File:Palace of Justice at night.jpg – Wikimedia Commons

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.
• Sources:

Lebanese army arrests nine people after Beirut violence | News | Al Jazeera

Lebanon: Beirut’s worst street violence in more than a decade kills at least 6 – CNN

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Banksy’s Artwork Sells for More Than 20 Times its Initial Price

File:Season’s Greetings, Banksy (2).jpg – Wikimedia Commons

• 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.”
• Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/14/arts/design/banksy-art-sothebys-

Shredded Banksy artwork sells for $25.4 million at auction (apnews.com)

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The Last International Airline In Afghanistan, Suspends Flights on Thursday 

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• 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.
• Sources: 
• Al Jazeera 
• Reuters 
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Armenia and Azerbaijan Plead Their Case in UN International Court of Justice 

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• 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. 
• Sources:
• Al Jazeera
• AP News 
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At Least 46 Killed and 41 Injured in Taiwan Fire

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• 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.

Sources:

• AP News 
• CNN 

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Microsoft’s LinkedIn Suspending Platform in China After 7 Years

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• 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. 

Source:

• BBC News 

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