WORLD

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Thousands of Israelis on Saturday held a demonstration in Tel Aviv for the fourth week running calling for the resignation of the “corrupt” government and its head. In Jerusalem, hundreds also took part in a rally against graft headed by a rightwing former member of Prime …

Davao, Philippines | AFP | At least 37 people, including call centre staff from an American firm, are believed to have perished in a fire that tore through a shopping mall in the southern Philippine city of Davao, local authorities said on Sunday. President Rodrigo Duterte, himself a Davao native, …

Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories | AFP | Preparations were under way in Bethlehem on Sunday for Christmas, with tensions still simmering in the city and the region following Washington’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The controversial December 6 announcement by President Donald Trump unleashed demonstrations and clashes, including in …

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Tens of thousands have been forced from their homes by a tropical storm that battered the southern Philippines leaving at least 182 dead, police and aid agencies said Sunday. Tropical Storm Tembin, which triggered flash floods and mudslides as it lashed the nation’s second-largest island …

Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump again took aim Saturday at deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe, saying he was “racing the clock to retire,” as US media reported McCabe plans to step down. “FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits,” …

Beijing, China | AFP | British toy retailer Hamleys opened its largest store in the world in Beijing on Saturday, just two days before Christmas as debate played out over whether the holiday should be banned in the Communist country. Christmas elves, a teddy bear parade and a curiously slender …

Beijing, China | AFP | At least 10,000 people were killed in the Chinese army’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in June 1989, according to a newly released British diplomatic cable that recounts the bloodshed in gruesome detail. The document, made public more than 28 years after …

Washington, United States | AFP | A female singer has accused a former campaign manager for President Donald Trump of repeatedly slapping her behind during a party at Washington’s Trump International Hotel in November, according to US website Politico. Joy Villa — a Trump supporter who wore a “Make America …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Record crowds flocked to Japan’s Imperial Palace on Saturday to celebrate the 84th birthday of Emperor Akihito as he prepares to abdicate in April 2019. Around 45,900 people — the biggest birthday crowd of the emperor’s three-decade reign — thronged the palace for his address, according …

Washington, United States | AFP | US Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday ordered an investigation into allegations that the Obama administration undermined efforts to target Hezbollah drug trafficking. The announcement comes after Politico reported that Project Cassandra, a program targeting trafficking by Iran-backed Hezbollah that could have undermined the push …