World News - The Morning Sun

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor, second right, walks with Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, second left, after the election for the next Malaysian king at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. Malaysia's royal families have elected the powerful and wealthy ruler of southern Johor state as the country's new king under a unique rotating monarchy system, the palace said Friday. Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, 64, will ascend to the throne on Jan. 31 for a five-year term. the palace said in a statement. (Mohd Rasfan/Pool Photo via AP)

Malaysia picks powerful ruler of Johor state as country's new king under rotation system

Malaysia’s royal families have elected the powerful and wealthy ruler of southern Johor state as the country’s new king under a unique rotating monarchy system. The palace said Friday that the … more

10/27/23

FILE - Activists from the LGBTQ community and their supporters commiserate after a ruling by the High Court upheld sections of the penal code that criminalize same-sex relations in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 24, 2019. Law enforcement authorities in Nigeria are using the country’s same-sex prohibition law to target the LGBTQ+ community while ignoring abuses against them, rights groups and lawyers say, in the wake of fresh mass arrests of gay people. Nigeria is one of more than30 countries in Africa where where homosexuality is criminalized. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

Mass arrests target LGBTQ+ people in Nigeria while abuses against them are ignored, activists say

Rights groups and lawyers in Nigeria say the West African nation's law enforcement authorities are using the country’s same-sex prohibition law to target the LGBTQ+ community while ignoring abuses … more

By CHINEDU ASADU | 10/27/23

FILE - Soviet leader Josef Stalin raises his right hand in salute while reviewing a May Day Parade in Red Square in Moscow, on May 1, 1946. Abortions were banned under Stalin but became commonplace under later Kremlin leaders. Under President Vladimir Putin, who has forged a has forged a powerful alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church, now promotes "traditional values" and seeks to boost population growth, officials are considering restricting access to abortion once again. (AP Photo, File)

From Stalin to Putin, abortion has had a complicated history in Russia

Abortion has had a complicated history in the Soviet Union and Russia. It was outlawed under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin but legalized and commonplace under later Kremlin leaders. Now, after less … more

By DASHA LITVINOVA | 10/27/23

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a midnight Mass on Russian Orthodox Christmas in the village of Turginovo, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) northwest of Turginovo, Russia on Jan. 7, 2016. As Putin has formed a closer alliance with the Orthodox Church, the country has embraced what officials call “traditional values,” and Russia has sought to put more restrictions on abortion. Russia’s health minister has condemned women for prioritizing careers over childbearing. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

Abortion restrictions in Russia spark outrage as the country takes a conservative turn

Recent proposals by authorities to restrict access to abortion have touched a nerve across Russia, which has embraced increasingly conservative values. While abortion is still legal and widely … more

By DASHA LITVINOVA | 10/27/23

South Korean army K-9 self-propelled howitzers and K-55A1 self-propelled howitzers fire during the military drills at a training field in Cheorwon, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (Yang Ji-woong/Yonhap via AP)

South Korean and US forces stage drills for reaction to possible 'Hamas-style' attack by North Korea

South Korean and U.S. troops have been conducting live-fire exercises to hone their ability to respond to potential “Hamas-style surprise artillery attacks” by North Korea. South Korea's military … more

10/27/23

Two women pass by a poster in the backdrop showing an image of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of modern Turkey, in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. The Turkish Republic, founded from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire by the national independence hero Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, turns 100 on Oct. 29. Ataturk established a Western-facing secular republic modeled on the great powers of the time, ushering in radical reforms that abolished the caliphate, replaced the Arabic script with the Roman alphabet, gave women the vote and adopted European laws and codes. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

As the Turkish Republic turns 100, here's a look at its achievements and challenges ahead

The Turkish Republic, founded from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire by the national independence hero Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, turns 100 on Oct. 29. Ataturk established a Western-facing secular republic … more

By CINAR KIPER and SUZAN FRASER | 10/27/23

FILE - A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber flies during the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition 2023 at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, South Korea, on Oct. 17, 2023. A Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of an American B-52 bomber flying over the South China Sea and came close to causing an accident, the U.S. military said, underscoring the potential for a mishap as both countries vie for influence in the region. (Kim In-chul/Yonhap via AP, File)

US military says Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of B-52 bomber over South China Sea

A Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of an American B-52 bomber flying over the South China Sea, nearly causing an accident, the U.S. military says, underscoring the potential for a mishap as … more

By DAVID RISING | 10/27/23

A security guard stands watch at the Shangri-La Key Boarding School during a media-organized tour in Dabpa county, Kardze Prefecture, Sichuan province, China on Sept. 5, 2023. Village schools have been shuttered across China's Tibet and replaced with centralized boarding schools that critics say represents forced assimilation. Activists estimate 1 million Tibetan children study at such boarding school. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China shows off a Tibetan boarding school that's part of a system some see as forced assimilation

Village schools have been shuttered across China's Tibet and replaced with centralized boarding schools that critics say represents forced assimilation. Activists estimate 1 million Tibetan children … more

By KEN MORITSUGU | 10/26/23

European Council President Charles Michel speaks with the media as he arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. European Union leaders gather Thursday for a two day meeting to discuss, among other issues, Ukraine and the impact of the war between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

European Union leaders seek aid access to Gaza and weigh the plight of EU citizens there

European Union leaders are grappling with ways to use their combined leverage to ensure that more aid reaches Palestinians in need in Gaza. At a summit Thursday, they also worked on helping EU … more

By LORNE COOK | 10/26/23

Mourners attend the funeral of the Israeli man Sagiv Ben Svi, killed by Hamas militants while attending a music festival, at a cemetery in Holon, central Israel, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. More than 1,400 people were killed and over 200 taken captive in an multi-front attack by the militant group that rules Gaza on Oct. 7.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Palestinians plead 'stop the bombs' at UN meeting but Israel insists Hamas must be 'obliterated'

“Stop the bombs and save lives!” the Palestinian ambassador pleaded at an emotional U.N. meeting on the war in Gaza. But Israel’s envoy was adamant, declaring again, “We will not rest until … more

By EDITH M. LEDERER | 10/26/23

FILE - Mourners pray by the bodies of Salem Abu Quta family members, a Hamas fighter, during a funeral after they were killed in an Israeli strike on their house in Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. As the fifth Israel-Hamas war rages, growing more deadly and devastating, international and local monitoring groups in besieged Gaza have been unable to keep up. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali, File)

EXPLAINER: What is Gaza's Ministry of Health and how does it calculate the war's death toll?

As the Israel-Hamas war rages, international and local monitoring groups in Gaza have been unable to keep up. The only source reporting how many people have been killed in Hamas-ruled Gaza is the … more

By ISABEL DEBRE | 10/26/23

FILE - Protestor Salwan Momika outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, Thursday, July 20, 2023. Sweden has reportedly withdrawn the residence permit of an Iraqi man who staged a series of public desecrations of the Quran this year but has stayed his deportation, saying his life would be in danger if he were returned to Iraq. Sweden’s Migration Agency made the decision this week after determining that Salwan Momika had provided false information in his application for asylum, it was reported Thursday, Oct. 26. (Oscar Olsson/TT via AP, file)

Report: Quran-burning protester is ordered to leave Sweden but deportation on hold for now

Sweden has reportedly withdrawn the residence permit of an Iraqi man who staged a series of public desecrations of the Quran this year but has put his deportation on hold, saying his life would be in … more

10/26/23

FILE - Matiullah Wesa, a girls' education advocate, reads to students in the open area in Spin Boldak district in the southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan on May 21, 2022. The Taliban have freed the Afghan activist who campaigned for the education of girls, a local nonprofit organization said Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. Wesa was arrested seven months ago and spent 215 days in prison, according to the group, Pen Path. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Khan)

Taliban free Afghan activist arrested 7 months ago after campaigning for girls’ education

A nonprofit organization in Afghanistan says the Taliban have freed an activist who campaigned for the education of girls. The group Pen Path said Matiullah Wesa was arrested seven months ago and … more

10/26/23

A woman, with a photograph of a child who was abducted during the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel, hands out yellow ribbons to passing drivers in central Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Yellow ribbons is the symbol for those who are actively asking for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Many Israelis are furious at their government's chaotic recovery efforts after Hamas attack

More than two weeks after Hamas' attack, many Israelis are furious at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, not just for failing to prevent the initial attack, but for failing to come to … more

By RAVI NESSMAN and AMY TEIBEL | 10/26/23

Security personnels clear way for Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, center, leaves after appearing in a court in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. A federal court in Pakistan's capital restored the appeals of the country's former Prime Minister Sharif against his 2018 conviction in graft cases, less than a week after this Islamic nation's three-time former premier returned home. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Pakistan’s ex-leader Nawaz Sharif regains right to appeal convictions, opening a path to election

A federal court in Pakistan’s capital has restored the appeals of the country’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif against his 2018 convictions in graft cases. Thursday's development comes less … more

By MUNIR AHMED | 10/26/23

FILE — Medics stand by the covered bodies of victims of a deadly blaze in downtown Johannesburg, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. An inquiry has opened into the horrific apartment building fire that killed at least 76 people in South Africa in August and laid bare the deep problems of poverty and neglect in parts of Africa's richest city .(AP Photo/Jerome Delay/File)

South Africa begins an inquiry into a building fire that killed 76 people in Johannesburg in August

An inquiry has opened into an apartment building fire that killed at least 76 people in South Africa in August and laid bare the deep problems of poverty and neglect in parts of Africa’s richest … more

By GERALD IMRAY | 10/26/23

The Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki speaks to reporters in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday Oct. 26, 2023, during a two-day visit to The Hague to meet with ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan. (AP Photo/Molly Quell)

Palestinian foreign minister promises cooperation with international courts on visit to The Hague

The Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister says he fully supports an International Criminal Court investigation into alleged crimes in the Palestinian territories and by Palestinians who target … more

By MOLLY QUELL | 10/26/23

FILE - Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu arrives for the closing session of the New Global Financial Pact Summit, on June 23, 2023 in Paris. Nigeria's Supreme Court refused Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023 to void the recent election of Tinubu and dismissed the political opposition's challenges, which argued that the vote was flawed and that Tinubu was not qualified to seek or hold the presidency. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, file)

Nigeria’s Supreme Court refuses to void president’s election and dismisses opposition challenges

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has refused to void the election of President Bola Tinubu and dismissed the challenges brought by two losing candidates. The petitions had argued that February vote was … more

By CHINEDU ASADU | 10/26/23

FILE - A view of the Pollat gorge with the Neuschwanstein castle, in background in Schwangau, Germany, June 16, 2023. An American man has been charged with murder and other offenses for attacking two women from the U.S. near Neuschwanstein castle in Germany in June and pushing them into a ravine, fatally injuring one of them, prosecutors said Thursday Oct. 26, 2023. (Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa via AP, File)

American man indicted on murder charges over an attack on 2 US tourists near a German castle

Prosecutors say an American man has been charged with murder and other offenses for attacking two women from the U.S. near Neuschwanstein castle in Germany in June and pushing them into a ravine. One … more

10/26/23

FILE - North Korean and Russian flags are seen at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on Sept. 13, 2023. South Korea, the U.S. and Japan strongly condemned what they call North Korea’s supply of munitions and military equipment to Russia, saying Thursday, Oct. 26 that such weapons shipments sharply increase the human toll of Russia’s war in Ukraine. (Vladimir Smirnov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

South Korea, US and Japan condemn North Korea's alleged supply of munitions to Russia

South Korea, the U.S. and Japan have strongly condemned what they call North Korea’s supply of munitions and military equipment to Russia. A joint statement issued Thursday by the top diplomats of … more

By HYUNG-JIN KIM | 10/26/23