13-04-2023 AMSTERDAM: Protesters disrupted French President Emmanuel Macron’s speech in the Netherlands about Europe’s future as he faces mass protests over pension reform back home. Security officials detained a demonstrator who shouted at Macron outside Amsterdam University on Wednesday in the latest disturbance during the French president’s state visit to …
Read More »Italy adopts state of emergency over migrants
13-04-2023 ROME: Italy’s cabinet on Tuesday announced a state of emergency on immigration following a “sharp rise” in flows across the Mediterranean, a statement said, in a move aimed at better management of migrant arrivals and repatriation facilities. The state of emergency will be backed by initial funding of 5 …
Read More »Syria to reopen embassy in Tunisia after 10-year closure
13-04-2023 DAMASCUS: War-torn Syria will reopen its diplomatic mission in Tunisia and appoint an ambassador there, Damascus and Tunis say in a joint statement. The announcement on Wednesday came after more than a decade of strained ties. Syria’s decision followed a similar move by Tunisia on April 3 when President …
Read More »Russia eyes digital draft as Ukraine war losses mount
13-04-2023 MOSCOW: Russia plans to introduce electronic military draft papers in an effort to make it harder for men to avoid being called up to fight in Ukraine. The State Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, approved the necessary legislation in two separate votes at lightning speed on Tuesday with …
Read More »Erdogan launches election campaign with pledge to slash Turkey inflation
12-04-2023 ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan launched his re-election campaign on Tuesday with a party pledge to slash inflation to single digits and boost growth, as he seeks to extend his two decades in power in a May 14 vote. Erdogan is facing the biggest political challenge since his AK …
Read More »Indian court seeks gov’t response on comic’s challenge to IT rules
12-04-2023 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: An Indian court has directed the government to respond to an appeal submitted by a comedian challenging recent changes to the country’s Information Technology (IT) rules, which prevent social media platforms from hosting information that the government terms “fake”. The rules dictate that social media …
Read More »‘Louisville bank shooting was live-streamed on Instagram’
12-04-2023 LOUISVILLE: Authorities have said that the gunman who stormed a bank in Louisville, Kentucky on Monday morning killing at least five people and injuring eight others live-streamed the attack on Instagram. According to interim Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, the shooter has been identified as an employee at …
Read More »Huge security operation as NI prepares for Biden
12-04-2023 BELFAST/ WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden intends to emphasize his country’s “commitment to preserving peace” in Northern Ireland when he visits Belfast this evening. He will arrive in the city to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday peace agreement. The 1998 deal brought an …
Read More »AI could replace equivalent of 300 million jobs
12-04-2023 (Courtesy BBC News) LONDON: Artificial intelligence (AI) could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs, a report by investment bank Goldman Sachs says. It could replace a quarter of work tasks in the US and Europe but may also mean new jobs and a productivity boom and it …
Read More »Italy moves to rescue 1,200 migrants on boats
12-04-2023 ROME: The Italian coastguard is carrying out two large-scale operations to rescue around 1,200 migrants from overcrowded boats off the coast of Sicily. About 800 people are travelling on one of the fishing boats, while around 400 are on another. The country’s coastguard has already rescued around 2,000 people …
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