A Slovak website has published the unfinished investigative report on alleged government ties to the mafia written by slain journalist Jan Kuciak. Kuciak and his girlfriend, Martina Kusnirova, were found dead Sunday in their home east of Bratislava. It was the first time a journalist’s death in Slovakia was linked to his or her work.Read more
U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura says the world body “has not and will not” give up in demanding implementation of a 30-day cease-fire across Syria. Speaking Thursday in Geneva, de Mistura said both pro-government and opposition forces must stop shelling each other and allow for aid convoys to reach civilians, particularly in theRead more
Turkey is pushing back against international calls for it to abide by a U.N.-backed cease-fire in Syria. The U.N. call for a truce comes as Ankara continues to escalate its offensive in the Syrian enclave of Afrin against the YPG Kurdish militia. “Baseless,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamdi Aksoy called comments by U.S. State DepartmentRead more
Artificial Intelligence is on the cusp of transforming our world in ways many of us can barely imagine. While there’s much excitement about emerging technologies, a new report by 26 of the world’s leading AI researchers warns of the potential dangers that could emerge over the coming decade, as AI systems begin to surpass levelsRead more
Five years after Ethiopia began construction of the Renaissance Dam on the River Nile, downstream neighbors Egypt and Sudan worry about impact on the river’s water levels and potential harm to agriculture and industry. …Read more
Venezuela’s opposition coalition decried a decision by a former state governor to run against President Nicolas Maduro in elections in April, accusing him on Wednesday of undercutting their strategy of boycotting the vote. Henri Falcon, 56, a former military man who broke with the ruling socialists in 2010 to join the opposition, launched his candidacyRead more
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher has reopened three days after Christian leaders shut it down in protest over Israeli plans to impose taxes on church-owned real estate. The Jerusalem Municipality says commercial church properties such as hotels and shops should not be exempt, and it claimed that churches owed the city $180 million inRead more
The International Olympic Committee has reinstated Russia’s membership after suspending it over state-sponsored doping allegations. “The Russian Olympic Committee has had its rights fully restored,” said Alexander Zhukov, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee. The IOC had banned Russian athletes from competing under the country’s flag during the 2018 Winter Games in South KoreaRead more
The United Nations has set up a 24-hour helpline to fight sexual harassment among its staff in the workplace as part of its Zero Tolerance policy regarding sexual exploitation and abuse. The so-called “Speak Up” hotline is part of the U.N. Secretary-General’s wider initiative to fight sexual harassment and to support victims and witnesses. U.N.Read more
The Russian Embassy in Washington has a new address, at least symbolically. A one-block section of Wisconsin Avenue directly in front of the embassy was officially renamed Boris Nemtsov Plaza on Tuesday, in what amounts to a D.C.-sponsored effort to troll the Russian government. A former deputy prime minister, Nemtsov became an opposition activist andRead more
U.S. senators who just returned from a trip to Israel called Tuesday for an increase in the $38 billion in military aid the United States is currently providing Israel, signaling support for more funds for Israeli missile systems. Senators Lindsey Graham, a leading Republican foreign policy voice, and Chris Coons, a Democratic member of theRead more
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez should increase efforts to talk with opposition leaders who claim he stole November elections, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said during a visit to the Central American country. Haley met Tuesday with Hernandez and stressed that the United States considers Honduras “an excellent friend.” She thanked Hernandez’sRead more
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley pledged on Tuesday to raise the problem of drug trafficking at the United Nations after visiting Honduras and Guatemala this week and appeared to finesse a threat made by President Donald Trump to cut aid over the flow of drugs into the United States. Trump this monthRead more
Fernando Segovia, the director general of Brazil’s federal police who spearheaded the country’s sprawling corruption cases, was replaced Tuesday, the press office of the newly created Public Security Ministry said in a statement. Segovia, who took office in November, came under pressure from prosecutors, federal police investigators and local media after he told Reuters inRead more
Venezuela’s foreign minister said Tuesday that U.S. sanctions against the ailing oil nation were making foreign debt renegotiation more difficult and causing “panic” at global banks. Venezuela is undergoing a major economic crisis, with millions dealing with food and medicine shortages, and President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist government is late in paying interest of $1.9 billionRead more
Haiti’s ambassador to Washington, Paul Altidor, has been on a mission to show his native country’s best and brightest side since mid-January, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported disparaging remarks about Haitian immigrants. Trump’s reported use of a vulgar term to describe Haiti and African nations angered the Haitian-American community, sparking rallies inRead more
Turkey’s parliament stripped two lawmakers from a pro-Kurdish party of their parliamentary status on Tuesday for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and sharing a picture of a fighter who fought alongside a Kurdish militia in Syria. The move further reduced the parliamentary strength of the Democratic People’s Party (HDP), the second-largest opposition party in theRead more
Hundreds of Iraqi families forced to flee last year’s fighting in Mosul are being prevented from returning home by their communities because they had a relative who joined Islamic State, an aid worker said Tuesday. Communities are also barring some families from accessing aid for the same reason, said Omar Ali, Iraq country director ofRead more