World News

Maduro, Iranian diplomat discuss defense against 'external pressures'

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the visiting Iranian foreign minister discussed the need for "vigilance in defending their national interests against external pressures," according to a statement released Saturday.. On Friday, the two parties "emphasized the strengthening and monitoring of projects and accelerating their implementation, as well as vigilance in defending their national interests against external pressures," a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry said. 

Sat, Feb 4, 2023 1 mins read

World News

Pakistan to appeal to Taliban leader over police mosque bombing

Islamabad will ask the secretive supreme leader of Afghanistan's Taliban to rein in militants in Pakistan after a suicide bombing killed scores of police in a mosque, officials said Saturday.. Detectives have blamed an affiliate of the Pakistani Taliban -- the most notorious militant outfit in the area -- for the Monday blast in Peshawar which killed 84 people inside a fortified police headquarters.

Sat, Feb 4, 2023 2 mins read

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Chinese balloon advanced, hard to shoot down: US expert

The first Chinese surveillance balloon that the Pentagon found flying over sensitive US ballistic missile sites may be guided by advanced artificial intelligence technology, a US expert said Friday.. Artificial intelligence has made it possible for a balloon, just by reading the changes in the air around it, to adjust its altitude to guide it where it wants to go, Kim said.

Sat, Feb 4, 2023 3 mins read

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ASEAN ministers urge Myanmar junta to implement agreed peace plan

Southeast Asian ministers at the end of two-day talks in Indonesia on Saturday urged Myanmar's junta to implement a five-point peace plan agreed two years ago to create a path towards ending the country's political crisis.. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Jakarta proposed an implementation plan to ASEAN members for the "five-point consensus" agreed with the junta in April 2021 that called for an end to violence and dialogue between the military and rebels.

Sat, Feb 4, 2023 1 mins read

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Europe in crossfire of US-China economic rivalry

The economic confrontation between the United States and China has put Europe in the crossfire, with Washington's plan to boost green industries threatening to cause collateral damage to a key ally.. "Europe has become a bit of collateral damage in this" effort to reduce dependence on China, she said.

Fri, Feb 3, 2023 3 mins read

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US climate subsidies unsettle Europe's green industry plans

An empty field near Heide in a corner of Germany known more for its cabbage farming is the chosen site for a huge battery factory and potential pillar of the country's future green economy.. The potential for thousands of jobs and creating a new local industry was "very important" for the region, as well as Germany and Europe, Heide mayor Oliver Schmidt-Gutzat told AFP. Germany's future as an "auto nation" depended on having a domestic industrial base capable of building "the most important components in terms of added value", including batteries, local IG Metall union leader Martin Bitter told AFP. "Europe has to react" to stop industries and jobs from drifting towards the United States, the union official said, calling for more state support.

Fri, Feb 3, 2023 3 mins read

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France urges 'transparency' over US climate subsidies

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has called for "transparency" between the United States and Europe over the controversial granting of green subsidies and tax breaks.. "The most important thing is that we cooperate with allies to have transparency about the amount of subsidies and tax credits that will be granted," said Le Maire.

Fri, Feb 3, 2023 2 mins read

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Pope to meet war victims on South Sudan peace pilgrimage

Pope Francis on Saturday will meet victims of South Sudan's civil war, a day after delivering an impassioned appeal for the country's leaders to recommit to peace for the sake of their long-suffering people.. Human rights groups have urged Francis to press South Sudan's leaders to address widespread impunity for abuses and deliver justice for victims of war-era atrocities committed on their watch. 

Fri, Feb 3, 2023 2 mins read

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China's mega-rich move their wealth, and partying, to Singapore

Singapore is seeing an influx of ultra-wealthy families from China looking to protect their wealth from a Communist Party that increasingly views them with suspicion.. Other Chinese tycoons fear the Communist Party could apply similar pressure or even take over their businesses at low prices, an accountant familiar with the situation told AFP. "Moving to Singapore is about making sure the family wealth is kept safe and can last for several generations," the accountant said.

Fri, Feb 3, 2023 3 mins read

World News

Brazil scuttles warship in Atlantic despite pollution concerns

Brazil on Friday sank a decommissioned aircraft carrier, the Navy announced, despite environmental groups claiming the formerly French ship was packed with toxic materials.. Though defense officials said they would sink the vessel in the "safest area," environmentalists attacked the decision, saying the aircraft carrier contains tons of asbestos, heavy metals and other toxic materials that could leach into the water and pollute the marine food chain.

Fri, Feb 3, 2023 2 mins read