Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency after a sudden spike in violence against Muslims in a central town, and amid fears the unrest could spread to other parts of the country. President Maithripala Sirisena said the declaration would “empower” the country’s armed forces and police to respond to ... Read More »
Gen. Aoun: Lebanese army ready along Israel border
Lebanese Army chief Gen. Joseph Aoun said that the Army is determined to defend Lebanon’s rights “with all means and options available, no matter how much the provocative enemy escalates its threats.” An Army statement detailed Aoun’s address to the leaders of the Third Intervention Regiment and to other Army ... Read More »
China angered with U.S.-Taiwan travel bill, adding to tensions
BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China expressed anger on Thursday after the U.S. Senate passed a bill promoting closer U.S. ties with Taiwan, but the step drew praise from the self-ruled island which pledged to deepen cooperation. The move adds to tensions between China and the United States, already at loggerheads ... Read More »
Thousands of Rohingya flee ‘no man’s land’ after resettlement talks
DHAKA/YANGON: Thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled a strip of land on the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh after the two countries met to discuss resettling them, an official and a community leader said. The United Nations refugee agency has expressed concern that some 5,300 people who were staying in ... Read More »
More than 4,000 Pakistani families to return from Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani citizens belonging to the North Waziristan Agency who had moved to Afghanistan during operation Zarb-e-Azb, are moving back to their homeland, reads a statement from the office of the Political Agent of North Waziristan. The government has made preparations to receive 4,329 displaced families arriving from Khost, Afghanistan, ... Read More »
Famine again a threat in South Sudan, new report says
One year after South Sudan briefly declared a famine, more than half of the people in the world’s youngest nation face extreme hunger amid civil war and famine could return, a new report says. More than six million people, up about 40 percent from a year ago, are at ... Read More »
Italian election: Major EU power IN PERIL amid risk of violence continuing AFTER election
ITALY may struggle to stop the spread of violence that has hits the country’s streets once the election is over, according to an expert who claims the “real issues” of division are not being discussed. Dozens of violent political protests have rocked Italian streets in the past two ... Read More »
Kashmir: Pakistan and India exchange artillery fire amid escalation in dispute
Altercation prompts fears about 15-year-old ceasefire between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan have exchanged artillery fire in the disputed Kashmir region, forcing hundreds of people to flee, police in Indian Kashmir said – raising fresh doubts about a 15-year-old ceasefire between the nuclear-armed rivals in the area. It was not ... Read More »
Iran may pull out of nuclear deal over Western banks’ reluctance to do business
The country says it could stop abiding by the deal if Donald Trump insists on modifying its terms Iran may pull out of its nuclear deal with international powers if Western banks continue to refuse doing business with the country over fear of American sanctions, Tehran’s deputy foreign minister has warned. ... Read More »
Robert Mueller files 32 new fraud charges against ex-Trump aides
The move marks the latest step in ratcheting up pressure on former Trump campaign aides Paul Manafort and Rick Gates More than 30 new charges, involving millions of dollars of bank and tax fraud, were filed on Thursday against Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and his business ... Read More »