Iraq PM visits pro-democracy activist after abduction, assault

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Sunday visited a pro-democracy activist in a Baghdad hospital two days after the campaigner, critical of pro-Iran armed factions operating in the country, had been abducted and assaulted. Ali al-Mikdam, a young Iraqi journalist, activist and researcher, had disappeared on Friday, sparking widespread concern from his friends and supporters,…

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Pope Francis makes first appearance since intestinal surgery

Pope Francis has made his first public appearance since major intestinal surgery last week, greeting well-wishers as he stood for 10 minutes on a hospital balcony, offering hearty thanks for the prayers for his recovery and calling healthcare for all a “precious” good. Francis, 84, has been steadily on the mend, according to the Vatican,…

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China says it will retaliate after US blacklists companies

China has said it will take “necessary measures” to respond to the blacklisting of Chinese companies by the United States over their alleged role in abuses of Uighur people and other Muslim ethnic minorities. The Commerce Ministry said the US move constituted an “unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises and a serious breach of international economic…

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