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The Maldives speaker of parliament and former president, Mohamed Nasheed, was in critical care on Friday after being severely wounded in a bomb blast outside his home, hospital authorities said, in what police are treating as a terrorist attack. Nobody has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s explosion in the capital Malé …

Somalia said on Thursday it was restoring diplomatic relations with neighbouring Kenya almost six months after severing ties, accusing Nairobi of meddling in politics. Relations between the countries have also been tense over the ownership of potential oil and gas deposits, some of which lie off the coast of Jubbaland, …

Japan extended on Friday a state of emergency in Tokyo and three other areas until the end of May to stem a surge in coronavirus cases, but Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reiterated that it is still possible to host Tokyo Olympics this summer. The government had hoped a “short and …

India’s main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi warned on Friday that unless the deadly second COVID-19 wave sweeping the country was brought under control it would devastate India as well as threaten the rest of the world. In a letter, Gandhi implored Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prepare for another national …

Despite restrictions due to the pandemic, Iraqi citizens in some cities chose to celebrate the day despite the danger of the coronavirus. The marches took place in the form of car convoys and mass rallies in the cities of Najaf, Diyala, Basra, and Baghdad, as well as a number of …

The United States will not consent to Israeli annexations in the occupied West Bank for “some time”, preferring to focus on the Israel-UAE normalization deal and wider regional peace efforts, senior White House adviser Jared Kushner said on Monday. The United Arab Emirates has said its move to formalize relations …

A temperature of 54.4 degrees Celsius in the shade at Death Valley in the US state of California on Sunday might be the hottest temperature ever recorded on earth, officials say. A temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius) recorded in California’s Death Valley on Sunday by the US …

European Union leaders will take part in a virtual conference to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Belarus, President of the European Council Charles Michel announced after the bloc threatened sanctions on Minsk. The emergency meeting will be held on Wednesday, Michel said on Twitter. “The people of Belarus have …

Declaring it’s “crunch time” for the upcoming election, President Donald Trump zeroed in on Midwest battleground states on Monday with a tough, law and order message to counterprogram former Vice President Joe Biden’s show at the Democrats’ national convention. In Mankato, Minnesota, Trump stepped up his rhetoric against Biden, calling …

A former Central Intelligence Agency officer was arrested and charged with spying for China, the U.S. Justice Department said on Monday. The Justice Department in a statement said Alexander Yuk Ching Ma was arrested on Friday on a charge that he conspired with a relative of his, also a former …

Nigeria will reopen its airports for international flights from Aug. 29, its aviation minister said on Monday. The airports have been closed since March 23 to all but essential international flights as part of the country’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said four flights would …

Spain’s former King Juan Carlos, who went into exile this month in the face of graft allegations, is in the United Arab Emirates, the royal palace said Monday, ending the mystery over his whereabouts. The 82-year-old, who has long had warm relations with the Gulf monarchies, “traveled to the United …

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said on Monday that the Trump administration is willing to support funding for the U.S. Postal Service if it accompanies a package of coronavirus stimulus measures. Speaking to reporters while aboard Air Force One, Meadows added, however, that he has not spoken to …

Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus, said on Monday he would be ready to hold new elections and hand over power after a constitutional referendum, an attempt to pacify mass protests and strikes that pose the biggest challenge yet to his rule. He made the offer, which he insisted would …

The Russian center for Syrian reconciliation said a Turkish military vehicle has been hit by an unidentified explosive device during a patrol on a highway in Syria’s Idlib. The device detonated near a Turkish convoy on the route of the patrol, the center said, adding that no Russian troops had …

Sudanese security forces fired tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters who gathered on Monday, some burning car tyres, to mark the anniversary of a transitional power-sharing deal with demands for quicker political reform. The agreement set up a precarious alliance of civilian technocrats and military officials following the April …

The Trump administration will allow oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for the first time after decades of controversy and tension over concern drilling for an undetermined amount of oil would massively disrupt the pristine wilderness and tribes in the area. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said …

Washington has added dozens of companies to a list that bars the firms from gaining access to certain US technologies, as part of its ongoing battle against Huawei. Mike Pompeo has urged US allies to adopt similar restrictions. The secretary of state released a press statement on Monday applauding the …

The US military has carried out an airstrike in Syria’s Northeastern Province of Hasakah, killing a soldier and injuring two others. Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that the US airstrike targeted an army checkpoint near Tell al-Zakhab, southeast of the city of Qamishli in Hasakah. The airstrike reportedly took place after …

Donald Trump has ridiculed his presidential election rival Joe Biden after the former vice president offered condolences to the president over his brother’s death. Trump’s younger brother, Robert Trump, died on Saturday night aged 71. Trump had met his brother on Friday and said, during a news briefing in the …