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Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s most influential Shiite cleric. Personal Birth date: August 4, 1930 Birth place: Mashhad, Iran Birth name: Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani Father: Sayyid Mohammad Baqir, a religious scholar Mother: Name unavailable publicly Marriage: Information unavailable publicly Children: Muhammad Rida

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Gulf War Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War. In response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, the United States and other countries launched military operations known as Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Facts The Allied coalition was made up of 39 countries: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia,

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Taj Mahal Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the Taj Mahal, India’s most popular tourist attraction. The monument is located on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, India. Facts The Taj Mahal was built in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to honor his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died

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Big Ben Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at Big Ben, the clock and bell in Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament in London. Facts It is one of the most famous landmarks in England. The name Big Ben originally referred to just the bell but now it encompasses the clock, the tower and

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Wreckage of the Antonov An-24 is seen in Amur Oblast

Dozens feared killed after plane crashes in Russia’s Far East, state media reports

By Ivana Kottasová, Anna Chernova, Kostya Gak, y (CNN) — Almost 50 people including children are feared dead after a Soviet-era passenger plane crashed in Russia’s far-eastern Amur region, state media reported on Thursday, citing local officials. The plane, an Antonov An-24, was flying on a regional route from Khabarovsk to Blagoveshchensk and Tynda when

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping gives his opening remarks at a meeting with top European Union officials at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 24

China’s Xi urges Europe to make ‘the right strategic choice’ amid global trade turbulence at key summit

By Nectar Gan, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged the European Union to make “the right strategic choice” and enhance cooperation with China, while EU leaders called for a rebalancing of trade ties, as the two sides tackle deep-seated grievances at a tense summit in Beijing. European Council President Antonio Costa

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A Cambodian BM-21 multiple rocket launcher returns in Preah Vihear province from the Cambodia-Thai border as troops from both sides clash on July 24.

Violence is flaring again on the Thai-Cambodian border. Why is it so contentious?

By Helen Regan, Jessie Yeung, Kocha Olarn, CNN Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) — Deadly violence has flared up once again on the contentious border between Thailand and Cambodia, reigniting a long-running but little-known dispute. Thailand deployed fighter jets against Cambodian military targets on Thursday, as forces from both countries clashed along the border. The escalation came

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Taiwan is paralyzed by political gridlock. A mass recall of ‘pro-China’ lawmakers could break that

By Wayne Chang, CNN Taipei, Taiwan (CNN) — Giant yellow trucks decked with bears sipping boba tea and broadcasting lawmaker speeches, emotional rallies featuring rock bands and rival political camps jostling for support outside metro stations – Taiwan is in the midst of what feels like a full-swing election. But this passionate political theatre is

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Venezuelan national Rafael Martínez talks about his time in a Salvadoran prison after being released.

‘It was a nightmare’: Venezuelans deported from US describe conditions in Salvadoran prison

By Osmary Hernandez, Michael Rios, CNN (CNN) — For months, they say, they were beaten by prison guards, shot with pellets, deprived of adequate medical care and denied any due process inside El Salvador’s Center for Terrorism Confinement. “(The guards) tortured us physically and psychologically,” said José Mora, one of 252 Venezuelan migrants recently held

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Ukrainians attend a rally against the new law in central Lviv

Ukraine sees first major anti-government protests since start of war, as Zelensky moves to weaken anti-corruption agencies

By Ivana Kottasová, CNN (CNN) — Ukraine has seen the first major anti-government protests since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion over three years ago, as a move by President Volodymyr Zelensky to curb anti-corruption agencies sparked fury across the nation. Defiant crowds gathered in the capital Kyiv on Tuesday, as well as Lviv in

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Palestinians rush to queue in line at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 22.

‘We are watching our colleagues waste away’: Aid workers, doctors, journalists go hungry alongside people in Gaza

By Kathleen Magramo, Abeer Salman, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Kareem Khadder, CNN (CNN) — Dozens of international humanitarian organizations warned Israel’s blockade of aid into Gaza is endangering the lives of doctors and aid workers, while a major news agency says it is trying to evacuate its remaining freelance journalists because the situation has become “untenable.” In

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Riot police scatter protesters with water cannons during demonstrations to mark the historic 1990 Saba Saba protests for democratic reforms in the Kangemi slum of Nairobi

As protesters are hit with terrorism charges, critics accuse Kenya’s government of criminalizing dissent

By Larry Madowo, CNN Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) — One of Kenya’s most prominent human rights activists has been released on bail after being charged with unlawful possession of ammunition, as critics accuse authorities of ramping up efforts to stifle dissent in the East African country. Boniface Mwangi was arrested over the weekend “in connection with

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J.K. Rowling Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here is a look at the life of J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series. Personal Birth date: July 31, 1965 Birth place: Gloucestershire, England Birth name: Joanne Rowling Father: Peter Rowling, aircraft factory manager Mother: Anne (Volant) Rowling, lab technician Marriages: Neil Murray (December 26, 2001-present); Jorge

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