BEIJING – Usain Bolt is “sad” the focus is on doping ahead of the World Championships in Beijing but says he cannot save the sport’s reputation on his own. Bolt, who has never failed a drugs test, will race against American Justin Gatlin, who has served two suspensions for using banned substances. Jamaican sprinter Bolt,…
BANGKOK – The bomb attack that killed 20 people at Bangkok’s Erawan shrine on Monday was carried out by a “network”, Thailand’s chief of police has said. Police have released a sketch of the main suspect, a man in a yellow T-shirt who was filmed by security cameras leaving a backpack at the shrine. Police…
HAVANA – Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has published an open letter to the nation in which he makes no mention of the historic reopening of the US embassy. Mr Castro instead criticises American foreign and economic policies since World War Two and accuses the US of owing Cuba millions of dollars. The letter was…
TIANJIN – The massive explosions in China’s northern city of Tianjin are now known to have killed at least 50 people. More than 700 have been injured and hospitals are struggling to cope with the number of casualties. The blasts, at a warehouse storing toxic chemicals, destroyed tower blocks and burned out thousands of cars….
BEIJING – China’s Central Bank has again cut the guiding rate for the national currency, the yuan, a day after Tuesday’s record 1.9% devaluation. The move sent fresh shockwaves through Asian markets, but the bank has sought to calm fears, saying it was not the start of a sustained depreciation. The yuan fell another 1%…
SEOUL – South Korea’s government says it is monitoring reports that North Korea’s vice-premier Choe Yong-gon was killed in May on the orders of Kim Jong-un. Mr Choe was executed after he “expressed discomfort against the young leader’s forestation policy”, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reports. Close to 70 officials have been killed under Kim…
NEW YORK – Donald Trump continued to dominate the Republican race for US president by causing further controversies in the first debate. The tycoon’s refusal to rule out a third-party run drew boos from the audience on Thursday night. And he stood by offensive comments he has made in the past about women. The 10…
MOSCOW – The sight of vast amounts of banned foreign food being bulldozed, buried or burned is causing controversy in Russia. Tens of thousands of people have joined a protest petition to President Vladimir Putin. For the past year, Russia has banned most fresh produce from countries imposing economic sanctions against Russia over the illegal…
TRIPOLI – Rescuers are searching for hundreds of migrants in the Mediterranean after the boat they were on capsized off Libya. Some reports suggest as many as 700 people were on board the overcrowded vessel when it came into difficulty. The Irish navy said it feared “a significant loss of life” and Medecins Sans Frontieres…
KUALA LUMPUR – A blue “plane seat” washed up on the same tiny island where wreckage thought to be a part of the wing from flight MH370 was found, it has been claimed. Nicolas Ferrier reportedly said he was on his daily patrol of La Reunion picking up debris from the beach, when he spotted…
