UK set to formally apply for trans-Pacific trade bloc membership
Britain will next week formally apply to join a trans-Pacific trading bloc of 11 countries, with negotiations set to start later this year, the government has said.
Australia
China authorizes coastguard to fire on foreign vessels in disputed waters of East China and South China Seas
China has passed a law that for the first time explicitly allows its coastguard to fire on foreign vessels, a move that could make the contested waters around China even more volatile.
Israel announces highest budget deficit in its history
Israel’s Accountant General announced Monday that the country’s budget deficit for 2020 was $50.4 billion, the highest it has ever been and three times higher than it was in 2019, Ynet News reports. The record figure was largely anticipated in light of the economic devastation wrought during the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO Concerned About New COVID Variant
In a controversial move, the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to do more to curb the new COVID-19 variant. The WHO has expressed concern about the rapidly spreading mutation new of the novel coronavirus.
British Court Halts U.S. Extradition Of Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange
A British court says the founder of whistleblower news site Wikileaks, Julian Assange, cannot be extradited to the United States where he is wanted for revealing state secrets. The London judge cited concerns over Assange’s mental health and risk of suicide.
Europe Countries Ban British Flights Over New Corona Strain
Authorities in several European countries banned flights from Britain on Sunday amid mounting fears over an infectious new strain of COVID-19.
China infiltrates Western embassies, defense contractors and drug makers with communist operators
A leaked database of nearly 2 million Communist Party members has revealed the lengths to which China’s leaders have gone to place operatives in strategic positions in government and business around the world.
Indonesia Detains Islamic Leaders Amid Rising Extremism
Indonesian security forces have detained hardline Islamic leaders with suspected links to terrorism amid concerns among Christians about growing Islamic extremism.
Leak: ‘China Communists Infiltrate Governments, Companies Worldwide’
A significant leak shows that at least nearly two million Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members work worldwide, including US government agencies and the biggest companies, Australian media reported Sunday.
Vaccination to Be a ‘Necessity’ for Overseas Travel, Qantas Says
Qantas Airways Ltd. plans to require future international passengers to have a Covid-19 vaccination before they fly, and said it’s likely to become a requirement at airlines across the world.
China is building more secret detention centers in Xinjiang, think tank says
China’s network of detention centers in Xinjiang, where Muslim minorities are allegedly being subjected to acts of repression, appears to be expanding — and a greater number of the facilities are resembling prisons, an Australian think tank says.
Pastor threatened for sharing his view on homosexuality is told by police he should not offend the LGBT community
A British pastor who received threats of violence from LGBT supporters, including a threat to burn down his church, was recently told by local police that he could be breaking the law by expressing his view of homosexuality on social media, CBN News reported on September 8. Pastor Josh Williamson of Newquay Baptist Church in Cornwall, southern England, was advised by police that he should keep his views to a “safe environment” and not offend the LGBT community.
EU Accuses Britain Of Torpedoing Brexit Deal
European Union leaders have accused Britain of throwing political grenades across the channel by threatening to undermine its divorce deal with the EU. The so-called Brexit Withdrawal Agreement was signed last year to allow Britain’s orderly exit from the bloc.
Australian study finds honey bee venom can destroy breast cancer
A pioneering new study in Australia has shown that breast cancer cells can be quickly destroyed by the venom of honey bees, Study Finds reports. Dr. Ciara Duffy from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Western Australia has published a study in which she reports that honey bee venom not only destroys several kinds of breast cancer but also blocks the ability of cancerous cells to reproduce.
Pompeo warns of potential restriction of Chinese TikTok app; US users may be ceding info to ‘Chinese Communists’
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday the Trump administration is considering restricting United States’ users’ access to the Chinese social media application TikTok over concerns it is potentially being used by the Beijing government as a means to surveil and propagandize people.
UK to Begin Free Trade Deal Negotiations with Australia and New Zealand
The UK is set to begin negotiations on post-Brexit free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand, the Guardian reported Wednesday.
Christian Boy Hacked To Death in India
Suspected Hindu nationalists hacked to death a Christian teenage boy in eastern India amid efforts to eradicate devoted Christians from the area, Worthy News learned Wednesday.
Europe’s Antiracism Protests Clouded By Violence
Protests, sometimes marred by violence, continue in Europe and elsewhere against perceived racist police brutality following the recent death of the unarmed black man George Floyd in U.S. police custody. The London police chief on Sunday condemned assaults the previous day against police in which at least fourteen police were reportedly injured.
PLO Says It Will Continue Payments to Terrorists
The Palestinian Authority announced Monday it will continue paying monthly salaries to terrorists in prison, WND reports. In violation of recent Israeli law, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) said the salaries would continue to be paid through local banks in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).
Tear Gas And Prayers Amid Global Outrage Over U.S. Police Death
Global outrage over the unarmed black man who died in U.S. police custody last week spread to the streets of Paris Tuesday where protesters clashed with riot police.