DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Militant attack kills 11 labourers in Pakistan - caretaker PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Jibran Ahmad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PESHAWAR, Pakistan Aug 20 (Reuters) - Eleven labourers were killed in a militant attack in Northwestern Pakistan, caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on Sunday in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. "They were working at an army post that is under construction ... an IED exploded under a vehicle carrying the labourers," deputy commissioner of North Waziristan, Rehan Khattak said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. Pakistan has seen a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants since last year when a ceasefire between the Pakistani Taliban, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the government broke down. Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina and Jibran Ahmad; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Haq Kakar, Rehan Khattak, Nilutpal Timsina, Jibran Ahmad, Charlotte Greenfield, Kim Coghill Organizations: Taliban, Thomson Locations: PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Northwestern Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Waziristan, North Waziristan, Taliban Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi gestures as he speaks during an interview with Reuters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) office in Islamabad, Pakistan June 25, 2020. REUTERS/Salahuddin/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsKARACHI, Pakistan, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Pakistani opposition leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi was detained on Saturday, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said, just hours after he said it would challenge any delay to the country's election in the courts. Party spokesman Zulfi Bukhari told Reuters the specific reason for the detention of Qureshi, twice Pakistan's foreign minister, was not immediately clear. The outgoing government approved a new census in its final days, meaning new electoral boundaries must be drawn up by the Election Commission. IMF BAILOUTThe election commission said on Thursday that new constituencies would be finalised by Dec. 14, state television reported.

Persons: Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Salahuddin, Zulfi Bukhari, Qureshi, Bukhari, Imran Khan, Khan, Haq Kakar, Ariba Shahid, Toby Chopra, Alison Williams Organizations: Pakistan's, Reuters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, REUTERS, Rights, PTI, IMF, Supreme, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Rights KARACHI, Karachi

CNN —A British nurse has been found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others at the hospital where she worked, making her the country’s worst baby serial killer in recent times. But concerns raised by consultants over the increased mortality rate of patients under Letby’s care were initially dismissed by the hospital’s management, the UK’s PA Media news agency reported. In September 2016, Letby filed a grievance against her employers after she was relocated from the hospital’s neonatal ward. “Justice has been served and the nurse who should have been caring for our babies has been found guilty of harming them. “We are heartbroken, devastated, angry and feel numb.”Letby will be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on August 21.

Persons: CNN —, Lucy Letby, Countess, Chester, duping, Letby, Elizabeth Cook, ‘, ”, “, ” Pascale Jones, ” ‘, ’ Organizations: CNN, Manchester Crown Court, Police, Prosecution Service, Consultants, UK’s, Media, Royal College of Nursing, CPS, ”, “ Locations: Manchester, England

CNN —Authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab province have arrested more than 100 people after crowds descended on churches and set them on fire on Wednesday, raising concerns over the discrimination faced by religious minorities in the country. At least 17 churches have been vandalized since Wednesday, according to the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), a Pakistani government body. The attacks took place after a Christian man was accused of committing blasphemy and desecrating the Quran. “According to NCHR inquiry, 17 Churches in #Jaranwala have been targeted. 12 registered churches and 5 smaller, unregistered churches,” NCHR posted on X, previously known as Twitter, on Thursday.

Persons: ” NCHR, Anwaar, Haq Kakar, “, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, ” Baloch, Riina Kionka, Prophet Mohammed, Asia Bibi Organizations: CNN, Authorities, National Commission for Human Rights, ” Ministry of Foreign, ” Police, PM, European Union Locations: Pakistan’s Punjab, Pakistani, Jaranwala, Punjab, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan, EU, Lahore’s Badami Bagh

☆ Pakistan appoints new caretaker cabinet ahead of elections - GEO News
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

KARACHI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Thursday appointed a new cabinet ahead of the national elections due in early November, broadcaster GEO News reported, citing sources. Former U.S. ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani was named foreign minister and former central bank chief Shamshad Akhtar was appointed finance minister as part of the new caretaker cabinet, the report said. Reporting by Ariba Shahid, Writing by Blassy Boben; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anwaar, Haq Kakar, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Shamshad Akhtar, Ariba Shahid, Blassy Boben, Toby Chopra Organizations: GEO, U.S, Thomson Locations: KARACHI

☆ UN says Sudan civil war is 'spiralling out of control,' as more than one million flee to neighboring countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Ruba Alhenawi Hamdi Alkhshali Sana Noor Haq | Ruba Alhenawi | Hamdi Alkhshali | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —More than one million people have fled Sudan to neighboring countries since April, according to the United Nations, as fighting between two warring factions plunges the country into civil war. The conflict in Sudan has displaced more than 3.4 million people inside the country, a report released on Tuesday by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. Those who escaped Sudan have arrived in other countries in the region including Egypt, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Ethiopia. The regional director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said the spike in gender-based violence amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity. More than one million people have fled Sudan into neighboring countries since April, the UN reported.

Persons: ” Laila Baker, Zohra Bensemra, ” Baker, Liz Throssell, ”, Malik Agar, “, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Omar al, Bashir Organizations: CNN, United Nations, International Organization for Migration, Central African, Rapid Support Forces, UN, UN Population Fund, Human Rights, Sovereign, Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces Locations: Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, East, Geneina, Darfur, Ourang, Adre

The two Christians were accused of blasphemy, he said, adding they and family members had fled their homes. Blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan and though no one has ever been executed for it, numerous accused people have been lynched by outraged crowds. A Christian leader, Akmal Bhatti, said the crowd had "torched" at least five churches and looted valuables from houses that had been abandoned by their owners. Several social media posts showed some churches, houses and belongings on fire as police stood by. The mob was made up of thousands of people led by local clerics, mainly from an Islamist political party called Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), a government source said.

Persons: Naveed Ahmad, Shakil Masih, Usman Anwar, Anwar ul Haq Kakar, Akmal Bhatti, Asif Shahzad, Angus MacSwan, Nick Macfie Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, REUTERS Acquire, Caretaker, Thomson Locations: LAHORE, Pakistan, Jaranwala, Faisalabad, Islamabad

CNN —A crowd vandalized eight churches and several homes following accusations of blasphemy against Islam in Pakistan’s most populated province of Punjab on Wednesday, according to government authorities and residents, stoking tensions between local Muslim and minority Christian communities. Multiple churches including the town’s Catholic Church, the Salvation Army Church and the Pentecostal Church, as well as the local Christian colony, were also vandalized and set on fire, Talib told CNN. Religious minorities in Pakistan are vulnerable to persecution under the country's strict blasphemy laws. Pakistan is among the countries where blasphemy is a crime punishable by the death sentence. Three years earlier, a mother of five from Punjab was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to hang, after she was accused of defiling the name of the Prophet Mohammed.

Persons: “, Prophet Mohammed, ”, Yasir Talib, Talib, Ghazanfar Majidi, ” Pakistan’s, Anwaar, Haq Kakar, Bishop, Church of Pakistan Azad Marshall, ” Marshall, ” Riina Kionka, Asia Bibi Organizations: CNN, National Commission for Human Rights, Centre for Social Justice, Catholic Church, Salvation Army Church, Pentecostal Church, Police, . District Police, AP People, Getty, Church of, European Union Locations: Pakistan’s, Punjab, Jaranwala, Pakistani, Faisalabad, Wednesday, Pakistan, AFP, Church of Pakistan, EU, Lahore’s Badami Bagh

The Pakistani government named a caretaker prime minister on Saturday, a move that kicks off preparations for the country’s next general elections and comes amid a year of political turmoil. The close ties that the new leader, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, has to the country’s powerful military reinforces its dominance over Pakistan’s politics, sending a clear message: After a year of political turmoil that challenged the authority of military leaders, they have a firm hand on the wheel once more. “He is undoubtedly a choice of the establishment,” Khalid Mahmood Rasool, a political analyst and newspaper columnist, said, referring to the military establishment. The term of the outgoing government, led by Shehbaz Sharif, who is also close the military, ended on Thursday. In Pakistan, once a government’s term ends, a caretaker must be established to oversee the next general elections.

Persons: Anwar, Haq Kakar, ” Khalid Mahmood Rasool, Shehbaz Sharif Locations: Pakistan

☆ Pakistan senator picked as caretaker PM to oversee elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KARACHI, Pakistan, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz agreed on Saturday to name Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar as caretaker premier to oversee elections, the Prime Minister's office said. "The prime minister (Sharif) and leader of opposition have jointly signed the advice which will be sent to the president for approval," the statement said. Under Pakistan's constitution, a neutral caretaker government oversees national elections, which must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the parliament's lower house - which in this instance means early November. The choice of caretaker prime minister has assumed heightened importance this time because the candidate will have extra powers to make policy decisions on economic matters, and amid fears the elections may be delayed by as much as six months. Kakar has been serving a six-year term in Pakistan's Senate since 2018.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Raja Riaz, Anwaar, Haq Kakar, Arif Alvi, Kakar, Gibran Peshimam, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Mark Potter Organizations: Pakistani, Geo News, Pakistan's Senate, Senate, Balochistan Awami Party, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Balochistan, Pakistan's

☆ Pakistan senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar named caretaker PM ahead of vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A general view of the parliament building in Islamabad, Pakistan March 25, 2022. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File PhotoKARACHI, Pakistan Aug 12 (Reuters) - Pakistani senator Anwaar-ul-haq Kakar was named as caretaker prime minister to oversee national elections, the prime minister's office said on Saturday following a meeting between outgoing premier Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz. Reporting by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Akhtar Soomro, Anwaar, haq Kakar, Sharif, Raja Riaz, Gibran Peshimam, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, KARACHI

[1/2] A man reads a newspaper, a day after Pakistan's parliament was dissolved by the president on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's advice, at a makeshift stall in Karachi, Pakistan August 10, 2023. As it stands, former prime minister Imran Khan, the main opposition leader, cannot fight this election. There are three main contenders to lead the next government: Khan's PTI, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of Shehbaz Sharif and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Three-time premier Nawaz Sharif, the brother of the outgoing prime minister and whose PML-N was the senior partner in the outgoing coalition government, is seeking a return from exile. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, 34, the young chairman of the PPP and son of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, is another key candidate.

Persons: Shehbaz, Akhtar Soomro, Anwaar, Haq Kakar, IMRAN KHAN, Imran Khan, Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Khan's jailing, Asif Shahzad, Gibran Peshimam, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, BE, Monetary Fund, IMF, Balochistan Awami Party, WHO, PTI, Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party, Constitutional, Thomson Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, Balochistan, Shehbaz Sharif

Trucks carrying aid from the UN World Food Programme (WFP), following a deadly earthquake, are parked at Bab al-Hawa crossing, Syria, February 20, 2023. Syria's mission to the United Nations in New York confirmed the extension. Following the earthquake, the United States and the European Union issued sanctions waivers to pave the way for more aid into Syria. U.S. authorizations facilitating the work of aid groups and the United Nations remain in effect, the spokesperson said. 'READY TO RESUME OPERATIONS'The United Nations had also been using the Bab al-Hawa crossing from Turkey to deliver aid to millions in northwest Syria since 2014 with authorization from the U.N. Security Council.

Persons: Mahmoud Hassano, Salam, Eri Kaneko, Emma Forster, U.N, Farhan Haq, Cross, Suhair Zakkout, Bashar al, Assad, Michelle Nichols, Jonathan Oatis 私 Organizations: UN, Food Programme, REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, Government, European Union, EU, U.S . Treasury, . Security, International Committee Locations: Bab, Syria, WASHINGTON, BEIRUT, U.S, Turkey, Damascus, Al Ra'ee, New York, United States, Norwegian, overcompliance, Moscow, Washington

☆ Inzamam expects second stint as Pakistan chief selector to be even better
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pakistan's cricket playerspay respect to Inzamam-ul-Haq (C) on the fifth day of their second test cricket match against South Africa at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore October 12, 2007. REUTERS/Zahid Hussein/File PhotoLAHORE, Pakistan, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq hopes his second stint as chief selector of the men's team will prove more successful than his first when the team won the 2017 Champions Trophy in England. With the Asia Cup and the 50-overs World Cup looming this year, the 53-year-old would play a crucial role as Pakistan eye continental and global titles this year. "But, I know I can deliver in this role and I will try to do better than I did the last time. "I am delighted that Inzamam-ul-Haq has agreed to head our national men’s selection committee at a crucial juncture.

Persons: Ul, Haq, Zahid Hussein, Inzamam, Zaka Ashraf, Amlan Chakraborty, Lincoln Organizations: South, Gaddafi, REUTERS, Former, Asia, Pakistan Cricket Board, Thomson Locations: South Africa, Lahore, LAHORE, Pakistan, Former Pakistan, England, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Delhi

The first group of migrants has arrived on board the boat, named Bibby Stockholm, which is docked in Portland, on the Dorset coast of southwest England, PA Media news agency reported. Medical practitioners flagged safety concerns over the Bibby Stockholm, after it was called a “death trap” by the UK’s Fire Brigades Union (FBU) on Wednesday. Campaigners flagged safety concerns over the UK government's plans to house 500 asylum-seekers on the boat. Finnbarr Webster/Getty ImagesPublic health experts warned that the cramped living conditions of the barge increase the risk of respiratory infections spreading. Housing any human on a ‘floating prison’ like the Bibby Stockholm is unacceptable.

Persons: Bibby Stockholm, Jenny Harries, Harries, Bibby, Finnbarr Webster, Andrew Matthews, Ben Selby, ” Selby, Oliver Dowden, Dowden, Steve Smith, ” Organizations: CNN, Media, Bibby, UK’s Fire Brigades, UK Health Security Agency, BBC Radio, Portland Port, Sunday, Getty, Public, Andrew Matthews / Press, AP, Sky News, Conservative Locations: England, Portland, Dorset, Britain, Bibby Stockholm, France

Kyiv last week replaced the Soviet hammer and sickle symbol with a trident – the Ukrainian coat of arms – on the shield of the Motherland Monument, which dominates the capital’s skyline. Its construction began in 1979, and it depicted a woman holding a sword and a shield emblazoned with the Soviet hammer and sickle symbol. Workers remove the Soviet-era emblem from the motherland monument in Kyiv on August 1, 2023. And they don’t know how.”Putin’s desire to undermine Ukrainian national identity and autonomy has remained a key motivation for the conflict. Kudrya, meanwhile, was a Soviet spy and a leader of a sabotage group in Kyiv during World War II.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Valentyn Ogirenko, Pilipey, ” “, ’, Maria Zakharova, Putin, Andrei Ivanov, Andriy Ivanov, Ivan Kudrya, John McCain, Andreyi, “, McCain, Kudrya, ” “ McCain, Ukraine …, Pobigay Organizations: CNN, Getty, Russian Foreign, Kremlin, UNESCO, ” Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Soviet, Ukrainian, Kyiv's, AFP, Kiev, Russian Kiev, Moscow, Latvian, Pavlenko, Russia

CNN —Controversial internet influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been released from house arrest in Romania ahead of their trial on charges of human trafficking and rape, Bucharest’s Court of Appeals announced on Friday. The Tate brothers and two Romanian female accomplices were released from house arrest and put under judicial control for a period of 60 days from August 4 to October 2, according to a court statement. The suspects were under house arrest pending a criminal investigation for abuses committed against seven women, accusations they have denied. Prosecutors have said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage. Andrew Tate (right) and his brother Tristan (left), pictured in Bucharest on August 1, 2023, were released from house arrest on Friday.

Persons: Andrew Tate, Tristan, Tate, Andreea Alexandru, Jayne Butler, “ Organizations: CNN, Appeals, Prosecutors, American, Wales Locations: Romania, Romanian, Bucharest, British, England, Ilfov

☆ Russia strikes Ukraine's Danube port, driving up global grain prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Kubrakov, writing on Facebook, said the Danube ports' infrastructure had been "devastated". "Ukrainian grain is indispensable for the world and cannot be replaced by any other country in the coming years," he wrote. "The port of Izmail suffered the most damage, including the terminal and infrastructure of the Danube Shipping Company." Russian state news agency RIA said the port and grain infrastructure hit was housing foreign mercenaries and military hardware. Seaport authority head Yuriy Lytvyn said on Facebook that repair work had already begun and the port infrastructure continued to operate.

Persons: Oleksandr Kubrakov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, RIA, Oleh Kiper, Yuriy Lytvyn, Nina, PUTIN, Vladimir Putin, Tayyip Erdogan, West, Putin, Erdogan, Ukraine Bridget Brink, Russia's, Farhan Haq, Pavel Polityuk, Peter Graff, Hugh Lawson, Daniel Wallis, Michelle Nichols, Simon Cameron, Moore, Philippa Fletcher, Giles Elgood, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: NATO, Romania Kyiv, Ukraine's, Russia reimposed, Facebook, Danube Shipping Company, Reuters, REUTERS, United Nations, Kremlin, International, Court, TASS, U.S, Rih, Thomson Locations: Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Izmail, Africa, China, Israel, Moscow, NATO, Russian, Odesa, Turkey, Soviet, Tehran, Kerch, Crimea, Ports, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Kherson, Constanta

☆ Poland-Belarus: Tensions high on NATO's border with Belarus after Wagner troops move closer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Sana Noor Haq Josh Pennington Niamh Kennedy Darya Tarasova Jessie Gretener Yulia Kesaieva | Sana Noor Haq | Josh Pennington | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Belarusian soldiers and Wagner troops attend joint training exercises near the border city of Brest, in Belarus on July 20, 2023 amid increased border tensions between Warsaw and Minsk. Belarus' Defense Ministry/Handout/AP/FileMinsk had informed Warsaw about the exercise, but a border crossing took place in the eastern Bialowieza region at a “very low altitude, making detection by radar systems difficult,” the Polish defense ministry said in a statement. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak subsequently ordered that more troops and combat helicopters be deployed along the border, the ministry added. “By deploying troops from both the west (Kaliningrad) and the east (Belarus), Russia would be able to effectively cut off the Baltic States from its NATO allies in central and western Europe. Five EU countries, four of whom border Ukraine – Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria – lifted sanctions on the import of Ukrainian grain, which they had installed to protect their own agricultural industries.

Persons: Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Wagner’s, Mariusz Blaszczak, Mateusz Morawiecki, Paweł Jabłoński, Barbara Yoxon, Putin, “, ” Yoxon, ”, Yoxon, Bulgaria –, Marcin Przydacz, Poland Organizations: CNN, NATO, EU, Belarus ' Defense Ministry, Polish, Belarusian Air Force, Air Defense Forces, Lancaster University, “, Presidential, International, Ukraine, ” Locations: Poland, Belarus, Minsk, Europe, Warsaw, Belarusian, Lithuania, Russian, Moscow, Brest, Polish, EU, Russia, Kaliningrad, Baltic, Grodno, England, Ukraine, Baltic States, Latvia, Estonia, Western, Ukrainian, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Kyiv, Republic of Poland

☆ Niger coup: Europeans evacuated from West African country as neighboring juntas warn against intervention
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Joseph Ataman Larry Madowo Caitlin Hu Shirin Faqiri Sana Noor Haq | Joseph Ataman | Larry Madowo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —France was preparing to evacuate French and European citizens from Niger on Tuesday after a presidential coup plunged the West African nation into a political crisis that polarized neighboring countries in the region. A message from the French embassy to French citizens in Niger, seen by CNN, instructed those wishing to be evacuated to bring food and water with them while they wait before boarding. Stringer/ReutersFrance and the European Union also cut off financial aid to Niger following the coup. Niger has “endemic problems, poverty, and terrorism, so there are many factors contributing to instability in the country,” Hudson added. In the wake of the deposition, some Nigeriens expressed their anger against the legacy of French colonialism and its continued influence in the West African country.

Persons: Catherine Colonna, Antonio Tajani, Mohamed Bazoum, Major Amadou Abdramane, Stringer, insurgencies, Bazoum, Cameron Hudson, ” Hudson, Issifou Djibo Organizations: CNN —, French, LCI, Embassy, CNN, Italian Foreign Ministry, West African States, Getty Images Security, Reuters, European Union, Nigerien, Niger, Center, Strategic, International Studies, World Bank, French Armed Forces, National Assembly Locations: CNN — France, Niger, West, France, Niamey, ”, Nigerien, Italy, Burkina Faso, Mali, Sahel, AFP, Reuters France, Guinea, Niger ., Niger’s, Africa’s Sahel, Nigeria, Western, Russia, Elysee, Moscow

CNN —The Nigerien military has backed coup leaders who have reportedly seized the president of the West African country, prompting warnings from international leaders over further unrest in a region plagued by political volatility. President Bazoum was apparently taken by members of the presidential guard on Wednesday, although his precise whereabouts remain unknown. Niger’s presidential office said in a statement on Twitter on Thursday: “The hard-won achievements will be safeguarded. Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, pictured on December 13, 2022, was reportedly seized by members of the presidential guard on Wednesday. 1,000 US troopsWorld leaders and humanitarian bodies issued stark warnings against the coup leaders.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, insurgencies, Bazoum, Evelyn Hockstein, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Abdramane, Jake Sullivan, Washington, Volker Türk, ” Türk, General Antonio Guterres, Bazoum “, African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, “ Organizations: CNN, Nigerien, Twitter, country’s Ministry of Defense, Interior Ministry, National Guard, White, US, Air Base, United Nations, Human, UN, African Union Commission Locations: West, ” Niger, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, France, Niger, Niamey, Washington, Agadez, The

CNN —Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov says that Ukraine will continue carrying out attacks on Russian-occupied Crimea and the Kerch Bridge that connects it to the Russian mainland, while also admitting that Ukraine’s plan for its sluggish counteroffensive is behind schedule. As Russia has pummeled the southern port city of Odesa and the surrounding region over the past week, Ukraine has continued to carry out strikes inside Crimea. On Tuesday, Ukrainian drones hit an ammunition depot, just a week after seaborne drones struck the Kerch bridge. If Ukrainian forces can successfully puncture Moscow’s sizeable defense lines along Ukraine Sea of Azov coastline that links Crimea to Donbas, Reznikov said it would be “a good result” for Kyiv. Ukraine has gained “real combat experience – how to deter Russians, to defeat them, to beat them with using NATO standard weaponry,” he added.

Persons: CNN —, Oleksii Reznikov, ” Reznikov, Reznikov, CNN’s Alex Marquardt, “, ”, ‘, Volodymyr Zelensky, “ ” Organizations: CNN, CNN — Ukraine’s, Senior, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Reuters, Western, Kyiv, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Kerch, Russian, Russia, Odesa, Moscow, “, Ukrainain, Reuters Moscow, Kyiv, Reuters Ukrainian, Donbas, Kherson, Kharkiv, United States, France, Germany, Europe, Lithuanian, Vilnius, NATO, Washington

The audit has not changed the U.S. Treasury's view that the bank must make reforms before the department will support disbursements from the Afghan Fund to Da Afghanistan Bank, or DAB, as the central bank is known, said a U.S. Treasury official on condition of anonymity. It also must prove that it has "adequate" controls against money-laundering and terrorism financing and install a "reputable" independent monitor, said the Treasury official. A Taliban administration spokesman and a spokesperson for the Afghan central bank did not respond to request for comment. Afghanistan remains mired in grave humanitarian and economic crises that some experts say has been worsened by U.S. restrictions hampering DAB's ability to perform key central bank functions, such as ensuring stable exchange rates and prices. Calling the audit a "preliminary assessment," the Treasury official said its "limitations" suggested that "more comprehensive third-party assessment efforts may be needed."

Persons: ”, disbursements, Shah Mehrabi, Mehrabi, Anwar ul, Haq Ahady, Jonathan Landay, Charlotte Greenfield, Don Durfee Organizations: U.S ., Afghan, Da, Da Afghanistan Bank, Treasury, Federal Reserve Bank of New, DAB, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, U.S, Afghan Fund, State Department, The State Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, ISLAMABAD, U.S, Da Afghanistan, Swiss, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Afghan, Washington, United States, Afghanistan, American

☆ BRICS summit: Putin will not attend conference in South Africa, as ICC arrest warrant overshadows key talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( David Mckenzie Catherine Nicholls Sana Noor Haq | David Mckenzie | Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said Putin will not attend the conference “by mutual agreement,” adding that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would visit instead. In the months following, South African lawmakers have made contradictory statements over the country’s obligation to arrest Putin should he attend the summit. As a signatory to the Rome statute, the treaty governing the Hague court, South Africa is compelled to arrest individuals indicted by the ICC. Western diplomats have criticized South African lawmakers for their perceived solidarity with Russia since the start of that conflict. “I must highlight, for the sake of transparency, that South Africa has obvious problems with executing a request to arrest and surrender President Putin,” Ramaphosa said, according to the court’s document.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa’s, Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Maria Lvova, Ramaphosa, “, ” Ramaphosa, Dmitry Peskov, Ramaphosa’s, ” Peskov, ”, Omar al, Bashir Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russian, Criminal Court, ICC, Hague, United Nations General, Cape Town Locations: Johannesburg, Ukraine, Brazil, India, China, Russian, Russia, Rome, South Africa, Cape, Africa, Darfur

The Russian-backed leader of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, said on Telegram that “a fire occurred at a military training ground.” Askenov said residents of four surrounding villages – more than 2,000 people – were being evacuated. Smoke and flames billow over a military training ground following an explosion in the Kirovske district, Crimea, on July 19, 2023. Kyiv has not commented on Wednesday’s explosions at the Crimea training ground. Ukraine’s attack on the Crimea bridge dealt a logistical and symbolic blow to Moscow’s faltering military campaign. The $3.7 billion-dollar corridor, which is 12 miles long, is a critical artery for supplying the peninsula with both its daily needs and supplies for the Russian military, in addition to fuel and goods for civilians.

Persons: Sergey Aksyonov, ” Askenov, Vladimir Putin, Odesa, Volodymyr Zelensky, Hennadii Trukhanov, ”, Denis Pushilin Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Russian Grey Zone Telegram, Ukrainian, Shadow, Atesh, Ukrainian Air Force, Russian Defense Ministry, Monday, Russian, Presidential Press Service, Reuters Odesa, Facebook, Donetsk People’s, DPR, Ukraine’s Security Locations: Crimea, Stary Krym, Crimea’s Kirorvsky, Russian, Kirovske district, Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Odesa, Iran, Moscow, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic

Search resuls for: "Haq"

25 mentions found