A Black Hawk helicopter belonging to the U.S. military made an emergency landing on a Bucharest street on Thursday, tearing down two public street lights and stopping traffic but making no casualties. The helicopter was part of a group of six which were rehearsing ahead of events to mark Romanian …
Read More »US to sanction Chinese officials and warn companies over Hong Kong -sources
The United States is preparing to impose sanctions on Friday on a number of Chinese officials over alleged Beijing’s crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong, and warn international businesses operating there about deteriorating conditions, two people with knowledge of the situation said. The sources said the financial sanctions would target …
Read More »World leaders dial in as New Zealand hosts special APEC meeting on pandemic
Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, and US President Joe Biden, and other world leaders meet virtually on Friday for the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, seeking collective actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts. New Zealand, the revolving Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation host, said this week it will …
Read More »Further flooding feared in western Germany with death toll above 80 (Pictures)
Further flooding was feared in western Germany on Friday as a breach at another dam loomed and the death toll rose to more than 80 in what is Germany’s worst mass loss of life in years. Entire communities lay in ruins after swollen rivers swept through towns and villages in …
Read More »Lebanon’s PM-designate steps down, gives up on cabinet formation over disagreement with president
Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri says he has abandoned his efforts to form a new government, citing differences with the country’s president. According to Press TV, Hariri announced on Thursday that he was unable to reach an agreement with President Michel Aoun on the formation of a new cabinet, and …
Read More »Israel fired missile at own warplane during Gaza war
The Israeli regime’s much-flaunted “Iron Dome” missile system, which is constantly fortified and updated by the United States, “mistakenly” fired at one of the regime’s own warplanes during Tel Aviv’s latest war on Gaza, a report says. The incident came in May, when the regime was waging a heavy 12-day …
Read More »Lebanon’s PM-designate Hariri presents cabinet lineup to President Aoun
Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri has presented a cabinet lineup to President Michel Aoun, in a move that could end a crippling political and economic crisis. Hariri met Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda on Wednesday, and presented a 24-member cabinet proposal to the president. “For me this government can start …
Read More »Palestinian resistance groups denounce opening of UAE embassy in Tel Aviv
Several Palestinian resistance factions have condemned the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for opening an embassy in Tel Aviv, only weeks after Israel massacred over 120 Palestinians in the long-besieged Gaza Strip. Wednesday’s opening of the Emirati embassy, which is situated in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, came two weeks after the …
Read More »Conflicting reports emerge over fate of Afghan-Pakistan border crossing
There have been conflicting reports about the fate of a major Afghan border crossing, a day after the Taliban claimed they had captured the Afghan side of the border crossing of Spin Boldak along the frontier with Pakistan. Local Afghan officials on Thursday said security forces had retaken control of …
Read More »Federal lawsuit filed in US police fatal shooting of Andrew Brown
Family members of African-American victim, Andrew Brown, has filed a federal lawsuit against a North Carolina sheriff and several of his deputies, two months after they shot him in the head and drove away. Attorneys for Brown’s family made the announcement on Wednesday, saying the lawsuit seeks $30 million in …
Read More »EU lawmaker gets backing for tougher EU tech rules
A key EU lawmaker at the European Parliament steering the debate on tough new rules aimed at Facebook (FB.O), Google (GOOGL.O) and other large online platforms, secured backing to beef up Europeans’ fundamental rights in the draft rules. Proposed by the European Commission in December last year, the Digital Services …
Read More »Official investigation finds EU border agency failed to protect human rights of refugees
The European Parliament (EP) has found that the European Border and Coast Guard Agency — known as Frontex — has failed to protect the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers who tried to reach Europe. Following four months of investigation by legislators of the EP, one of three legislative …
Read More »Ethiopia conflict heats up as Amhara region vows to attack Tigray forces
The war in Ethiopia’s conflict-ridden region of Tigray looks set to intensify as a unilateral ceasefire declared by the federal government in the face of the rebels’ advances seems to be faltering. In a statement on Wednesday, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his government had decided to abandon the …
Read More »French police fire tear gas as thousands protest against new coronavirus rules
French police officers have fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators who took to the streets of the capital, Paris, to protest against the new coronavirus restrictions, as the country looks to avoid a surge in more cases with the spread of the highly contagious delta variant. More than 19,000 people, …
Read More »Any foreign interference in Afghanistan doomed to failure, China’s foreign minister says
Afghanistan is a sovereign nation and history has proved once again that any intervention by a foreign power in the country is doomed to failure, says China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. “With the withdrawal of the United States and NATO from Afghanistan, the Afghan people have learned …
Read More »China urges Pakistan to ‘severely punish’ attackers behind bus blast
China has condemned a blast targeting a bus in a remote region of northwestern Pakistan that killed 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, calling on Islamabad to thoroughly investigate the attack and punish the perpetrators. In a statement on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian urged Pakistan to “severely …
Read More »Republicans warn Biden against ending Trump-era border restriction
US Republican senators have urged President Joe Biden to keep a Trump-era border policy that allows border agents to expel migrants, without even permitting them to claim asylum, after they crossed into the country from Mexico, As the White House considers ending the restriction, known as Title 42, before the …
Read More »McConnell calls Biden voting rights speech ‘utter nonsense’
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell has called US President Joe Biden’s voting rights speech as “nonsense.” “What utter nonsense. It would be laugh-out-loud funny if it wasn’t so completely and totally irresponsible,” the Kentucky Republican said on Wednesday. “This is our new president who promised to lower the temperature, bring …
Read More »Drug overdose deaths hit record during pandemic
Drug overdose deaths in the United States has hit a new record of 93,000 over the last year after experiencing a 30-percent growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Overdose deaths from synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl) and psychostimulants such as methamphetamine also increased in 2020 compared to 2019. Cocaine deaths also increased …
Read More »One dead, hundreds evacuated in German freak floods
A fireman drowned and the army was deployed to help stranded residents on Wednesday after heavy rain triggered once-in-25-year floods in parts of western Germany, disrupting rail, road, and river transport in Germany’s most populous region. The German Weather Service issued an extreme weather warning for parts of three western …
Read More »