Three people were killed and nearly 1,900 injured celebrating Iran's traditional fire festival in the runup to this weekend's Persian New Year, emergency services said Wednesday.

One of the deaths came in Tehran, despite an overnight ban on gatherings imposed in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
The Chaharshanbe Suri celebrations, during which participants jump over bonfires to purify themselves and ward off evil spirits, are part of Iran's pre-Islamic heritage and generally frowned on by the Shiite clerical establishment.
But they are popular with young people, many of whom who make their own fireworks for the event.
-Three people died during the festival, one of them in the capital- emergency services spokesman Mojtaba Khaledi told AFP.
Another 1,894 people were injured, most of them men, Khaledi said.
Six more people were killed in the runup to the event, he added, seemingly referring to incidents in which people were handling explosives to make their own fireworks.
Last year, several provinces imposed bans on fire festival celebrations as Iran battled a first wave of coronavirus infections.
This year Tehran police banned gatherings, but the ban was widely breached as gaggles of people assembled in various parts of the city to light bonfires and set off firecrackers, AFP correspondents reported.
"In the current situation where everyone is stressed and anxious because of the coronavirus, (celebrating) is really not at all bad," said a 38-year-old housewife sitting by one of the bonfires, who gave her name only as Charareh.
"Personally, I came here tonight to get rid of all the stress," she said.

One of the deaths came in Tehran, despite an overnight ban on gatherings imposed in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus

Iranian families gather round a bonfire in Tehran, ignoring a ban on gatherings in the capital, to celebrate Chaharshanbe Suri, the fire festival held in the runup to this weekend's Persian New Year

Three killed, hundreds hurt celebrating Iran fire festival

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met Monday with Mohammad Raad, the head of the Hezbollah bloc in the Lebanese parliament. 

Lavrov and Raad discussed the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East in general, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement following the meeting.
-Sergey Lavrov confirmed Russia's consistent line in support of the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Lebanon. He stressed the need to address pressing issues on the national agenda through a broad dialogue involving representatives of all the leading religious groups in Lebanese society exclusively in the legal field and without foreign interference- the ministry said.
The minister also stressed the urgent need to form a new government headed by Saad Hariri that is capable of ensuring Lebanon's exit from the current crisis.
Speaking about Syria, Lavrov stressed the importance of the repatriation of Syrian refugees, including those from Lebanon, "in the interests of reliable stabilization in the region."
-Lavrov stressed Russia's unwavering commitment to achieving a comprehensive peace in the Middle East in accordance with the existing international legal framework- the ministry said.
Lavrov and Raad also spoke about Russian -Lebanese bilateral cooperation, including in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
Apart from Lavrov, Raad also met with his deputy responsible for the Middle East and North Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov.
Raad's visit came several days after Lavrov's return from a tour to Arab countries, in which he met with former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
Lebanon has been in a political crisis since a massive explosion rocked the port of Beirut in 2020. After the incident, the government resigned, and since then, the country has not been able to form a new government.

Top Russian diplomat discusses situation in Lebanon with head of Hezbollah bloc in Lebanese parliament

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets Hezbollah's parliamentary group chairman Mohammad Raad in Moscow, Russia on March 15, 2021.

Lavrov meets with delegation from Lebanon’s Hezbollah

Tens of thousands of people in cities across Bolivia took to the streets on Monday night to protest against the arrest of ex-President Jeanine Anez and other political opponents of the ruling socialist party over allegations they were involved in a coup in 2019.In the lowland city of Santa Cruz, the largest crowds gathered for a rally around a Christ the Redeemer statue waving Bolivian flags and carrying banners calling for a defense of democracy and freedom.
Bolivia’s leftist government, which came back into power last November, has sought the arrest of a number of former officials, military and civil leaders it accuses of conspiring to oust long-term leader Evo Morales less than two years ago.
Morales, whose MAS party is now back in power, resigned in late 2019 amid widespread protests against his government and after the military urged him to step down. In a power vacuum, Anez, then a Senator, had taken over as interim President.
The arrests have prompted fears of a political crackdown, with criticism from human rights groups and the Organization for American States (OAS), which said the government was using the judiciary as a “repressive” tool.
Anez, a devout Catholic and conservative who led the country for less than a year, was transferred to a La Paz jail on Monday. Others from her government and former military leaders have been arrested too.
-To those prisoners, to those persecuted politicians, we will not abandon you- Luis Camacho, a civil leader and governor elect for Santa Cruz, said during the rally in the city. -We will be firm because this is going to be a strong fight.-

Camacho, a prominent anti-government figure in 2019, also faces potential arrest according to a warrant seen by Reuters.

Bolivia’s government, now led by Morales’ ally and former economy minister Luis Arce, has repeatedly said the arrests are part of transparent investigations and that it is not persecuting its political opponents.
In the administrative highland capital La Paz, protesters marched through the streets, some with face masks saying “fraud” and a picture of Morales, a reference to allegations made by the OAS he rigged the presidential election in 2019.
-We have proven that this Venezuela-style government has no respect for the popular will,” said protester Olga Flores. “We do not want another MAS (socialist party) dictator in power.-

In the lowland city of Santa Cruz, the largest crowds gathered for a rally around a Christ the Redeemer statue waving Bolivian flags and carrying banners calling for a defense of democracy and freedom

Demonstrators attend a rally to protest against Bolivian President Luis Arce's government after the detention of former interim President Jeanine Anez, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, March 15, 2021.

Bolivians take to the streets to protest political arrests

Alaska, Florida, Montana, Nevada, and Puerto Rico have joined a lawsuit filed by Texas and others against Google, which accuse it of breaking antitrust law to boost its already dominant online advertising business, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Tuesday.

The lawsuit was one of five filed last year by the federal government or states against two big tech platforms, Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook Inc.
-Our coalition looks forward to holding Google accountable for its illegal conduct and reforming Google’s practices in the future. And we are confident Google will be forced to pay for its misconduct through significant financial penalties- Paxton said in the statement.
Google has asked for the Texas federal court to move the case to California, where it is fighting similar cases. This is to be discussed in a hearing on Thursday.
The lawsuit accuses Google of violating the law in how it dominates the steps in the process of placing digital advertising. Publishers complain that one result has been lower revenues. Google has denied wrongdoing.
Concern generally about the power of Big Tech, including Amazon.com Inc and Apple Inc, in the U.S. economy and in the political sphere has prompted calls for tougher regulation, including more money for enforcers, as well as tougher antitrust law.

The lawsuit accuses Google of violating the law in how it dominates the steps in the process of placing digital advertising

Google has asked for the Texas federal court to move the case to California, where it is fighting similar cases

Several U.S. states join Texas lawsuit against Google

Facebook-owned Instagram unveiled technology Tuesday aimed at preventing underage children from creating accounts and blocking adults from contacting young users they don't know.

It was the latest move responding to concerns about inappropriate contact between adults and children on the platform, which like most services sets an age minimum of 13.
Instagram will begin using artificial intelligence to determine a user's age at signup in an effort to find underage users.
-While many people are honest about their age, we know that young people can lie about their date of birth. We want to do more to stop this from happening, but verifying people's age online is complex and something many in our industry are grappling with- a blog post said.
-To address this challenge, we're developing new artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to help us keep teens safer and apply new age-appropriate features.-Additionally, the California giant said it would introduce a new feature that prevents adults from sending messages to people under 18 who don't follow them, to prevent unwanted contact.
-This feature relies on our work to predict peoples' ages using machine learning technology, and the age people give us when they sign up- Instagram said.
Instagram is also looking at ways to make it more difficult for adults who have been exhibiting "potentially suspicious behavior" to interact with teens, including restricting these adults from seeing suggested teen accounts.
The image-focused network indicated it will alert teens to potentially suspect behavior by adults, including the sending of large numbers of private messages.
-We'll use this tool to alert the recipients... and give them an option to end the conversation, or block, report, or restrict the adult- Instagram said.

It was the latest move responding to concerns about inappropriate contact between adults and children on the platform

Instagram is also looking at ways to make it more difficult for adults who have been exhibiting "potentially suspicious behavior" to interact with teens, including restricting these adults from seeing suggested teen accounts

Instagram boosts child protection tools, including age prediction

Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor on Tuesday gave Twitter a one-month ultimatum to remove "banned" content, threatening to consider blocking the social media platform within the country if it does not comply.

Last week Roskomnadzor started disrupting Twitter's services in Russia, saying the US platform failed to comply with its requests to delete content related to child pornography, drug use and calls for minors to commit suicide.
-We have taken a month and are watching Twitter's response to the removal of banned content- Roskomnadzor deputy head Vadim Subbotin told the state-run TASS news agency. 
He added that if Twitter does not comply in that time period, the media regulator "will consider the question of completely blocking the service" on Russian territory.
Subbotin also told the Interfax news agency that Twitter has not taken any "specific steps" to remove the prohibited content.
Russian authorities have in recent months increased pressure on Western social media platforms, especially those hosting content supporting jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. 
Roskomnadzor last week said it had started slowing down the speed of photo and video content for all mobile users and 50 percent of desktop users in Russia.
A Twitter spokesperson last week told AFP that the company does not support "any unlawful behaviour" and is "deeply concerned by increased attempts to block and throttle online public conversation".

Russian authorities have in recent months increased pressure on Western social media platforms, especially those hosting content supporting jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny

Last week Roskomnadzor started disrupting Twitter's services in Russia

Russia gives Twitter one month to remove 'banned' content

Queen Elizabeth II's 99-year-old husband Prince Philip left a central London hospital on Tuesday, after four weeks of treatment that sparked fears for his health.

The Duke of Edinburgh, as he is formally known, was seen leaving the private King Edward VII's Hospital in a the back of a black BMW car, wearing a white shirt and a yellow jumper.
Buckingham Palace confirmed his discharge and said he had returned to Windsor Castle, west of London, where had been isolating with the queen, 94, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year.
Royal aides said he had been treated for an unspecified infection and had "a successful procedure for a pre-existing condition".
-His Royal Highness wishes to thank all the medical staff who looked after him at both King Edward VII's Hospital and St Bartholomew’s Hospital, and everyone who has sent their good wishes- a statement from the palace read.
The prince is understood to be in good spirits. 
His month-long stay at King Edward VII's Hospital and the state-run St Bartholomew's, also in London, is his longest stint in hospital. 
The duke was transferred to a specialist cardiac unit at St Bartholomew's hospital for a heart procedure before returning to the private hospital on March 5.
He was first admitted on February 16 on the advice of his doctor after he complained of feeling unwell. 
Buckingham Palace said initially that he was expected to stay there for a "few days" but stressed his illness was not related to Covid-19.
Later, the palace said he was being treated for an infection, without specifying further.

In 2011 Philip was taken to hospital by helicopter after suffering chest pains in the run-up to Christmas. 

He was treated for a blocked coronary artery and had a stent fitted.
Concerns for Philip's health had been high because of his age -- he turns 100 in June -- and came amid the build-up to a landmark interview given by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle accusing the royal family of racism.
The couple sat down with US television host Oprah Winfrey this month for the bombshell interview, in which the couple said they were asked by a member of the royal family what colour their son's skin would be. 
Buckingham Palace has pushed back against claims of racism in a statement by Queen Elizabeth saying "some recollections may vary", over how her grandson and his mixed-race spouse were treated before they stepped back from royal duties.
Responding to questions from reporters about the interview, Harry's brother Prince William told reporters: -We're very much not a racist family.-Ahead of the interview royal commentators said the timing with Philip in hospital was poor.
ITV, which aired the interview in Britain, said it would pull the interview if Philip's health worsened in hospital but ultimately it broadcast the segment.&nbsp;

Buckingham Palace confirmed his discharge and said he had returned to Windsor Castle

The Duke of Edinburgh was seen leaving the private King Edward VII's Hospital

Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip leaves hospital

Two Malian soldiers have been killed in an attack in a northeastern region where jihadist groups are rampant, the army said.

The assailants on Monday stormed a military post southwest of the town of Ansongo, near the borders with Burkina Faso and Niger, the army said in a statement on social media.
-After heavy fighting, the toll was two dead and eight wounded- among the troops, it said.
Mali was plunged into conflict in 2012 when local Tuareg radicals, supported by jihadists, revolted in the north of the country.
France intervened militarily to crush the rebellion, but the jihadists scattered and regrouped, taking their campaign into central Mali in 2015 and then into neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso.
In Mali alone, thousands of civilians and troops have died and hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes.
The so-called three-border zone was the scene of a military offensive from early last year by the French Barkhane force and its regional allies, especially against the jihadist Islamic State in the Greater Sahara group (EIGS).

The assailants on Monday stormed a military post southwest of the town of Ansongo

Mali was plunged into conflict in 2012 when local Tuareg radicals, supported by jihadists, revolted in the north of the country

Two Mali soldiers killed in attack by suspected jihadists

Sandstorms badly hit air traffic in China with hundreds of flights canceled on Monday, according to state-run media.

Daily Global Times reported that more than 400 flights were canceled from Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport due to heavy sandstorms.
Sandstorms entered northern China hitting at least 12 provinces early on Monday after lashing entire Mongolia for the past three days where at least nine people were killed while 12 others are still missing.
The two airports canceled 247 and 181 inbound and outbound flights respectively, the daily said.
It was in a decade that China faced such strong and most extensive sandstorm, the report said, adding that the air quality dropped quickly in Beijing and other cities.
An official of China’s Meteorological Administration said the sandstorm swept through northwest and north of China, exacerbated by dry weather and strong cyclone from Mongolia.

Air quality in Beijing, other cities drops as storms after lashing Mongolia for past 3 days enter neighboring country

Sandstorms entered northern China hitting at least 12 provinces early on Monday after lashing entire Mongolia for the past three days

Over 400 flights canceled as worst sandstorms hit China

The Vatican said on Monday that priests cannot bless same-sex unions and that such blessings are not valid, in a ruling that greatly disappointed gay Catholics who had hoped their Church was becoming more welcoming under Pope Francis.In some countries, such as the United States and Germany, parishes and ministers have begun blessing same-sex unions in lieu of marriage, and there have been calls for bishops to de facto institutionalise these.
But conservatives in the 1.3 billion-member Church have expressed alarm over these practices, particularly those in Germany where at least two bishops, including Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich, one of the pope’s top advisors, have shown support for some kind of “pastoral” blessing.
In response to formal questions from a number of dioceses on whether the practice was allowed, the Vatican’s doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), issued the ruling: “Negative”.
Pope Francis approved the response, the CDF said, adding that it was “not intended to be a form of unjust discrimination, but rather a reminder of the truth of the liturgical rite” of the sacrament of marriage and the blessing associated with it.
Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director of the gay Catholics group New Ways Ministry, said “It is not surprising, but still disappointing, that the Vatican has responded ‘no’.”
He said however that “it will not stop the Catholic people in the pews, nor many Catholic leaders, who are eager for such blessings to happen.”
From the time he was archbishop in his native Argentina, Pope Francis has supported the right of gay couples to have civil legal protections but has always opposed gay marriage.
He also has had meetings with gay couples and in 2013 made the now famous remark “Who am I to judge” about gays trying to live by the Church’s rules.

The Church teaches that being gay is not inherently sinful but forbids same-sex sexual activity.

The head of the German bishops conference, Georg Baetzing, said the Church there had reflected “on the living situation of people today” in what he called “successful relationships” and that the Vatican ruling would be part of future discussions.
-There are no easy answers to such questions- he said in a statement.

A separate explanatory note from the CDF said that while the blessing of same-sex couples was not licit, the decision “in no way detracts from the human and Christian consideration in which the Church holds each person”.

It also said that Church could bestow blessings “to individual persons with homosexual inclinations who manifest the will to live in fidelity to the revealed plans of God as proposed by Church teaching”.
A Pew Research survey last year showed that a majority of Catholics in the United States and Western Europe approved of gay marriage while a majority in Eastern Europe and former Soviet-bloc countries opposed it.
Churches in Africa and Asia are also strongly opposed to gay marriage. Conservatives have warned that debates on homosexuality have spawned debilitating divisions in other Christian Churches, such as the Anglican communion.Last year, the Vatican had to move to clarify comments attributed to Pope Francis on civil union laws in a documentary, saying they were taken out of context and did not signal a change in Church doctrine on gay people or support for same-sex marriage.
The comments attributed to the pope in the film alarmed conservatives and they applauded the Vatican’s clarification.
Reporters later discovered that two separate quotes in response to separate questions were spliced to appear as one, deleting the intervening context and questions.

In some countries, such as the United States and Germany, parishes and ministers have begun blessing same-sex unions in lieu of marriage

From the time he was archbishop in his native Argentina, Pope Francis has supported the right of gay couples to have civil legal protections but has always opposed gay marriage

In setback for gay Catholics, Vatican says church cannot bless same-sex unions

Gunmen on motorbikes stormed a primary school in the northwestern Nigerian state of Kaduna and kidnapped three teachers but no children, a state official said on Monday after the fifth school abduction in three months.It was the first attack on an elementary school in a wave of such attacks in which more than 700 people have been abducted since December.
Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna state’s commissioner for internal security, said in a press briefing that Rema Primary School, in the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area, was attacked at around 8:50am (0750 GMT) on Monday.
He said children fled as gunmen, referred to locally as bandits, entered the compound shortly after pupils arrived.
-This led to two pupils going missing. We are happy to inform you that the two missing pupils have been found- Aruwan said. -We can also confirm that no single pupil was kidnapped from the school.--The government can confirm that three teachers... have been kidnapped.-Nigeria’s kidnapping scourge began with the seizure of 270 girls from a school in the northeastern town of Chibok by the Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram in 2014. Around 100 of the schoolgirls have never been found.
Armed criminal gangs in Nigeria’s widely lawless north have since carried out many copycat attacks seeking ransom.
The presidency said late in February that President Muhammadu Buhari had urged state governments to “review their policy of rewarding bandits with money and vehicles, warning that the policy might boomerang disastrously”.Attempts by the military and police to tackle the gangs have had little success, while many worry that state authorities are making the situation worse by letting kidnappers go unpunished, paying them off or providing incentives.
Nigeria’s federal government has said it will “take out” abductors after criticising local deals to free victims.
A presidency spokesman said he did not have the details of Monday’s kidnapping.
Armed men attempted to kidnap more students in Kaduna state overnight on Sunday, as 39 others from an earlier attack in the state remain missing.
The rampant banditry has become a political problem for Buhari, a retired general and former military ruler who has faced mounting criticism over the rise in violent crime, and replaced his long-standing military chiefs earlier this year.
Buhari held talks with security officials and regional elders last week about Nigeria’s multiple security challenges. Afterwards, national security adviser Babagana Monguno said the government would take a tough stance against criminal gangs.

It was the first attack on an elementary school in a wave of such attacks in which more than 700 people have been abducted since December

Padlocks and chains used to shackle children rescued by police from captivity are seen at the Hajj transit camp in Kaduna, Nigeria September 28, 2019.

No children missing after gunmen raid Nigerian primary school: security commissioner

The U.S. Justice Department on Monday charged two suspects whom it alleged worked together to spray a chemical irritant on three Capitol Police officers on Jan. 6, one of whom later died.

Julian Elie Khater and George Pierre Tanios are facing multiple counts, including assaulting police with a deadly weapon, after investigators said they sprayed at least three officers with an unidentified, but powerful, chemical agent.
One of those officers, Brian Sicknick, was later rushed to a hospital and died the next day.
Khater and Tanios are not charged with killing Sicknick.

Julian Elie Khater and George Pierre Tanios are facing multiple counts, including assaulting police with a deadly weapon

A picture of of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died on Jan. 7 from injuries he sustained while protecting the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack on the building, is seen as people wait for his remains to arrive to lay in honor in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC, U.S. February 2, 2021.

U.S. identifies two suspects in chemical attack on Capitol officer who later died

Grief and rage over the murder of Londoner Sarah Everard should be channelled into efforts to stop men’s violence against women, not into political arguments about police tactics at a vigil, one of the women arrested at the event said on Monday.Everard, 33, was abducted as she walked home in south London on March 3 and a police officer has been charged with her kidnap and murder, provoking a national debate over how British society deals with male violence against women.
But the political focus shifted onto London’s Metropolitan Police after officers tried to disperse a vigil for Everard on Saturday, saying it breached COVID-19 lockdown rules. They scuffled with mourners and dragged women away in handcuffs.
Under intense pressure over the ugly scenes, the head of the force, Cressida Dick, rejected calls for her resignation, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had full confidence in her.
Patsy Stevenson - who was pictured being pinned to the ground, handcuffed and arrested by male officers in dramatic images that became a lightning rod for anger against the police - said on Monday she was dismayed at the turn of events.
-I accidentally went viral. I didn’t want this to happen. This happened like a whirlwind- she said on Sky News.
-I’ve been thrown into the public eye and the only way I can make this not in vain is to not make it political, not against the police. It’s just about the safety of women and we need to talk about it- she said.
An estimated 85,000 women are raped and more than 400,000 sexually assaulted in England and Wales each year, with only a tiny fraction of incidents leading to criminal convictions.
The most recent figures showed the conviction rate per rape allegation recorded by the police was 2.6%, a record low.

Since Everard’s disappearance, many women have taken to social media to recount their own experiences of harassment and assault on Britain’s streets and to demand change.

One of the factors that turned the case into a rallying cry was the fact that police advised women near the spot where Everard went missing to stay at home for their own safety. This enraged many women who said the onus should be on men to change their behaviour, not on women to give up their freedoms.
-Too many of us have walked home from school or work alone, only to hear footsteps uncomfortably close behind us- interior minister Priti Patel told parliament. -Too many of us have clutched our keys in our fists in case we needed to defend ourselves, and that is not OK.-In a sign of the strength and breadth of feeling, the government has received 78,000 new responses to its appeal for evidence on violence against women, which was reopened on Friday in light of the reaction to the Everard case.
-That is completely unprecedented and considerably more than the 18,000 responses received over the entire 10-week period when the survey was previously opened- said Patel.
She said the responses would help to shape a new government strategy on tackling violence against women that she would present later this year.
One of Everard’s friends, Helena Edwards, said the case had been “hijacked” by people with an agenda.
-Sarah was a victim of one of the most horrific crimes imaginable. She was extremely unlucky - that is all there is to it- Edwards wrote in a blog, adding that if the suspect was found guilty, she would hold him alone responsible.

Everard, 33, was abducted as she walked home in south London on March 3 and a police officer has been charged with her kidnap and murder

People gather at a memorial site at Clapham Common Bandstand, following the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard, in London, Britain March 15, 2021.

Let's talk about women's safety, says mourner at heart of UK policing uproar

An Indian climate activist linked to Greta Thunberg said on Saturday she felt “violated” by her arrest last month on sedition charges and her treatment by the media, her first comments on a case that sparked international criticism.

Disha Ravi, a 22-year-old vegan and member of Thunberg’s Fridays for Future movement, was charged in February over an online document about months-long protests by Indian farmers.
Ten days after her arrest and following widespread criticism, a court in India’s capital New Delhi granted her bail, citing “scanty and sketchy evidence” that she was involved in fomenting violence.
-I had coerced myself into believing that the only way I would be able to live through this was by tricking myself into thinking that this wasn’t happening to me- Ravi said in a statement.
-My actions were pronounced guilty - not in the court of law, but on flat screens.-Police say the document Ravi created stoked violence on Jan. 26, India’s Republic Day, when some protesting farmers broke free of a planned march and clashed with police.
Angry at new agricultural laws they say benefit large private buyers at the expense of growers, tens of thousands of farmers have been camped on the outskirts of New Delhi since late last year.
Swedish climate activist Thunberg, popstar Rihanna, and U.S. activist Meena Harris, the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris, all tweeted in support of the protests last month, drawing a rebuke from India’s foreign ministry.

Disha Ravi, a 22-year-old vegan and member of Thunberg’s Fridays for Future movement, was charged in February over an online document about months-long protests by Indian farmers

Disha Ravi, a 22-year-old climate activist, leaves after an investigation at National Cyber Forensic Lab, in New Delhi, India, February 23, 2021.

India activist breaks silence on sedition arrest, says she felt 'violated'

Singapore and Australia are discussing an air travel bubble that would allow travel between the two countries without the need for quarantine, looking to reopen borders that have been mostly shut for nearly a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both countries have largely brought the virus under control, helped by international border closures, lockdowns and strict social-distancing rules.
Singapore is also discussing with Australia the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates and resumption of travel with priority for students and business travellers, Singapore’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
-We are working with Singapore at the moment, potentially for a bubble in July- Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who is also transport minister, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
He said Australia would open more bubbles as countries roll out their vaccination programmes.
The Australian government did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for further details and comment.
Singapore, an Asian transportation hub, is keen to revive its travel and tourism industry. After bringing its COVID-19 infections under control, it has been unilaterally easing quarantine requirements for travellers from Australia and a handful of other countries, such as New Zealand and China.
A planned Singapore-Hong Kong air-travel bubble, which had been set to begin last November, stalled after Hong Kong saw a resurgence of COVID-19 infections.

Both countries have largely brought the virus under control, helped by international border closures, lockdowns and strict social-distancing rules

A Qantas Airways Boeing 737-800 plane passes a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 at Sydney Airport March 17, 2014.

Singapore, Australia discussing possible air travel bubble

Kosovo said Sunday it had officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem after becoming the first Muslim-majority territory to recognise the city as Israel's capital.

The move was in exchange in for Israel recognising Kosovo, a major victory for Pristina's efforts to gain full global recognition of the independence it declared in 2008 following a war with Serbia in the 1990s.
The new embassy was opened during a brief ceremony during which Kosovo's flag was raised in front of the building in Jerusalem, the Kosovo foreign ministry said in a statement.
Serbia has refused to acknowledge the independence of its former province, so while Kosovo has now been recognised by much of the Western world, its rejection by Belgrade's key allies Russia and China has locked it out of the United Nations.
Israel had been another key holdout until last month, when it established diplomatic ties with Kosovo.
In exchange Kosovo followed the controversial lead of former US president Donald Trump by recognising Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital.
Trump had discussed the Israel-Kosovo deal in Washington during economic talks with Serbia and Kosovo in September.
Kosovo's decision sparked criticism not only from Muslim-majority countries such as Turkey, but also from Europe.
The status of Jerusalem remains one of the biggest flashpoints in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, and most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv.
In one of Europe's most intractable disputes, Serbia has rejected Kosovo's independence since it broke away in a 1998-99 war that was ended only by a NATO bombing campaign against Serb troops.
Both Kosovo and Serbia face mounting pressure from the West to resolve the impasse, seen as crucial to either side joining the European Union.
More than 13,000 people died in the war, mostly Kosovo Albanians, who form a majority in the former province.

The move was in exchange in for Israel recognising Kosovo, a major victory for Pristina's efforts to gain full global recognition of the independence it declared in 2008.

Kosovo said Sunday it had officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem after becoming the first Muslim-majority territory to recognize the city as Israel’s capital

Three killed, hundreds hurt celebrating Iran fire festival

Lavrov meets with delegation from Lebanon’s Hezbollah

Bolivians take to the streets to protest political arrests

Several U.S. states join Texas lawsuit against Google

Instagram boosts child protection tools, including age prediction

Russia gives Twitter one month to remove 'banned' content

Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip leaves hospital

Two Mali soldiers killed in attack by suspected jihadists

Over 400 flights canceled as worst sandstorms hit China

In setback for gay Catholics, Vatican says church cannot bless same-sex unions

No children missing after gunmen raid Nigerian primary school: security commissioner

U.S. identifies two suspects in chemical attack on Capitol officer who later died

Let's talk about women's safety, says mourner at heart of UK policing uproar

India activist breaks silence on sedition arrest, says she felt 'violated'

Singapore, Australia discussing possible air travel bubble

Kosovo opens embassy in Jerusalem

World

Three killed, hundreds hurt celebrating Iran fire festival

Lavrov meets with delegation from Lebanon’s Hezbollah

Bolivians take to the streets to protest political arrests

Several U.S. states join Texas lawsuit against Google

Instagram boosts child protection tools, including age prediction

Russia gives Twitter one month to remove 'banned' content

Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip leaves hospital

Two Mali soldiers killed in attack by suspected jihadists

Over 400 flights canceled as worst sandstorms hit China

In setback for gay Catholics, Vatican says church cannot bless same-sex unions

No children missing after gunmen raid Nigerian primary school: security commissioner

U.S. identifies two suspects in chemical attack on Capitol officer who later died

Let's talk about women's safety, says mourner at heart of UK policing uproar

India activist breaks silence on sedition arrest, says she felt 'violated'

Singapore, Australia discussing possible air travel bubble

Kosovo opens embassy in Jerusalem