An Iranian scientist long suspected by the West of masterminding a secret nuclear bomb programme was killed in an ambush near Tehran on Friday that could provoke confrontation between Iran and its foes in the last weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency. The death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who Iranian media said died in hospital after armed… Read More Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh killed in ambush near Tehran
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government will protect civilians in the northern region of Tigray, he told African peace envoys on Friday, a day after he announced the military was beginning the “final phase” of an offensive there. But a statement issued after their meeting made no mention of talks with the Tigray People’s Liberation… Read More Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed meets with African peace envoys over Tigray crisis
A South Korean court on Thursday sentenced the leader of an online sexual blackmail ring to 40 years in prison, the Yonhap news agency reported. Cho Ju-bin, 24, was found guilty of running an online network that blackmailed at least 74 women, including 16 teenagers, into what authorities called “virtual enslavement” by forcing them to… Read More South Korean court sentences leader of online sexual blackmail ring to forty years imprisonment
France’s finance ministry has sent out notices to big tech companies liable for its digital service tax to pay the levy as planned in December, the ministry said on Wednesday. France suspended collection of the tax, which will hit companies like Facebook and Amazon, early this year while negotiations were underway at the Organisation for… Read More France orders big tech companies to pay tax for digital service
Mexico captured a gang leader accused of being the mastermind behind the massacre of nine women and children of U.S.-Mexican origin, authorities confirmed on Wednesday, a move that Washington hailed as a victory for bilateral cooperation. Suspected drug cartel hitmen shot dead the three women and six children from families of Mormon origin in the… Read More Mexican security forces capture alleged mastermind of massacre of Mormon women, children
Leading Sudanese politician and former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi died from a coronavirus infection three weeks after being hospitalised in the United Arab Emirates, according to family sources and a party statement early on Thursday. Mahdi, 84, was Sudan’s last democratically elected prime minister and was overthrown in 1989 in the military coup that bought… Read More Former Sudan PM Sadiq al-Mahdi dies following coronavirus infection
The Trump administration on Wednesday granted ByteDance a new seven-day extension of an order directing the Chinese company to sell its TikTok short video-sharing app, according to a court filing. The administration previously had granted ByteDance a 15-day extension of the order issued in August, which was set to expire Friday. President Donald Trump on… Read More U.S. grants ByteDance seven-day extension on sale order of TikTok
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Trump’s pardon, which could be the first of several after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden, drew… Read More U.S. President Donald Trump pardons former national security adviser Michael Flynn
