Top Stories

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  Last update: 05:04 GMT 18.05.2021

  05:04 GMT 18.05.2021

  Europe

  Swedish Police Gearing Up for 'Everybody Draw Muhammad Day' by Quran-Burning Politician

  Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan rose to fame and notoriety across Scandinavia through provocative demonstrations against Islam in ethnic ghettos that often include torching, tearing up, or otherwise defacing the Quran and are known to have sparked protests. Paludan himself sees it as an exercise in free speech.

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  Last update: 07:03 GMT 18.05.2021

  07:03 GMT 18.05.2021

  Middle East

  Third of Israelis Have No Access to Bomb Shelters, Living in Fear of Rocket Launches

  Israel invests billions of dollars in security, but the construction of bomb shelters doesn't appear to be on top of the country's agenda, and reports suggest that a third of the Jewish state's population lacks basic protection from missiles emanating from Gaza or Hezbollah in the north.

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  Last update: 05:11 GMT 18.05.2021

  05:11 GMT 18.05.2021

  Latin America

  Two Dead, Over Ten Injured Amid Clashes Between Demonstrators and Police in Colombia

  BOGOTA (Sputnik) - At least two people died and more than 10 were injured in the latest clashes with law enforcement in Colombia’s western municipality of Yumbo, where strikes and demonstrations have been ongoing since last month, a local journalist told Sputnik.

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  Last update: 07:26 GMT 18.05.2021

  07:26 GMT 18.05.2021

  Environment

  Greenland's Ice Sheet Teetering on the Edge, Study Warns

  The worst-case scenario envisaged by models could lead to a global sea level rise of more than seven metres, as well as collapse of the Atlantic circulation system, currently responsible for the relative warmth in Europe and North America.

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  Last update: 06:51 GMT 18.05.2021

  06:51 GMT 18.05.2021

  India

  Indian Navy Deploys Submarine, Helicopters, & Warships After Cyclone Sinks Barge in Arabian Sea

  Around 30 kilometres into the Arabian Sea from the Mumbai coastline, barges are deployed for off-shore drilling purposes. On 17 May, when cyclone Taukte touched parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra, three barges and a drilling ship went adrift in the Arabian Sea, putting lives at risk.

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  Last update: 06:41 GMT 18.05.2021

  06:41 GMT 18.05.2021

  Europe

  Church of Sweden Claims to Be Trans, Slams 'Exclusionary Feminism'

  A recent open letter by Europe's largest Lutheran denomination has sparked polarising reactions, ranging from admiration to accusations of going "woke".

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  Last update: 03:25 GMT 18.05.2021

  03:25 GMT 18.05.2021

  Society

  Melinda Gates May Reportedly Aim to Change Her Children's Inheritance in Wake of Divorce

  Microsoft founder and tech mogul Bill Gates earlier pledged that his three kids would only inherit $10 million each, while the rest of his vast wealth would be donated to charity. He noted that even though some may disagree with his stance, he and Melinda "feel good about it."

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  Last update: 04:34 GMT 18.05.2021

  04:34 GMT 18.05.2021

  World

  Live Updates: India Registers Record COVID-19 Death Toll of 4,329

  So far, over 163 million coronavirus infections have been confirmed worldwide, with the global death toll from the pandemic surpassing 3.3 million, according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.