Top Stories

• 
  Last update: 15:28 GMT 27.07.2021

  15:28 GMT 27.07.2021

  Middle East

  All US Troops Including ‘Criminal’ Air Force Must Quit Iraq, Militia Warns as Occupation Rebranded

  US President Joe Biden hosted Iraqi Prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at the White House on Monday. In a joint statement released after their talks, officials indicated that Washington agreed to remove all combat troops from Iraq by 31 December 2021, with remaining forces to engage only in a training, advisory and intelligence-sharing capacity.

• 
  Last update: 12:29 GMT 27.07.2021

  12:29 GMT 27.07.2021

  Asia & Pacific

  UK Warship Reportedly Enters South China Sea As Part of Carrier Strike Group Despite China's Warning

  In mid-July Britain’s carrier strike group led by HMS Queen Elizabeth entered the Indian Ocean for joint exercises with the Indian Navy while on route to the South China Sea for ‘freedom of navigation” operations, with Beijing warning London that it would take measures to "safeguard its sovereignty and security" in the contested area.

• 
  Last update: 13:31 GMT 27.07.2021

  13:31 GMT 27.07.2021

  US

  How Critical Race Theory May Cost Democrats Left-Leaning & Independent Votes in 2022 Midterms

  Not only conservatives but also Democrat-leaning and moderate parents are sounding the alarm over critical race theory (CRT) studies at schools, Politico found, having interviewed school board members, political operatives and activists in six US states. How could this pan out for the Dems during the 2022 midterms?

• 
  Last update: 13:27 GMT 27.07.2021

  13:27 GMT 27.07.2021

  Middle East

  Over 200 State Institutions in Tehran Disconnected From Power Grid, Reports Suggest

  MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A total of 210 state institutions in the Iranian capital of Tehran have been disconnected from the city's power grid because of their non-compliance with electricity consumption regulations, Iran's state-run ISNA news agency reported on 27 July.

• 
  Last update: 11:23 GMT 27.07.2021

  11:23 GMT 27.07.2021

  World

  #JusticeForNoor: Pakistanis Protest Against 'Beheading' of Former Diplomat's Daughter

  The recent atrocities have revived concerns that Prime Minister Imran Khan's government and society seem incapable of keeping women safe in Pakistan.

• 
  Last update: 11:28 GMT 27.07.2021

  11:28 GMT 27.07.2021

  Asia & Pacific

  As President Duterte Heads For Exit, Bongbong and Pacman Set to Challenge His Daughter in 2022 Poll

  Rodrigo Duterte, a political maverick whose image has echoes of Donald Trump, was elected President of the Philippines in May 2016. But under the country’s constitution he cannot stand for re-election next year.

• 
  Last update: 10:51 GMT 27.07.2021

  10:51 GMT 27.07.2021

  Military & Intelligence

  US Experts Claim ‘Significant Expansion of Chinese Nuclear Arsenal’ On Reports of Silo Construction

  Commercial satellite images obtained by researchers at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in early July prompted US experts to suggest China had begun constructing over 100 new silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles near the city of Yumen as part of a “building spree” to expand Beijing’s nuclear capabilities.

• 
  Last update: 16:34 GMT 27.07.2021

  16:34 GMT 27.07.2021

  Tech

  Ancient Rock Discovery Reveals Unexpected Truth About Zealandia's Parent Supercontinent

  Zealandia, a piece of submerged land near Australia, has only recently been upgraded to a continent. This denomination is disputed due to the territory’s visible lack of a craton, an old and stable slab of continental lithosphere – but the new discovery may have partly solved this dilemma.