China has denied that one of its fishing vessels abandoned 22 Filipinos after their boat sank in the South China Sea.
The incident has resulted in increased pressure on Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to take a tougher stance.
In a statement, the Chinese embassy in Manila said the crew had initially intended to rescue the Filipino fishermen.
However they aborted the mission when they were “suddenly besieged by seven or eight Filipino fishing boats”.
Israel launches airstrikes on south Lebanon
The Israeli military carried out heavy airstrikes on south Lebanon on Thursday after issuing evacuation orders for three locations, saying Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was trying to rebuild its military capabilities there.
Voting ends in first phase of election in India's Bihar
The first phase of the assembly elections in the Indian state of Bihar has concluded, covering 121 constituencies across 18 districts.
Britain's Prince William calls for optimism on environment at EarthShot Prize event
Britain's Prince William expressed optimism on Wednesday about tackling global environmental challenges at a star-studded event in Rio de Janeiro for the fifth edition of his EarthShot Prize.
Afghanistan and Pakistan return to Istanbul for more peace talks
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Groping of Mexico's president puts violence against women in spotlight
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday she filed a complaint against a man who groped her as she walked between meetings in the capital city, a day after a video of the incident went viral.
