News in Brief (26-06-2021)

18 die in fire at martial arts centre in China

BEIJING, June 25: A fire has torn through a martial arts training centre in China, killing 18 people with most of the victims children who were staying there. The blaze broke out at 3am on Friday on Thursday) and was later extinguished, the government of Zhecheng county, in Henan province, said on its website. It was unclear what caused the fire, which also injured 16 people, four of whom were in a serious condition, the county government said. — Al Jazeera

Rights groups outraged over Pakistan PM's rape comments

KARACHI, June 25: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was facing a growing backlash on Friday after he blamed victims of rape for wearing "very few clothes". Former playboy cricketer Khan told television show Axios that how women dress affects men's behaviour, outraging activists in the deeply conservative Islamic country. — AFP

Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei receives local Covid vaccine

TEHRAN, June 25: Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei has received a dose of the country's first locally developed Covid-19 vaccine. Khamenei on Friday called the development of the vaccine a point of "national pride". "Some insisted from a while ago that I use a vaccine," the 82-year-old, who has had a string of previous health problems, said after receiving the first dose of the jab called COVIran Barekat. — Al Jazeera

NZ beefing up hate speech laws after Christchurch attack

WELLINGTON, June 25: New Zealand's government announced on Friday that it plans to strengthen the country's hate speech laws, and increase penalties for inciting hatred and discrimination, in response to the attack by a white supremacist in Christchurch two years ago that killed 51 Muslims. The move comes after a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the March 15, 2019 attack recommended changes to hate speech and hate crime laws, which it said were weak deterrents for people targeting religious and other minority groups. — Al Jazeera