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HMS Queen Elizabeth, one of the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers, on a sea trial this week. (Photo by the Press Association)  At a time of rising tensions between China and the US, a move likely to anger Beijing. The UK would increase in presence in the waters after it sent four combat aircraft for joint exercises with Japan in the region last year, British Defense Minister Michael Fallon said Thursday. "We hope to send a warship to region next year. We have not finalized exactly where that deployment will take place but we won't be constrained by China from sailing through the South China Sea," Fallon told Reuters. "We flew RAF Typhoons through the South China Sea last October and we will exercise that right whenever we next have the opportunity to do so, whenever we have ships or planes in the region,” he added. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also said Thursday that Britain plans to sail two new aircraft carriers through contested Asian waters. “One...

The Israeli regime will collapse like the apartheid regime in South Africa as oppression will not last long, says a political commentator.  “They (Zionists) are going to ... manage the Gaza and the West Bank exactly like the apartheid [regime] in South Africa and will collapse one day,” John Phoenix said. “It is not going to be long before the collapse [of the Israeli regime], because that’s not going work for a long time,” to commit crime and get away with others’ support, Phoenix told Press TV on Wednesday.   While Palestinians are living in two tiny sections of their historic homeland surrounded by fascist settlers, “there is no room for so-called two states,” the activist said. “There will be no such thing called two states” because Israeli Prime Minister is seeking to put pressure on the Palestinian people and create a so-called Jewish state, "which in fact means a Zionist state," he added. “The Zionist dream is to have a so-called pure Jewish state, which is a ...

Lee Jae-yong (C), the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, arrives to be questioned as a suspect in a corruption scandal at the office of the independent counsel in Seoul, South Korea, February 13, 2017. (Photo by AFP) Samsung Group remains a target for prosecution as the office of South Korea's special prosecutor reiterates that it will seek a warrant for the arrest of the company's chief amid a probe into a corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. The office made the announcement in a statement released on Tuesday, a day after Lee Jae-yong, Samsung's vice chairman and the son of the group's boss, Lee Kun-hee, was questioned for more than 15 hours by the special prosecutor on Monday. The prosecutor is also seeking the arrest of Park Sang-jin, the company's executive, in the graft investigation. "We have filed for an arrest warrant for Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong and President Park Sang-jin today," the statement read....

The Yoruba Initiatives (TYI), a Socio-Cultural and Non-Political group in the South-West has cautioned against the growing agitation to break-up Nigeria. The group said this in a statement issued by its Spokesman; Mr Fola Olamiti on Monday in Abuja. Olamiti stated that the decision was reached at the end of the second meeting of the group held in Ibadan. The group pledged to join other well-meaning groups in the country to canvass for and ensure that Nigeria was restructured. It also called on the Federal Government to consider a timely restructuring of the country as an immediate solution to the increased agitations. “Restructuring will end the multifaceted problems of Nigeria including corruption, inter-ethnic issues, stifled growth of the federation, widespread security challenges and general suspicion. “The idea to restructure Nigeria has been thoroughly debated and agreed to during the last National Conference by all the geo political zones of the country. “This ...

South Africa will introduce a national minimum wage of 3,500 rand ($261) per month in 2018, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday, according to a Reuters report. The announcement follows protracted negotiations between the government and labour unions. Nigeria’s current minimum wage is N18,000 ($60) with organised labour asking it be increased to at least N50,000 ($166), despite several state and local governments defaulting on the existing amount. The Nigerian government has not acceded to labour’s request amidst a biting recession that has crippled Africa’s largest economy. Workers have meanwhile complained the N18,000 is way below a living wage and cannot meet basic needs of workers. Supporters of a South African minimum wage say it can stimulate growth as workers can spend more, and reduce inequality. Critics say it could lead to increased unemployment as employers will be unable to afford higher wage bills. Credit ratings agencies have said agr...

South Korean President Park Geun-hye speaks during an emergency cabinet meeting at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, December 9, 2016. Yonhap/ via REUTERS (Reuters) - Lawyers for South Korean President Park Geun-hye have rejected a plan by a special prosecutor investigating a graft scandal to question her, citing a media leak, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office said on Thursday. The plan was to question Park on Thursday at an undisclosed location, Lee Kyu-chul, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, told a media briefing. But Park's office had notified the prosecutor that it was scrapping an agreement on the questioning, Lee said. "There is no change to the position that a face-to-face questioning of the president is necessary but there has been no decision specifically on the schedule from this point on," he said. Lee said Park's lawyers had notified the prosecutor's office of the decision after a television station said in a ...

Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun arrives at the Seoul Central District court in Seoul, South Korea, January 20, 2017. Yoo Seung-kwan/News1 via REUTERS South Korea's special prosecutor has indicted a former culture minister and a former top aide to President Park Geun-hye on charges of abuse of power, coercion and perjury for their role in drafting a blacklist of dissenting artists, a spokesman said. The indictments are the latest twist in a corruption scandal that has gripped the country for months and led to the impeachment of Park by parliament in December. A Constitutional Court is reviewing the impeachment vote. If it is upheld, Park will have to leave office and a presidential election will be called. Lee Kyu-chul, spokesman for the special prosecutor's office investigating the scandal, told a briefing on Tuesday former culture minister Cho Yoon-sun, and a former presidential chief of staff, Kim Ki-choon, had been indicted. "The special prosecutor's office has...