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China dismisses US, EU criticism of new ethnic law as 'malicious smear'

China dismissed US and EU criticism of the country's new law on ethnic unity as a "malicious smear" and interference in its internal affairs on Friday, legislation one senior Taiwanese official likened to an imperial edict given its global sweep. The law, which went into effect on Wednesday, gives Beijing the basis to take action against people outside its borders. China passed the law in March to create a "shared" national identity among the country's 55 ethnic minority groups, which include Tibetans and Uyghurs, some ⁠of whom chafe under Chinese governance and have often staged protests, some of them violent. The law includes a clause saying people and groups beyond the borders of the People's Republic of China can be held legally accountable for undermining "ethnic unity and progress or inciting ethnic separatism." Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said strengthening the rule of law is conducive to better protecti...

El Nino set to be strong, UN warns

El Nino will quickly develop into a strong event between July and September, fuelling the likelihood of extreme weather, the United Nations' weather and climate agency warned Friday. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said El Nino had already set in, and would quickly gain strength, as it warned countries to brace for impact. El Nino is a natural climate phenomenon that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns. It typically takes place every two to seven years and lasts around nine to 12 months. Conditions oscillate between El Nino and its opposite La Nina, with neutral conditions in between. Read: Little climate knowledge is devastating The WMO's monthly Global Seasonal Climate Update points towards "a rapid development into a strong El Nino event during July-September". The UN agency classifies El Nino events as weak, moderate, strong or ...

Syria open to meeting Hezbollah 'if interests require it', says Syrian FM

Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani is in Lebanon and met President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, according to Al Jazeera. The former rebel fighters who now govern Syria fought against Hezbollah for years, as it was deployed there to support former President Bashar al-Assad. It would be the first time the two sides have met. Al-Shaibani said Syria is open to meeting Hezbollah representatives “if interests require ⁠it”, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. His visit comes as Damascus insists it does not want to intervene militarily in Lebanon despite pressure from the United States to do so. President Trump has repeatedly said Syria could “take care of Hezbollah” while criticising Israel’s failure to destroy the Lebanese armed group. Lebanese president says Syrian counterpart pledges 'new chapter' in bilateral ties Lebanese President Joseph Aoun sai...

Israeli Knesset advances bill to ban Muslim call to prayer over loudspeakers

The Knesset approved a bill Wednesday that seeks to ban the broadcasting of the Muslim call to prayer, or adhan, in Israel on loudspeakers, according to media reports. The Israel Hayom newspaper reported that the Knesset approved the bill in its preliminary reading to tighten law enforcement against what it described as “mosque noise.” The bill passed 50 - 36 in the 120-member parliament, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. Introduced by the Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the bill was backed by the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party of right-wing politician Avigdor Lieberman. Rawhi Fattouh, head of the Palestinian National Council, described the move as a "crime" and "legislative terrorism.” Read: French foreign minister welcomes Lebanon-Israel framework agreement in call with Rubio It is “a blatant violation of freedom of worship and belief," Fattouh said in a statement. The bi...

Hope fades, hunger sets in a week after Venezuela quakes

Hope of finding more survivors faded Wednesday as Venezuela marked a week since twin earthquakes killed almost 2,300 people, while many who lived through the disaster were running desperately short on food. As the death toll mounted, Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez declared seven days of mourning, saying the country's "soul is torn apart by the human losses." Tens of thousands of people remain unaccounted for. The majority of collapsed buildings in the hardest-hit city of La Guaira, just north of Caracas, have been marked with the letter 'D' for 'deceased' -- a sign they had been searched with no signs of life found. "Time isn't wasted in a place where there is no expectation of recovering people alive," said Javier Rodes, the coordinator of a Spanish rescue team whose sniffer dog Nala searched in vain through the rubble for traces of life. There have been miracle survivors, such as a three-year-old boy found alive...

China's Xi urges ruling Communist Party to be adaptable, safeguard advances

China's ruling Communist Party must keep pace with changing circumstances while safeguarding the advances it has made, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday during celebrations for its 105th founding anniversary. Xi did not identify specific opportunities or risks, but analysts say slower economic growth and demographic decline pose key challenges for the world's second-largest economy. In a 40-minute speech at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong urged party cadres to actively recognise and adapt to, change, while promoting the party's work. "China's development is currently in a period where strategic opportunities, risks and challenges coexist," said Xi, who called for the party to better coordinate efforts to tackle domestic and international issues. Faced with external challenges from Western-led curbs on technology to turbulent trade ties with the United States and tension over Taiwan, party l...