Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The European Union launched Wednesday a system for member countries to alert each other to online disinformation spread by opponents such as Russia to undermine next year’s key elections. The bloc also urged Facebook and other social media platforms to follow through on pledges to …
Read More »Spain court upholds disputed sex abuse gang sentence
Madrid, Spain | AFP | A Spanish court Wednesday upheld a disputed nine-year jail term for to five men who sexually abused a woman, despite two out of five judges believing the gang committed rape and calling for tougher sentences. The men were accused of raping the woman, then aged …
Read More »Putin rejects US claim Russia breaking arms treaty
Moscow, Russia | AFP | President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday dismissed US claims Russia is violating a major Cold War treaty limiting mid-range nuclear arms, as a senior general lashed out at Washington’s attempts to “contain” Moscow. The tense rhetoric comes a day after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said …
Read More »US urges UN to condemn Iran missile test
United Nations, United States | AFP | The United States on Tuesday urged the UN Security Council to condemn Iran for carrying out a ballistic missile test, describing the launch as dangerous and a violation of a UN resolution. The council met behind closed doors at the request of France …
Read More »Cameras, drones: Rio de Janeiro to put electronic eyes on crime
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | AFP | Rio de Janeiro state is moving ahead with plans to deploy security cameras and drones to help fight crime, according to its next governor, a far-right politician loyal to president-elect Jair Bolsonaro. A tender to install 30,000 cameras will be launched soon, Wilson …
Read More »Israeli women hold nationwide protest over domestic violence
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Thousands of Israeli women protested against domestic violence in a nationwide strike on Tuesday, calling for more action and state funding to deal with the problem. The strike came after two girls were killed last week, bringing the number of women and girls murdered in …
Read More »US reestablishes permanent diplomatic presence in Somalia
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States has reestablished a permanent diplomatic presence in Somalia nearly three decades after it closed its Mogadishu embassy in January 1991, the State Department said Tuesday. “This historic event reflects Somalia’s progress in recent years and is another step forward in formalizing …
Read More »British MPs deal PM May stinging rebuke on Brexit
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s government suffered a stinging rebuke from MPs ahead of Tuesday’s momentous Brexit debate, exposing Prime Minister Theresa May’s lack of support in parliament. The House of Commons voted 311-293 to censure the government for failing to publish its full legal advice about the …
Read More »Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage quits UKIP
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage resigned Tuesday from the UK Independence Party which he co-founded and turned into an influential force in British politics as its leader for nearly a decade. “With a heavy heart, I am leaving UKIP. It is not the Brexit party …
Read More »Biden says he’s ‘most qualified’ to be US president
Washington, United States | AFP | Former US vice president Joe Biden has stoked speculation he may run for the White House in 2020 by saying he believes he is the “most qualified person” to be president. Biden, 76, made the remarks on Monday night while in Montana during a …
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