Pristina — Kosovo’s highest court told the president late on Monday not to announce the date for a snap election before March 31, a move that further prolongs a political crisis that has engulfed the tiny Balkan nation.
Last Friday, President Vjosa Osmani dissolved parliament and called a snap election — without setting a date — after legislators failed to pick a new head of state within the constitutional deadline that expired at midnight on Thursday.
Her move extended a political deadlock in Kosovo, which is Europe’s youngest nation and has aspirations to join the EU. Kosovo had no functioning government for most of last year as the fractured parliament failed to elect a speaker for months. Reuters
Mobile internet outages in Russia to ‘ensure security’
Moscow — The Kremlin on Tuesday said that recent instances of mobile internet being turned off in Moscow and other major cities are aimed at ensuring security and are in accordance with the law.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the impact of the move on businesses needs additional analysis. Reuters
Taliban hits back at US move over ‘wrongful detention’
Bengaluru — The Afghan Taliban on Tuesday called the US decision to designate Afghanistan a “state sponsor of wrongful detention” regrettable, and said it wants to resolve the matter through dialogue after the US demanded the release of US citizens held.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Monday he is designating the Taliban government a “state sponsor of wrongful detention”, and urged Kabul to free all detained US citizens, including Mahmood Habibi and Dennis Coyle. Reuters
Gun fired at American embassy in Toronto
Toronto — Shots were reportedly fired at the US consulate in Toronto, Canadian police said on Tuesday, adding that evidence was found of a discharged firearm and that no injuries were reported.
Toronto police, in a post on X, said they responded to the reported shots at 5.29am (12.29pm SA time).
Representatives for the US embassy in Toronto and the US department of state did not immediately respond to requests for comment. — Reuters
Bishop pleads not guilty over alleged theft
Vatican City — Pope Leo has accepted the resignation of a Catholic bishop in San Diego who was arrested by local authorities on suspicion of stealing $250,000 from his congregation, the Vatican announced on Tuesday.
Bishop Emanuel Hana Shaleta had led the small Chaldean Catholic community in the California city since 2017. He pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of embezzlement and money-laundering at a hearing on Monday, according to local media reports.
San Diego deputy district attorney Joel Madero said the alleged crimes took place in 2024 and were reported by a church employee who noticed the missing funds, according to KGTV, a local ABC affiliate. Reuters
Americans in Nigeria warned about terror attack
Lagos — The US embassy in Nigeria warned American citizens of a possible “terrorist threat” against US facilities and affiliated schools in the West African country in a security alert late on Monday.
The embassy has been on heightened alert since the US and Israel launched co-ordinated strikes against Iran.
US citizens should take additional precautions when travelling to the embassy in the capital, Abuja, and the US consulate in commercial capital Lagos and US-affiliated schools, the embassy said. Reuters
