Tunisia’s first freely elected President, Beji Caid Essebsi, has died aged 92, the country’s presidency says. He was the world’s oldest sitting president. He was admitted to hospital on Wednesday but officials did not say why he was receiving treatment. Mr Essebsi won Tunisia’s first free elections in 2014 …
Read More »Sudan military says it thwarts coup attempt, arrests senior officers
Sudan’s military said on Wednesday that it had thwarted a coup attempt and arrested an unspecified number of senior officers in connection with a plot to restore the party of ousted President Omar al-Bashir to power. The ruling military council took over after the military ousted Bashir on April 11 …
Read More »Europe faces record-breaking heat wave
Europeans have already been struggling with the heat this summer, but meteorologists warn that it’s going to get even hotter over the next few days. Widespread alerts warning of medium or high heat has been issued across many countries in Western, Central and even northeastern Europe. Weather forecasters in the …
Read More »Robert Mueller testifies to Congress about Russiagate probe
Former special counsel Robert Mueller is testifying before the House Judiciary Committee about his investigation into alleged collusion between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the Kremlin. Despite claims that the probe would lead to high-level indictments that would end Trump’s presidency, Mueller’s probe failed to unearth any evidence of Trump’s …
Read More »No Evidence for Direct ISIS link to Easter Attacks: Sri Lanka police.
Sri Lankan police have not found enough evidence to prove that Islamic State (IS) terrorists were directly involved with the Easter Sunday bombings, the chief investigator said on Wednesday, even though the group had claimed responsibility. The attacks on churches and hotels in Colombo and in the east killed more …
Read More »Israeli airstrike kills, injures several civilians in southwestern Syria
Several civilians have lost their lives and sustained injuries when Israeli fighter jets launched an airstrike against a strategic area in Syria’s southwestern province of Dara’a, north of the border with Jordan. The state-run al-Ikhbariyah Syria television news network said in a newsflash that the air raid took place early …
Read More »China warns of war in case of a move toward Taiwan independence
China warned on Wednesday that it was ready for war if there was any move toward Taiwan’s independence, accusing the United States of undermining global stability and denouncing its arms sales to the self-ruled island. The Pentagon said this month the U.S. State Department had approved sales of weapons requested …
Read More »Iran is ready to negotiate but not if negotiations mean surrender
Iran is ready for “just” negotiations but not if they mean surrender, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, without saying what talks he had in mind. Rouhani seemed to be referring to possible negotiations with the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal …
Read More »Death toll from India, Nepal, Bangladesh floods jumps to over 300.
The death toll from severe flooding in parts of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh rose to more than 300 on Monday, even as heavy rains are starting to ebb and water levels started to recede in some of the worst-affected areas. Heavy rains and overflowing rivers swamped vast swathes of eastern …
Read More »U.N. says war in Yemen is ’eminently resolvable’
The war in Yemen can be stopped because the warring sides and the international political consensus support a U.N. peace deal brokered in Stockholm last December, U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths said on Tuesday. “I believe that this war in Yemen is eminently resolvable,” Griffiths told reporters in Geneva. “Both parties …
Read More »Israel demolishes Palestinian homes near West Bank barrier
Israeli forces demolished a cluster of Palestinian homes near a military barrier on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Monday, in the face of protests and international criticism. Israel said the 10 apartment buildings, most of them still under construction, had been built illegally and posed a security risk to Israeli …
Read More »Muslim US congresswoman vows to impeach Trump
US Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib, one of the four minority lawmakers targeted in President Donald Trump’s recent racisit tweets, has vowed to hold her ground and fight the Republican head of statement until he is impeached. “I’m not going nowhere, not until I impeach this President,” Tlaib said at the …
Read More »US officers sacked for a post suggesting “lawmaker should be shot.”
Two US police officers in Louisiana have been fired over a Facebook post suggesting congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should be shot. Charles Rispoli wrote that the Democrat needed “a round”, which was then “liked” by a fellow officer. The police chief of Gretna said it was “an embarrassment to our department”. …
Read More »South Korea fires hundreds of warning shots at Russian warplane.
South Korea says its jets fired warning shots at a Russian surveillance plane that entered its airspace on Tuesday. Officials said the plane twice violated the airspace over the disputed Dokdo/Takeshima islands, which are occupied by South Korea but also claimed by Japan. South Korea’s Ministry of Defence said it …
Read More »Yemen attacks Saudi airbase with drones.
Yemeni forces have launched drone attacks on King Khalid Airbase in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern province of Asir in retaliation against the kingdom’s aggression on their country. The spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said several Qasef-K2 (Striker-K2) combat drones had targeted the airbase near the city of …
Read More »Boris Johnson becomes Britain’s new prime minister.
Boris Johnson, Britain’s most high-profile Brexiteer, has won the leadership of the Tories to become the country’s next prime minister, replacing outgoing Theresa May. Johnson won 92,153 votes by members of the Conservative Party On Tuesday, Reuters reported. His main rival, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, won 46,656. He is to …
Read More »6 dead as Nigerian police crack down on pro-Zakzaky rally
Nigerian security forces have killed at least six protesters who were demanding the immediate release of the senior Muslim figure Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky, who has been locked up in a government jail since 2015. The deadly clashes occurred in capital Abuja on Monday when security forces attacked a group of …
Read More »Dozens injured as 1,000 firefighters battle wildfires in Portugal.
More than 1,000 firefighters battled wildfires in central Portugal on Monday, forcing the evacuation of several villages as the authorities hoped to limit the number of residents at risk. So far 33 people have been injured, including one who is in a serious condition. Portugal’s Civil Protection said some houses …
Read More »Video: Israel begins destroying Palestinian homes on Jerusalem outskirts.
Israeli forces have begun destroying homes on the outskirts of the occupied East Jerusalem “al-Quds”, despite international condemnation and mass protests. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and police stormed Sur Baher early on Monday and declared the village a military zone, banning journalists from entering. Palestinian and international activists, who tried …
Read More »PM Abdul Mahdi meets Iranian President in Iran
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi arrived in Iran on Monday evening for talks in a bid to ease tensions between Tehran and the West. “The premier is expected to meet with Iranian officials to discuss the issue of Strait of Hormuz, especially after Tehran seized the British-flagged tanker Stena …
Read More »