Sierra Leone’s parliament voted unanimously on Friday to repeal the death penalty more than two decades after the West African country carried out its last execution. President Julius Maada Bio is expected to soon sign the bill into law, which will make Sierra Leone the 23rd African country to abolish capital punishment. The bill also… Read More Sierra Leone parliament votes to repeal death penalty
Russia plans to build its first batch of icebreakers that are powered by liquified natural gas, a top official said on Friday, returning to an idea that was put on hold. Russia has the world’s only fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers. It is building up that fleet, hoping to develop the Northern Sea Route across its… Read More Russia unveils plans to build LNG-powered icebreakers for Arctic sea route
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel next week to India, a key partner in U.S. efforts to counter China and in vaccine diplomacy that is currently hobbled by its own COVID-19 crisis. It will be Blinken’s first visit to the world’s largest democracy as President Joe Biden’s secretary of state and he will… Read More U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit India on July 26
At least 112 people have died in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, authorities said on Friday, after torrential monsoon rains caused landslides and flooded low-lying areas, cutting off hundreds of villages. Parts of India’s west coast received up to 594 mm (23 inches) of rainfall over 24 hours, forcing authorities to evacuate people from… Read More Scores dead as rains trigger floods, landslides in western India
A U.S. delegation and other dignitaries were hurried to vehicles as reports emerged of shots fired and crowd control gas used on protesters outside the funeral of late Haitian president Jovenel Moise on Friday. Witnesses smelled the gas and heard detonations they believed to be shots. There were no immediate reports of injuries among protesters… Read More Dignitaries rushed to cover as protests erupt at funeral of slain Haitian president Jovenel Moise
China said on Friday that it has imposed counter-sanctions on U.S. individuals including former U.S. commerce secretary Wilbur Ross in response to U.S. sanctions on Chinese officials with Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong. The sanctions are the first imposed by China under its new anti-foreign sanction law, passed in June, and come days before… Read More China imposes counter-sanctions on former U.S. commerce secretary Wilbur Ross, others
China’s President Xi Jinping made his first visit to the Tibet Autonomous Region as national leader this week, and urged people there to “follow the party”, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday. Xi’s July 21-22 visit – the first to Tibet by a Chinese leader in three decades – comes as the country… Read More China’s President Xi Jinping makes first official visit to Tibet region
The United States has carried out air strikes to support Afghan government forces who have been under pressure from the Taliban as U.S.-led foreign forces carry out the final stages of their withdrawal from the country. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday the air strikes were in support of Afghan security forces in… Read More U.S. launches airstrikes to support Afghan government forces
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