Author: Aidan
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In Israel, Blinken looks to planning for post-war Gaza as bombardment, fighting continue to rage
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced tough talks with Israeli leaders on Gaza’s post-war future Tuesday, while Israel’s military pushed ahead with its offensive in the beleaguered territory. Heavy bombardment and fighting shook refugee camps, sending Palestinians scrambling to find safety and hampering aid groups’ efforts to get relief to the population. The discordance of “make…
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Pentagon says not planning a US withdrawal from Iraq
The Pentagon said on Monday it was not currently planning to withdraw its roughly 2,500 troops from Iraq, despite Baghdad’s announcement last week it would begin the process of removing the U.S.-led military coalition from the country. “Right now, I’m not aware of any plans (to plan for withdrawal). We continue to remain very focused on the…
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Volkswagen is adding ChatGPT to its infotainment system
Volkswagen is one of the first automakers out of the blocks with CES news this morning. Working with the voice recognition company Cerence, VW is adding ChatGPT to its infotainment system. Just throw “AI” at it.
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Earth Shattered Global Heat Record In 2023
Earth last year shattered global annual heatrecords, flirted with the world’s agreed-upon warming threshold and showed more signs of a feverish planet, the European climate agency said Tuesday. In one of the first of several teams of science agencies to calculate how off-the-charts warm 2023 was, the European climate agency Copernicus said the year was 1.48…
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South Korea’s Parliament Passes Landmark Ban On Production And Sales Of Dog Meat
South Korea’s parliament on Tuesday passed a landmark ban on production and sales of dog meat, as public calls for a prohibition have grown sharply over concerns about animal rights and the country’s international image. Some angry dog farmers said they plan to challenge the bill’s constitutionality and hold protest rallies, a sign of continued heated debate over…
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Pope laments ‘indiscriminate striking’ of civilians in Gaza and Ukraine wars
Pope Francis on Monday denounced the killing of civilians amid ongoing conflicts around the world, including in Gaza and Ukraine. In an address to diplomats accredited to the Vatican, the head of the Catholic Church said “modern wars no longer take place only on clearly defined battlefields, nor do they involve soldiers alone.” The pope delivered a…
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Gambian ex-minister on trial in Switzerland for crimes against humanity
A former Gambian minister has become the highest-ranking official to be tried in Europe under the principles of universal jurisdiction after his trial on charges of crimes against humanity opened in Switzerland. Ousman Sonko, interior minister under the west African country’s ousted dictator Yahya Jammeh, was arrested in Bern in 2017 after applying for asylum in Switzerland. “It…
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Palestinians Flee From Gaza’s Main Hospital As Strike Kills Hezbollah Commander In Lebanon
Medics, patients and displaced people are fleeing from the main hospital in central Gaza as the fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants draws closer, witnesses said Monday. Losing the facility would be another major blow to a health system shattered by three months of war. An Israeli airstrike meanwhile killed an elite Hezbollah commander in…