WORLD
Russia expels UK warship for 'violating' territorial waters
The British destroyer HMS Defender crossed Russia's border in the northwestern part of the Black Sea at 11.52 a.m. on Wednesday after going 3 km beyond the sea border in the area of Cape Fiolent, Xinhua news agency quoted the ministry. The vessel ignored warnings on the possible use of weapons from the Russian side, causing a Russian border patrol ship to fire warning shots, it added.
Delta variant could be dominant in Europe by Aug'
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said that the Covid-19 Delta variant is expected to account for nearly all new cases in the continent by August. In its latest threat assessment report, the ECDC said on Wednesday that since the Delta variant is 40-60 per cent more transmissible. By late August, this figure could reach 90 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported citing the Centre as saying.
Chinese ship sailed off with Iranian bitumen labelled as UAE product
The Chinese ship Guangzhou Wan sailed off to Chattogram from Hamriyah port near Sharjah in UAE on May 9. The ship contained 11,220 tonnes of bitumen for two Bangladeshi companies. Some 6,773 tons are for the Bay Terminal and Distribution Company Limited, a sister concern of PHP Group. And the remaining bitumen was for MEB Group.
Global Covid-19 caseload tops 179.5mn
In its latest update on Thursday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 179,522,146 and 3,889,680, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,577,488 and 602,833, respectively, according to the CSSE.
Merkel cautions against spread of Covid Delta variant
Although the current infection situation in Germany was "encouraging," Chancellor Angela Merkel called for further caution over the Covid-19 crisis during her last government question session in the Bundestag on Wednesday. Germany's incidence rate of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past seven days continued to fall to 7.2 on Wednesday
UN chief calls on EU to fight for 'enlightenment' against intolerance
"As a European, I'm particularly proud with the contribution that I consider the most important contribution of Europe to global civilization -- and that is in my opinion, the Enlightenment, the values of the Enlightenment. The primacy of reason, tolerance," Guterres said at a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Xinhua reported.
France urges vigilance against Delta variant
"There is a threat (of epidemic resurgence) linked to the Delta variant," Attal told RMC radio. "We can see that things can go very quickly ... and that requires individual and collective vigilance." First identified in India, the Delta variant is the fastest and fittest coronavirus strain that will "pick off" the most vulnerable people, the World Health Organisation said on Monday.
Won't allow 'AJK' to become a province of Pakistan: Farooq Haider
He said the 'AJK' Assembly has been established after a lot of efforts and any conspiracy to make it a province of Pakistan will not be tolerated. He said that love and affection for Pakistan "is in our blood", but no department above the 'AJK' government will be acceptable to them and only they will decide the future of Kashmir. "We will sacrifice our lives but will not allow 'AJK' to become a province of Pakistan," Haider said.
Wuhan lab's classified work a hurdle for probe into Covid origins
The Wuhan lab has drawn global scrutiny because of its research on bat coronaviruses in the city where the pandemic began. Globally, many experts have, in recent weeks, pushed to determine the lab leak theory, which was earlier dismissed as conspiracy. US President Joe Biden has also recently ordered the intelligence community to redouble efforts to examine how the virus originated, including the lab accident theory.
Saudi men who killed Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi received paramilitary training in US
The report further said that the training of the four killers was granted under a contract approved by the US state department. It was provided by Tier 1 Group, which is owned by the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management. The training included several sophisticated techniques such as “safe marksmanship” and “countering an attack”. The company said that this training was devised to better protect Saudi leaders.
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