in what Washington fears is an expansion of its support for President Bashar al-Assad. Any such development would…
DAMASCUS – There has been a stunned reaction among Syrian social media users to the photo of a Syrian child washed up on the Turkish shores. The picture which was released by a Turkish news agency, is reported to be of three-year-old Alan, who drowned along with his five-year-old brother Galip and their mother, Rihan….
GUATEMALA CITY – Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina has resigned hours after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. Prosecutors accuse Mr Perez Molina of masterminding a scheme to defraud the customs service of millions of dollars. He denies the allegations. On Tuesday, Congress stripped him of his immunity from prosecution, a first in…
DAMASCUS – A UN inquiry into the conflict in Syria has criticised the “global failure” to protect the country’s refugees, saying it has fuelled Europe’s migrant crisis. Chairman Paulo Sergio Pinheiro urged the international community to act with “humanity and compassion” by creating legal channels of migration. The inquiry’s latest report says 2,000 Syrians trying…
WASHINGTON – Thousands of Hillary Clinton’s emails while US secretary of state have been released, including many that have been censored after being deemed classified. Mrs Clinton, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2016 presidential election, has been under fire for using a private computer server for work emails while in office. But…
CAIRO – Three al-Jazeera journalists convicted in Egypt of “spreading false news” have been sentenced to three years in prison at their retrial in Cairo. Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohamed were led away from court after the verdict. Australian Peter Greste was deported back to Australia earlier this year and was on trial…
BEIJING – Usain Bolt won the rematch and 200m gold as he ran a wonderful bend to once again leave rival Justin Gatlin chasing silver and fresh air. On a sweaty, sticky night in the Bird’s Nest, Bolt was out quicker and opened an unassailable lead over the first 100m before coming away down the…
