Russian-installed authorities began holding regional elections on Thursday in parts of Ukraine Russia claimed as its own last year, seeking to cement Moscow's authority in what it calls its "new territories" despite the ongoing conflict.
Zain Qureshi, son of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi reached Lahore International Airport to fly to Dubai via a flight from an international airline but was not allowed to board the flight by the FIA Immigration officials. Shah Mahmood Qureshi who is currently facing a case of cipher leak under the Official Secrets Act, reported ARY News. Earlier, the FIA stopped over 200 suspected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers from leaving the country.
North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea, following the US flying long-range bombers for drills with its allies. The launches are part of North Korea's ongoing barrage of weapons tests and come during the annual US-South Korean military exercises. South Korea and Japan have both condemned the launches, calling them a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. North Korea has been conducting numerous weapons tests this year, with leader Kim Jong Un pushing to enlarge and modernize the country's weapons arsenals. The US and its allies have responded by enhancing their military drills and visibility in the region.
A special session in Tennessee, initially convened to address public safety after a school shooting, ended abruptly amidst political infighting. The session was meant to discuss gun control measures, but lawmakers refused to take them up. House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Democratic Rep. Justin Pearson had a heated moment and accused each other of shoving.
The Islamabad high court suspended on Tuesday ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s three-year sentence in the Toshakhana (treasure house for state gifts) case but another court established to hear cases under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 has directed the jail authorities to keep the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief behind bars in the missing cipher case.
A wildfire burning in northeastern Greece for 11 days has destroyed an area larger than New York City, the European Union-backed Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Tuesday, as firefighters from five countries battled to contain the flames. Fuelled by gale force winds and hot weather, the fire that began near the city of Alexandroupolis quickly spread across the Evros region, killing at least 20 people last week in Europe's deadliest blaze this summer.
Police arrested the suspect over three hours after the initial reports of shots fired came in from Caudill Labs, officials said at a news conference. Charges were pending, and the suspect was not immediately identified. University officials also did not immediately identify the staffer who was killed and said it was too soon to offer a possible motive.
The Alabama attorney general's office requested the state Supreme Court to schedule a date for the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith. The court submission revealed that Alabama intends to carry out his execution using nitrogen hypoxia, a method allowed in three states but never used before.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has announced a $1 million donation to enhance security at Edward Waters University, a historically black college. The decision came after a racially motivated attack in Florida, where the gunman attempted to enter the college but was denied entry. DeSantis also pledged to donate $100,000 to charity for the victims' families. The funding measure is seen as a response to allegations of racism against DeSantis.
The Pentagon plans to field thousands of drones within the next two years to help counter China's numerical edge in personnel and military hardware, a senior US defense official said Monday. "We'll counter the PLA's mass with mass of our own, but ours will be harder to plan for, harder to hit, harder to beat," she said, referring to the Chinese military.
North Korea said Sunday it will allow its citizens staying abroad to return home in line with easing pandemic situations worldwide, as the country slowly eases its draconian coronavirus restrictions.
Major Andrew Mettler, a Marine Corps pilot, was killed when his F/A-18D Hornet crashed during a training flight near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. Mettler's body was recovered at the crash site, and an investigation is underway. He was known as "Simple Jack" and was a skilled pilot and leader in his squadron.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has suggested that an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden is becoming more likely as Congress ends its summer break. McCarthy, a Republican, has not committed to an impeachment vote but believes it is a "natural step forward" for Congress to have the power to gather information. Some House Republicans want to investigate Biden over alleged financial misconduct involving his son, but there is no evidence of wrongdoing by the president.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to ask parliament to increase penalties for corruption during wartime, equating it with high treason. Zelenskiy believes that fighting corruption will not only help defeat Russia but also make it easier for international partners to support Ukraine's rebuilding efforts. Ukraine currently ranks 116th out of 180 countries on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.
Pakistan's interim PM Anwaar ul Haq Kakar has directed authorities to take "concrete steps" within 48 hours to reduce inflated electricity bills. The move comes in response to public outcry and protests in several cities. Kakar also called for measures to minimize electricity consumption at the PM House and Pak Secretariat, including turning off air conditioning if necessary.
North Korea has approved the return of its citizens who were abroad due to strict border restrictions during the COVID pandemic. The decision comes as the country gradually opens its borders to passenger travel. Those returning will be placed under medical observation for a week. This comes after an Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang landed in Beijing, potentially carrying North Koreans who had been stranded in China.
Only one out of the 18 co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case involving former President Donald Trump has been incarcerated. Harrison Floyd, who faces charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and witness tampering, objected to being held as a flight risk during his court appearance. He voluntarily surrendered himself and did not have legal counsel to negotiate a bond agreement.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for most of the state's Gulf coast as a weather system off the coast of Mexico could potentially become a tropical storm and move towards the area. The National Hurricane Center predicts a 70% chance of the system becoming a tropical storm by Monday. While the storm's path and strength are uncertain, it has the potential to cause flooding, power outages, storm surge, and tornadoes.
A shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, has resulted in a "number of fatalities," the city's mayor said on Saturday, according to local media. The Jacksonville Police Department did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Rania Al Mashat, affirmed that the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Cop28), which the UAE will host from November 30 to December 12, 2023 at Expo City Dubai, will provide a major and important international platform to address the issue of climate change and its negative effects on countries and peoples
Residents near a Louisiana refinery were ordered to evacuate after a fire broke out. The fire, which was contained to the Marathon Petroleum facility, caused thick black smoke and destroyed at least one storage tank. Air quality monitoring was being conducted, and no injuries were reported. The evacuation was ordered as a precautionary measure, and an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the fire.
The presumed death of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin in the short term, eliminating a powerful figure who defied his authority. However, it also deprives Putin of a useful player who advanced Russian interests in conflicts like the Ukraine war and across Africa. The cause of the crash is still unknown, but there is speculation of vengeance for Prigozhin's previous mutiny. While the assumed involvement of the Kremlin may suit Putin's purpose, analysts believe it could lead to a struggle for control of Prigozhin's business empire.
Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian military's ground forces, has stated that Russia is regrouping in the eastern part of Ukraine under Moscow's control in order to launch a new offensive. The enemy is reportedly bringing in new brigades and divisions from Russian territory to increase their combat potential. The Russian forces are said to be continuing heavy artillery and mortar shelling as well as air assaults.
The Kremlin on Friday rejected allegations it was behind a plane crash that is presumed to have killed mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who conducted a brief but shocking mutiny in Russia two months ago.
The US Department of Defense on Thursday said there was currently no information to suggest that a surface-to-air missile took down the plane presumed to be carrying Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Hundreds of women in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish suburb of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, protested against gender-based segregation, particularly on public transport. Media reports have highlighted incidents in which bus drivers have refused to allow women to board or have forced them to sit at the back. The protestors held placards reading "We are equal" and chanted slogans advocating for democracy and equality.
During a recent Republican presidential debate, not a single candidate raised their hand when asked if they believed human behavior is causing climate change. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley was the only candidate who acknowledged that climate change is real. This has frustrated leaders in the GOP's environmental activist movement, who believe that Republicans are alienating voters who care about climate change.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of mercenary group Wagner who led a short-lived revolt against Russia's Vladimir Putin, is feared dead in a private jet crash in the Tver region north of Moscow. Prigozhin was a Russian oligarch, mercenary chief and a close confidant of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pledged to end Russia's occupation of Crimea and dismissed criticism of Ukraine's counteroffensive. Zelenskiy stated that Crimea, along with other occupied territories, will be reclaimed by Ukraine. He said Ukrainian troops were advancing in the counteroffensive but set no time frame for retaking Crimea or other occupied territory.
Scorching heat in the US has affected nearly 100 million people, with temperatures reaching into the upper 90s and a heat index of 110 degrees. Tragically, a 1-year-old girl was left in a daycare van in Nebraska and died. The van driver has been charged with child negligence resulting in death. Heat alerts have been issued for 22 states, and schools and outdoor events have been adjusted accordingly.
Brazil's Federal Police will investigate a suspected plan by defense ministry officials to create a report during the 2022 election campaign supporting former President Jair Bolsonaro's baseless claims of voter fraud. The police will call on retired General Paulo Sergio Nogueira, Bolsonaro's defense minister at the time, to testify.
Former Long Island police chief James Burke, who previously served time in federal prison for assaulting a suspect, has been arrested for allegedly soliciting sex and exposing himself at a public park in Farmingville, Long Island. Burke faces charges of public lewdness, indecent exposure, and criminal solicitation.
The BRICS summit in South Africa began without the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Putin's travel was complicated by an outstanding International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest, while Xi did not join the other leaders for a business forum and instead had a bilateral meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
United States Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Lee Satterfield will visit India from August 22-27 to lead the US delegation to the G20 Culture Ministers' Meeting in Varanasi on Saturday.
Former Pakistan Foreign Minister and politician Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been granted four days' physical remand by a special court in a cipher case. Qureshi and his jailed boss, Prime Minister Imran Khan, are accused of using a diplomatic cipher for political gain. The court approved Qureshi's remand after the Federal Investigation Agency prosecutor sought 10 days' custody for the recovery of the allegedly missing cipher.
Cyprus police on Monday rescued 18 Syrian migrants after their boat started taking on water some 3.5 miles off the Mediterranean island nation's southeastern coast. Police said the 11 men, three unescorted minors, one woman and her three children had set sail from Tartus, Syria and were brought ashore aboard a police patrol vessel.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injury from the quake, which struck at 2:41 p.m. local time (2141 GMT), roughly 7 km (4.35 miles) southeast of the Southern California community of Ojai in Ventura County. It was followed by several smaller aftershocks.
Russian space agency Roscosmos said it lost contact with the spacecraft at 11.57 GMT on Saturday after it reported a glitch while going into its pre-landing orbit. "During the operation, an abnormal situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the manoeuvre to be performed," it said.
The storm has already caused flooding in places across Mexico’s arid peninsula and threatens to unleash torrential rains on mudslide-prone Tijuana, where many houses cling to steep hillsides, as it moves northward as the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years.
According to the police, though double-murder and suicide is being suspected, the motive behind the deaths of Yogesh Honnala, 37, his wife Pratibha, 35, and their six-year-old son Yash is yet to be determined.
Russia and China maintained their objections to the paragraph lifted from the 2022 Bali Declaration that condemned Russia's aggression, while acknowledging different views and assessments. With Russia no longer backing the paragraph text, the G20 ministerial meetings this year have ended only with an outcome document and Chair's summary, and not a joint communique or a consensus document.
Highs of 109 degrees Fahrenheit (42.8 degrees Celsius) forecast for Saturday and 110 F (43.3 C) on Sunday in Dallas would break the current record of 107 F (41.7 C) each day, both set in 2011, and would come after a high of 109 F (42.8 C) on Thursday broke a record of 107 F set in 1951, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Bradshaw.
The storm, which weakened on Saturday to a Category 3 hurricane, was about 235 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula as of 8 a.m. Saturday in Los Angeles, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. Meteorologists have said that the storm may cause "life-threatening" and potentially "catastrophic" flooding in Baja and the Southwestern United States, starting this weekend.
More unmarried Chinese women are buying property, a trend challenging traditional gender roles that require men to own homes to get married. While only 6.9% of unmarried Chinese women owned property a decade ago, that figure rose to 10.3% in 2020, according to the Chinese government. Higher incomes, increased education, and changing attitudes toward women's rights are among the drivers of the trend.
Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and author, has gained the attention of media and crowds while crossing the early primary states of the 2024 presidential cycle. However, he faces a tough challenge with other Republican candidates who are loath to see him elevated as an alternative to Donald Trump. Ramaswamy has now gained third place behind Ron DeSantis and Trump in polling averages.