Afghans hold mass wedding as Taliban's economy suffers
Four years since the US and its allies withdrew from Afghanistan, and the Taliban took over, the economy is suffering. Kabul's glitzy wedding halls are normally reserved for a single couple. But tough times mean dozens of couples have to share their big day. And CNN's Isobel Yeung was there.
01:20 - Source: CNN
Small Irish town confronts its dark past
Excavations of the remains of nearly 800 babies have begun at a former so-called mother and baby home in Tuam, Ireland. At least 9,000 infants and children died in more than a dozen of these institutions over the course of eight decades.
02:11 - Source: CNN
Fire tornado rips through Turkish forest
Turkey's forestry ministry has released video of a fire tornado tearing through the country's woodland. Hundreds of wildfires have gripped Turkey this summer, as well as Greece and other Mediterranean countries.
00:33 - Source: CNN
Concerns grow over Australia's toxic algae bloom
A harmful algae bloom off the coast of South Australia, caused by high sea temperatures and runoff from flooding, is poisoning marine life and depleting oxygen in the water. The Australian government has stated that there is little that can be done to reverse the rapid rate of the climate crisis.
01:10 - Source: CNN
International visitors to US will pay new fee
CNN's Richard Quest explains how the Trump administration enacted a bill that will require international visitors to pay a new 'visa integrity fee' of $250 dollars. The fee will apply to all visitors who are required to obtain nonimmigrant visas to enter the US.
01:36 - Source: CNN
Mexico City residents furious over gentrification
Mexico City saw its second anti-gentrification protest in less than a month on Sunday with demonstrators furious over rising prices in the city and the record number of foreigners applying for a resident visa. The main nationality of those foreigners seeking to move legally to the nation's capital? The United States of America.
01:11 - Source: CNN
Child flees Israeli strike on Gaza refugee camp
Video shows a child running away as Israeli munitions struck near a UNRWA school in Bureij Refugee Camp behind her.
00:36 - Source: CNN
China cracks down on fake "Lafufu" Labubus
Fake Labubu plush toys, dubbed "Lafufu," have gained popularity due to shortages of the original dolls made by China's Pop Mart.
02:05 - Source: CNN
Jair Bolsonaro denies coup charges as police raid home
Police in Brazil raided the home of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and enforced a ruling from the country's Supreme Court that Bolsonaro wear an electronic ankle tag. Bolsonaro is being accused of plotting to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election.
01:17 - Source: CNN
Taiwan conducts 10-day military drill
The Taiwanese government is preparing for a war they hope will never happen. For the first time this year, Taiwan combined two major civil defense exercises, with the drills lasting ten days. These drills have included urban combat, mass casualty simulations, emergency supply drops and cyber defense that could be enacted if an invasion was to occur. CNN's Senior International Correspondent, Will Ripley, reports.
01:44 - Source: CNN
Deadly flooding grips South Korea for days
South Korea has been ravaged for days by intense flooding that's left more than a dozen people dead. Reuters reported more than 16 inches of rain fell in one area in just 24 hours, citing the country's Interior and Safety Ministry.
00:48 - Source: CNN
Brazil's Lula tells Christiane Amanpour: Trump 'Was not elected to be emperor of the world'
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview it was 'a surprise' to see President Donald Trump's letter posted to Truth Social, threatening Brazil with a crippling tariff of 50% starting August 1st. Lula says that he initially thought the letter was 'fake news.' Watch the full 'Amanpour' interview on CNN.
01:33 - Source: CNN
Gaza's only Catholic church hit by Israeli strike
Gaza's only Catholic church was struck by an Israeli tank, killing three and injuring many more, church officials said. It became internationally recognized after reports emerged that the late Pope Francis used to call the church daily. CNN's Nada Bashir reports
00:53 - Source: CNN
Prince Harry recreates his mother's historic landmine walk
Following in his mother's footsteps, Prince Harry visited Angola's minefields just as Princess Diana did 28 years ago. The Duke of Sussex was in Angola with The Halo Trust as part of the group's efforts to clear landmines.
00:39 - Source: CNN
Massive fire destroys Tomorrowland's main stage
Tomorrowland's main stage went up in flames just days ahead of the festival's opening in Boom, Belgium.
00:38 - Source: CNN
How Trump's image is changing inside Russia
Once hailed as a pro-Kremlin figure, President Donald Trump's image is changing inside Russia. It comes after Trump vowed further sanctions on the country if a peace agreement with Ukraine is not reached in 50 days. CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent is on the ground in Moscow with the analysis.
01:41 - Source: CNN
Who are the armed groups clashing in Syria?
Dozens were killed in Syria this week after clashes between government loyalists and Druze militias in the southern city of Suwayda, prompting Syrian forces to intervene. That, in turn, triggered renewed Israeli airstrikes.
01:57 - Source: CNN
Syrian anchor takes cover from airstrike live on TV
An airstrike on the Syrian Ministry of Defense was captured live on Syria TV, forcing the anchor to take cover. Israel has been carrying out airstrikes on Syria as part of its commitment to protect the Druze, an Arab minority at the center of clashes with government loyalists.
00:30 - Source: CNN
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Associated Press
18 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Afghanistan's Taliban have 'weaponized' the judicial system to oppress women, UN expert says
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have 'weaponized' the legal and judicial system to oppress women and girls in what amounts to 'crimes against humanity,' the independent U.N. investigator on human rights in the country said. Richard Bennett said in a report to the U.N. General Assembly circulated Wednesday that after seizing power in 2021 the Taliban suspended the 2004 constitution and laws protecting the rights of women and girls. These include a landmark law that criminalized 22 forms of violence against women, including rape and child and forced marriage. The Taliban dismissed all judges under the previous U.S.-backed government, including approximately 270 women, replacing them with men who share their extreme Islamic views, lack legal training and hand down decisions based on edicts issued by the Taliban, he said. In addition, he noted that the Taliban have assumed full control over law enforcement and investigative agencies, systematically purging Afghans who worked for the previous government. Bennett, who was appointed by the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council, focused on access to justice and protection for women and girls in his report. He said he held meetings, focus-group discussions and one-on-one interviews with more that 110 Afghans inside and outside the country. He did so remotely because the Taliban have refused to grant him a visa to travel to Afghanistan. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, their crackdown on women and girls has been widely reported and globally denounced. Taliban leaders have barred education for women and girls beyond sixth grade, banned most employment, and prohibited women from many public spaces, including parks, gyms and hairdressers. New laws ban women's voices and bare faces outside the home. The Taliban remain isolated from the West because of their restrictions on women and girls and have only been recognized by Russia. Bennett said the Taliban did not respond to an advance copy of the report and a request for information about their efforts to ensure access to justice and protection for women and girls. The Taliban defend their approach to justice by claiming they are implementing Islamic sharia law, but Islamic scholars and others have said their interpretation is unparalleled in other Muslim-majority countries and does not adhere to Islamic teachings. They say protecting the legal rights of women is a priority. Bennett said, however, that women have virtually no rights. 'Today, there are no women judges or prosecutors and no officially registered female lawyers, leaving women and girls with fewer safe channels to report abuse or seek redress,' he wrote. 'Coupled with a lack of female officials in the police and other institutions, the result is widespread underreporting of violence and discrimination against women and girls.' Bennett said access to justice for girls 'is further undermined by the dismantling of key legal safeguards and institutions protecting the rights of children,' including juvenile courts and juvenile rehabilitation centers. The Taliban requirement that a woman must be accompanied by a male relative also creates barriers to filing complaints and attending court proceedings, he said, and disproportionately affects widows, women who are the heads of their households, the displaced and disabled. 'Women who engage with the Taliban court system — whether as victims seeking redress, to resolve family issues, to obtain official documents or as alleged offenders — face a hostile environment,' Bennett said. 'Courts often reject complaints made by women and are especially reluctant to accept cases relating to divorce, child custody and gender-based violence.' Facing these obstacles, Bennett said, women increasingly turn to traditional and informal justice mechanisms, including formal jirgas and shuras — community councils of elders — and informal mediation by religious leaders, community elders or family. But these are all male-dominated and raise 'serious concerns about the rights of women and girls,' he said. He said international forums offer the best hope for justice. He pointed to the International Criminal Court's request on Jan. 23 for arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders accused of crimes against humanity for persecution 'on gender grounds.' And he urged all countries to support efforts to bring Afghanistan before the International Court of Justice, the U.N.'s highest tribunal, for violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago man accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers indicted on federal hate crime and murder charges
WASHINGTON — The Chicago man accused of fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington outside a Jewish museum has been indicted on federal hate crime and murder charges, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday. The indictment, filed in federal court in Washington, charges Elias Rodriguez with nine counts, including a hate crime resulting in death. The indictment also includes notice of special findings, which would allow the Justice Department to potentially pursue the death penalty. Elias Rodriguez is accused of gunning down Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim as they left an event at the museum in May. He was heard shouting 'Free Palestine' as he was led away after his arrest. He told police, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,' federal authorities have said. Rodriguez had previously been charged with murder of foreign officials and other crimes, and the hate crimes charges were added after prosecutors brought the case to a grand jury. It means prosecutors will be tasked with proving Rodriguez was motivated by antisemitism when he opened fire on Lischinsky and Milgrim, a young couple who were about to become engaged. Prosecutors have described the killing as calculated and planned, saying Rodriguez flew to the Washington region from Chicago ahead of the Capital Jewish Museum event with a handgun in his checked luggage. He purchased a ticket for the event about three hours before it started, authorities have said in court papers. 'This was an act of cowardice': Charges filed against Chicago man in the fatal shooting near DC Jewish museumAn attorney for Rodriguez didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday. Witnesses described him pacing outside before approaching a group of four people and opening fire. Surveillance video showed Rodriguez advancing closer to Lischinsky and Milgrim as they fell to the ground, leaning over them and firing additional shots. He appeared to reload before jogging off, officials have said. Who were the Israeli Embassy staffers shot dead days before getting engaged?After the shooting, authorities say Rodriguez went inside the museum and stated that he 'did it.' 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed,' he spontaneously said, according to court documents. He also told detectives that he admired an active-duty Air Force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in February 2024, describing the man as 'courageous' and a 'martyr.'
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Ukraine war: Trump wants trilateral meeting with Putin, Zelensky
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will work to arrange a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to end the war in Ukraine. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 6 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said he will work to schedule a trilateral meeting soon with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to end the war in Ukraine. Trump announced his intent to meet with the leaders of the warring nations as early as next week after special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin on Wednesday. "Steve Witkoff just had a highly productive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "Great progress was made." Witkoff and Putin met ahead of Friday's Trump-imposed deadline for a cease-fire in Ukraine. Trump said he apprised some of the nation's allies in Europe of the meeting's content. "Everyone agrees this war must come to a close," he said, "and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come." The president also said he would meet with Putin as early as next week and afterward wants to meet with Putin and Zelensky at the same time, The New York Times reported. Trump and Zelensky spoke by phone after the Witkoff-Putin meeting and said "it seems Russia is more inclined toward [a] cease-fire," as reported by CNN. Putin called the meeting "constructive and useful," Russian state media outlet TASS reported. "Putin conveyed some signals to the United States on the Ukrainian issue," the Kremlin told state-controlled RIA Novosti. Witkoff and Putin met for about three hours after Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on nations that buy oil from Russia if a cease-fire isn't declared by Friday. He also announced a 25% tariff on India for buying and reselling "massive amounts of Russian oil" and intends to increase the tariff to 50% in three weeks, The Washington Post reported. Trump says such trade with Russia funds its war against Ukraine, which Russia started on Feb. 24, 2022.
