At least 25 people died in three Mumbai suburbs when several houses collapsed after landslides triggered by heavy rain, local officials said on Sunday. 
 
Rescuers were seen digging up the ground to retrieve bodies, local television showed, and authorities said more victims could be trapped inside the debris. Rescuers were also shown carrying the injured on makeshift stretchers. 
 
Within the last 24 hours authorities have so far reported 11 incidents of houses or walls collapsing in the Mumbai area, officials said. 
 
In one neighbourhood, about half a dozen shacks located at the base of a hill collapsed on top of each other, officials said. 
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences in a tweet and announced aid for the victims. 
 
Several areas in the city were flooded after heavy rainfall over the last 24 hours and suburban train services were disrupted, crippling India's financial capital. 
 
Mumbai and the coast of India's industrial Maharashtra state are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next four days, the weather department said on Sunday. 
 
Torrential rain, especially during India's July-September monsoon, often triggers the collapse of buildings, especially older or illegally built structures.

At least 25 people died in three Mumbai suburbs when several houses collapsed after landslides triggered by heavy rain, local officials said on Sunday. Rescuers were seen digging up the ground to retrieve bodies, local television showed, and authorities said more victims could be trapped inside the debris.

At least 25 people died in three Mumbai suburbs when several houses collapsed after landslides triggered by heavy rain, local officials said on Sunday. Rescuers were seen digging up the ground to retrieve bodies, local television showed, and authorities said more victims could be trapped inside the debris. Rescuers were also shown carrying the injured on makeshift stretchers. Within the last 24 hours authorities have so far reported 11 incidents of houses or walls collapsing in the Mumbai area, officials said. In one neighbourhood, about half a dozen shacks located at the base of a hill collapsed on top of each other, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences in a tweet and announced aid for the victims. Several areas in the city were flooded after heavy rainfall over the last 24 hours and suburban train services were disrupted, crippling India's financial capital. Mumbai and the coast of India's industrial Maharashtra state are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next four days, the weather department said on Sunday. Torrential rain, especially during India's July-September monsoon, often triggers the collapse of buildings, especially older or illegally built structures.

Landslides kill at least 25 in Mumbai after heavy rains

Libya's unity government Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah said on Friday, he was unaware of any understanding between Russia and Turkey on a withdrawal of their foreign fighters, but that such a move would be welcomed. 
 
Speaking to Reuters in New York, Dbeibah also said he was committed to holding elections on December&nbsp;24, but warned that some lawmakers may be reluctant to give up power. Dbeibah, a businessman appointed interim prime minister in February, said he has not yet decided whether to run for office. 
 
Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, then head of state. A UN-led peace process brought a ceasefire last summer, after fighting between rival factions paused, and then a unity government. 
 
Following a UN-backed conference in Berlin last month, German and US&nbsp;officials said Turkey and Russia, which back opposing sides in Libya, reached an initial understanding on a step-by-step withdrawal of their foreign fighters. 
 
"I have not heard of this agreement regarding the withdrawal of fighters. But we welcome any agreement ... and we welcome the exit of any forces, fighters or mercenaries with any support from any party," Dbeibah said. "We are talking with all parties regarding the withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya." 
 
UN&nbsp;sanctions monitors have reported that thousands of Syrians had been fighting in Libya either alongside unity government troops, who were also advised by Turkish troops, or with Russia's Wagner group in support of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA). 
 
Under the ceasefire reached last October, all foreign fighters were supposed to have left Libya by January. 
 
Russia's deputy UN&nbsp;Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told the Security Council on Thursday that Moscow supported a "step-by-step phased withdrawal of all foreign forces and contingents." 
 
"At the same time, we need to make sure that the current balance of forces on the ground not be disrupted, because it is thanks to this balance that the situation in Libya remains calm and no threats of armed escalation emerge," Polyanskiy added. 
 
Addressing the Security Council, Dbeibah said the continued presence of foreign fighters poses "a real and serious risk to the current political process and it also threatens the efforts to continue the ceasefire" and to uniting the army in Libya. 
 
Dbeibah told Reuters it would be "very difficult" to unify Libya's military. UN&nbsp;special envoy for Libya, Jan Kubis, said on Thursday that the LNA has not allowed Dbeibah`s unity government to take control of the area it commands. 
 
"Of course, communicating with Haftar, he is a difficult military person, but we communicate with him. But things are not easy," Dbeibah said during an interview at Libya's UN&nbsp;mission.

Libya's unity government Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah said on Friday, he was unaware of any understanding between Russia and Turkey on a withdrawal of their foreign fighters, but that such a move would be welcomed.

Libya's unity government Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah said on Friday, he was unaware of any understanding between Russia and Turkey on a withdrawal of their foreign fighters, but that such a move would be welcomed. Speaking to Reuters in New York, Dbeibah also said he was committed to holding elections on December 24, but warned that some lawmakers may be reluctant to give up power. Dbeibah, a businessman appointed interim prime minister in February, said he has not yet decided whether to run for office. Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, then head of state. A UN-led peace process brought a ceasefire last summer, after fighting between rival factions paused, and then a unity government. Following a UN-backed conference in Berlin last month, German and US officials said Turkey and Russia, which back opposing sides in Libya, reached an initial understanding on a step-by-step withdrawal of their foreign fighters. "I have not heard of this agreement regarding the withdrawal of fighters. But we welcome any agreement ... and we welcome the exit of any forces, fighters or mercenaries with any support from any party," Dbeibah said. "We are talking with all parties regarding the withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya." UN sanctions monitors have reported that thousands of Syrians had been fighting in Libya either alongside unity government troops, who were also advised by Turkish troops, or with Russia's Wagner group in support of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA). Under the ceasefire reached last October, all foreign fighters were supposed to have left Libya by January. Russia's deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told the Security Council on Thursday that Moscow supported a "step-by-step phased withdrawal of all foreign forces and contingents." "At the same time, we need to make sure that the current balance of forces on the ground not be disrupted, because it is thanks to this balance that the situation in Libya remains calm and no threats of armed escalation emerge," Polyanskiy added. Addressing the Security Council, Dbeibah said the continued presence of foreign fighters poses "a real and serious risk to the current political process and it also threatens the efforts to continue the ceasefire" and to uniting the army in Libya. Dbeibah told Reuters it would be "very difficult" to unify Libya's military. UN special envoy for Libya, Jan Kubis, said on Thursday that the LNA has not allowed Dbeibah`s unity government to take control of the area it commands. "Of course, communicating with Haftar, he is a difficult military person, but we communicate with him. But things are not easy," Dbeibah said during an interview at Libya's UN mission.

Libya PM unaware of Russia, Turkey deal on foreign fighters

Leaders of the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, including US&nbsp;President Joe Biden, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and China's Xi Jinping, pledged on Friday to work to expand sharing and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines to fight the global pandemic. 
 
The leaders, struggling to tame outbreaks exacerbated by the Delta variant of coronavirus, said they would encourage the voluntary transfer of vaccine production technologies 'on mutually agreed terms' as the region prepared for future health shocks. 
 
"The pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our region’s people and economies," the leaders said in a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting chaired by New Zealand. 
 
"We will only overcome this health emergency by accelerating equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable COVID-19 vaccines," they said. 
 
The APEC leaders met virtually to discuss collective actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts. 
 
New Zealand, the revolving Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation host, said this week it would chair the extraordinary meeting ahead of a formal gathering in November, the first time such an additional meeting has been held. 
 
"Our discussions moved us beyond vaccine nationalism. Now we are focusing on all aspects of contributing to the global vaccination effort — making vaccines, sharing vaccines and using vaccines," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said after the meeting. She said the leaders agreed this will not be the world`s last pandemic and that preparedness was critical. 
 
The meeting highlights growing concerns around COVID-19, which is raging in the region as countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Australia face new waves of infections.

Leaders of the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, including US President Joe Biden, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and China's Xi Jinping, pledged on Friday to work to expand sharing and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines to fight the global pandemic.

Leaders of the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, including US President Joe Biden, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and China's Xi Jinping, pledged on Friday to work to expand sharing and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines to fight the global pandemic. The leaders, struggling to tame outbreaks exacerbated by the Delta variant of coronavirus, said they would encourage the voluntary transfer of vaccine production technologies 'on mutually agreed terms' as the region prepared for future health shocks. "The pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our region’s people and economies," the leaders said in a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting chaired by New Zealand. "We will only overcome this health emergency by accelerating equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable COVID-19 vaccines," they said. The APEC leaders met virtually to discuss collective actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts. New Zealand, the revolving Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation host, said this week it would chair the extraordinary meeting ahead of a formal gathering in November, the first time such an additional meeting has been held. "Our discussions moved us beyond vaccine nationalism. Now we are focusing on all aspects of contributing to the global vaccination effort — making vaccines, sharing vaccines and using vaccines," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said after the meeting. She said the leaders agreed this will not be the world`s last pandemic and that preparedness was critical. The meeting highlights growing concerns around COVID-19, which is raging in the region as countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Australia face new waves of infections.

World leaders pledge to redouble pandemic fight at special APEC meeting

Russian billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov and his former wife Tatiana Akhmedova reached a settlement on Friday after years of legal wrangling over a record 454 million pound ($625 million) divorce award made by London's High Court in 2016. 
 
The dispute led to an unsuccessful attempt by Akhemdova to seize a 115-metre (377-foot) superyacht owned by her former husband through courts in Dubai, as well as a separate court order for her son Temur to pay her more than 70 million pounds from family assets. 
 
The terms of Friday's settlement are confidential and how much money Akhmedova will now receive is unclear. 
 
"This was never about a figure but a husband honouring his commitment to his family," a spokesperson for Akhmedova said, rejecting a claim from a spokesperson for her former husband that she would have been better off not pursuing the legal action. 
 
The Times newspaper said Akhmedova would receive around 150 million pounds, which would also have to cover her legal costs. 
 
Akhmedova's legal action was funded through a specialist financing company, Burford Capital, which said it would receive approximately $103 million for its efforts to enforce the 454 million pound judgment. 
 
Burford said the settlement would boost its operating profit this year by around $20 million. 
 
"In aggregate, Burford expects the matter to have generated more than $70 million of realized gain over the life of the investment," it said in a statement. 
 
British judge Gwynneth Knowles, in her ruling against Akhmedova's son Temur in April, said: "The Akhmedov family is one of the unhappiest ever to have appeared in my courtroom."

Russian billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov and his former wife Tatiana Akhmedova reached a settlement on Friday after years of legal wrangling over a record 454 million pound ($625 million) divorce award made by London's High Court in 2016.

Russian billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov and his former wife Tatiana Akhmedova reached a settlement on Friday after years of legal wrangling over a record 454 million pound ($625 million) divorce award made by London's High Court in 2016. The dispute led to an unsuccessful attempt by Akhemdova to seize a 115-metre (377-foot) superyacht owned by her former husband through courts in Dubai, as well as a separate court order for her son Temur to pay her more than 70 million pounds from family assets. The terms of Friday's settlement are confidential and how much money Akhmedova will now receive is unclear. "This was never about a figure but a husband honouring his commitment to his family," a spokesperson for Akhmedova said, rejecting a claim from a spokesperson for her former husband that she would have been better off not pursuing the legal action. The Times newspaper said Akhmedova would receive around 150 million pounds, which would also have to cover her legal costs. Akhmedova's legal action was funded through a specialist financing company, Burford Capital, which said it would receive approximately $103 million for its efforts to enforce the 454 million pound judgment. Burford said the settlement would boost its operating profit this year by around $20 million. "In aggregate, Burford expects the matter to have generated more than $70 million of realized gain over the life of the investment," it said in a statement. British judge Gwynneth Knowles, in her ruling against Akhmedova's son Temur in April, said: "The Akhmedov family is one of the unhappiest ever to have appeared in my courtroom."

Russian billionaire, wife settle bitter $625 million divorce case

US&nbsp;President Joe Biden will host Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at the White House on July 26, the White House said on Friday. 
 
The visit will highlight the strategic partnership between the two countries and advance bilateral cooperation under a 2008 agreement that governed the withdrawal of US&nbsp;troops from Iraq, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. 
 
Psaki listed areas of shared interest, such as energy and health and said Biden looked forward to strengthening cooperation with Iraq on "security issues to include joint efforts to ensure the enduring defeat" of the Islamic State militant group. 
 
Psaki made no reference to Iran, which exercises influence in neighboring Iraq through its close relations with the Baghdad government and by backing Shi'ite militia forces that mount attacks on military facilities hosting US&nbsp;forces. 
 
A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander urged Iraqi Shi'ite militias to step up attacks on US&nbsp;targets during a meeting in Baghdad last week, three militia sources and two Iraqi security sources familiar with the gathering said.

US President Joe Biden will host Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at the White House on July 26, the White House said on Friday. The visit will highlight the strategic partnership between the two countries and advance bilateral cooperation under a 2008 agreement that governed the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

US President Joe Biden will host Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at the White House on July 26, the White House said on Friday. The visit will highlight the strategic partnership between the two countries and advance bilateral cooperation under a 2008 agreement that governed the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. Psaki listed areas of shared interest, such as energy and health and said Biden looked forward to strengthening cooperation with Iraq on "security issues to include joint efforts to ensure the enduring defeat" of the Islamic State militant group. Psaki made no reference to Iran, which exercises influence in neighboring Iraq through its close relations with the Baghdad government and by backing Shi'ite militia forces that mount attacks on military facilities hosting US forces. A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander urged Iraqi Shi'ite militias to step up attacks on US targets during a meeting in Baghdad last week, three militia sources and two Iraqi security sources familiar with the gathering said.

Biden to host Iraq's prime minister at White House on July 26

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, undergoing hospital treatment for an obstructed intestine after a near-fatal 2018 stabbing, said on Friday, he hoped to be "back in action soon," while doctors gave no date for him to be discharged. 
 
Bolsonaro, 66, has been in the hospital since Wednesday, when he traveled from Brasilia to Sao Paulo for treatment relating to complications from the 2018 knifing. After initial concerns he might need emergency surgery, doctors now say he is improving, with an operation less likely. 
 
His doctors said in a statement on Friday evening the president was recovering in a satisfactory manner, and that the president began eating again in a smooth fashion. They gave no date for his release from hospital, however. 
 
Earlier on Friday, Bolsonaro tweeted a photo of himself, walking along a hospital corridor with a drip attached to his neck and looking stern-faced. 
 
"Back in action soon, God willing!," he wrote. "We've done a lot, but we still have a lot to do for our Brazil!" 
 
Bolsonaro had said in a TV interview on Thursday he could be out of hospital on Friday. 
 
On Thursday evening, the president`s doctors said they had removed a gastric catheter from Bolsonaro and that he would begin eating again on Friday. 
 
Bolsonaro has faced several health issues during his presidency, mainly stemming from long-term complications after he suffered a perforated intestine when he was stabbed on the campaign trail in 2018. He was also ill with COVID-19 last year. 
 
Bolsonaro is in a weak political position as senators probe a corruption scandal over the purchase of coronavirus vaccines and he faces criticism over his handling of the pandemic. 
 
COVID-19 has killed nearly 540,000 people in Brazil - the world's second highest death toll behind the United States.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, undergoing hospital treatment for an obstructed intestine after a near-fatal 2018 stabbing, said on Friday, he hoped to be "back in action soon," while doctors gave no date for him to be discharged.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, undergoing hospital treatment for an obstructed intestine after a near-fatal 2018 stabbing, said on Friday, he hoped to be "back in action soon," while doctors gave no date for him to be discharged. Bolsonaro, 66, has been in the hospital since Wednesday, when he traveled from Brasilia to Sao Paulo for treatment relating to complications from the 2018 knifing. After initial concerns he might need emergency surgery, doctors now say he is improving, with an operation less likely. His doctors said in a statement on Friday evening the president was recovering in a satisfactory manner, and that the president began eating again in a smooth fashion. They gave no date for his release from hospital, however. Earlier on Friday, Bolsonaro tweeted a photo of himself, walking along a hospital corridor with a drip attached to his neck and looking stern-faced. "Back in action soon, God willing!," he wrote. "We've done a lot, but we still have a lot to do for our Brazil!" Bolsonaro had said in a TV interview on Thursday he could be out of hospital on Friday. On Thursday evening, the president`s doctors said they had removed a gastric catheter from Bolsonaro and that he would begin eating again on Friday. Bolsonaro has faced several health issues during his presidency, mainly stemming from long-term complications after he suffered a perforated intestine when he was stabbed on the campaign trail in 2018. He was also ill with COVID-19 last year. Bolsonaro is in a weak political position as senators probe a corruption scandal over the purchase of coronavirus vaccines and he faces criticism over his handling of the pandemic. COVID-19 has killed nearly 540,000 people in Brazil - the world's second highest death toll behind the United States.

Brazil's Bolsonaro recovering, says will be 'back in action soon'

July 17 in history: Catherine II becomes tsarina of Russia and more

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday, the unrest that has ripped through South Africa in the past week was stabilising and calm has been restored to most of the affected areas, but the destruction will cost the country billions of rand. 
 
Ramaphosa was addressing the nation over the rioting that broke out in several parts of the country last week after his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, was jailed for failing to appear at a corruption inquiry. 
 
The unrest swiftly degenerated into looting, which has destroyed hundreds of businesses and killed over 200 people, driven by widespread anger over the poverty and inequality that persist nearly three decades after the end of white minority rule. 
 
The police has arrested over 2,500 people suspected to be involved in inciting violence and that these cases are being prioritised, Ramaphosa said. 
 
"It is our firm view that the deployment of our security forces, working together with communities and social partners across the country, will be able to restore order and prevent further violence," he said. 
 
"We will extinguish the fires that are raging, and stamp out every last ember." 
 
The president said using the pretext of a political grievance, those behind these acts have sought to provoke a popular insurrection. 
 
"They have sought to exploit the social and economic conditions under which many South Africans live," he said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday, the unrest that has ripped through South Africa in the past week was stabilising and calm has been restored to most of the affected areas, but the destruction will cost the country billions of rand.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday, the unrest that has ripped through South Africa in the past week was stabilising and calm has been restored to most of the affected areas, but the destruction will cost the country billions of rand. Ramaphosa was addressing the nation over the rioting that broke out in several parts of the country last week after his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, was jailed for failing to appear at a corruption inquiry. The unrest swiftly degenerated into looting, which has destroyed hundreds of businesses and killed over 200 people, driven by widespread anger over the poverty and inequality that persist nearly three decades after the end of white minority rule. The police has arrested over 2,500 people suspected to be involved in inciting violence and that these cases are being prioritised, Ramaphosa said. "It is our firm view that the deployment of our security forces, working together with communities and social partners across the country, will be able to restore order and prevent further violence," he said. "We will extinguish the fires that are raging, and stamp out every last ember." The president said using the pretext of a political grievance, those behind these acts have sought to provoke a popular insurrection. "They have sought to exploit the social and economic conditions under which many South Africans live," he said.

South African President  Cyril Ramaphosa says calm has been restored to most places

Expressing regret over the&nbsp;38-year-old&nbsp;Reuters&nbsp;journalist’s death in Kandahar,&nbsp;the&nbsp;Taliban’s spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid&nbsp;said,&nbsp;“We are not aware during&nbsp;whose&nbsp;firing the journalist was killed. We do not know how he died."&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Any journalist entering the war zone should inform us. We will take proper care of that particular individual," the Taliban’s spokesperson told&nbsp;CNN-News18 on Friday.&nbsp;

Pulitzer Prize-winning&nbsp;photojournalist&nbsp;Danish Siddiqui was killed on Friday&nbsp;during clashes between&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;fighters and&nbsp;Afghanistan’s&nbsp;security&nbsp;forces&nbsp;near a border crossing with Pakistan, Reuters cited an Afghan commander as saying.&nbsp;

“We are sorry for Indian journalist Danish Siddiqui’s death. We regret that journalists are entering war zone without an intimation to us," Mujahid added.&nbsp;

The Afghan Ambassador to India, Farid&nbsp;Mamundzay, confirmed the news of his death on Friday.&nbsp;

The photojournalist was killed in a Taliban strike when he was on a reporting trip along with Afghan security personnel.&nbsp;

"Deeply disturbed by the sad news of the killing of a friend, Danish&nbsp;Seddiqi&nbsp;in Kandahar last night. The Indian Journalist &amp; winner of Pulitzer Prize was embedded with Afghan security forces. I met him two weeks ago before his departure to Kabul. Condolences to his family &amp; Reuters, " tweeted Farid&nbsp;Mamundzay.&nbsp;

In 2018, Siddiqui and his colleague Adnan Abidi became the first Indians to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for their coverage of the Rohingya refugee crisis.&nbsp;

Siddiqui had been regularly posting photographs from Afghanistan on social media as the Taliban is rapidly gaining territory at a time when the US and its allies are retreating.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On July 13, he last posted a Twitter thread with photos reporting what he was seeing there.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Expressing regret over the 38-year-old Reuters journalist’s death in Kandahar, the Taliban’s spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said, “We are not aware during whose firing the journalist was killed.

Expressing regret over the 38-year-old Reuters journalist’s death in Kandahar, the Taliban’s spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said, “We are not aware during whose firing the journalist was killed. We do not know how he died." “Any journalist entering the war zone should inform us. We will take proper care of that particular individual," the Taliban’s spokesperson told CNN-News18 on Friday. Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was killed on Friday during clashes between Taliban fighters and Afghanistan’s security forces near a border crossing with Pakistan, Reuters cited an Afghan commander as saying. “We are sorry for Indian journalist Danish Siddiqui’s death. We regret that journalists are entering war zone without an intimation to us," Mujahid added. The Afghan Ambassador to India, Farid Mamundzay, confirmed the news of his death on Friday. The photojournalist was killed in a Taliban strike when he was on a reporting trip along with Afghan security personnel. "Deeply disturbed by the sad news of the killing of a friend, Danish Seddiqi in Kandahar last night. The Indian Journalist & winner of Pulitzer Prize was embedded with Afghan security forces. I met him two weeks ago before his departure to Kabul. Condolences to his family & Reuters, " tweeted Farid Mamundzay. In 2018, Siddiqui and his colleague Adnan Abidi became the first Indians to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for their coverage of the Rohingya refugee crisis. Siddiqui had been regularly posting photographs from Afghanistan on social media as the Taliban is rapidly gaining territory at a time when the US and its allies are retreating. On July 13, he last posted a Twitter thread with photos reporting what he was seeing there. (With inputs from agencies)

Taliban deny role in Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui’s death: Report 

More than 120 people have been killed in excessive flooding in western Europe. Several hundred are still missing, as per authorities on Friday. Full scale rescue efforts are ongoing even as rising water, landslides and power outages continue to hamper the exercise.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In Germany and Belgium, the devastation is widespread as entire villages are under water. All left is collapsed buildings, damaged cars and debris. The extreme rainfall has also affected the Netherlands and Luxembourg.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At least 105 people have been killed in Germany's two western states. Over 1,300 people are missing in Ahrweiler district, Rhineland-Palatinate state, authorities told CNN. The rescue operations continue and phone lines are being restored.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to the regional government, a dam along the river Rur in German state of North Rhine-Westphalia broke on Friday night. The evacuation of about 700 residents have also started in the Ophoven neighbourhood in Wassenberg.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Several officials are closely monitoring reservoirs in the region as they are of the view that more dams can break.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, said on Friday in a tweet that the country has deployed around 850 troops to assist with disaster relief.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

More than 120 people have been killed in excessive flooding in western Europe. Several hundred are still missing, as per authorities on Friday. Full scale rescue efforts are ongoing even as rising water, landslides and power outages continue to hamper the exercise.

More than 120 people have been killed in excessive flooding in western Europe. Several hundred are still missing, as per authorities on Friday. Full scale rescue efforts are ongoing even as rising water, landslides and power outages continue to hamper the exercise. In Germany and Belgium, the devastation is widespread as entire villages are under water. All left is collapsed buildings, damaged cars and debris. The extreme rainfall has also affected the Netherlands and Luxembourg. At least 105 people have been killed in Germany's two western states. Over 1,300 people are missing in Ahrweiler district, Rhineland-Palatinate state, authorities told CNN. The rescue operations continue and phone lines are being restored. According to the regional government, a dam along the river Rur in German state of North Rhine-Westphalia broke on Friday night. The evacuation of about 700 residents have also started in the Ophoven neighbourhood in Wassenberg. Several officials are closely monitoring reservoirs in the region as they are of the view that more dams can break. The Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, said on Friday in a tweet that the country has deployed around 850 troops to assist with disaster relief. (With inputs from agencies)

Over 120 dead in western Europe after record rainfall wreaks havoc 

According to a study, the earliest roots of cannabis may have been stemmed from northwestern China and not South Asia as it was commonly believed earlier.&nbsp;

The cannabis sativa species is likely to be emerged in the region during Neolithic era (10,000-3,000 BC), the researchers said on Friday in a news release by the journal ‘Science Advances’, where the study was published. The 'much beloved and maligned plant' is widely used as a recreational drug. &nbsp;

One of the first plants domesticated by humans, cannabis has a long history of being utilised in textiles, food, etc, the study said. Nowadays, several nations are mulling over legalising marijuana use. &nbsp;&nbsp;

A team led by researchers in Switzerland and China compiled around 110 whole genomes in order to trace the origins of cannabis. It covered a spectrum of different wild-growing feral plants, domesticated varieties and modern hybrids of hemp and psychoactive forms of the plant with higher levels of the compound Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a recent study from the US National Institutes of Health has found that cannabis is linked with a higher probability of youngsters thinking about suicide.&nbsp;

The study published in the journal JAMA Network Open on Tuesday collected data of more than 281,000 people aged 18 to 34. These participants answered questions related to cannabis use or disorder, major depressive episodes and suicidality, which include suicidal ideation, plans or attempts in the last year.&nbsp;

Participants who have been unable to control cannabis use, used cannabis for a longer period than thought, and stopped important tasks because of cannabis, among others are kept under the category of cannabis use disorder.&nbsp;

In fact, people who claimed they didn't consume cannabis every day, or fewer than 300 days per year, "were more likely to have suicidal ideation and to plan or attempt suicide than those who did not use the drug at all," the researchers noted.&nbsp;

According to a study, the earliest roots of cannabis may have been stemmed from northwestern China and not South Asia as it was commonly believed earlier. The cannabis sativa species is likely to be emerged in the region during Neolithic era (10,000-3,000 BC), the researchers said on Friday in a news release by the journal ‘Science Advances’, where the study was published.

According to a study, the earliest roots of cannabis may have been stemmed from northwestern China and not South Asia as it was commonly believed earlier. The cannabis sativa species is likely to be emerged in the region during Neolithic era (10,000-3,000 BC), the researchers said on Friday in a news release by the journal ‘Science Advances’, where the study was published. The 'much beloved and maligned plant' is widely used as a recreational drug. One of the first plants domesticated by humans, cannabis has a long history of being utilised in textiles, food, etc, the study said. Nowadays, several nations are mulling over legalising marijuana use. A team led by researchers in Switzerland and China compiled around 110 whole genomes in order to trace the origins of cannabis. It covered a spectrum of different wild-growing feral plants, domesticated varieties and modern hybrids of hemp and psychoactive forms of the plant with higher levels of the compound Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Meanwhile, a recent study from the US National Institutes of Health has found that cannabis is linked with a higher probability of youngsters thinking about suicide. The study published in the journal JAMA Network Open on Tuesday collected data of more than 281,000 people aged 18 to 34. These participants answered questions related to cannabis use or disorder, major depressive episodes and suicidality, which include suicidal ideation, plans or attempts in the last year. Participants who have been unable to control cannabis use, used cannabis for a longer period than thought, and stopped important tasks because of cannabis, among others are kept under the category of cannabis use disorder. In fact, people who claimed they didn't consume cannabis every day, or fewer than 300 days per year, "were more likely to have suicidal ideation and to plan or attempt suicide than those who did not use the drug at all," the researchers noted.

Cannabis may have originated in China: Study  

With the aim to&nbsp;tackle&nbsp;vaccine misinformation,&nbsp;White House&nbsp;has increased pressure over the Big Tech companies in the&nbsp;Silicon Valley.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;White House has&nbsp;singled out 12 people, who are&nbsp;being dubbed as the 'disinformation dozen’&nbsp;as they seem to have been&nbsp;responsible for a great deal of misinformation&nbsp;being circulated&nbsp;about COVID-19.&nbsp;

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said,&nbsp;"There's about 12 people,&nbsp;who are producing 65% of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms."&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;non-profit Centre&nbsp;for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has released the statistics&nbsp;in a report published in March, which said&nbsp;about a dozen people were super-spreaders of anti-vaccine misinformation.&nbsp;At the time, the CCDH had&nbsp;asked&nbsp;Facebook and Twitter to shut down all pages run by these people.&nbsp;

Earlier, Twitter was looking to deploy human monitors to crack down on disinformation as COVID-19 shots were being rolled out across the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The microblogging platform&nbsp;was thinking of&nbsp;labelling&nbsp;tweets that include misleading information about coronavirus vaccines.&nbsp;

Twitter said it has started using human reviewers to assess whether tweets violate its policy against Covid vaccine misinformation. Eventually, the work will be done by a combination of humans and automation, it said.&nbsp;

It will be using a&nbsp;'strike system'&nbsp;to eventually remove accounts that repeatedly violate its rules.&nbsp;

"Through the use of the strike system, we hope to educate people on why certain content breaks our rules so they have the opportunity to further consider their&nbsp;behaviour&nbsp;and their impact on the public conversation," Twitter said in a blog post on Monday.&nbsp;

"We believe the strike system will help to educate the public on our policies and further reduce the spread of potentially harmful and misleading information on Twitter, particularly for repeated moderate and high-severity violations of our rules," the company said.&nbsp;

(With&nbsp;inputs from agencies)&nbsp;&nbsp;

With the aim to tackle vaccine misinformation, White House has increased pressure over the Big Tech companies in the Silicon Valley. The White House has singled out 12 people, who are being dubbed as the 'disinformation dozen’ as they seem to have been responsible for a great deal of misinformation being circulated about COVID-19.

With the aim to tackle vaccine misinformation, White House has increased pressure over the Big Tech companies in the Silicon Valley. The White House has singled out 12 people, who are being dubbed as the 'disinformation dozen’ as they seem to have been responsible for a great deal of misinformation being circulated about COVID-19. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, "There's about 12 people, who are producing 65% of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms." The non-profit Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has released the statistics in a report published in March, which said about a dozen people were super-spreaders of anti-vaccine misinformation. At the time, the CCDH had asked Facebook and Twitter to shut down all pages run by these people. Earlier, Twitter was looking to deploy human monitors to crack down on disinformation as COVID-19 shots were being rolled out across the world. The microblogging platform was thinking of labelling tweets that include misleading information about coronavirus vaccines. Twitter said it has started using human reviewers to assess whether tweets violate its policy against Covid vaccine misinformation. Eventually, the work will be done by a combination of humans and automation, it said. It will be using a 'strike system' to eventually remove accounts that repeatedly violate its rules. "Through the use of the strike system, we hope to educate people on why certain content breaks our rules so they have the opportunity to further consider their behaviour and their impact on the public conversation," Twitter said in a blog post on Monday. "We believe the strike system will help to educate the public on our policies and further reduce the spread of potentially harmful and misleading information on Twitter, particularly for repeated moderate and high-severity violations of our rules," the company said. (With inputs from agencies)

White House increases pressure on Big Tech firms to act on vaccine misinformation 

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Gandharv Walia

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