Briefly

FRANCE

Film giant Depardieu charged with rape

French film giant Gerard Depardieu has been charged with rape and sexual assault, a judicial source said on Tuesday, the latest in a string of such allegations against prominent figures in France. Depardieu, one of the most famous actors of his generation, is accused of assaulting and raping an actress in her 20s in 2018. An initial investigation into the rape accusations against the 72-year old was dropped in 2019 for lack of evidence. But it was reopened last summer, leading to criminal charges being filed in December, the judicial source said. The actress accuses Depardieu of having raped and assaulted her at his Parisian home on two separate occasions in August 2018.

JAPAN

Regions push to end state of emergency

Regional authorities in Japan have urged that emergency pandemic measures be lifted before a scheduled date of March 7, as new COVID-19 cases trend lower, the economy minister said. A surge in cases prompted Japan to declare a state of emergency last month for 11 prefectures, requesting residents to curtail activities and businesses to shorten operating hours. The state of emergency will probably be lifted in stages, though businesses will be asked to continue closing early, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on Wednesday.

AFGHANISTAN

Warring sides resume peace talks in Qatar

With violence spiking, Afghanistan's warring sides have returned to the negotiation table, ending more than a month of delays amid hopes that the two sides can agree on a reduction of violence－and eventually, an outright cease-fire. Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem tweeted on Monday night that talks had resumed in Qatar, where the movement maintains a political office. There were no details other than the atmosphere was "cordial".

Agencies - Xinhua