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Below is a summary of the current world news briefing.
UN asks Afghan workers to stay home until May after female worker ban
The UN mission in Afghanistan said in a statement on Tuesday that it had begun a review of its operations after the Taliban government banned its female staff from working, and asked all Afghan staff not to report to work until at least May . The United Nations said last week that the Taliban, which takes power in 2021, had said Afghan women would not be able to work for the global organization. Taliban officials have yet to comment on the order.
Kremlin says detained US journalist ‘violated’ Russian law
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich “violated Russian law” and was “caught red-handed” after the U.S. State Department formally determined he was “wrongly detained” by Russia, the Kremlin said Tuesday. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested Gershkovich last month on espionage charges, charges widely condemned as bogus by the White House, other Western countries, the Wall Street Journal, dozens of media organizations and human rights groups.
UK braces for ‘unprecedented’ disruption from doctors’ strike
Junior doctors in Britain started a four-day pay strike on Tuesday that could cause unprecedented disruption to the state-funded National Health Service (NHS), prompting the government to warn of risks to patient safety. Thousands of junior doctors – qualified doctors who make up nearly half of the healthcare workforce – are on strike to demand pay rises more in line with inflation following a three-day doctors’ strike last month.
Romania plans to buy F-35 fighter jets to bolster air defense
Romania’s Supreme Defense Council (CSAT) said in a statement on Tuesday that Romania intends to buy the latest generation of American F-35 fighter jets to enhance its air defense capabilities. EU and NATO countries have raised defense spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product from 2 percent this year in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
UK appoints MI5 deputy as first female cyber-espionage chief
Britain on Tuesday appointed Anne Keast-Butler as the first female director of its intelligence and communications agency, GCHQ, tasked with protecting the country from terrorists, cybercriminals and malicious foreign actors. She will succeed Jeremy Fleming, who is stepping down after six years, in May.
Ukrainian city attacked as U.S. scrambles to find source of leaked documents
Russian forces have carried out airstrikes and shelling on front-line cities in eastern Ukraine, while U.S. officials have intensified efforts to find the source of leaks of classified U.S. documents, including documents on Ukrainian counteroffensive plans. Ukraine’s General Staff said on Tuesday that the Russians continued their offensive in the eastern region of Donetsk, where several towns were heavily bombed.
Myanmar army attacks rebel rally, at least 50 killed – media, militias
In central Myanmar on Tuesday, the military killed at least 50 people in an airstrike on an event attended by opponents of its rule, according to media and members of a local resistance movement. Between 50 and 100 people, including civilians, were killed in the attack, BBC Burmese, Radio Free Asia (RFA) and The Irrawaddy news portal quoted residents of the Sagaing area as saying.
Carriers and precision attack: Takeaways from China’s latest Taiwan exercise
Analysts said China’s recent military drills near Taiwan showed it was serious about being able to cut off the democratically ruled island in a conflict, as Beijing said its aircraft carrier could “shatter” defenses from the east. While the three-day drills, which ended Monday, were less intense than those launched in August 2022 to protest then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, China used them to showcase its capabilities in the air and at sea – If it tries to block, it needs to control both.
Chinese planes, ships remain near Taiwan after drills
Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Tuesday that Chinese warplanes and naval vessels remained in waters surrounding Taiwan after a three-day military exercise concluded, with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen criticizing Beijing for “irresponsible” behavior. China began the drills on Saturday after Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taipei after meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.
How India’s birth control struggle is faltering in rural areas
Pratima Kumari, a government health worker in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, sets out every morning on her mini scooter through vast fields of corn and pineapple, visiting villages and meeting young married couples. She provides free condoms and birth control pills in Kishanganj district and talks to couples about birth control and the benefits of having only two children.
(This story was not edited by Devdiscourse staff and was automatically generated from a syndicate feed.)
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