Iraqi prime minister survives assassination attempt
Iraqi Prime Minister Moustafa al-Kazimi came out unscathed from an attack with an explosive drone launched against his residence in the Green zone of Baghdad. The attack took place while hundreds of pro-Iranians are protesting with a sit-in at the entrance to the zone against the result of the October 10 elections. Later, al-Kadhemi said he was “fine” and called for “calm and restraint”.
Scores dead after Sierra Leone oil tanker collision
At least 98 people have died and another 92 were injured, after a massive explosion when a fuel tanker collided with a lorry in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown. Fuel spilled before igniting and the resulting inferno engulfed bystanders and vehicles at a busy junction. After visiting the scene, Vice-President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh said it was a “national disaster”.
Libyan Foreign Minister suspended
Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Al-Mangoush has been suspended from her duties and placed under a travel ban. A spokeswoman for the Presidential Council told Libya Panorama that the presidency hadopened an investigation “for administrative violations”, namely unilateraly taking foreign policy decisions. There have recently been online attacks on Mangoush, who is the first woman in Libya to be foreign minister, over her calls for all foreign forces to leave the country.
Police investigate crowd surge at Texas festival
Police in Houston, Texas have opened a criminal investigation into the deaths at the Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival on Friday. At least eight people died and scores of others were hurt after a crowd surge on the opening night of the music event in Houston, Texas. The victims were between the ages of 14 and 27. Police said they are investigating reports that someone in the crowd was injecting other people with drugs. Scott said he was “devastated”.
UB40’s Astro dead at 64
The former singer and founding member of the British reggae group UB40, who became famous in the 1980s with hits like ‘Red Red Wine’ and ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ has died at the age of 64, after a brief illness. Terence Wilson, known by his stage name Astro, performed with UB40 until 2013, when he left the group to form another band of the same name. The pop reggae cover of Neil Diamond’s UB40 ‘Red Red Wine’ brought them to fame, selling over 100 million records. They also broke the record, on par with Madness, for the most weeks topping the UK singles chart in the 1980s.
COP26: Thousands march for greater action
About 100,000 people marched in Glasgow to demand more action on the climate crisis. The protest was the biggest so far during the COP26 summit and took place alongside hundreds of similar events around the world. Police arrested 21 scientists who chained themselves together and blocked a road bridge over the River Clyde. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 people took to the streets of Australia’s biggest cities of Sydney and Melbourne to protest against their government’s strategies at the UN climate summit.
UK: ‘No booster, no quarantine-free travel’
The Mail on Sunday reports the British government is looking at reintroducing travel restrictions for people who do not get a booster COVID vaccine. The paper reports ministers are drawing up “controversial” plans for quarantine and testing requirements for those who don’t get a third jab to protect the UK against the spread of new variants.
The ‘No Green passes’ back in Italian squares
The ‘No Green passes’, or people objecting to anti-COVID vaccines, were back in the Italian squares yesterday. In Trieste, Milan and Turin exceptional security measures were taken, but the demonstrators did not respect the agreed routes, blocking traffic. In Trieste the demonstrators ended fighting the police, while in Milan and Turin some moments of tension were defused by the security forces. In Turin, anarchists attacked the police by throwing bottles. Demonstrations were also held in Naples, Novara and Padua.
US judge blocks Biden’s vaccination mandate
A federal judge has temporarily suspended President Joe Biden’s ruling over vaccination obligation for workers in private companies with more than 100 employees, which was expected to come into effect on January 4. The court accepted the appeal filed by about 20 US states, including Texas. The order affects between 80 and 100 million Americans, and is the measure by which the White House hopes to bring a definitive change to the immunisation campaign.
