Thursday, August 12, 2021

Six In The Morning Thursday 12 August 2021

 

Afghanistan: Taliban take 10th provincial capital as Ghazni falls


The Taliban have taken the strategically important city of Ghazni, the 10th provincial capital to fall to the militants in less than a week.

Afghan security forces arrested Ghazni's governor and his deputy after they fled the city.

Ghazni is on the major Kabul-Kandahar motorway, linking militant strongholds in the south to the capital, Kabul.

Taking Ghazni is thought to increase the likelihood that the Taliban could eventually aim to take Kabul itself.


Pakistan police drop blasphemy charges against eight-year-old


Hindu boy, accused of urinating in madrassa library, was youngest Pakistani to be charged for the crime

 in Islamabad

Police in Pakistan have dropped blasphemy charges against an eight-year-old Hindu boy after media and government pressure over his arrest.

The boy, the youngest Pakistani ever to be charged with the crime, was accused of intentionally urinating on a carpet in the library of a madrassa, where religious books were kept, in July.

His release on bail prompted an attack on a Hindu temple by a Muslim mob in the conservative district of Rahim Yar Khan, in Punjab.


Poland: Lawmakers approve Holocaust restitution bill

The law would prevent Holocaust survivors from regaining property seized after World War II. It triggered sharp criticism from Israel and the United States.


Poland's parliament late Wednesday passed legislation that would put an end to most legal claims for properties confiscated after World War II. 

The bill states that administrative decisions can no longer be challenged in court after the expiration of a 30-year period — essentially preventing Jews from recovering property seized by Poland's communist-era authorities.




Dozens detained after Syrian shops attacked in Turkey

Turkish police detained dozens of people on Thursday after a mob of angry men smashed up shops and cars believed to belong to Syrian migrants in the capital Ankara.

The unrest broke out late Wednesday in response to a fight between locals and migrants in which one Turkish national was stabbed to death.

Images on social media showed dozens of shouting men breaking through police cordons and then attacking cars and shops believed to be owned by Syrian families.



Belarus Olympic defector Tsimanouskaya auctions medal on eBay



In interview with Al Jazeera, the 24-year-old sprinter explains why she is parting with one of her medals as she recounts her recent ordeal.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, the Belarusian Olympian defector who missed her moment at the Tokyo Games, explained why she is auctioning one of her medals to support other Belarusian athletes and recounted her recent ordeal.

“I made the decision to put my medal up for auction to help athletes that are in need of support or any kind of help and the money will go to the [Belarusian] Sports Solidarity Foundation. In turn, the foundation will help athletes organise gatherings and competitions,” the 24-year-old sprinter told Al Jazeera’s podcast show, The Take.


Ship runs aground and splits in two in Japan


Updated 1301 GMT (2101 HKT) August 12, 2021




A Panamanian-registered ship ran aground in a northern Japan harbor, then split in two and was leaking oil, but there were no injuries among the 21 crew and the oil leak was being controlled with no signs it had reached shore, the Japan Coast Guard said.

The 39,910-ton vessel, the "Crimson Polaris," was carrying wood chips when it ran aground on Wednesday morning in Hachinohe harbor.
It managed to free itself, but due to poor weather was unable to move far and ended up anchoring about 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) out from the port.




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