KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) -- A Vietnamese woman who had been accused of assassinating the North Korean leader's half-brother was freed from prison Friday, ending legal proceedings over the brazen killing after an often bizarre two-year saga.Kim Jong Nam, the estranged relative of Kim Jong Un and once seen as the heir apparent to the North's leadership, died in agony after having his face smeared with a banned nerve agent as he waited at Kuala Lumpur airport in February, 2017. The sensational killing ma

TOKYO (AFP) -- Emperor Akihito of Japan formally stepped down Tuesday, the first abdication for 200 years in the world's oldest monarchy, as his son Naruhito prepared to take the Chrysanthemum Throne and usher in a new imperial era.In the "Room of Pine" in Tokyo's Imperial Palace, the popular 85-year-old performed the abdication ritual in the presence of the imperial regalia -- an ancient sword and sacred jewel that are considered to legitimise an emperor.In his final speech, Akihito offered his

Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un met face-to-face for the first time on Thursday, vowing to seek closer ties as they look to counter US influence.The summit in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok comes with Kim locked in a nuclear stand-off with Washington and Putin keen to put Moscow forward as a player in another global flashpoint.(REUTERS)The two leaders shook hands and shared smiles as they met and gave brief statements before heading in for the talks, held at a uni

More than 50 people are feared killed after a landslide in northern Myanmar engulfed jade miners while they were sleeping, local police said Tuesday, the latest deadly accident in a notoriously dangerous industry.Three bodies had been pulled from the debris, Tin Soe, a lawmaker representing the jade-rich Hpakant area of Kachin state in the north, said.Deadly landslides and other accidents are common in the poorly regulated mines of Hpakant. Local people look around a jade mine where the mud dam

SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea will this week celebrate the first anniversary of a landmark summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un -- but Pyongyang may not take part, Seoul said Monday.　The pair held their first meeting on April 27 last year in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula amid a rapid diplomatic thaw, paving the way for a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June. (Yonhap)　But one year later, little progress has

At least 290 are now known to have died in a series of bomb blasts that tore through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, in the worst violence to hit the island since its devastating civil war ended a decade ago.Eight apparently co-ordinated explosions targeted Easter worshippers and high end hotels popular with international guests.The horrific death toll, which has risen dramatically overnight, was given on Monday morning by a police spokesman, who said a further 500 people had been wound

PARIS -- The remaining paintings inside the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris are to be removed on Friday and stored, with fire service officials now satisfied the damaged structure is safe enough to go inside.Firemen and engineering experts have been working on the fragile landmark since a devastating blaze on Monday night, erecting scaffolding and other wooden supports to stop any of the stonework collapsing."The paintings inside the cathedral have been saved from the flames and can now be taken d

TAIPEI (AFP) -- A 6.1-magnitude earthquake jolted Taiwan on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, shaking buildings and disrupting traffic.In the capital Taipei, highrises swayed while some panicked schoolchildren fled their classrooms in eastern Yilan county, according to reports.The quake was felt across the island and a highway connecting Yilan and Hualien was shut down due to falling rocks, authorities said.An official at the Hualien county fire department told AFP that two people, includ

French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss the fire that ravaged the famed Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris with Pope Francis in telephone talks later Tuesday, his office said."The president has already had several national and international calls this morning," including with US President Donald Trump, German Chancelor Angela Merkel and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the presidency said. (AFP) French President Emmanuel Macron speaks as Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Archbishop of P

SINGAPORE, April  16, 2019 (AFP) - A YouTube fact-check feature which is meant to tackle misinformation accidentally tagged live broadcasts of a fire engulfing Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris with details about the 9/11 terror attacks.The blaze erupted in the UNESCO world heritage landmark in the French capital Monday, sending its spire and roof crashing to the ground as flames and clouds of smoke billowed into the sky.The fire, which at one point threatened the entire edifice, was extinguished Tu

The raging fire that tore through Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris was under control early Tuesday after the blaze brought its towering spire and roof crashing to the ground, wiping out centuries of priceless heritage central to French culture and history. French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the cathedral described as the soul of the nation and expressed relief that "the worst had been avoided" in a blaze that had at one point threatened the entire edifice.French President Emm

In a major archaeological discovery, Egypt on Saturday unveiled the tomb of a Fifth Dynasty official adorned with colourful reliefs and well preserved inscriptions.The tomb, near Saqqara, a vast necropolis south of Cairo, belongs to a senior official named Khuwy who is believed to have been a nobleman during the Fifth Dynasty, which ruled over Egypt about 4300 years ago.  Archaelogists inside the newly discovered tomb of Khuwy, who is believed to have been a nobleman during the Fifth Dynasty, wh

KUALA LUMPUR -- A Vietnamese woman accused of killing the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will walk free on May 3, her lawyer said Saturday.Following diplomatic pressure from the Vietnamese government, Malaysian prosecutors had dropped the murder charge against Doan Thi Huong on April 1.Subsequently, the 30-year-old former hair salon worker pleaded guilty to "causing injury" and was handed a three year and four month jail term effective from the date of her arrest in February 201

JPMorgan Chase reported higher first-quarter profits Friday, pointing to a still-solid US economy reflected in more lending and better profit margins on loans.Earnings at the biggest US bank by assets were $9.2 billion, up 5.4 percent from the year-ago period.Revenues were $29.9 billion, up 4.7 percent.Shares rose following the results, which topped analyst expectations.A strong performance in the consumer and community banking division -- the biggest segment by revenues -- was the driver of hig

A Japanese court on Friday ruled that Carlos Ghosn will remain in detention until April 22, as prosecutors grill the former Nissan boss over allegations of financial misconduct.His lawyers immediately appealed the decision and have already asked the Supreme Court to intervene in his detention.But unless the appeals succeed, the 65-year-old will be held in custody at a detention centre in Tokyo until April 22, whereupon authorities will either have to press formal charges, release him or re-arres

HONG KONG, April  8, 2019 (AFP) - Three leading Hong Kong democracy campaigners will find out if they face jail Tuesday for their involvement in mass rallies, with their trial sparking renewed alarm over shrinking political freedoms under an assertive China.They are among nine activists facing rarely used colonial-era public nuisance charges for their participation in the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests calling for free elections for the city's leader.The charges carry steep jail terms of up to

BRUSSELS (AFP) -- EU leader Jean-Claude Juncker vowed Wednesday to work until the last moment to prevent a "no deal" Brexit, but admitted this now appears to be a likely result. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (left) (AFP-Yonhap)Addressing the European Parliament after Prime Minister Theresa May asked for a short postponement, Juncker said Britain remains on course for Brexit next week."I will do everything to avoid the United Kingdom's disorderly departure," Juncker said, warn

AUGUSTA, United States, April  3, 2019 (AFP) - Augusta National Golf Club, an all-male enclave from its 1933 formation until 2012, will crown a historic first woman as a tournament champion on Saturday ahead of next week's 83rd Masters.The inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur will conclude with 30 players driving down fabled Magnolia Lane and competing over the legendary 18-hole layout.Two earlier rounds at nearby Champions Retreat were set to get underway on Wednesday, a global field of 7

VATICAN CITY -- Internet-based “fake news” is fomenting prejudice and hatred, Pope Francis said on Tuesday, warning our culture “has lost its sense of truth and bends the facts to suit particular interests.”He issued the stark warning in a letter to young people around the world following last October‘s youth-themed bishops’ synod.Pope Francis (AP-Yonhap)“There are huge economic interests operating in the digital world, capable of exercising forms of control as subtle as they are invasive, creat

GENEVA -- Global trade growth is expected to be lower in 2019 than it was last year, the World Trade Organization forecast on Tuesday, citing widespread “tensions” and economic uncertainty. The WTO had in its preliminary estimates predicted a 3.7 percent expansion of trade for this year, but has revised that down to 2.6 percent, marking a decline on the three-percent growth recorded in 2018. “The fact that we don‘t have great news today should surprise no one who has