Cyclone Fani: Powerful storm slams into eastern Indian coast
Cyclone Fani has slammed into India’s eastern coastline, according to the country’s Meteorological Department.
Heavy rain has been reported in the eastern state of Orissa, also called Odisha, which is directly in the path of the storm.
The tourist town of Puri and neighbouring areas are experiencing winds with a speed of 175 km/h (108mph), which may go up to 200 km/h.
Officials say there are no casualties.
However flooding has been reported from several areas, and reports are coming in of trees falling and roofs of buildings being destroyed.
Thailand prepares to crown King Maha Vajiralongkorn amid political tensions
His imposing image stares out from government buildings, bridges, billboards, shops and tuk tuks as Thailand prepares for its first coronation in seven decades.
This weekend, two years after he ascended the throne, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, will finally be officially crowned.
The ceremony, which will last three days, is a historic moment for Thailand. The monarchy is considered the spiritual protector of the people and commands, particularly among older generations, a deity-like reverence. The death of Vajiralongkorn’s father, the widely beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 2018 aged 88, was marked by a national outpouring of sorrowand an official year of mourning.
Sudan demonstrators vow to take protests to Europe and US: ‘This is our last chance’
Protesters in Sudan have vowed to take their rallies to embassies across Europe, as hundreds of thousands marched in Khartoum and other parts of the country to demand the military hand over power to civilians.
Three weeks after president Omar al-Bashir was overthrown, demonstrators gathered across the capital and marched to a main sit-in outside the military headquarters.
A coalition of activists led by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) said Thursday’s self-styled “Million Man March” was held because talks with Sudan’s military council have reached a deadlock.
Reporters Without Borders head: ‘Journalism in Europe has been weakened’
Jamal Khashoggi, Daphne Caruana Galizia, Jan Kuciak: Their murders are among the most serious attacks on press freedom and a symptom of a deep-rooted problem, says Christophe Deloire of Reporters Without Borders.
Almost one person in two in the world does not have access to freely reported news and information. As Europeans, we can count ourselves lucky that we enjoy “this freedom that allows us to verify respect for all the other freedoms.”
In the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), our continent is by far the one where freedom of the press is the most widely observed. But let us not turn a blind eye on the fact that, in recent years, a dam has burst and this cornerstone of our democracy has been seriously damaged.
Seoul says Pyongyang must show ‘action’ to win sanctions relief
South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha said Friday that Pyongyang needs to show “visible, concrete and substantial” denuclearisation action if it wants sanctions relief, as the North’s deadlock with the United States continues.
Kang’s comments at a press conference come just days after a senior North Korean official warned Washington of an “unwanted outcome” if it didn’t adjust its stance on economic sanctions.
Washington and Pyongyang have been at loggerheads since the collapse of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump in February.
Their homes were burned down in racist violence. Then officials told them to flee
Story by Denise Hruby
Photographs by Arno Friebes
When rocks crashed through the windows of their home, the bathroom seemed the safest place to hide. Huddled together, the family of Vasil Velichkow Hristov — including his six young grandchildren — listened as an angry mob chanted threats and racial slurs.
“Come out, Roma, we’ll make soap out of you,” they yelled, according to several people who were nearby at the time.
Once a positive example of integration of the ethnic Roma community in Bulgaria, the northern central city of Gabrovo has been engulfed by racist violence and anti-Roma protests since April 10.