Death of internet? EU endorses killer copyright overhaul
Representatives of European Union governments have voted in favor of a plan in the EU Parliament to rewrite copyright rules, which critics say would effectively kill the Web there.
EU
U.S. agency to cancel $929 million in California high-speed rail funds
The U.S. Transportation Department said on Tuesday it will cancel $929 million in federal funds awarded by the Obama administration for a California high-speed rail project and is ‘actively exploring every legal option’ to seek the return of $2.5 billion the state has already received.
Venezuelan soldiers to guard border ahead of aid entry, minister says
Venezuelan troops will remain stationed along the country’s borders to prevent territorial violations, the defense minister said on Tuesday, ahead of the opposition’s plan to bring in humanitarian aid to alleviate an economic crisis.
Netanyahu urges Europe to take a stand against ‘plague’ of anti-Semitism
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday urged European leaders to take a strong stand against anti-Semitism after the overnight vandalism of dozens of graves in a French Jewish cemetery.
Trump administration launches global effort to end criminalization of homosexuality
The Trump administration is launching a global campaign to end the criminalization of homosexuality in dozens of nations where it’s still illegal to be gay, U.S. officials tell NBC News, a bid aimed in part at denouncing Iran over its human rights record.
EU says it will react swiftly if Trump hits it with car tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump has promised European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker that he will not impose additional import tariffs on European cars, for the time being, Juncker was quoted in a published interview as saying on Monday.
Pence calls on EU to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal
US Vice President Mike Pence accused Washington’s European allies of trying to break US sanctions against Tehran and called on them to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, during the Warsaw ministerial conference on Thursday.
Trump-era US, Europe rift wide open at Munich security talks
The United States and European powers voiced sharply differing views on issues from Mideast security to trade Saturday, laying bare a deep trans-Atlantic rift in the era of US President Donald Trump.
IS ‘caliphate’ on brink of defeat in Syria as Trump urges Europe to do more
U.S.-backed fighters in Syria are poised to capture Islamic State’s last, tiny enclave on the Euphrates, the battle commander said on Saturday, bringing its self-declared caliphate to the brink of total defeat as U.S. President Donald Trump spoke of ‘100 percent victory’.
Rouhani claims Israel, US behind deadly suicide bombing in Iran
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday blamed the suicide bombing of a bus carrying Revolutionary Guards troops that killed 27 in southeastern Iran on Israel and the United States, vowing revenge against Jaish al-Adl, the ‘mercenary group’ that committed it.
Pence: Iran is plotting ‘new Holocaust’ to wipe Israel off the map
Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that Iran is plotting a ‘new Holocaust’ to obliterate Israel.
Iran could get nuclear weapon within two years, intel assessments find
Iran is capable of producing a nuclear weapon within two years, if it steps up work on its nuclear program and violates the 2015 deal with the West, according to a recent Israeli intelligence assessment.
Israel and Iran both set to join Russia-led free trade zone
Israel is set to sign a free-trade agreement with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union in the near future, according to officials in Moscow and Jerusalem.
U.S.-Libya forces raid al Qaeda site in Libyan city of Ubari -Libyan official
Joint U.S.-Libyan forces raided an al Qaeda site in the Libyan city of Ubari on Wednesday, according to a statement by a Libyan official.
U.S. senators to try again to pass Russia sanctions bill
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a bill on Wednesday that would impose stiff new sanctions on Russia over its meddling in U.S. elections and aggression against Ukraine, the latest congressional effort to push President Donald Trump to ratchet up Washington’s response to Moscow.
China, Russia Concerns Top Pompeo Agenda in Central Europe
U.S. fears about China and Russia’s growing influence in Central Europe will top Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s agenda as he heads to the region this week, Trump administration officials say.
US and Russia push rival UN resolutions on Venezuela
The United States is seeking a United Nations Security Council resolution calling on Venezuela to conduct free, fair and credible presidential elections with international observers.
In Brussels, EU gives May glimpse of Brexit hope
British Prime Minister Theresa May came away from a day in an increasingly impatient Brussels on Thursday with a pledge of renewed talks that held out some hope for a new Brexit deal, if no sign of compromise yet.
Trump: ‘Great nations do not fight endless wars’
President Trump gave an emphatic defense of his intention to conclude ‘endless wars,’ one day after the Senate issued a warning against a ‘precipitous withdrawal’ from Syria and Afghanistan.
Moscow Says New Missile Systems Planned To Counter U.S. By 2021
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says Moscow will push to develop two new land-based missile systems before 2021 in response to Washington’s planned exit from a landmark nuclear arms control agreement.