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Queen Elizabeth dies at 96, ending an era for Britain (1926 – 2022)

King Charles III, the new monarch

By Michael Holden  and Russell Cheyne

BALMORAL, Scotland, Sept 8 (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, the nation’s figurehead and a towering presence on the world stage for seven decades, died peacefully at her home in Scotland on Thursday- September 8, 2022, Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom aged 96.”The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” the new king, her eldest son Charles, said. “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” the 73-year-old said in a statement. News that the queen’s health was deteriorating emerged shortly after midday on Thursday when her doctors said she was under medical supervision, prompting her family to rush to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to be by her side. Thousands gathered outside Buckingham Palace, in central London, and there was a stunned silence when the flag was lowered to half-mast. The crowd surged to the gates as the notice announcing the death of the only monarch most Britons have ever known was attached to the black iron gates. Royal officials said King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, would remain at Balmoral before returning to London on Friday, when Charles is expected to address the nation and meet Prime Minister Liz Truss. Details of the funeral have not been confirmed. On Elizabeth’s death, Charles automatically became monarch of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

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Suicide attacker kills at least 19 in Kabul school blast

(30 Sep 2022) As many as 27 others were wounded in the blast early on Friday, which occurred in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood of western Kabul, a predominantly Shia Muslim area home to the minority Hazara community, according to police spokesman Khalid Zadran. “Students were preparing for an exam when a suicide bomber struck at this educational centre. Unfortunately, 19 people have been martyred and 27 others wounded,” he said. Videos posted online and photos published by local media showed bloodied victims being carried away from the scene. The victims included high school graduates, both girls and boys, who were taking a practice university entrance exam at the Kaj education centre when the blast went off, Zadran said. Schools are typically closed in Afghanistan on Fridays. One wounded student said the victims were mostly girls.No group immediately claimed responsibility.(Source: Al Jazeera)

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Blinken talks with Chinese FM on Taiwan as soaring tensions

By AFP | 24 September 2022

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for calm over Taiwan as he met his Chinese counterpart, as soaring tensions showed signs of easing a notch. Blinken met for 90 minutes with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, in talks a US official described as “extremely candid” and focused largely on Taiwan. Blinken “stressed that preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is critical to regional and global security and prosperity,” a State Department statement said. He “discussed the need to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the US-PRC relationship, especially during times of tension,” it added, using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China. A State Department official described the exchange on Taiwan as “direct and honest.”The official said Blinken also renewed US warnings not to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, amid guarded US hopes that Beijing is taking a distance from Moscow, nominally its ally. Wang met in New York with Ukraine’s foreign minister for the first time since the war and, in a Security Council session Thursday, emphasized the need for a ceasefire rather than support for Russia. Blinken, who went ahead with the talks despite the death of his father the previous day, met Wang for the first time since a sit-down in July in Bali, where both sides appeared optimistic for more stability. One month later, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, infuriating Beijing, which staged exercises seen as a trial run for an invasion of the self-governing democracy, which it claims as its territory. And in an interview aired, President Joe Biden said he was ready to intervene militarily if China uses force in Taiwan, once again deviating from decades of US ambiguity. The US official said Blinken insisted to Wang that “there has been no change” to the US policy of only recognizing Beijing and voiced opposition to “unilateral changes to the status quo” by either side.

Taiwan the biggest risk

In a sign that tensions have eased, Wang also met in New York with US climate envoy John Kerry, despite China’s announcement after Pelosi’s visit that it was curbing cooperation on the issue, a key priority for Biden.But in a speech before his talks with Blinken, Wang called Taiwan “the biggest risk in China-US relations” and accused the United States of stoking pro-independence forces. “Taiwan independence is like a highly disruptive great rhinoceros charging toward us. It must be stopped resolutely,” he said at the Asia Society think tank. Wang said that both Biden and Xi seek to “make the China-US relationship work” and to “steer clear of conflict and confrontation.”(AFP with additional input by GVS News Desk)

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US Senate advances bill to significantly expand Taiwan support

(15 Sep 2022) A Senate committee in the United States has taken the first step towards legislation that would significantly enhance US military support for Taiwan, including potentially billions of dollars in additional security assistance, as the self-ruled island comes under increasing pressure from China. The US has provided Taiwan with weapons to defend itself under decades-old legislation, but the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 would go further by providing security assistance of $4.5bn over four years. It also lays out sanctions on Beijing if it uses force to try to seize the island, which it sees as its own, and supports Taipei’s participation in international organisations. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed the legislation 17-5, despite concerns about the bill among members of President Joe Biden’s administration and anger about the measure from Beijing. Sponsors said the bill would be the most comprehensive restructuring of US policy towards the island since the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, which was passed after Washington switched formal diplomatic recognition to Beijing and mandates the US to “preserve and promote extensive, close and friendly commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan”. The bill must still clear the full Senate and House before it can become law. The White House has not said whether Biden will sign the legislation, although with strong bipartisan support Congress could override any potential veto. SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

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Russia: Putin announces  annexation of four Ukrainian regions

(30 Sep., 2022)  Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees on Friday 30th  September, to annex four regions of Ukraine. In a grand ceremony in the Kremlin, he said Russia would formally incorporate Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions — and that the people living there would “be our citizens forever.” Russian President Vladimir Putin signed treaties Friday to annex occupied Ukrainian territory, a move the West has blasted as an illegal land-grab. Ukraine’s president countered with a surprise application to join the NATO military alliance. Putin’s move and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s signing of what he said is an “accelerated” NATO membership application sent the two leaders speeding faster on a collision course that is cranking up fears of a full-blown conflict between Russia and the West. Putin vowed to protect newly annexed regions of Ukraine by “all available means,” a renewed threat he made at a Kremlin signing ceremony where he also railed furiously against the West, accusing the United States and its allies of seeking Russia’s destruction. Zelenskyy then held his own signing ceremony in Kyiv, releasing video of him putting pen to papers he said were a formal NATO membership request. Putin has repeatedly made clear that any prospect of Ukraine joining the military alliance is one of his red lines and cited it as a justification for his invasion, now in its eighth month, in Europe’s biggest land war since World War II. In his speech, Putin urged Ukraine to sit down for peace talks but insisted he won’t discuss handing back occupied regions. Zelenskyy said there’d be no negotiations with Putin. “We are ready for a dialogue with Russia, but … with another president of Russia,” the Ukrainian leader said. At his signing ceremony in the Kremlin’s ornate St. George’s Hall, Putin accused the West of fueling the hostilities to turn Russia into a “colony” and a “crowd of soulless slaves.” The hardening of his position, in the conflict that has killed and wounded tens of thousands of people, further raised tensions already at levels unseen since the Cold War. Global leaders, including those from the Group of Seven leading economies, responded with an avalanche of condemnation, and the U.S. and the U.K. announced more sanctions.  United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement Thursday condemning the Russian move.

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Putin ally Kadyrov criticises Russian army after Ukraine setback

(11 Sep 2022) Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has criticised the Russian army’s performance after the loss over the weekend of Izyum, a critical supply hub in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv province. In an 11-minute-long voice message posted to the Telegram messaging app, he conceded the campaign was not going to plan. “If today or tomorrow changes are not made in the conduct of the special military operation, I will be forced to go to the country’s leadership to explain to them the situation on the ground,” Kadyrov, the Kremlin-appointed leader of Chechnya, said. “I’m not a strategist like those in the defence ministry. But it’s clear that mistakes were made. I think they will draw a few conclusions,” Novaya Gazeta Europe quoted him as saying, adding that all settlements will return to Russian control. “We have our men out there, fighters prepared specifically for such situations. 10,000 more fighters are ready to join them. We’ll reach Odesa in the nearest future.” The criticism came after the Russian army’s leadership appeared to be caught off-guard by Ukraine’s fightback against its invasion in the northeast.(SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES)

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Ukraine finds mass grave of ‘more than 440 bodies’ in Izyum city

(15-9-2022)  Kiev reports finding mass burial site near northeastern city previously occupied by Russian forces, likening the area to Bucha and Mariupol cities which have become symbols of atrocities during Russian assault on Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities have found a mass grave of more than 440 bodies in the eastern city of Izyum that was recaptured from Russian forces, a regional police official said, adding some of the people had been killed by shelling and air strikes. Serhiy Bolvinov, the chief police investigator for Kharkiv region, told Sky News that forensic investigations would be carried out on every body. “Some died because of artillery fire … some died because of air strikes,” he said. Thousands of Russian troops fled Izyum at the weekend.  President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put the blame on Russia and likened the discovery to what happened in Bucha, on the outskirts of the capital Kiev in the early stages of the late February invasion by Russian forces. (Source: TRTWorld and agencies)

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200 Russian-Ukrainian prisoners of war exchanged after Turkish mediation

BY DAILY SABAH WITH AGENCIES

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 200 prisoners of war Wednesday as a result of Türkiye’s mediation and diplomatic traffic conducted with the countries’ leaders, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced. Erdoğan told reporters in New York City that the prisoner exchange under Türkiye’s mediation was an “important step” towards ending the war between the two countries. He noted that efforts to establish peace between Russia and Ukraine continue. The president also thanked his counterparts, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, adding: “I would also like to thank all my friends who contributed to this process.” Turkish Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın hailed the exchange on Twitter, saying: “This exchange, which took place as a result of the intense diplomatic traffic of our President, is one of the most important results of the peace diplomacy pursued by our country. Türkiye always favors peace.” Previously, Erdoğan told both Putin and Zelenskyy that “there is no winner in a war that ends in the deaths of people.” The swap is the biggest exchange between the warring sides since the start of Russia’s invasion in February. Ten prisoners of war from countries including the United States and Britain were earlier on Wednesday transferred to Saudi Arabia as part of the exchange between Moscow and Kyiv, Zelenskyy said. “We have managed to liberate 215 people,” the head of Zelenskyy’s office, Andriy Yermak, announced on television.

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Shock and Awe: Who Attacked the Nord Stream Pipelines?

By:Sergey Vakulenko

If the perpetrator was Russia, the signaling value toward the West which would certainly know Russia is behind the explosions may be a threat to the rest of the marine energy infrastructure. Western governments have not made a formal finding of responsibility for this sabotage attacks on two Russian underwater pipelines carrying natural gas to Europe. While all of the evidence is being carefully reviewed, it seems reasonable to expect that some of it will soon be declassified. In the meantime, NATO, the European Union, and key figures like International Energy Agency director Fatih Birol are not holding back about the identity of the culprit. “It is very obvious (…) who was behind this issue,” the latter said on September 29. At the same time, Russian officials are unsurprisingly placing the blame on the West and have convened a UN Security Council session to discuss the matter.  There are aspects of this mystery that resemble an Agatha Christie novel, in which nearly everyone involved appears to have a motive or would benefit from the outcome. It’s useful, therefore, even as a thought experiment, to look at what we know (and don’t know) about what happened and the all-important question of who stands to benefit. Pressure drops were reported at both the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines running underneath the Baltic Sea on September 26. Three separate leaks were recorded off the coasts of Denmark and Sweden, a few dozen kilometers apart. Both lines of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline were impacted, along with one line of Nord Stream 2. Reports from seismologists based in Denmark and Sweden suggest that sizeable explosions on the order of 100 kilograms of TNT occurred in both incidents.  Unlike an oil spill, gas leakage is relatively harmless for the surrounding area. At the same time, some climate experts are warning that the amount of methanea- powerful greenhouse gas being released from the damaged pipelines could have a significant climate change impact. According to initial estimates, a total of 500 million cubic meters of gas was lost, which is the equivalent of 8 million tons of carbon dioxide, or 1/5000 of annual global CO2 emissions.  In a normal political and business environment, all three damaged sections could probably be repaired within a year by a single repair fleet. It is quite possible that the biggest problem would be not the sub-sea work itself, but pumping out the water from the three 1,200-kilometer stretches of the pipelines. Rock debris would also have to be cleared out lest it damage the inside of the pipelines once the flow is restored. Another concern would be the state of the inside polymer coating, which is not designed to withstand prolonged contact with seawater.  The total bill might run into hundreds of million dollars, maybe even billions, but it is a small fraction of Gazprom’s annual budget. The work would require specialized equipment, and here the circumstances for Nord Stream 1 and 2 are quite different. Nоrd Stream AG is formally a Swiss company, not subject to any sanctions, and a member of the Pipeline Subsea and Repair Intervention Pool led by Norway’s Equinor, which provides its members with access to specialist equipment and crews. Nord Stream 2, however, was sanctioned by the United States, and the pipelaying was completed solely by Russian ships. The pipeline was completed last year but never launched: Germany put an end to the project in February, two days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  The repairs would require a work permit from the Danish government, since it would be carried out in their territorial waters. Given the current political environment, it probably would be very difficult to obtain such permission.  Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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No Bayraktar Drones For India

Turkish CEO Says Will Sell TB2 UAVs Only To Brotherly Nations Like Pakistan, Ukraine

By Ashish Dangwal

(September 7, 2022) Turkish drones have gained popularity due to their effective performance on different battlefields, most recently in Ukraine. Turkey’s leading armed drone manufacturer now believes that combat drones will be a significant factor in all future wars, including a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait. In response to whether armed drones might be deployed in a conflict between China and Taiwan, Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Baykar Technology, stated in an interview with Nikkei Asia: “It is now out of the question to have a war without drones.” Bayraktar also noted that those who do not use drones effectively would lose. He also stated that his company had not spoken to the self-governing island of Taiwan about drone sales. He did, however, point out that China is a “global drone producer” and that he is keeping an eye on news concerning Beijing’s aggressive drone use.  “Drone technologies are a must-have for all warfare now and in the future. They are sine qua non, and the ones not using them will be on the losing side,” Bayraktar said. In the Ukrainian war, Baykar’s TB2 drones have proven effective, enabling Ukraine’s armed forces to halt Russia’s push toward the capital, Kyiv. Video footage of the drones striking Russian tanks, vehicles, and missile defense systems has been extensively circulated on social media platforms.

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Death toll in Azerbaijan-Armenia border clashes rises

(15 Sep 2022)  Azerbaijan says 71 of its troops have been killed this week during border clashes with Armenia, which marked the worst fighting between the rival neighbours since their 2020 war over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia said 105 of its soldiers died in the violence, which each side blames on the other.The flare-up threatened to drag Turkey, Azerbaijan’s key backer, and Armenia’s ally Russia into a wider conflict at a time of already high geopolitical tensions. A senior Armenian official said the two sides had negotiated a cease-fire. The recent fighting has sparked fears of another full-fledged war between the ex-Soviet states, which have been locked in a decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The two countries fought a war over the contested region in late 2020 that killed more than 6,500 people in little more than six weeks.  The conflict saw Azerbaijan successfully win back swathes of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh that had been controlled by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Yerevan since an earlier war in the area ended in 1994. (SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES)

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Clashes with Tajikistan kill two dozen on Kyrgyzstan side

(17-9-2022) At least 24 people have been killed in the latest border clashes with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan said, after leaders of both Central Asian countries met in Uzbekistan and ordered their troops to draw down and end fighting.  “Twenty-four bodies have been brought into the health establishments in the Batken region” in the southwest of the country by the border with Tajikistan, a statement from the Kyrgyz Health Ministry said.  Earlier, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon met his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Japarov at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand city and ordered their forces to draw down after border clashes left dozens injured. “The leaders of the two countries agreed to instruct the relevant structures to cease fire and withdraw forces and assets from the line of contact,” the Kyrgyz presidency said in a statement following the meeting, after Kyrgyz authorities announced a ceasefire deal had been reached. Kyrgyzstan had accused Tajikistan’s forces of escalating the fighting by firing rockets on the border town of Batken, with a population of around 30,000 people in the southeast of the country. Shortly after, Kyrgyzstan’s border guards said in a statement that the two countries’ national security chiefs had agreed on a ceasefire. In 2021, unprecedented clashes between the two sides killed 50 people. The latest violence, which had revived fears of an all-out conflict, has already forced thousands to flee their homes.(Source: Reuters)

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Over 110,000 Canadian Sikhs vote in Khalistan Referendum in power show

Khalistan Referendum 2022 Canada|Khalistan Referendum Voting

TORONTO: A large number of Canadian Sikhs cast their votes in a referendum in Toronto on Sunday seeking freedom for the Indian Punjab from Delhi. The referendum for Khalistan was held in Toronto despite hurdles created by India. The organizers of Khalistan Referendum in Canada said that at least 110,000 cast their ballots during the voting hours while thousands of others were in long queues queues when the voting time ended Sunday evening.

Khalistan Referendum:

Canadian Sikhs Demand Freedom From India, Vote For Khalistan Sikhs have expressed their anger against India by casting vote and demanded freedom in the form of Khalistan, he said. Pannun said similar referendums will be held in other cities of Canada. Earlier, the voting process began with a special prayer and the voters said that the result of the referendum would make it clear to the world that the Sikh community wants freedom. They said that the Indian Punjab would emerge as a separate country on the world map, adding that their freedom could not be seized by the Indian government through power.  Ahead of the referendum, tensions ran rife between the Sikh community and other Indian diasporas in Toronto which was prompted by the tearing of a poster of Sikh leader General Singh Bhandarwala by an Indian-Canadian national. The police had arrested the suspect. Tensions also emerged at the state level when the Canadian government  in response to the Indian government’s request to stop the process  said that they could not deprive the Sikh community of their democratic right to referendum. In this regard, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said that the Sikh community was doing a democratic struggle for its right.                          (Source: The Truth International)

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India launches third stealth frigate ‘Taragiri’

11 Sep 2022 | By: Saurav Anand

New Delhi: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), which is under the defence ministry, on Sunday 11 September, launched Taragiri, the third stealth frigate of Project 17A. The ship has been built using an integrated construction methodology which involves hull block construction in different geographical locations and integration and erection on the slipway at the MDL, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. The Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and the MDL teams having demonstrated multiple successful conventional launches in the past, have honed their expertise further and performed yet another pontoon assisted launch with panache. Following the launch, ‘Taragiri’ will join its two sister ships at MDL for outfitting activities towards the run up for their delivery to Indian Navy. “Seven P17A Frigates are under various stages of construction at MDL and GRSE. Indigenous construction of complex frontline ships such as Stealth Frigates has catapulted the nation to a higher pedestal in the arena of shipbuilding. It provides additional benefits such as economic development, employment generation for Indian Shipyards, their sub-contractors and ancillary industry,” the statement said. “Further, 75% of the orders of the Project 17A have been placed on indigenous firms including MSMEs, thus reinforcing the country’s quest for ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’,” it added. The ship was named by Charu Singh, president, Navy Wives Welfare Association (Western Region), wife of vice admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, FOC-in-C Western Naval Command, who was the chief guest.(Source: Mint News)

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Heart-wrenching’

 Boat tragedy death toll rises to 89 in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

(22 Sep 2022) More bodies of migrants and refugees have been recovered from the sea off Syria after a boat capsized on Thursday 22 September, raising the death toll to 89 as the Lebanese army said it arrested a suspected smuggler behind one of the deadliest boat disasters in the Eastern Mediterranean. “There are 89 victims, while 14 people are receiving treatment at Al-Basel Hospital, two of whom are in intensive care,” Syria’s official news agency SANA reported, quoting Iskandar Ammar, a hospital official. More people are believed to be missing as up to 150 people were on board the small boat which sailed from crisis-hit Lebanon. The boat sank off the Syrian port of Tartous, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Tripoli in Lebanon. Those on board were mostly Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians, and included both children and the elderly, the United Nations said. The Lebanese army says it has arrested a man it believes was behind the suspected “smuggling operation” to Italy. ( SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS  AGENCIES)

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Legendary Japanese wrestler and MMA pioneer dies at 79

Antonio Inoki made Japanese wrestling famous and later became a lawmaker Japanese sport is in mourning after legendary wrestler Antonio Inoki passed away on October 1st, 2022 at the age of 79. He had been battling a rare disease called amyloidosis, which can cause vital organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys to not function properly. The Yokohama native made Japanese pro wrestling famous worldwide as a young man and was also a pioneer in mixed martial arts matches that pitted top wrestlers and champions from other combat sports such as boxing, judo and karate against one another. His most famous opponent in this realm was boxing great Muhammad Ali, whom he faced in a well-received crossover fight in Tokyo in 1976, achieving global fame.

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Stadium stampede kills 125+

An Indonesian league football match erupted in clashes and a deadly stampede

At least 125 fans and two police officers have reportedly been killed amid chaos at a football game in East Java, Indonesia, after police attempted to stop a mass brawl between supporters of the two teams with tear gas. Hundreds of supporters rushed onto the field, clashing with rival fans and attacking several players, after an Indonesian league football match on Saturday night ended with Persebaya Surabaya beating Arema Malang 3-2. Kanjuruhan Stadium security failed to restore order and riot police were forced to use tear gas, according to East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta – but the intervention apparently caused even more chaos.  As people tried to flee for the exits, dozens were trampled and died on the spot, while many others succumbed to their injuries on the way to the hospital. Some of the victims reportedly suffocated.

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North Korea fires ballistic missiles in latest tests amid tension

Japanese official reported that the missiles travelled 400km (250 miles) and at a maximum altitude of 50km (30 miles). (01 Oct.  2022) North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area towards the country’s east coast, according to South Korean and Japanese officials, marking Pyongyang’s fourth missile test launch in a last week of the month of September. Japan’s NHK national television said multiple missiles were fired from North Korea on Saturday morning and were believed to have landed in the Sea of Japan, though outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

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Diplomatic spat after Chile leader snubs new Israeli ambassador

(17 Sep 2022) A diplomatic tussle intensified after Chile’s president put off accepting the credentials of Israel’s new ambassador to Santiago over the killing in the occupied West Bank of a Palestinian teenager. In response, Israel’s foreign ministry summoned Chilean ambassador Jorge Carvajal for what it called a reprimand at a meeting where, it said, “Israel’s response will be made clear.” The dispute began on Thursday, Sept. 17, when Chilean foreign minister Antonia Urrejola informed newly appointed Israeli ambassador Gil Artzyeli that Chilean President Gabriel Boric was postponing a meeting to accept his credentials until October. “That’s because today is a sensitive day because of the death of a minor,” a spokesperson from Chile’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a text message, referring to the death of Odai Trad Salah, the 17-year-old Palestinian boy that day. Salah was shot in the head by Israeli forces in the village of Kufr Dan near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, becoming the 149th Palestinian to be killed by Israel this year. Israel assailed the snub with its foreign ministry labelling it “puzzling and unprecedented behaviour” and adding in its statement: “This seriously harms the relations between the two countries.” (Source: Al Jazeera News Agency)

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Mexico Arrests General Over Disappearance of 43 Students

AFP/ Web Desk  | SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

Mexico: A Mexican army general has been detained in connection with the disappearance of 43 students in 2014. The latest arrest in a case that generated international condemnation. The incident occurred in the area of southern Mexico. A general who commanded the battalion is among the three suspects. Deputy Security Minister Ricardo Mejia told reporters. He did not identify the suspects but said the other two were also military personnel. Last month arrest warrants were out for more than 80 suspects in this case. Suspects include 20 military personnel, 44 police officers and 14 cartel members.  Former Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam is also in custody. He led a controversial investigation into the mass disappearance. The charges of forced disappearance, torture and obstruction of justice are on the Attorney General.(Source: Daily Times)

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Somali government says it has killed al-Shabab co-founder

(3 Oct, 2022) Somalia’s government says it has killed Abdullahi Nadir, one of the co-founders of the armed group al-Shabab, in an operation with international partners. The country’s information ministry said in a statement late on Sunday that the operation that killed Nadir happened on Saturday. It said he was al-Shabab’s chief prosecutor and was in line to replace the group’s leader, Ahmed Diriye, who is sick. “His death is a thorn removed from the Somali nation,” the statement said. “The government is grateful to the Somali people and international friends whose cooperation facilitated the killing of this leader who was an enemy of the Somali nation.”   In recent weeks, Somali security forces have touted gains made against the al-Qaeda-linked group while fighting alongside local self-defence groups. But al-Shabab has continued to conduct deadly raids, including two last Friday that killed at least 16 people.  Since 2006, the group has killed tens of thousands of people in bombings in its fight to overthrow Somalia’s Western-backed central government and implement its interpretation of Islamic law. Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, elected by lawmakers in May, has promised to take the fight to the rebels after three years in which his predecessor, consumed by political infighting, took little action against al-Shabab. In August, Mohamud appointed a former al-Shabab spokesman Muktar Robow into his new cabinet. Somalia’s military is supported by US troops and drones and an African Union peacekeeping mission. It was not immediately clear which international partners participated in the operation that killed Nadir.(SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES)

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World leaders pledge billions to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria

(22 Sep 2022) The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has secured $14.25bn in crucial new funding, after decades of progress against the diseases was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. United States President Joe Biden, who hosted the conference in New York City on the sidelines of the annual high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said the funding  the highest amount ever pledged for a multilateral health organisation  is crucial to combating the diseases. “This is an investment that will save another 20 million lives, reduce mortality from these diseases another 64 percent in the next four years,” said Biden. The fund, a public/private alliance set up in 2002, is seeking $18bn for its next three-year funding cycle from governments, civil society and the private sector. Before Wednesday’s conference, it had already raised more than a third of the total. “What’s happened today is actually an unparalleled mobilisation of resources for global health,” said Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands. (AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES)

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