Ukraine fires 400 drones at Moscow
Kyiv, July 20: Ukraine fired over 400 drones at Moscow in its latest major attack on the Russian capital, the city’s mayor said. The blitz came hours after Russia bombarded Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles in a relentless cycle that make a settlement to end Moscow’s more than 4-year-old all-out invasion appear a distant possibility. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said he would hold “key talks” on Monday as he tries to defuse a domestic political crisis, after last week’s government reshuffle exposed a deep split between the military’s old guard and young innovators over how to fight the war. Zelenskyy needs to reassure Ukrainians that sacrificing 35-year-old defence minister won’t derail the fight against Russia. (AP)
France to start under-15 social media ban
Paris, July 20: French lawmakers are racing against the clock to reach a compromise that would allow a bill banning social media for children under 15 to possibly enter into force at the start of the new school year in September. With Parliament’s summer recess looming, time is running out. Seven members of the National Assembly and seven senators were set to meet on Monday in a joint committee to seek an agreement that could be voted on later this week. The European Commission has found that the latest version of the bill was not fully compatible with EU law. French President Emmanuel Macron has strongly backed the ban, which could become one of the final major measures adopted under his leadership before he leaves office next year. The main point of divergence between the National Assembly and the Senate concerns the scope of the platforms to be banned. The National Assembly voted to prohibit all online social networking services, whereas the senators wanted to establish a blacklist. The ban won’t cover online encyclopedias, educational or scientific directories, or platforms for the development and sharing of open-source software. The bill, which also bans the use of mobile phones in high schools, had been devised to be compliant with the EU Digital Services Act. (AP)
930 people dead in Congo’s Ebola outbreak
Bunia (Congo), July 20: The death toll in Congo’s Ebola outbreak has risen to at least 930, the country’s Ministry of Health said on Monday, with 37 new deaths reported in a 24-hour span Friday into Saturday, one of the highest totals. The deaths were recorded out of the 2,344 cases confirmed as of Saturday, the health ministry said. The Ebola outbreak that was declared in eastern Congo on May 15 is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record. The Bundibugyo virus responsible for the outbreak is less common than others that cause Ebola disease, and there is no approved vaccine or treatment. Ebola is highly contagious and can be transmitted to people from wild animals. It spreads in the human population through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and with contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing. The disease is rare but severe and often fatal. The surge in deaths comes as safety fears have restricted the response in the worst-affected province of Ituri. (AP)
