LIBREVILLE: Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba is undergoing “routine medical checks” in London during a family trip, the presidency said on Monday, denying his health was deteriorating nearly a year after he suffered a stroke. Bongo’s state of health has been the subject of fierce speculation, as the Gabonese leader
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday named the head of its sovereign wealth fund as chairman of oil giant Aramco, replacing Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih as the state-owned company prepares for a much-anticipated initial public offering (IPO). “I congratulate… Yasir al-Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund, on his appointment as
BANGKOK: The burnt bones of a community activist who disappeared in Thailand more than five years ago were found under water in a national park, investigators said yesterday, confirming his death for the first time. Rights groups say 30 human rights activists have disappeared or been murdered in Thailand since
SEOUL: China reasserted its backing for North Korea yesterday as its foreign minister visited Pyongyang, vowing to maintain “close communication” with its longstanding ally in the face of deadlocked nuclear talks with Washington. Beijing has long been North Korea’s key diplomatic backer and main provider of trade and aid, and
GUATEMALA CITY: Guatemala’s former first lady Sandra Torres, defeated in last month’s presidential election, was arrested Monday as part of a corruption probe dating back to 2015, prosecutors said. Torres, 63, was taken into custody at her residence in an exclusive suburb of Guatemala City, prosecution spokeswoman Julia Barrera told
CUERNAVACA: Gunmen attacked a bus station in Mexico Monday, killing five people and wounding one in Cuernavaca, a picturesque colonial city popular with tourists, authorities said. The security commission for the state of Morelos, of which Cuernavaca is the capital, said the gunmen staged a “targeted” attack, seeking out specific
NEW YORK: Swiss 13th seed Belinda Bencic stunned top-ranked defending champion Naomi Osaka on Monday to reach a US Open quarter-final against Donna Vekic, who rescued a match point to advance. Bencic’s 7-5, 6-4 triumph, her WTA-best sixth over a top-five foe this year, ensured 21-year-old Japanese star Osaka will
TEHRAN: Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani yesterday ruled out holding any bilateral talks with the United States, saying the Islamic republic is opposed to such negotiations in principle. In an address to parliament, Rouhani also said Iran was ready to further reduce its commitments to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal “in
SEOUL: A would-be justice minister in South Korea facing allegations of hypocrisy and favouritism involving his family has held a marathon 11-hour press conference in a bid to salvage his sinking reputation and nomination. A liberal darling with an impeccable resume, law professor Cho Kuk was named last month by
BEIJING: Eight schoolchildren have died and two others were injured in a “schoolrelated criminal case” in central China, with a 40-yearold suspect arrested, local authorities said yesterday, the latest attack targeting an educational institution in the country. The man was detained by police on the spot following Monday’s incident in
