08 June 2023; MEMO: Turkiye's lira plunged 7 per cent to a record low on Wednesday in its biggest sell-off since a historic 2021 crash, a move traders said is a "strong signal" that Ankara is moving away from state controls toward a freely traded currency, Reuters reports.

According to the report, the currency has come under increasing pressure since President Tayyip Erdogan was re-elected on 28 May.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a surprising 5-4 ruling in favor of Black voters in a congressional redistricting case from Alabama, with two conservative justices joining liberals in rejecting a Republican-led effort to weaken a landmark voting rights law.

BRUSSELS, June 8. /TASS/: Greece and Hungary have moved to block the latest draft of Brussels’ 11th package of sanctions against Russia at a meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU, Belgium’s RTBF TV reported.

Budapest and Athens are demanding that a number of companies be removed from the list of those supporting Russia's efforts to bypass Western sanctions.

However, according to the TV channel, the EU countries have no systemic objections to the latest round of sanctions put forward by the European Commission (EC).

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Jun 8 (NNN-XINHUA) – The Chinese naval training ship, Qi Jiguang (Hull 83), which is on a cadet training and visit mission in the far east, departed for the Philippines today, after successfully concluding its goodwill visit to Brunei.

The Bruneian side held a grand farewell ceremony at the Muara Port. More than 200 people, including Chinese Ambassador to Brunei, Xiao Jianguo, defence attache, Dai Qilin, representatives of Chinese companies, local Bruneians, and representatives of the Royal Brunei Navy, went to the port to see off the ship.

LIMA, June 8 (Reuters) - Peruvian police handed over a convicted Dutch murderer to FBI agents on Thursday for transfer to the U.S., where he faces extortion and fraud charges related to the murder of an Alabama teenager two decades ago.

Joran Van der Sloot, a Dutch national from the Caribbean island of Aruba, has departed for the U.S. from a Peruvian Air Force base.

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 08 (APP): Pakistan was on Thursday elected to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the economic arm of the United Nations, for a three-year term, beginning January 1, 2024, with Ambassador Munir Akram saying that the success was a recognition of “our positive role in international diplomacy”.

In balloting in the 193-member General Assembly, Pakistan received 129 votes.

Pakistan was contesting one of three Asian seats – also being contested by Iraq, Japan, Nepal and Tajikistan.

A two-third majority – 124 votes – was required for election.

08 June 2023; MEMO: Some 100 North American congregations, faith groups and organisations have launched the Apartheid Free Communities campaign aimed at ending the crime of apartheid committed by Israel against Palestinians.

The campaign's founding statement said it draws inspiration from the anti-apartheid movement that overthrew the apartheid regime in South Africa.

VLADIVOSTOK, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud discussed ensuring the stability of the global energy market during a phone conversation, according to a statement by the Kremlin's press service on Wednesday.

"Both sides highly appreciated the level of cooperation within the framework of the OPEC+ (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies), which allows for timely and effective measures to maintain the balance of oil supply and demand," the statement said.

MINSK, June 8. /TASS/: The Kiev regime’s much-hyped counteroffensive is simply disinformation, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The emaciated inmate in black shorts lay on a thin mat in Haiti’s most notorious prison, isolated from other prisoners at Port-au-Prince’s National Penitentiary because of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

He slowly sat up to talk to a visiting reporter and more than 70 fellow tuberculosis patients gathered at the door of the neighboring cell to complain about their suffering while detained, many on minor charges like theft.

“We don’t have water!” one cried, while his fellow inmates said their food came late or not at all.

RAMALLAH, Jun 8 (NNN-WAFA) – At least six Palestinians were injured last night, during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.

The ministry said that, among the six, two were injured, after being shot by live ammunition and the others were injured by rubber bullets.

Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses said that, dozens of Israeli military jeeps and armoured vehicles stormed several neighbourhoods in the city of Ramallah, and located snipers on the roofs of several buildings.

June 8 (Reuters) - Taiwan-based computer manufacturer Acer (2353.TW) supplied at least $70.4 million worth of computer hardware to Russia between April 8, 2022 and March 31, 2023, according to customs data seen by Reuters, after saying it would suspend its business there.

While not illegal, Acer's actions contrast with those of key Western rivals such as Dell (DELL.N) and HP (HPE.N) which ceased shipments in February and April 2022, respectively, following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, customs records drawn from a commercial trade data provider show.