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Six people died when a boat carrying dozens of refugees to Britain sank in the English Channel on Saturday, French officials say. The deputy public prosecutor for the French coastal city of Boulogne, Philippe Sabatier, said all six victims six were Afghan men who were believed to be in their 30s. …

The UK police have been given special emergency powers to place London high street “on lockdown” for 48 hours over fears of mass looting allegedly inspired by a TikTok video. Shops and businesses in the south-east London borough were warned to prepare for possible social unrest as “gangs of youths” …

A parliamentary committee from a major West African bloc is set to visit Niger and meet with the country’s coup leaders as part of ongoing efforts to reinstate civilian authorities. The committee was set up by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)’s parliament on Saturday, said a spokesperson. …

Beijing has condemned a visit to the US by Taiwan’s “separatist” Vice President William Lai, vowing to take “resolute and vigorous” steps to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through,” China’s Foreign Ministry declared …

Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov has lashed out at Washington for its “shameless” and “outrageous” support of Ukraine’s use of globally banned cluster munitions, noting that the bombs have already killed a Russian journalist. In a statement posted on Telegram, Antonov slammed Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder on …

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has threatened Niger’s junta for the “unacceptable condition” of the country’s ousted Western-backed President Mohamed Bazoum in yet another intervention in the nation’s internal affairs. In a statement on Thursday, Blinken voiced grave concern that Bazoum, who was ousted by members of the Presidential Guard …

A Russian warship has fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea as it made its way northwards, a development that has raised concerns over maritime security. On Sunday, Russia issued a statement confirming that its Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired automatic weapons on a Sukru …

Thousands of protesters have rallied for the 32nd straight week against the hard-right Israeli cabinet’s policies, including its controversial campaign to shake up the regime’s judicial apparatus. The rallies were held on Saturday, with the coastal city of Tel Aviv drawing the biggest crowd as was the case in previous weeks. …

Jordan’s monarch has approved a cybercrime bill that will restrain online speech deemed by Amman harmful to national unity, with opposition lawmakers and human rights groups raising the alarm about crackdown on the right to freedom of expression. According to Press TV, King Abdullah II gave his approval on Saturday …

President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed all heads of Ukraine’s regional military committees, in a move that would likely create recruitment challenges for Kiev in the midst of a counteroffensive against Russia. Following a meeting with senior military leadership on Friday, Zelensky said on a social media post that they “are dismissing …

Thousands of people have surrounded a French military base in Niger, protesting against years of military intervention by the European country in the West African nation. Protesters rallied near the army base on the outskirts of the capital Niamey on Friday, shouting, “Down with France, down with ECOWAS,” a reference to the Economic …

US Democratic lawmakers have called on Justice Clarence Thomas to resign from his post as a Supreme Court justice. A new report by ProPublica news organization revealed on Thursday that Thomas had received far more undeclared gifts and vacations from rich donors than previously reported. At least 38 destination vacations, …

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has reportedly rejected multiple requests from the United States to send arms and military equipment to Ukraine. The New York-based Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received a “noncommittal” reply in March when he asked Sisi to send …

The United States has imposed sanctions on four Russian businessmen as means of trying to pile up pressure on Moscow over the latter’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine. The US Treasury Department enacted the measures on Friday, identifying the targets as people linked to the Russian financial and investment conglomerate …

Malaysians in six states headed to the polls on Saturday in regional elections seen as a major test of support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s nine-month old administration. The election in the states of Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah will not directly impact Anwar’s two-thirds majority in …

China has countered Western media claims that some European countries have refused participation in this year’s Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, insisting that they were not invited in the first place. Beijing has not invited the leaders of some developed nations mentioned in Western media reports, so the …

US Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed David Weiss as special counsel in the ongoing probe into fraud allegations against American president’s son Hunter Biden, amid growing scrutiny of his financial and business dealings. Weiss will be responsible for the “ongoing investigation” of President Joe Biden’s son “as well as …

The death toll from the devastating Hawaii wildfire has reached 80 with nearly 1,000 still missing amid growing criticism against lack of government response in the US island state prior to and in the aftermath of the tragedy in the Maui County. “The number of fatalities is at 80,” the …

Ringleaders of the terrorist Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) are reportedly making arrangements for the relocation of members from their camp in Albania to an undisclosed location in Canada. An informed security source told Tasnim news agency on Saturday that MKO leaders have come up with the relocation plan after Albanian police …

Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has been appointed as Pakistan’s new caretaker prime minister to lead the country and hold national elections scheduled to be held in November. Opposition leader Raja Riaz Ahmad named Kakar as caretaker prime minister following a meeting with outgoing prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday, according to …