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Russia’s Orthodox Church admonished people refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, calling them sinners who would have to atone for the rest of their lives, as the country reported another jump in new infections and deaths. The church urged all its faithful to be inoculated as another 24,353 new COVID-19 …

More than 1,000 Afghan security personnel fled across the border into Tajikistan on Sunday after Taliban advances in northern Afghanistan, the Tajik border guard service said, while dozens of others were captured by the insurgents. The crossings underscore a rapidly deteriorating situation in the country as foreign troops near a …

The swearing in of the architects of Chile’s new constitution got off to an inauspicious start on Sunday after protests outside and inside the venue, and clashes with police forced a delay to the event. Problems arose after marches organised by independent, left-wing and indigenous groups fielding delegates for the …

Pakistan’s national security adviser has accused India of orchestrating last month’s deadly car bombing in the eastern city of Lahore, saying Sunday that an investigation has shown it was organized by an Indian intelligence operative. In a news conference in Islamabad, Moeed Yousuf said the probe showed that the man …

Tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of Cuba and Jamaica, as well as areas in the US state of Florida. Cuba has evacuated 70,000 people in the island’s southern region amid concerns Tropical Storm Elsa could cause severe flooding after three people were killed across the Caribbean in …

Pope Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Sunday for scheduled intestinal surgery, the Vatican said, the first time he has been in hospital since his election in 2013. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope, 84, was due to undergo the surgery later on Sunday for an intestinal condition …

Former US President Donald Trump has once again attacked his successor Joe Biden, calling him “the most unpatriotic president in American history.” Trump made the remarks Saturday in Sarasota, Florida, during a rally billed as a Fourth of July celebration with fireworks, the latest in a series of appearances as …

Indonesia has ordered oxygen makers to prioritise medical needs amid growing demand from COVID-19 patients, the government said on Sunday, following more than 60 deaths in a hospital where the supply of the life-saving gas was almost exhausted. The world’s fourth most populous nation is battling one of Asia’s worst …

Australia’s New South Wales state reported a fall in new daily coronavirus cases on Sunday, following two days of record 2021 infections, as officials implored Sydney residents to follow rules so they could end a lockdown next week. Australia’s most populous state recorded 16 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, data …

The Taliban have captured a key district in their former bastion of Kandahar after fierce night-time fighting with Afghan government forces, officials said Sunday, the latest area to be seized since US troops began their final withdrawal. The insurgents have pressed on with their campaign to capture territory across Afghanistan’s …

The first astronauts to arrive at China’s new space station carried out their debut spacewalk, marking only the second time the country’s astronauts have ventured out of their craft while in orbit. Tang Hongbo, Nie Haisheng, and Liu Boming docked with the Tiangong space station in June, beginning a three-month …

The Israeli army struck Hamas positions after it said incendiary balloons were launched from the besieged enclave. Israeli military has carried out another overnight raid on Hamas positions in the besieged Gaza Strip after saying incendiary balloons were launched from the Palestinian enclave. The Israeli army said it struck a …

Four people were found dead as a huge fire raged for a second day in Cyprus, razing tracts of forest in a blaze one official called the worst on record. The blaze, fanned by strong winds, affected at least 10 communities over an area of 50 square kilometres (19 square …

Danish households are the richest in the European Union, according to a data analysis by the country’s central bank. The average household in Denmark had 1.88 million Danish kroner ($300,000) in financial assets as of the fourth quarter of 2020. The data, released Wednesday, was extracted from the European Central …

Dozens of huge wildfires in British Columbia come after Canadian province saw a record-breaking heatwave. Residents in parts of British Columbia have been ordered to evacuate as wildfires are raging across the Canadian province following a record heatwave that officials say contributed to hundreds of deaths. Around midday on Saturday, …

Rain hampered Japanese rescuers seeking 20 missing people on Sunday after landslides triggered by torrential rains hit the central city of Atami, killing at least two, Kyodo news agency said. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said about 19 people were rescued and about 130 buildings were affected after floods, landslides and …

A military plane crashed and broke up in flames in the southern Philippines on Sunday with 92 people aboard, and the army chief said at least 40 people had been rescued. The C-130 aircraft of the Philippine Air Force had a mishap on landing on the island of Jolo, the …

Azerbaijan handed over 15 prisoners of Armenian origin to Armenia on Saturday in return for maps detailing the locations of 92,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said. Ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces fought a bloody conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave last year that locked in territorial gains for …

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated a naval base on Saturday 135 km from the border with Libya, flanked by close ally Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Libya’s unity president. Egypt says the July 3 base will help it protect strategic and economic interests as …

A fire has broken out on an Israeli-owned cargo ship after it was struck by an “unidentified weapon” in the northern Indian Ocean, a report says. The Israeli vessel was on route to the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) when it was attacked, Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television network reported …