People
Russia's Putin protected from coronavirus by disinfection tunnel
Russian Federation has recorded more than half a million infections, the third-highest number of cases in the world after Brazil and the United States, something it attributes to an enormous testing programme. "There are even two of them in the Kremlin , and one in Novo-Ogaryovo (outside Moscow), since this is now the president's main working residence and people come to him for meetings there". [Full Article...]
Top Voice of America officials resign after confirmation of Trump appointee
The Voice of America and other U.S. government-funded media outlets have been hit by waves of turmoil, uncertainty and attacks after President Donald Trump 's pick to lead the U.S. In April, for example, the White House criticized VOA for its story about the reopening of Wuhan, China, where the COVID-19 outbreak first emerged. [Full Article...]
United Kingdom and Jordan leaders voice concerns over Israeli annexation plan
The initiative paves the way for the eventual creation of a Palestinian state, but on reduced territory and without key Palestinian demands such as a capital in east Jerusalem. Several Gulf nations also reinforced their opposition to annexation on Tuesday. Most of the worldwide community considers Israel's West Bank settlements illegal under global law. [Full Article...]
Three Indian soldiers 'killed' in clash on Chinese border
In a statement on Tuesday morning, the army said: "During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley , a violent face-off took place yesterday (Monday) night with casualties on both sides". India and China had accepted a de facto border called the Line of Actual Control (LAC ) in 1993 but differences leading to flare-ups remain . In May, dozens of Indian and Chinese soldiers ... [Full Article...]
Johnson’s Plan to Scrap UK Aid Ministry Attacked by Predecessors
Though he denied that the move would mark a return to "tied aid" in which foreign aid was provided to countries in return for favours given to the British government. He said that "the strategic aims of alignment with diplomacy and focus on new areas of strategic interest to Britain" could be accomplished without DFID's abolition and that it was a "wrong and regressive move". [Full Article...]
Two protestors in Australia arrested as they deface Captain Cook`s statue
Shi runs the "Sniff Off" campaign - which calls for an end to police sniffer dogs - in collaboration with New South Wales Greens MP David Shoebridge. SYDNEY (AP) - An Australian state government leader said on Monday she was considering tougher laws to protect monuments after two statues of British explorer James Cook were vandalized in Sydney. [Full Article...]
New Zealand's first Covid cases in 24 days came from UK
Ardern said it was "absolutely nonsensical" they were not tested earlier and it was clear border controls needed to be tightened to ensure similar failures were not repeated. Government Ministers had been told that everyone coming in from the border was going to be tested twice, and Ardern said she believed there was a legal mechanism to enforce that. [Full Article...]
Supreme Court declines to hear gun-rights cases
The court also passed up a case out of California dealing with the "microstamping" of handgun ammunition as well as bans on interstate handgun sales. Among the cases that the court refused to hear were assault weapons bans in MA and Cook County, Illinois. [Full Article...]