Leaked Report Shows United Nations Suffered Hack

The United Nations has been hacked.An internal confidential document from the United Nations, leaked to The New Humanitarian and seen by The Associated Press, says that dozens of servers were “compromised” at offices in Geneva and Vienna.Those include the U.N. human rights office, which has often been a lightning rod of criticism from autocratic governments …

Britain’s BBC to Cut 450 Newsroom Jobs in Cost-Cutting Drive

The BBC said on Wednesday it will cut around 450 jobs from its news division as part of an 80 million pound savings drive and modernization program.The corporation said it would reorganize its newsroom along a “story-led” model where staff will be assigned to stories and not attached to individual programs. “We need to reshape …

Energy Giant Total Taken to French Court for Climate Inaction  

In a groundbreaking case in France, energy giant Total is being sued for allegedly failing to adequately fight climate change.The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday by environmental groups and local authorities who feel it has potential global implications.The legal action against Total will be the first use of a 2017 French law to sue for …

Turkish Court Defies Europe, Leaves Philanthropist Behind Bars

An Istanbul court has defied the European Court of Human Rights, ruling in favor of the continued detention of prominent philanthropist Osman Kavala. In December, the European Court demanded the immediate release of Kavala, who is on trial for sedition.Kavala and 15 other civil society activists are accused of supporting anti-government protests in 2013 against …

New Pressure on Prince Andrew to Help Epstein Investigation

The pressure on Britain’s disgraced Prince Andrew increased Tuesday after the revelation by U.S. authorities that he has failed to cooperate with the FBI’s investigation into his ties with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represents five of Epstein’s alleged sexual trafficking victims, said Tuesday that it’s time for Andrew …

Turkey Journalists Protest Press Pass Cancellations

Members of Turkey’s largest journalism trade union rallied outside Ankara’s Communications Directorate on Monday to protest the government’s mass cancellation of state-issued press credentials.According to the Journalist’s Union of Turkey, known by its Turkish acronym TGS, and international press advocacy groups, such as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), up to 1,400 press cards have …

Moderate Quake Shakes Western Turkey, No Injuries Reported

A moderate earthquake shook buildings in western Turkey on Tuesday, sending people running into the streets for safety, Turkish media reports said. Authorities said there were no immediate reports of any injury or major damage.      The quake came just four days after a strong earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Friday, toppling buildings and …

US State Department Bars NPR Reporter from Pompeo Trip After Testy Interview

The U.S. State Department removed a National Public Radio reporter from the press pool for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s upcoming foreign trip, a press association and NPR said on Monday, days after Pompeo angrily responded to another NPR journalist’s interview with him. The removal of NPR reporter Michele Kelemen, who was part of the …

EU Tells UK It Will ‘Never, Never, Never’ Compromise on Single Market

The European Union will “never, never, never” compromise on the integrity of its single market, its chief Brexit negotiator warned Britain on Monday, saying London must now face reality after underestimating the costs of leaving.Some British politicians have suggested Brussels might be flexible on its rules in order to protect trade flows in talks due …

US Noncommittal on Keeping Troops in Africa

The United States is refusing to rule out shrinking the size of its military presence in Africa despite warnings that without Washington’s help, critical counterterror efforts could fall apart.French Defense Minister Florence Parly delivered the latest plea for continued U.S. involvement in the counterterror fight Monday during talks with top U.S. military officials at the …

Britain’s Decision on Huawei Tests Special Relationship with US

This week Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads to London as British officials weigh whether or not to allow Chinese telecom giant Huawei to take part in the country’s buildout of its 5G network.The British government is expected to make the decision Tuesday.  FILE – Signage is seen at the Huawei offices in Reading, Britain, May …

Greece Rebuffs Turkish Demands to Demilitarize Aegean Islands

Greece is pushing back against Turkish demands that it demilitarize 16 Aegean islands. The Turkish government maintains it is defending Turkey’s rights and remains committed to negotiation, but analysts warn Turkey’s increasingly “robust diplomacy” threatens to isolate Ankara and escalate regional tensions.  “Greece does not provoke, does not violate the sovereign rights of others, but it …

Italian Town Where Bryant Played As A Kid Mourns

For a city already familiar with losing a basketball hero, Kobe Bryant’s death made a particularly strong impact in the Italian town of Rieti.Nicknamed “the center of Italy” for its geographic location amid the Appenine Mountains, Rieti was the first stop on Bryant’s seven-year childhood tour of the country.It’s where Joe Bryant, Kobe’s father, made …

France Urges US to Stay in Fight Against Islamists in Africa’s Sahel

France hopes “good sense” will prevail and the United States will not slash support for French military operations in West Africa, where groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State are expanding their foothold.Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian made the appeal as Defense Minister Florence Parly was due to meet U.S. counterparts on Monday to …

Italy’s Regional Voters Thwart Hopes of Right-Wing Forces

Italian voters thwarted right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini’s hopes of turning an election in a key northern region into a springboard for regaining national power, nearly complete results showed Monday. The center-left Democrats’ incumbent won 51.4% of Sunday’s vote for the governorship of the prosperous Emilia-Romagna region — a longtime center-left stronghold — with Salvini’s League party …

Report: Poorer Nations Squeeze More Out Off Limited School Budgets

Consider the places that best prepare their students for the future and what comes to mind are nations such as Finland and South Korea, which are famous the world over for their education systems. However these are also fairly high income nations. What happens when educational performance is adjusted for different income levels? Then developing …

US Warns Britain Against China’s Huawei 5G Network

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of “serious consequences” if he allows the Chinese telecom giant Huawei a role in building Britain’s 5G phone network, according to officials on both sides of the Atlantic.The warning follows months of lobbying of Downing Street by top U.S. officials who aim to persuade …

New Reports Highlight Russia’s Deep-Seated Culture of Corruption

New reports from Transparency International and the Russian Academy of Sciences on education highlight a pervasive culture of corruption in Russia that persists despite efforts by the government and opposition activists.The country scored 137th out of 180 countries in the FILE – Students walk outside the main building of Moscow State University, in Moscow, Russia, …

Italians Vote in 2 Regions; Salvini Eyes Return to Power

Right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini is telling Italians who are voting in two regions to use their ballots to help his anti-migrant party return to national power. Voting began Sunday morning in Emilia-Romagna, a northern region where the left-wing has held power for decades, and in Calabria, in the south, an area Salvini’s League party …

Back To The Gates Of Hell: Survivor Prepares For Return To Auschwitz

Hundreds of former prisoners will return to the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz Monday to mark the 75th anniversary of its liberation by Soviet troops, alongside several world leaders. At least 1.1 million people – mostly Jews – were murdered at Auschwitz, the largest of the Nazi death camps, between 1940 and 1945. VOA’s Henry Ridgwell traveled …

Dozens Pulled From Rubble as Turkey Quake Toll Hits 35

Rescue teams working through the night pulled 45 people from collapsed buildings, Turkey’s disaster authority said on Sunday, as the death toll from a powerful earthquake in the country’s east rose to 35.Rescuers operating in sub-zero temperatures used drills, mechanical diggers and their bare hands to continue the search for survivors at three sites in …

Thousands Support Venezuela’s Guaido at Madrid Rally 

Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido joined thousands of supporters at a demonstration in Madrid on Saturday after arriving in Spain on the last leg of a European tour. Speaking in a central square packed with supporters holding signs calling for “democracy,” Guaido emphasized the importance of international support in unseating Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. “We need the …

Back to Gates of Hell: Survivor Prepares for Return to Auschwitz

Hundreds of former prisoners will return Monday to the Nazi concentration and extermination camp at Auschwitz, Poland, alongside several world leaders, to mark the 75th anniversary of its liberation by Soviet troops.  At least 1.1 million people – mostly Jews – were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the Nazi death camps, between 1940 and 1945. Stanislaw …

Death Toll From Eastern Turkey Earthquake Climbs to 29

The death toll from a strong earthquake that rocked eastern Turkey climbed to 29 on Saturday night as rescue crews searched for people who remained trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings, officials said. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said at a news conference earlier in the day that 18 people had been killed in Elazig province, …