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☆ Slovaks Vote in Presidential Election That Might Bolster PM Fico
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Slovaks vote in a presidential election on Saturday that could strengthen Prime Minister Robert Fico's grip on power as he seeks more control over public media, softer anti-corruption laws and a dissenting voice to EU support for Ukraine. Polls are open in the first round of voting from 7:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) until 10:00 p.m. (2100 GMT). A run-off between the top two candidates is due on April 6 if no one wins a majority this weekend. Pellegrini, a former prime minister and member of Fico's leftist, ruling SMER party and now the head of junior coalition partner HLAS, is hoping to duplicate that success. Caputova won the last presidential election in 2019, riding an anti-corruption wave aimed at Fico's party, which was in power then.

Persons: Robert Fico's, Fico's, Peter Pellegrini, Zuzana Caputova, Fico, Pellegrini, HLAS, Ivan Korcok, Caputova, Korcok, Jason Hovet, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, Ukraine, EU, Constitutional, RTVS Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Kyiv, Prague

☆ Food Aid for Sudanese Refugees in Chad Could End Next Month, WFP Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA (Reuters) - Food aid for hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees in Chad, some of whom are close to starvation, will be suspended next month without more funding, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday. But the WFP says it is struggling to feed them all and many are already skipping meals. Nearly half of Sudanese refugee children under five-years-old are suffering from severe anemia. A supply route from Chad into Sudan's Darfur, where hunger is worsening, is also at risk due to funding shortages, WFP said. With more resources, WFP would be able to position food stocks ahead of the rainy season when some refugee populations in Chad get cut off from supplies by muddy rivers.

Persons: Pierre Honnorat, Emma Farge, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Food Programme, WFP's Locations: GENEVA, Chad, Sudan, Chad into Sudan's Darfur

☆ Nigerian Army Hunts for Kidnapped Students, Parents Seek Answers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The source said the army's Kaduna-based One Division was leading the operation and "will soon have the bandits in their sights". "The security agencies and the state government are working tirelessly to ensure the freedom of all the abducted students and pupils. We are making progress," said Muhammad Shehu Lawal, a spokesperson for Kaduna state governor, without giving details. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesThe mass kidnapping last Thursday, the first since July 2021, shattered the dusty town of Kuriga, 90 km from Kaduna state capital, with parents waiting for answers from authorities. According to Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence 4,500 people have been kidnapped throughout Nigeria since Tinubu took office last May.

Persons: Garba Muhammad, Hamza Ibrahim, Muhammad Shehu Lawal, Bola Tinubu, Bala Ibrahim, Ibrahim, Tinubu, Ikemesit Effiong, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, SBM Intelligence, Security Locations: Hamza Ibrahim KADUNA, Nigeria, Kaduna, Nigerian, Kuriga, Chibok, Borno, Niger, Birnin, Lagos

☆ Belarus Prepares Law Against 'LGBT Propaganda', State Media Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Belarus has prepared a draft law punishing the "promotion of non-traditional relationships," referring to LGBT relationships, Belarusian state news agency Belta reported on Monday. The draft law is undergoing an approval procedure, he said. An anti-gay propaganda law has been on the books in neighbouring Russia since 2013 and has effectively outlawed any public expression of the behaviour or lifestyle of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals or transgender people. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesHomosexuality was decriminalised in Belarus in 1994, but the country does not recognise same-sex marriages and authorities have cracked down on LGBT pride parades. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has publicly mocked LGBT people, calling gay men "perverts" and "the ultimate abomination" in a speech to politicians last year.

Persons: Belta, Andrei Shved, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin's staunchest, Lucy Papachristou, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, LGBT Locations: Belarus, Russia

☆ Navalny's Widow Joins EU Foreign Ministers as Ukraine War Nears Two-Year Mark
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Gabriela BaczynskaBRUSSELS (Reuters) - The widow of Alexei Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin's nemesis who died in an Arctic prison last week, joins EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, days before the two-year mark of Russia's war on Ukraine. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesNavalny, a 47-year-old former lawyer, rose to prominence campaigning against corruption in Putin's Russia. The ministers are due to discuss military support for Ukraine and what would be the European Union's 13th package of sanctions against Moscow since it unleashed a full-scale invasion of its neighbour on Feb.24, 2022. Inside the EU, Germany has blocked replenishing a military fund used to supply Ukraine saying Berlin was contributing too much compared to other members. One senior EU diplomat said they believed it "will be able to make it in time" and agree the new punitive measures for Feb.24.

Persons: Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin's, Yulia Navalnaya, Putin, Josep Borrell, Navalnaya's, Donald Trump, Viktor Orban, Gabriela Baczynska, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Ukraine, Moscow, NATO, Kremlin, EU, Washington Locations: Russian, Brussels, Ukraine, Munich, Israel, Gaza, Russia, Putin's Russia, Siberia, United States, Europe, U.S, EU, Germany, Berlin, Hungary, Budapest, Kyiv, London, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania

☆ Egypt Says Displacement Is Unacceptable, but Will Deal With Civilians Humanely
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's foreign minister said on Saturday that while his country would deal with civilians humanely, the displacement of Palestinians remained unacceptable. Reuters reported on Friday that Egypt was preparing an area at the Gaza border which could accommodate Palestinians in case an Israeli military offensive into Rafah prompts an exodus across the frontier. War in Israel and Gaza View All 209 ImagesEgypt has repeatedly denied making such preparations. The area being established includes parking areas for trucks, warehouses, administrative offices, and accommodation for drivers, the governor said. Egypt has repeatedly raised the alarm over the possibility that Israel's devastating Gaza offensive could displace Palestinians into Sinai - something Cairo says would be completely unacceptable- echoing warnings from Arab states such as Jordan.

Persons: Sameh Shoukry, Shoukry, Jordan, Jon Irish, Sarah El Safty, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Munich Security Conference, Reuters Locations: CAIRO, Egypt, Gaza, Rafah, Israel, North Sinai, Sinai, Cairo

☆ Netanyahu Halted Gaza Truce Talks Over 'Delusional' Hamas Demands
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has sent negotiators for truce talks in Cairo as requested by U.S. President Joe Biden but they did not go back for further talks because Hamas' demands were "delusional," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday. A round of inconclusive talks in Cairo ended on Tuesday. Asked during a press conference on Saturday why Israeli negotiators did not return for further talks, Netanyahu said: "We got nothing except for delusional demands from Hamas." Regarding the possible "unilateral recognition" of a Palestinian state, Netanyahu said there could not be a "bigger prize for terrorism." Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has blamed Israel for a lack of progress in achieving a ceasefire deal in Gaza, the group said in a statement on Saturday.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ismail Haniyeh, Israel, Haniyeh, Ari Rabinovitch, Angus MacSwan, Mike Harrison Organizations: U.S Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Cairo, Gaza, Jerusalem, Islam, Iran, Palestinian

☆ Tractors Drive Past the Colosseum as Italy's Meloni Pledges Tax Help
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Angelo AmanteROME (Reuters) - A convoy of tractors on Friday drove past the landmarks of ancient Rome before Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told a delegation of farmers that the government would partially reintroduce a tax break for them. Four tractors, escorted by police, crossed the city streets and passed in front of the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus, adorned with Italian flags and slogans decrying the EU's green transition. We don't want to create problems, we just want answers as soon as possible," one of the protesters, Luigi Allegrini, said. Coldiretti, the main agricultural lobby, has a close relationship with the government but the current protests are being led by smaller groups. "The government has defended farmers and contested the wrong choices imposed by the European Commission from the very beginning," Meloni told the farmers.

Persons: Angelo Amante ROME, Giorgia Meloni, Maximus, Luigi Allegrini, Roberto Rosati, Meloni, Angelo Amante, Alvise Armellini, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Italian, Farmers, European Commission Locations: Rome, Europe, Spain, Poland

☆ Germany Silent on Putin's Call to Free Russian Hitman
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Rene Wagner and Thomas EscrittBERLIN (Reuters) - Germany declined to be drawn on Friday on whether talks were underway on swapping a Russian state hitman serving a life sentence in a German prison for detained U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich, an idea floated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I can't say anything on that," deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said when asked if Russia was seeking such an exchange. "I don't want to address this concrete case, please," she added when asked if Germany was in touch with the United States on the matter. People in the entourage of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is visiting Washington for talks with President Joe Biden, also declined to comment. (Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke in Washington, writing by Thomas Escritt, editing by Rachel More and Angus MacSwan)

Persons: Rene Wagner, Thomas Escritt BERLIN, Evan Gershkovich, Vladimir Putin, Gershkovich, Christiane Hoffmann, Olaf Scholz, Joe Biden, Putin, Vadim Krasikov, Kai Cornelius, Andreas Rinke, Thomas Escritt, Rachel More, Angus MacSwan Organizations: U.S, Wall, Hamburg University Locations: Germany, Russian, Russia, United States, Washington, Berlin, Chechen, Georgia, Moscow

☆ Displaced Gazans Resort to Living in Chicken Sheds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Saleh SalemRAFAH, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - With one million Gazans displaced from their homes by Israeli bombardments seeking refuge in the border town of Rafah, five families have moved into a chicken farm, living in its long concrete sheds, the battery coops transformed into bunk beds. For the Hanoon family, one of five in an extended clan that have moved in there, the chicken farm feels close to rock bottom. Then an acquaintance, a friend of my cousin's, told me there's a chicken farm in Rafah with cages," he said. But as the time went by they had to accept that the chicken sheds would be their home for much longer. "It is hard to live in a place like this, a place which was designed for chicken and birds.

Persons: Saleh Salem, Umm Mahdi Hanoon, Mahdi, Abu Mustafa, Angus McDowall, Angus MacSwan Locations: Saleh Salem RAFAH, Gaza, Rafah, Israel, Radwan, Gaza City, al

☆ Nicaragua Seeks to Join South Africa in World Court Genocide Case Against Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Nicaragua has filed an application with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to join South Africa in its genocide case against Israel, the ICJ, also known as the World Court, said on Thursday. The court said in a statement that Nicaragua considers that the conduct of Israel is in "violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention". South Africa and Israel have been invited to furnish written observations on Nicaragua's application for permission to intervene as a party. Several other states have signalled they might want to intervene in the Gaza genocide case but none have formally done so before Nicaragua. Last month the World Court ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and do more to help civilians, although it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire as requested by South Africa.

Persons: Stephanie van den Berg, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Angus MacSwan Organizations: International Court of Justice, Israel, Hamas, Court Locations: AMSTERDAM, Nicaragua, South Africa, Israel, Gaza, Africa, Palestinian

☆ Dengue Spreads Fast in Brazil Prompting Emergency Health Measures
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Ricardo Brito and Anthony BoadleBRASILIA (Reuters) - Dengue fever has surged in Brazil's hot rainy season, forcing health authorities to take emergency measures and start mass vaccination against the mosquito-borne illness. In the first five weeks of this year 364,855 cases of infection have been reported, the Health Ministry said, four times more than dengue cases in the same period of 2023. The rapid spread of dengue has caused 40 confirmed deaths, the ministry said, and a further 265 are being investigated. The Health Ministry has set up an emergency center to coordinate operations against dengue across Brazil. Dengue fever symptoms include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and an itching skin rash.

Persons: Ricardo Brito, Anthony Boadle BRASILIA, Qdenga, Tedros Adhanom, Anthony Boadle, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, Health Ministry, Federal, Army, Brazilian Air Force, World Health Organization, WHO, El Locations: Brazil, Minas Gerais, Brasilia, Brasilia ., Rio de Janeiro, Europe, America

☆ Atmospheric River Storm Leaves Over 600,000 Still Without Power in California
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - More than 600,000 homes and businesses were still without power in California early on Monday, according to data from PowerOutage.us, after an atmospheric river storm pounded the state with heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds. The storm is the second Pineapple Express weather system, or atmospheric river storm, to hit the state in the past week and arrived just as Los Angeles welcomed celebrities for the music industry's Grammy awards. According to PowerOutage.us, the utility with the most outages was Pacific Gas and Electric Co (PG&E) with over 500,000 customers without power. PG&E is a unit of California energy company PG&E Corp."Since the start of the storm 24 hours ago, PG&E crews have restored more than 565,000 customers who lost power. Approximately 570,000 customers remain out of power," PG&E said on its website.

Persons: PowerOutage.us, Gavin Newsom, Harshit Verma, Brijesh Patel, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, Pacific Gas and Electric Co, E Corp, The U.S, National, California's Locations: California, PowerOutage.us, Angeles, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, The, Bengaluru

☆ Trial of Bosnian Serb Leader Dodik Formally Begins After Delays
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - The trial of Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik on charges of defying the rulings of an international peace envoy formally begun on Monday after delays due to his protests against judges he said were biased and other complaints. The trial is taking place at Bosnia´s state court in the capital Sarajevo. The state court dismissed Bubic's earlier requests for eight judges to be exempted from the case over alleged political biases against Dodik. Asked if he has understood the indictment, Dodik said he did not understand any part of it and that it represented a "distortion of facts". "It has not been backed by a single fact, it was done under political pressure by incompetent prosecutors," Dodik told the judge.

Persons: Milorad Dodik, Dodik, Goran Bubic, Sena Uzunovic, Judge Uzunovic, Christian Schmidt, Schmidt, Bubic's, Dodik's, Gordana Bosiljcic, ´, Dodik ´, Daria Sito, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Bosnia, High, United Nations Security Council Locations: SARAJEVO, Bosnian, Bosnia, Serb Republic, German, Sarajevo, Republic

☆ Ethiopia Extends State of Emergency in Amhara
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia's parliament on Friday extended by four months a state of emergency declared in August to respond to an insurgency in the northern region of Amhara that has resulted in hundreds of deaths and drawn accusations of widespread human rights abuses. Fighting erupted in Amhara last July between federal forces and a local militia called Fano, which has accused the government of undermining the region's security. The state of emergency handed the government powers to impose curfews, restrict people's movement and ban public gatherings. The state-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has documented a range of alleged abuses in the Amhara conflict, most of which it has attributed to government forces. EHRC head Daniel Bakele said on social media on Friday that his organisation was "gravely concerned" about the implications of the extension for human rights and the humanitarian situation.

Persons: Fano, Abiy, Daniel Bakele, Dawit Endeshaw, Bhargav Acharya, Aaron Ross, Angus MacSwan Organizations: ADDIS ABABA, Reuters, Ethiopian Human Rights Locations: ADDIS, Amhara, Fano, Tigray

☆ US Court Blocks Florida Law Barring Chinese Citizens From Owning Property
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Daniel Wiessner(Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court has blocked Florida from enforcing a ban on Chinese citizens owning homes or land in the state against two Chinese nationals who were in the process of buying property when the law was adopted. Circuit Court of Appeals said on Thursday the individuals were likely to prevail on claims that Florida's ban violates a federal law governing real estate purchases by foreign nationals. A Florida federal judge in August had declined to block the law, prompting an appeal by the plaintiffs. Lawmakers in several Republican-led states including Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama are considering similar restrictions on Chinese citizens owning property. It also bars most citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia and North Korea from owning property near military installations and infrastructure such as power plants and airports.

Persons: Daniel Wiessner, Ashley Moody, Bethany Li, Li, Ron DeSantis, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Circuit, Appeals, Republican, Constitution, Asian American Legal Defense, Education Fund, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Florida, Atlanta, Texas , Louisiana, Alabama, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Albany , New York

☆ Italy's Meloni Urges Swift Trial for Italian Activist Held in Hungary
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Italian anti-fascist activist held in Hungary for assaulting far-right militants should be granted a quick trial, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday, wading into a controversy that is souring relations between Rome and Budapest. The case is politically sensitive due to the long-standing ties between Meloni and her Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, who met in Brussels as part of a summit of European Union leaders. "What I talked about with the Hungarian prime minister is ensuring that our compatriots are treated with dignity, respect, and (given) a fair trial, and I would also say a speedy one," Meloni told reporters. Prosecutors are seeking an 11-year sentence for Salis, who is next due in court on May 24. Meloni told reporters she hoped Salis could prove her innocence, and said that while in Italy prisoners are never put in chains and shackles, this was normal in Hungary.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Ilaria Salis, Viktor Orban, Meloni, Salis, Prosecutors, Angelo Amante, Alvise Armellini, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Italian, Union Locations: BRUSSELS, Italian, Hungary, Rome, Budapest, Italy, Meloni, Brussels, Milan

☆ Hamas Studies Ceasefire Proposal After Deadly Israeli Hospital Raid in West Bank
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

By Raneen SawaftaWEST BANK/GAZA/DOHA (Reuters) -Hamas said on Tuesday it would study a new ceasefire proposal in the war with Israel in Gaza, hours after Israeli commandos killed three Palestinian militants in a raid on a hospital in the occupied West Bank. The raid underscored the risk of the Gaza war spreading to other fronts, while Israeli forces fought new battles with Hamas fighters in the Palestinian enclave. The Israeli undercover squad broke into the hospital, headed to the third floor and killed them using silenced pistols, hospital sources said. Since then, 26,751 Palestinians have been killed and 65,636 wounded by Israeli actions in Gaza, the Gaza health ministry said. TANKS IN ACTIONIsrael mounted a new push in northern Gaza after earlier reporting successes against Palestinian militants there.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, William Burns, Qatar's, Islamic Jihad, Ibn Sina, Mohammad, Najy Nazzal, Mai Alkaila, Mohammed Jalamneh, Israel, Christian Lindmeier, Alkaila, Al Shifa, Khan Younis, Crescent, Ari Rabinovitch, Daniel Williams, Nidal Al Mughrabi, Ali Sawafta, Emma Farge, Angus MacSwan, Timothy Heritage, Gareth Jones Organizations: BANK, Reuters, West Bank, CIA, Islamic, Hamas, Basel Al, Palestinian Health, United Nations, World Health Organization, WHO, Nasser, Health, Palestinian, Residents, Deir Al, Al, Amal Locations: GAZA, DOHA, Israel, Gaza, Paris, Cairo, Ibn Sina, Jenin, Basel, Geneva, Beach, Al, Israeli, Kuwaiti, Gaza City, Deir, Jerusalem, Doha, Ramallah, Clauda, Dubai

☆ Factbox-Key Takeaways From the World Court Decision in Israeli Genocide Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The top United Nations court for handling disputes between states was ruling in a case brought by South Africa. The court ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts in Gaza. WHAT HAS BEEN THE REACTION TO THE ICJ RULING? "The ICJ judges assessed the facts and the law, they ruled in favour of humanity and international law," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the ruling helped to isolate Israel on the world stage.

Persons: Israel, Joan Donoghue, Judge Julia Sebutinde, Aharon Barak, Barak, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Friday's, Riyad al, Maliki, Sami Abu Zuhri, Cyril Ramaphosa, Anthony Deutsch, Stephanie van den Berg, Gareth Jones, Angus MacSwan Organizations: HAGUE, Reuters, Court of Justice, United Nations, ICJ, National, Palestinian Locations: Israel, Gaza, South Africa, United States, Uganda, Nazi

☆ Explainer-What Is the Two-State Solution to the Israel-Palestinian Conflict?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +10 min

Obstacles have long impeded the two-state solution, which envisages Israeli and Palestinian states alongside each other. Advocates of the two-state solution have envisaged a Palestine in the Gaza Strip and West Bank linked by a corridor through Israel. As the two-state solution has floundered, talk of a one-state solution has risen. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a Jan. 23 speech, said the two-state solution remained the only way to address the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians. He criticised "clear and repeated rejection of the two-state solution at the highest levels of the Israeli government".

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Rabin, Bill Clinton, Arafat, Ehud Barak, Camp David, Jerusalem, Joe Biden, Abdel Fattah al, Abbas, Mahmoud Abbas, Bezalel Smotrich, Netanyahu, Abbas's Fatah, Biden, Osama Hamdan, General Antonio Guterres, Nidal al, Ali Sawafta, Maayan Lubell, Dan Williams, Ari Rabinovitch, Tom Perry, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, United Nations, Arab League, Israel, West Bank, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Palestinian Authority, Israeli, Bank, Geneva Accord, Finance Locations: Washington, Gaza, Palestinian, Jordan, Jerusalem, Palestine, Europe, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, East Jerusalem, Egypt, U.S, Oslo, Israeli, West Bank, Jordanian, Oslo Accords, U.N

☆ Pope Francis, Victim of AI, Warns Against Its 'Perverse' Dangers
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Philip PullellaVATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, acknowledging that he was the victim of a deepfake photo, on Wednesday warned against the "perverse" dangers of artificial intelligence, renewing a call for its worldwide regulation to harness it for the common good. Francis spoke of his fears and hopes for artificial intelligence (AI) in his message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Social Communications, which will be marked around the world on May 12. Francis also spoke of fake "audio messages that use a person's voice to say things which that person never said". He renewed a call he made last month for a legally binding international treaty to regulate AI. AI must support and not eliminate the role of journalism on the ground, he said.

Persons: Philip Pullella, Pope Francis, Francis, Joe Biden's, Angus MacSwan Organizations: CITY, Wednesday, Roman Catholic, Social Communications Locations: U.S ., New Hampshire

☆ Pope Issues New Anti-War Plea as He Evokes Nazi Holocaust
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has issued a new plea against all wars as he evoked the horror of the mass killing of Jews and other victims of the Nazis ahead of Saturday's Holocaust Memorial Day. "Let us not get tired of praying for peace, for conflicts to end, for weapons to stop, for relief for exhausted populations," Francis added. The leader of the world's more than 1.35 billion Roman Catholics mentioned the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the bombing of civilians in "martyred Ukraine". He repeated his assertion that "war is always a defeat" in which "the only winners, so to speak, are weapons manufacturers". (Reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Angus MacSwan)

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Alvise Armellini, Angus MacSwan Organizations: VATICAN CITY Locations: Ukraine

☆ Relatives of Gaza Hostages Storm Israeli Parliament Panel as Protests Mount
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The action by about 20 people signalled growing domestic dissent in the fourth month of the Gaza war. One woman held up pictures of three family members who were among the 253 people seized in the cross-border Hamas rampage of Oct. 7 that triggered the worst fighting in decades. Parliamentary ushers, often quick to eject hecklers or protesters, stood by during the ruckus in the Knesset Finance Committee. On Sunday, Netanyahu rejected conditions presented by Hamas to end the war and release hostages that would includeIsrael's complete withdrawal and leaving Hamas in power in Gaza. (Writing by Dan Williams and Steven Scheer, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Persons: Steven Scheer, Dan Williams JERUSALEM, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Moshe Gafni, Netanyahu, Israel's, Dan Williams, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Parliamentary, Jewish, Forum Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, Netanyahu's

☆ Ethiopians Celebrate 'Timket' Festival That Marks Jesus' Baptism
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Dawit EndeshawADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox followers gathered in the capital Addis Ababa on Friday and Saturday to celebrate Epiphany, also called Timket, a religious festival commemorating Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River. Although the religious festival was celebrated across the country, in some areas it was disrupted by conflict in the Amhara region. Gondar, Amhara region's second-biggest city, usually attracts many people during the Timket festival. But a few days prior to the festival clashes broke out between government forces and Fano, a local militia. "Many who planned to attend Timket in Gondar have already cancelled their plan," a resident of Gondar told Reuters.

Persons: Jesus, Jan Meda, Abune Mathias, Ethiopia's, Fano, Elias Biryabarema, Angus MacSwan Organizations: ADDIS ABABA, Reuters, UNESCO, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Ethiopian Locations: ADDIS, Addis Ababa, Jordan, Ethiopian, Ethiopia's, Tigray, Amhara, Gondar, Fano

☆ Over 100 Flights Cancelled at Dublin Airport Due to Storm
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Airlines cancelled 102 flights in and out of Dublin airport on Sunday due to a storm that was forecast to rage for the rest of the day, the airport operator said. Storm Isha had also forced 24 aborted landings by 1700 GMT, while 27 flights opted to divert to other airports, Dublin Airport said in a post on social media platform X.Ireland's national meteorological service Met Eireann issued an orange weather warning early on Sunday for most of the country, including Dublin, meaning the winds could significantly impact people, property and activity in an area. Parts of the west and northwest were placed under a more severe red warning. Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport cancelled 130 flights scheduled for Monday as a preventive measure because of strong winds expected when Storm Isha reaches the Netherlands, the airport said on Sunday. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin, Editng by Angus MacSwan)

Persons: Storm Isha, Padraic Halpin, Angus MacSwan Organizations: DUBLIN, Reuters, Airlines, Dublin Airport, Met, Schiphol Locations: Dublin, Netherlands, Editng

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