Author: Katie Evans

Colombo (25/7 – 30.77) In his book “Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday Massacre: Lessons for the International Community,” terrorism expert Dr. Rohan Gunaratna emphasizes the importance of de-radicalizing Islamic ideology to effectively combat Islamic terrorism. He identifies Wahhabism or Salafism as the root of Islamic terrorism, rapidly spreading worldwide through modern communication tools. Gunaratna warns that merely arresting perpetrators after attacks is insufficient; the focus should be on preventing radicalization in the first place. The Easter Sunday bombings in April 2019, which claimed over 200 lives, were fuelled by extremist ideologies inspired by events in the Middle East and Islamic extremists…

Paris, Brussels (29/7 – 75) Kazakhstan has started arbitration proceedings against companies developing Kashagan and Karachaganak oilfields, over US$13 billion and $3.5 billion respectively in costs deducted as part of profit-sharing deals, its Energy Minister said on April 11. “I can only say these lawsuits have been filed in the interest of the people of Kazakhstan,” Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev told reporters, declining to provide any further details about the claims. The offshore Kashagan field in northern part of the Caspian Sea, one of the biggest discoveries in recent decades, is being developed by Italian Eni, British Shell, French TotalEnergies,…

Jungkook will kickstart his solo career and his upcoming song “Seven” by opening for the 2023 Summer Concert Series at New York’s Central Park. The annual summer concert, organized by ABC talk show “Good Morning America,” will take place on Friday. Jungkook will start the event with his official solo debut track “Seven,” the first time he has taken in the Summer Concert Series as a solo artist. His band BTS appeared at the event in 2019. Meanwhile, BTS’s book “Beyond the Story” hit bookstore shelves on Sunday in tandem with “ARMY Day,” the date when the name of BTS’s official fan club, ARMY,…

There are two more cases of locally acquired malaria in Sarasota County, according to the Florida Department of Health, bringing the total number of cases to six in the state. At the end of June, the Florida department issued a statewide mosquito-borne illness advisory following the initial four cases of malaria. The Texas Department of State Health Services said on Friday that it is still aware of only one case of malaria there, but they are still on the lookout for other cases. Texas is also monitoring the region’s mosquito population for the disease. These locally acquired cases of malaria…

As wildfires spread across Canada, Justin Trudeau sought to showcase his commitment to responsible environmental stewardship. He told reporters that there are some politicians that still think you can have a plan for great jobs and growing the economy without having a plan to fight climate change. . . . But Canadians know that fighting climate change is necessary both to create those great jobs and opportunities but also to prevent the catastrophic and expensive losses that Canadians are facing increasingly over the years. It is only to be expected that Trudeau would want to distance himself from his conservative rivals at…

There is no shortage of issues for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to raise on his upcoming trip to China. U.S.-China relations are at a low point over Chinese support for Russia in Ukraine, trade disputes, and rising threats against Taiwan. But one area could provide space for cooperation that would benefit both parties and the wider world: preventing a new crisis in the Middle East. The Stimson Center recently convened a symposium of experts to talk about risks and opportunities in an increasingly multipolar Middle East. One consensus view was that China need not be a U.S. adversary there but could contribute to…

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Central Asia (15/6 – 60) On 28 April, President Emomali Rahmon who has ruled Tajikistan since 1992 signed into law a Decree imposing the Procedure for “burying the bodies of terrorists neutralised in the course of a counterterrorism operation”. In the regime’s parlour, this means the bodies of those killed and/or assassinated. The new procedure denies the families of those killed in what the regime calls “anti-terrorism operations” the possibility of burying the dead in a place they want, knowing where the dead are buried, investigating how the death occurred, and burying the dead with the religious or…

Under the new rule, consumers can get up to $7,500 back in tax credits on eligible cars. Sixteen new models and some of their variations are eligible for all or half of the new credit, while nine models — mostly foreign-made vehicles — are no longer eligible, for now. Most of the eligible cars so far are made by the “big three” EV automakers in the US — Ford (F), General Motors and Stellantis — plus Tesla (TSLA). Here’s what you need to know. Which models are eligible for the new EV tax credit? 2022-2023 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV 2022-2023 Jeep Wrangler PHEV…

“Our study suggests poor carbohydrate quality is a leading driver of diet-attributable type 2 diabetes globally,” says senior author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a professor of nutrition at Tufts University and professor of medicine at Tufts School of Medicine in Boston, in a statement. Another key factor: People are eating far too much red and processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, salami and the like, the study said. Those three factors — eating too few whole grains and too many processed grains and meats — were the primary drivers of over 14 million new cases of type 2 diabetes in 2018,…

AYER, Mass. (AP) — Five freight train cars derailed in Massachusetts on Thursday, but no hazardous materials were being hauled and there were no reports of injuries, according to authorities. The freight cars that toppled over at about 11:30 a.m. were carrying sealed containers of trash and recycling material, the Ayer Fire Department said in a social media post. Each car was carrying double stacked containers for a total of 10 containers, according to the state emergency management agency. A woman walking in the area first noticed the toppled railcars and called authorities, Fire Chief Tim Johnston said at the…