World

WASHINGTON: The United States slapped sanctions on Turkey on Tuesday (Oct 15) as it demanded an end to its deadly incursion against Syrian Kurdish fighters, accusing its NATO partner of putting civilians at risk and allowing the release of Islamic State extremists.The actions came hours after regime troops returned for the first time in years to parts of northeastern Syria, invited by Kurdish fighters desperate for protection as the United States pulls out.President Donald Trump took extraordinary measures against a country that is officially a US ally as he faces mounting criticism at home, where even usually supportive lawmakers accuse him of abandoning Kurds who had spearheaded the fight against the Islamic State group."I am fully prepared to swiftly destroy Turkey's economy if Turkish leaders continue down this dangerous and destructive path," Trump, who until recently had touted his friendship with Erdogan, said in a statement.The Treasury Department said it was imposing … [Read more...] about US slaps sanctions on Turkey as Syrian regime returns to north

TOKYO: The death toll in the worst typhoon to hit Japan for decades climbed to 58 on Tuesday as rescuers slogged through mud and debris in an increasingly grim search for the missing and as thousands of homes remained without power or water.The storm hit a wide swathe of central and eastern Japan, with 15 missing and some 211 injured nearly three days after Typhoon Hagibis - whose name means "speed" in the Philippine language Tagalog - lashed Japan with high winds and intense rains, NHK national broadcaster said. Some 138,000 households were without water while 24,000 lacked electricity, a far cry from the hundreds of thousands without power just after the storm but cause for concern in northern areas where the weather was starting to turn chilly. The highest toll was in Fukushima prefecture north of Tokyo, where levees burst in at least 14 places along the Abukuma River, which meanders through a number of cities in the agricultural prefecture. At least 18 died in Fukushima, including … [Read more...] about Japan typhoon death toll rises to 58 as hopes for missing fade

WASHINGTON: A white policeman who shot dead a black Texas woman as she played video games at home with her young nephew has resigned and faces criminal charges, police said Monday (Oct 14). Aaron Dean gunned down 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson from outside her Fort Worth property in the early hours of Saturday as she approached a window to investigate noises outside.The incident, less than two weeks after a white policewoman was jailed for killing a black man in his apartment in nearby Dallas, has sparked a wave of anger in the US, where so-called blue-on-black violence fueled the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement."We are all heartbroken today. Atatiana was a beautiful, smart, amazing young woman by all accounts, who was unjustly taken from her family," Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price told a news conference.She said an independent panel of experts would review the incident, adding: "As a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an aunt, I can't imagine anything worse and I'm so … [Read more...] about Police shooting of black Texas woman in her home fuels anger

Protesters celebrate as they leave in Quito after Ecuador's president and indigenous leaders reached an agreement to end violent protests QUITO - Ecuador began counting the cost Monday of 12 days of indigenous fury against fuel hikes that left seven protesters dead and severely dented President Lenin Moreno's austerity program.Moreno and indigenous leaders reached an agreement Sunday after the president pledged to withdraw subsidy cuts, known as Decree 883, that had more than doubled fuel prices.The cuts were part of an austerity package to obtain a $4.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to shore up the oil exporter's brittle economy.Moreno said on Twitter that the original plan would be replaced by new measures that "contain mechanisms to focus resources on those who need them most."Under the deal, indigenous umbrella group CONAIE called off protests that brought a week of chaos to the capital and forced Moreno to relocate his government hundreds of miles … [Read more...] about Ecuador counts cost of deadly protests after deal

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday (Oct 14) authorised sanctions on Turkey's leaders, reimposed steel tariffs and ended trade negotiations to protest Ankara's offensive into Syria."I am fully prepared to swiftly destroy Turkey's economy if Turkish leaders continue down this dangerous and destructive path," Trump said in a statement.The president said he had issued an executive order to allow sanctions on sitting and former Turkish officials - although he has apparently not yet imposed them - and was immediately ending talks on a US-Turkey trade deal.He said he was reimposing 50 per cent tariffs on Turkish steel - one of a series of measures used last year to win the release of a detained US pastor which contributed to a plunge in the value of the country's lira currency.In May, Trump reduced tariffs back to 25 per cent - in line with levels the protectionist-minded president has imposed on other trading partners including the European Union.Trump … [Read more...] about Trump authorises sanctions, slaps steel tariffs on Turkey