Category: Technology

Guinea President Alpha Conde announced on Monday that he was replacing his security minister following deadly protests against suspected efforts by Conde to extend his mandate. Conde, 81, is due to step down next year when his second and final five-year term expires, but he…

Iraqi officials expressed "deep regret" on Monday at the death of protesters during weeks of unrest but defended Baghdad's handling of the situation. Nearly 300 people have been killed in Iraq since the protests against political corruption, unemployment and poor public services began on Oct.…

The Ukrainian military and Russia-backed separatist rebels have completed a pullback of troops and weapons from an area in eastern Ukraine embroiled in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people, officials said Monday. The disengagement near Petrivske that began Saturday followed a recent…

Authorities declared a state of emergency across a broad swath of Australia's east coast on Monday, urging residents in high risk areas to evacuate ahead of looming "catastrophic" fire conditions. Bushfires burning across New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland states have already killed three people…

The United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq warned Sunday of the need for timely, tangible results in the government's response to protests that began in early October, and offered a roadmap to address some of the demonstrators' demands. The U.N. office issued a statement saying…

A Hong Kong police officer shot at masked protesters on Monday morning, hitting at least one in the torso, as anger sparked by the recent death of a student spilled into the rush hour commute. The shooting, which was broadcast live on Facebook, is the…

Pope Francis says he intends to go to South Sudan, where efforts are underway to salvage a peace deal. In public remarks Sunday, Francis also urged the African nation's leaders to find “consensus” for the good of the country. South Sudan President Salva Kiir and…

U.N. monitors report scores of civilians are being killed and wounded, and thousands are fleeing their homes as violence and human rights abuse escalate in northern and northeastern Syria.    In just the last five days, at least 92 civilians have been killed in these…

Voters are going to the polls Sunday in Romania for the country's presidential election. Analysts say incumbent Klaus Iohannis will likely be returned to office in a runoff vote. Centrist liberal Iohannis, unlike some other Eastern European leaders, has not embraced nationalism. Polls indicate he…

A U.N. agency is urging the Iraqi government to address the grievances of its people or risk that the ongoing deadly protests across the country could spiral even further out of control. Since anti-government protests began Oct. 1, the U.N. Human Rights Office has documented…

Hundreds of pilgrims Saturday from India’s minority Sikh community crossed the international border with Pakistan without a visa for the first time in 72 years to pay homage to one of their holiest shrines. The rare instance of cooperation to facilitate the religious journey comes…

Are the West's secrets safe in the hands of Britain’s politicians? It is a question Britain’s intelligence officers are asking themselves — so, too, their counterparts in the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing relationship that includes the U.S., Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It's a tie-up that’s…

Political tensions are simmering in Cambodia. While most people are going about their everyday lives, there is an undercurrent of apprehension. Saturday is the day longtime opposition leader Sam Rainsy pegged as the date he planned to return to Cambodia, potentially ending nearly four years…

U.S. counterterrorism officials are increasingly worried Islamic State fighters captured as the terror group's caliphate collapsed in Syria will find their way back to the battlefield. The concern, they say, is most acute for the approximately 2,000 foreign fighters who are being kept in a…

Since the start of the impeachment inquiry six weeks ago, more than a dozen current and former Trump administration officials have refused to testify before House of Representatives investigators, raising questions about Congress' ability to summon key witnesses.    In the latest instance, acting White House…

A student at a Hong Kong university who fell during protests earlier this week died Friday, the first student death in months of anti-government demonstrations in the Chinese-ruled city that is likely to be a trigger for fresh unrest. Chow Tsz-lok, 22, an undergraduate student…

U.S.-Chinese trade contracted again in October, despite optimism about possible progress in talks aimed at ending a tariff war that threatens global economic growth. Chinese imports of U.S. goods fell 14.3% from a year earlier to $9.4 billion, customs data showed Friday. Exports to the…

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck northwestern Iran early Friday, killing at least five people and injuring more than 300 others, officials said. The temblor struck Tark county in Iran’s Eastern Azerbaijan province at 2:17 a.m., Iran’s seismological center said. The area is about 400 kilometers…

When billboards in Chinese start appearing, along with Korean and Japanese grocery stores and restaurants that span tastes from almost all of Asia, they are signs that you have entered California's San Gabriel Valley. For some people, it is a bedroom community of Los Angeles.…

U.S. Democrats are celebrating election victories in the states of Virginia and Kentucky that could point to trouble for Republican President Donald Trump and his bid for re-election next year.  Thanks to support from suburban voters, Democrats took control of both chambers of the state…

Melania Trump is visiting a Boston hospital's cuddling program that aims to help infants born dependent on drugs or alcohol. The first lady's stop Wednesday at Boston Medical Center is part of her “Be Best” initiative. The hospital developed the program to nurture babies born…

A Chilean prosecutor on Wednesday said he would seek court approval to investigate 14 police officers for allegedly torturing protesters during almost three weeks of intense unrest and rioting in the country. Manual Guerra, the prosecutor for Santiago East, said the investigation was related to…

Voting in U.S. state and local elections on Tuesday showed no evidence of successful tampering by any foreign government, the Justice Department and six U.S. security agencies said. But Russia, China, Iran and other adversaries of the United States will seek to meddle in U.S.…

From ex-prostitutes making jewelry out of bullet casing to drones delivering blood, rising numbers of businesses with a mission to help address social problems are emerging in Ethiopia as the economy opens up. An estimated 55,000 social enterprises operate in Ethiopia, the second-most populous country…

Brazil's mining regulator on Tuesday blasted iron ore miner Vale SA for failing to disclose problems with a mining dam before a deadly collapse in January, saying this kept the agency from taking actions that could have saved lives. The dam in Brumadinho collapsed and…

U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to tap Steve Biegun, the special representative for North Korea, as deputy secretary of state could spur Washington’s denuclearization talks with Pyongyang, said experts. “[Biegun’s] in a position now where he will have much more influence, and he will be…

North Korea on Tuesday lashed out at the United States for mentioning Pyongyang in its annual report on state sponsors of terrorism, saying the report is an example of Washington's "hostile policy" that is limiting chances for dialogue. The U.S. State Department on Friday published…

Newly-announced U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's construction sector have drawn a skeptical response from some Iran analysts who foresee the measures doing only limited harm to one of its top industries. In an Oct. 31 announcement, the Trump administration said it had imposed sanctions on Iran's…