Pakistan Mob Burns Police Station in Bid to Lynch Blasphemy Suspect

Authorities in northwestern Pakistan said Monday they had arrested around 30 people in connection with an overnight mob assault on a police station aimed at grabbing and lynching a mentally unstable detainee accused of insulting Islam.

Witnesses and police said thousands of protesters stormed the police station in Charsadda, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Sunday evening and burned the facility along with several nearby security outposts after police refused to hand over the blasphemy suspect.

The mob attack forced police officers to abandon the installation and flee to safety along with the detainee, district police chief Asif Bahadur Khan told reporters Monday.

A video circulating on social media showed the police station burning. The alleged blasphemer was taken into police custody on charges he desecrated Islam’s holy book, the Quran.

Russia: Latest Zircon Hypersonic Missile Test Successful

Russia said Monday it had carried out another successful test of its Zircon hypersonic cruise missile as world powers race to develop advanced weaponry, AFP reports. Russia, the United States, France and China have all been experimenting with so-called hypersonic glide vehicles -- defined as reaching speeds of at least Mach 5.

As part of “the completion of tests” of Russia’s hypersonic missile weapons, the Admiral Gorshkov warship launched a Zircon missile at a target in the Barents Sea at 400 kilometres, the defence ministry said.

“The target was hit,” the ministry said, describing the test as successful.

Russia’s latest Zircon test came after Western reports that a Chinese hypersonic glider test flight in July culminated in the mid-flight firing of a missile at more than five times the speed of sound over the South China Sea.

Talks on Iran Nuclear Deal Resuming in Vienna

Talks about reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal resumed Monday in Vienna after a five-month break, and a new president took office in Iran for the first time.

Like six previous rounds of negotiations, which began in April, the US is participating indirectly, similar to the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Iran will talk directly with the remaining signatories of the 2015 deal — Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany — with European diplomats shuttling back and forth to consult with the US side.

At stake is the resumption of the agreement that brought limits to Iran’s nuclear program lasting between 10 and 15 years in exchange for sanctions relief.

The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 during the administration of President Donald Trump, after which Iran began stepping away from its commitments.

To date, Iran has exceeded its agreed limits on the amount of uranium it stockpiles, enriched uranium to higher levels and utilized more advanced centrifuges in its nuclear facilities.

Uganda Dismisses Report of Losing Airport to China

Ugandan officials are rejecting reports that China could take control of the country’s only international airport because of a failure to honour a loan agreement. China’s embassy in Uganda also dismissed the report. But analysts note the loan deal could become a problem if Uganda ever has trouble paying it back.

Local media reports had indicated that Uganda risked losing its only international airport to China over a $200 million loan to expand the facility.

According to documents shared with local media, China rejected Uganda’s request to re-negotiate some clauses in the 2015 loan deal.

This included a clause requiring Uganda’s civil aviation authority to set up an escrow account to hold its revenues. Under the clause, the revenues in this account cannot be spent by the aviation authority without approval from Beijing.

Vianney Luggya, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson, told VOA that the Ugandan government had no intention of defaulting on loan repayments to China.

“It is not true that Uganda is going to lose Entebbe International Airport in any way whatsoever,” said Luggya.

The loan agreement also gives China’s Export-Import Bank oversight over monthly operating budgets for the airport.

When VOA contacted the Chinese Embassy in Uganda, they said they were not able to comment and referred VOA to a statement they issued Sunday.

Botswana’s Government Loses Bid to Overturn Homosexuality Ruling

Botswana’s government has lost a bid to overturn a 2019 court ruling that decriminalised same-sex relations. Human rights groups have welcomed the decision, saying it opens the door to challenge what they say are other discriminatory laws in Botswana.

The five judges on Botswana’s Court of Appeal were unanimous in upholding the June 2019 landmark decision which recognized homosexuality.

Court of Appeal president Ian Kirby said criminalizing same-sex activities violates the constitutional right of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender persons.

He said the offending sections of the penal code have outlived their usefulness and only serve to encourage law enforcement agents to become keyhole peepers and intrude into the private space of citizens.

The government wanted the 2019 court ruling overturned, arguing that the majority of people in the country did not agree with it.

Representing the LGBTQ community, lawyer Tshiamo Rantao said the matter had been finally laid to rest.

Barbados to Become a Republic, Replacing British Queen

Barbados is about to cut ties with the British monarchy, but the legacy of a sometimes brutal colonial past and the pandemic’s impact on tourism pose major challenges for the Caribbean island as it becomes the world’s newest republic, says AFP.

Famed for its beaches and love of cricket, Barbados will this week replace its head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, with her current representative, Governor-General Sandra Mason.

Ceremonies on Monday evening into Tuesday will include military parades and celebrations, as Mason is inaugurated as president, with Prince Charles — heir to the British throne — looking on.

In a speech to be delivered at the transition ceremony, Charles is due to focus on continued ties between the two countries.

“As your constitutional status changes, it was important to me that I should join you to reaffirm those things which do not change. For example, the close and trusted partnership between Barbados and the United Kingdom as vital members of the Commonwealth,” stated an excerpt of his speech, as released by the prince’s office.

Japan Bans Entry of Foreign Visitors as Omicron Spreads

Japan announced Monday it would suspend entry of all foreign visitors from around the world as a new coronavirus variant spreads, prompting an increasing number of countries to tighten their borders.

“We are taking the step as an emergency precaution to prevent a worst-case scenario in Japan,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. He said the measure would take effect Tuesday.

According to AP, the decision means Japan will restore border controls that it eased earlier this month for short-term business visitors, international students, and workers.

Kishida urged people to continue with mask-wearing and other basic anti-virus measures until further details of the new omicron variant are known.

Many countries have moved to tighten their borders even as scientists warn it’s not clear if the new variant is more alarming than other versions of the virus.

Australian Research Finds Climate Change Behind Bushfire Surge

New research by Australia’s national science agency shows that climate change has driven a significant increase in bushfires over the last three decades.

Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, or CSIRO, has found an 800% rise in the average annual area burned by bushfires in Australia since the 1990s. Parts of the Australian continent are some of the world’s most fire-prone areas.

The study said the “overwhelming factor” causing the spike had been climate change.

There have been more extreme heatwaves and a corresponding decrease in rainfall in parts of the country. Since 1910, the research stated that Australia’s mean temperature had increased by 1.4 degrees Celsius.

The study also detailed how the annual fire season has extended before and after summer into autumn and winter, while fire activity has increased in cooler and warmer regions, including alpine forests in Tasmania and tropical rainforests in Queensland.

Pep Canadell, the CSIRO’s chief climate scientist, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the world’s fire-prone regions must be better prepared for the wildfire threat.