EU, Gulf leaders meet for first summit as Mideast turmoil churns
BRUSSELS — The leaders of the European Union and six Gulf nations met for an inaugural summit on Wednesday against a backdrop of turmoil in the Middle East and struggles to find a unified position on the war in Ukraine…
Growing number of young women say abortion rights top election issue
Since the U.S. Supreme Court sent the issue of abortion back to the states in 2022, Democrats have mobilized to protect abortion rights while Republicans have worked to restrict the procedure on religious and moral grounds. The issue is motivating…
China says unidentified foreign company conducted illegal mapping services
BEIJING — China’s state security ministry said that a foreign company had been found to have illegally conducted geographic mapping activities in the country under the guise of autonomous driving research and outsourcing to a licensed Chinese mapping firm. The…
‘Yet another’ Israeli strike on peacekeepers’ position in southern Lebanon
According to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), early morning on Wednesday (local time), peacekeepers in position near Kafer Kela observed an IDF Merkava tank firing at their watchtower. Two cameras were destroyed, and the tower was damaged. “Yet…
Lebanon war: Essential services in south facing collapse, warns UN
“Today, Israeli airstrikes hit the town of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, yet again… As the theatre and intensity of the exchanges of fire continue to expand, civilian suffering is reaching unprecedented heights,” said UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert in a…
Security Council meets on north Gaza as ‘supplies for survival’ run out
Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, briefed ambassadors on the situation in the north, where fighting has escalated. Hospitals are running out of fuel and critical medical supplies, and food stocks are dwindling. Patients burned alive Ms. Msuya said…
Chinese cyber association calls for review of Intel products sold in China
BEIJING — Intel products sold in China should be subject to a security review, the Cybersecurity Association of China (CSAC) said on Wednesday, alleging the U.S. chipmaker has “constantly harmed” the country’s national security and interests. While CSAC is an…
EU AI Act checker reveals Big Tech’s compliance pitfalls
LONDON — Some of the most prominent artificial intelligence models are falling short of European regulations in key areas such as cybersecurity resilience and discriminatory output, according to data seen by Reuters. The EU had long debated new AI regulations…
Ukraine destroys 51 Russian drones
Ukraine’s military said Wednesday it shot down 51 drones that Russia used to target the country in overnight attacks. The intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil and Zhytomyr regions,…
‘Age of electricity’ to follow looming fossil fuel peak, IEA says
LONDON — The world is on the brink of a new age of electricity with fossil fuel demand set to peak by the end of the decade, meaning surplus oil and gas supplies could drive investment into green energy, the…