Thursday, June 17, 2021

World News Briefs -- June 17, 2021 (Night Edition)

 

BBC: Iranians vote in presidential election marred by disqualification row 

Iranians are voting to elect a new president, with all but one of the four candidates to succeed Hassan Rouhani regarded as hardliners. 

Opinion polls suggest Ebrahim Raisi, a conservative Shia cleric who heads the judiciary, is the clear favourite. 

Moderate former central bank governor Abdolnasser Hemmati is his main rival. 

Dissidents and some reformists have called for a boycott, saying the barring of several contenders left Mr Raisi with no serious competition. 

Read more .... 

MIDDLE EAST 

Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza for second time since ceasefire

Israeli forces strike Gaza for second time following incendiary balloons. 

Israel to halt nighttime 'mapping' of Palestinian homes. 

Polls open in Iran election, ultraconservative tipped to win. 

Ultraconservative tipped to win as Iran elects president. 

Iran election race narrows as third candidate pulls out. 

Lebanon army appeals for aid as economic crisis leaves soldiers hungry. 

Global powers promise to help Lebanon's crisis-hit army. 

No resolution on S-400 dispute during Biden-Erdoğan meeting. 

ASIA 

Taliban close to taking Afghan province of Uruzgan where Australian troops served.  

US locks down embassy in Afghanistan amid COVID-19 surge

1 dead, over 100 infected in COVID-19 outbreak at U.S. Embassy in Kabul. 

Kim says North Korea needs to be 'prepared' for 'confrontation' with US. 

Kim Jong-un admits North Korea facing a 'tense' food shortage. 

UN Assembly to vote on resolution condemning Myanmar military

Tokyo 2020: State of emergency to be lifted in Japan's capital

Japan to ease COVID curbs before Olympics. 

Covid-19: Despite a surge in cases, Taiwan resists China’s vaccine diplomacy

‘It will get very bad’: Experts warn on Indonesia COVID surge. 

AFRICA 

A third wave of coronavirus infections hits Africa. 

WHO official urges faster supply of Covid vaccines to Africa as cases surge. 

French forces in Mali arrest 'high-ranking' Islamic State group jihadist. 

France and Russia jockey for influence in Central African Republic. 

Ex-President Gbagbo back in Ivory Coast after acquittal.  

African Union launches probe into alleged rights abuses in Tigray. 

Burkina Faso holds talks on security crisis. 

Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia's charismatic first president, is dead at 97. 

EUROPE

Coronavirus 'still has the upper hand,' warns WHO Europe head. 

Covid cases in England doubling every 11 days as Delta variant takes hold. 

Mayor of Moscow issues warning amid rapid spread of new variant

Moscow mayor says new Covid variants are more aggressive and spreading faster in the city as he orders increase in hospital beds amid 'rapidly deteriorating' situation

Russia ready for more dialogue if US is willing, Putin says. 

Russian troop movements near Ukrainian border mentioned at Putin-Biden summit — Kremlin. 

Ukraine says now is time for Russia to withdraw after Biden-Putin summit. 

Northern Ireland appoints Brexit hardliner Paul Givan as first minister. 

EU backs Greece's pandemic recovery plan. 

French prosecutors seek 6-month jail term for Sarkozy in campaign funding trial. 

AMERICAS 

House repeals 2002 war authorization, with Senate action coming next. 

Supreme Court upholds ObamaCare in 7-2 ruling. 

Schumer to force vote Tuesday on sweeping election bill

Megadrought ‘taxing’ US water reservoirs and fuelling wildfires. 

Trudeau is no feminist, says Green party leader as she battles party revolt. 

World Bank rejects El Salvador request for Bitcoin help. 

Tropical storm likely to hit U.S. this week as hurricane season gets off to an active start. 

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR 

Pentagon leaders see 'medium' risk of terrorists regrouping in Afghanistan. 

Al-Qaida could regroup in Afghanistan in 2 years, says US defense secretary. 

Taliban 'running social security net for 30,000 families of "Martyrs" In Afghanistan'. 

Foreign disinformation feeds US domestic terrorism, official warns. 

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS 

Tech-heavy Nasdaq rises on growth optimism, shrugs off hawkish Fed. 

Asian shares up but set for weekly loss after hawkish Fed. 

Food and drink exports to EU 'almost halve' in first quarter

Airlines, banks interrupted online after 2nd web outage in past week.

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