Hong Kong’s embattled leader, Carrie Lam, faced a hostile reception on Thursday night at the first of her series of public consultations on Thursday evening in an effort to defuse the city’s worst political crisis in decades.  Ms Lam was grilled by 150 guests, selected by lottery out of 20,000 applicants for the event at … Continue reading "Hong Kong chief executive grilled by angry public in ‘dialogue’ session"

After 21 years tucked away inside a Rotterdam flat, a priceless 18th century crown is finally being repatriated to Ethiopia with the help of a Dutch art detective. For more than two decades, the crown has been guarded by Dutch-Ethiopian national Sirak Asfaw in a secret location in his Netherlands home. A former refugee, Sirak … Continue reading "‘Priceless’ Ethiopian crown set to return home after 21 years hidden in a Rotterdam flat"

Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno on Tuesday ordered a curfew around government buildings after six days of violent anti-austerity protests that have pushed his administration out of the capital Quito and brought hundreds of arrests. Following tactics that have toppled previous governments, thousands of indigenous demonstrators have flooded the highland capital. Some burst through security cordons … Continue reading "Indigenous protesters storm parliament in Ecuador as government forced to decamp"

 A Japanese evacuation centre turned away two homeless people as a deadly typhoon approached on the weekend, prompting widespread criticism and a promise from the prime minister on Tuesday that it would not happen again. Staff at the evacuation centre at a school in Tokyo’s Taito ward refused to let the two in on Saturday … Continue reading "Homeless men turned away from Japanese storm shelter"

Their quest to bring their son’s killers to justice has dragged on for more than seven years, blocked at almost every turn by incompetence, cover-up and the grindingly slow nature of Kenya’s legal system. On Tuesday, the parents of Alexander Monson, son and heir to the 12th Baron Monson, mark another exhausting milestone in that … Continue reading "Father of British aristocrat killed in Kenya fears police officer suspects will flee before trial"

Angela Merkel’s chosen successor came under intense pressure on Monday after disastrous regional election results saw her party suffer crushing losses to the nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD). Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was forced to defend her leadership after the AfD forces her Christian Democrat party (CDU) into a humiliating third place in the eastern state … Continue reading "Angela Merkel’s successor under pressure following disastrous election results"

A cake depicting the ongoing Hong Kong pro-democracy protests was disqualified from a cake decorating competition in Birmingham over the weekend, in a controversial move that sparked cries of  political censorship.  The entry from the 3rd Space café in Hong Kong recreated many symbols synonymous with the five-month protest, including umbrellas, a Guy Fawkes mask, … Continue reading "Cake censorship: Hong Kong protests spread to UK cake contest as entry disqualified"

CENTER MORICHES, NY — The day after little Thomas Valva’s emotional funeral service, those who knew him are remembering his life — police say the boy, 8, froze to death after he was left in a frigid garage at his father’s home overnight. They are remembering his bright smile — the moments when he was … Continue reading "Remembering Thomas Valva: 'His Smile Would Light Up The Room'"

NEWARK, NJ — Most of the residents of New Jersey’s most populated city understand why it’s important to stay at home while the new coronavirus spreads. But for the few who don’t, Newark’s citywide shelter-in-place order should serve as a big wake-up call, local officials say. On Wednesday night, Mayor Ras Baraka announced that the … Continue reading "Entire City Of Newark Told To Shelter In Place: Coronavirus"

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Candles flicker atop a cake. A family sings “Happy Birthday.” And outside, behind a glass door, Mohamed Mokhtar smiles even as a virus keeps him from stepping inside. The song reaches its end. Mokhtar kneels by the door in front of his children, all their faces aglow. He looks at the … Continue reading "Video: Coronavirus 'Hero In Scrubs' Has Birthday Behind Glass"