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US-China tensions
China has slammed the US for offering temporary safe haven to Hong Kong residents in the United States. China’s foreign ministry branch in Hong Kong accused Washington of "violently" intervening in the city’s internal affairs. It said the US is trying to bad-mouth Hong Kong, smear China and engage in actions to destroy the city’s stability and prosperity. On Thursday, President Joe Biden offered safe haven to Hong Kong residents in the US, allowing them to extend their stay for 18 months. Washington said the measure is in response to what it called China’s crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong.
Fighting in Afghanistan
Russia and Uzbekistan have wrapped up the active phase of their joint military drills near the border of conflict-stricken Afghanistan. Some 1,500 Russian and Uzbek forces took part in the five-day drills in southeastern Uzbekistan. The two countries are also holding joint drills with Tajikistan. The trilateral exercises began in Tajikistan on Thursday and will run until August 10. All these come amid fears of the spillover of the Afghan conflict into Central Asia. On Friday, the leaders of five Central Asian countries namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan gathered for talks in Turkmenistan. The conflict in Afghanistan tops their agenda. Fighting has raged on there between government forces and Taliban militants over the past weeks.
South Korea Covid-19 surge
South Korea has extended restrictions as the number of Covid cases keeps surging across the country. Prime Minister Kim Bu-gyeom says the existing social distancing curbs will last for two other weeks. South Korea imposed the restrictions in mid-July, after posting its highest number of daily Covid infections. The curbs were tightened last week ahead of summer vacations, limiting gatherings across the country. South Korea is struggling to tame its fourth wave of Covid that has seen an average of 1,500 cases a day. The detection of new variants has also added to concerns amid a slow vaccination drive. So far, more than 14 percent of the South Korean population has been vaccinated.
Iran’s president vows ‘severe’ response to any aggression after Trump’s threat
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VIDEO | Haibat al-Halbousi elected as speaker of Iraqi Parliament for four years
Assassination of Gen. Soleimani aimed at dismantling resistance security order: Iranian envoy
Extreme cold kills 25 Palestinians, including children, in Gaza in December
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