Video footage of Melbourne police checking whether a man’s coffee cup was empty to verify his excuse for not wearing a mask is stirring the latest round of online outrage over Australia’s dystopian Covid-19 policies.

http://globalreportage.org/2021/10/17/australian-cops-slammed-for-checking-mans-beverage-to-verify-his-excuse-for-not-wearing-covid-19-mask/

The US military is offering “condolence payments” to a family in Afghanistan after a badly planned drone strike killed 10 civilians, including seven children, in the country’s capital in August, though did not provide any numbers.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby revealed the offer on Friday, stating that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a “commitment” to the Akhmadi family for compensation following the August 29 drone strike, “including offering ex gratia condolence payments” and State Department assistance in relocating family members to the United States.

The offer was raised during a virtual meeting between Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl and Dr. Steven Kwon, who employed one of the Akhmadis killed in the strike at his US-based aid organization, Nutrition & Education International, long active in Afghanistan.

http://globalreportage.org/2021/10/17/pentagon-offers-unspecified-condolence-payments-for-7-afghan-children-aid-worker-murdered-in-botched-drone-strike/

As many as 17 American Christian missionaries and their families, including children, have reportedly been kidnapped by gang members in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

The kidnapping happened as the missionaries were leaving an orphanage, the New York Times reports.

The group are being held by the armed gang, a local security source told the AFP news agency.

The US government is yet to provide any information on the incident.

 http://globalreportage.org/2021/10/17/us-missionaries-reportedly-kidnapped-in-haiti/

Russian president Vladimir Putin taunts Hadley Gamble in a sexist put-down during an on-stage interview for Russian Energy Week, saying of the CNBC anchor: ‘Beautiful woman … I’m telling her one thing. She instantly tells me the opposite’

Mr Putin became irritated with CNBC’s Abu Dhabi-based anchor Hadley Gamble as she pressed him for answers about whether Russia was weaponising its stranglehold on natural gas supplies to Europe.

During the interview, held before a live audience during Russian Energy Week in Moscow, Mr Putin said the claims were “complete nonsense” and that Russia was a reliable energy partner.

“Well, I’ll repeat it for you once again.”

The Vatican enjoys sovereign immunity that protects it from sexual-abuse lawsuits in local courts, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled, after a case was put forward by 24 people who claim to be victims.

Just over two years later, however, the Ghent Court said that it did not have jurisdiction over the Holy See, prompting the individuals to escalate their case to the top European court.

A North Korean soldier clad in a super-tight blue outfit in a state media photo has generated a buzz on social media, with some calling him ”a superhero,” ”a captain DPRK,” or ”a rocket man.”