Category: FOREIGN

Foreign Blogs is a network of global affairs blogs and a supplement to the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions program.

  • Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck confirm patch-up speculation by kissing publicly

    Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck confirm patch-up speculation by kissing publicly

    Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have given their fans and the media the much awaited confirmation of their romantic patch-up.

    Rumour mills were buzzing that the couple reunited in May after they were spotted holidaying together in Montana.

    Now, in a video shared by Page Six, the couple can been seen nuzzling each other’s necks and sharing kisses in public during their romantic getaway in Malibu.

    In the early 2000s, Lopez and Affleck were one of Hollywood’s most famous couples. They regularly made headlines after a high-profile engagement in 2002 and also collaborated on feature films such as Jersey Girl and Gigli.

    Their relationship came to an end in January 2004, shortly after they postponed their wedding.

    Affleck went on to marry Jennifer Garner which ended up in divorce, while Lopez recently announced her separation from fiancé Alex Rodriguez.

    The couple has been spotted at various locations over the last few weeks.

  • Boris Johnson marries fiancee Carrie Symonds in a secret ceremony

    Boris Johnson marries fiancee Carrie Symonds in a secret ceremony

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has married his fiancee Carrie Symonds in a secret ceremony on Sunday.

    “The Prime Minister and Ms Symonds were married yesterday afternoon in a small ceremony at Westminster Cathedral,” a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement.

    “The couple will celebrate their wedding with family and friends next summer.”

    Known for his colorful love life, 56-year-old Johnson wed Symonds, 33, in front of close friends and family, the Mail on Sunday and The Sun newspapers first reported.

    The weekend nuptials were a surprise development, after reports earlier this week said the couple had sent out “save the date” cards for a wedding on July 30 next year.

    The pair got engaged in December, 2019, and have a one-year-old baby son, Wilfred. Their original plans to marry last year were delayed by the pandemic.

    Political colleagues sent congratulations to the couple as the news became official Sunday.

    “I think it’s a wonderful thing for both of them that they have made their marriage vows to one another,” senior minister Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News.

    Around 30 guests attended Saturday’s service — the maximum currently allowed under coronavirus rules — in central London, after being invited at the last minute, according to the Mail on Sunday.

    A small number of church officials were involved and Downing Street aides were not informed, sources told the paper.

    Symonds arrived at the lunchtime nuptials in a limousine and wore “a stunning long and flowing white dress” but chose not to wear a veil, it added.

    There were no descriptions of Johnson’s attire, with the mop-haired British leader infamous for his often dishevelled appearance.

    He had four children with his previous wife, lawyer Marina Wheeler, before they split in 2018. The couple only finalised their divorce last November.

    Johnson also reportedly has a daughter born as the result of an affair.

    When elected in 2019, he became the first prime minister to live at Downing Street as part of an unmarried couple.

    Symonds, a former head of communications for the Conservative Party who has not been married before, gave birth to their son just weeks after Johnson left intensive care as he recovered from a severe case of coronavirus.

    Meanwhile, he is only the second British prime minister to marry while in power, and the first in nearly two centuries. The last was Robert Jenkinson in 1822.

  • 18-year-old Pakistani girl allegedly killed in Italy for refusing to marry

    An 18-year-old girl of Pakistani origin in Italy is believed to be killed by her family after refusing an arranged marriage. Police in Italy are searching for the body of the girl named Saman Abbas who has been missing since May 5, AFP has reported.

    Lieutenant Colonel Stefano Bove of the Carabinieri police has said that the girl’s parents, an uncle and two cousins, are under investigation for murder, adding that all are supposed to have taken part in the crime.

    Saman Abbas, who lived in the northern town of Novellara, reportedly refused to come to Pakistan to marry her cousin.

    “Saman, tonight you are not alone and you will never again be alone,” Mayor Elena Carletti said in a video posted on the local news website Reggioonline.

    In May, Mayra Zulfiqar 24-year-old girl was found dead in Lahore, who had arrived in Pakistan with her parents about two months ago to attend a family wedding. Prior to her brutal murder, she had asked police for protection after accusing a man of abducting her at gunpoint.

  • Susan Sarandon lauds Bella Hadid’s efforts for Palestine, condemns Israel’s apartheid

    Susan Sarandon lauds Bella Hadid’s efforts for Palestine, condemns Israel’s apartheid

    American actress, activist, and producer Susan Sarandon has lauded Bella Hadid for her efforts for the Palestinians and condemned Israel’s apartheid in Palestine.

    “I stand with the Palestinian people fighting against the apartheid government of Netanyahu and pray for the Israeli people that they too, will enjoy peace,” said Susan while writting on Twitter.

    She also commended Bella’s efforts, saying: “I also support Bella Hadid for having the bravery to stand in solidarity with her people,” adding, “that can be lonely.”

    Replying to Susan, the American supermodel said: “Susan I’ve always looked up to you and your advocacy for the world. You give me the strength to keep speaking up for the things that matter to me… human rights for everyone worldwide. You give me the strength to stay strong in my power, to keep moving forward with kindness, respect, integrity, and love… no matter what!”

    “Thank you for your support, Susan. You are the legend above all legends. I am lucky to hear these words from you, and I know Palestine is grateful for your support as well. We will always stand tall for the voices of the oppressed and of the silenced, Thank you, I love you dearly,” wrote Bella.

    Earlier, Hadid had joined a protest in New York in solidarity with Palestinian people against Israeli violence in Palestine.

    Despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Israel ruthlessly attacked worshipers at Al-Aqsa the next day during Friday prayers on May 21.

  • Who is Bianna Golodryga?

    Who is Bianna Golodryga?

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s recent remarks on Israel got him under fire as CNN presenter Bianna Golodrya accused him of publicly expressing anti-Semitic remarks.

    Who is Bianna Golodrya?

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    Born in 1978, Bianna Vitalievna Golodryga is a senior global affairs analyst at CNN. She has previously served in Yahoo! News, ABC Network, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, and CBS.

    The forty-two-year-old anchor is the second wife of Peter R Orszag who is a former Director of Management and Budget for Obama Administration. The couple have two children together.

    Born to a Jewish family from the Soviet Republic of Moldova, Golodryga’s parents migrated to Houston as political refugees with no more than $150 in their pockets.

    The anchor often boasts about attending High School for Performing Visual Arts in Houston because of the fact that the music sensation Beyoncé Knowles also graduated from there.

    After completing her undergraduate degree in Russian/European affairs from the University of Texas, Golodryga began her as a producer for CNBC in 2001. One of her notable initial projects include live coverage of the aftermath of 9/11 terrorist attacks.

    In 2015, Golodryga was chosen by Hillary Clinton to conduct her first interview as a presidential candidate. Unfortunately, Clinton’s staff confused “Bianna” with “Brianna” which ended up with the golden opportunity being allocated to fellow CNN anchor Brianna Keilar instead of Golodryga.

    As Golodryga gained fame after being listed as one of the top journalists under 30 in 2004, she also went through various controversies. She was convicted of driving-under-influence in early 2000. Police records confirm that Golodryga was given a 30-day jail sentence which was later dismissed.

    Fluent in both Russian and English, the anchor serves as a member of Council on Foreign Relations and has a net worth of roughly $3 million.

  • Covid-19 in men: ‘Could make it hard to perform in the bedroom’

    As per a report quoted by WebMD, it is suspected by doctors that, “Covid-19 could make it hard for men to perform in the bedroom”. The study was published in the World Journal of Men’s Health.

    According to the study, Covid-19 can linger in the penis and can cause impotence. Researchers found coronavirus particles in penile tissue samples taken from two former COVID-19 patients who had became impotent after getting infected from coronavirus.

    “We found that the virus affects the blood vessels that supply the penis, causing erectile dysfunction,” said senior researcher Dr Ranjith Ramasamy, director of the reproductive urology program at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.

    “The blood vessels themselves malfunction and are not able to provide enough blood to enter the penis for an erection,” he added.

    “We think the penis also could be affected in a similar way,” Ramasamy said. “We don’t think this is a temporary effect. We think this could be permanent.”

    Two recovered COVID-19 patients who are undergoing penile prosthesis surgery for their erectile dysfunction, had normal erectile function prior to their infections.

  • Despite a ceasefire, Israel ruthlessly attacks worshippers at Al-Aqsa

    Despite a ceasefire, Israel ruthlessly attacks worshippers at Al-Aqsa

    Despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was announced early Friday morning, Israel ruthlessly attacked worshippers at Al-Aqsa during Friday prayers.

    Israel fired rubber bullets and shelled both Masjid Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock, Islam’s third holiest site.

    It is being reported that children and women have been hurt by the tear gas while praying.

    PTI’s official Twitter handle lashed out on the barbaric violence by Israel calling out their act as a ‘massacre’.

    Israel’s bombardment of Gaza killed at least 243 Palestinians, including 66 children, in 11 days and brought widespread devastation to the already impoverished territory. On the Israeli side, 12 people, including two children, were killed.

  • Israel announces ceasefire in Gaza after 11 days of extreme violence

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced a ceasefire on Friday in Gaza after 11 days of violence, Al Jazeera has reported. As per media reports, Israel’s PM office issued a statement from the security cabinet called the truce “mutual and unconditional”. The ceasefire will be monitored by Egypt, which has been agreed upon by Israel and Hamas.

    However, within minutes of the ceasefire announcement, sirens warned of incoming rockets in Israeli border communities by Hamas, and a Reuters reporter heard an air strike in Gaza.

    Since the fighting began on May 10, health officials in Gaza say 232 Palestinians, including 65 children and 39 women, have been killed and more than 1,900 wounded in aerial bombardments, Reuters has reported.

  • Barack Obama reveals that UFOs exist

    Barack Obama reveals that UFOs exist

    Former U.S. President, Barack Obama, confessed that there are plenty of ‘footages and records’ of ‘unknown objects in the skies that people are trying to investigate’.

    Obama, 59, made a recent appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden where he revealed that the US military has often been troubled due to the possibility of existence of UFOs with ultra-speed. He admitted seeing videos of UFOs harassing military targets and refused to comment further on the topic after saying that there are some things he refrains from disclosing ‘on air’.

    ‘What is true… is that there’s footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are,’ he told James Corden, ‘we can’t explain how they moved, their trajectory… they did not have an easily explainable pattern. So I think that people still take seriously trying to investigate and figure out what that is. But I have nothing to report to you today.’

    Like everyone else, Obama was ‘curious’ about the rumours regarding U.S. government’s confidential records and labs about alien specimens. “Look, the truth is that when I came into office I asked. I was like, ‘all right, is there the lab somewhere where we’re keeping the alien specimens and spaceships?’” he said, ‘They did a little bit of research…. and the answer was no.’

    There has been quite a talk about UFOs lately due to a video of U.S. stealth ship being buzzed by a UFO going viral. The 2019 video shows the UFO immersing into the water near San Diego.

    Former US Navy Lieutenant (2015-2017), Ryan Graves, told the CBC’s 60 Minutes that Virginian pilots often spotted flying objects in restricted airspace.

    “We’re not willing to actually look at the problem in the face. We’re happy to just ignore the fact that these are out there, watching us every day,” warned Graves.

  • Fatima Bhutto expresses anger over Biden administration

    Fatima Bhutto has expressed her anger over Joe Biden’s administration for approving the potential sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel.

    Sharing the news report of the approval on Twitter, Fatima Bhutto wrote: “The Biden administration has blood on its hands already and they are intent on getting them dirtier and dirtier.”

    As per congressional sources US lawmakers were not expected to object to the deal despite violence between Israel and Palestinian militants Reuters has reported.

    Other people are also expressing their anger over the deal :

    https://twitter.com/sunshine_leb/status/1394290306086998026

    Israeli bombardment of Gaza, a Palestinian terrority, is the worst the world has seen in years. Israeli fighter jets continue to pound central Gaza with bombs, as the death toll of the Palestinians killed in the fighting has reached to 212, 61 among them are children.