U.S. troops not abandoning its bases inside Syria, Pentagon says
The Pentagon is denying reports by Iranian state media that U.S. military forces abandoned three bases inside Syria used in the fight against the Islamic State.
World News
Mu COVID Variant, Which Scientists Fear is Resistant to Vaccines, Detected in 39 Countries
A new coronavirus strain has been declared a variant of interest by the World Health Organization (WHO) with mutations that may be resistant to vaccines.
Journalists now stranded in Afghanistan
U.S.-friendly journalists are still in Afghanistan, left behind following the recent exodus of U.S. troops, support teams, and other personnel. The journalists left behind have worked under the umbrella of the U.S. Agency for Global Media — USAGM — an independent federal agency that oversees such global media entities as the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe.
WHO tracking new ‘mu’ coronavirus variant
The agency added the mu variant to its list of “variants of interest” on Monday. The mu variant “has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape,” the WHO said in its weekly bulletin.
Iran says nuclear talks won’t resume for 2-3 months
Stalled talks aimed at reviving Iran’s nuclear agreement with world powers will likely not resume for another two to three months, Tehran’s foreign ministry said Wednesday.
Afghanistan on verge of humanitarian ‘catastrophe,’ World Food Programme warns
One-third of Afghanistan is facing food insecurity amid the Taliban takeover, according to the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP).
Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan to Hold Naval Drills
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that it would hold naval drills in the Caspian Sea. The drill is scheduled for early September and would include small missile and artillery ships from Iran, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, Reuters reported.
UN Study: Weather Disasters Increased Fivefold in Last 50 Years
A new report released Wednesday by the United Nations indicates extreme weather events have increased fivefold over the past 50 years, while the number of fatalities related to those events has dropped.
U.S. Military Frustrated That They Left Behind Americans in Afghanistan
With the president and commander-in-Chief Joe Biden pressuring them to leave, U.S. military officials expressed outrage about the Army abandoning Americans in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Transcript: U.S. President Biden Knew Of Imminent Fall Of Afghanistan
U.S. President Joe Biden heard in July from his Afghan counterpart that Afghanistan would quickly fall to the Taliban without adequate American air support, but Biden was reluctant to provide it, according to a transcript analyzed by Worthy News.
Australia: Surveillance bill that gives authorities unprecedented powers comes into law
A new bill that is posed to give law enforcement unprecedented powers to “identify and disrupt serious criminal activity occurring online” has passed through both houses within 24 hours on August 26, 2021.
EU reaches summer goal of 70% of adults getting COVID-19 vaccine
The European Union said it reached its goal of getting 70% of adults fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the end of summer.
‘War has been forced on us’: In Panjshir mountains, resistance fighters dig in against Taliban
As the United States makes its final official exit from Afghanistan, a lone anti-Taliban province stands firm in the mountainous Panjshir region, rallying around the son of a legendary resistance leader who stood up to Soviet and Taliban forces.
China tests new missiles in simulated Taiwan strike
China’s recent test of reported new missiles appears to have been a simulated attack on a Taiwan airfield and also a possible test launch of a new hypersonic weapon, according to a U.S. Air Force research center analysis.
Biblical Euphrates River Drying Threatening Humanitarian Disaster In Syria
Aid groups have warned of a looming humanitarian disaster in northeast Syria as one of the Bible’s most famous rivers is drying up fast. The Euphrates, which is believed to have flown through the Biblical ‘Garden of Eden,’ now barely runs for almost 2,800 kilometers (1,700 miles) across Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.
WHO Seeks Global Digital Vaccination System
The World Health Organization (WHO) says its member states should roll out a universal digital information system to check if people are vaccinated against COVID-19.
US to be removed from EU travel ‘safe list’
The European Union is reportedly planning to recommend that its member nations reinstate restrictions on travelers from the U.S. due to the rising level of COVID-19 infections.
General: ‘Hundreds Of Americans Left Behind In Afghanistan’
The United States is potentially facing its biggest hostage crisis in decades Tuesday, with a key U.S. general confirming that at least hundreds of Americans are left behind in Afghanistan.
US Military Leaves Afghanistan Ending America’s Longest War
The last U.S. planes have flown out of Afghanistan, perhaps ending America’s longest war after a 20 years presence, the U.S. military confirmed.
Poland: Police regional council to maintain “LGBT-free zone” despite risking loss of EU funding
A regional council in predominantly Catholic Poland has voted to remain an “LGBT-free zone,” risking a loss of funding from the European Union, Reuters reports. The southern Malopolska region has received a letter from the EU warning it could lose more than €2.5 billion in funds unless it revokes its 2019 “LGBT-free zone” declaration by mid-September.