Day: August 5, 2021

Tigrayan forces take control of Ethiopia’s UN heritage town of Lalibela

Forces from Ethiopia’s Tigray region have taken control of the town of Lalibela, whose famed rock-hewn churches are a United Nations World Heritage Site, and residents were fleeing, eyewitnesses said on Thursday. Lalibela, also a holy site for millions of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, is in the North Wollo Zone of the Amhara region in Ethiopia’s… Read More Tigrayan forces take control of Ethiopia’s UN heritage town of Lalibela

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Dozens of Chadian soldiers dead following attack around Lake Chad area

At least 26 Chadian soldiers were killed in the early hours of Thursday by suspected Boko Haram assailants following an attack on their patrol around the Lake Chad area, army spokesman General Azem Bermandoa said. A further 14 soldiers were wounded in the encounter, which ended with the army repulsing the attackers, Bermandoa said. Chad… Read More Dozens of Chadian soldiers dead following attack around Lake Chad area

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Iran swears in hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi as president

Hardline Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took the oath of office before parliament on Thursday, with the Islamic Republic’s clerical rulers facing growing crises at home and abroad. The mid-ranking Shi’ite cleric formally started his four-year term on Tuesday when supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei endorsed his victory in the June election, when most prominent rivals… Read More Iran swears in hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi as president

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Hong Kong judge clears activist singer Anthony Wong Yiu-ming of corruption charge

A Hong Kong judge cleared on Thursday singer and pro-democracy activist Anthony Wong of a charge of “corrupt conduct” filed this week by the city’s anti-corruption watchdog over an appearance at an opposition election rally in 2018. The Independent Commission Against Corruption said on Monday that Wong had provided “entertainment to induce others to vote”… Read More Hong Kong judge clears activist singer Anthony Wong Yiu-ming of corruption charge

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Kidnappers demand ransom payment for eighty schoolchildren abducted in northwest Nigeria

Kidnappers are demanding a ransom of one million naira each to release around 80 children snatched from a boarding school in northern Nigeria last month, according to a pastor involved in the negotiations for their release. The attack on the Bethel Baptist High School in the state of Kaduna was the 10th mass school kidnapping… Read More Kidnappers demand ransom payment for eighty schoolchildren abducted in northwest Nigeria

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Zoom agrees to $85million settlement over users’ privacy violation

Zoom Video Communications Inc agreed to pay $85 million and bolster its security practices to settle a lawsuit claiming it violated users’ privacy rights by sharing personal data with Facebook, Google and LinkedIn, and letting hackers disrupt Zoom meetings in a practice called Zoombombing. A preliminary settlement filed on Saturday afternoon requires approval by U.S.… Read More Zoom agrees to $85million settlement over users’ privacy violation

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U.S. approves potential sale of Howitzer artillery systems to Taiwan

The U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of 40 155mm M109A6 Medium Self-Propelled Howitzer artillery systems to Taiwan in a deal valued at up to $750 million, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. This comes after arms sales last year that included drones and coastal missile defenses meant to upgrade the island’s capabilities and discourage… Read More U.S. approves potential sale of Howitzer artillery systems to Taiwan

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