7.7 quake hits Myanmar, followed by 6.4 aftershock

A violent 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar at 6:20 UTC on Friday, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). The massive tremor was followed just 12 minutes later by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock.The quake's epicenter was registered 17 kilometers west of Mandalay City in Myanmar, with a population of 1,208,000 inhabitants, and 253 km away from the capital city Naypyidaw with a population of 925,000. The earthquake...

China urges immediate evacuation of citizens from South Sudan

The Chinese Embassy in South Sudan has advised its citizens on Thursday to leave the country immediately as security conditions deteriorate. Chinese nationals are urged to use commercial flights while they remain available and to contact the embassy in case of emergencies.Malaysia has also called on its citizens to prioritize their safety and depart without delay. Meanwhile, Norway has temporarily closed its embassy in Juba, citing rising security risks.The...

King Charles cancels engagements after hospital visit

Britain's King Charles III was briefly admitted to hospital on Thursday after suffering temporary side effects from cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. The monarch's afternoon engagements were canceled, the palace added."Following scheduled and ongoing medical treatment for cancer this morning, The King experienced temporary side effects that required a short period of observation in hospital," the palace clarified.According to the...

Turkey frees AFP reporter, maintains charges

An Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer detained in Turkey during mass protests earlier this week was released on Thursday, AFP reported.AFP previously requested the rapid release of Yasin Akgul, stating that he was not a part of the protest and that his imprisonment was "unacceptable." The authorities, on the other hand, accused him of participating in "illegal rallies." Akgul's lawyer said the charges against him were not dropped, despite his...

Five injured in stabbing incident in Amsterdam

Five people have been injured in a stabbing incident in Amsterdam's tourist hotspot on Thursday, according to the city's police department."In a stabbing incident at the Sint Nicolaasstraat nearby the Dam Square, five people have been injured. One suspect has been arrested," Amsterdam's police department said in a post, adding that it currently has "no information about the cause or motive of the stabbing incident," noting that the motive is still being...
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EU slams Turkey over journalist arrests, BBC reporter deported

The European Union condemned Turkey on Thursday for detaining journalists covering mass protests, urging the country to uphold press freedom. European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier stated that Brussels "deplores the arrests of journalists and shutdown of social media accounts," calling on Ankara to respect media and expression rights. Social media platform X confirmed that Turkish authorities had ordered it to block a significant number of...

Six allegedly dead as Red Sea tourist submarine sinks

At least six people died when a tourist submarine sank off the coast of Egypt's resort Hurghada on the Red Sea, the state-owned Al-Akhbar Al-Youm agency reported on Thursday.According to sources, 19 more people were injured in the incident.The relevant departments have launched an investigation of what caused the submarine to sink.
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Two killed, two injured in US airstrikes near Yemen's Sanaa

Two people were killed and two others wounded in overnight US airstrikes near Yemen's capital, Sanaa, according to Houthis on Thursday. The group blamed Washington for the attacks, which targeted sites in the Sanaa governorate.Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported nearly 20 strikes north and south of the capital, while a health ministry spokesman confirmed the casualties on social media. Earlier, the rebels said four raids hit a stone-cutting site in Khawlan district in...

South Korea wildfire death toll rises to 26

The death toll in wildfires ravaging South Korea's southeastern provinces has risen to 26, with an additional 30 people injured and about 37,000 people displaced from their homes, Yonhap reported.Acting South Korean President Han Duck-soo instructed Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong to "please personally take care of the victims' health and safety on the ground and activate an efficient support system so that the wildfire-extinguishing personnel and volunteer...
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S&P sees 25% chance of US recession in next 12 months

S&P Global Ratings announced on Wednesday it projects a 25% likelihood of the US slipping into a recession over the next 12 months."The uncertainty of USA policies poses a risk to the North American credit environment. The probability of an economic recession in the USA within the next 12 months is estimated to be 25%," the agency added.
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