Fighting with government forces in central Afghan cities comes as foreign troops continue to withdrawal from the country. Taliban fighters have launched an attack on Ghazni, clashing with Afghan forces and using explosives in an attempt to seize the central Afghan city, local officials have said. Tuesday’s assault on Ghazni, …
Read More »Greece forcibly pushes refugees across border into Turkey: Report
Turkish guards have detained dozens of refugees who had been strip-searched and beaten by Greek forces and forcibly pushed across the border, a local media report says. Turkey’s Daily Sabah newspaper, quoting Turkish Defense Ministry sources, reported on Tuesday that some 42 refugees, including a dozen naked individuals, had been …
Read More »Demolitions begin in occupied East Jerusalem’s Silwan
Israeli forces demolish a butcher’s shop and use tear gas to push back residents and activists. Violence erupted after the demolition of a Palestinian business by Israeli forces began in the al-Bustan area of the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan on Tuesday. Israeli forces accompanied by bulldozers entered the …
Read More »Russia tests S-400 missiles in Crimea amid tensions with Ukraine
A day after NATO and Ukraine began Black Sea military exercises, Moscow announces it has tested Crimean air defence systems. Russia has reportedly tested the readiness of its air defence systems in Crimea, an apparent show of force as Ukraine and NATO countries hold military drills in the Black Sea …
Read More »China’s Xi urges ruling party members to advance toward 2nd centenary goal
China’s President Xi Jinping has called on the Chinese Communist Party members to advance toward the second centenary goal of the country as the nation prepares to commemorate the ruling party’s 100th founding anniversary. Xi on Tuesday asked the party’s members and officials to advance toward the second centenary goal …
Read More »S.Africa court gives ex-leader Zuma 15 months jail for inquiry no-show
South Africa’s constitutional court on Tuesday ruled that former president Jacob Zuma was in contempt of court for failing to appear at a corruption inquiry earlier this year, and it ordered that he be imprisoned for 15 months. Zuma failed to appear at the inquiry led by Deputy Chief Justice …
Read More »Myanmar army ‘tightens grip’ on multibillion jade trade: Report
Coup leader General Min Aung Hlaing’s son implicated in the importation of dynamite used in open pit jade mines. Myanmar’s military has further tightened its grip on the country’s jade trade, using the industry to finance the February 1 coup that plunged the country into turmoil, a new report released …
Read More »Indonesia ‘on edge of catastrophe’ as COVID lockdown looms
Red Cross appeals for urgent medical supplies and vaccines as archipelago battles surge in cases. The Red Cross has warned that Indonesia is “on the edge of catastrophe”, as coronavirus infections fuelled by the deadlier Delta variant surge across the country are pushing the health system towards collapse. The International …
Read More »Democrats criticize Biden’s Iraq airstrikes, reignite war powers debate
More US voices have joined the chorus of opposition to President Joe Biden’s weekend airstrikes against facilities belonging to Iraqi anti-terror resistance groups on the Iraq-Syria border, with Democrats expressing frustration over his decision to sidestep Congress again. Democratic lawmakers have already been infuriated over Biden’s airstrikes in the region …
Read More »Lebanon’s government raises fuel prices amid violence, roadblocks
Lebanon’s government raised fuel prices on Tuesday, after agreeing last week to effectively cut fuel subsidies, a move aimed at alleviating crippling shortages but which will increase the pressure on impoverished consumers. The average price of 95-octane gasoline was set at 61,100 Lebanese pounds ($40.58) per 20 liters, an increase …
Read More »China says Japanese official calling Taiwan a ‘country’ is serious violation
China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the recent characterization of Taiwan as a “country” by a senior Japanese official was erroneous and a serious violation. Japan’s deputy defense minister on Monday warned of a growing threat posed by Chinese and Russian collaboration and said it was necessary to “wake …
Read More »Ethiopia declares ceasefire as former local rulers retake Tigray
Ethiopia’s government has declared an immediate unilateral ceasefire in the northern Tigray region, as former local rulers say they are back in control of the area. “An unconditional, unilateral ceasefire has been declared starting from today, June 28,” the government said in a statement on Monday night. The ceasefire, which …
Read More »Twitter faces new headache in India after police complaint over controversial map
A Hindu hardline group has filed a complaint with police against Twitter’s country head after politically sensitive regions were depicted outside a map of India on its website, kickstarting an investigation in a fresh headache for the U.S. tech firm. A map on Twitter’s careers page showed the Jammu and …
Read More »Record heat forces western Canada province to shut schools, universities
British Columbia closed schools and universities on Monday due to extreme heat which pushed temperature in the western Canadian province to a national record over the weekend, in a country that is widely known for its brutal winter and snows. Lytton, a town in central British Columbia roughly 200km (124 …
Read More »Death toll climbs to 11 in Florida condo collapse, 150 missing
Search-and-rescue teams pulled two more bodies from the concrete and steel rubble of a partially collapsed Florida condominium tower on Monday, bringing the death toll to 11 with 150 people still listed as missing four days after the disaster. Pouring rain and slabs of cement hampered round-the-clock efforts to pick …
Read More »Singapore, IMF, and World Bank Join Efforts to Create Central Bank Digital Currency
The rise of cryptocurrencies has prompted interest from central banks to create digital currencies. A recent survey conducted by the Bank for International Settlements revealed that almost every central bank has considered issuing a digital currency. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and other …
Read More »More than 50 warders targeted in probe over heavy-handed suppression of Covid-19 riot in Italian prison
Over 50 warders have been targeted by Italy’s judiciary, with more than 20 in detention or under house arrest, amid a probe into a major prison riot. Warders’ unions branded the measures “disproportionate” and “incomprehensible.” The pre-trial measures were implemented on Monday, affecting prison warders who are under investigation by …
Read More »Google takes down maps targeting hundreds of Thais accused of opposing king
Google took down two Google Maps documents on Monday that had listed the names and addresses of hundreds of Thai activists who were accused by royalists of opposing the monarchy, the technology company said. Thai royalist activist Songklod “Pukem” Chuenchoopol told Reuters he and a team of 80 volunteers had …
Read More »Iran urges parties in Vienna talks to “make decisions” on revival of nuke deal
The Iranian spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday urged the parties in the Vienna talks to make their decisions on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). “We have made and announced the decisions we should have …
Read More »2 mass shootings in Chicago leave 2 dead, at least 17 injured: authorities
Eleven people were shot, one fatally, in gunfire in a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago late Sunday, Chicago Tribune reported on Monday. The shooting happened around 10:55 p.m. when three men emerged from an alley and fired shots into a crowd of people standing outside. A woman who …
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