Israel’s prime minister has said he will press on with his “responsible legal reforms”, despite continuing protests over them. The passing of a new law on Thursday that makes it harder for courts to remove a leader deemed unfit for office has angered many people. It is considered to be in the interests of the incumbent, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption. Hours after the vote, opponents began what they called a “day of paralysis”. Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv and other cities, and blocked major roads. A large Israeli flag and a banner … Continue reading Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vows to continue with legal reforms

A Canadian member of parliament has stepped down from his party’s caucus over allegations he was involved in Chinese political interference. Han Dong has been accused of lobbying a Chinese diplomat to keep two Canadians imprisoned in Beijing. On Wednesday, Mr Dong said that he will leave Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s governing Liberal Party to sit as an independent. Mr Dong has denied the allegations against him. “To all my colleagues in the parliament, media reports today quoting unverified and anonymous sources have attacked my reputation and called into question my loyalty to Canada,” Mr Dong, who was elected to … Continue reading Canada MP Han Dong steps down over Chinese interference claims

Bordeaux town hall has been set on fire as French protests continued over plans to raise the pension age. More than a million people took to the streets across France on Thursday, with 119,000 in Paris, according to figures from the interior ministry. Police fired tear gas at protesters in the capital and 80 people were arrested across the country. The demonstrations were sparked by legislation raising the retirement age by two years to 64. Unions have called for further protests next Tuesday, which would coincide with King Charles III’s state visit to the country. He is scheduled to be … Continue reading The town hall in the French city of Bordeaux set on fire in France pension protests

South Korea police say that Do Kwon, the fugitive cryptocurrency boss behind the $40bn collapse of the terraUSD and Luna tokens, has been arrested in Montenegro. Earlier this year US regulators accused Mr Kwon and his company Terraform Labs of “orchestrating a multi-billion dollar crypto asset securities fraud”. South Korea authorities issued an arrest warrant for Mr Kwon last September as they believed Terraform Labs had violated capital market rules. They had thought he was in Serbia, and even sent officials to Belgrade to negotiate, since the two nations do not have an extradition treaty. Mr Kwon has previously denied he … Continue reading Fugitive crypto boss Do Kwon arrested in Serbia

Honduras denied on Wednesday it had demanded $2.5 billion in aid from Taiwan before its announcement to seek to open relations with China, instead saying the country had repeatedly requested Taiwan buy Honduran public debt. Honduras Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina told Reuters the $2.5 billion figure was “not a donation,” but rather “a negotiated refinancing mechanism.” A source familiar with the situation told Reuters earlier Wednesday Honduras had demanded the funds in aid from Taiwan the day before Honduran President Xiomara Castro tweeted her government would seek to open relations with China. Honduras is one of only 14 countries … Continue reading Honduras denies demanding $2.5 billion in Taiwan aid before China announcement