November 21, 2024
🇮🇷 IAEA chief Rafael Grossi expresses hope that Iran’s decision to cap its highly enriched uranium stock, just below weapons grade, will hold amid a forthcoming Western-drafted resolution from the agency’s board.
🇪🇸 Spain’s Deputy PM Teresa Ribera defends the state’s response to last month’s deadly floods in Valencia, attributing much of the disaster to climate change as she seeks a top European Commission position.
🇺🇦 Ukraine has fired British Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory for the first time, according to Bloomberg citing a Western official. This marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
🇨🇳 China’s defense minister declined a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a defense leaders' meeting in Laos. Austin called the decision unfortunate.
🇵🇸 Hamas' Khalil al-Hayya states there will be no hostages-for-prisoners swap with Israel unless the Gaza war concludes. This position was shared in an interview with Al-Aqsa TV.
🌍 Over 50 countries have signed a U.N. declaration to promote climate-friendly tourism globally, marking a significant outcome of the climate summit in Azerbaijan.
🇺🇸 Trump’s lawyers argue hush money case should be dismissed, claiming his election victory and potential sentencing could threaten government stability.
🇺🇦 Ukraine launched British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russia, marking the latest use of Western weaponry against Russian targets. This follows the firing of U.S. ATACMS missiles just a day earlier.
🇲🇱 ICC sentences al-Qaida-linked extremist Al-Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz to 10 years for war crimes in Timbuktu. Convicted of torture and religious persecution, he was a key figure in the violence after extremists took control in 2012. Appeals from both sides are pending.
🇩🇿 Kamel Daoud faces lawsuits in Algeria for allegedly using a patient’s life story in his prize-winning novel “Houris.” Complaints cite violations of medical confidentiality and defamation. The author and his wife deny the allegations, claiming the plot is fictional.
🇺🇸 Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a government efficiency panel aimed at leveraging recent Supreme Court rulings to reduce federal agency power and cut regulations deemed unnecessary and costly.
🇨🇴 The Colombian rebel group Segunda Marquetalia has split in two. However, the larger faction will continue peace talks with the government, as stated on Wednesday.
🇲🇱 Mali’s PM Choguel Maiga has been fired after criticizing the junta for failing to hold elections within a promised 24-month transition to democracy, according to state TV ORTM.
🇲🇩 Moldova signs a new security and defence partnership with Britain, gaining support from London and Romania to address challenges from Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
🇺🇸 The Biden administration is forgiving $4.7 billion in U.S. loans to Ukraine, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. This move aims to support Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
🇩🇪 Angela Merkel sought the pope’s advice on handling Donald Trump to persuade him not to withdraw from the Paris climate accords, concerned about his winner-or-loser mentality as a property developer.
🇧🇾 Belarusian President Lukashenko has pardoned 32 individuals convicted of extremism, as reported by the Pul Pervogo Telegram account.
🇺🇸 U.S. Senate blocks legislation to halt some military sales to Israel amid concerns over human rights issues faced by Palestinians in Gaza.
🇷🇺🇰🇵 North Korea and Russia have signed a protocol on cooperation following trade, economy, science, and technology meetings in Pyongyang.
🇺🇦 President Zelenskiy states that Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, can only be restored to Ukraine through diplomacy.