AfricaLeave a comment

#EndSars Protest: Unrest in Lagos after shooting

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Buildings have been set aflame and there are reports of gunfire in Nigeria’s biggest city after demonstrators were shot at a protest, rights group Amnesty International said at least 12 people were killed by soldiers and police in Lagos on Tuesday. Nigeria’s army dismissed the reports as “fake news” in a post on Twitter, authorities have imposed an indefinite round-the-clock curfew on the city and elsewhere, but some defied the order. Protests against a police unit have been taking place for two weeks. Demonstrators have been using the social media hashtag #EndSars to rally crowds against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad … Continue reading #EndSars Protest: Unrest in Lagos after shooting

EconomyLeave a comment

Asia going through the worst recession in living memory

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Asia Pacific is set to recover from its worst recession in living memory, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says, growth forecasts for the region have been downgraded again, this time from -1.6% to -2.2% for this year. However, the glimmer of hope is for a bounce-back of almost 7% next year, according to the IMF. China will play a big part in the region’s growth next year, with its latest data showing continued recovery from the downturn caused by the virus, but there are still many black clouds on the horizon as countries, including India, the Philippines and Malaysia, continue … Continue reading Asia going through the worst recession in living memory

CORONA VIRUS PANDEMICLeave a comment

Spain passes one million Covid-19 cases

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Spain has recorded more than one million coronavirus cases, becoming the first western European country to pass that landmark figure, on Wednesday the country reported 16,973 infections and 156 deaths in the previous 24 hours, since its first diagnosed case on 31 January, Spain has now recorded a total of 1,005,295 infections. It is the sixth nation worldwide to report one million cases after the US, India, Brazil, Russia and Argentina. Europe has seen a surge in new infections over the last few months, forcing governments to bring in strict new regulations to try and control outbreaks and ensure hospitals do … Continue reading Spain passes one million Covid-19 cases

Middle EastLeave a comment

Israeli warplanes attack Hamas positions in Gaza Strip

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Israeli warplanes have carried out an air raid targeting Hamas positions in the besieged Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli army. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Twitter that the raids late on Tuesday hit a purported tunnel belonging to the Palestinian group Hamas, adding that the attack had been carried out in response to rocket fire from Gaza. However, Palestinian witnesses on the ground said two agricultural areas in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah were hit by three missiles, earlier, the Israeli army said a rocket fired from the Khan Younis area had been “intercepted by the Iron … Continue reading Israeli warplanes attack Hamas positions in Gaza Strip

ARMED INSURGENCYLeave a comment

Taliban kills dozens of Afghan forces in northern province

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Dozens of the members of Afghanistan’s security forces have been killed and many others wounded in an attack by the Taliban in the northern province of Takhar, officials said. Takhar provincial health director Abdul Qayoum told AFP news agency on Wednesday that 34 security personnel were killed in the ambush, including the province’s deputy police chief, at least eight others were wounded in the incident, which took place overnight in Baharak district, a province that is contested between the Taliban and government forces, local politicians placed the death toll at up to 42, DPA news agency reported. Baharak is one … Continue reading Taliban kills dozens of Afghan forces in northern province

Art and CultureLeave a comment

Mysterious Berlin attack targets 70 museum artefacts

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It is being described as one of the biggest attacks on art and antiquities in post-war German history, but it has taken more than two weeks to emerge, at least 70 artefacts were sprayed with an oily liquid on Berlin’s Museum Island, a Unesco world heritage site that is home to five famous museums, the attack took place on 3 October, the anniversary of German reunification. German reports have speculated whether supporters of a far-right conspiracy theorist may have been involved, Attila Hindmann, who has spread conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 pandemic, has also claimed that one of the five … Continue reading Mysterious Berlin attack targets 70 museum artefacts

TRAGEDYLeave a comment

Many killed and wounded in visa stampede

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At least 11 women have been killed and many more injured in a stampede in a stadium in Afghanistan where people were applying for visas, officials say. The incident happened after “thousands of people” gathered to request permits to Pakistan, a local spokesman said. The crowd had been redirected to a sports stadium instead of the usual visa centre in the city of Jalalabad. Visa applications to Pakistan have just resumed after a seven-month pause due to the pandemic. The visa applicants jostled to secure their token from the consulate officials, an official in Jalalabad said, according to Reuters, the … Continue reading Many killed and wounded in visa stampede

TerrorismLeave a comment

Five dead in Karachi building blast

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At least five people have been killed and more than 20 wounded after an explosion in a residential building in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, rescue officials say. Confirming the death toll, an official with the Edhi rescue service told reporters that the explosion had taken place near the city’s Maskan intersection, adjacent to the University of Karachi. The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, a senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters, television footage from the scene of the explosion showed the building had partially collapsed, rubble and debris scattered on the road … Continue reading Five dead in Karachi building blast

Gender DisparityLeave a comment

Goldman Sachs ex-executives to testify in gender discrimination case

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Two former top Goldman Sachs executives must testify in one of the biggest gender-discrimination cases in Wall Street history, a federal judge ruled. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger on Tuesday denied a move by the bank to block pre-trial depositions of former Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein and former President Gary Cohn, ruling in favor of a group of women who claim they were denied equal pay and promotions by the bank. The case is Chen-Oster v. Goldman Sachs & Co., 10-cv-06950, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan). What they knew is important because, as the … Continue reading Goldman Sachs ex-executives to testify in gender discrimination case

BusinessLeave a comment

Hong Kong: Cathay Pacific axes regional carrier and 8,500 jobs

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Cathay Pacific has announced it is closing it’s subsidiary Cathay Dragon and cutting 8,500 jobs. Cathay Dragon was a full service regional carrier flying mainly to mainland China and other Asian destinations, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific says it hopes to retain most of Cathay Dragon’s routes. Many other airlines are on the brink of survival as the Covid-19 pandemic batters travel and tourism, the cutbacks at Cathay Pacific are part of the airline group’s attempt to reduce costs during travel restrictions that governments have imposed to limit the pandemic. Cathay says it has already tried to cut costs by deferring … Continue reading Hong Kong: Cathay Pacific axes regional carrier and 8,500 jobs

EuropeLeave a comment

Amsterdam uses flower power to make streets safer

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Amsterdam is famed for being cycle friendly, but now authorities are harnessing flower power to make the city safer for pedestrians, Dutch officials are placing wooden plant and flower boxes along the railings of the city’s iconic bridges, stopping bicycle parking on the bridges in the Damstraatjes district, a spokesperson for the city told reporters. The technique, which has already been used in other areas of Amsterdam, such as Haarlemmerstraat, is designed to allow more space for pedestrians on the sidewalk. Space for pedestrians is important, now more than ever due to the large number of parked bicycles on the … Continue reading Amsterdam uses flower power to make streets safer

Animal WorldLeave a comment

The search begins for Ireland’s beloved bottlenose dolphin who has gone missing after 37 years

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As the Irish government moves the country back into a strict, national lockdown for six weeks, an unlikely story continues to break through the endless covid-19 headlines, Fungie, a bottlenose dolphin, is missing from the scenic County Kerry coast in Ireland’s southwest, where he has lived at the entrance to Dingle’s harbor since 1983. Over the past 37 years, the wild marine mammal has become an Irish celebrity thanks to his friendly nature and love of people, with visitors coming from far and wide to take a boat into the small port town’s harbor for a closer look, but the Guinness world records … Continue reading The search begins for Ireland’s beloved bottlenose dolphin who has gone missing after 37 years