Rome/ AFP Italian police launched a crackdown on illegal immigration from China, on the day President Xi Jinping was due to arrive for a stopover visit. In an operation dubbed “White Collars”, the GDF financial police said they had ordered 15 arrests and 111 raids on premises across five regions as well as placing another 83 people under formal investigation. …

  Seoul / AFP South Korean prosecutors questioned a former vice sports minister on Wednesday as their probe into the corruption scandal engulfing President Park Geun-Hye spreads to preparations for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Park is under pressure over her shadowy confidant Choi Soon-Sil, who is accused of using her personal ties with the president to coerce local firms to donate …

  Marrakesh/ AFP Ministers gathered at a UN conference on Wednesday to discuss the hot-button issue of finance for staving off dangerous climate change, while America’s top diplomat is expected to hammer home the perils of not acting swiftly. A day after dozens of heads of state and government addressed the annual UN climate huddle, more than 100 foreign, energy and …