Islamist-led rebels advanced on Syria’s fourth-largest city Hama Tuesday, buoyed by their lightning capture of swathes of the north in an offensive that ended four years of relative calm.The sudden flare-up in the more than decade-old civil war in Syria just as a fragile ceasefire took effect in neighbouring Lebanon drew appeals for de-escalation from …
Army resistance toughens as rebels near Syria’s Hama Read More »
Meta on Tuesday said fears that artificial intelligence would unleash a torrent of misinformation to deceive voters around the world did not come true as elections played out around the world this year.Defenses against deceptive influence campaigns at the networking giant’s platform held firm, with no evidence that such coordinated efforts got much attention online, …
Meta says no sign of AI bedeviling elections in 2024 Read More »
Georgia’s prime minister on Tuesday threatened to punish his political opponents, accusing them of being behind violence at mass protests, as Tbilisi’s top court rejected a key lawsuit to annul the result of a contested October vote. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze — who infuriated protesters last week by announcing his government would shelve EU accession …
Georgia PM vows retribution for protests as court rejects bid to annul vote Read More »
Notre Dame cathedral will reopen in Paris on Saturday with incoming US president Donald Trump set to attend the ceremony marking the resurrection of the Gothic masterpiece five years after a devastating fire.The Republican confirmed Monday he had accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the grand re-opening of the 850-year-old edifice …
Notre Dame to reopen in Paris with Trump in attendance Read More »
Teenage student Aniksha is relieved to be back in class in India’s capital — even if the choking smog that prompted her school to close last month has yet to dissipate.New Delhi and the surrounding metropolitan area is home to more than 30 million people and is blanketed by a thick and acrid haze each …
Relief as Delhi schools reopen but smog crisis persists Read More »
EU countries agreed Tuesday on a push for stricter anti-smoking rules, backing bans on smoking and vaping in many outdoor areas including playgrounds and cafe patios.A recommendation inviting member states to crack down on second-hand smoke and vapour was adopted by health ministers from the bloc’s 27 nations meeting in Brussels. “Today’s agreement is a crucial …
EU countries push for outdoor smoking and vaping bans Read More »
France on Tuesday braced for new political turmoil as opposition lawmakers prepared to back a no-confidence motion this week that risks toppling the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier after just three months in office.A standoff between Barnier and the opposition over the 2025 budget, which has caused jitters on financial markets, follows months of …
France risks fresh political crisis in no-confidence vote Read More »
One of Thailand’s most prominent human rights activists was sentenced to two years in prison Tuesday under the kingdom’s royal defamation law, his fifth conviction on the controversial charges, a legal rights group said.Thailand has some of the world’s strictest royal defamation laws, which shield King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family from criticism and …
Thai dissident jailed for two more years over royal defamation Read More »
Thousands of people have been displaced by torrential floodwaters that slammed into southern Thailand, where the death toll has risen to 25, officials said on Tuesday. Flooding since November 22 has affected more than 660,000 homes in the kingdom’s south, the country’s disaster agency said on its Facebook page. Suwas Bin-Uma, a chicken farm owner in Songkhla …
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te toured the Marshall Islands on Tuesday, after visiting the United States on the first stop of a Pacific trip that has angered Chinese leaders.The Marshall Islands is one of 12 remaining nations that recognise Taiwan diplomatically after others jumped ship to China following promises of aid and investment.Taiwan calls itself a …
Taiwan’s Lai kicks off Marshall Islands visit as China fumes Read More »
