French workers strike against austerity as Macron faces pressure over budget cuts
Hundreds of thousands of workers, students and pharmacists walked out across France on Thursday in nationwide protests against austerity plans, piling...
Tens of thousands of supporters of arrested former President Rodrigo Duterte flooded the streets of Davao City on his 80th birthday on Friday, calling for his return to the Philippines from International Criminal Court custody.
Duterte was taken by the ICC on March 11 after his arrest in the Philippine capital Manila on murder charges over his drugs crackdown that killed thousands of purported dealers and users.
Despite the festive atmosphere in the city where he was mayor for two decades, there were smaller rallies against him in Manila by groups who say many innocents died. One recent survey showed 51% of Filipinos think Duterte should face justice.
In Davao City, where he had been running for mayor again in a vote next month, many wore shirts with Duterte's image and the words "Bring him home."
"He should not have been treated that way. The way he was arrested was unjust," said Meriam Ranain, 49. "I hope he can come home soon and that he is in good health."
Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, is to face allegations of crimes against humanity for overseeing death squads. He would be the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC.
Duterte has been unapologetic defending his campaign and says he told police to kill only in self-defence. He is expected to ask for provisional release from ICC detention but the court rarely grants such demands.
Dozens of Duterte's supporters also turned up outside his home in Davao, singing, dancing and blowing the candles on a birthday cake.
But in parts of Manila, dozens of activists and relatives of the dead also staged demonstrations demanding justice.
"Families of victims of the so-called war on drugs continue to grieve. There is not a celebration, but another fitting moment for remembrance and protest," the group Rise Up for Life and for Rights said in a statement.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
Hundreds of thousands of workers, students and pharmacists walked out across France on Thursday in nationwide protests against austerity plans, piling pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 18th of September, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Thai police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Cambodian civilians in a disputed border area on Wednesday, authorities in both countries said. It's the most significant escalation since they declared a ceasefire to end a deadly five-day conflict in July.
Cuba has called for the United Nations to stop the United States from starting a war in the region, amid rising tensions due to a military build-up in the Caribbean to counter drug cartels.
Denmark did not invite the U.S. military to take part in Arctic Light 2025, the largest military exercise in Greenland's modern history, as NATO allies step up defence cooperation in the Arctic amid U.S. interest in the island.
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