Removal of US Capitol fencing begins six months after riot

More than six months after the deadly US Capitol insurrection, authorities on Friday began the process of dismantling fencing and barricades surrounding the iconic Washington building, although some access restrictions will remain in place. 
10 July 2021

Ukrainian soldier killed, three wounded as tension mounts

The Ukrainian army yesterday said that a soldier had been killed and three others wounded in the country’s pro-Russian separatist east, amid rising tensions in the conflict-torn region. 
10 July 2021

US, France expand special forces cooperation

The US and French defense chiefs signed a new “roadmap” for cooperation between their special operations forces Friday as both seek to build international efforts to counter non-state threats like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. 
10 July 2021

99.5pc of US covid deaths are unvaccinated people

Nearly all of the recent deaths from Covid-19 in the US have been unvaccinated individuals, according to initial data from the Centers for Disease Control
10 July 2021

95pc needs vaccine to stop Delta variant!

A panel of scientists who advise the French government on health warned Friday that as many as 95 percent of people might need to be vaccinated to dam the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19. With cases rising, “a fourth wave linked to the Delta variant
10 July 2021

Charlottesville removes Confederate statue at center of deadly 2017 protest

A statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was taken down in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, nearly four years after white supremacist protests over plans to remove it led to clashes in which a woman was run down by a car and killed.
10 July 2021

At least 8 killed in Mogadishu by suicide bomb targeting government convoy

A suicide car bomb targeting a government convoy exploded at a busy junction in Somalia's capital on Saturday, killing at least eight people, an eyewitness told Reuters.
10 July 2021

Biden names Peter Haas as ambassador pick for Bangladesh

President Joe Biden on Friday named Peter Haas as the new nominee for US ambassador to Bangladesh, reports CNBC quoting a White House press release.
10 July 2021

Eid-ul-Azha in Saudi Arabia on July 20

Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (July 20), as the crescent of Dul Hijjah was not sighted on Friday evening, Arab News reports.
10 July 2021

Haiti requests US, UN forces after president's assassination

Haiti has requested US and UN security forces to help it protect key infrastructure like the airport and ports after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise by foreign mercenaries, a government minister said on Friday.
10 July 2021

Colombian, US suspects blamed

A 28-member hit squad made up of Americans and Colombians assassinated President Jovenel Moise, Haitian police said Thursday, adding that eight were still at large as the country lurched into political chaos. 
9 July 2021

We ‘control 85pc Afghan territory’

The Taliban yesterday claimed to be in control of 85 percent of Afghanistan after seizing key border crossings with Iran and Turkmenistan following a sweeping offensive launched as US troops pulled out of the war-torn nation. 
9 July 2021

Pfizer pushes for 3rd shot to boost efficacy

Pfizer and BioNTech said they would seek authorisation for a third dose of their Covid-19 vaccine to boost its efficacy as the Delta variant drove devastating outbreaks in Asia, including in Thailand where fresh curbs were announced yesterday.
9 July 2021

World hunger rose steeply in 2020

World hunger rose steeply in 2020, with six times more people living in “famine-like conditions” than in 2019, rights group Oxfam said yesterday.
9 July 2021

France to start closing military bases in Mali by year-end: Macron

President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday  France would start closing its bases in northern Mali before the end of the year, part of a drawdown of French troops fighting Islamist extremists in the Sahel region.
9 July 2021

Italy allows rescue ship with 572 migrants to dock

Italy on Thursday authorised the Ocean Viking migrant rescue ship to dock in Sicily after the group urged EU members to allow 572 people picked up in the Mediterranean Sea over three days to be brought ashore.
9 July 2021

CoronaVac jab less effective against Gamma variant: study

The Chinese CoronaVac jab, a key tool in Brazil’s fight against Covid-19, is less effective against the Gamma variant first detected in the virus-ravaged South American country, a study said yesterday.
9 July 2021

Freed Palestinian prisoner claims ‘victory’ after hunger strike

A Palestinian on hunger strike for more than two months while in Israeli detention claimed “victory” yesterday after his release and transfer to a hospital in the occupied West Bank.
9 July 2021

UNSC extends cross-border aid operation for Syria

The UN Security Council yesterday unanimously approved an extension of activity at the only border crossing through which humanitarian aid reaches a rebel-held part of Syria.
9 July 2021

Vietnam jails former radio journalist

Vietnam yesterday jailed a former radio journalist on an anti-state charge, state media said, after several other reporters were taken into custody in recent weeks.
9 July 2021