Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, met on Wednesday with the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, where they discussed bilateral cooperation and strategic coordination between the two countries regarding regional and international issues, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The meeting between both ministers took place on the sidelines of their participation in the ministerial meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Baku from July 56, 2023.

The two ministers discussed the latest developments in the security situation in the region and efforts to combat terrorism.

Hussein stressed the importance of coordination between Baghdad and Ankara regarding issues of common concern, as well as the need to ease tension in the region and strengthen security and stability.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister indicated that Iraq is preparing for the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in its third edition, which will be held soon in Baghdad.

The Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership is expected to address issues related to Iraqs neighboring countries and provide solutions aiming to maintain regional and international peace and security.

Both sides also talked about the issue of the Al-Hol refugee camp in Syria, the deportation of refugees, and the challenges related to this issue.

The post Iraq and Turkey discuss regional security, combating terrorism appeared first on Iraqi News.

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Security Media Cell (ISMC) mentioned in a statement on Thursday that Iraqi warplanes launched an air strike targeting ISIS terrorists in Diyala governorate, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

The air raid was carried out based on accurate intelligence information, according to the ISMC.

The statement elaborated that the Iraqi security forces, in cooperation with other Iraqi security agencies, continue to clamp down on remnants of ISIS terrorists.

The statement also indicated that the Iraqi National Security Agency provided the Iraqi Air Force with accurate information about an important target, pointing out that the operation was carried out under the supervision of the Joint Operations Command.

Following the air strike that was carried out by Iraqi F-16 fighter jets, security forces searched the targeted site and found two dead bodies, a handgun and a hand grenade.

Iraq announced in late 2017 the liberation of all its territories from the grip of ISIS, but the authorities are constantly launching security operations to pursue remnants of the terrorist group that carry out attacks from time to time in the country.

The post Iraqi fighter jets destroy ISIS hideout in northeastern Iraq appeared first on Iraqi News.

Tamassit Sporting a white cap and apron, Rachid Ibersiene bustles around vats at his dairy in Algerias Atlas Mountains where he has brought the tradition of artisanal cheesemaking back from Switzerland.

We started with a butane gas bottle and stove, the cheesemonger said, alluding to the growth of his factory since it opened.

In a matter of 15 years, Ibersienes Tamgout cheese a blend of the Swiss Gruyere and Dutch Gouda styles has become a source of honour for the north African country.

Both Algerians and foreigners have taken a keen interest in the product, which has a unique taste as it draws on age-old European traditions but is made from Algerian milk.

We were inspired by Vacherin Fribourgeois, adapting the entire tradition to Algerian milk, which is different from Swiss milk, Ibersiene said, referring to a semi-hard Swiss cheese.

Algerian milk is less uniform and somewhat more organic because the farms are smaller and more diversified. In Switzerland, you dont find farmers with only two or three dairy cows.

Our cheese has a more nuanced taste, the 57-year-old added, describing it as typically Algerian.

Born to a working-class family in Algiers, Ibersiene studied petroleum engineering but struggled to find a job.

After moving to Italy, he tried his luck at filmmaking before relocating again to Switzerland, where he spent 16 years working as a computer consultant.

Thats where the idea of the cheese factory came from, he recalled.

To relax on weekends, I would go up to the mountain chalets in Gruyere where many cheesemakers are located.

Source of pride

In 2003, he moved to the area to learn the basics of Swiss cheese production.

Three years later, he returned home to set up his own dairy factory in Tamassit at the foot of Mount Tamgout from which his cheese takes its name.

Unable to secure financial backing, Ibersiene used his life savings to fund the project, which required 10 million dinars (over $73,000) in equipment.

Aided by five employees, Ibersiene spends his days inspecting the cellars where the wheels of cheese, which need to be regularly rubbed and turned, are stored.

The maturation period of Tamgout varies from one month to two years, depending on the taste of the customers, he said.

Our cheese is made from raw cows milk, without any food additives. It is untreated. We use natural lactic ferments.

He receives deliveries of up to 1,000 litres (265 gallons) of cows milk that produce nearly 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of cheese daily.

The factory began turning a profit in 2018.

Initially, Tamgout cheese featuring the slogan a Swiss idea, an Algerian c...

Colombo A Sri Lankan jail witnessed a rare moment of accord last year when both prisoners and guards clamoured to greet its newest inmate: the man who toppled the island nations president.

Student leader Wasantha Mudalige remains lionised by many for channelling public anger at an unprecedented economic crisis into a movement that shook the foundations of Sri Lankas political system.

At the height of last summers unrest, he helped spearhead a siege of government buildings in Colombo that saw once-loved premier Gotabaya Rajapaksa chased into a humiliating exile.

The 29-year-old, whose cherubic face belies his history of fierce confrontations with riot police, spent months behind bars on terror charges for his efforts.

We had a very warm welcome, Mudalige told AFP outside a court appearance in June, while recounting his arrival at jail alongside two confederates.

Even the prison guards were very supportive. They saw us as the heroes who got rid of Gota.

Mudalige said his incarceration was a necessary sacrifice in the unfinished battle to reform Sri Lankas political system.

Now free on bail, he said lingering economic woes have left Sri Lanka bristling with discontent, frustrated with its new president and ready for another revolt.

Although we got rid of Gota, we have not been able to win the system change that we demanded, Mudalige said.

We dont think the government can go on for long, he added. When you analyse the situation, there is no way the government can continue.

They had no alternative

As head of the Inter-University Students Federation (IUSF) at the time, Mudalige stood at the forefront of last years street protests.

Alongside him was a broad coalition of saffron-robed Buddhist monks, minority activists and ordinary citizens outraged by government corruption and mismanagement of the islands worsening economic tailspin.

They had no alternative but to take to the streets because they had no fuel, no food, no electricity people were dying in petrol queues, Mudalige said.

In July the IUSF and its allies laid siege to the Presidential Palace in Colombo. 

Rajapaksa, once lauded by the islands Sinhalese majority for helping crush a decades-long Tamil separatist insurgency, was forced to evacuate the residence through a secret backdoor and temporarily fled the country.

Protesters streamed through the compound, gaping at its opulent furnishings and frolicked in its pool in the revelry that followed.

Rajapaksas successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, quickly sought to restore order by directing police to arrest the movements leaders.

Mudalige was caught in the dragnet the following month whe...

Shanghai Electric car giant Tesla is set to realise fully autonomous vehicles later this year, CEO Elon Musk said Thursday, in the billionaires latest forecast for the long-anticipated milestone.

In terms of where Tesla is at this stage, I think we are very close to achieving full self-driving without human supervision, Musk said via video link at the opening ceremony of an artificial intelligence conference in Shanghai.

This is only speculation, but I think well achieve full self-driving, maybe what you would call four or five, I think later this year, the billionaire added, referring to two of the most advanced levels of autonomous driving technology.

The mercurial entrepreneur and Twitter owner admitted that he had been wrong in previous predictions on this timeline, but added: I feel like were closer to it than we ever have been.

Musk has missed his own deadlines for a fully autonomous vehicle and Teslas driver-assistance technology has provoked regulatory probes in the United States.

China is the worlds biggest electric vehicle market and Tesla announced in April it would build a second massive factory in Shanghai.

His appearance at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai marks his latest effort to maintain close links to China, following a visit to the country in May.

Electric vehicles make up a quarter of car sales in China, the worlds largest car market, and dozens of new models from domestic and Western brands were unveiled in April at the countrys first auto show since Covid restrictions were lifted.

Tesla reported a drop in first-quarter earnings this year, with the company undertaking a series of price cuts in the face of competition from other automakers.

The post Musk predicts Tesla self-driving cars later this year appeared first on Iraqi News.

Hong Kong Markets fell again in most of Asia on Thursday as traders resigned themselves to more US interest rate hikes after minutes from the Federal Reserves June meeting showed officials felt more needed to be done to rein in inflation.

The notes added to worries about the global economic outlook after another round of depressed data out of China highlighted the tough work facing authorities as they try to kickstart growth after years of zero-Covid-induced pain.

Traders are also awaiting the release of key US jobs data over the next two days as well as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellens four-day visit to Beijing that aims to stabilise tense relations between the superpowers.

The Fed minutes showed policymakers were split on the decision to stand pat last month after 10 straight increases, surprising some commentators and dealing a blow to hopes the bank was nearing the end of its tightening cycle.

Some participants indicated that they favoured raising the target range for the federal funds rate 25 basis points at this meeting or that they could have supported such a proposal, they read. 

Those backing an increase cited a tight jobs market, stronger-than-expected economic activity and few signs that inflation was on the path to their two percent target. 

In the end, however, all 11 voting members on the policy committee supported the pause, though the minutes said almost all agreed more tightening will likely be needed this year.

It was a little surprising given that the decision was sold as unanimous from Fed officials, said Lindsey Piegza, of Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

Its pretty clear that there was a divergence of opinions, with some officials pretty clearly giving some reluctance for a one-month pause.

And National Australia Banks Rodrigo Catril added: It seems that the hawks were persuaded to toe the line in exchange for the prospects of further tightening later in the year.

The minutes also show that this bias for further hikes is fuelled by an overriding concern over elevated price pressures and a tight labour market.

Others warned that a cut in borrowing costs, which had been keeping investor sentiment buoyed earlier in the year, was a long way off and officials would likely keep rates elevated for some time.

While growth remains healthy for now, the prospect of even more rate hikes has stoked worries that the Fed could tip the economy into recession, weighing on risk sentiment.

All three main indexes on Wall Street ended in the red as investors returned from the Independence Day holiday.

And Asia followed suit, extending losses from the previous day.

Hong Kong and Tokyo led the selling, with Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei and Manila also down. However, Shanghai, Wellington and Jakarta eked out gains.

Traders are now k...

Jerusalem Military group Kataib Hezbollah is holding an Israeli-Russian scholar who had been missing in Iraq for months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed.

Elizabeth Tsurkov is still alive and we hold Iraq responsible for her safety and well-being, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office.

According to the statement, Tsurkov had traveled to Iraq on her Russian passport at her own initiative pursuant to work on her doctorate and academic research on behalf of Princeton University in the US.

She had arrived in Baghdad at the beginning of December 2022, an anonymous Western diplomat stationed in Iraq told the AFP.

The Iraqi intelligence source claimed that Tsurkov was kidnapped while she was exiting a cafe in the Karrada district of the Iraqi capital.

The same source also provided AFP with a surveillance camera footage from inside the caf showing a young woman leaving with a male.

The post Israeli-Russian woman missing in Iraq appeared first on Iraqi News.

Washington US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is due to arrive in Beijing on Thursday, kicking off a high-level visit aimed at improving communication and stabilizing the tense relationship between the worlds top two economies.

Yellens trip through Sunday will be her first to China as treasury secretary, and comes just weeks after Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a rare visit to the country.

While Yellen had previously expressed her intent to visit China, these plans were cast in doubt as tensions surged earlier this year after the United States said it detected a Chinese spy balloon and shot it down.

The latest travel plans will see her seek to expand lines of correspondence, avoid miscommunications and widen collaboration on issues like the global economy, climate change and debt distress, according to a Treasury official.

On such a trip which comes amid concerns over Chinas economic recovery and US interest rate hikes officials on both sides generally have a chance to speak about their countries growth outlooks as well.

The fact that shes spending four days in Beijing, given all of her other domestic and international pressures, underscores the importance she is attaching to this visit, Asia Society Policy Institute vice president Wendy Cutler told AFP.

While each side will have a long list of complaints to raise with the other, with little flexibility to adjust their policies, the visit could allow Yellen to lay groundwork for future collaboration, Cutler added.

Reframing relations

Yellens trip continues an effort by the United States to reframe US-China ties diplomatically and in other areas, said Lindsay Gorman, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Its about managing the new realm of strategic competition, she said, noting that Yellen has pointed to competition only so far as it implicates security and values like human rights.

The message-bearing could be the most important and most tangible piece of a potential Yellen trip, Gorman told AFP.

With technology export controls and competitive measures dominating the economic policy agenda now, I think theres a real role to explain and communicate what the purpose of these measures really is, she said.

Underscoring the challenges Yellen will face, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US administration is mulling restricting Chinese companies access to US cloud-computing services provided by companies like Amazon and Microsoft. 

Ahead of the trip, Beijing appears to have adopted reciprocal actions such as new export controls on metals key to semiconductor manufacturing, underscoring that a shift in relations could take time.

But Yellen may be best positioned to build bridges with China on shared global...

Miami Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has had surgery on his left knee, the team confirmed Wednesday, leaving the basketball stars participation for Greece in Augusts FIBA World Cup in doubt.

He had a routine surgery on his left knee, and it went great, Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin said on Wednesday.

Everything went as planned, and we expect him back ready to go in training camp, he added.

The Bucks are expected to begin their camp in early- to mid-September with the World Cup starting on August 25 and running until September 10.

The Athletic cited a league source as saying that Antetokounmpos availability for Greece is in question after what it described as surgery to clean up loose cartilage in his left knee.

The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player suffered a back injury during game one of the Buckss first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat and did not return until game four. The Bucks, the number one seed in the East, were upset in five by Miami in the best-of-seven series.

The World Cup will be held in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

Greece has been drawn in group C with the United States, New Zealand and Jordan.

Losing Antetokounmpo would be a huge blow to Greeces hopes in the tournament.

He was top scorer in last years EuroBasket tournament, averaging 29.3 points although his team went out in the round-of-16 to the Czech Republic.

Antetokounmpo was part of the Greece team at the 2019 World Cup which failed to get out of the group stage.

The 28-year-olds older brother and Bucks team-mate Thanasis, is also part of the Greece squad along with his younger brother Kostas, who plays for Greek club Panathinaikos.

The post Giannis undergoes surgery, FIBA World Cup in doubt appeared first on Iraqi News.

Washington Facebook behemoth Meta officially will launch Threads, its text-based rival to Twitter, on Wednesday but its release in Europe has been delayed over regulatory concerns.

Threads will be the biggest rival yet to Elon Musk-owned Twitter, which has seen a series of potential competitors emerge but not yet replace one of social medias most iconic companies, despite its epic struggles.

A holding web page said the launch of Mark Zuckerbergs Threads was advanced to 7:00 pm Eastern time (2300 GMT) after it was initailly planned for 1400 GMT on Thursday.

The app will be introduced as a spin-off of Instagram, giving it a built-in audience of more than two billion users and thus sparing it the challenge of starting from scratch.

Its as simple as that: if an Instagram user with a large number of followers such as Kardashian or a Bieber or a Messi begins posting on Threads regularly, a new platform could quickly thrive, strategic financial analyst Brian Wieser said on Substack.

Zuckerberg is widely understood to be taking advantage of Musks chaotic ownership of Twitter to push out the new product, which the company hopes will become the new communication channel for celebrities, companies and politicians.

The two men are known to be bitter rivals and have even offered to meet each other in a fighting cage to wrestle it out.

This came after a Meta executive reportedly told employees that Threads would be like Twitter, but sanely run.

Under Musk, Twitter has seen content moderation reduced to a minimum with glitches and rash decisions tarnishing the sites reputation with celebrities and major advertisers, many of whom have fled.

Musk hired advertising executive Linda Yaccarino to steady the ship, but she has not been spared his whimsy.

The Tesla tycoon said last week that he was cutting access to Twitter in what he called an temporary measure to ward off AI companies from scraping the site to train their technology.

Musk then angered Twitters most devoted aficionados by declaring that access to its TweetDeck product which allows users to view a fast flow of tweets at once would be for paying customers only.

Quality, not quantity

Threads owner Meta has its legion of critics too, especially in Europe, and despite Instagrams massive user base, they could slow the sites development.

The company formerly known as Facebook is criticized mainly for its handling of personal data its quintessential bloodline for targeted ads that help it rake in billions of dollars every quarter in profits.

According to a source close to the matter, regulatory concerns will delay the launch of Threads in the European Union, where Meta will be subject to a new law called the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which se...

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, met on Tuesday with the British Secretary of State for Defense, Ben Wallace, where they discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries on the security and military levels, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The statement mentioned that both sides discussed capacity building in British military academies and colleges to enhance the capabilities of Iraqi military institutions.

The meeting also addressed Iraqs efforts to promote regional stability and the continued British support for Iraqs efforts at the security level.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister is on a visit to London after receiving an official invitation from the British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, James Cleverly.

Hussein also met with the British Deputy National Security Adviser for International Affairs, Sarah MacIntosh, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Both officials held a meeting to talk about the latest developments in the region, organized crime, and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The post Iraqi FM discusses security, military cooperation with Britain appeared first on Iraqi News.

Beijing Fifteen people are dead and four are missing after torrential rain lashed the Chinese metropolis of Chongqing, local officials and state media said Wednesday.

The latest round of torrential rains since Monday had killed 15 people and left four others missing in southwest Chinas Chongqing Municipality as of 7 am Wednesday, state news agency Xinhua said, citing local authorities, who confirmed the toll to AFP.

The heavy rains, mainly seen in the areas along the Yangtze River, have triggered floods and geological disasters, disrupting the lives of more than 130,000 people in 19 districts and counties, Xinhua added.

The confirmation of casualties comes after officials on Tuesday put in place an alert for rain-triggered disasters across large swathes of central and southwestern China.

And President Xi Jinping ordered that authorities at all levels must give top priority to ensuring peoples safety and property, Xinhua said Wednesday.

Xi underlined that leading officials at all levels must take the lead in fighting the floods, put the peoples safety and property first, and strive to minimise all kinds of losses, the agency added.

In a sign of how extensive the damage is, workers on Tuesday discovered that a closed-off railway bridge on the outskirts of Chongqing had collapsed after it was damaged by the impact of mountain torrents, state broadcaster CCTV said.

In neighbouring Sichuan province, authorities said more than 460,000 had been affected by the heavy rain this month, Xinhua reported.

About 85,000 people have been evacuated from their homes as a result of the rain, officials said, with flash floods in mountainous areas and possible mudslides in some parts of the country expected this week.

Scientists say that rising global temperatures caused largely by burning fossil fuels increase the likelihood of extreme weather events such as the flash floods and heatwaves experienced in many Asian countries in recent weeks.

The floods coincided with record heatwaves in other parts of China, with the countrys National Meteorological Center warning residents in the capital Beijing and a dozen other regions to stay indoors with temperatures topping 35 degrees Celsius.

China recorded an average of 4.1 days in which temperatures exceeded 35 degrees every month in the first half of this year, the highest since national records began in 1961, according to a National Meteorological Center statement on Sunday.

In June, Beijing sweltered through a total of 14 days of temperatures exceeding 35 degrees, matching the record set in July 2000, according to the state-run Beijing Evening News.

This weeks torrential rains in Chongqing represent one of the deadliest natural disasters to occur in China so far this year....

Manila The Philippine Coast Guard on Wednesday accused Chinese patrol vessels of blocking two of its boats in the disputed South China Sea, describing their actions as very dangerous. 

China claims almost the entire sea despite rival claims from other Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Its coast guard and navy vessels routinely block or shadow Philippine ships patrolling the contested waters, Manila says.

The Philippine Coast Guard said the latest incident happened on June 30 during a regular operation to re-supply marines stationed in a run-down navy ship grounded at the Second Thomas Shoal to assert Manilas territorial claim in the waters.

As they neared the shoal, the two Philippine coast guard boats assigned as escorts for the navy mission were approached by two Chinese coast guard vessels. 

One of the Chinese boats came within about 100 yards (90 metres) of the BRP Malabrigos bow, forcing its commanding officer to slow down to avoid a collision, Commodore Jay Tarriela told reporters.

They dangerously conducted different manoeuvres, even crossing the bow of the Philippine Coast Guard vessels and that kind of distance is very dangerous because thats already prone to collision, said Tarriela, the coast guard spokesman for the West Philippine Sea.

Manila refers to waters immediately to its west as the West Philippine Sea.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A similar incident happened in April when a Chinese coast guard ship cut off the Philippine patrol vessel Malapascua as it carried journalists near the Second Thomas Shoal.

An AFP team was on another coast guard vessel and witnessed the near collision.

In that incident, the Malapascuas commanding officer Rodel Hernandez said the Chinese ship came within 45 metres of his boat and only his quick actions avoided the steel-hulled vessels crashing into each other.

The post Philippine Coast Guard accuses Chinese boats of dangerous manoeuvres appeared first on Iraqi News.

Iwaki The head of the UNs nuclear watchdog met with Fukushima residents and representatives Wednesday, seeking to reassure them about the planned release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

The planned, decades-long discharge of accumulated water from the devastated nuclear facility has been approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as meeting global standards.

Its chief Rafael Grossi, at a meeting in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, acknowledged however that concerns remains.

All these complex graphs and statistics are one thing but the reality, the reality of people, the reality of the economy, the reality of the social mood and perceptions may be different, he told a meeting of local residents and officials.

Some 1.33 million cubic metres of groundwater, rainwater and water used for cooling has accumulated at the Fukushima site, which is being decommissioned after several reactors went into meltdown following the 2011 tsunami which badly damaged the plant.

Plant operator TEPCO treats the water through its ALPS processing system to remove almost all radioactive elements except tritium, and plans to dilute it before discharging it into the ocean over several decades.

The plan is opposed by some regional neighbours, with Beijing vocally condemning the plan, as well as some in Fukushima, particularly fishing communities who fear customers will shun their catches.

Grossi said the IAEA was not involved in the process to give cover to decorate something that is bad.

When it comes to this activity here, what is happening is not some exception, some strange plan that has been devised only to be applied here and sold to you, he added.

This is, as certified by the IAEA, the general practice that is agreed by and observed by many, many places, all over the world.

Still, there is palpable anger among some local residents who fear the reputational damage of the release.

Tetsu Nozaki, chairman of the Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations, argued Japans government was misrepresenting local sentiment, which he said remained strongly opposed to the plan.

We fishery operators are left with no choice but to react emotionally and harden our attitude, he told Grossi.

I beg you to realise that this project of the release of ALPS-processed water is moving ahead in the face of opposition.

Grossi said he had no magic wand that could assuage concerns but pointed out the IAEA will set up a permanent office to review the release over decades.

We are going to stay here with you for decades to come, until the last drop of the water which is accumulated around the reactor has been safely discharged, he said.

Grossi is due to visit the Fukushima plant l...

Los Angeles Spaniard Riqui Puig grabbed a 73rd-minute winner as the Los Angeles Galaxy beat Los Angeles FC 2-1 at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday in front of an MLS-record 82,110 spectators.

The July 4th Independence Day crowd beat the previous league record of 74,479 set by Charlotte in their debut in MLS last year, also featuring the Galaxy.

The Galaxy moved the game, from their own 27,000-capacity Dignity Health Sports Park, in a bid to set the record at the Rose Bowl, the venue for the 1994 World Cup final.

The Galaxy have had a dire season and sit next to bottom of the Western Conference, but they looked fired up for the latest edition of El Trafico.

The record five-times MLS Cup winners, took the lead in the 26th minute when Tyler Boyd cut in from the left and unleashed an unstoppable, curling drive into the far corner.

LAFC, the defending MLS champions, drew level in the 57th minute when Timothy Tillman whipped in a dangerous near-post corner and Ilie Sanchez glanced in a perfectly angled header.

But the Galaxy were in determined mood and another superbly worked goal earned them the three points Brazilian Douglas Costa swung the ball out left to Boyd who broke down the flank and put in a low cross which Puig, who had run half the field, slid into the net.

There were late chances to level for LAFC but Denis Bouanga could not keep a close-range header down and then saw a fierce shot well-parried by Galaxy keeper Jonathan Klinsmann.

Inter Miami, who ended a seven-game losing streak with a draw against Austin on Saturday, earned another point thanks to a late equalizer from Venezuelan Josef Martinez.

Lionel Messis future club fell behind against the Columbus Crew to a Darlington Nagbe volley in the 23rd minute but fought back after the break with a header from Ecuadorian Leonardo Campana.

Christian Ramirez slid in at the back post to restore the Crews lead in the 69th minute but Miami were able to avoid a 14th defeat of the season thanks to an acrobatic volley from Martinez in the last minute.

Wayne Rooneys DC United enjoyed a 1-0 win at FC Dallas courtesy of a 73rd-minute strike from Greek forward Taxiarchis Fountas.

Orlando City crushed troubled Toronto 4-0 with the Canadian sides Italian winger Federico Bernardeschi sent off for an off-the-ball incident.

The post Galaxy defeat LAFC in front of MLS record 82,000 crowd appeared first on Iraqi News.

Hong Kong Asian markets sank Wednesday as another round of data showed Chinas economy continued to struggle in June, with little hope that the countrys leaders can unveil the blockbuster stimulus needed to kickstart growth.

With the Independence Day holiday keeping Wall Street closed, investors had few other catalysts to drive business, with the rally from last weeks US inflation data already running out of steam.

Focus now turns to the release of minutes from the Federal Reserves June policy meeting, which should provide an insight into officials thinking when they decided to pause interest rates for the first time after 10 straight hikes.

That will be followed Friday by closely watched jobs creation data, a key guide to the state of the worlds top economy.

While the Fed and other central banks battle against sticky inflation has been the overriding issue for investors this year, Beijings struggle to get growth back on track has also been a major cause of angst on trading floors.

A string of indicators in recent months has shown that policymakers have a lot of work to do to get the worlds number two economy and key driver of global GDP back up to speed.

The initial burst of activity seen after the lifting of the countrys zero-Covid policy at the end of 2022 has given way to torpidity, but apart from the odd pledge of action and some small interest rate cuts, authorities have done little to address the problem.

In the latest sign of trouble, the Caixin private survey of the services sector showed activity slowed sharply in June and at a much faster pace than feared.

That came after an official reading also pointed to weakness in the sector and added to a run of soft data on trade and consumer activity, among other things.

However, analysts said that while Beijing has said it plans to provide much-needed support, the scope will be limited owing to huge debt levels in the country, meaning the bazookas deployed in the past cannot be used this time.

Asian markets fell in early trade, with Hong Kong off more than one percent.

Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Wellington and Manila were also in the red.

Meanwhile, China-US relations remain an issue, and Xi Jinpings government this week added to their tech standoff by imposing export controls on key metals used in making microchips.

Officials said Mondays measure placed on shipments of gallium and germanium was to protect national security.

A day after that move, Xi urged countries to avoid decoupling and severing supply chains.

But SPI asset Managements Stephen Innes said: Although largely unheard of in our day-to-day lives, China is easily the worlds dominant producer of both, and the restriction pushes the global economy one step closer to high-tech decoupling.

Washington A US federal court on Tuesday restricted some top officials and agencies of President Joe Bidens administration from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, a ruling that could curtail government efforts to fight online falsehoods.

The injunction was in response to a lawsuit brought by the Republican attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri, who alleged that government officials went too far in their efforts to get platforms to combat vaccine and election misinformation.

The ruling by a federal court in Louisiana marks a win for conservative advocates in the United States who allege that the government has pressured or colluded with social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to censor right-leaning content under the guise of fighting misinformation.

The order applies to a slew of top law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Department, Justice Department as well as health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It also applies to several prominent officials such as White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

The decision restricts agencies and officials from meeting with social media companies or flagging posts for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry hailed the historic injunction that he said will prevent the Biden administration from censoring the core political speech of ordinary Americans on social media.

In a statement, he accused senior federal officials of seeking to dictate what Americans can and cannot say on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms about COVID-19, elections, criticism of the government, and more.

Suppressing speech

The order could seriously limit top government agencies from notifying the platforms about false or hateful content that can lead to harmful consequences.

But the ruling said that the government could still inform them about posts involving criminal activity, national security threats and foreign attempts to influence elections.

A White House official said the Justice Department was reviewing the courts injunction and will evaluate its options.

This administration has promoted responsible actions to protect public health, safety, and security when confronted by challenges like a deadly pandemic and foreign attacks on our elections, the official said.

Our consistent view remains that social media platforms have a critical responsibility to take account of...

London Mason Mount confirmed on Tuesday that he will leave Chelsea this summer, with media reports saying Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign the England midfielder.

The 24-year-old came through the Chelsea youth system and scored 27 goals in 129 Premier League appearances for the club since making his senior debut in 2019.

Man United have reportedly agreed a 55 million ($70 million) transfer for Mount.

Given the speculation over the last six months this may not come as a surprise to you, but it doesnt make it any easier to tell you that Ive made the decision to leave Chelsea, Mount said in a farewell message to Chelsea fans on Instagram.

I feel you deserve more than just a written statement, so I wanted to tell you directly how grateful Ive been for all of your support over the last 18 years.

I know some of you wont be happy with my decision, but its whats right for me at this moment in my career.

I joined Chelsea when I was six years old and weve been through a lot together.

Mount won the 2021 Champions League title with Chelsea, setting up Kai Havertzs winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the final.

He has scored five times in 36 appearances for England.

But Mount struggled for form and fitness in a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, netting just three times in 35 matches in all competitions.

Completing a deal for Mount would bolster the options for United boss Erik ten Hag in midfield.

Chelsea, under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, are seeking to reduce their bloated squad after a huge spending spree over the past year.

The west London club have sold goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and defender Kalidou Koulibaly to the Saudi Pro League and midfielder Mateo Kovacic has left to join Premier League champions Manchester City.

Midfielder NGolo Kante also left Stamford Bridge for Saudi champions Al Ittihad on a free transfer.

The post Mount confirms Chelsea departure after Man United reports appeared first on Iraqi News.

Sfax Youths in Tunisia called for vengeance on Tuesday at the funeral of a man stabbed to death during a scuffle between residents and migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.

Three African migrants were arrested as suspects in the stabbing death of the local man in Tunisias coastal city of Sfax, a court spokesman said.

The North African countrys second-largest city is a departure point for many migrants hoping to reach Italy, and tensions have been rising in Sfax for months.

Police had fired tear gas on Sunday to disperse residents and migrants throwing stones at each other.

Faouzi Masmoudi, spokesman for the Sfax prosecutor, said the victim, aged in his early 40s, was fatally stabbed late Monday during a scuffle between Sfax residents and migrants.

He said three suspects, from Cameroon according to initial information, had been arrested.

Locals in Sfax regularly protest against the presence of the migrants and call for them to leave.

News of the mans death spread quickly after Tarek Mahdi, a member of parliament for Sfax, posted a video on social media showing a body lying in the street and a trail of blood.

Reaction to the post, some with racist overtones, included calls for African migrants to be expelled from Sfax.

We are going to avenge his death! a group of young people chanted at the victims funeral on Tuesday, according to video footage published by a group which campaigns against illegal immigration in Sfax.

Clashes between migrants and residents were reported in several districts of the city on Tuesday.

Security boosted

The interior ministry said the police and security presence in Sfax was bolstered after Mondays killing.

Racial tensions in Tunisia have led to deadly violence before. In late May, police arrested three citizens on suspicion of stabbing to death a migrant from Benin.

Tunisia has seen a rise in racially motivated attacks on migrants and foreign students following President Kais Saieds comments in February accusing hordes of illegal migrants of bringing violence, crime and unacceptable practices. 

He also spoke of a criminal plot to change the countrys demographic make-up.

On Tuesday, Saied visited the interior ministry in the capital.

A presidency statement said he reiterated that Tunisia does not accept that anyone who does not respect its laws stays on its territory, or uses it as a transit country or to resettle nationals of certain African countries.

With a population of 12 million, Tunisia hosts an estimated 21,000 migrants from other parts of Africa, representing 0.2 percent of the population.

While some migrants come to Tunisia to study, many use the country as a springboard for attempts to reach Europe by sea, usually to the Italian island of Lam...

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, discussed on Tuesday developing the infrastructure of communication networks in Iraq with representatives from British Telecom, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The statement elaborated that Husseins meeting in London with British Telecom included representatives from the British Department for Business and Trade.

Hussein stressed the importance of communication between ministries and encouraged private companies such as British Telecom to work in Iraq to provide the necessary support effectively.

The two sides expressed their commitment to continuous cooperation, with a focus on developing innovative solutions and exchanging technical expertise.

Both sides also stressed the importance of this partnership to create a connected digital society and a prosperous economy in Iraq, according to the statement.

Representatives of British Telecom expressed their gratitude for the opportunity given to them to present their proposals to enhance cooperation between the two countries in terms of communications and information technology.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister is on a visit to London after receiving an official invitation from the British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, James Cleverly.

The post British Telecom offers to develop communication networks in Iraq appeared first on Iraqi News.