Al-Aqsa Eid prayers
Some 100,000 Palestinians have performed prayers at the al-Aqsa mosque compound to mark Eid al-Adha, or the feast of sacrifice. The prayers were held amid tight Israeli restrictions at the holy site in occupied East al-Quds. Israel tightened the curbs several days before the Muslim religious festival and launched a crackdown on Palestinians there. The prayers at the al-Aqsa are part of ceremonies by Muslims worldwide to celebrate Eid al-Adha. That marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. As part of the celebrations, Muslims visit friends and relatives too. Some also sacrifice animals like camels and sheep and donate their meat as charity. The practice aims to honor Prophet Abraham for his willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command.
Kabul rocket attack
More than a dozen diplomatic missions in Afghanistan have called for an urgent end to the Taliban's military offensive. In a statement, the missions said the offensive was at odds with claims the Taliban want to secure a political deal to end the conflict. The statement was signed by the United States, the European Union, and some other foreign missions. That follows another round of inconclusive peace talks over the weekend in Qatar between representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban. The two sides said on Sunday they had agreed to meet again next week. They have been meeting on and off in Qatar for months, but have achieved little. This, as the Taliban make battlefield gains under a series of offensives first launched in early May.
Fabricated' allegations
China has slammed the US for its “fabricated” allegations that Beijing was behind a massive cyber attack on Microsoft in March. China’s foreign ministry spokesman said his country resolutely opposes and combats any form of cyber attacks, and will never support them. On Monday, the United States and its allies including New Zealand and Australia accused China of hacking Microsoft Exchange. That هs an email platform used by corporations around the world. They also accused China of a global espionage campaign. Also on Monday, the US State Department charged four Chinese nationals with what it called the malicious hacking.