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No new Swedish envoy

Egypt and the UAE join a chorus of condemnation of the latest desecration of the holy Qur’an in Sweden. Egypt has called for the punishment of those behind the insulting act. The UAE has summoned the Swedish charge d’affaires to Abu Dhabi. And, Iran says it will not admit a new Swedish ambassador. Earlier, Amir-Abdollahian warned of the dire consequences of the act of desecration. He issued the warning in a phone call with his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom. Amir-Abdollahian called on Stockholm to stop promoting violence and sowing discord. He also dismissed as unacceptable all acts of sacrilege against holy books and religious sanctities, including under the pretext of freedom of speech. The top diplomat demanded the prosecution of the person responsible for the move. Billstrom, in turn, condemned the sacrilegious act. He said the Swedish police had only issued a permit for assembly and had not authorized insulting the holy book of Muslims.

UK rail strike

Britons are facing travel chaos as thousands of railway staff go on a new strike over pay, job cuts and working conditions. The 24-hour strike by the workers, involving 14 train companies, has either disrupted or limited services to commuters. A number of train operators have been forced to reduce their regular timetable. Passengers have been warned to check before travel. The strike has forced many Brits to use cars and buses amid the summer holiday getaway, when roads are expected to be congested. Saturday’s industrial action is part of three strikes this month. Members of railway unions had walked off their jobs on Thursday. The next one is set for July 29. Train unions are locked in negotiations with the government over wages and working conditions. The UK has seen similar strikes across other sectors in recent months. 

Korean Peninsula tension

The South Korean military says the North has fired multiple cruise missiles into the waters west of the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang also fired two ballistic missiles on Wednesday, hours after a US nuclear-armed submarine visited South Korea for the first time in decades. North Korea slammed the move. It warned that the stationing of nuclear assets in South Korea effectively meets Pyongyang’s conditions to use nuclear weapons. The US and South Korea have stepped up their military cooperation and joint war games in the region in recent months. North Korea considers the US military presence provocative and has responded with a record volley of missile tests.

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