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.
Washington
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.
Abortion providers ask Supreme Court to block Texas’ post-six-weeks ban
Abortion providers and pro-choice advocates asked the Supreme Court on Monday to block a Texas law going into effect on Wednesday that bans abortion after six weeks and allows private citizens to sue abortion providers for violating the law.
UN Watchdog: ‘North Korea’s Restart Of Nuclear Enrichment Plant Deeply Troubling’
The United Nations nuclear watchdog warned Monday that nuclear-armed North Korea appears to have restarted its plutonium-producing reprocessing reactor.
US Drone Strike Kills “Planner” Of Kabul Attacks
The United States has carried out a drone strike against an Islamic State (IS) group “planner” in eastern Afghanistan after an attack outside Kabul’s airport killed 13 U.S. troops and at least 169 Afghans, officials say.
U.S. Supreme Court hands Biden another loss, strikes down eviction moratorium
The Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration’s COVID-19 eviction moratorium, allowing evictions to resume.
Afghanistan’s Taliban Rulers Appoint Former U.S. Terror Suspect As Defense Minister
Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban group has appointed a suspected terrorist who was held at the U.S.-run Guantanamo Bay prison facility as acting defense minister. The Islamist rulers named ex-detainee Abdul Qayyum Zakir, a mullah or Muslim mosque leader, as a minister, reported the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel citing a Taliban source.
China Warns Of Counterattack Against Those Questioning Coronavirus Origins
China warned Wednesday it would retaliate with “a counterattack” against those questioning whether the coronavirus leaked from its labs after U.S. President Joe Biden indicated he would make public findings of an intelligence investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden seeks cyber solutions from tech and business execs at White House summit
President Biden asked executives from major tech companies, banks, and other businesses taking part in a White House summit Wednesday to brainstorm solutions to the onslaught of hacks and cyberattacks damaging the country’s economy.
IDF preparing to strike Iranian nuclear sites as Gantz warns of nuclear capability within months
Israel’s military is working hard to develop plans to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, the IDF Chief of Staff revealed on Wednesday, as Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made his way to Washington to discuss the Islamic Republic’s nuclear capabilities with U.S. President Joe Biden.
‘Almost a religious experience’: House Democrats pass voting bill; likely DOA in Senate
House Democrats in a party-line vote Tuesday approved restoring the Justice Department’s lapsed authority under the Voting Rights Act to block new state election laws deemed too restrictive.
Bennett: Israel won’t annex territory or establish Palestinian state on my watch
Ahead of his first meeting as prime minister with President Joe Biden, Naftali Bennett of Israel said he would neither annex West Bank territory nor allow it to become a Palestinian state.
Emboldened Iran To Hold War Drills With Russia and China
Iran is set to hold a series of war drills with Russia and China, as the hardline regime celebrates the United States’ bungled evacuation in Afghanistan and boosts its enrichment of nuclear weapons-grade uranium to historically high levels.
Judge grants one-week reprieve to ICE on Biden deportation limits
A federal judge on Monday granted a reprieve to ICE, allowing it to revive its new deportation limits for the next week while the Biden administration asks appeals courts to step in and overturn the judge’s ruling from last week.
Bennett to tell Biden: Iran’s advanced enrichment makes nuclear deal worthless
There is no value in returning to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in light of advances in Iran’s nuclear program, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett plans to tell US President Joe Biden in their meeting at the White House on Thursday.
Twitter Hosts Taliban, Other Sites Closed
While it has banned former U.S. President Donald J. Trump from its service, the social networking site Twitter continues to host accounts of high-profile officials linked to the Islamist Taliban group.
Russia Warns West Not To Intervene In Afghanistan
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West not to interfere in Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul, amid signs that China and Russia are increasing their footprint there. The authoritarian leader said Western nations “must stop the irresponsible policy of imposing foreign values from abroad.”
Court orders Arizona Senate to release 2020 election audit records
An appeals court on Thursday rejected an effort by the Arizona Senate to keep secret records of its ongoing review of the 2020 election in Maricopa County that are in the possession of the contractors conducting the recount.
UK Parliament Holds Biden in Contempt for Afghanistan Withdrawal
The United Kingdom’s Parliament on Wednesday held President Joe Biden in contempt for his withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, calling the move “catastrophic” and “shameful.”
Pope Francis says getting vaccinated is an ‘act of love’
Pope Francis is urging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, calling the decision an “act of love.”