Saudi Arabia drew international plaudits last year when it lifted a longstanding ban on women driving. The conservative Gulf kingdom also reversed a ban on sports for women and girls in public schools, and allowed women to watch football matches…
Category: World News
Kim Jong-un in Beijing for an unannounced visit
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in Beijing for an unannounced visit, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mr Kim will be in China until 10 January with his wife Ri Sol-ju, according to state media reports.…
Trump threatens ‘national emergency’ over wall
US President Donald Trump has said he could declare a national emergency to build a US-Mexico border wall without the approval of Congress. It came after he met senior Democrats, who refused his requests for funding. The stand-off has seen…
US House Democrats challenge Trump on shutdown
The Democrat-controlled US House of Representatives has voted to end a partial government shutdown, but the move looks certain to be vetoed by President Donald Trump. Mr Trump has said he will reject any measure that does not provide funding…
Indian women make history by entering Sabarimala temple
Two Indian women have made history by entering a prominent Hindu shrine in the southern state of Kerala, following months of protests against their entry. The Sabarimala temple was historically closed to women of “menstruating age” – defined as between…
Raul Castro denounces US ‘confrontation’
Former Cuban President Raul Castro has accused the US of returning to its policy of confrontation. Mr Castro, who is still head of Cuba’s ruling Communist Party, was speaking on the 60th anniversary of the revolution led by his brother,…
Taiwan ‘must and will be’ reunited with China: Xi
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the people of Taiwan to accept it “must and will be” reunited with China. In a speech marking 40 years since the thaw in cross-strait relations, he reiterated Beijing’s call for peaceful unification on…
Kim Jong-un warns of change in denuclearisation
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said he is committed to denuclearisation, but warned he will change course if the US continues its sanctions. He made the remarks during his closely-watched annual New Year’s address. Last year’s speech set the…
UAE reopens embassy in Damascus
The United Arab Emirates has reopened its embassy in Damascus after a seven year absence, in a bid to normalise ties and potentially return Syria to the Arab League. The reopening of the embassy is a step towards Syria’s rehabilitation…
Blast kills four near Giza pyramids in Egypt
A roadside blast has killed four people – three Vietnamese tourists and a local tour guide – and injured 12 others on a bus near the Giza pyramids in Egypt, officials say. A bomb hidden beside a wall went off…
Personal data of North Korea defectors leaked
Almost 1,000 North Korean defectors have had their personal data leaked after a computer at a South Korean resettlement centre was hacked, the unification ministry said. A personal computer at the state-run centre was found to have been “infected with…
Trumps visit US troops in Iraq in Christmas trip
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have made an unannounced Christmas visit to US troops in Iraq. They travelled there “late on Christmas night” to thank troops for “their service, their success and their sacrifice”, the White…
New Tsunami feared as Anak Krakatau volcano seethes
Coastal residents near Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano have been warned to keep away from beaches amid fears it could trigger a new tsunami. On Saturday, giant waves crashed into coastal towns on the islands of Sumatra and Java, killing at…
43 die as ‘volcano tsunami’ hits Indonesia
At least 43 people have been killed and 584 injured after a tsunami hit the coast on Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, government officials say. The country’s disaster management agency says hundreds of buildings were damaged by Saturday’s tsunami. It says the…
US govt shutdown looms over border wall row
A partial US government shutdown is now just hours away after US lawmakers failed to break a budget impasse. Mr Trump, who has to sign off any deal, is insisting at least $5bn (£4bn) in government funding be included to…
Two arrested over Gatwick drone flight disruption
Two people have been arrested in connection with a string of drone sightings which brought Gatwick Airport to a standstill. Sussex Police said it made the arrests at about 22:00 GMT on Friday. Flights from Gatwick were grounded for more…
Gatwick runway reopens after drone chaos
Gatwick’s runway has reopened after drones caused the airport to shut down for more than a day. The airport, the UK’s second busiest, said 765 flights were scheduled for departure and arrival. Boss Chris Woodroofe said police had not yet…
Trump ‘to pull thousands of troops’ from Afghanistan
The Trump administration is planning to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan, US media say. Reports, citing unnamed officials, say about 7,000 troops – roughly half the remaining US military presence in the country – could go home within months.…
US Defence Secy Mattis announces resignation
US Defence Secretary James Mattis is resigning, the latest in a string of senior US officials to do so. His announcement came a day after President Trump said he was withdrawing troops from Syria – a decision General Mattis is…
Trump’s Syria withdrawal plan shocks allies
President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw all US troops from Syria has been met with heavy criticism. Mr Trump made the announcement on Wednesday, asserting that the Islamic State (IS) group had been defeated. But major allies, including senior Republicans…
Rudd urges MPs to forge a consensus on Brexit
MPs across the political divide should “abandon outrage” and attempt to “forge a consensus” over Brexit, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has said. In the Daily Mail, Ms Rudd wrote: “Brexit is in danger of getting stuck”. It comes…
Trump names Mulvaney new acting chief of staff
US President Donald Trump has named Mick Mulvaney, the director of the office of management and budget, as acting White House chief of staff. Mr Mulvaney, 51, replaces General John Kelly, who is leaving by the end of the year.…
Strasbourg Xmas market reopens after attack
The Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg has reopened, two days after the attack carried out by a gunman on Tuesday evening. Cherif Chekatt was killed on Thursday by police on a city street after he opened fire…
EU says no to May on Brexit renegotiating deal
Theresa May’s bid to make her Brexit deal more acceptable to MPs have suffered a blow after EU leaders said it was “not open for renegotiation”. She wants legal assurances on the Irish backstop to help her deal get through…
Theresa May survives confidence vote
Prime Minister Theresa May has won a vote of confidence in her leadership of the Conservative Party by 200 to 117. After securing 63% of the total vote, she is now immune from a leadership challenge for a year. Speaking…
Trump could intervene in case of Meng Wanzhou
Donald Trump says he could intervene in the case of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou if it helps to avoid a further decline in US relations with China. “Whatever’s good for this country, I would do,” the US president said. Ms…
India poll results show nail-biting contest in Madhya Pradesh
Early state election results in the central state of Madhya Pradesh show a nail-biting contest between India’s ruling BJP and opposition Congress. The leads show a late comeback for the BJP in the central state. Early results showed a clear…
Facebook could threaten democracy: former GCHQ chief
Facebook could become a threat to democracy without tougher regulation, the former head of intelligence agency GCHQ has said. Robert Hannigan told the BBC the social media giant was more interested in profiting from user data than “protecting your privacy”.…
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou arrested in Canada
The daughter of the founder of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States. Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer and deputy chair, was arrested in Vancouver on 1 December. Details of…
US, China agree to suspend new trade tariffs
US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed to halt new trade tariffs for 90 days to allow for talks, the US says. The two men met in Buenos Aires after the G20 summit for their…