Author: Prima News

A new Chinese law on ethnic unity could ​give Beijing another legal basis to go after Taiwanese it views as separatists given language it ‌contains on protecting China’s sovereignty and security, officials in Taipei say. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, already has laws and regulations against Taiwanese independence supporters, among them guidelines published in 2024 to punish “diehard” activists, including with the death penalty, even though Chinese courts ​have no jurisdiction on the island. The new law, passed by China’s largely rubber-stamp parliament on Thursday, aims to create ​a “shared” national identity among the country’s…

Australian police have recovered two bodies during a search for two Chinese backpackers who went missing in ​a flood-hit region in the country’s east, local ‌media reported on Thursday. The bodies, believed to be those of the missing Chinese tourists, were found inside a car, national broadcaster Australian ​Broadcasting Corp reported, citing police. Police divers and emergency personnel ​were expected to be at the scene in ⁠the Gympie region of Queensland state on Thursday to ​confirm the identities of the bodies, ABC News said. Australian police ​said in a statement that the missing tourists – a 26-year-old man and 23-year-old…

Drone strikes hit Goma in east Congo ​on Wednesday, killing at least three people including a French aid worker, the first ‌such attack in the city since AFC/M23 rebels seized it last year, according to the group and the U.N. The AFC/M23 blamed the attack on the Congolese army, saying in a post on X that Kinshasa had launched drones against a ​densely populated urban area in the lakeside city. A spokesperson for the rebels said in a ​separate post that three people had died, including a foreign humanitarian worker. A senior ⁠official for U.N. children’s agency UNICEF told Reuters…

Shipping company MSC has signed a 45-year concession agreement with ​Nigerian maritime company Nigerdock to develop, operate ‌and maintain a new container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos, the Switzerland-based company said. The ​dedicated MSC terminal would be part of ​the company’s announced $1 billion investment in infrastructure ⁠and logistics in Nigeria. Global shipping companies ​are pushing to secure long-term footholds in emerging ​markets as supply chains are reconfigured worldwide. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is grappling with chronic congestion at Lagos’ ​ports. MSC said the terminal, to be built ​by ITB Nigeria and DEME Group, is expected to be…

The South African rand weakened early on Thursday as escalating Middle East tensions and surging oil prices ​stoked inflation fears and dampened risk appetite ahead of ‌key domestic data. At 0653 GMT the rand traded at 16.5625 against the dollar , roughly down 0.4% from Wednesday’s close. The local currency has been ​under pressure recently, shedding more than 3% last week, ​pressured by rising oil prices that pose a challenge ⁠for South Africa as a net energy importer. Iran said ​the world should brace for $200-a-barrel oil after its forces struck merchant ships ​on Wednesday, while the International Energy Agency urged a…

South ​African retailer ‌Woolworths Holdings (WHLJ.J), opens new tab ​on ​Thursday said ⁠chief ​Roy ​Bagattini will retire ​at ​the end ‌of ⁠September 2026, and ​named ​insider ⁠Sam ​Ngumeni ​as ⁠his successor.

 Explosive-laden Iranian boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member on Wednesday, after projectiles struck four vessels in Gulf waters, said port, maritime ​security and risk firms. The latest attacks on ships linked to the U.S. and Europe mark an escalation in the conflict between Iran and U.S.-Israeli forces, raising the number of ships struck in the region since fighting began ‌to at least 16. Shipping in the Gulf and along the narrow Strait of Hormuz, opens new tab, which carries around a fifth of the world’s oil, has come to a near-standstill since…

China passed a law on a “shared” national identity among the country’s 55 ethnic minority groups ‌on Thursday, a move critics say will further erode the identity of people who are not majority Han Chinese and risk making anyone challenging that “unity” a separatist punishable by law. Called “Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress”, the ethnic minority law aims to forge national unity and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation ​with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at its core, a draft copy of the law showed. It was passed at the closing session of ​the annual meeting of the National People’s…

Israeli strikes battered Beirut’s southern suburbs late on Wednesday, lighting up the skyline with flashes ​of red and setting buildings on fire, after the Lebanese-armed group Hezbollah launched a volley of rockets into northern Israel. Israel launched an offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah after it opened fire on ‌March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader at the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Israeli strikes have killed more than 600 people in Lebanon, and uprooted 800,000 more, Lebanese authorities say. On Wednesday night, Hezbollah said it had launched dozens of rockets into northern Israel as part of a “series…

Security-focused campaign videos by the far-right National Rally candidate shaking up Marseille’s mayoral race have helped die-hard supporter Marie-Helene Martin convince previously reticent ​relatives to vote for him, she said. To rousing music, Franck Allisio promises to triple the number of municipal cops, double the number of security cameras ‌and put a police post in every district to “bring happiness back” to the people of Marseille. Allisio is tied in first-round polls ahead of Sunday’s first round with incumbent Socialist Mayor Benoit Payan, providing the RN party with a once-unthinkable shot at power in France’s second-largest city. Famous for its…