China and Japan displayed a united front on “free and fair” trade as leaders of Asia‘s two biggest economies met Friday in Beijing.
The visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, along with hundreds of Japanese businessmen, took place against the backdrop of the festering trade dispute between China and the US, which has resulted in both sides imposing billions of dollars in tariffs on each other’s exports.
“I believe we need to take to a new level a free and fair trade system,” Mr Abe said after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The two sides signed a slew of agreements, including a currency swap deal and plans to work together in other markets.
The demonstration of unity was underlined by the nearly 1,000 business representatives who travelled to Beijing from Japan. China’s Premier Li Keqiang said they had signed 500 agreements worth $18 billion (£14.03 billion).
“This indicates our cooperation has great potential and a promising prospect,” he said. “As countries with great influence in the region and the world, we should safeguard free trade.”
Mr Keqiang said the two sides should work on regional free trade deals such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which does not include the US, and on a free trade area between China, South Korea and Japan.
“The realisation of regional economic integration in the Asia Pacific region benefits the development of global free trade,” Mr Keqiang said.
President Donald Trump‘s effort to win more favourable trade deals for the US has focused most heavily on China, source of the biggest American trade deficit and the target of complaints over Beijing’s policies for building leadership in advanced technologies.
1/50
East Island in Hawaii has been swallowed by the sea following Hurricane Walaka
US Fish and Wildlife Service
2/50 24 October 2018
Police officers stand outside the home of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after a “functional explosive device” was attemptedly delivered to the couple
AP
3/50 23 October 2018
Turkey’s President Erdogan today accused Saudi Arabia of plotting the ‘savage’ murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
AP
4/50 22 October 2018
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C) delivers a national apology to child sex abuse victims in the House of Representatives in Parliament House in Canberra on October 22, 2018. – Morrison on October 22 issued an emotive apology to children who suffered sexual abuse, saying the state had failed to protect them from “evil dark” crimes committed over decades
AFP/Getty
5/50 21 October 2018
A derailed train in Yian, eastern Taiwan. At least 17 people died after the derailment
CNA/AFP/Getty
6/50 20 October 2018
US President Donald Trump waves as he boards Marine One after a “Make America Great” rally in Mesa, Arizona on October 19, 2018. – US President Donald Trump said Friday, October 19, 2018, that he found credible Saudi Arabia’s assertion that dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi died as a result of a fight
AFP/Getty
7/50 19 October 2018
A Palestinian youth runs past a rolling burning tire during clashes with Israeli forces following a demonstration after the weekly Friday prayers, in the centre of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron
AFP/Getty
8/50 18 October 2018
Honduran migrants heading in a caravan to the United States, leave Guatemala City. US President Donald Trump threatened to send the military to close its southern border if Mexico fails to stem the “onslaught” of migrants from Central America, in a series of tweets that blamed Democrats ahead of the midterm elections
AFP/Getty
9/50 17 October 2018
Smoke billows following an Israeli air strike around the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. Israel launched raids against targets in the Gaza strip in response to rocket fire from the Palestinian territory that caused damage in a southern city, the Israeli army said
AFP/Getty
10/50 16 October 2018
Ecuador has issued a list of rules to Julian Assange, the famous resident of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The list included cleaning the bathroom, not commenting on foreign political affairs online and taking better care of his cat (pictured). The document states that failure to comply with these rules “could lead to the termination of the diplomatic asylum granted by the Ecuadorian state”
Reuters
11/50 15 October 2018
Israeli soldiers hurl tear gas grenades during clashes following Israeli order to shut down the al-Lubban/al-Sawiyeh school near the west bank city of Nablus, 15 October 2018. According to local sources, 20 Palestinians were wounded during clashes as dozens try to defiance the Israeli order to shut down the school
EPA
12/50 14 October 2018
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after winning his men’s final singles match against Croatia’s Borna Coric at the Shanghai Masters. Djokovic, who has now won four titles this season, will move up one ranking spot to No. 2, pushing Roger Federer back to No. 3
AFP/Getty
13/50 13 October 2018
Demonstrators raising red painted hands and a placard reading “we must change the system not the climate” referring to the need to stop climate change during a march in Bordeaux, southwestern France
AFP/Getty
14/50 12 October 2018
Spanish Unionist demonstrators carry Spanish flags during a demonstration on Spain’s National Day in Barcelona
Reuters
15/50 11 October 2018
Russia has halted all crewed space flights following the failed launch of the Soyuz MS-10 rocket (pictured). Investigations in to the rocket’s malfunction are ongoing
Reuters
16/50
People look on at a damaged store after Hurricane Michael passed through Panama City, Florida. A Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, was the most powerful storm ever to hit the Florida Panhandle
Getty
17/50 9 October 2018
The Darul Muttaqien Mosque was the heart of the community for many in Palu. A lot of the victims were inside their homes or at the mosque when the quake struck. Magareb prayer for many, was their last. Paddy Dowling travelled with UK based charity Muslim Aid to the disaster areas of North Sulawesi to witness the scale of Indonesia’s earthquake & tsunami. They are the only British NGO delivering aid out in Palu through local partners
Paddy Dowling
18/50 8 October 2018
People take part in a candle-light vigil in memory of Bulgarian TV journalist Viktoria Marinova in Ruse
Reuters
19/50 7 October 2018
Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, presidential candidate with the Social Liberal Party, celebrate in front of his house during the general elections in Rio. The far-right congressman, who waxes nostalgically about the dictatorship, won the vote but not an outright victory. The second-round-run-off will be between Bolsoanro and the leftist Workers’ party Fernando Haddad
AP
20/50 6 October 2018
Demonstrators hold a banner that reads “freedom of the press, not allowed to be trampled” and “shame on the governments vindictive move” past a symbolic ‘political red line’ during a protest after Hong Kong immigration authorities declined a visa renewal for senior Financial Times journalist Victor Mallet, outside the immigration department building in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s decision to effectively blacklist a senior Financial Times journalist required an “urgent explanation”, the UK said
AFP/Getty
21/50 5 October 2018
Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and Yazidi campaigner Nadia Murad announced as the winners of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. The pair were awarded the honour “for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.”
AFP/Getty/Reuters
22/50 4 October 2018
Dutch security services expel Russian spies over plot targeting chemical weapons watchdog. This picture shows the four GRU officers who entered the Netherlands at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on April 10, travelling on official Russian passports. On April 13 they parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague. At that point the Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country
PA
23/50 3 October 2018
Quake survivors make their way past a washed out passenger ferry in Wani, Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi, after an earthquake and tsunami hit the area on September 28. Nearly 1,400 people are now known to have died as UN officials warned the “needs remain vast” for both desperate survivors and rescue teams still searching for victims
AFP/Getty
24/50 2 October 2018
US first lady Melania Trump holds a baby during a visit to a hospital in Accra, Ghana. The first lady is visiting Africa on her first big solo international trip, aiming to make child well-being the focus of a five-day, four-country tour
Reuters
25/50 1 October 2018
Indian school children dressed like Mahatma Gandhi perform yoga during a event at a school in Chennai ahead of his birth anniversary. Indians all over the country celebrate Gandhi’s birthday on October 2
AFP/Getty
26/50 30 September 2018
An Albanian man casts his vote at a polling station in the village of Zajas on September 30, 2018, for a referendum to re-name the country. – Macedonians cast ballots on September 30 on whether to re-name their country North Macedonia, a bid to settle a long-running row with Greece and unlock a path to NATO and EU membership
AFP/Getty
27/50 29 September 2018
Residents trying to salvage belongings from their homes which collapsed after an earthquake and tsunami hit Palu on Sulawesi island on September 29, 2018. – Nearly 400 people were killed when a powerful quake sent a tsunami barrelling into the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, officials said on September 29, as hospitals struggled to cope with hundreds of injured and rescuers scrambled to reach the stricken region.
AFP/Getty
28/50 28 September 2018
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a press conference in Berlin. Erdogan’s official state visit has been met with protests
EPA
29/50 27 September 2018
Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters
AP
30/50 26 September 2018
Members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) search for victims after a building collapsed in New Delhi killing five people, the latest incident highlighting India’s poor urban planning and construction
AFP/Getty
31/50 25 September 2018
US golfer Tiger Woods tees off during a practice session ahead of the 42nd Ryder Cup at Le Golf National Course at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, south-west of Paris
AFP/Getty
32/50 24 September 2018
President Donald Trump and US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, talk with UN secretary general Antonio Guterres during the General Assembly at UN Headquarters
AP
33/50 23 September 2018
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has claimed that his country is “ready to confront America”, following an attack on a military parade in Ahvaz in which 25 people were killed. The attack has been blamed by Iranian government and military officials on gulf states that are allied with the US
AP
34/50 22 September 2018
Pakistan has invited Saudi Arabia to become a partner in the Beijing funded Belt and Road scheme that will improve and expand Pakistan’s infrastructure. The invite comes at the end of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s two day trip to the Middle Eastern country, where he met with Saudi King Salman
EPA
35/50 21 September 2018
A boat has capsized killing at 136 people in Lake Victoria, Tanzania. Rescue operations are ongoing
AFP/Getty
36/50 20 September 2018
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe celebrates after the ruling liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election at the party’s headquarters in Tokyo on September 20, 2018. – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won re-election as leader of his ruling party on September 20, setting him on course to become Japan’s longest-serving premier and realise his dream of reforming the constitution.
AFP/Getty
37/50 19 September 2018
Los Angeles has moved to ban the sale of fur within its city limits. Speaking at a news conference today, councillor Bob Blumenfield said “this is something that is not just a good legislative win, it’s a moral win”. LA will be the biggest city in the US to ban the sale of fur, as it follows San Francisco, Berkley and others
AP
38/50 18 September 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wave during a car parade in Pyongyang, North Korea,
Reuters
39/50 17 September 2018
Australia has launched a nationwide investigation into needles being hidden in strawberries. Sewing needles have reportedly been found in strawberries in all 6 Australian states and the market is suffering from the resultant fear
EPA
40/50 16 September 2018
Typhoon Mangkhut has made landfall in China, bringing winds of 100mph to coastal areas and storm surges of 10 feet in Hong Kong. Pictured here are the smashed windows of an office tower in Hong Kong.
Reuters
41/50 15 September 2018
German Police have begun evicting activists from the Hambacher Forest where a protest to protect the remaining section of the ancient forest has been ongoing for the past 6 years. Dozens of activists have been living in treehouses, but are now being forced out after tensions rose between them and energy company RWE, which plans to expand its coal mine further into the remaining woodland
AFP/Getty
42/50 14 September 2018
Speaking in Malmo today, the Dalai Lama stated “I think Europe belongs to Europeans” and suggested that refugees should focus on returning home and developing their home countries
Reuters
43/50 13 September 2018
Preparations for Hurricane Florence, expected to make land on Friday, continue in North and South Carolina and Viriginia. Over 1 million people have been evacuated leading up to the arrival of the category 4 storm
Getty
44/50 12 September 2018
Um Majid, left, tries an improvised gas mask on family members in her home in Binnish in Syria’s rebel-held northern Idlib province as part of preparations for any upcoming raids. Fearing government forces and their allies military advance to retake Idlib province, the mother of three learnt from YouTube videos how to make gas masks from charcoal, wood, paper cups, cotton, nylon plastic bags and tapes. According to her, she could manufacture more masks but the material she needs are not always available. She also dug a cave under her home
AFP/Getty
45/50 11 September 2018
People waving pro-independence Catalan flags ‘Esteladas’ while holding letters reading “independence” during a pro-independence demonstration in Barcelona to mark the National Day of Catalonia, the “Diada”. Catalan separatists put on a show of strength and unity at celebrations of the region’s national day, nearly a year after a failed attempt to break away from Spain. Catalonia’s national day, the ‘Diada’ commemorates the fall of Barcelona in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714 and the region’s subsequent loss of institutions and freedoms
AFP/Getty
46/50 10 September 2018
An Indian man makes his way through floodwaters from the overflowing Panchanai River in Siliguri. Continuous rainfall has caused flooding and landslides in parts of Siliguri and surrounding areas, affecting road travel and daily life
AFP/Getty
47/50 9 September 2018
Participants wave flowers as they march past a balcony from where North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un was watching, during a mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang. The military parade was held to mark the nations 70th birthday, but refrained from showing off the intercontinental ballistic missiles that have seen it hit with multiple international sanctions
AFP/Getty
48/50 8 September 2018
350.Org march for Climate Justice at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, Philippines. Rise for Climate protests took places across the world to demand action
Leo Sabangan/350.org (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
49/50 7 September 2018
Displaced Syrians take part in a protest against the regime and its ally Russia at a camp for displaced people in Kafr Lusin near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey in Syria’s northern Idlib province
AFP/Getty
50/50 6 September 2018
An aerial view of houses damaged by a landslide in Atsuma town, Hokkaido prefecture, after an earthquake hit the northern Japanese island. Rescuers scrabbled through mud for survivors after the powerful earthquake sent hillsides crashing down onto homes, killing at least nine people and leaving dozens of people missing
AFP/Getty
1/50
East Island in Hawaii has been swallowed by the sea following Hurricane Walaka
US Fish and Wildlife Service
2/50 24 October 2018
Police officers stand outside the home of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after a “functional explosive device” was attemptedly delivered to the couple
AP
3/50 23 October 2018
Turkey’s President Erdogan today accused Saudi Arabia of plotting the ‘savage’ murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
AP
4/50 22 October 2018
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C) delivers a national apology to child sex abuse victims in the House of Representatives in Parliament House in Canberra on October 22, 2018. – Morrison on October 22 issued an emotive apology to children who suffered sexual abuse, saying the state had failed to protect them from “evil dark” crimes committed over decades
AFP/Getty
5/50 21 October 2018
A derailed train in Yian, eastern Taiwan. At least 17 people died after the derailment
CNA/AFP/Getty
6/50 20 October 2018
US President Donald Trump waves as he boards Marine One after a “Make America Great” rally in Mesa, Arizona on October 19, 2018. – US President Donald Trump said Friday, October 19, 2018, that he found credible Saudi Arabia’s assertion that dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi died as a result of a fight
AFP/Getty
7/50 19 October 2018
A Palestinian youth runs past a rolling burning tire during clashes with Israeli forces following a demonstration after the weekly Friday prayers, in the centre of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron
AFP/Getty
8/50 18 October 2018
Honduran migrants heading in a caravan to the United States, leave Guatemala City. US President Donald Trump threatened to send the military to close its southern border if Mexico fails to stem the “onslaught” of migrants from Central America, in a series of tweets that blamed Democrats ahead of the midterm elections
AFP/Getty
9/50 17 October 2018
Smoke billows following an Israeli air strike around the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. Israel launched raids against targets in the Gaza strip in response to rocket fire from the Palestinian territory that caused damage in a southern city, the Israeli army said
AFP/Getty
10/50 16 October 2018
Ecuador has issued a list of rules to Julian Assange, the famous resident of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The list included cleaning the bathroom, not commenting on foreign political affairs online and taking better care of his cat (pictured). The document states that failure to comply with these rules “could lead to the termination of the diplomatic asylum granted by the Ecuadorian state”
Reuters
11/50 15 October 2018
Israeli soldiers hurl tear gas grenades during clashes following Israeli order to shut down the al-Lubban/al-Sawiyeh school near the west bank city of Nablus, 15 October 2018. According to local sources, 20 Palestinians were wounded during clashes as dozens try to defiance the Israeli order to shut down the school
EPA
12/50 14 October 2018
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after winning his men’s final singles match against Croatia’s Borna Coric at the Shanghai Masters. Djokovic, who has now won four titles this season, will move up one ranking spot to No. 2, pushing Roger Federer back to No. 3
AFP/Getty
13/50 13 October 2018
Demonstrators raising red painted hands and a placard reading “we must change the system not the climate” referring to the need to stop climate change during a march in Bordeaux, southwestern France
AFP/Getty
14/50 12 October 2018
Spanish Unionist demonstrators carry Spanish flags during a demonstration on Spain’s National Day in Barcelona
Reuters
15/50 11 October 2018
Russia has halted all crewed space flights following the failed launch of the Soyuz MS-10 rocket (pictured). Investigations in to the rocket’s malfunction are ongoing
Reuters
16/50
People look on at a damaged store after Hurricane Michael passed through Panama City, Florida. A Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, was the most powerful storm ever to hit the Florida Panhandle
Getty
17/50 9 October 2018
The Darul Muttaqien Mosque was the heart of the community for many in Palu. A lot of the victims were inside their homes or at the mosque when the quake struck. Magareb prayer for many, was their last. Paddy Dowling travelled with UK based charity Muslim Aid to the disaster areas of North Sulawesi to witness the scale of Indonesia’s earthquake & tsunami. They are the only British NGO delivering aid out in Palu through local partners
Paddy Dowling
18/50 8 October 2018
People take part in a candle-light vigil in memory of Bulgarian TV journalist Viktoria Marinova in Ruse
Reuters
19/50 7 October 2018
Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, presidential candidate with the Social Liberal Party, celebrate in front of his house during the general elections in Rio. The far-right congressman, who waxes nostalgically about the dictatorship, won the vote but not an outright victory. The second-round-run-off will be between Bolsoanro and the leftist Workers’ party Fernando Haddad
AP
20/50 6 October 2018
Demonstrators hold a banner that reads “freedom of the press, not allowed to be trampled” and “shame on the governments vindictive move” past a symbolic ‘political red line’ during a protest after Hong Kong immigration authorities declined a visa renewal for senior Financial Times journalist Victor Mallet, outside the immigration department building in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s decision to effectively blacklist a senior Financial Times journalist required an “urgent explanation”, the UK said
AFP/Getty
21/50 5 October 2018
Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and Yazidi campaigner Nadia Murad announced as the winners of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. The pair were awarded the honour “for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.”
AFP/Getty/Reuters
22/50 4 October 2018
Dutch security services expel Russian spies over plot targeting chemical weapons watchdog. This picture shows the four GRU officers who entered the Netherlands at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on April 10, travelling on official Russian passports. On April 13 they parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague. At that point the Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country
PA
23/50 3 October 2018
Quake survivors make their way past a washed out passenger ferry in Wani, Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi, after an earthquake and tsunami hit the area on September 28. Nearly 1,400 people are now known to have died as UN officials warned the “needs remain vast” for both desperate survivors and rescue teams still searching for victims
AFP/Getty
24/50 2 October 2018
US first lady Melania Trump holds a baby during a visit to a hospital in Accra, Ghana. The first lady is visiting Africa on her first big solo international trip, aiming to make child well-being the focus of a five-day, four-country tour
Reuters
25/50 1 October 2018
Indian school children dressed like Mahatma Gandhi perform yoga during a event at a school in Chennai ahead of his birth anniversary. Indians all over the country celebrate Gandhi’s birthday on October 2
AFP/Getty
26/50 30 September 2018
An Albanian man casts his vote at a polling station in the village of Zajas on September 30, 2018, for a referendum to re-name the country. – Macedonians cast ballots on September 30 on whether to re-name their country North Macedonia, a bid to settle a long-running row with Greece and unlock a path to NATO and EU membership
AFP/Getty
27/50 29 September 2018
Residents trying to salvage belongings from their homes which collapsed after an earthquake and tsunami hit Palu on Sulawesi island on September 29, 2018. – Nearly 400 people were killed when a powerful quake sent a tsunami barrelling into the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, officials said on September 29, as hospitals struggled to cope with hundreds of injured and rescuers scrambled to reach the stricken region.
AFP/Getty
28/50 28 September 2018
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a press conference in Berlin. Erdogan’s official state visit has been met with protests
EPA
29/50 27 September 2018
Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters
AP
30/50 26 September 2018
Members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) search for victims after a building collapsed in New Delhi killing five people, the latest incident highlighting India’s poor urban planning and construction
AFP/Getty
31/50 25 September 2018
US golfer Tiger Woods tees off during a practice session ahead of the 42nd Ryder Cup at Le Golf National Course at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, south-west of Paris
AFP/Getty
32/50 24 September 2018
President Donald Trump and US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, talk with UN secretary general Antonio Guterres during the General Assembly at UN Headquarters
AP
33/50 23 September 2018
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has claimed that his country is “ready to confront America”, following an attack on a military parade in Ahvaz in which 25 people were killed. The attack has been blamed by Iranian government and military officials on gulf states that are allied with the US
AP
34/50 22 September 2018
Pakistan has invited Saudi Arabia to become a partner in the Beijing funded Belt and Road scheme that will improve and expand Pakistan’s infrastructure. The invite comes at the end of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s two day trip to the Middle Eastern country, where he met with Saudi King Salman
EPA
35/50 21 September 2018
A boat has capsized killing at 136 people in Lake Victoria, Tanzania. Rescue operations are ongoing
AFP/Getty
36/50 20 September 2018
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe celebrates after the ruling liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election at the party’s headquarters in Tokyo on September 20, 2018. – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won re-election as leader of his ruling party on September 20, setting him on course to become Japan’s longest-serving premier and realise his dream of reforming the constitution.
AFP/Getty
37/50 19 September 2018
Los Angeles has moved to ban the sale of fur within its city limits. Speaking at a news conference today, councillor Bob Blumenfield said “this is something that is not just a good legislative win, it’s a moral win”. LA will be the biggest city in the US to ban the sale of fur, as it follows San Francisco, Berkley and others
AP
38/50 18 September 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wave during a car parade in Pyongyang, North Korea,
Reuters
39/50 17 September 2018
Australia has launched a nationwide investigation into needles being hidden in strawberries. Sewing needles have reportedly been found in strawberries in all 6 Australian states and the market is suffering from the resultant fear
EPA
40/50 16 September 2018
Typhoon Mangkhut has made landfall in China, bringing winds of 100mph to coastal areas and storm surges of 10 feet in Hong Kong. Pictured here are the smashed windows of an office tower in Hong Kong.
Reuters
41/50 15 September 2018
German Police have begun evicting activists from the Hambacher Forest where a protest to protect the remaining section of the ancient forest has been ongoing for the past 6 years. Dozens of activists have been living in treehouses, but are now being forced out after tensions rose between them and energy company RWE, which plans to expand its coal mine further into the remaining woodland
AFP/Getty
42/50 14 September 2018
Speaking in Malmo today, the Dalai Lama stated “I think Europe belongs to Europeans” and suggested that refugees should focus on returning home and developing their home countries
Reuters
43/50 13 September 2018
Preparations for Hurricane Florence, expected to make land on Friday, continue in North and South Carolina and Viriginia. Over 1 million people have been evacuated leading up to the arrival of the category 4 storm
Getty
44/50 12 September 2018
Um Majid, left, tries an improvised gas mask on family members in her home in Binnish in Syria’s rebel-held northern Idlib province as part of preparations for any upcoming raids. Fearing government forces and their allies military advance to retake Idlib province, the mother of three learnt from YouTube videos how to make gas masks from charcoal, wood, paper cups, cotton, nylon plastic bags and tapes. According to her, she could manufacture more masks but the material she needs are not always available. She also dug a cave under her home
AFP/Getty
45/50 11 September 2018
People waving pro-independence Catalan flags ‘Esteladas’ while holding letters reading “independence” during a pro-independence demonstration in Barcelona to mark the National Day of Catalonia, the “Diada”. Catalan separatists put on a show of strength and unity at celebrations of the region’s national day, nearly a year after a failed attempt to break away from Spain. Catalonia’s national day, the ‘Diada’ commemorates the fall of Barcelona in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714 and the region’s subsequent loss of institutions and freedoms
AFP/Getty
46/50 10 September 2018
An Indian man makes his way through floodwaters from the overflowing Panchanai River in Siliguri. Continuous rainfall has caused flooding and landslides in parts of Siliguri and surrounding areas, affecting road travel and daily life
AFP/Getty
47/50 9 September 2018
Participants wave flowers as they march past a balcony from where North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un was watching, during a mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang. The military parade was held to mark the nations 70th birthday, but refrained from showing off the intercontinental ballistic missiles that have seen it hit with multiple international sanctions
AFP/Getty
48/50 8 September 2018
350.Org march for Climate Justice at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, Philippines. Rise for Climate protests took places across the world to demand action
Leo Sabangan/350.org (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
49/50 7 September 2018
Displaced Syrians take part in a protest against the regime and its ally Russia at a camp for displaced people in Kafr Lusin near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey in Syria’s northern Idlib province
AFP/Getty
50/50 6 September 2018
An aerial view of houses damaged by a landslide in Atsuma town, Hokkaido prefecture, after an earthquake hit the northern Japanese island. Rescuers scrabbled through mud for survivors after the powerful earthquake sent hillsides crashing down onto homes, killing at least nine people and leaving dozens of people missing
AFP/Getty
Japan, too, faces pressure over its own trade imbalance with the US, especially on auto exports. Mr Abe’s government has agreed on holding talks with the US, its powerful ally, on a bilateral trade deal but also needs good relations with China, its biggest trading partner and the regional powerhouse.
Also Friday, the central banks of the two countries signed a three-year, bilateral currency swap agreement enabling the two sides to swap up to 200 billion yuan (about £21.8 billion) for 3.4 trillion yen (about £23.8 billion). Such deals are aimed at easing trade transactions and support for financial markets.
The two countries agreed to discuss advanced technologies and issues related to patents and other intellectual property — a perennial bugbear for China’s relations with all foreign investors. The Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei said China was hoping to find ways to avoid shortages of components resulting from the trade dispute with the US.
A highlight of Mr Abe’s meetings was the dozens of preliminary agreements on China-Japan cooperation in other countries, such as a “smart, sustainable city” in eastern Thailand.
A Japanese government document outlining the accords listed agreements between banks, insurers, energy companies, a cotton grower, contractors, electronics and logistics companies, as well as local governments and trade promotion organisations.
Mr Abe’s three-day visit was the first by a Japanese prime minister since December 2011.
Associated Press
