World
'The Big Delete:' Inside Facebook's crackdown in Germany
Days before Germany’s federal elections, Facebook took what it called an unprecedented step: the removal of a series of accounts that worked together to spread COVID-19 misinformation and encourage violent responses to COVID restrictions. The crackdown, announced Sept. 16, was the first use of Facebook’s new “coordinated social harm” policy… Read
China, NATO officials discuss Afghanistan, regional tensions
China's top diplomat has held a virtual meeting with NATO's chief to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, amid longstanding disagreements between Beijing and the U.S.-led alliance over regional policies. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the discussions had been “positive and constructive”. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and NATO Secretary… Read
Fuel pumps run dry in UK as govt blames panic buying
Desperate motorists queued up at fuel pumps across Britain on Monday, draining tanks, fraying tempers and prompting calls for the government to use emergency powers to give priority access to healthcare and other essential workers. The government says a lack of tanker drivers to deliver fuel and unprecedented demand is… Read
No. of murders rose 30% in U.S. in 2020: FBI
The number of murders in the United States rose by around 30 percent in 2020 over the previous year, to some 21,500, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Monday. A number of large U.S. cities had already reported an increase in the number of homicides last year but the… Read
Uncertain start to post-Merkel era after close German vote
The party that narrowly beat outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s bloc pushed Monday for a quick agreement on a coalition government, but Europe’s biggest economy could still be in for weeks of uncertainty after an election that failed to set a clear direction. Olaf Scholz, the candidate of the center-left… Read
U.S. hospitals fear staffing shortages as vaccine deadlines loom
Hospitals and nursing homes around the country are bracing for worsening staff shortages as state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. With such ultimatums taking effect this week in states like New York, California, Rhode Island and Connecticut, the fear is that some employees will… Read
Biden rule to shield 'Dreamers' seeks to bypass Congress
The Biden administration on Monday renewed efforts to shield hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the United States as young children from deportation, the latest maneuver in a long-running drama over the policy’s legality. The administration proposed a rule that attempts to satisfy concerns of a federal judge… Read
California to mail every voter a ballot in future elections
Every registered California voter will get a ballot mailed to them in future elections under a bill signed Monday by Democratic Gov Gavin Newsom. The law makes permanent a change adopted during the pandemic for the 2020 election and the recent recall against Newsom. California, the nation's most populous state,… Read
Taliban issue no-shave order to barbers in Afghan province
The Taliban on Monday banned barbershops in a southern Afghanistan province from shaving or trimming beards, claiming their edict is in line with Shariah, or Islamic, law. The order in Helmand province was issued by the provincial Taliban government's vice and virtue department to barbers in Lashkar Gah, the provincial… Read
Egg thrown at French President Macron during food trade fair
French President Emmanuel Macron was hit on the shoulder Monday by an egg thrown at him by a young man during a visit to an international food trade fair in the French city of Lyon. A video of the incident, widely shared on the social media, shows Macron walking through… Read
