Posts by Riah Stelmack
Italy imposes harsher penalties for dangerous driving
Italy is toughening traffic fines and penalties to reduce the high number of road deaths, which exceeded 3,000 last year. The Senate approved the reform of the traffic code spearheaded by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government, with drug and alcohol consumption coming in for particular scrutiny. The blood alcohol limit in Italy is 0.5…
Read MoreFalse alarm over DR Congo hero’s golden tooth
The gold-capped tooth of Patrice Lumumba, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s independence hero, is safe and has not been stolen, his daughter has told the BBC. The news comes as a relief to a nation gripped by fear that the only remains of the country’s revered first prime minister had been swiped after his mausoleum…
Read MoreMexico’s president says government is investigating reported ransomware hack of legal affairs office
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president said Wednesday that the government is investigating an alleged ransomware hack of her administration’s legal affairs office after what appeared to be samples of personal information from a database of government employees were posted online. The website Cybernews said a group called Ransomhub had posted a sample of apparently…
Read MoreFinnish authorities open probe into ruptured undersea cable between Finland and Germany
HELSINKI, Finland (AP) — Finnish authorities said Wednesday they have opened an investigation into the rupture of a data cable under the Baltic Sea, adding to a Swedish probe into the possible sabotage of that link and another cable. The C-Lion1 cable, which runs between Finland and Germany was damaged on Monday, the day after…
Read MoreAt least 7 members of Nigerian security force missing after insurgents ambush convoy
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least seven members of a Nigerian government protection agency are missing after their convoy was attacked by Boko Haram insurgents in north-central Nigeria, authorities said. A team of 80 security operatives tasked with protecting the power network were ambushed Monday in Shiroro, Niger state, by about 200 Boko Haram fighters…
Read MoreFord to cut 4,000 jobs in Europe
Auto giant Ford has announced another 4,000 job cuts, concentrated in Germany and Britain (INA FASSBENDER) US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent’s beleaguered car industry. “The company has incurred significant losses in recent years,” Ford said…
Read MoreJihadist police chief of Timbuktu jailed for war crimes
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sentenced the former head of the Islamic police in Mali’s historic city of Timbuktu to 10 years in prison for war crimes. Prosecutors said al-Hassan ag Abdoul Aziz ag Mohamed ag Mahmoud led a “reign of terror” in the city after it was overrun in 2012 by the al-Qaeda-linked…
Read MoreFloods to shave 0.2 percentage points off Spain’s growth
The October 29 floods washed away roads and rail lines, submerged fields and gutted homes and businesses (Jose Jordan) The floods which killed 227 people in Spain last month could shave 0.2 percentage points off its economic growth in the final quarter of 2024, the central bank said Wednesday. Spain’s economy has been growing faster…
Read MoreHospital: 12 dead in Israeli strike on house in northern Gaza
At least 12 people were killed in an Israeli bombardment of a house in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip overnight, according to a local hospital. Kamal Adwan Hospital said that women and children were among the victims. At least 10 more people are buried under the rubble of the house, the hospital said. The…
Read MoreIn data: APAC outperforms amid global decline in deal activity
GlobalData reports that the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region recorded 11,808 deals, including mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity and venture financing deals between January and October 2024, marking a 4.8% year-on-year (YoY) drop from 12,406 deals in 2023. According to Aurojyoti Bose, lead Analyst at GlobalData, this decline aligns with the global trend, where other regions…
Read MoreUkraine estimates environmental damage of 1,000 days of war at $71 bn
The war in Ukraine has left tens of thousands of people dead, destroyed homes and created millions of refugees, but it has also caused severe environmental damage, Ukrainian Environment Minister Svitlana Hryntchuk told the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku. The environmental damage caused by military operations following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February…
Read MoreWife of Ugandan opposition figure Besigye says he was kidnapped and is being held in a military jail
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The wife of Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye said Wednesday he was kidnapped in neighboring Kenya and is being held in a Ugandan military jail. Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS, wrote on the social platform X that her husband was last seen Saturday in Kenya, where he was attending…
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