-
Syrian committee reports 1,426 killed in March violence, says commanders did not order it
A Syrian government fact-finding committee said on Tuesday that 1,426 people had died in March in attacks on security forces and subsequent mass killings of Alawites, but concluded that commanders had not given orders for the revenge attacks. The incidents in the coastal region were the worst violence to hit Syria since the downfall of President Bashar Assad last year. The fact-finding committee's work is seen as an important test of the new leadership, made up mainly of former anti-Assad rebel
July 23, 2025 -
Ozzy Osbourne, who led Black Sabbath and became the godfather of heavy metal, dies at 76
Ozzy Osbourne, the gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the throaty, growling voice — and drug-and-alcohol ravaged id — of heavy metal, died Tuesday, just weeks after his farewell show. He was 76. "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," a family stat
July 23, 2025 -
WHO sounds alarm on global risk of Chikungunya epidemic
GENEVA (AFP) -- The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday a major chikungunya virus epidemic risks sweeping around the globe, calling for urgent action to prevent it. The WHO said it was picking up exactly the same early warning signs as in a major outbreak two decades ago and wanted to prevent a repeat. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease that causes fever and severe joint pain, which is often debilitating. In some cases it can be deadly. "Chikungunya is not a disease that is wi
July 23, 2025 -
US to leave UN cultural agency UNESCO again, diplomats say
PARIS -- The United States will leave the United Nations' culture and education agency UNESCO as President Donald Trump continues to pull his country out of international institutions he has long criticized, two European diplomats said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours. The move is a blow to the Paris-based agency, founded after World War Two to promote peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture. T
July 22, 2025 -
UK, Canada and 26 other countries say the war in Gaza ‘must end now’
LONDON (AP) — Twenty-eight countries including Britain, Japan and a host of European nations issued a joint statement Monday saying the war in Gaza “must end now” — the latest sign of allies' sharpening language as Israel's isolation deepens. The foreign ministers of countries also including Australia and Canada said “the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths." They condemned “the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their
July 22, 2025 -
Iran says will not halt nuclear enrichment ahead of European talks
TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) -- Iran has no plans to abandon its nuclear program including uranium enrichment despite the "severe" damage caused by US strikes to its facilities, the country's foreign minister said ahead of renewed talks with European powers. Iran is scheduled to meet Britain, France and Germany in Istanbul on Friday, to discuss its nuclear program, with Tehran accusing European powers of scuppering a landmark 2015 nuclear deal. The meeting will be the first since Iran's 12-day war with Is
July 22, 2025 -
Judge gives ex-officer nearly 3 years in Breonna Taylor raid, rebuffs DOJ call for no prison time
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) — A federal judge on Monday sentenced a former Kentucky police officer to nearly three years in prison for using excessive force during the deadly 2020 Breonna Taylor raid, rebuffing a US Department of Justice recommendation of no prison time for the defendant. Brett Hankison, who fired 10 shots during the raid but didn't hit anyone, was the only officer on the scene charged in the Black woman's death. He is the first person sentenced to prison in the case that rocked t
July 22, 2025 -
Bangladesh jet crashes into school, kills at least 25
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school in Dhaka, the country's capital, shortly after takeoff on Monday afternoon, killing the pilot and 24 other people, most of whom were students, officials said. The jet crashed and caught fire, leaving also 171 people, mostly students, injured. They were rescued from the school’s smoldering two-story building, officials said, many with burns, taken away in helicopters, ambulances, motorized rickshaws and the ar
July 22, 2025 -
Brazil's top court threatens Bolsonaro with arrest, demands explanation for order breach
SAO PAULO (Reuters) -- Brazil's Supreme Court threatened to order former President Jair Bolsonaro's arrest unless his lawyers explain within 24 hours why he breached restrictions on his use of social media, a decision showed on Monday evening. The order summoning Bolsonaro's lawyers was issued by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the case in which Bolsonaro is accused of plotting a coup. Bolsonaro's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hour
July 22, 2025 -
Russia launches major aerial attack on Kyiv
Russia unleashed one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine in recent months hours before Britain and Germany chaired a meeting Monday to discuss US President Donald Trump’s plans for NATO allies to provide Ukraine with weapons. The drone and missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, killed two people and wounded 15, including a 12-year-old, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The deadly assault underscored the urgency of Ukraine’s need for further Western military aid, especially
July 22, 2025 -
Trump administration releases FBI records on MLK Jr. despite his family's opposition
The Trump administration on Monday released records of the FBI's surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr., despite opposition from the slain Nobel laureate's family and the civil rights group that he led until his 1968 assassination. The digital document dump includes more than 240,000 pages of records that had been under a court-imposed seal since 1977, when the FBI first gathered the records and turned them over to the National Archives and Records Administration. In a lengthy statement released
July 22, 2025 -
Hanoi's street food culture gains ground with Michelin nods
HANOI, Vietnam (Viet Nam News/ANN) -- Several Hanoi street-side eateries have earned recognition from Michelin, but the question remains: is this enough to elevate the city's vibrant street food scene? Hoan Kiem bun cha, pho take the spotlight From its very first year in Vietnam, the Michelin Guide was quick to take note of bun cha (rice vermicelli with grilled pork and fresh herbs), a humble yet iconic dish from Hanoi. In 2023, two bun cha spots made it into Michelin's recommended list: Bun cha
July 22, 2025 -
With 'smoke, fire and steam,' China's night markets erupt into life
ZHENGDING, China (China Daily/ANN) — As dusk falls over the ancient county of Zhengding in Hebei province, a remarkable transformation begins — a vast parking lot near the train station empties, making way for hundreds of brightly lit food carts. Within hours, the Zhengding Small Commodities Night Market erupts into life — a symphony of sizzling pans, shouting vendors, and the chatter of thousands of eager visitors. This nightly scene pulses with yanhuoqi — literally "smoke, fire and steam" — pr
July 22, 2025 -
Bangladesh puppet theatre uses fun to teach kids real-life lessons
DHAKA, Bangladesh (Daily Star/ANN) — Growing up, most children develop a certain fondness towards fictional characters. Cartoons, puppets or comics — they serve the same purpose. To entertain, to teach, and to play a vital role in the psychological development of the children. Presently, puppets may not be as popular as they used to be. And puppet shows are a dying art to some extent. Standing against such challenging odds, Kaktarua Puppet Theater is doing some commendable work. What is Kaktarua
July 22, 2025 -
Pope marks 56th anniversary of moon landing
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV marked the 56th anniversary of man's arrival on the moon Sunday with a visit to the Vatican astronomical observatory in Castel Gandolfo and a call to astronaut Buzz Aldrin. After praying the Sunday Angelus at his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, Leo headed to the astronomical observatory located in the Pontifical Villas, where he took a close look at the telescopes that have supported celestial exploration from a faith-based perspective for decades. The pontiff was acc
July 21, 2025