The NATO summit gathering heads of member states and governments has begun on Monday in Brussels.

Including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leaders of 30 member countries were welcomed one by one by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the meeting.
A traditional family photo was taken with the leaders following social distancing rules. Erdogan posed between US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The leaders will discuss a wide range of issues, including the main themes of the NATO 2030 initiative: how to reinforce the alliance's unity, broaden its approach to security, and contribute to safeguarding the rules-based international order.
Also, decisions to prepare NATO for the challenges of today and tomorrow, including Russia's pattern of aggressive behavior, terrorism, cyber-attacks and disruptive technologies, the rise of China, and the security implications of climate change, will be taken.
Transatlantic relations are also among the topics as the US will attend the summit under the new Biden administration.
Stoltenberg will hold a press conference at the end of the meeting. Additionally, a closing statement will be shared by NATO.
Since Sunday evening, the leaders were holding bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit and those meetings will continue to be held until the end of the summit.

Leaders to discuss NATO 2030 goals, Russia, China, terrorism, cyber-attacks during meeting

Transatlantic relations are also among the topics as the US will attend the summit under the new Biden administration

NATO summit begins in Brussels

The bodies of 25 migrants were recovered off Yemen on Monday after the boat that was carrying them capsized with up to 200 people on board, a provincial official told AFP.

Fishermen who found the bodies told AFP that they were floating in the waters of Ras al-Ara in the southern province of Lahij, an area so rife with human trafficking that local people call it the "Gate of Hell".
-The boat overturned two days ago and was carrying between 160 and 200 people- said Jalil Ahmed Ali from the Lahij provincial authority, citing information given by Yemeni smugglers. The fate of the other people on board was unclear.
The UN's International Organization for Migration confirmed to AFP that a boat sank in the area but said it was still trying to establish the details of the incident.
Despite the grinding war in impoverished Yemen, migrants continue to travel there in the hopes of finding work in Saudi Arabia and other neighbouring oil-rich states whose economies depend on millions of foreign labourers.
The fishermen said the victims, found in the Bab al-Mandab strait that separates Djibouti from Yemen, appeared to be of African origin.
-We found 25 bodies of Africans who drowned when a boat carrying dozens of them sank off the Yemeni shores- said one of the fishermen.
-We saw the bodies floating in the water 10 miles from the shores of Ras al-Ara- added another.
Migrants often find themselves stranded in Yemen, which is mired in the world's worst humanitarian crisis after six years of conflict.
The beaches of Ras al-Ara are among the areas most targeted by smugglers.
Earlier this month, local people appealed to Yemen's internationally recognised government to intervene, saying the area had become a free-for-all for human traffickers without any action from the authorities.
In recent months, dozens of migrants have died in the Bab al-Mandab strait, a major route for international trade but also for human trafficking.
In April, at least 42 migrants died off Djibouti after the capsize of their boat which had left from Yemen, according to an IOM report. They were likely among those who try to return home after finding themselves stranded or detained.
The IOM reported this month that 5,100 immigrants arrived in Yemen so far this year, while 35,000 travelled in 2020 and 127,000 in 2019 before the outbreak of the coronavirus which suppressed demand for labour in the Gulf states.
The UN agency often sends migrants back to their home countries from Yemen. But it said in April that more than 32,000 migrants, mostly from Ethiopia, were still stranded in the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country.

Fishermen who found the bodies told AFP that they were floating in the waters of Ras al-Ara in the southern province of Lahij, an area so rife with human trafficking that local people call it the "Gate of Hell"

Migrants often find themselves stranded in Yemen, which is mired in the world's worst humanitarian crisis after six years of conflict

Bodies of 25 migrants recovered off Yemen after boat capsized

A US journalist detained in Myanmar since March was released on Monday after charges against him were dropped, his lawyer said.

US citizen Nathan Maung "was released this morning from Insein prison as the police withdrew the charges against him", and will fly back to the US on Tuesday, his lawyer Tin Zar Oo told AFP.
Maung, who founded local outlet Kamayut Media, had faced charges under a colonial-era law that criminalises encouraging dissent against the military, she added.
Earlier this month a Myanmar journalist working for another outlet was jailed for two years under the same law.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, triggering a mass uprising as large swathes of the population take to the streets.
The junta has responded with force -- shooting protesters, arresting suspected dissidents in night raids, targeting journalists and shutting down news outlets.
Several foreign journalists have been detained, including another US citizen, Danny Fenster, who was held while attempting to leave the country on May 24.
Authorities have yet to release any information on his whereabouts and well-being.
Since the February coup, a military crackdown on dissent has killed more than 860 civilians, according to a local monitoring group.
Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has justified his power grab by citing alleged electoral fraud in the November poll won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.

Nathan Maung had faced charges under a colonial-era law that criminalises encouraging dissent against the military

US journalist detained in Myanmar released

The prolific and Oscar-nominated character actor Ned Beatty, known for roles in "Network," "Superman" and "Toy Story 3," died on Sunday aged 83.

-Ned passed away from natural causes Sunday morning, surrounded by his family and loved ones- Shelter Entertainment Group talent manager Deborah Miller said.
-Ned was an iconic, legendary talent, as well as a dear friend, and he will be missed by us all.-The Kentucky native made his big-screen debut in the 1972 film "Deliverance."
That film, in which Beatty won attention for his performance in a humiliating rape scene, started a film career which would continue until 2013.
Other productions on his long list of credits include "Superman," "All the President's Men," and the acclaimed TV series "Homicide: Life on the Street."
Younger movie fans will recall his 2010 turn as the menacing teddy bear Lotso in "Toy Story 3," which was nominated for best picture at the Oscars.
Lee Unkrich, who directed the film, tweeted that it "was a joy and an incredible honor to work with him."
-Thanks, Ned, for bringing Lotso to life — both his good side and his not-so-good side- he added. "We'll miss you."
It was Beatty's role in "Network" that won him his first and only Oscar nod, for best supporting actor, a performance that included a memorably cynical monologue on dollars, cents and "the primal forces of nature".
Tweeting after news of Beatty's death broke, the actor and director Seth Rogen called it "one of the greatest monologues ever in a movie."
Alex Winter, who starred in the "Bill &amp; Ted" films, called Beatty "one of the greats."

The Kentucky native made his big-screen debut in the 1972 film "Deliverance"

Oscar-nominated actor Ned Beatty dies, aged 83

Two Javan rhinoceros calves have been spotted at an Indonesian national park, offering a rare sighting of one of the world's most endangered mammals.
The pair, ranging in age from three months to one year, were caught on footage snapped by camera traps in March at Ujung Kulon national park, the environment ministry said.
On the westernmost tip of Java island, Ujung Kulon is the last remaining wild habitat for Javan rhinos.
After years of population decline, there are believed to be just 73 of the rare mammals at the sanctuary, which comprises some 5,100 hectares (12,600 acres) of lush rainforest and freshwater streams.
Javan rhinos have folds of loose skin giving them the appearance of wearing armour plating.
They once numbered in the thousands across Southeast Asia, but have been hard hit by rampant poaching and human encroachment on their habitats.

The pair, ranging in age from three months to one year, were caught on footage snapped by camera traps in March at Ujung Kulon national park, the environment ministry said

One of the two rare Javan rhino calves caught on camera in Indonesia, which has raised hopes for the future of the species

Two rare Javan rhino calves spotted in Indonesia

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone with Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi, according to a State Department statement.

The two officials discussed the US’ comprehensive North Korea policy review, focusing on the need for the US and China to work together for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Spokesman Ned Price said in the statement.
They also discussed global challenges, Iran, Myanmar, the climate crisis, and the coronavirus pandemic about which Blinken stressed the importance of cooperation and transparency regarding the origin of the virus, including the need for the World Health Organization Phase 2 expert-led studies in China.
-The Secretary underscored U.S. concern over the deterioration of democratic norms in Hong Kong and the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang- the statement said.
-He also called on Beijing to cease its pressure campaign against Taiwan and peacefully resolve cross-Strait issues. The Secretary raised several cases of U.S. and Canadian citizens subject to arbitrary detention and exit bans in China and called for the immediate release of those wrongfully detained- it added.

Among issues discussed are North Korea, climate change, Iran, Myanmar and Uyghurs

US' Blinken discusses cooperation with Chinese diplomat on COVID origins

The US and Pakistani navies held a joint military drill in the North Arabian Sea, a Pakistan Navy statement said on Thursday.

The drill Passage Exercise, involving various seamanship and warfare drills, was conducted during the visit of the US Navy’s USS Monterey (CG-61).
During the drill, naval officials from both countries discussed professional issues.
-Pakistan Navy and US Navy are working together to ensure safe and secure maritime environment in the region- the statement added.
The visit, it added, will further strengthen relations between both the navies.
Pakistan Navy has also participated in Coalition Maritime Campaign Plan since 2004 and is presently undertaking regional maritime security patrols to ensure safe and secure seas for the common cause of peace and stability in the region, the statement said.

Both navies working together to ensure safe, secure maritime environment in region, says Pakistani statement

During the drill, naval officials from both countries discussed professional issues

US, Pakistan navies hold joint drill

A man was found dead in a submerged car after floods hit southeast Australia on Thursday, authorities said.

Parts of Australia have been experiencing strong winds, snow and rainfall, with downpours in the Gippsland region causing fast-rising floodwaters.
Victoria state police said a man believed to be aged in his 60s was found dead in a partially submerged car at the village of Woodside, about two hours drive from Melbourne.
Police said the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.
People in nearby low-lying areas had been ordered to evacuate their homes earlier on Thursday morning.
In March, torrential downpours caused vast flooding across eastern Australia, damaging thousands of homes and leaving two people dead.
Scientists have warned that Australia, which suffered devastating bushfires in 2019-2020, can expect more frequent and more extreme weather events as a result of climate change.

Police said the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated

Parts of Australia have been experiencing strong winds, snow and rainfall, with downpours in the Gippsland region causing fast-rising floodwaters

Man dies in flood as wild weather hits Australia

A massive fire on the outskirts of Jerusalem led to villages being evacuated Wednesday as dozens of Israeli firefighters and 10 aerial tankers battled the blaze.

The highway from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv was shut down along with the train line that connects Israel's two main cities, police said.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire, which spread through woods close to populated areas and sent dark smoke into the sky over the hills outside Jerusalem.
The villages of Maale HaHamisha and Yad Hashmona were evacuated, police said.

The highway from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv was shut down along with the train line that connects Israel's two main cities

The villages of Maale HaHamisha and Yad Hashmona were evacuated

Fire rages near Jerusalem, villages evacuated

President Joe Biden on Wednesday revoked executive orders from his predecessor Donald Trump seeking to ban Chinese-owned mobile apps TikTok and WeChat over national security concerns, the White House said.

A White House statement said that instead of banning the popular apps, the Biden administration would carry out a "criteria-based decision framework and rigorous, evidence-based analysis to address the risks" from internet applications controlled by foreign entities.
Trump had claimed the Chinese-owned apps posed national security risks and had sought to force the sale of TikTok to US investors.
Biden's order seeks to identify any "connected software applications that may pose an unacceptable risk to US national security and the American people" including "applications that are owned, controlled, or managed by persons that support foreign adversary military or intelligence activities, or are involved in malicious cyber activities, or involve applications that collect sensitive personal data."
The new executive order calls for the Commerce Department and other federal agencies to develop guidelines "to protect sensitive personal data... including personally identifiable information and genetic information" from misuse.
TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, is believed to have some one billion users worldwide including more than 100 million in the United States, and is especially popular with young smartphone users.
WeChat, part of the Chinese tech giant Tencent, is a massively popular "super app" which includes social networking, messaging, e-commerce and more.

Biden's order seeks to identify any "connected software applications that may pose an unacceptable risk to US national security and the American people"

Biden drops plan to ban TikTok, WeChat

Vietnam plans to postpone this year's Southeast Asian Games, state media said Wednesday, as the country grapples with a new virus outbreak.

The regional Olympics are due to be held in Hanoi and 11 other locations -- some of them at the epicentre of the fresh Covid-19 wave -- from November 21 to December 2.
But Vietnam reportedly wants to move the 31st SEA Games to next year.
An online meeting between the Olympic comittees of the nations due to compete at the games was held Wednesday, according to Vietnam News Agency.
-Due to the complicated pandemic situation in Vietnam and in the region, VOC (Vietnam Olympic Committee) suggested to postpone the SEA Games 31 to July 2022- the agency added.
The committees will reportedly speak again in two weeks, before a final decision is made.
Virus cases have more than tripled in Vietnam since April to over 9,000. Although the number is low in comparison to most of its Southeast Asian neighbours, Vietnam's vaccination rate per capita is the lowest in the region and among the lowest in Asia, according to an AFP tally.
SEA Games events are due to take place in some of the worst affected provinces including Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, in the country's northeast.
One badminton venue in Bac Giang has been turned into a field hospital.
Vietnam previously hosted the multisports competition in 2003. It has allocated a budget of around $69 million for the Games.
The SEA Games are expected to attract nearly 20,000 participants, including about 7,000 athletes, from 11 countries, according to state media.
As well as Olympic disciplines, sports are likely to include billiards and snooker, bodybuilding, chess, bowling and kurash, an ancient form of Uzbek wrestling.

The committees will reportedly speak again in two weeks, before a final decision is made

Vietnam last hosted the SEA Games in 2003

Vietnam to postpone SEA Games until next year

Beijing on Wednesday asked Washington to stop “imagining China as an enemy.”

The statement came in response to the US Senate passing Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 which aims to boost the US’ capacities to "compete" with Chinese technology.
-China stays committed to no-conflict and no-confrontation and will firmly safeguard core interests and territorial sovereignty- Wang Wenbin, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, told a news conference in Beijing.
-The US should not treat China as its imaginary enemy- Wang said, urging Washington “to stop interfering in China's internal affairs”, according to Chinese public broadcaster CGTN.
The bill passed by the US Senate authorizes about $190 billion for provisions to strengthen the US technology and research -- and would separately approve $54 billion for the country’s production and research into semiconductors and telecommunications equipment.
Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) -- China's top legislature -- said in response to the development: “The bill is full of Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, slanders China’s development path and domestic and foreign policies. Under the banner of ‘innovation and competition,’ it interferes in China’s internal affairs and seeks to contain China’s development.”
-At a time when the world enters a period of turbulence and change, the practice of treating China as an ‘imaginary enemy’ at every turn is against the general trend of the world, unpopular and doomed to fail- the NPC said.

US Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 aims to 'compete' with Chinese technology

The statement came in response to the US Senate passing Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 which aims to boost the US’ capacities to "compete" with Chinese technology

Beijing tells Washington not to treat China as 'imaginary enemy'

A 37-year-old South African woman broke the Guinness World record by giving birth to 10 babies, according to media reports Tuesday.

The IOL news site said Gosiame Thamara Sithole, a resident of Tembisa East in Johannesburg, delivered seven boys and three girls by caesarean section at a hospital in Pretoria.
Teboho Tsotetsi said his wife also had six-year-old twins.
He said he was happy and emotional about the news.
Reports earlier indicated that Sithole was expecting eight babies but two apparently missed the scan because they were tucked inside the wrong tube.
-I am shocked by my pregnancy. It was tough at the beginning. I was sick. It was hard for me. It’s still tough but I am used to it now. I don’t feel the pain anymore, but it’s still a bit tough. I just pray for God to help me deliver all my children in a healthy condition, and for me and my children to come out alive. I would be pleased about it- Sithole previously told reporters.
In May, a Malian woman gave birth to nonuplets in Morocco, breaking the record held by an American Nadya Suleman, who gave birth to eight babies in 2009.

Gosiame Thamara Sithole breaks Guinness World record

Gosiame Thamara Sithole, a resident of Tembisa East in Johannesburg, delivered seven boys and three girls by caesarean section at a hospital in Pretoria

South African woman gives birth to 10 babies

A US pharmacist has been jailed for three years after pleading guilty to tampering with hundreds of Moderna coronavirus vaccines, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.

Steven R. Brandenburg, 46, "purposefully removed" vaccine vials from their refrigerator unit even though they must be stored at a certain temperature until used, court documents said.
The pharmacist was also ordered to pay $83,800 in compensation to the Wisconsin hospital where he worked.
He removed the vials on two overnight shifts in December, leaving them outside for hours before returning them to be used on recipients the following day.
A total of 57 people received vaccines with the vials that Brandenburg had tampered with, the Justice Department statement said.
-The purposeful attempt to spoil vaccine doses during a national public health emergency is a serious crime- said Brian Boynton, acting assistant attorney general of the department's Civil Division.
Brandenburg had expressed skeptical views about vaccines and specifically the Moderna vaccine, according to his plea agreement.
Moderna vaccines must be stored at standard refrigerator temperatures.
More than 124 million doses of the Moderna vaccine have been administered in the US.
The two-shot regime is around 90 percent effective against symptomatic Covid-19 and 95 percent effective against severe disease.

Steven R. Brandenburg, 46, "purposefully removed" vaccine vials from their refrigerator unit

The pharmacist was also ordered to pay $83,800 in compensation to the Wisconsin hospital where he worked

Pharmacist jailed for 3 years after tampering with Covid vaccines

A woman died after an ex-security guard at a Pakistani hospital posed as a doctor and performed surgery on her, police said Monday.

Shameema Begum, aged 80, died on Sunday, two weeks after Muhammad Waheed Butt attempted to treat her back wound at a public hospital in the eastern city of Lahore.
-We can't keep up with what every doctor and what everyone is doing at all times. It's a large hospital- explained an administrative official from Lahore's Mayo Hospital, who did not want to be named.
He said it was unclear what type of surgery the imposter had performed in the operating theatre, where a qualified technician was also present.
Pakistan's public hospitals, where patients are required to pay some money towards treatment, can often be inefficient and chaotic.
Begum's family paid Butt for the operation, and two further home visits to dress her wound.
But when the bleeding and pain worsened, her family returned her to the hospital, where they discovered what had happened. 
Her body is being kept for an autopsy to ascertain whether her death was a result of complications from the botched surgery. 
-The guard has been charged and is in police custody- Lahore police spokesman Ali Safdar told AFP.
-Butt had posed as a doctor and made home visits to other patients in the past also.-Mayo Hospital staff said Butt was fired two years ago for trying to extort money from patients.
Earlier in May a man was arrested for posing as a doctor at Lahore General Hospital and extorting money from patients in the surgical ward. 
In 2016 it was revealed a woman posing to be a neurosurgeon conducted operations for eight months alongside qualified doctors at Lahore's Services Hospital, the second-largest health facility in Pakistan.

Shameema Begum, aged 80, died on Sunday, two weeks after Muhammad Waheed Butt attempted to treat her back wound at a public hospital in the eastern city of Lahore

The incident happened in Lahore, in eastern Pakistan

Hospital patient dies after security guard performs surgery

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected accusations of incitement against his political opponents, after security services warned of an escalation in violent discourse.

In power for 12 consecutive years, Netanyahu faces being toppled by a motley coalition of lawmakers united only by their shared hostility towards him.
Mired in a court battle on corruption charges that could see him face prison time, the veteran political mastermind has mobilised his supporters to peel off defectors ahead of a confirmation vote.
On Saturday, the head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency Nadav Argaman issued a rare public statement warning of a "severe escalation in violent and inciting discourse" on social media.
-This discourse could be understood by certain groups or individuals as enabling illegal violence that could even cost a life- Argaman said, calling on public officials to "issue a clear call to stop this discourse".
A spokesperson for the Shin Bet would not tell AFP whether Argaman was referring to a certain group or person being threatened, merely saying: "This is a general atmosphere that must stop."
Politicians opposing Netanyahu and some local media outlets, however, have interpreted Argaman's statement as a warning to the premier.
-There is a very thin line between political criticism and inciting violence. Netanyahu said Sunday.
-We can't say that when criticism comes from the right, it's incitement to violence, and when it comes from the left, that it's a justified use of freedom of expression- he told a meeting of Likud party members. 
-I condemn all incitement to violence- he added.
Netanyahu claimed he himself was the target of an "even more serious" campaign and again called the coalition that seeks to replace him a "dangerous left-wing government".
The alliance comprises three right-wing, two centrist and two left-wing parties as well as an Arab Islamic conservative party.
Under the coalition agreement, Naftali Bennett of the right-wing nationalist Yamina party would be premier for two years, to be replaced by the centrist Lapid in 2023.
Netanyahu's supporters have been working hard to win defections from Yamina deputies uncomfortable working with Arabs and Jewish leftists.
Some have held demonstrations outside the homes of Yamina lawmakers.
A parliamentary vote of confidence, the last step to formalise the new government, could be held on Wednesday or the following Monday, according to Israeli media.
Parliament's security committee said it would hold an emergency meeting Monday at 9:00 am (0600 GMT) "in light of the unusual warning issued by the head of Shin Bet" as well as over calls from far-right figures for a march in Israeli-occupied east Jerusalem on Thursday.

NATO summit begins in Brussels

Bodies of 25 migrants recovered off Yemen after boat capsized

US journalist detained in Myanmar released

Oscar-nominated actor Ned Beatty dies, aged 83

Two rare Javan rhino calves spotted in Indonesia

US' Blinken discusses cooperation with Chinese diplomat on COVID origins

US, Pakistan navies hold joint drill

Man dies in flood as wild weather hits Australia

Fire rages near Jerusalem, villages evacuated

Biden drops plan to ban TikTok, WeChat

Vietnam to postpone SEA Games until next year

Beijing tells Washington not to treat China as 'imaginary enemy'

South African woman gives birth to 10 babies

Pharmacist jailed for 3 years after tampering with Covid vaccines

Hospital patient dies after security guard performs surgery

Netanyahu denies 'incitement' as political tensions boil

World

NATO summit begins in Brussels

Bodies of 25 migrants recovered off Yemen after boat capsized

US journalist detained in Myanmar released

Oscar-nominated actor Ned Beatty dies, aged 83

Two rare Javan rhino calves spotted in Indonesia

US' Blinken discusses cooperation with Chinese diplomat on COVID origins

US, Pakistan navies hold joint drill

Man dies in flood as wild weather hits Australia

Fire rages near Jerusalem, villages evacuated

Biden drops plan to ban TikTok, WeChat

Vietnam to postpone SEA Games until next year

Beijing tells Washington not to treat China as 'imaginary enemy'

South African woman gives birth to 10 babies

Pharmacist jailed for 3 years after tampering with Covid vaccines

Hospital patient dies after security guard performs surgery

Netanyahu denies 'incitement' as political tensions boil