The strain was first detected in January this year, but it has only now been deemed severe enough to be listed. According to the WHO classification system, variants are determined first to be designated for “further monitoring,” before being promoted to “of interest,” and then, finally, “of concern.” If the …
Read More »Taliban militants won’t be allowed to run riot in Tajikistan after Americans pull out of Afghanistan, top Russian General tells RT
The Taliban has set up observation posts and checkpoints after having largely overrun the areas adjacent to the Afghan-Tajik border, the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s (CSTO) Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colonel Anatoly Sidorov explained. “We’ve seen the Taliban’s outposts. At least for now, we see no …
Read More »The EU-Hungary row over an anti-LGBTQ law is a clash of cultures that underpins why European integration will never work
The European Parliament backed a resolution on Thursday advocating reprisals against Hungary over a new law that bans the portrayal and promotion of LGBTQ lifestyles in schools. The resolution called for the country to suffer financial penalties, and encouraged EU member states to pursue Hungary through the EU’s courts. MEPs …
Read More »As US social media giants censor free speech online, Russia & China lead the charge to break free from American control of the Web
Over the past few years, China and Russia have taken the lead in nationalising the internet, putting their own mark on the online world and championing alternatives to foreign platforms. As a result, somewhat predictably, both governments have been accused of attempting to clip the wings of the supposedly ultimate …
Read More »Taliban declare ‘full control’ of Afghan’s key border crossing with Iran
“Islam Qala is now under our full control and we will try to put it back in operation today,” Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the militant movement, told AFP. On Thursday, an anonymous Afghan official told AP that the Taliban took over customs at the crossing point. Videos purportedly shot …
Read More »As South Korea’s Covid-19 infections break records, Seoul re-imposes maximum social distancing rules
The ‘Level 4’ social distancing rules – the most restrictive under South Korean public health guidelines – were announced on Friday for Seoul and the neighboring densely populated Gyeonggi Province and Incheon. The decision was taken following a meeting of officials from several governmental agencies chaired by Prime Minister Kim …
Read More »Twitter begins complying with new regulations in India
The media corporation announced the news in a court filing on Thursday following a lengthy legal battle with the Indian government over new IT rules. These require big tech companies including WhatsApp, Facebook, Google – and Twitter – to appoint executives from India for their units within the country. California-based …
Read More »Masks: Keep the long arm of the law away from my face
Face masks have long been a source of controversy during the Covid pandemic. For supporters, they are a vital additional barrier to virus transmission, one that is low cost and which represents a trivial burden for users. For opponents, they are state-imposed ‘face nappies’ being used as an instrument of …
Read More »Fight or flight: Conor McGregor stands on the verge of MMA obscurity ahead of pivotal bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264
There was something different about Conor McGregor the last time we saw him in the cage. Gone were the pre-fight insults and histrionics in the build-up to his rematch with Dustin Poirier, replaced instead with a more PG version of the sport’s most notorious figure. In 2014, ahead of their …
Read More »New Yorkers trudge through waist-high water as flash floods fill subway stations & shut down roadways (VIDEOS)
A soggy Thursday afternoon in the Big Apple saw residents wading through waist-deep water as they attempted to reach their subway platforms, while streets – including the Major Deegan Expressway – were crippled by the downpour. Numerous videos floating around social media captured the flooding. “Stairs looking like a water …
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