Category: International Conflict

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The Connecticut Appellate Court on Friday affirmed a $965 million verdict from 2022 against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, determining there’s “sufficient evidence” to support the damages awarded to relatives of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre victims and an FBI agent. In its unanimous opinion, the court cited the “traumatic threats and harassment” the families endured…

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries said on Thursday it will transfer ownership of its business venture that sold generics in Japan to JKI. Israel-based Teva’s deal with JKI will transfer all the shares of the unit Teva-Takeda and its subsidiary Teva Takeda Yakuhin to the firm. Teva-Takeda is a joint venture established in 2016 by Japanese drugmaker Takeda and Teva, focusing primarily…

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s factory activity likely expanded modestly for a second straight month in November, adding to a string of recent data suggesting that a blitz of stimulus is finally trickling through and giving producers in the world’s No.2 economy a much needed boost. A Reuters poll of 21 economists estimated the official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) would come…

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California voters have rejected a measure on the November ballot that would have amended the state constitution to ban forced prison labor. The constitution already prohibits so-called involuntary servitude, but an exception allows it to be used as a punishment for crime. That exemption became a target of criminal justice advocates concerned that prisoners are often…

AMSTERDAM – The International Criminal Court’s governing body will launch an external probe into its chief prosecutor Karim Khan over alleged sexual misconduct, it said in a statement on Monday, confirming a previous report by Reuters. “An external investigation is … being pursued in order to ensure a fully independent, impartial and fair process”, the statement said, also calling upon…

(Reuters) – The International Criminal Court’s governing body will launch an external investigation into its chief prosecutor Karim Khan over alleged sexual misconduct, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. Khan is called on in an internal document circulated to member states to temporarily step down from his role at the world’s permanent war crimes court, based in…

LOS ANGELES – Leonard Francis, the Malaysian military contractor known as “Fat Leonard”, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Nov 5 for his role in the US Navy’s worst-ever corruption scandal. Francis, 60, was also ordered to pay US$20 million (S$26.3 million) in restitution to the US Navy by a federal judge in San Diego and to forfeit…

AIN EL DELB, Lebanon (AP) — It was Sunday, family time for most in Lebanon, and Hecham al-Baba was visiting his sister. She insisted he and their older brother stay for lunch, hoping to prolong the warm gathering in stressful times. The brother declined. Like many in Lebanon, he hadn’t been sleeping because of Israel’s intensifying airstrikes, so he left…

ROME (AP) — Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in seven Italian cities on Saturday calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Middle East, Ukraine and all global conflicts. Peaceful rallies were held in Rome, Turin, Milan, Florence, Bari, Palermo and Cagliari, with the support of hundreds of associations committed to peace, disarmament and human rights. The…

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The United States has approved $2 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, including the first-time delivery to the self-ruled island of an advanced surface-to-air missile defense system, in a move sure to anger China. Taiwan’s presidential office on Saturday thanked Washington for greenlighting the potential arms sales. Under the island’s new president, Lai Ching-te, Taiwan has…

Global financiers are poised to flock to Saudi Arabia’s annual flagship investment conference next week as a tightening of the kingdom’s purse strings and a deepening of regional conflict cloud the outlook. Among those expected to descend on the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh are top CEOs, including Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Citigroup’s Jane Fraser and…

ROME – Italy’s right-wing government is facing criticism over its celebration of a major World War II battle, after the defence ministry said the defeated fascist soldiers of dictator Benito Mussolini had died for the country’s freedom. In a social media post on Oct 23 commemorating the anniversary of the 1942 battle of El Alamein in Egypt, the ministry described…

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Oct. 22 issued a decree to liquidate medical examination commissions for determining the severity of disabilities by Dec. 31. The decree was released after a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), which on Oct. 22 discussed violations at medical examination commissions and the fraudulent acquisition of disability status by officials through corruption schemes. Obtaining disability status…

BERLIN, October 16. /TASS/. Russia is concerned with the rhetoric being thrown around inside the German government saying that the country should prepare for war with Russia, which is not threatening anyone, the Russian embassy in Berlin said. “Russia is deeply concerned by the unconstructive rhetoric of German officials, special agencies and some individual politicians, calling for preparing for war…

New Delhi says Canada’s accusations against Indian diplomats and their expulsion is a politically driven move to show action amid criticism Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has turned a blind eye to foreign interference. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs says the move is strategically timed to coincide with Trudeau’s appearance at the Foreign Interference Commission, which has been mainly focused…

Former President Donald Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday that Israel needs to “finish the job” in Gaza and pledged to restore the Israel Lobby’s power over Congress if elected. He also said that unnamed people are telling him the October 7th attack “never happened” and compared them to “Holocaust deniers.” Trump says Israel needs to finish…