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☆ Russia pitches trading centers in a widening plan to move away from the US-dominated global financial order
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia is proposing alternative payment systems and commodity centers. Challenges include entrenched dollar dominance and existing global trading systems' liquidity. Other than championing alternative payment systems based in non-dollar currencies, Russia is also pitching the set-up of centers for mutual trade in commodity resources. Moving BRICS trade to trading centers within the bloc would also involve the use of local currencies and facilitate a move away from using the dollar for trade, according to the document. Russia faces an uphill battle in changing the basics of dollar-dependent financial trading systems.

Persons: —, Yakov, Brent Organizations: Service, Russia's Finance Ministry, Partners, Tass, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Grain, country's Agriculture Ministry, Brent, International Monetary Fund Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Russian, Pakistan, Kazan, masse, Scotland

☆ Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Japanese anti-nuclear weapon group Nihon Hidankyo
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alexander Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to a Japanese anti-nuclear weapon group comprising survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nihon Hidankyo was given the award “for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said. "The nuclear powers are modernizing and upgrading their arsenals; new countries appear to be preparing to acquire nuclear weapons; and threats are being made to use nuclear weapons in ongoing warfare," the committee said. In terms of conventional warfare, this peace prize was awarded in a year with more active conflicts than at any time since World War II. Getting a Nobel Peace Prize is by no means a guarantor that the efforts of its recipient have or will be successful.

Persons: Nihon Hidankyo, Toshiyuki Mimaki, ”, Tomoyuki Mimaki, JIJI Press, Vladimir Putin, Israel, Narges Mohammadi, Ales Bialiatski Organizations: Norwegian Nobel, Little, Nihon, JIJI, Getty, Center for Civil Liberties Locations: Japanese, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Norwegian, United States, Ukraine, Tokyo, Gaza, “, Japan, North Korea, India, China, Pakistan, Iran, East, Europe, Sudan, Ukrainian

☆ Nobel Peace Prize 2024 won by Japan’s Nihon Hidankyo for efforts to rid world of nuclear weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The survivors have dedicated their lives to trying to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Video Ad Feedback Watch the moment Nihon Hidankyo is awarded 2024 Nobel Peace Prize 01:54 - Source: CNNDan Smith, the director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), told CNN he was “delighted” that the Hibakusha had been awarded this year’s prize. “As the Soviet and US leaders Gorbachev and Reagan said in 1985, nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons won the award in 2017. Last month, Putin said Russia would revise its nuclear doctrine, potentially lowering the bar for Moscow’s use of nuclear weapons.

Persons: Nihon, “, ” Nihon, CNN Dan Smith, ”, Gorbachev, Reagan, ” Smith, Robert Lewis –, Enola Gay, Hiromichi Matsuda, Shigeru Ishiba, Kido, Lev Radin, Nihon Hidankyo, Alfred Nobel’s, Joseph Rotblat –, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, Israel – “, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Henrik Urdal, ” Urdal Organizations: CNN, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Soviet, Enola, Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, Nihon, United Nations, UN Headquarters, Pacific Press, 141st, Nuclear Weapons, Science, World Affairs, Manhattan Project, Los Alamos Laboratory, ”, Peace Research Institute Locations: Japanese, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Norwegian, Oslo, Stockholm, United States, Laos, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Ukraine, Russian, Germany, Peace Research Institute Oslo

☆ Two Chinese nationals killed in ‘terrorist attack’ near Karachi airport
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

ISLAMABAD — Two Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion near the international airport of the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Sunday night, the Chinese embassy in Pakistan said, in what it described as a "terrorist attack." The Chinese embassy said a convoy from the Port Qasim Electric Power Company was attacked near the airport. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a Chinese national was also injured and that an investigation was underway. It has previously killed Chinese citizens working in the region and attacked Beijing’s consulate in Karachi. In March, a suicide bomber killed five Chinese engineers working on a hydropower project in northern Pakistan.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Hassan, Imran Khan ., —, Xi Organizations: Baloch Liberation, Port Qasim Electric Power Company, Embassy, General, Pakistan's, Getty Images, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Geo News, Beijing, Beijing’s, Authorities Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistani, Karachi, Pakistan, Port, Pakistan's, AFP, Getty Images Pakistan, Islamabad, Balochistan, Pakistan’s, Afghanistan, Iran, Gwadar, China

☆ A massive blast outside Karachi Airport in Pakistan kills 2 and injures at least 8
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-06 | by ( Story The Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Karachi, Pakistan AP —A massive blast outside Karachi Airport in Pakistan on Sunday killed two people and injured at least eight, officials said. Police and the provincial government said a tanker exploded outside the airport, which is Pakistan’s biggest. A vehicle is seen on fire at the site of an explosion that caused injures and destroyed vehicles at outside the Karachi airport, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 6. Security officials examine the site of an explosion that caused injures and destroyed vehicles at outside the Karachi airport, Pakistan, Monday, Oct. 7. The home minister and inspector general also visited the blast site, but they did not talk to the press.

Persons: Zia Ul Hassan, Mohammad Farooq, Beijing’s, Fareed Khan, East Azfar Mahesar, Rahat Hussain Organizations: Pakistan AP, Sunday, Police, Geo, Ministry, Associated Press, Initiative, ” Police Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, Karachi Airport, Beijing’s multibillion, Asia

☆ Meta, challenging OpenAI, announces new AI model that can generate video with sound
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Facebook owner Meta announced on Friday it had built a new AI model called Movie Gen that can create realistic-seeming video and audio clips in response to user prompts, claiming it can rival tools from leading media generation startups like OpenAI and ElevenLabs. Movie Gen also can generate background music and sound effects synced to the content of the videos, Meta said in a blog post, and use the tool to edit existing videos. Videos created by Movie Gen can be up to 16 seconds long, while audio can be up to 45 seconds long, Meta said. They declined to comment on Meta's assessment for Movie Gen specifically. Lions Gate Entertainment , the company behind "The Hunger Games" and "Twilight," announced in September that it was giving AI startup Runway access to its film and television library to train an AI model.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Gen, Meta spokespeople, OpenAI, Sora, Scarlett Johansson Organizations: Meta, Facebook, Microsoft, Technologists, Hollywood, Lions Gate Entertainment Locations: Menlo Park , California, U.S, Kling, Hollywood, Pakistan, India, Indonesia

☆ Why Iran relies on ballistic missiles to threaten its adversaries
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"Iran uses ballistic missiles as a replacement for aircraft," a regional expert said. Iran used more ballistic missiles than the 120 it launched during its April barrage, its first direct attack on Israel. Iran has also shown a preference for firing ballistic missiles against less-defended targets closer to home. Since 2017, Iran has also used its ballistic missiles against ISIS in Syria, following terrorist attacks in Iran and, on one occasion, alleged militant targets in Pakistan. In January 2024, Tehran even used ballistic missiles to destroy a businessman's residence in neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan.

Persons: —, Nicholas Heras, Sebastien Roblin, Roblin, Institute's Heras, Heras Organizations: Service, Israel, US Navy, New Lines Institute, Ballistic, ISIS, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israeli Air Force, Iranian, West Bank, Patriot Locations: Iran, Israel, Tel Aviv, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Iranian, Tehran, Iraqi Kurdistan, AFP Iran, East, Russia

☆ Next solar eclipse: When and where to view the celestial event
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Jackie Wattles | Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The silvery orb is near or at the farthest point in its orbit from our planet, so it can’t completely block the sun as it does during a total solar eclipse. Another annular solar eclipse will arrive on February 17, 2026. Finally, a total solar eclipse — such as the one that drew millions of spectators across North America last April — will once again grace the skies on August 12, 2026. To witness any of these solar eclipse events, be sure to use certified eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer to shield your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays and observe the event safely. But don’t look through any optical device — camera lens, telescope, binoculars — while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer, according to NASA.

Persons: —, Greg Wood Organizations: CNN, South America, NASA, North America, Getty, New Zealand, Democratic Locations: South, United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Europe, Africa, Oceania, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, Antarctica, South America, Cove, AFP, Russia, Spain, Portugal, North America, New, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines

☆ A Russian company is bartering chickpeas for Pakistani rice as sanctions stop payments
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Kelly Cloonan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian company will reportedly barter chickpeas and lentils for Pakistani tangerines and rice. One Russian company is planning to barter chickpeas and lentils for Pakistani tangerines, rice and potatoes, according to a Tuesday report from Russian state-run news service Tass. AdvertisementThe company will also trade 15,000 tons of chickpeas and 10,000 tons of lentils for 10,000 tons of potatoes and 15,000 tons of tangerines from the Pakistani company. AdvertisementRussia also passed a bill in July that will allow trade payments in crypto. Even Chinese banks, the smaller of which were a key processor for Russian payments, have stopped offering support in recent months.

Persons: —, Russia's, Bloomberg Organizations: Service, Tass, Femtee Trading Company, Financial Times, Bank of Locations: Russian, Russia, China, Ukraine, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Bank of Russia

☆ Jimmy Carter is setting a new record for American presidents. It’s important for everyone
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +25 min

Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images Carter works at a construction site sponsored by the Jimmy Carter Work Project in Asan, South Korea, in 2001. Alex Wong/Getty Images Carter meets with Obama and other former presidents at the White House in January 2009. Richard Lewis/The Elders/Getty Images Carter was interviewed for "The Presidents' Gatekeepers" project at the Carter Center in Atlanta in September 2011. Chris McKay/Getty Images Carter talks about his cancer diagnosis during a news conference at the Carter Center in Atlanta in August 2015. The 1983 tweaks to Social Security included, for instance, the counting of some Social Security benefits as taxable income and a gradual increase of the retirement age from 65 to 67.

Persons: Jimmy Carter, Carter, John Quincy Adams, It’s, CNN’s Stephen Collinson, ” Carter, “, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Rosalynn, Lillian, Gloria, . Bradley, Jimmy, Horace Cort, —, John Storey, Stan Wayman, Amy, Walter Mondale, Gerald Ford, Ford, Warren Burger, Rosalynn Carter, Billy, Simons, Barry Thumma, Harvey Georges, Helmut Schmidt, Schmidt, Anwar Sadat, Menachem Begin, Camp David, Carter's, Carter jogs, Karl Schumacher, Dirck Halstead, Leonid Brezhnev, Chuck McManis, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Robert Burgess, Joe Holloway Jr, AP Carter, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Paul J, Richards, Clinton, Chung Sung, Fidel Castro, Adalberto Roque, Arne Knudsen, Hugo Chavez's, Juan Barreto, Howard Dean, Erik S, Scott Olson, Marco Longari, Michael Williamson, Barack Obama's, Alex Wong, Obama, George W, Bush, J, Scott Applewhite, Mark Wilson, Ismail Haniya, Mahmud Hams, Jung Yeon, Nelson Mandela, Jeff Moore, Aijalon Mahli Gomes, Gomes, Darren McCollester, Sheikh Jarrah, Mary Robinson, Bernat, George, Kris Connor, Raul Castro, Javier Galeano, Richard Lewis, David Hume Kennerly, Michelle Obama, Martin Luther King Jr, Jewel Samad, Brian Kersey, Chris McKay, Phil Skinner, Donald Trump, Saul Loeb, Jim Chapin, Drew Angerer, Matt McClain, Dan Quinn, Scott Cunningham, Chip Somodevilla, Mark Humphrey, John Amis, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Adam Schultz, John Bazemore, Michael S, Williamson, Jason Carter, Evelyn Hockstein, Jimmy Carter's, there’s, aren’t, – Carter, Ronald Reagan –, CNN’s Eva Rothenberg, ” Regan, dismissively, gaslighting, “ Governor Reagan, Reagan empaneled, Alan Greenspan, Donald Trump’s, Kamala Harris Organizations: CNN, Social Security, Medicare, Carter, ”, Habitat, Humanity, Bettmann, Jimmy, AP, US Naval Academy, Democratic, Atlanta, Hulton, Democratic National Convention, Walnut, Theater, Ford, Getty Images, Department of Energy, West, Airlift, Camp, AFP, Getty, Democratic National Committee, White House, Ronald Reagan Library, Andrews Air Force Base, United Nations, Trinity Church, Summit, America's, Getty Images Cuban, University of Havana, Venezuelan, Department of Defense, Washington Post, White, Foreign, Korea University, North, South, Boston's Logan International Airport, Irish, Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies, Carter Center, Lincoln Memorial, Sunday School, Maranatha Baptist Church, Hurricane Relief, College, College Station ,, Secret Service, Atlanta Falcons, NFL, Former, The New York Times, Pew Research Center, Congressional Research Service, Security Locations: Cuba, Guinea, Iraq, Winnipeg, Canada, George H.W ., United States, Elk City , Oklahoma, Plains , Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Georgia's St, Florida, Panama, Vietnam, Berlin, Maryland, Egypt, Israel, Pennsylvania, Vienna, Austria, Los Angeles, Arab, Wiesbaden, West Germany, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, AFP, New, Asan , South Korea, Havana, Oslo, Norway, Caracas, Venezuela, American, Connecticut, Boston, Maputo, Mozambique, DC, Ghana, Gaza, Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Johannesburg, Jerusalem, Sheikh, Pyongyang, Chicago, College Station, College Station , Texas, Nashville , Tennessee, Plains

☆ I used to feel comfortable removing my hijab in women's-only spaces. But people post photos of everything on social media now.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Anmol Irfan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I used to remove my hijab in women's-only spaces, like gym classes and social events. But photos and videos of me have ended up online, even after I've asked people to be mindful. I know it's not done with malicious intent, but it's made me uncomfortable removing my hijab. For most people, this wouldn't mean much; these days, it's common to document everything on social media. The way we post on social media has made me feel like an outsiderAsking someone not to post on social media can be awkward.

Persons: I've, it's, —, It's, I'm Organizations: Service Locations: Pakistan

☆ In razor-thin Georgia, Harris campaign eyeing Asian American voters
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Jeff Zeleny | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

A poll released last week from AAPI Data, a data analytics firm that focuses on Asian Americans, found that 66% of Asian American voters plan to support Harris and 28% intend to back Trump. The same survey found that 62% of Asian American voters say they have a favorable opinion of Harris, compared with 35% who hold an unfavorable view. Republican officials declined to elaborate on efforts to win over Asian American voters. The Harris campaign has three full-time staffers at the national headquarters dedicated to engaging Asian American voters, a spokeswoman said, with additional staff being deployed to Georgia and other battleground states. As she presided over a virtual phone bank from her kitchen one night last week, she said she believed Asian American voters could make the difference in her Southern battleground state.

Persons: Cumming, Kannan Udayarajan, Republican Sen, David Perdue, Donald Trump, mispronounced Kamala Harris ’, “, Kamala, ”, Udayarajan, Harris, Joe Biden, Forsyth, ” Udayarajan, James Woo, Georgia – Biden, Woo, ” Woo, “ It’s, Trump, Trump’s, ” Steven Cheung, Georgia’s, Ashwin Ramaswami, Sen, Shawn Still, Ramaswami, Sonjui Kumar, ” Kumar Organizations: Georgia CNN, Republican, Forsyth County Democratic Party, Trump, “, Georgia, Democratic, CNN, American, Advancing Justice, South, ”, Asian, AAPI, Pew Research Center, Pacific Islander, Republicans, Democratic Party, Forsyth County Democratic Locations: Georgia, Forsyth County, India, Atlanta, Georgia , North Carolina, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Asian America, American, Norcross, Gwinnett County, Georgia’s Forsyth, “, “ Forsyth

☆ Killing of Nasrallah is a key prize for Israel, but it’s too early to write off Hezbollah
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-29 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In 2008, Israel killed Hezbollah’s military leader, Imad Mughniyeh, in Damascus, Syria, yet the group only gathered strength in the years that followed. Four years earlier, Israel killed a founder of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, in an airstrike. The US has its own history of killing terrorist leaders in the hope that it will cripple its foes. ISIS also carried out devastating terrorist attacks in the West, for instance, in Paris in 2015 that killed 130 people. The UN estimates there are about four hundred members of al Qaeda living in Afghanistan today.

Persons: CNN — , Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, don’t, Imad Mughniyeh, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, masterminds, Mohammed Deif, Abu Musab al, Zarqawi, al, ”, Barack Obama, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, Donald Trump, Qasem Soleimani, Soleimani, Trump, “ Soleimani, Osama bin Laden, bin Laden, Bin Laden’s, Laden, Ayman al, Zawahiri, didn’t, Nasrallah, it’s Organizations: CNN, US, ISIS, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, Hamas, United, Taliban, Hezbollah, CIA, US Navy, UN, Israel Locations: Beirut, Israel, Damascus, Syria, Gaza, al Qaeda, Iraq, Qaeda, Portugal, Paris, Syrian Kurdish, Mosul, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Baghdad, Yemen, United States, Pakistan’s, New America, Abbottabad, Iran

☆ Pakistan says police responsible for killing a doctor accused of blasphemy
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Associated Press | Story The | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Multan, Pakistan — Pakistan’s government said Thursday that police had orchestrated the killing of a doctor who was in custody after he was accused of blasphemy. The statement marks the first time the government has accused security forces of what the doctor’s family and rights groups have said amounted to an extrajudicial killing carried out by police. Hassan’s statement backed up Nawaz’s family allegations earlier this week. Accusations of blasphemy, sometimes even just rumors, can spark riots and mob rampages in Pakistan. Nawaz’s killing was the second case of an extrajudicial killing by police this month in Pakistan.

Persons: Shah Nawaz, Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, Ziaul Hassan, Nawaz, Hassan, Islam, Nawaz’s, “, …, ”, Mohammad Saleh, Saleh, Rehmat, Syed Khan, Khan, Mohammad Khurram Organizations: Minister, Associated Press Locations: Multan, Pakistan, Sindh, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot, Karachi, Quetta

☆ Marxist-leaning president takes power in Sri Lanka, a country long led by dynasties
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

COLOMBO — Sri Lanka’s leftist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake took office as president on Monday, promising change in the island nation long led by powerful political families which is emerging from its worst economic crisis in more than seven decades. Supporters of Sri Lanka's newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, celebrate in Colombo. Before Monday’s swearing-in, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigned to make way for the new prime minister and his cabinet. Sri Lanka’s sovereign dollar bonds shed 2.88 to 3.28 cents on the dollar in early trade on Monday to bid between 49.14 and 49.77 cents. Sri Lanka’s close neighbors India, Pakistan, and the Maldives also congratulated Dissanayake on his win, along with China, the largest bilateral creditor.

Persons: Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Lankans, “, ” Dissanayake, Sri Lanka's, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, Ishara, Ranil Wickremesinghe, ”, beautician, Dinesh Gunawardena, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Dissanayake, Sri Lanka’s Organizations: Sri, Kodikara, Getty, International Monetary Fund Locations: COLOMBO, Colombo, AFP, India, Pakistan, Maldives, China

☆ Attack on foreign diplomats' convoy kills police officer in Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Mushtaq Yusufzai | Mushtaq Yusufzai Is A Journalist Based In Peshawar | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A roadside bomb hit a convoy of foreign diplomats visiting northwest Pakistan on Sunday, killing a police officer in their security detail, police said. Ambassadors from Indonesia, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Iran, Russia, and Tajikistan were among those in the convoy, police said. Police made security arrangements for the foreign ambassadors and they were immediately rescued and moved towards Pakistan's capital Islamabad, Khan said. Offering sympathies to the families of those who died, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that “all members of the diplomatic corps have returned safely to Islamabad.”Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the attack. Pakistani counter-terrorist forces maintain a strong presence in the Swat valley, which has long been a hotbed of Islamist militant insurgency.

Persons: Zahidullah Khan, Mohammad Ali Gandapur, Khan, Asif Ali Zardari, ”, Malala Yousafzai Organizations: NBC News, Police, Pakistani Locations: PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Swat, Indonesia, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Iran, Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan's, Islamabad, ”

☆ Sindh, Pakistan: Police fatally shoot blasphemy suspect in second such killing in a week
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Associated Press | Story The | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Karachi, Pakistan — Police in southern Pakistan shot dead a blasphemy suspect during an alleged shootout with armed men, officials said Thursday, the second such apparent extra-judicial killing in a week, drawing condemnation from human rights groups. Videos circulating on social media showed local clerics throwing rose petals at police and praising officers for killing the blasphemy suspect. There was no immediate clarification from the Sindh government about the circumstances in which the suspect was killed. The latest killing comes a week after an officer opened fire inside a police station in the southwestern city of Quetta, fatally wounding Syed Khan, another suspect held on accusations of blasphemy. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in attacks on blasphemy suspects in recent years.

Persons: Shah Nawaz, Mohammed, Niaz Khoso, Nawaz, “, Khoso, ”, HRCP, Syed Khan, Khan, Mohammad Khurram, —, Islam Organizations: Pakistan — Police, Police, Local, Human Rights Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, Umerkot district, Sindh province, Mirpur Khas, Sindh, Umerkot, Quetta, Madyan, Punjab, Jaranwala

☆ India’s Jammu and Kashmir votes in first regional election in a decade
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SRINAGAR, India — Voters lined up outside polling stations in India’s Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday to vote in the first provincial election being held in a decade in the Himalayan region that has grappled with years of militant violence. Jammu and Kashmir is India’s only Muslim-majority territory and has been at the center of a dispute with neighboring Pakistan since 1947. Until 2019, Indian-ruled Jammu and Kashmir had a special status of partial autonomy that was revoked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) government has said that revoking the region’s special status restored normalcy in the area and helped its development. The contest this time is between regional parties promising to restore the special status, India’s main opposition Congress party which has allied with a prominent regional group, as well as the BJP, which is pitching development and a permanent end to militancy.

Persons: “, ”, Mohammad Asim Bhat, Narendra Modi’s, ” Modi Organizations: India — Voters, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP Locations: SRINAGAR, India, Jammu, Kashmir, Pakistan, Indian

The Tao cafe in Srinagar, capital of the disputed Kashmir region in India, is a bustling place. At outdoor tables shaded by majestic trees, Himalayan trout is served with loaves of fresh bread to the young, affluent Kashmiris who frequent it. They are not sure what place mostly Muslim Kashmir has in an increasingly Hindu-nationalist India. They see themselves as caught between India and Pakistan, the two powers still bitterly at odds over the region. On Wednesday, people began voting in the first election for Kashmir’s regional legislature in a decade.

Persons: it’s, Narendra Modi’s Locations: Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Pakistan

☆ A Navy SEAL unit that killed Osama bin Laden may be training Taiwanese forces to defeat a possible Chinese invasion, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewAn elite Navy SEAL unit may be preparing Taiwanese forces for reconnaissance operations and missions to repel a Chinese invasion, retired Navy officers said after a report said the unit had been training for such an eventuality for over a year. AdvertisementAccording to three retired Navy officers, the unit may be training Taiwanese soldiers to fight back against China should it invade Taiwan. One, he told BI, "is training Taiwanese forces in reconnaissance and perhaps direct attack, focusing on missions that might be required to defeat a Chinese invasion." "Naval reconnaissance forces would locate Chinese forces for long-range attacks," he said, adding: "They might also launch attacks against offshore ships or shipping in Chinese ports." Reports have already given clues as to how the US is preparing for a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

Persons: —, Osama bin Laden, Mark Cancian, Bradley Martin, Sam Tangredi, Graeme Thompson, Joe Biden, Samuel Paparo, Martin, Cancian, Daniel Ceng, Phil Davidson, Davidson, Feng Hao, Paparo, Frank Kendall, Kendall Organizations: Service, Navy SEAL, Financial Times, Business, Navy, Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US Navy, Getty, Eurasia Group, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Pacific Command, Washington Post, Congressional Research Service, Senate Armed Services Committee, Theater Command, PLA, China Military, Anadolu, American Enterprise Institute, Institute for, Japan's Nikkei, RAND Corp, US Air Force, Air & Space Forces Association Locations: Virginia, Taiwan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Pakistan, China, People's Republic of China, Pingtung County, AFP, Washington ,, Australia, United States, Taichung, Anadolu, Pacific

☆ The vaccines you need to know about before you travel
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Lisa Kjellsson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Norlys Perez/ReutersUntil recently, there wasn’t a widely available dengue vaccine for travelers. But according to Dr. Nicky Longley, consultant in infectious diseases and travel medicine at The Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD) at University College London Hospitals, dengue vaccination is not quite the silver bullet travelers had hoped for. One traveler who welcomes the arrival of the new Qdenga vaccine is UK-based travel writer Chris Dwyer. Which vaccines do you need? Adults are advised to keep a record of their immunizations and when they need to be boosted.

Persons: Yasuyoshi Chiba, Norlys Perez, Dengvaxia, Nicky Longley, haven’t, “, ” Longley, Chris Dwyer, Dwyer, Qdenga, ” Dwyer, vaccinates, Sia Kambou, ”, Longley, “ It’s, Anniina Sandberg, Sandberg, didn’t, Martin Harvey, HTD’s Longley, wasn’t, Tick Organizations: CNN, Hatta International Airport, Getty, Health Organization, WHO, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Reuters, European Union, The, University College London Hospitals, Malaria, Natives, TBE, CDC Locations: Sweden, Asia, Thailand, Pakistan, Philippines, Soekarno, Tangerang, Indonesia, AFP, Cuba, Europe, United States, Malaysia, Abidjan, West Africa, South Sudan, Ivory, Finnish, Africa, Tanzania, Tanzanian, South Africa, Helsinki, Finland, Americas

☆ Pink, peacock-populated, possibly possessed Pakistani palace
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

AP —Stained glass windows, a sweeping staircase and embellished interiors make Mohatta Palace a gem in Karachi, a Pakistani megacity of 20 million people. The palace sits on prime real estate in the desirable neighborhood of Old Clifton, among mansions, businesses and upmarket restaurants. The land under buildings like the Mohatta Palace is widely coveted, said palace lawyer Faisal Siddiqi. Mohatta Palace is a symbol of that diversity. “I’m from Bahawalpur (in Punjab, India) where we have the Noor Mahal palace, so I wanted to look at this one.

Persons: there’s, Faisal Siddiqi, Heba Hashmi, Shivratan Mohatta, Fatima Jinnah, Pakistan’s, Shirin, Nasreen Askari, ”, “, don’t, Ahmed Tariq, “ I’m, It’s, Askari, ” Hashmi Organizations: Foreign Ministry Locations: Karachi, Pakistani, Rajasthan, Old Clifton, Lahore, Mughal, ”, Mohatta, Jodhpur, India, Pakistan, Bahawalpur, Punjab, It’s

☆ Analysis: Ryan Routh’s support for Ukraine is a propaganda win for Moscow, at a very tricky time for Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Someone like Routh was quite easy to meet in Ukraine in the opening months of Russia’s full-scale war in 2022. But already, Moscow’s prolific echo chambers have begun to fashion a narrative in which US support for Ukraine is somehow extremist. People stand near the sports complex of a university after Russian missile attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 2. The clamor of support for Ukraine to receive US permission to fire longer-range US-supplied missiles at targets deeper inside Russian territory had been growing. The sudden insertion of a wayward extremist like Routh is a loud, confusing wild card, at a time when support for Ukraine urgently needed a calm and balanced voice.

Persons: Ryan Wesley Routh, Donald Trump, Routh, Oleksandr Shaguri, “, ” Routh, Dmitri Peskov, ”, Marjorie Taylor Greene, ’, Putin, –, Maxym, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, Joe Biden Organizations: London CNN, Kyiv, Russia, Ukraine, New York Times, Foreigners, Department, Land Forces Command, CNN, Global Citizen –, Reuters, Russian, Republican Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Pakistan, Iran, Global Citizen – Taiwan, Afghanistan, North Korea, Florida, America, United States, Russian

☆ India has a new nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine. But can it catch up with China?
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —India’s second nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine joined its naval fleet late last month, a move the government says strengthens its nuclear deterrent as New Delhi casts a wary eye at both China and Pakistan. The de facto border between India and China, known as the Line of Actual Control, has been a longtime flashpoint between the two. India’s next ballistic missile subs could be years away, however, if history is any predictor of the future. Arighaat was launched almost seven years ago, and if that timeline from launch to commissioning applies to the next Indian ballistic missile sub, it won’t join the service until 2030. A type 094 Jin-class nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy participates in a naval parade in 2019.

Persons: CNN —, Rajnath Singh, Janes, Arighaat, ”, Carl Schuster, Aksai, Matt Korda, ” Korda, won’t, SSBNs, Tom Shugart, ” Shugart, Jin, Kandlikar Venkatesh, Mark Schiefelbein, Venkatesh, It’s, Abhijit Singh, ” Singh, Korda, it’s, – Organizations: CNN, People’s Liberation Army, Indian Defense, India’s Eastern Naval Command, Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, Troops, Naval, Nuclear, Federation of American Scientists, India’s, Center, New, New American Security, US, United Nations Security Council, US Navy’s, Navy, Global Times, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Getty, Observer Research, Hindustan Times, MIRV Locations: Delhi, China, Pakistan, India, Visakhapatnam, Bengal, United States, Bay, Aksai Chin, Beijing, New American, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Britain, Ohio, AFP, Mumbai, Islamabad, Kashmir, New Delhi

☆ A Navy SEAL unit that killed Osama bin Laden is busy preparing for a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA Navy SEAL unit that killed Osama bin Laden is busy preparing for a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the preparations. SEAL Team 6, an elite military special missions unit, has spent more than a year planning and training for a potential Chinese invasion of the island at its Dam Neck base in Virginia Beach, per the FT. People familiar with its planning did not provide details to the FT about what specific missions it is preparing for. These include the rapid modernization of its armed forces over the past two decades, and drills around Taiwan. According to a June report from the American think tank RAND Corp, the US — if it decided to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion — may have to do it alone as several of its biggest allies are unlikely to commit troops.

Persons: —, Osama bin Laden, Osama bin, Phil Davidson, Adm, Samuel Paparo Organizations: Service, Navy SEAL, Financial Times, Business, Operations Command, Pentagon, Department of Defense, American Enterprise Institute, Institute for, Pacific, Japan's Nikkei, RAND Corp Locations: Taiwan, Virginia Beach, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Pakistan, China

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