Canada's wildfires could continue into fall, says government
Canada is facing its second-worst wildfire season on record, with 7.8 million hectares already burned, and the fires could persist for weeks, accordin...
The U.S. State Department says Beijing has blocked a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office employee who was visiting relatives in China from leaving the country, prompting high-level talks to secure the official’s return.
The unnamed civil servant, described as travelling “in a personal capacity,” became subject to an exit ban several months ago, the State Department confirmed on Monday.
“We are tracking this case very closely and are engaged with Chinese officials to resolve the situation as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson said.
The Washington Post reported that Chinese border officers halted the man after discovering he had not declared his U.S. government job on his visa application. Neither the U.S. Commerce Department—of which the patent office is a part—nor the Chinese embassy in Washington responded to requests for comment.
Beijing has increasingly used exit bans against both Chinese citizens and foreigners in civil, regulatory and criminal investigations. Rights group Safeguard Defenders says more than 120 foreign nationals were barred from leaving China between 2018 and 2023, though precise figures are difficult to verify.
In a separate case, Wells Fargo banker Chenyue Mao—a U.S. citizen—was stopped from boarding a flight last week. China’s foreign ministry said on Monday that she “must cooperate with a criminal inquiry.” The U.S. bank has suspended all staff travel to China pending clarification, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The latest exit bans come as Washington and Beijing try to steady relations strained by trade tariffs, the origins of COVID-19 and tensions over Taiwan.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
Honduras has brought back mask mandates as COVID-19 cases and a new variant surge nationwide.
Hamas has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire proposal with Israel that would see half of the hostages in Gaza freed in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, an Egyptian official said on Monday.
On Monday, Russian drones deliberately struck a SOCAR oil depot in Ukraine's southern Odesa region for the second time in two weeks, according to Ukrainian officials.
Afghanistan's growing flour industry now supplies more than half the country's annual demand, with domestic mills producing 3.5 million tons out of the 6 million-ton national requirement.
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has arrived in Beirut for his fourth visit since June, seeking to reinforce a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, days after the Cabinet backed a plan to disarm Hezbollah and other non-state groups.
Since January, more than 1.7 million Afghan citizens have returned from Iran and Pakistan, the United Nations said on Friday, warning of mounting humanitarian pressures.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment