Australian gallery shuts to protects Matisse, Picasso works from smoke
The quality of air in Australia’s capital was the worst of any major city in the world on Monday as smoke drifted in from fires, prompting shops and offices to tell staff to stay home and the national gallery to close its doors to protect its art.
Delhi police, facing criticism, probe attack on students at elite university
Delhi police are investigating how masked men burst into a premier university and attacked a student protest with sticks and rods, an officer said on Monday, the latest incident to ignite criticism of India’s ruling Hindu nationalists.
Relaxing workers, children died as Cambodian building crumpled
Six children – including at least two infants – among 36 people killed when an unfinished building collapsed in Cambodia were living on the site with their families, a common practice in Cambodia’s construction boom, survivors said on Monday.
Koala mittens and joey pouches: Australian bushfires spark global knitting frenzy
Knitting needles are clicking furiously around the world to create hundreds of protective pouches and blankets for native wildlife made homeless by Australian wildfires that have razed large swathes of bushland.
Huge crowds in Iran for commander’s funeral, daughter warns U.S. of ‘dark day’
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians thronged Tehran’s streets on Monday for the funeral of military commander Qassem Soleimani, killed by a U.S. drone strike last week, and his daughter said his death would bring a “dark day” for the United States.
China says U.S. military interventionism aggravates Middle East tension
China criticized the United States for aggravating tension in the Middle East through its military interventionism over the standoff between Washington and Tehran and urged all parties to exercise restraint to ensure peace and stability.
Sanctions threat against Iraq ‘not very helpful’, German minister says
Threatening Iraq with sanctions is “not very helpful,” Germany’s foreign minister said on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Baghdad could be hit by sanctions “like they’ve never seen before” if U.S. forces were forced to leave.
Japan PM Abe sticks to plan to deploy forces to Middle East
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe repeated his plans to deploy the Self-Defense Forces to the Middle East to ensure the safety of its ships, even as tensions in the region erupt in the wake of the United States’ killing of one of Iran’s top military c…
Mexico asks for restraint in Iraq, Iran
Mexico said on Sunday that it was concerned about the recent events in Iraq and Iran and asked all parties involved to act with restraint and avoid escalating regional tensions.
Iran leader Khamenei leads prayers at Soleimani funeral
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday led prayers in the funeral of slain military commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in Iraq in a U.S. drone strike.
