Indonesia president threatens to sack fire fighters if forest blazes not tackled
Indonesian President Joko Widodo threatened on Tuesday to sack military and police officers fighting forest fires if they fail to extinguish the flames. He also promised government funds for high-tech equipment like drones to help tackle the blazes.
China warns Hong Kong protesters not to mistake restraint for weakness
Radical protesters in Hong Kong must not mistake China’s restraint for weakness, China’s Hong Kong affairs office said on Tuesday, vowing that the “violent criminals” pushing the city toward a “dangerous abyss” would be brought to justice.
China calls on U.S. politicians to stop colluding with Hong Kong separatists
The Chinese foreign ministry’s commissioner in Hong Kong said on Tuesday the city belongs to China and that it will firmly respond to any action that harms China’s sovereignty.
No deal Brexit is UK PM Johnson’s central scenario, EU diplomats say: Guardian
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s central scenario is a no-deal Brexit and he has no intention of renegotiating the Withdrawal Agreement, European diplomats were quoted as telling The Guardian newspaper.
Britain ready and willing to do a Brexit deal: government source
Britain is “ready and willing” to do a Brexit deal with the European Union, a senior government source said on Tuesday, after a newspaper reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was aiming for a no-deal Brexit.
Group of Hong Kong activists says will not back down on demands: TV
A group of activists dressed in the Hong Kong protest uniform of masks and hard hats held a widely televised news conference Tuesday and urged the city’s leader Carrie Lam to “return power to the people”.
China says People’s Liberation Army will defend every part of its territory
China’s People’s Liberation Army is a strong force and will defend every part of its territory, a spokesman of China’s Hong Kong affairs office said, when asked about possible use of Chinese troops in the Asian financial hub riven by protests.
Second day of snapped telecoms links in Kashmir after India scraps special status
A communications blackout entered its second day on Tuesday in disputed Kashmir, after India snapped television, telephone and internet links to deter protests over its scrapping of special constitutional status for the Himalayan region.
Taliban denounce Afghan election, warn that rallies face attack
The Taliban on Tuesday denounced as a sham a presidential election due next month, saying their fighters would do everything they could to block it, while urging people to stay away from rallies that could be attacked.
War with Iran is the mother of all wars: Iran president
War with Iran is the mother of all wars, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday in a speech broadcast live on state TV, warning once again that shipping might not be safe in the Strait of Hormuz oil waterway.
