Timor Leste marks 20 years since historic independence vote

DILI, Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Timor Leste on Friday marks 20 years since a UN-backed vote ended a bloody, decades-long occupation by Indonesian forces and paved the way for it to become an independent nation. On Aug 30, 1999, nearly 80 per cent of East Timorese voted to split from neighbouring…

Beijing refuses to ‘budge’ on South China Sea: Philippines

BEIJING, Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China told visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte that its position on the South China Sea was not up for negotiation, a spokesman for the leader said. China claims most of the contested sea, including waters close to Philippine shores, and has rejected a UN-backed international…

DR Congo: Ebola death toll in east region outbreak climbs above 2,000

GOMA (DR Congo), Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll from Democratic Republic of Congo’s year-long Ebola outbreak has climbed above 2,000, government data showed on Friday, as responders battle to overcome community mistrust and widespread security problems. The government team overseeing the response said the number of confirmed and…

British PM Johnson steps up Brexit talks with EU as he faces legal challenges

LONDON, Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wantsto “step up the tempo” in talks with the European Union to strike a newBrexit deal before the Oct 31 deadline. The comments came ahead of a court ruling Friday that could block Johnson’s suspension of parliament just weeks…

78 more illegal Myanmar migrant workers repatriated from Thailand

YANGON, Aug 30 (NNN-Xinhua) — A total of 78 more illegal Myanmar migrant workers have been sent back to homeland from Thailand, Myanmar’s immigration authorities said on Friday. The illegal migrant workers including six women were handed over by Thailand’s Immigration Department through Kawthoung border gate in southern Tanintharyi region…

Update: Colombia’s FARC political party “sorry” for ex-leaders’ decision to take up arms again

BOGOTA, Aug 30 (NNN-Xinhua) — The leftist political party created by the dismantled Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group on Thursday apologized for some of its rebel leaders’ decision to take up arms again against the state. “We apologize to the country and the international community … They…

Libyan navy rescues over 400 illegal African immigrants

TRIPOLI, Aug 30 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Libyan navy said that more than 400 illegal immigrants were rescued in separate operations off the country’s western coast. “Coast guards patrol rescued 403 illegal immigrants in separate operations during the past few days,” said the navy spokesman Ayob Qassem. The rescue operations took…

Leaders of Hong Kong groups advocating “independence” detained: police

HONG KONG, Aug 30 (NNN-Xinhua) — Two leaders of political groups advocating “Hong Kong’s independence,” Joshua Wong and Chan Ho-tin, have been detained, Hong Kong police confirmed Friday. Wong was arrested at around 7:30 a.m. Friday enroute to the South Horizons MTR station, according to the social network account of…

US Pres Trump cancels Poland visit as hurricane heads for Florida

MIAMI, Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump on Thursdaycanceled a trip to Poland as Hurricane Dorian bore down on Florida, where it could make landfall as a dangerous Category 4 storm. Trump, who had been scheduled to attend World War II anniversarycommemorations in Poland this weekend, said he…

Six countries including US block UN sanctions against Somalia’s Al-Shabaab

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Six UN SecurityCouncil members blocked a move to include Somali groupAl-Shabaab on a list of organizations such as Al-Qaeda that are underinternational sanctions, diplomatic sources said. Several NGOs and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recently stepped in to oppose the…