Taliban arrests prominent girls’ education activist as repressive clampdown continues | CNN

Taliban arrests prominent girls’ education activist as repressive clampdown continues | CNN

CNN  —  A prominent activist for girls’ education in Afghanistan was arrested by the Taliban on Monday, according to an official, the latest step in its repressive clampdown on the rights of Afghan women. Matiullah Wesa, 30, is well known for his activism and is the founder of PenPath1, a non-governmental group that travels to … Read more

‘Historic moment’: Politicians of South Asian descent set to lead Scotland, Britain and Ireland with Yousaf victory | CNN

‘Historic moment’: Politicians of South Asian descent set to lead Scotland, Britain and Ireland with Yousaf victory | CNN

CNN  —  When Humza Yousaf took his oath of allegiance in Scottish parliament in 2016, he wore a gold embroidered sherwani – a traditional South Asian jacket – and a kilt. “I, Humza Yousaf, swear with honesty and a true heart,” he proudly said in Urdu, “that I will always be faithful and bear true … Read more

Why El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele wants everyone to know about his new prison | CNN

Why El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele wants everyone to know about his new prison | CNN

CNN  —  Last week, El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele posted a typically divisive video on Twitter. To the sound of thrilling fast-paced music, it showed hundreds of detainees being transferred to a new “megaprison” officially named the Center for Confining Terrorism. Constructed last year to host the Central American country’s burgeoning prison population, it is … Read more

Israel’s rightward shift leaves its new Arab allies in an awkward spot | CNN

Israel’s rightward shift leaves its new Arab allies in an awkward spot | CNN

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in today’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, CNN’s three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Sign up here. Abu Dhabi, UAE CNN  —  It was a rare embrace between one of Israel’s most controversial politicians and an Arab ambassador. Itamar Ben Gvir and the United Arab … Read more

‘One extreme to the other’: Chinese megacity Chongqing says people with Covid can go to work | CNN Business

‘One extreme to the other’: Chinese megacity Chongqing says people with Covid can go to work | CNN Business

Hong Kong CNN  —  The sprawling Chinese metropolis of Chongqing announced Sunday that public sector employees testing positive for Covid-19 can go to work “as normal,” a remarkable turnaround for a city that only weeks ago had been in the throes of a mass lockdown. The move comes as China continues to quickly unravel its … Read more

El Salvador has arrested 2% of its adult population in its war on gangs. Other countries are taking note | CNN

El Salvador has arrested 2% of its adult population in its war on gangs. Other countries are taking note | CNN

CNN  —  Eight months since El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced a war on gangs, an estimated 2% of the country’s adult population – or roughly 100,000 people – are now behind bars. Bukele’s crackdown this year, prompted by a bloody killing spree by gangs that saw dozens of people killed in March, placed El … Read more

Kirstie Alley, ‘Cheers’ and ‘Veronica’s Closet’ star, dead at 71 | CNN

Kirstie Alley, ‘Cheers’ and ‘Veronica’s Closet’ star, dead at 71 | CNN

CNN  —  Actress Kirstie Alley, star of the big and small screens known for her Emmy-winning role on “Cheers” and films like “Look Who’s Talking,” has died after a brief battle with cancer, her children True and Lillie Parker announced on her social media. She was 71. “We are sad to inform you that our … Read more

George Clooney has a simple strategy for being a star in the age of social media | CNN

George Clooney has a simple strategy for being a star in the age of social media | CNN

CNN  —  George Clooney has a surefire way for staying out of trouble as a public figure in the age of social media: stay off of it. In a profile for the Washington Post published on Friday, the Oscar-winning actor said he manages to avoid too much exposure to today’s 24/7 media cycle by not … Read more

Hate speech dramatically surges on Twitter following Elon Musk takeover, new research shows | CNN Business

Hate speech dramatically surges on Twitter following Elon Musk takeover, new research shows | CNN Business

Washington CNN Business  —  New Twitter owner Elon Musk declared last month that “hate speech impressions” had dramatically fallen on the platform since he took over. It was a remarkable claim, given that Musk has executed mass layoffs and chased away hundreds of employees, draining the company of much-needed resources to enforce content moderation policies, … Read more

Turkey’s Red Crescent criticized for selling tents to charity instead of giving them to quake victims | CNN

Turkey’s Red Crescent criticized for selling tents to charity instead of giving them to quake victims | CNN

Istanbul CNN  —  Turkey’s Red Crescent organization has been criticized by lawmakers and citizens after revelations that it sold tents to a charity instead of donating them to people in urgent need after the massive earthquake that claimed more than 44,000 lives earlier this month. While people were begging the government for shelters to sleep … Read more