Foreign

Despite unilateral ceasefire declaration by federal gov’t, Tigrayan leaders say they ‘will carry out all the tasks necessary to ensure the survival and security’ of their people. Regional forces battling government troops in Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray pledged to drive out “enemies” from the region, suggesting fighting will continue despite a …

Strikes mark second time US President Joe Biden has ordered retaliatory attacks against armed groups since taking office. Members of the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces, or the Hashd al-Shaabi, take part in a parade to celebrate the 7th anniversary of their founding at Camp Ashraf in Khalis, in Diyala province, …

The rise of highly contagious coronavirus variant prompts several countries to reintroduce restrictions amid surge in new COVID-19 infections. Authorities in several countries – from Bangladesh and Indonesia to Australia and Israel – are racing to contain the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, while Russia’s …

People in Italy will no longer have to wear masks outdoors from June 28, the government has said, as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations decline in one of Europe’s worst-hit countries by the pandemic. Mandatory masks were imposed in October last year, when the country was entering a second wave of …

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that it does not look like the Coronavirus (COVID-19) originated from a laboratory in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, local media reported. “At the moment the advice we’ve had is that it doesn’t look like this particular disease of a zoonotic origin …

Candidates competing for a presidency that could influence how Iran tackles its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, US sanctions, and an ailing economy. Tehran, Iran – When the polls open on Friday for Iran’s presidential election, four men will be on the ballot, but one enjoys a significant lead over …

Israeli air strikes are the first on Gaza since a shaky ceasefire with Hamas ended 11-days of fighting last month. Israel launched air raids on the Gaza Strip after Palestinian groups in the besieged enclave sent incendiary balloons into southern Israel. The overnight air strikes gave way to calm by …

Israel has welcomed a new prime minister for the first time in more than a decade.   Naftali Bennett, 49, was sworn in on Sunday June 13, after a new coalition government unseated longtime Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett, 49, was a former chief of staff to Netanyahu   The …

The Russian president, ahead of his meeting with Joe Biden, also praised former US President Donald Trump. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in advance of his June 16 meeting with United States President Joe Biden, said relations between the US and Russia are at a nadir. “We have a bilateral relationship that has …

Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party’s efforts to find defectors among opponents is the latest example of ‘King Bibi’ and his lust for power. After the fourth election in two years and the ever-more-likely departure of Benjamin Netanyahu as the country’s prime minister, the situation in Israel is becoming increasingly …