WORLD - The African Mirror

Oct

19

2022

Global sport climbing body monitoring Iranian athlete

WORLD

THE International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) said that they were monitoring the case of Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekabi who was on her way home after apparently removing her hijab during competition. "There is a lot of information in the public sphere regarding Elnaz Rekabi and as an organisation, we have been trying to establish the facts. We have also been in contact with Ms Rekabi and the Iranian Climbing Federation," IFSC added in a statement. Thomson Reuters Foundation

Oct

19

2022

By The African Mirror

Britain’s political and market turmoil

WORLD

PRIME Minister Liz Truss has apologised for threatening Britain's economic stability after she was forced to scrap her economic agenda, with some Conservative lawmakers calling on her to quit. Her apology came after her new finance minister Jeremy Hunt demolished the radical economic agenda she proposed less than a month ago, reversing her vast tax-cutting plans and flagging a programme of "eye-watering" public spending cuts instead. Following is a snapshot of related events, comments and explanations: TRUSS U-TURN * Truss said was sorry for going "too far and too fast" with her radical economic plan. Her apology came after weeks of her blaming the…

Oct

19

2022

By The African Mirror

Gaza children breakdance to kick stress away

WORLD

NIDAL AL-MUGHRABI ON a street in the Nusseirat refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip, teenagers perform breakdancing moves once condemned by some locals as immoral and now seen as a way of helping youngsters handle years of war and trauma. The moves - with names like top rock and down rock - are part of a training programme by Gaza coach Ahmed Al-Ghraiz, who says he uses dance as therapy to help children kick away fears and release tension. Ghraiz, 32, who has a certificate in post-trauma studies, spent seven years in Europe, where he and some friends put…

Nov

05

2022

By The African Mirror

South Korea scrambles jets after detecting North Korean military flights near border amid tensions

WORLD

SOUTH Korea's military said it scrambled fighter jets after detecting about 180 North Korean military flights north of the two countries' border over four hours. The North Korean aircraft flew north of the so-called tactical action line, north of the Military Demarcation Line between the two Koreas, South Korea's military said in a statement. The virtual line is used as a basis for South Korean air defence operations, a South Korean official said. South Korea scrambled 80 aircraft, including, F-35A stealth fighters, in response. About 240 aircraft participating in the Vigilant Storm exercises with the United States continued the drills,…

Nov

05

2022

By The African Mirror

Biden vows to ‘free Iran’ in West Coast campaign speech

WORLD

TREVOR HUNNICUTT U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to "free" Iran and said that demonstrators working against the country's government would soon succeed in freeing themselves. "Don't worry, we're gonna free Iran. They’re gonna free themselves pretty soon," Biden said during a wide-ranging campaign speech in California, as dozens of demonstrators gathered outside holding banners supporting Iranian protesters. Biden did not expand on his remarks or specify what additional actions he would take during the remarks at MiraCosta College near San Diego. The White House's National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Seven weeks of demonstrations…

Nov

05

2022

By The African Mirror

Twitter temporarily closes offices as layoffs begin

WORLD

SHEILA DANG, KATIE PAUL and MARTIN COULTER TWITTER Inc temporarily closed its offices and cut workers' access to internal systems after telling employees they would be informed by email about whether they were being laid off. The move follows a week of chaos and uncertainty about the company's future under new owner Elon Musk. The social media company said in an email to staff it would tell them by 9 a.m. Pacific time on Friday (12 p.m. EDT/1600 GMT) about staff cuts. "In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of…

Oct

18

2022

By The African Mirror

Russia hits Kyiv apartment block in drone attacks on Ukraine cities

WORLD

PAVEL POLITYUK RUSSIA attacked Ukrainian cities with drones, killing at least four people in an apartment building in downtown Kyiv during morning rush hour, and targeted infrastructure across the country in the second wave of air strikes in a week. Ukrainian soldiers fired into the air trying to shoot down the drones after blasts rocked central Kyiv. An anti-aircraft rocket could be seen streaking into the morning sky, followed by an explosion and orange flames, as residents raced for shelter. A pregnant woman was among four people killed in the attack on the residential building, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Ukraine's Interior…

Nov

04

2022

By The African Mirror

Ousted Pakistan PM Imran Khan shot in shin in what aides call assassination attempt

WORLD

GIBRAN NAIYYAR PESHIMAM, ASIF SHAHZAD and MUBASHER BUKHARI FORMER Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was shot in the shin when his anti-government protest convoy came under attack in the east of the country in what his aides said was a clear assassination attempt by his rivals. Khan, ousted as prime minister in a parliamentary confidence vote in April, was six days into a protest procession bound for Islamabad, standing and waving to thousands of cheering supporters from the roof of a container truck, when the shots rang out. Several in his convoy were wounded in the attack in Wazirabad, nearly 200 km…

Oct

18

2022

By The African Mirror

‘How’s Brexit going?’ British politics mocked at home and abroad

WORLD

GAVIN JONES BRITAIN'S political and economic turmoil has been greeted with thinly veiled satisfaction among pro-European and leftist politicians abroad, with some commentators drawing parallels to chaotic Italy. New British finance minister Jeremy Hunt will set out tax and spending measures on Monday, two weeks earlier than scheduled, as he races to stem a dramatic loss of investor confidence in Prime Minister Liz Truss's government. "How's Brexit going?" tweeted veteran Belgian politician Guy Verhofstadt, an ardent pro-European, on Saturday. "One thing is for sure: the mess didn't start in 2022 but in 2016," he added, in reference to Britain's referendum…

Nov

04

2022

By The African Mirror

World must stand with Kyiv as Putin counts on “General Winter”, EU says

WORLD

INTERNATIONAL partners must continue to support Ukraine as the country prepares to keep up its fight against Russia's invasion during the upcoming winter months, the European Union's top diplomat said on Thursday. "The winter is coming. Putin is waiting for the 'General Winter' to come and support the Russian army," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned on the sidelines of a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in the western German town of Muenster. "Now, more than ever, we have to support Ukraine, the Ukrainian people. They are fighting, defending their country, and we have the moral duty to support…