Aug 17 House speaker as U.S. emissary: Pelosi emerges as force abroad By Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is emerging as an alternative ambassador abroad, an emissary for bedrock democratic values and the promise of stability that some see as diminishing in the Trump era. Continue reading
Aug 17 Indian authorities begin easing clampdown in Kashmir By Ashok Sharma, Associated Press Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir began restoring landline phone services on Saturday after a nearly two-week security crackdown and news blackout following a decision by India's government to downgrade the Muslim-majority region's autonomy. Continue reading
Aug 17 Italy’s Salvini agrees to let 27 minors off migrant ship By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Italy's hard-line interior minister buckled under pressure Saturday and agreed to let 27 unaccompanied minors leave a migrant ship after two weeks at sea, temporarily easing a political standoff that has threatened the viability of the populist government. Continue reading
Aug 17 Iranian tanker to leave Gibraltar soon despite US pressure By Aritz Parra, Hernan Muñoz, Associated Press The shipping agent for an Iranian supertanker caught in a diplomatic standoff says the vessel is ready to depart Gibraltar on Sunday or Monday, as the U.S. made a last-minute effort to seize it again. Continue reading
Aug 17 Sudanese protesters sign final power-sharing deal with army By Samy Magdy, Associated Press Sudan's pro-democracy movement signed a final power-sharing agreement with the ruling military council on Saturday at a ceremony in the capital, Khartoum. Continue reading
Aug 17 Hong Kong’s divide: Protests for democracy, rally for China By Yanan Wang, Kelvin Chan, Associated Press Pro-democracy protesters marched on one side of Hong Kong’s famous harbor on Saturday to demand the government heed their demands. Across the water, a pro-government rally called for an end to the often violent protests. Continue reading
Aug 16 Kim Jong Un expresses ‘great satisfaction’ over recent weapons tests By Kim Tong-Hyung, Associated Press North Korea on Saturday said leader Kim Jong Un supervised another test-firing of an unspecified new weapon that extended a streak of weapons demonstrations seen as an attempt to pressure Washington and Seoul over slow nuclear negotiations and their joint… Continue reading
Aug 16 Watch 7:31 News Wrap: Hong Kong braces for weekend of demonstrations In our news wrap Friday, pro-democracy demonstrations resumed in Hong Kong, amid suspicion China could send in paramilitary forces to counter them. Hong Kong police insisted they would maintain control as thousands of students rallied against Beijing’s rule. Meanwhile, in… Continue watching
Aug 16 Watch 7:10 How people of Kashmir are reacting to India’s crackdown Nearly 4 million people in Kashmir have been confined to their homes in a total communications blackout since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stripped the primarily Muslim state of its semi-autonomous status 13 days ago. Amna Nawaz reports and talks… Continue watching
Aug 16 Chinese police exercises near Hong Kong build tension By Dake Kang, Yves Dam Van, Associated Press Members of China's paramilitary People's Armed Police marched and practiced crowd control tactics at a sports complex in Shenzhen across from Hong Kong on Friday, in what some interpreted as a threat against pro-democracy protesters in the semiautonomous territory. Continue reading