Pentagon chief urges Chinese restraint over Hong Kong protests
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Saturday urged the Chinese government to exercise restraint over protests in Hong-Kong.
Deforestation must be seen as global threat: pope in Madagascar
Pope Francis said on Saturday rapid deforestation and reduction in biodiversity in individual countries should not be treated as local issues since they threaten the future of the whole planet.
Hong Kong police check for air tickets to stop new airport protests
Hong Kong police checked people traveling to the city’s international airport for passports and air tickets on Saturday, preventing protesters gathering for another “stress test” of road and rail links in the Chinese-ruled city.
Filmmaker Sentsov, 24 Ukrainian sailors in Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap: lawyer
Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, jailed in Russia, is among 35 Ukrainians who will be transferred from Moscow to Kiev as part of a prisoner exchanges on Saturday, his lawyer said.
Iran seizes ship for alleged fuel smuggling in Gulf, holds 12 Filipino crew
Iran’s coast guard has seized a vessel for allegedly smuggling fuel in the Gulf and detained its 12 crew members from the Philippines, the semi-official news agency ISNA reported.
Typhoon knocks out power in South Korea; North braces for storm
A powerful typhoon slammed into South Korea early on Saturday, killing at least one person and disrupting power to 57,000 households before turning toward North Korea, authorities said.
Poland’s PiS promises older voters more cash ahead of October elections
Poland’s ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party will offer pensioners a regular yearly cash bonus, party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski was quoted as saying on Saturday ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections.
British lawmakers willing to go to court to enforce Brexit delay: BBC
British lawmakers are preparing legal action in case Prime Minister Boris Johnson tries to defy legislation compelling him to seek a further delay to Brexit, the BBC reported on Saturday.
Developing new centrifuges on Tehran’s agenda: Iran nuclear official
Developing new types of uranium enrichment machines is on Tehran’s agenda, a spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation said in a televised news conference on Saturday, adding that Iran has started injecting gas into advanced centrifuges.
Buses exit Moscow jail amid expectations of Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap
Two buses with tinted windows and a police escort left a Moscow jail on Saturday morning carrying an undisclosed number of people as a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine appeared to begin, a Reuters witness and state TV said.
