Desperate Afghans clawed through rubble in the dead of the night in search of missing loved ones after a strong earthquake killed some 800 people and injured more than 2,500 in eastern Afghanistan, according to figures provided Monday by the Taliban government. The 6.0 magnitude quake late Sunday hit towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighboring Nangarhar province, causing extensive damage. The quake at 11:47 p.m. was centered 27 kilometers (17 miles) east-northeast of Jalalabad, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was just 8 kilometers (5 miles) deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more...

The world’s leading genocide scholars’ association has passed a resolution saying that the legal criteria have been met to establish Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, its president said on Monday. Eighty-six percent of those who voted among the 500-member International Association of Genocide Scholars backed the resolution declaring: “Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide in Article II of the United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)”. There was no immediate response from the Israeli foreign ministry. Israel has in the past strongly denied that its actions in Gaza amount...

one of Nigeria’s longest-standing financial institutions, Union Bank has announced successful completion of its merger with Titan Trust Bank Limited, following final approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The deal, which began with a 2021 Share Sale Agreement, sees Union Bank absorb all Titan Trust operations & assets, strengthening its market position. The combined institution will continue to operate under the Union Bank brand, while Titan Trust Bank ceases to exist as a separate entity.