WORLD

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday called a snap election, seeking a fresh term at the helm of the world’s third-largest economy as tensions with nearby North Korea reach fever-pitch. Abe hopes to capitalise on a weak and fractured opposition to sweep back into power, …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  An activist with a London-based rights group was convicted of a terrorism offence on Monday for refusing to divulge the passwords for his phone and laptop computer to the police. Muhammad Rabbani, international director at the Cage advocacy group, was stopped for questioning at …

New York, United States | AFP |  North Korea’s foreign minister on Monday accused US President Donald Trump of declaring war against his country and said Pyongyang was ready to defend itself by shooting down US bombers. The White House dismissed the claim as “absurd”. The latest threats stoked a …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP |  LeBron James said Monday he did not regret branding President Donald Trump a “bum”, accusing the US leader of dividing the nation in his feud with the sports world. NBA star James had taken aim at Trump on Twitter on Saturday after the …

Brighton, United Kingdom | AFP | The BBC’s political editor is attending the main opposition Labour Party’s annual conference with a bodyguard after being accused of bias for the governing Conservatives, The Times newspaper reported Monday. Laura Kuenssberg was seen at the conference in Brighton accompanied by a shaven-headed man identified …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | The nationalist Alternative for Germany was hit by party infighting Monday, just hours after winning its first seats in parliament, with its co-chief Frauke Petry declaring that she won’t join its Bundestag group. Citing “dissent” with more hardline colleagues, Petry dropped her bombshell at a morning …

Beijing, China | AFP | The visiting US commerce secretary told China’s premier on Monday that the warm reception he received in Beijing “augurs very well” for Donald Trump’s upcoming visit, amid tensions over trade and North Korea. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross met with Premier Li Keqiang at the headquarters of …

Caracas, Venezuela | AFP |  Venezuela accused the United States on Monday of “psychological terrorism” designed to bring down the government after it was included in a list of eight countries targeted by a travel ban. “These types of lists….are incompatible with international law and constitute in themselves a form …

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | AFP | An Egyptian believed to be the world’s heaviest woman died Monday morning of heart and kidney failure at an Abu Dhabi hospital. A team of more than 20 doctors had been caring for Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty since her arrival at Burjeel …

New Delhi, India | AFP | US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday it would be “shocking” irresponsibility for North Korea to carry out its threat to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific. The new comments, made while Mattis headed for India, followed a shrill war of words between the …