Tag: All Regions

Secretly recorded videos are backbone of corruption trial for longest-serving legislative leader

CHICAGO (AP) — Hours of secretly recorded videos and phone calls have offered a rare glimpse into how the longest-serving legislative leader in American history operated behind closed doors. As the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan stretches into its third month,…

EY worker’s death spotlights India’s unprotected white-collar labour

Authorities in two Indian states that are driving its economic growth are drafting tighter workplace rules and inspections to protect white collar employees following the death of a young executive at global consultancy Ernst & Young (EY), which her family blamed on overwork. India’s decades-old…

Taiwan reports continued surge in Chinese military activity

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s defence ministry reported a spike in Chinese military activity around the island on Wednesday, including 53 military aircraft, with Taiwan on high alert over Beijing’s latest pressure campaign. China’s military has yet to comment and has not confirmed it is carrying…

US troops are staying in Syria

NEW YORK – U.S. troops will be staying in Syria after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad as part of a counter-terrorism mission focused on destroying Islamic State militants, a top White House official said on Tuesday. “Those troops are there for a very specific…

EU foreign policy chief Kallas: legitimate concerns about Syrian sectarian violence

There are legitimate concerns about the risks of sectarian violence in Syria and a resurgence of extremism in the country, the European Union’s new foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday, while pointing to positive early signals. Syria’s new interim leader announced on Tuesday…

Syria monitor: Islamic State executes 54 soldiers

BEIRUT – A Syria war monitor said on Dec 10 that Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants in central Homs province killed 54 soldiers who were fleeing as Islamist-led rebels pressed a major offensive on government-controlled areas. ISIS militants captured “personnel fleeing military…

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney to pay $15M following theft of millions from customers

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney will pay a $15 million penalty as part of a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission related to four financial advisers who stole millions of dollars of advisory clients’ and brokerage customers’ funds. The settlement announced late Monday is also…

Justice Department and EPA Announce Settlement with Cahokia Heights, Illinois, for Improper Operation of the City’s Sanitary Sewer System

The Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Illinois today announced a settlement with the City of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, resolving violations of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Act resulting from the city’s failure to…

The Media Line: Israeli Shelling Damages Gaza Hospital, Halts Surgeries

Israeli Shelling Damages Gaza Hospital, Halts Surgeries Palestinian health officials reported on Sunday that Israeli forces shelled Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, severely damaging critical infrastructure. The attack disrupted electricity and oxygen pumps, halting urgent surgeries and medical care. The hospital, one…

The Media Line: Thousands Freed as Syrian Prisons Open

In a scene of overwhelming joy and disbelief, prisoners emerged from Syria’s notorious detention centers on Sunday, walking to freedom as the government of Bashar al-Assad collapsed. The release marked the end of decades of fear and repression under a regime infamous for its brutal…

Taiwan reports 14 Chinese warships and 4 balloons near the island

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China sent 14 warships, seven military aircraft and four balloons near Taiwan between Saturday and Sunday, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, as Beijing ramps up pressure on the island it claims as its own. China’s military activities come amid speculation Beijing…

Syrian rebels claim to enter Damascus after lightning offensive

Syrian rebels said they had entered Damascus on Sunday as President Bashar al-Assad’s regime appeared to collapse in the face of the insurgents’ stunning offensive across the country. The rebels said in a statement that “the city of Damascus is free from the tyrant Bashar…

Syria’s Assad is under siege and is making overtures to the US: Sources

The main rebel offensive has been led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, or HTS, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and various armed groups backed by Turkey. Other fighters have joined in, including army defectors who had fought the regime and laid down arms in previous ceasefires, said…

USDA orders testing across nation’s milk supply amid rising bird flu cases

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a federal order requiring the testing of the nation’s milk supply amid increasing concerns over bird flu. The influenza virus has been raising alarm since it was detected in a Texas cow back in March. Since then, the virus…

Nearly 500 journalists walk out at ‘The Guardian’ and its sister paper

Nearly 500 journalists are on strike at the Guardian and its sister paper, the Sunday-only Observer, to protest the planned sale of the Observer to a small digital startup. “We believe it’s a total betrayal of the Guardian’s values and promises that it’s made,” says Carole Cadwalladr, an investigative reporter and feature…

Connecticut court upholds $965 million verdict against Alex Jones in Sandy Hook

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….