The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday certified China as malaria-free.

-Following a 70-year effort, China has been awarded a malaria-free certification from WHO – a notable feat for a country that reported 30 million cases of the disease annually in the 1940s- the WHO said in a statement.
-Today we congratulate the people of China on ridding the country of malaria- said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
He said China has joined the growing number of countries that are showing the world that a malaria-free future is a viable goal.
China's systematic efforts to combat malaria began after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The process, which began with the implementation of preventive measures against the disease in the 1950s, turned into a mobilization for drug development with the “Project 523” launched in 1967.
Tu Youyou, a Chinese female chemist who discovered that dihydroartemisinin and artemisinin active ingredients were effective against the malaria virus, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015 for this contribution.
After all these efforts, China managed to reduce the annual number of malaria cases to 5,000 in the 2000s.
China, where no malaria cases have been seen in the last four years, is the first country in the WHO Western Pacific Region that was certified malaria-free in more than three decades.
Globally, 40 countries and territories have been granted a malaria-free certification from WHO.

No malaria cases seen in last 4 years, according to World Health Organization

Globally, 40 countries and territories have been granted a malaria-free certification from WHO

WHO certifies China malaria-free after 70-year fight

The death toll rose to 16 on Wednesday as rescue squads pulled four more bodies from the sprawling debris field at the site of a partial building collapse in Surfside, Florida.

No one has been pulled alive from the rubble since the search began last Thursday after the Champlain Towers South partially collapsed in the early morning hours when many residents were likely sleeping.
Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Alan Cominsky continued to maintain that the operation is still focused on search and rescue, saying that is "absolutely" the case.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters that authorities are auditing their list of individuals who have been accounted for and those who remain missing with detectives seeking to contact "every single person who we have been told may be missing."
-We need to verify every report, and remove duplicates wherever possible- she said.
The number of people who have been accounted for stands at 139, while there are 147 people missing "as of now," said Levine Cava.
First responders are combatting not only the hazardous conditions that have persisted throughout the effort but also inclement weather. Authorities are monitoring two thunderstorms in the Atlantic Ocean and drawing up contingency plans in case a hurricane forms.
The National Hurricane Center said the storms have a 60% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours and an 80% possibility of doing so within the next five days.

Authorities in Florida auditing count of missing people, seeking to remove duplicates, says Miami-Dade County mayor

A view of the site during a rescue operation of a 12-storey Champlain Tower partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, United States, on June 29, 2021.

Death toll at 16 as 4 more bodies pulled from building collapse

Italy has completed the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, the country’s defense minister said Wednesday.

Lorenzo Guerini greeted the last contingent returning from Afghanistan at the military airport in Pisa, according to diplomatic sources.
He thanked 53 soldiers and 723 military personnel who were killed while serving in Afghanistan.
Guerini stressed that Italy's connection to Afghanistan will continue in other areas, "starting with supporting Afghan institutions and strengthening cooperation with these institutions in the field of development."
Poland also announced it would withdraw its entire military presence as of this weekend.
The US reached an agreement with the Taliban on Feb. 29, 2020, to completely withdraw from Afghanistan on May 1, 2021.
The Joe Biden administration announced it would withdraw completely from May 1 to Sept. 11.
More than 50% of the withdrawal has been completed and six military bases have been handed over to the Afghan forces, but the American command has not yet officially announced the number of troops withdrawn, according to the most recent statement by US Central Command.
The US is expected to keep a military unit of several hundred to protect the Kabul Embassy.
The Biden administration, which reached an agreement in principle with Turkey to protect Kabul's International Airport, is considering retaining some military personnel to support forces.

Defense minister greets last contingent returning from Afghanistan at military airport in Pisa

Guerini stressed that Italy's connection to Afghanistan will continue in other areas, "starting with supporting Afghan institutions and strengthening cooperation with these institutions in the field of development"

Italy completes troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

At least one person was killed and 14 injured in an attack on a Muslim group during a peace prayer session in the southwest Osogbo city of Nigeria on Sunday.

Abdulganiy Ezra, a spokesman of the Coalition of Muslim Rights Activists of Nigeria (CONRAN), told reporters on Monday that Muslims were gathered for the special prayers in Oluode Aranyin area when attackers stormed the mosque with guns and machete.
-Some masquarades stormed the mosque and unleashed mayhem on the Islamic faithfuls- he said.
He added that the attackers also vandalized vehicles parked within the premises of the mosque.
Yemisi Opalola, a police spokesman, confirmed the attack, saying an investigation into the incident has been initiated.
Abdullahi Buniyo, an official of Osun state, said the government will investigate what happened and bring to book those responsible for the "unfortunate act."

Attackers disrupt peace prayer organized in southwest Osogbo city

Attackers also vandalized vehicles parked within the premises of the mosque

1 killed, 14 injured in attack on Muslim group in Nigeria

Anti-government protesters and police traded blows on Monday in demonstrations across Colombia that marked two months of unrest in which more than 60 people have died.

Colombia has been rocked by protests since April, following opposition to a proposed tax hike that morphed into a mass movement against the right-wing administration of President Ivan Duque.
The demonstrators demand an end to police repression and more supportive public policies to alleviate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has plunged more than 40 percent of the country's 50 million inhabitants into poverty.
Riot police were deployed "on 20 occasions in various cities" Monday, the general director of the Police, General Jorge Vargas, reported in an audio recording sent to the media.
Demonstrators attacked police installations in the cities of Medellin and Pereira, with protestors demolishing a statue of the country's namesake, Christopher Columbus, in Barranquilla in the north. Riot police responded with water cannon and tear gas.
A dozen public transportation vehicles were also "vandalized", Vargas said.
In the capital Bogata, dozens drew silhouettes of civilians killed by the country's military in the over fifty-year-long conflict between the state and the FARC guerrilla -- violence that has resurged in recent years despite a peace agreement signed in 2016.
More than 60 people have died in the protests, according to the country's Ombudsman.
Human Rights Watch has accused law enforcement of committing "egregious abuses", saying police are implicated in at least 20 homicides. The United States, the European Union and the UN have condemned police abuses.
The government claims that illegal groups involved in drug trafficking and the National Liberation Army (ELN) -- Colombia's last recognized guerrilla group -- have infiltrated the protest movement in a bid to sow chaos.
A major group representing the protesters said on June 16 it would suspend demonstrations, promising to "continue our struggle in other settings such as art and concerts".
More hardline factions in the movement have pledged to carry on.&nbsp;

The demonstrators demand an end to police repression and more supportive public policies to alleviate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic

Demonstrators attacked police installations in the Colombian city of Medellin

Fresh clashes in Colombia on protest movement anniversary

Russian police on Tuesday were searching the apartments of investigative journalists and their relatives as authorities pile more pressure on independent media.

Proyekt (The Project), one of Russia's last remaining independent media outlets specialising in in-depth investigations, said that police were raiding the homes of its chief editor Roman Badanin and journalist Maria Zholobova. 
Another journalist, deputy editor Mikhail Rubin, was detained while police were searching his parents' apartment, the media outlet said on social media.
The searches came ahead of the planned publication of an investigation into the alleged wealth of Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, his son and other relatives, Proyekt said.
-But we will publish it anyway- the media outlet said on messaging app Telegram.
Kremlin critics say that during his two decades in power President Vladimir Putin has silenced most dissidents and has muzzled the media.
The few opposition and independent media that still operate in Russia are under huge pressure, Kremlin opponents say.
In April, authorities designated Meduza, a popular Russian-language news website based in Latvia, a "foreign agent", forcing it to launch a crowdfunding campaign to survive the loss of advertising revenue.
The next month another independent online media outlet, VTimes, received the same tag and shut down in June.
Groups or individuals identified as "foreign agents" in Russia must disclose their sources of funding and label publications with the relevant tag or face fines.
The designation is seen as a deterrent for advertisers, and staff of publications with the label say the stigma makes it more difficult to work, including quoting sources.
Russia will hold parliamentary elections in September, and ahead of the polls authorities declared the organisations of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny extremist and barred his allies from running.

Proyekt (The Project), one of Russia's last remaining independent media outlets specialising in in-depth investigations, said that police were raiding the homes of its chief editor Roman Badanin and journalist Maria Zholobova

Russian police and National Guard (Rosgvardia) servicemen wearing face masks walk along Red Square in central Moscow

Russian police search homes of investigative journalists

The Daesh/ISIS terror group on Monday claimed a rocket attack on a power plant in northern Iraq, according to the group’s Nasher News.

The Iraqi Electricity Ministry said in a statement that the Salahuddin power station was targeted with Katyusha rockets, causing damage to the station’s generating unit.
The power station was opened last week by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi with a production capacity of 1,260 megawatts.
Meanwhile, the ministry said in a separate statement that two electric transmission towers came under a bomb attack in the northern Diyala province, causing a disruption in electric transmission lines from Diyala to Baghdad.
Iraqis suffer shortages of power supplies, especially in camps where thousands of displaced Iraqis live.
Iraq generates between 19,000-21,000 megawatts while the actual need exceeds 30,000 megawatts, according to officials in the Electricity Ministry.

Attack causes damage to the station’s generating unit

The Iraqi Electricity Ministry said in a statement that the Salahuddin power station was targeted with Katyusha rockets, causing damage to the station’s generating unit

Daesh/ISIS claims rocket attack on Iraqi power plant

Clashes between rebels and Yemeni government fighters killed at least 111 in Marib in three days, pro-government sources said, following a renewed offensive by Huthi insurgents.

The Iran-allied insurgents escalated their efforts to seize Marib, the government's last stronghold in northern Yemen, in February, and the fighting has killed hundreds on both sides.
The fighting between Thursday and Sunday killed 29 pro-government personnel and at least 82 rebels, three pro-government sources told AFP. Rebel forces have not confirmed the toll.
Yemeni government officials said that since Thursday, the Huthis had mounted intensive attacks from the north, south and west, but were unable to breach government defences which were supported by air cover from a Saudi-led military coalition.
-These areas witnessed fierce fighting amid artillery shelling from both sides and intense coalition air raids- one government military official said.
Control of the oil-rich region of Marib would strengthen the Huthis' bargaining position in peace talks, but the battle has also raised fears of a humanitarian catastrophe, as many Yemenis had fled to the area to escape fighting in other parts of the country.
Yemen's conflict flared in 2014 when the Huthis seized the capital Sanaa, prompting the Saudi-led intervention to prop up the government the following year. 
While the UN and Washington are pushing for an end to the war, the Huthis have demanded the re-opening of Sanaa airport, closed under a Saudi blockade since 2016, before any ceasefire or negotiations. 
As well as the bloody offensive in Marib, the Huthis have also stepped up drone and missile strikes on Saudi targets, including its oil facilities.This month the outgoing UN envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths told the Security Council his own efforts over the past three years to end the war had been "in vain".
The fighting has killed tens of thousands and left some 80 percent of Yemenis dependent on aid, in what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. 
The war has also displaced millions of people and left many on the brink of famine.

Rebel forces have not confirmed the toll

The war has also displaced millions of people and left many on the brink of famine

111 Yemen govt and rebel fighters killed in Marib in 3 days

The Turkish president on Friday dismissed the possibility of early elections in the country.

-The date of the early elections is certain, June 2023. Don’t beat the wind- Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a local meeting of Justice and Development (AK) Party in southern Hatay province, following various opening ceremonies he had attended.
Vowing to continue protecting the country’s "independence, interests, rights of our people and all of our friends," Erdogan said: “AK Party's "fate is in line with Turkey's.”
-Each of the 15 elections that Turkey has been through over the last 19 years was of vital importance in itself- he said. 
-Now we have the 2023 elections ahead of us. These elections constitute the most critical turning point in terms of aligning our country's standards to the vision of 2053- the Turkish president added. 
On Turkey's vaccination campaign launched to curb the spread of COVID-19, Erdogan pledged to continue vaccination efforts in the country.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan vows to protect country’s ‘independence, interests, rights of our people’

Turkish president dismisses possibility of early elections

Classified documents from Britain's defence ministry containing details about a British warship and Russia's potential reaction to its passage through the Black Sea have been found at a bus stop in southern England, the BBC reported on Sunday.

The BBC said the documents, almost 50 pages in all, were found "in a soggy heap behind a bus stop in Kent early on Tuesday morning" by a member of the public, who wanted to remain anonymous.
The Ministry of Defence said it had been informed last week of "an incident in which sensitive defence papers were recovered by a member of the public".
-The department takes the security of information extremely seriously and an investigation has been launched. The employee concerned reported the loss at the time. It would be inappropriate to comment further- a spokesperson said.
Britain's main opposition Labour Party said the discovery of the documents by a member of the public was "as embarrassing as it is worrying for ministers". read more
Labour's defence policy chief John Healey said ministers needed to confirm that national security had not been undermined or security operations affected and that "procedures are in place to ensure nothing like this happens again".
The BBC reported that the documents, which included emails and PowerPoint presentations, related to the British warship Defender, which this month sailed through waters off the Crimean peninsula, a region Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Russia said on Wednesday it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of the ship to chase it out of what the Kremlin says are its territorial waters but which Britain and most of the world say belong to Ukraine. read more
It later summoned the British ambassador in Moscow for a formal diplomatic scolding over what it described as a provocation.
Britain rejected Russia's account of the incident. It said it believed any shots fired were a pre-announced Russian "gunnery exercise", and that no bombs had been dropped.
It confirmed the destroyer had sailed through what it said were Ukrainian waters, describing its path as "innocent passage" in accordance with international law of the sea. read more
The BBC said the documents suggested the ship's mission was conducted in the expectation that Russia might respond aggressively.
-What do we understand about the possible 'welcome party'…?- asked an official at Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), the UK's tri-service headquarters at Northwood, according to the BBC.

The BBC said the documents, almost 50 pages in all, were found "in a soggy heap behind a bus stop in Kent early on Tuesday morning" by a member of the public, who wanted to remain anonymous

The British Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender is moored before a ceremony marking the warship's arrival in the Black Sea port of Batumi, Georgia, June 26, 2021.

Classified UK defence documents found at bus stop in England

Searchers worked early on Sunday to find more than 150 missing residents amid the rubble of a Florida condo building that collapsed three days ago as questions arose about the tower's structural integrity.

The death toll rose to five on Saturday after emergency workers found a victim in their methodical search of the site in Surfside, a shore town near Miami, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during an evening news briefing.
-Our top priority continues to be search and rescue and saving any lives that we can- Levine Cava said.
Workers also found some human remains; three other victims were identified and their family members notified, she said.
Officials said they harbored hope that some of the 156 people unaccounted for might be alive. Firefighters on Saturday made progress on a smoldering fire and smoke beneath the rubble of the 40-year-old building, allowing rescuers to search with fewer limitations, officials said.
Aided by dogs, infrared scanning and heavy equipment, rescuers hope that people can survive in air pockets that may have formed in the debris.&nbsp;-The biggest thing now is hope- Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said. "That's what's driving us. It's an extremely difficult situation."
A 2018 report showed that an engineer found evidence of major structural damage beneath the pool deck and "concrete deterioration" in the underground parking garage of the 12-story oceanfront condominium.

Aided by dogs, infrared scanning and heavy equipment, rescuers hope that people can survive in air pockets that may have formed in the debris

People mourn at the memorial site created by neighbors in front of the partially collapsed building where the rescue personnel continue their search for victims, in Surfside near Miami Beach, Florida, U.S., June 26, 2021

Five dead, 156 still missing in Florida building collapse as searchers race against time

A series of Israeli airstrikes that left dozens of people dead in a Gaza Strip neighborhood were conducted "without warning" and "with limited intelligence about what they were attacking," an investigation published Thursday determined. 

The New York Times video probe, which relies in part on Anadolu Agency footage, examines Israeli airstrikes that targeted the upscale Rimal neighborhood using some of the Israeli military's largest bombs.
The strikes flattened three apartment buildings in the early morning hours of May 16, resulting in 44 deaths in what marks the single deadliest incident of Israel's 11-day air campaign.
Israel says the strikes targeted an underground Hamas command center, and while "there is no evidence Israel struck or directly targeted the apartment buildings," experts told the US newspaper the types of strikes that were documented "can easily lead to catastrophe and could be a war crime."
The Israeli military told the Times that while they targeted the Hamas command center, they did not know its exact location, nor its size. It did not provide evidence of the alleged command center, and Hamas denied it exists.
Bomb fragments presented to the newspaper by Gaza police indicate the bombs dropped on al-Wahda street in Rimal where the apartments were located were American-made 2,000-pound GBU-31 Mark 84 bombs outfitted with GPS equipment that allows for precision targeting.
At least four were likely dropped by the Israeli Air Force "within feet" of the apartment buildings, the investigation found.
The Israeli military maintains that all of the bombs hit their designated targets, but that does not mean the strikes were in compliance with international law.
May's 11-day conflict resulted in 257 Palestinians, including 66 children, losing their lives. Thirteen people were killed in Israel due to Palestinian rocket fire, including two children.

New York Times probe, which relies in part on Anadolu Agency footage, examines strikes that left 44 dead

The Israeli military maintains that all of the bombs hit their designated targets, but that does not mean the strikes were in compliance with international law

Probe finds Israeli strikes in Gaza 'could be a war crime'

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke over the phone with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Kremlin said on Friday.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the current level of Russian-Qatari cooperation in various fields, and confirmed their mutual commitment to further comprehensive development in bilateral ties, it noted in a statement.
Putin thanked the emir for his personal active participation and for the fruitful work at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum held in Russia on June 4.
They also discussed preparations for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup, it said.

Putin, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discuss bilateral ties, Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, 2022 FIFA World Cup

Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Vladimir Putin

Russian president, Qatari emir speak over phone

Mount Merapi, located on the border of Indonesia's Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces, erupted three times on Friday, an official said.

Hanik Humaida, the head of the Center for Geological Disaster Research and Technology Development (BPPTKG), said the first eruption occurred at 04.43 AM local time (2143GMT), ejecting hot clouds as far as 3,000 meters away.
The hot clouds covered five villages in two sub-districts namely Cangkringan and Pakem.
-We advise residents to remain calm and wear masks if they go outside to reduce the adverse impact of inhaling volcanic ash- Humaida said in a written statement.
The BPPTKG also recorded the volcano spewing incandescent lava 11 times with a maximum sliding distance of 1,000 meters in the span of six hours.
The agency maintains the status of Mount Merapi at “Level III or Alert."

Officials advise residents to remain calm, wear masks

The agency maintains the status of Mount Merapi at “Level III or Alert"

Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupts, spewing hot ash

At least 15 UN peacekeepers were injured in a vehicle bomb attack targeting a temporary operational base in Mali, the UN mission in the country said on Friday.-This morning, a temporary operational base of the MINUSMA force near the village of Ichagara, in the commune of Tarkint, Gao region, was the target of a vehicle bomb attack. 15 peacekeepers were injured and are being evacuated- the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) said on Twitter. The mission condemned the attack and wishes speedy recovery to the injured.
Last Sunday, at least five civilians were also injured in an attack that took place in the Kero Cercle administrative subdivision of the Mopti region.

Temporary operational base was target of attack, UN mission says

The mission condemned the attack and wishes speedy recovery to the injured

15 UN peacekeepers injured in vehicle bomb attack in Mali

NATO refuses to have any contacts with the Russian military while tensions in Europe are rising, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.

-NATO does not want to communicate through the military at all- Lavrov said, speaking at the Moscow Conference on International Security.
Lavrov recalled that Russia suggested NATO agree on holding military exercises far from each other's borders and do not deploy intermediate- and short-range missiles in Europe but did not receive any response.
-Russia's constructive proposals to reduce the military tensions along the entire line of contact between our country and the North Atlantic Alliance have been 'on the table' for almost two years- he said.
Lavrov was surprised by what he called "NATO's hypocrisy" about Russia's withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty (OST).
The EU and NATO called on Russia not "to destroy" the agreement although it was the US that first announced it quit the treaty, making Russia's participation in it inconvenient, the minister said.
-What is striking is the reaction to this absolutely natural and long-marked step (Russia's withdrawal from the OST) on the part of NATO and the European Union, that (both) hypocritically called on Moscow not to destroy the treaty, as if they had forgotten about Washington's irrevocable decision to withdraw from it as the root cause of the current crisis- he said.
The West, making claims to the Russian side, is silent that over the past 10 years it has "grossly ignored its obligations under the Open Skies Treaty, closing a significant part of the territory of the US, Canada, Great Britain, and France" to Russian aircraft, he said.
The Open Skies Treaty took effect on Jan. 1, 2002. It was drafted to enhance mutual understanding and transparency in the military buildup and suggest the possibility of unarmed aerial surveillance flights above the entire territory of its participants.
The US launched the withdrawal process from the OST in November under the former Donald Trump administration, triggering a symmetrical response from Russia.
On June 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law, completing Russia's withdrawal from the treaty.

Lavrov says Moscow 'surprised' by 'hypocritical' reactions from EU, NATO to Russia's withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty

Lavrov: NATO does not want to communicate through the military at all

WHO certifies China malaria-free after 70-year fight

Death toll at 16 as 4 more bodies pulled from building collapse

Italy completes troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

1 killed, 14 injured in attack on Muslim group in Nigeria

Fresh clashes in Colombia on protest movement anniversary

Russian police search homes of investigative journalists

Daesh/ISIS claims rocket attack on Iraqi power plant

111 Yemen govt and rebel fighters killed in Marib in 3 days

Turkish president dismisses possibility of early elections

Classified UK defence documents found at bus stop in England

Five dead, 156 still missing in Florida building collapse as searchers race against time

Probe finds Israeli strikes in Gaza 'could be a war crime'

Russian president, Qatari emir speak over phone

Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupts, spewing hot ash

15 UN peacekeepers injured in vehicle bomb attack in Mali

NATO refuses to talk to Russian military, says foreign minister

World

WHO certifies China malaria-free after 70-year fight

Death toll at 16 as 4 more bodies pulled from building collapse

Italy completes troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

1 killed, 14 injured in attack on Muslim group in Nigeria

Fresh clashes in Colombia on protest movement anniversary

Russian police search homes of investigative journalists

Daesh/ISIS claims rocket attack on Iraqi power plant

111 Yemen govt and rebel fighters killed in Marib in 3 days

Turkish president dismisses possibility of early elections

Classified UK defence documents found at bus stop in England

Five dead, 156 still missing in Florida building collapse as searchers race against time

Probe finds Israeli strikes in Gaza 'could be a war crime'

Russian president, Qatari emir speak over phone

Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupts, spewing hot ash

15 UN peacekeepers injured in vehicle bomb attack in Mali

NATO refuses to talk to Russian military, says foreign minister