China’s foreign ministry announces sanctions on US companies and individuals for selling arms to Taiwan. The sanctions target 13 firms engaged in the production of drones, unmanned aerial systems and other military products. They also cover six top executives at companies including Raytheon and BAE Systems.
Argentine President Javier Milei calls for the formation of a right-wing network at the conservative CPAC summit in Buenos Aires.
Seoul (AFP) – South Korean veterans protest outside the presidential office demanding President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment over his brief imposition of martial law.
Paris (AFP) – Emily MacKinnon is a collector of all things Notre Dame. The 29-year-old moved from Canada to Paris to set up a Notre Dame tour business right as the 850-year-old cathedral prepares to open its doors to the public after a devastating fire in 2019.
Seoul (AFP) – Thousands of protesters call for the resignation of South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol as they take part in a protest on the steps leading to the National Assembly in Seoul. South Korea’s opposition moved to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 4 after his extraordinary but short-lived imposition of martial law that brought thousands of protesters to the streets. IMAGES
Guangzhou (AFP) – Surrounded by racks of colourful dresses and blazers in China’s manufacturing hub of Guangzhou, plus-size clothing brand owner and influencer Amanda Yao is on a mission to promote body positivity. She is part of a small but growing number of women in China challenging restrictive beauty standards, including thinness, pale skin and childlike features.
South China Sea (AFP) – The Philippines said the China Coast Guard fired water cannon and “sideswiped” a government vessel during a maritime patrol near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, after Beijing said it had “exercised control” over the ship.
Seoul (AFP) – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing calls to resign after his short-lived attempt to impose martial law was voted down by lawmakers. Yoon’s actions have brought thousands of people to the streets in protest.
Seoul (AFP) – South Koreans gather at Seou’s downtown Gwanghwamun in a protest to demand the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol after he abandoned a short-lived attempt at martial law that plunged the country into its deepest turmoil in its modern democratic history and caught its close allies around the world off guard. IMAGES
Majuro (Marshall Islands) (AFP) – China vows to defend its “national sovereignty” and “territorial integrity” as Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te visits the Marshall Islands on a tour of Pacific nations.
Tal Tamr (AFP) – Syria’s rebel groups that have taken Aleppo and surrounding zones “spread very quickly and very thin” and are likely to face serious difficulties in governing the areas they have captured, Dr Rim Turkmani, Director of the Syria Conflict Research Programme at the London School of Economics, tells AFP. She also says that President Bashar al-Assad is likely to “continue to rely on Iran and Russia”, even if his ability to do so is “limited” partly due to Iran being weakened by wider regional conflict with Israel.
Luanda (AFP) – US President Joe Biden lands in Angola for the first and only visit to sub-Saharan Africa of his presidency, which is focused on a multinational project to rehabilitate a railway line ferrying minerals from inland countries to the Angolan port of Lobito for export. In anticipation of his trip, the Angolan government declared December 3 and 4 public holidays and deployed heavy security across the capital, Luanda, a city of around 9.5 million people.
