Six reported dead and 30 left wounded after gunfire erupts at a Lebanese protest. Summary:
President Michel Aoun claims he will bring perpetrators to justice after open gunfire in Beirut takes the lives of six individuals.
The Hezbollah and Amal movements organized a rally to demand the lead investigator into last year’s port explosion be dismissed.
Judge Tarek Bitar is accused of political bias causing hundreds of protestors to gather outside of Beirut Palace of Justice to demand for his removal.
The protest soon turned violent when bursts of gunfire from the nearby Tayyoune neighbourhood drove many to scatter and left rival groups to clash for hours on end.
Nine suspects have been arrested for the gunfire including a Syrian man.
President Aoun stated the incident “It took us back to the days that we said we would never forget and never repeat” speaking in reference to the country’s 15-year civil war.
Horrified by the news out of Beirut. The crisis in Lebanon is an avoidable tragedy, and the United States must do its part to reduce tensions and help end this unprecedented economic crisis.
The famous self-destructing Banksy art that sold for $1.4 million three-years ago was resold by Sotheby’s for a massive gain of $25.4 million.
More than doubling Banksy’s “Devolved Parliament” which sold for $12.1 million in 2019 the “Love Is in the Bin” is now the artist’s most expensive piece of art.
Alex Branczik, Sotheby’s chairman of modern and contemporary art, stated “It has been a whirlwind to follow the journey of this now legendary piece and to have it back in our midst, offering it tonight in the very room it was created by the artist…Banksy is no stranger to making headlines and this latest chapter in his story has captured imaginations across the world — we can only begin to guess what might come next.”
Pakistan International Airways (PIA), suspended flights to Afghanistan Thursday citing the heavy-handedness of the Taliban authorities, leaving many Afghans no way out of the country.
The suspension comes as the Taliban warned PIA to cut ticket prices to the value they were before the US withdrew in August or face being blocked.
PIA officials stated their staff experienced many delays, physical altercations, and even detainment by Taliban authorities forcing them to suspend flights.
Prices from Kabul to Islamabad, Pakistan, prior to the US withdrawing in August ranged from $120 to $150 however are now going for $2,500, an amount many Afghans cannot afford.
#PIA has decided to suspend its Flt Ops to #Kabul till situation on ground improves and conditions become more conducive for Int'l level Flt Ops. PIA was only operating Charter Flts purely on humanitarian considerations as really high insurance costs make regular Ops impossible
BREAKING: Pakistan International Airlines has announced that it is suspending its Kabul operations immediately till further decision on the matter. PIA was the only international airline that continued its Kabul operation regardless of challenges & serious issues.
Officials from Armenia and Azerbaijan met with the UN International Court of Justice this week, each pleading their cases in regards to the ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenia argued that the court should force Azerbaijan to release prisoners detained in last year’s 6-week war and also accused Azerbaijan of promoting ethnic hatred.
Azerbaijan denies the allegations and urges the court to reject Armenia’s requests.
The hearing comes as the two nations clashed with one another last year regarding the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, leaving 6,600 people dead.
The case between the two nations is ongoing and may take years before the UN International Court can reach a final ruling.
WATCH LIVE : Armenia opens the first round of oral argument on its request for the indication of provisional measures in the case #Armenia v. #Azerbaijan before the #ICJhttps://t.co/rA9FI5RPGD
WATCH LIVE: Azerbaijan presents its first round of oral argument on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Armenia in the case #Armenia v. #Azerbaijan before the #ICJhttps://t.co/Z9Htmd1ZJt
A fire ripped through a 13 story residential and commercial building in the middle of the night in Southern Taiwan killing at least 46 and injuring at least 41.
Residents, who were mostly elderly or disabled, reported hearing a loud explosion and then seeing a fire grow from the lower level.
Though the cause of the blaze is still unknown, the city’s fire chief, Lee Ching-hsiu, attributed the large loss of life to the aging building, large amounts of debris in and around the building, and the immobility of many of the residents.
Search and rescue crews are on the scene and are actively searching through the debris.
On behalf of the Republic of Somaliland, our Representative Office in Taiwan is deeply saddened the fire of Yancheng District in Kaohsiung. Our sympathies go out to the families of the victims & gov of 🇹🇼. In this sorrowful time, we would like to extend our heartfelt condolences. pic.twitter.com/dv5fHRklBt
Microsoft’s LinkedIn, the only western social media platform that was allowed in China, announced it will be shutting down its operations in China after a 7-year run.
Microsoft officials stated that complying with the Chinese state has become increasingly difficult.
The shutdown comes as LinkedIn recently faced backlash for blocking Chinese journalists on their platform.
Microsoft announced that a new job-only platform called InJobs, will launch in China later this year, but it will only feature jobs and no social media feed.
Here's the LinkedIn statement. It acknowldeges the company made compromises to operate in China, and indicates that it concluded that it's no longer worth it.https://t.co/y1ia8kbLtCpic.twitter.com/KQ6P4tYA4C
Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court found Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second largest bank, guilty for its involvement in a money laundering scheme involving a Bulgarian drug trafficking gang.
The bank is being fined 21 million Swiss francs ($22 million) due to its poor monitoring and implementation of anti-money laundering rules. More than 12 million francs worth of assets are also being confiscated due to their connection with the criminal group.
Credit Suisse has denied any wrongdoings and stated that it has been “continuously testing its anti-money laundering framework and has been strengthening it over time, in accordance with evolving regulatory standards.”
This case originated from actions taken by a former employee in 2007 and 2008, and two other Bulgarian citizens’ actions in 2005 and 2009. Some of their sentences and fines were suspended due to the amount of time passed since the crimes took place.
Money laundering: Credit Suisse, Switzerland's 🇨🇭 second-biggest bank, which has been rocked by a series of scandals, was slapped with a $2-million-fine in a money laundering case linked to a Bulgarian 🇧🇬 cocaine network @StopCrimeKenyapic.twitter.com/tWlAZ9lPpf
A gas leak in Aqaba, Jordan killed at least thirteen people and injured more than 250. A storage container carrying between 25 and 30 tonnes of chlorine gas fell as it was being exported to Djibouti, releasing the gas.
A video of the incident on state TV shows the container being dropped onto the deck of the ship and a yellow colored gas spreading through the air as people try to evacuate. The accident seems to be a result of the crane malfunctioning.
If chlorine is inhaled at high levels, it can cause life-threatening damage. A nearby beach in Aqaba was evacuated as a safety precaution, and residents who live in the nearest residential area, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) away, were advised to stay inside and close windows.
Jordan’s Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh traveled to Aqaba and visited some of the injured at the hospital. He also formed a team led by the interior minister to investigate the incident.
I would like to express my deepest condolences to the Kingdom of Jordan following the tragedy that took place at the Port of Aqaba. As we've told our friends in Jordan, the Israeli defense establishment is ready to assist with any effort, by any means necessary.
A busy shopping center in Ukraine was set on fire by Russian missiles on Monday, killing at least thirteen people and injuring dozens. The total number of casualties is still unknown.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that “The number of victims is impossible to imagine” and that there could have been up to 1,000 people in the mall.
The attack came during the G7 summit, where world leaders condemned recent atrocities and promised to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes” in a joint statement. President Zelensky spoke to the leaders at the summit and stated that he wants the war to end before winter.
NATO has decided to increase the number of troops in its rapid reaction force from 40,000 to 300,000, more than eightfold. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated this move is part of the “biggest overhaul of collective defense and deterrence since the Cold War.”
The United States has announced that it will provide Ukraine with advanced medium and long-range air defense capabilities.
Large shopping mall in Kremenchuk with hundreds of civilians inside has been hit by a Russian strike. Russia is a disgrace to humanity and it must face consequences. The response should be more heavy arms for Ukraine, more sanctions on Russia, and more businesses leaving Russia. pic.twitter.com/Uvi6fbyShK
Together, the G7 is demonstrating the strong global leadership it will take to maximize the costs to Putin and his enablers and address the impact of his war on the global economy. pic.twitter.com/N30bBeXyKL
The United States’ top justices voted to eliminate the constitutional right to an abortion, a law that had been in place for over 50 years.
The closely watched decision was heralded by some and derided by others, depending on their position on the controversial concept of a woman’s right to choose for her own body.
With the abolition of the constitutional right, it is expected that many states in the U.S. will implement near total bans of abortion rights, while other states such as California, Oregon and Washington have reaffirmed their commitment to preserve the right to an abortion.
Planned Parenthood, the advocacy face for abortion rights, is mobilizing around the country to bolster and increase services in those states that will preserve the right, and engage voters in those states that plan to abolish the right.
Tweets
Overturning Roe v. Wade and denying women the right to control their own bodies is an outrage and in defiance of what the American people want. Democrats must now end the filibuster in the Senate, codify Roe v. Wade, and once again make abortion legal and safe.
The EU has finally approved the application of Ukraine to become a candidate country for admission to the 27- country organization. Ukraine will now join the official candidate list, which already includes Albania, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey.
The US is expected to provide an additional $450m in security assistance to Ukraine. Which includes four more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.
The EU and Norway have agreed to cooperate and provide the EU’s 27 countries with gas from Western Europe’s biggest provider. The EU imports roughly ⅕ of its gas from Norway compared to the 40% it was receiving from Russia. Currently, Russia has been cutting gas supplies to countries refusing to pay for it in roubles.
Melbourne is considering utilizing its largely vacant $200m Center for National Resilience building to house hundreds of refugees fleeing war-torn Ukraine and Afghanistan. The center will only be able to temporarily house about 500 refugees from Afghanistan and about 200 from Ukraine.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov thanked US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after receiving and welcoming the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the United States.
Nike joined other leading Western brands by formally making a full exit from Russia, three months after suspending its operations. Telecoms equipment maker Cisco is also planning to wind down business in Russia and Belarus as well.
All views expressed in this editorial are solely that of the author, and are not expressed on behalf of The Analyst, its affiliates, or staff.
The US Supreme Court expanded gun carrying rights after a New York law denied the plaintiffs Robert Nash and Brandon Koch from carrying a concealed weapon in public, despite them having licenses for recreational gun ownership.
The US court ruled that the New York law requiring residents to prove “proper cause” to carry a concealed weapon is unconstitutional. Justice Clarence Thomas, who represented the 6 justices who ruled in favor of the decision, stated that Americans have the right to carry “commonly used” firearms in public for personal defense.
This decision comes amid an intense national debate over gun violence, and could possibly challenge the outcome of similar regulations in other states, such as California and New Jersey, and affect a quarter of Americans by allowing more people to carry guns legally.
Three liberal justices, Elena Kahan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Stephen Breyer, were against the majority decision, and Justice Breyer noted that “since the start of this year alone (2022), there have already been 277 reported mass shootings – an average of more than one per day.”
While the National Rifle Association (NRA) celebrated the judgment, President Biden stated that he was “deeply disappointed” by the court’s decision and that the ruling “contradicts both common sense and the Constitution, and should trouble us all.”
New York Mayor Eric Adams also agreed with Biden and stated that he would review other ways to restrict gun access by restricting the application process for buying guns and looking into bans of firearms at specific locations.
All views expressed in this editorial are solely that of the author, and are not expressed on behalf of The Analyst, its affiliates, or staff.
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