Pakistan has reopened a key border crossing with neighbouring Afghanistan a week after an Afghan gunman killed a Pakistani security guard there, forcing a closure of the crossing. Shehzad Zehri, an official in Chaman, the border city in the southwestern province of Balochistan, confirmed the reopening to Al Jazeera on Monday. “The deadlock has ended and mobility between the two countries has resumed for all purposes, including pedestrians as well as trade,” he said. Officials told Al Jazeera

An earthquake has struck the main Indonesian island of Java, leaving at least 56 people dead and hundreds injured, local officials say. The 5.6 magnitude quake struck Cianjur town in West Java, at a shallow depth of 10km (six miles), according to US Geological Survey data. Scores of people were rushed to hospital, with many treated outside. Rescuers were working into the night to try to rescue others thought to still be trapped under collapsed buildings. The area where the quake struck is densely

New Zealand’s Supreme Court has ruled that the country’s current voting age of 18 is discriminatory, meaning parliament must discuss whether it should be lowered. The case was brought by campaign group Make It 16, which wants the voting age reduced to include 16 and 17 year olds. “This is history,” Make It 16 co-director Caeden Tipler said. The group argued that young people should be able to vote on matters affecting them, such as climate change. The issue must now be

South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that the decision to release former President Jacob Zuma on early medical parole was “unlawful” and that he should return to prison to finish his sentence for contempt of court.   Last year, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment after ignoring a court order to testify at a government inquiry into widespread corruption during his near-decade as president, a tenure that ended in 2018 when incumbent Cyril Ramaphosa replaced him.

Anas Amereyaw Anas’ method of undercover investigation is certainly over-board. No one will say undercover investigations to unearth the truth are inappropriate, however, it is when entrapment sets in. In this method, one is lured, coerced or forced to do what he or she never intended to, just so evidence is produced to show that he indeed committed that act. Now, this is one thing which God loathes, to lead someone into temptation (and to fall into sin). God does not tempt as stated in James

Karim Benzema France’s World Cup hopes have taken a huge blow with the news that star striker Karim Benzema is out of the tournament after tearing a muscle in his left thigh during training on Saturday. “Karim Benzema is out of the World Cup,” the French football federation (FFF) said on Sunday. “After hurting the quadriceps on his left thigh the Real Madrid striker is forced to give up on taking part in the World Cup.” Reece James and Ben Chilwell Chelsea defender James was not included in

Defending World Cup champions France may have been rocked by the withdrawal of Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema but manager Didier Deschamps insists his squad can cope with their growing injury list. Benzema was forced out of the tournament with a thigh injury over the weekend, joining a list of absent senior players including N’Golo Kante, Presnel Kimpembe, Paul Pogba and Christopher Nkunku. Benzema’s late exit robs them of a player who has been in some of the best form