WORLD
Israeli warplanes strike Hamas military posts in Gaza
Israeli media reported that the airstrikes on Thursday were in retaliation to the launching of dozens of incendiary balloons into southern Israel from Gaza for the third consecutive day, reports Xinhua news agency. The Palestinian sources and witnesses said that several explosions were heard in the northern and southern Gaza Strip following the airstrikes.
US SC dismisses lawsuit by Republican-led states, upholds Obamacare
The Justices on Thursday ruled 7-2 that 18 Republican-led states led by Texas and two individuals lacked standing to bring their lawsuit to a federal court, marking the third time the highest court dealt a blow to efforts to strike down the 2010 law, better known as Obamacare, meant to provide healthcare for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions.
US House votes to repeal 2002 Iraq war authorisation
The House revoked the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) in a vote on Thursday of 268 to 161, with 49 Republicans joining 219 Democrats, reports Xinhua news agency. "After nearly 20 years of fighting for this, we're finally one step closer to ending forever wars," Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the sponsor of the repeal bill, said in a tweet after the vote.
Mehul Choksi remanded to Dominica State Prison by court
According to Dominica News Online, a news outlet in the Caribbean island, Magistrate Pearl Williams on Thursday ordered that Antiguan citizen and businessman Mehul Choksi who is wanted in India for alleged bank fraud, to be remanded at the Dominica State Prison. Choksi was remanded into police custody at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital (DCFH) where he has been a patient since May 29.
Global Covid-19 caseload tops 177mn
In its latest update on Friday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 177,355,602 and 3,840,181, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,508,384 and 600,933, respectively, according to the CSSE.
AstraZeneca vaccine recommended for Australians above 60 yrs
Adults aged 59 and under will now be offered Pfizer's vaccine based on the updated advice, reports Xinhua news agency. "The experts at ATAGI have today updated their advice to recommend the Pfizer vaccine be preferred for adults aged 59 and under," Hunt said in a statement. "The ATAGI advice remains clear that the AstraZeneca vaccine is highly effective in preventing severe disease caused by Covid.
US House votes to make Juneteenth federal holiday
It now goes to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law. "What I see here today is racial divide crumbling, being crushed this day under a momentous vote that brings together people who understand the value of freedom," Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, the Texas Democrat who sponsored the bill, said at a press conference prior to the vote.
China launches 1st crewed mission for space station construction
It is the seventh crewed mission to space and the first during the construction of China's space station, reports Xinhua news agency. It is also the first in nearly five years after the country's last manned mission. The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert at 9.22 a.m. (Beijing Time),
23 Afghan commandos killed in clashes with Taliban
The clash took place in Dawlat Abad district after the commandos and local troops launched a clearing operation, TOLO News quoted the official as saying, adding that six policemen were also injured in the violence. The security forces have retreated from the centre of the district following the heavy clashes are now stationed in Qaramqol district, the official said.
Incidence of absolute poverty in Italy hits record high
Over 2 million families, or 5.6 million individuals, were estimated to live below the economic standards defining extreme deprivation in the country, Xinhua news agency quoted ISTAT as saying on Wednesday. The 2020 figure made 7.7 per cent of Italy's 59.2-million-population compared to 6.4 per cent in 2019 (or 9.4 per cent against 7.7 per cent in terms of individuals).
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