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The EU must learn the lessons of the abrupt end of the US-led mission in Afghanistan and acquire the “political will” to build up its own military force to deploy to future crises, the European Commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, has said. In her annual state of the union speech in the European parliament in Strasbourg, Von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, said the withdrawal of the US-led mission in Afghanistan, and the subsequent collapse of President Ashraf Ghani’s administration, raised troubling questions.
Source: theguardian.com
Wednesday to deny reports that he was hurt in a clash with a rival faction of the Taliban. "No this is not true; I am OK and healthy," Baradar said in an interview with state TV which was posted on Twitter by the Taliban's political office in Doha.
Source: reuters.com
Iran on Wednesday resumed commercial flights to neighbouring Afghanistan, where the Taliban took control last month. The Iranian civil aviation agency had announced the interruption of flights to Kabul on August 16 for security reasons.
Source: france24.com
A football game in India’s eastern state of Odisha (formerly known as Orissa) had two surprise visitors - a mother bear and her cub. When the football got kicked out from the pitch into a nearby forest, the bears found it and seemed reluctant to return it. They bounced it between them, kicking and tossing the ball in the air, much to the amusement of locals. The bears then took the ball into the forest.
Source: bbc.com
Ancient camel sculptures discovered in Saudi Arabia are around 8,000 years old. Were originally thought to be 2,000 years old but new analysis revised estimate. Almost twice the age of Stonehenge, where stones hauled into place in 2500 BC . 21 camel, horse and other equid figures were found in the Saudi desert in 2018.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Chelsea have opened talks with Antonio Rudiger over a new contract but remain cautious over his demands, with both Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid keeping an eye on the situation. The two European giants will be able to sign the Germany international in January on a pre-contract agreement, with the defender's current deal expiring in the summer of 2022.
Source: goal.com
Pyongyang fired the first missiles on Wednesday, sending two into waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula five minutes apart, at 12:38 p.m. and 12:43 p.m. local time (11:38 p.m. and 11:43 p.m. ET), according to Japan's Coast Guard. Seoul followed that test less than three hours later, firing a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the submerged 3,700-ton submarine ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho, South Korea's Defense Ministry said.
Source: cnn.com
Britney Spears deleted her Instagram late Tuesday afternoon. The move comes just two days after she announced her engagement to her longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari.
Source: cnn.com
The Biden administration will withhold $130 million worth of military aid to Egypt to pressure its Arab ally to improve its human rights record, two sources familiar with the matter, including a U.S. official, said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's move will be a break with his predecessors' policy of overriding a congressional check on military aid to Egypt.
Source: reuters.com
The Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine and his coach have been suspended for 10 years by the International Judo Federation (IJF) for withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics after the draw set him on course for a bout against an Israeli opponent. The 30-year-old was due to face Sudan’s Mohamed Abdalrasool for his first bout in the men’s 73kg class and a victory would have paired him with Israel’s Tohar Butbul in the next round. Nourine said his political support for the Palestinian cause made it impossible for him to compete against Butbul.
Source: theguardian.com
Comedian Norm MacDonald has died at the age of 61 after a nine-year private battle with cancer, according to his family and representatives. The Canadian comic was born in Quebec City in 1959 and got his start in Canadian clubs before moving to the US to pursue TV comedy writing. He worked for the Roseanne programme before joining Saturday Night Live to host news parody skit Weekend Update. Known for his dry delivery, MacDonald had fans in the US and worldwide.
Source: bbc.com
Tropical Storm Nicholas crawled across the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast on Tuesday, drenching the region with torrential downpours and leaving hundreds of thousands without power as flood waters and debris covered streets throughout the area.
Source: reuters.com
Cristiano Ronaldo’s early goal could not save Manchester United from another Champions League loss in Switzerland, 2-1 on Tuesday against a sharp and robust Young Boys team. Ronaldo’s record-extending 135th Champions League goal in the 13th minute was the first of his — and United’s — only two shots of the game. He was substituted in the 72nd.
Source: france24.com
Apple unveiled its much-anticipated iPhone 13 at its September 2021 event after months of speculation. The new line of iPhones includes four new devices: the iPhone 13 Mini, the iPhone 13, the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The new iPhones will be available for pre-order on Sept. 17 and will ship on Sept. 24.
Source: nbcnews.com
China's ambassador to the UK has been told he cannot come to Parliament while sanctions remain in place against a number of MPs and peers. Zheng Zeguang was due to attend a Commons reception on Wednesday, hosted by the all-party group on China. But after protests, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Speaker Lord McFall ruled this out. The Chinese embassy said it was a "despicable and cowardly" decision that would harm both countries' interests.
Source: bbc.com
Egypt on Tuesday showcased an ancient tomb structure belonging to the cemetery complex of King Djoser, a pharaoh who lived more than 4,500 years ago, following extensive restorations of the site. The structure — known as the Southern Tomb — is largely underground and includes a labyrinth of corridors, decorated with hieroglyphic carvings and tiles. A central funeral shaft houses a massive granite-clad sarcophagus from Egypt’s Third Dynasty.
Source: apnews.com
Top nuclear envoys from Japan, the United States and South Korea held talks in Tokyo on Tuesday to discuss North Korea’s missile and nuclear programmes, a day after Pyongyang said it tested a new long-range cruise missile. Countries want to revive talks on denuclearisation, which have been stalled for two years.
Source: aljazeera.com
The number of extremely hot days every year when the temperature reaches 50C has doubled since the 1980s, a global BBC analysis has found. They also now happen in more areas of the world than before, presenting unprecedented challenges to human health and to how we live. On average, between 1980 and 2009, temperatures passed 50C about 14 days a year. The number rose to 26 days a year between 2010 and 2019.
Source: bbc.com
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