NewsAFP NewsDiplomatic flurry in blast-hit Lebanon as aid effort expands
Top diplomats criss-crossed Beirut on Friday to supervise growing aid efforts and weigh in on Lebanon's political future, following a deadly port explosion blamed on state corruption.
NewsAFP NewsShip leaks more oil off Mauritius as calls for answers grow
A fresh streak of oil spilled Friday from a ship stranded on a reef in pristine waters off Mauritius, threatening further ecological devastation as demands mount for answers as to why the vessel had come so close to shore.
NewsAFP NewsTaliban prisoner release re-opens wounds for victims' families
The decision to release hundreds of the Taliban's most dangerous prisoners has stirred painful memories for the loved ones of those killed in Afghanistan's war, with many questioning whether the move will help bring peace.
NewsAFP NewsWorld leaders praise Israel-UAE deal as Palestinians cry foul
World leaders voiced hope Friday that a historic deal between the UAE and Israel could kickstart moribund Middle East peace talks, even as the Palestinians and their supporters denounced the move to normalise ties as a betrayal of their cause.
NewsAFP NewsBoar that stole German nudist's laptop may be culled
A wild boar that went viral after stealing a nudist's laptop by a lake in German capital Berlin last week could be targeted in a local cull, an official said Friday.
BusinessAFP NewsEuropean stocks slide as UK reimposes virus quarantine
European stocks slumped on Friday at the end of a largely positive week for global equities
NewsAFP NewsEuropean nations step up virus measures as cases mount
European nations among the hardest hit by the coronavirus unveiled further control moves Friday to battle rising cases, hitting summer tourism and aspects of everyday life on the continent.
PoliticsBBCTrump stokes 'birther' conspiracy theory about Kamala Harris
The US president fuels a fringe idea, echoing his past baseless claims about Barack Obama's origins.
NewsAFP News'Torture chamber': Jailed Belarusians reveal prison abuse
Emerging from a jail in Minsk with other Belarusians detained in a post-election crackdown, 27-year-old maths teacher Yana Bobrovskaya said she never expected to make it out alive.
NewsAFP NewsProminent Thai democracy activist arrested
Thai police on Friday arrested a prominent democracy activist following his participation in protests calling for government reforms, a new constitution and an overhaul of a law shielding the powerful monarchy.
NewsAFP NewsVietnam says looking to buy Russia virus vaccine
Vietnam's health ministry is looking to buy a bulk order of Russia's coronavirus vaccine, state media said on Friday, despite global scepticism over its effectiveness and safety.
NewsAFP NewsShip owner says will handle Mauritius oil spill compensation 'sincerely'
The Japanese owner of a cargo ship that leaked massive amounts of oil after running aground off Mauritius has pledged to "sincerely" respond to requests for compensation over damage to the marine environment.
NewsReutersPhilippines bans chicken imports from Brazil on coronavirus scare
The Philippines imposed a temporary ban on poultry meat imports from Brazil on Friday after two cities in China found traces of the new coronavirus in cargoes of imported frozen food, including chicken wings from the South American country. Shenzhen city authorities identified the chicken as originating from a plant owned by Aurora, Brazil's third-largest poultry and pork exporter. Brazil has the world's second-worst COVID-19 outbreak after the United States, recording more than 3.2 million cases and more than 105,000 deaths since the pandemic began.
NewsAFP NewsUK quarantine change sparks scramble to return from France
British holidaymakers faced a scramble to get home on Friday after the government said it will reimpose a 14-day quarantine for travellers from France and the Netherlands, prompting Paris to quickly announce a "reciprocal measure".
EntertainmentAFP NewsPhil Collins 'In the Air Tonight' back in charts after twins' viral video
Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" has made a huge comeback in the music charts nearly 40 years after its release, thanks to a viral video of young American brothers reacting to his 1981 hit.
NewsAFP NewsBan on Myanmar's largest observer group to have 'huge' election impact
The banning of Myanmar's largest election monitoring group will have a "huge impact" on the transparency of November's national polls, the organisation's director said Friday.
NewsAFP NewsAfghan authorities begin release of 'dangerous' Taliban prisoners
Afghan authorities said Friday they had started to release 400 Taliban prisoners, the final hurdle in long-delayed peace talks between the two warring sides, even as President Ashraf Ghani warned they were a "danger to the world".
NewsAFP NewsAmid fraying China ties, US targets Confucius Institutes
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stepped up the pressure on China by ordering the center which runs Confucius Institutes in the United States to register as a foreign mission.
EntertainmentONE EsportsMeet Nanay Gaming, Mobile Legends’ most wholesome streamer
I saw my eldest streaming with little to no viewers. I thought, 'What if I become a streamer?'
BusinessBloombergCOMMENT: Once Upon a Time, Debt Monetization Sounded Crazy
In an era when trillions of dollars have been plowed into the global economy, one institution stands out for its activism: the Philippines’s central bank.
NewsAFP NewsReleased Belarusians describe beatings, torture in vote crackdown
Hundreds of people in Belarus were being released from jail on Friday after they were detained in a post-election crackdown, with many giving harrowing accounts of beatings and torture.
NewsAFP NewsShanghaiPRIDE halts its 12-year ride over 'safety'
China's longest-running LGBTQ group, ShanghaiPRIDE, has said it is stopping all its activities and events "to protect the safety of all involved".
HealthCoconuts ManilaManila City Hall buys 2,000 vials of COVID-19 drug remdesivir for patients
The Manila City Hall has purchased 2,000 vials of the expensive anti-viral drug remdesivir, which has helped patients recover from COVID-19. Mayor Isko Moreno told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo today that the vials will be used by six public hospitals in Manila by at least 200 patients infected by the coronavirus. The hospitals have already secured permits to use remdesivir ...This article, Manila City Hall buys 2,000 vials of COVID-19 drug remdesivir for patients, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!
NewsAssociated PressIran: Nations shouldn't exploit Beirut blast for own motives
Iran said Friday that Western countries should not take advantage of the massive explosion in Beirut last week that killed and injured thousands of people to dictate their own policies on the tiny Arab country. The comments by Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Beirut came as a senior U.S. official and France’s defense minister were in the country. The Aug. 4 blast at Beirut’s port killed nearly 180 people, injured 6,000 and caused widespread damage in the capital.
PoliticsAFP NewsTrump promotes false birther theory about Kamala Harris
President Donald Trump said Thursday he had heard Democratic vice-presidential running mate Kamala Harris was not eligible to serve, stoking a false claim echoing the baseless "birther" theory he promoted about Barack Obama.
