Iran-backed forces said behind ‘potential hijack’ in Gulf of Oman
Iranian-backed forces have taken control of a tanker in the Gulf of Oman, reports said late Tuesday in an incident British authorities described as “a potential hijack.”
World News
U.S., Afghan air force unleash massive airstrikes as Taliban threaten key cities
The Afghan air force on Monday pounded the Taliban with repeated airstrikes in an effort to keep insurgent fighters from capturing key cities in southern and western Afghanistan, officials said, as the battle for the country’s future moves from the rural countryside toward major population centers.
‘Greatest cover-up of all time’: House GOP presents evidence of COVID-19 origins, Wuhan lab leak
The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said in a report Monday that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 leaked from China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology in August or early September 2019 and that Chinese officials took part in “the greatest coverup of all time.”
Australia Using Army For COVID Lockdown After Philippines
Australia’s government sent the army Monday to help enforce strict lockdowns in Sydney, where it claims many COVID-19 cases were recorded.
Poland Grants Asylum To Belarus Olympic Sprinter
Poland says it has granted a humanitarian visa to a sprinter from Belarus who refused her team’s order to fly home early from the Olympics. The offer to Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was due to lead to asylum in the European Union nation amid growing political and social turmoil in Belarus.
Albania Repatriates Islamic State Women, Children Despite Controversy
A group of women and children who were the families of Albanian nationals who joined Islamic extremist groups fighting in Syria and Iraq have returned to their homeland. Their arrival Sunday comes amid a debate in several other countries in Europe on what to do with fighters and supporters of groups such as the Islamic State.
Belarus President Warns He May Invite Russian Troops
The autocratic president of Belarus says he is ready to invite Russian troops into his nation if required for the security of both Belarus and Russia. Alexander Lukashenko’s comments were due to raise tensions with the international community.
Belarus Olympic Athlete Seeks Asylum In EU
A Belarusian Olympic athlete who criticized her nation’s authoritarian leadership and coaches wants asylum in a European Union nation, Worthy News learned Sunday.
Popular protests, violent crackdown put Biden Iran policy to the test
It started two weeks ago as a small-scale demonstration over water shortages in a remote province, but like other Iranian protests in recent years, the outburst has spread to several major cities with large crowds calling for the downfall of the Iranian regime and chants of “Death to the dictator.”
Taliban rockets hit Kandahar airport, clashes intensify in Afghanistan
Taliban fighters struck Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan with at least three rockets overnight, the insurgent group’s spokesman said on Sunday, adding that the aim was to thwart air strikes conducted by Afghan government forces.
EU Targets Christian Doctors Saying Abortion Is ‘Human Right’
Pro-Life doctors and Christian groups are under pressure after the European Parliament passed a resolution saying that abortion is a “human right” and condemned opponents.
Dubai is coping with its 125-degree heat by using laser-beam-shooting drones to shock rainwater out of clouds
The National Center of Meteorology in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has found a new way to make it rain. It’s using laser-beam-shooting drones to generate rainfall artificially.
US-China Wrangle Over COVID Origins at UN, After US Complains China Is Not Cooperating
The politically charged dispute over the origins of COVID-19 spilled over at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, with the U.S. accusing China trying to “undermine” the investigation and Beijing’s envoy retorting that the U.S. was smearing China in a bid to deflect attention from “its botched response to the pandemic.”
Inquiry Blames Maltese State For Murder Journalist
A public inquiry into the car bomb murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has concluded that the Maltese state failed to protect her.
China Jails Billionaire Who Criticized Leaders
A prominent Chinese billionaire who was outspoken on issues such as human rights has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment in China.
Afghan government may fall to Taliban once US troops withdraw
The Afghan government may well fall to the Taliban after the US completes its military withdrawal in August, a US government watchdog reported on Wednesday. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) Afghan security forces are ill-prepared to resist the Taliban militarily, the Voice of America reports.
Iran claims to have arrested spies connected to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency
Iran’s state TV reported Tuesday that Iranian government authorities had arrested members of a group connected to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, the Associated Press reports. The arrests were reported amid protests in Iran over water shortages in Khuzestan province.
China warns Europe stop ‘politicizing origin tracing’ of pandemic, amid speculation on COVID start
China on Wednesday told Brussels to stop “politicizing the issue of origins tracing” after a European Union official called for more investigations.
China Building Massive Nuclear Missile Base, Satellite Images Reveal
China is building a field of more than 100 nuclear missile silos out of range of most U.S. weapons, satellite images reveal.
Iran opens new oil terminal in bid to bypass crucial Strait of Hormuz for exports
Iran opened its first oil terminal in the Gulf of Oman, a move aimed at making Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s regime less dependent on the Strait of Hormuz, often a source of international tension.