Gabon coup: Simple guide to what's happening
President Ali Bongo is under house arrest after being ousted by the army after a disputed election.
2023-08-30 20:57
How tall is Daniel Radcliffe? 'Harry Potter' star once worried co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson would outgrow him onscreen
A fan of elevator shoes, Daniel Radcliffe doesn't mind wearing a pair when he needs to stand next to his taller co-stars
2023-08-30 20:55
Putin to visit China for first time since ICC’s international arrest warrant was issued
Vladimir Putin will leave Russia and travel the farthest distance from his home country for the first time since an arrest warrant was issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to a report. Mr Putin has reportedly accepted an invitation by Xi Jinping to visit China and the Kremlin is gearing up for his attendance at the Belt and Road Forum in October, three people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. News of the visit comes after Mr Putin declined an invitation by India to attend G20 summit next week. The Kremlin said the Russian leader has a “busy schedule” while his main focus at the moment is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia will be instead be represented by its foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. Moscow is an ally to Delhi and Beijing, both of whom are regional rivals and share strained diplomatic ties with each other. Both countries are not signatories to the ICC either. The Russian leader has, ever since the warrant was issued, travelled only to Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine. Before the warrant, he had visited Iran last year. On Tuesday, the Kremlin said a schedule for bilateral Russian-Chinese contacts was being worked out, when asked about the reported visit. “The schedule of bilateral Russian-Chinese contacts at various levels, including at the highest level, is being coordinated,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “We will inform you about specific events and deadlines in a timely manner.” Mr Putin and Mr Xi have declared a “no limits” partnership between their countries. China has refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine directly while emphasing the importance of upholding Kyiv’s territorial integrity. In March, an arrest warrant was issued against Mr Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, for alleged war crimes committed by deporting Ukrainian children into Russia during the conflict. Human rights groups have estimated that more than 19,000 children were deported and placed with Russian families. Russian officials have claimed the children were taken in as a war-time humanitarian gesture. The Kremlin has rejected the war crime accusations. The Russian leader had earlier avoided going to South Africa, which is an ICC signatory, to attend the Brics summit last week. Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan also invited Mr Putin to visit Ankara for talks on a Black Sea grain deal, but he is now said to be considering traveling to Moscow himself. Turkey is not an ICC signatory. The flurry of announcements about the diplomatic visits come as British foreign minister James Cleverly visited China in the first such visit by a UK diplomat in five years. Mr Cleverly said he will urge China to fulfil its international commitments and show responsibility on the world stage on the Ukraine invasion. On Mr Putin’s purpoted visit to Beijing, he said, “Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine cannot be justified by Moscow or indeed anywhere else”. Read More India protests China's land claim ahead of the G20 summit President Xi Jinping is expected to attend Russia earns less from oil and spends more on war. So far, sanctions are working like a slow poison Vladimir Putin ‘too busy’ to face world leaders at G20 The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
2023-08-30 20:47
US commerce secretary warns China will be 'uninvestable' without action on raids, fines
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says she warned Chinese leaders that U.S. businesses might stop investing in their country without prompt action to address complaints about worsening conditions due to raids on firms, unexplained fines and unpredictable official behavior
2023-08-30 20:25
Germany will classify Georgia, Moldova as 'safe countries,' making rejecting asylum-seekers easier
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s cabinet has classified Moldova and Georgia as so-called “safe countries of origin,” meaning asylum-seekers from there can be rejected and deported faster than in the past
2023-08-30 20:24
Germany's Scholz pledges less infighting as his government works to boost the economy
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is pledging that his government will tone down frequent public infighting that has weighed it down badly in polls as it works to pick up the country’s stagnant economy, Europe’s biggest
2023-08-30 20:22
Stimulus measures should not spur inflation -Germany's Scholz
MESEBERG Germany's government must be careful that its economic stimulus measures do not spur inflation, Chancellor Olaf Scholz
2023-08-30 20:20
Who is Nick Carter's new accuser? 'Backstreet Boys' vocalist denies allegations of attacking minor girl aboard a yacht
The accuser alleged Nick Carter sexually assaulted her in 2003 on a yacht and later on a bus after getting her drunk
2023-08-30 19:55
How tall is Gigi Hadid? Supermodel towers over ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik
Gigi Hadid's height towering above the average for women has been a distinct asset in her modeling career and public image
2023-08-30 19:52
Ali Bongo - Gabon's president arrested in army coup
As the military seizes power in Gabon, we examine the colourful, contentious life of its ousted president.
2023-08-30 19:29
How tall is Eugenie Bouchard? Canadian tennis star is of average height with respect to female tennis players
Eugenie Bouchard, also referred to as Genie Bouchard, is a prominent tennis player from Canada
2023-08-30 19:24
Military coup in Gabon, president under house arrest
Rebel officers in the oil-rich central African state of Gabon announced on Wednesday they had seized power following disputed elections in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power...
2023-08-30 19:21