News of the World

[kyonides]

Johnny Depp left Fantastic Beasts

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54846285

Johnny Depp has left the Fantastic Beasts film franchise, days after losing a libel case over a newspaper article which called him a wife beater.
In a letter to fans, Depp said he had been "asked to resign" from his role as Gellert Grindelwald and had "respected that and agreed to that request".
He called the libel judgement "surreal" and confirmed his plans to appeal.
Film studio Warner Bros confirmed Depp's departure and said his role would be recast.

He gotta hate The Sun for it.

EU slaps sanctions on

Belarus leader Lukashenko for crackdown

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54846049

The EU has added Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and his son Viktor to its sanctions blacklist of Belarus officials, bringing the total to 59.
The 15 added on Friday also include KGB secret police chief Ivan Tertel and President Lukashenko's chief of staff Igor Sergeenko.
The EU rejects Mr Lukashenko's claim to have won re-election on 9 August and deplores his crackdown on opponents.
His son Viktor, 44, is a national security adviser.

While Russia had renamed and reorganized their old KGB department, Belarus hasn't. Actually its shield looks pretty much the same as their Russian counterpart.

Lebanon's Gebran Bassil hit by US sanctions 'for corruption'

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54823667

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on a top Lebanese politician whom it has accused of playing a major role in corruption in the country.
The measure targets Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement, a Christian party allied to the powerful Shia movement Hezbollah.
The country has been in turmoil for months, facing mass protests, the Covid pandemic and a devastating blast.

Sanctions have not frightened me and promises have not tempted me.
I will not turn against any Lebanese... I will not save myself for Lebanon to perish.

Well, what did he expect from US if he supported Hezbollah one way or the other.

Tigray crisis: Ethiopia carries out airstrikes - Abiy Ahmed
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54838282

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says there have been airstrikes on military targets in Tigray state, whose leaders have fallen out with the national government.
But there has been no confirmation that the targets have been hit.
Tigray's governing party said on Thursday that there had been airstrikes but a senior official told the BBC that nothing had happened on Friday.
Some fear this could be the start of a civil war.
Long-standing tension between Ethiopia's federal government and Tigray, the country's northernmost state, boiled over into clashes this week.
The head of the United Nations has called for an "immediate de-escalation of fighting".

Tigray has been quite rebellious for the last months, they even held elections on their own knowing the Ethiopian congress had postponed them to 2021. PM Ahmed had claimed Tigray soldiers disguised as Eritreans and attacked their own people!
Besides there's the issue with their dam that might severely affect Sudan and Egypt for they might not receive as much water as they need to keep their lands fertile enough and produce most of all the grains they need to feed 100 millions Egyptians.

Storm Eta: Around 150 feared dead in Guatemala
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-54849765

Guatemala's army has reached a remote village where dozens of houses were buried by mudslides triggered by Storm Eta's torrential rains.
President Alejandro Giammattei said around 100 people were feared dead in Quejá in the central region of Alta Verapaz.
Bad weather has hampered rescue efforts while roads are still blocked and large areas remain flooded.

I can't imagine how bad it was in Nicaragua, the country the hurricane, later declared a storm, walked through at will.

Man charged over deadly sword attack in Quebec
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54783640

It seems somebody went berserk a la Orson...

Chinese cannon worth £100k found in garden
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-54841497
In north Wales a family didn't know they owned a very old Chinese cannon.

It dates back to 1789, during the Qianlong Period, and has been valued at Duke's of Dorchester auction house at £100,000.
Managing Director and Head of Asian Art Lee Young said it was a "rare find".
Mr Young said the 258kg (40st 9lb) military cannon was a particularly unusual find in Britain, as they were seldom seen outside of Asia.

Now we should check out if we don't own some rare collectible items at our homes as well.

South Africa deports African migrants after protests
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54845418

South African authorities say they have begun deporting 20 refugees and asylum seekers who were part of a months-long sit-in protest against xenophobia.
They are mostly from African countries and were demanding to be resettled outside South Africa.
Canada was some of the migrants' preferred choice, said South Africa's Home Affairs department in a statement.

That's the actual reason they were protesting, they just wanted to fly to Europe or Canada if possible. It reminds me of the Haitians that burned a public building in southern Costa Rica because they couldn't move forward to Nicaragua. Sadly, they ignore Ortega wouldn't treat them any better... if he ever let them cross the border.