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Showing posts from August, 2023

Israel unveils 'most advanced' surveillance plane with AI-powered sensors: 'Unprecedented'

The Israeli Defense Ministry has unveiled a new surveillance aircraft that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) systems in what officials are calling a groundbreaking development for technology. "The Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D) has been leading the development of the ‘Oron’ mission systems for over nine years," Brig. Gen. Yaniv Rotem, head of military research and development in the DDR&D of the Ministry of Defense, said in a press release. "This mission aircraft will provide the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) with unprecedented, innovative ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) capabilities using groundbreaking sensing systems – the onboard radar system and a variety of sensors." "These systems will stream valuable data to the intelligence units," he added. "The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology will enable an efficient and automated data processing system, which will produce actionab

Australia introduces law empowering gig workers to negotiate minimum pay and conditions

Australian gig workers will be able to negotiate for minimum pay and conditions under a new law to be introduced next week in parliament by the centre-left Labor government. The law will define "employee-like workers" in the gig economy, a catch-all term including those who deliver food or drive for apps like Uber or DoorDash. Australia's industrial umpire will then be empowered to set standards around pay, hours and insurance. However, the umpire will have discretion to vary standards between workplaces and the laws will not mandate uniform pay or conditions. Employment Minister Tony Burke agreed with critics who say the rules will add complexity or raise costs but said Australia needed rules to protect vulnerable workers and slightly higher prices were an acceptable trade-off. AUSTRALIAN NEUROSURGEON FINDS PARASITIC WORM IN WOMAN’S BRAIN WHILE INVESTIGATING 'MYSTERY ILLNESS' "If we're going to be a nation where you don't have to rely on tips

US denies blocking chip sales to Middle East

The Biden administration "has not blocked chip sales to the Middle East," a U.S. Department of Commerce spokesperson said on Thursday, after disclosures that Washington had expanded export license requirements for Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices artificial-intelligence chips. Nvidia revealed the new rules in a regulatory filing earlier this week. A person familiar with the matter confirmed on Wednesday that AMD is affected by the change. The Commerce Department declined to comment on whether it had imposed new requirements on specific U.S. companies. Neither Nvidia nor AMD immediately returned requests for comment on Thursday. MULTI-PARTY COALITION CRITICIZES EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT IN RARE SHOW OF DISSENT The new rules would require Nvidia to seek licenses before selling its flagship chips to some Middle Eastern countries, the filing said. Neither Nvidia nor AMD have disclosed whether they have applied for such licenses and whether they have been approved or denied. U.S

Allegiant air raises concerns about Mexican government's transparency on flight operations

Transparency from the Mexican government on flight operations in Mexico City is a concern, U.S. carrier Allegiant Air argued in a presentation made public Wednesday, appearing to confirm the U.S. government's worries over a federal order moving cargo flights out of the capital's main airport. U.S. regulators suspended review of a proposed joint venture between Allegiant and Mexican airline Viva Aerobus earlier this month, citing concerns over recent actions by the Mexican government affecting the Mexico City International Airport (AICM). Regulators did not specify what those actions were, but Mexican officials had speculated that a government decree requiring cargo flights be moved out of the hub was behind the friction. Mexico earlier this year ordered that cargo lines stop operating at the AICM, instead pushing them to move operations to the military-run Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) north of Mexico City. Mexico extended the deadline for carriers to make the

Iran accuses Israel of sabotaging its ballistic missile program by sending faulty parts

Iran accused Israel on Thursday of trying to sabotage its ballistic missile program through faulty foreign parts that could explode, damaging or destroying the weapons before they could be used. The Israeli prime minister's office declined to comment on the allegation, though it comes amid a yearslong effort by both Israel and the U.S. to target Iran. A reporter also said the parts could be used in Iran's extensive arsenal of drones, which have grown in prominence amid their use by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The report described the alleged Israeli operation as "one of the biggest attempts at sabotage" it had ever seen. It accused Israeli Mossad agents of supplying the faulty parts, which the state TV report described as low-price "connectors." RAMASWAMY SAYS HE ‘WON'T CUT AID TO ISRAEL' UNTIL ‘ISRAEL TELL US SO’ AS HE FACES QUESTIONS ON FOREIGN POLICY  Footage aired by state TV showed the alleged parts, some of them popping up into the air, a

Freefall: Elevator suddenly takes plunge in China apartment building, injuring three people

An elevator in China took a sudden drop on Aug. 26, sending three people to the hospital in an apartment building. The incident happened in a residential building of Zhongfang Ruizhi International Community, Furong District, Changsha City on Aug. 25 at around 8:00 p.m., according to state media. The outlet reported that three people were taken to a local hospital after nearly an hour of rescue attempts. As of Monday, two people were still hospitalized . INDIA, MALAYSIA REJECT CHINA’S NEW TERRITORIAL MAP THAT CLAIMS DISPUTED LAND AS ITS OWN Mr. Li, an apartment owner inside the elevator at the time of the incident, told a local news outlet that it suddenly went up and then down. "The elevator suddenly stopped when it went down and got stuck," said Li. "I hurried to press the other floors. The buttons did not respond, and then all the buttons went out in an instant." "At that time, I felt the sky spinning. All three of us flew up and then hit the floor ag

Hurricane Franklin, a Category 2 storm, approaches Bermuda

The outer bands of Hurricane Franklin lashed Bermuda on Wednesday as the Category 2 storm was forecast to pass near the island located in the North Atlantic Ocean. HURRICANE IDALIA MAKES LANDFALL OVER FLORIDA'S BIG BEND AS A CATEGORY 3, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER Franklin had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and was located some 155 miles northwest of Bermuda early Wednesday afternoon. It was moving northeast at 13 mph and was expected to keep spinning through open waters. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda , with forecasters warning of life-threatening surf and rip currents for the island and the U.S. East Coast. Several flights to Bermuda were cancelled on Wednesday. Officials in Bermuda warned that Hurricane Idalia, which was crossing Florida on Wednesday, was forecast to possibly hit the island early next week as a tropical storm. from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/HkXiqFz https://ift.tt/KZSRU8q

Baidu receives green light to launch AI Ernie Bot for general public, leading China's AI revolution

Tech giant Baidu on Wednesday received approval by Chinese authorities to launch its artificial intelligence Ernie Bot to the general public starting Aug. 31, a spokesperson told Reuters. Baidu became the first company to receive such approval after regulatory setbacks and is also set to launch a suite of new AI-native apps. The company has been embedding Ernie, which resembles OpenAI's ChatGPT, into its search engine and other products, allowing many of them to gain market share while waiting for Chinese regulators' approval. COMPANY BEHIND CONTENTIOUS MICHIGAN BATTERY FACTORY QUIETLY APPEARED AS CHINESE FOREIGN PRINCIPAL IN FILINGS  In July, Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said only providers who wanted to offer services to the public would need to submit security assessments and that regulators would seek to support development of the technology. Investment has poured into China's generative AI scene and its firms such as Baidu and Alibaba Group have lau

Ex-member of Belarus security forces to face trial in Switzerland for disappearances of political opponents

A former member of Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko’s special security forces is set to face trial in Switzerland next month for the forced disappearances of political opponents in the late 1990s, according to human rights and victims advocacy groups Wednesday. Activists and opponents called it a "watershed moment" in international justice that could trigger prosecutions abroad of other Belarus officials — including Lukashenko, whose regime has come under renewed criticism over a crackdown against opposition leaders that began in August 2020 and support for Russia's military invasion of Ukraine last year, among other things. The case against Yuri Harauski, a former member of a military unit known as SOBR, is set to take place Sept. 19-20 in the northern Swiss regional court of St. Gallen and centers on the enforced disappearances of three people in 1999. An extract of the court filing, obtained by The Associated Press, indicated that prosecutors planned to see

Syria's US-backed Kurdish troops and militia remove commander to end deadly clashes

Syria's Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed forces and an allied militia announced Wednesday they have removed the militia's commander from his post after his arrest this week led to intense clashes in the country’s east that have killed at least 32 people, including at least three civilians. The clashes spread to several towns and villages in the province of Deir el-Zour and were the worst in years in a region where hundreds of U.S. troops have been based since 2015 to help in the battle against the militant Islamic State group. The fighting erupted early Monday , a day after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces detained the commander and several members of the Deir el-Zour Military Council, after inviting them to a meeting in the northeastern city of Hassakeh. The militia had been allied with the Kurdish-led force against IS. The clashes pitted SDF members against the militia and some regional Arab tribesmen who had sided with the Deir el-Zour Military Council. The SDF and t

Guatemalan President Giammattei calls for peaceful transition of power to leftist successor

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei called Tuesday for a democratic transition of power to anti-corruption campaigner and president-elect Bernardo Arévalo and his Seed Movement party, which have faced waves legal attacks in attempts to invalidate his rise to power. The president's statement came after a night of political chaos in the Central American nation following one of its most tumultuous elections in recent history. Hours before the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal certified late Monday that Arévalo won this month’s presidential election, another government body — the electoral registry — suspended his party from all political activities. The Seed Movement asked the country's top electoral authority to lift the suspension. GUATEMALA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TAKES DRASTIC TURN AS UNEXPECTED WINNER IS CERTIFIED, PROMPTING LEGAL FIGHTS Arévalo called the suspension illegal at a news conference Monday and said that now the vote has been certified "no o

Jamaican authorities charge female dental assistant with abducting, killing 8-year-old

A female dental assistant in Jamaica was charged with murder and kidnapping after police said she abducted an 8-year-old girl from school and killed her. JAMAICAN MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN PENNSYLVANIA COURT TO SWEEPSTAKES SCHEME THAT TARGETED ELDERLY AMERICANS The woman was arrested roughly two weeks ago but wasn’t charged until Monday, nearly three months after the body of Danielle Rowe was found in the town of Portmore, just west of the capital of Kingston, according to Jamaica’s Constabulary Force . Police said the woman was the former partner of the girl’s father, who is a police officer. JAMAICAN POLICE SET CURFEW IN DISTRICT AFTER GUNMEN WOUNDED 7 BOARDING BUS The girl was found with her throat slashed in early June and was hospitalized, but she died a couple of days later. Authorities said Rowe’s brother also was kidnapped but was unharmed after the woman accused in the case threw him from her car. from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/mg1ELPy https://ift.tt/

Dutch prosecutors want 12-year sentence for cricketer accused of placing bounty on populist figurehead Wilders

Dutch prosecutors demanded a 12-year prison sentence Tuesday for a former Pakistani cricketer accused of incitement to murder firebrand anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders . The suspect, identified by Wilders as Khalid Latif, is accused of offering a bounty of some 21,000 euros ($23,000) to anybody who killed Wilders. Latif did not appear in the high-security courtroom near Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for the trial. He is believed to be in Pakistan. NETHERLANDS AND DENMARK TO GIVE LONG PLEADED-FOR F-16S TO UKRAINE Prosecutors did not name Latif, but said in a statement that a video posted online in 2018 showed a famous Pakistan cricketer offering the money for killing Wilders. The lawmaker has lived under round-the-clock protection for years because of repeated threats to his life sparked by his fierce criticism of Islam. The threat came after Wilders said he would organize a competition of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Many Muslims consider any depictions of Muhammad to be bla

Photos show Prigozhin’s gravesite after burial in St. Petersburg, Russia

New images taken Friday show the gravesite of late Wagner Group mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin following his burial at a cemetery in St. Petersburg, Russia.   The scenes showing Russian police standing guard at the Porokhovskoye cemetery come as it remains unexplained what caused the aircraft carrying Prigozhin to crash outside of Moscow last week.  "The farewell to Yevgeny Viktorovich took place in a closed format. Those who wish to say goodbye may visit Porokhovskoye cemetery," Prigozhin’s press service wrote on Telegram, according to Reuters.  Russian President Vladimir Putin – whose rule Prigozhin challenged about two months ago – was not among those in attendance Tuesday.  WHITE HOUSE ‘INCREASINGLY CONFIDENT’ WAGNER LEADER PRIGOZHIN DIED IN PLANE CRASH   "I knew Prigozhin for a very long time, since the early 1990s. He was a man with a complex destiny, and he made serious mistakes in life," Putin has said in the wake of Prigozhin’s death. "He ac

Lebanese arrest warrants issued for 2 Russians accused of spying for Israel

Two Russian citizens who were recently detained in Beirut on suspicion of spying for Israel have been referred to an investigative military judge who issued arrest warrants for them, two judicial officials said Monday. The two Russians were detained "several weeks ago" in Beirut as they were leaving the country through the capital’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, the officials said. The two judicial officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The head of Lebanon’s General Security Directorate Maj. Gen. Elias Baisari announced Friday that two foreigners were detained while leaving Lebanon through the airport, describing them as "part of a network spying for Israel." He did not give their identities or say when they were detained. MONACO CLOSES CORRUPTION PROBE INTO LEBANESE PM Russia’s Sputnik News on Saturday quoted "a Russian embassy source" as saying that the Russian consulate is trying to contact the detainees to know w

Austria police finds small truck crammed with 53 migrants, including children

Authorities on Sunday found 53 people apparently headed for Germany crammed into a small truck that was stopped in the Austrian city of Linz. Four men were in the cabin of the vehicle when it was stopped on Sunday morning, one of whom fled on foot after getting out of the vehicle, police said. He was arrested, as were three others, on suspicion of smuggling. In the truck's cargo compartment, officers found the 53 people, including small children. Most of them were from Turkey , police said. RESCUE SHIPS SEARCH FOR HUNDREDS OF MIGRANTS OFF COAST OF GREECE FOLLOWING SHIPWRECK The smuggling suspects were three Turkish nationals aged between 18 and 28 and another man whose identity has yet to be established. Police didn't give details of the migrants' journey , but in recent years authorities have repeatedly found large numbers of people crammed into vehicles that brought them across the Balkans to Austria. from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/0VqNQlF htt

4 dead, 18 rescued off Greek island after migrant boat sinks

Greek authorities said that four people died and 18 were rescued Monday after a boat carrying migrants apparently sank northeast of the Greek island of Lesbos, which lies near the Turkish coast. The coast guard said one of its vessels collected the 18 survivors and four people found unconscious and transported them to the island’s main port of Mytilene. Over the weekend, the coast guard has said it has picked up dozens of people from boats near eastern Aegean Sea islands, part of an increase in new arrivals over the past two months. MIGRANT FISHING VESSEL CAPSIZES OFF COAST OF GREECE KILLING AT LEAST 78, DOZENS STILL MISSING For decades Greece has been one of the preferred entry points into the European Union for people fleeing conflict or poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and hoping for a better life in Europe. More than 14,000 people have reached Greece by land and sea so far this year, according to United Nations figures. That’s about a tenth of the total successful

2 masked gunmen in Copenhagen open fire inside building, killing a man and injuring 4 others

A shooting Saturday in a Copenhagen neighborhood known for its counterculture vibe and flourishing hashish trade left a 30-year-old man dead and four other people inured, Danish police said. Two masked gunmen opened fire inside a building in the Christiania neighborhood, Copenhagen police spokesman Poul Kjeldsen told Danish media. Kjeldsen said the shooting was believed to be linked to criminal gangs , Denmark’s TV2 reported. DELAWARE MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR ROLE IN STREET FEUD THAT LED TO WOMAN'S DEATH, SHOOTING OF 6-YEAR-OLD He said one of those injured was in critical but stable condition; the others had minor injuries. Police were still searching for the gunmen late Saturday. Christiania has been a freewheeling anarchist commune since the 1970s when hippies started squatting in a former naval base. Hashish sales were tolerated there by authorities until 2004 when police started to crack down on the drug trade. Still, the hashish trade has continued with occasional fla

China will no longer require negative COVID-19 test for incoming travelers

China will no longer require a negative COVID-19 test result for incoming travelers starting Wednesday, a milestone in its reopening to the rest of the world after a three-year isolation that began with the country’s borders closing in March 2020. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced the change at a briefing in Beijing on Monday. China in January ended quarantine requirements for its citizens traveling from abroad, and over the past few months has gradually expanded the list of countries that Chinese people can travel to and increased the number of international flights. BOEING SET TO RESUME 737 MAX JET DELIVERIES TO CHINA AFTER 4-YEAR PAUSE Beijing ended its tough domestic " zero COVID " policy only in December, after years of draconian curbs that at times included full-city lockdowns and lengthy quarantines for people who were infected. The restrictions slowed the world’s second-largest economy, leading to rising unemployment and rare instances of unres

8 US Marines remain hospitalized after deadly aircraft crash over Australia

Eight U.S. Marines remain hospitalized after a fiery aircraft crash in Australia Sunday morning left three dead and 20 injured Sunday morning. The Marines are still receiving treatment at the Royal Darwin Hospital in the north coast city of Darwin Monday after the Marine V-22 Osprey they were riding in crashed on an island during a multinational training exercise. At approximately 9:30 a.m. local time Sunday, the aircraft crashed into tropical forest and burst into flames. Australian politician Natasha Fyles, who serves as the chief minister of the Northern Territory, said all 20 survivors of the crash were flown from Melville Island approximately 50 miles south to Darwin. Fyles noted the first five Marines to arrive at the city’s main hospital were critically injured, including one who underwent emergency surgery. More than a day later, 12 had been discharged, she said. MILITARY CONSIDERS ALLOWING CALCULATORS ON ENTRANCE EXAM AMID CONTINUED RECRUITING STRUGGLES: REPORT The Nort

North Korea allowing citizens abroad to return home for first time since 2020, state media says

In a sign that the country may be easing its draconian COVID-19 restrictions, North Korea says it is allowing its citizens abroad to return home.  The State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters made the announcement in a statement carried on state media Sunday.  Those returning home, the statement added, "will be put under proper medical observation at quarantine wards for a week."  The announcement signaled Pyongyang’s easing of border restrictions and the first time North Koreans have been informed about its borders reopening for its citizens, per NK News .  Those who have been forced to stay abroad because of the pandemic have mostly been students and workers in China and Russia. The workers are a key source of foreign income for the country. North Korea banned tourists, jetted out diplomats, and severely curtailed border traffic and trade after the pandemic began. The lockdown has further worsened the country's chronic economic difficulties and food insec

Russia's top mercenary force faces uncertain future, threat to survival following warlord's apparent demise

Experts remain split over what the future of the Wagner group looks like following the apparent death of its founder and leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, but they agree Russia will likely try to maintain the success of Wagner while diminishing its influence.  "Frankly, I think that this private military company model that Wagner has really developed over the past few years, nearly a decade that it's existed, has proven to be very profitable for Moscow," Catrina Doxsee, Associate Director and Associate Fellow with the CSIS Transnational Threats Project, told Fox News Digital.  "They're able to use these quasi-independent commercial entities to advance their geopolitical goals abroad at relatively low cost, and this layer of deniability and lack of accountability … that’s something that gives enough benefit to Moscow," she added, saying she found it "difficult" or even "just illogical" to give it up. Russian news outlets reported Wednesday th

DNA test confirms Yevgeny Prigozhin was aboard crashed jet, Russia says

Russian investigators say DNA testing confirms that Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin was aboard the small jet that crashed outside Moscow under mysterious circumstances last week. Russia's Investigation Committee confirmed the identities of all 10 people aboard the craft, which also included Prigozhin's second in command, Dmitry Utkin. Investigators have yet to offer an explanation for why the plane crashed. "As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular-genetic examinations have been completed," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement. "According to their results, the identities of all 10 dead were established. They correspond to the list stated in the flight sheet." Prigozhin's private jet plummeted out of the sky on Wednesday in the Tver region outside Moscow. Residents of a village near the crash site say they heard an "explosion" in the air before the jet come down. WAGNER TROOPS MOURN

US military aircraft carrying more than 20 Marines crashes over Australia, killing 3 and injuring others

A military helicopter carrying more than 20 U.S. Marines crashed Sunday morning during an exercise in Australia's Northern Territory, killing three military personnel onboard and injuring the others, according to officials. Three Marines were killed and 20 others were hurt, some critically, when the MV-22B Osprey helicopter crashed at about 9:30 a.m. local time on Melville Island off the coast of the city of Darwin as military personnel from the U.S., Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste were participating in exercise drills. A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Defence confirmed the incident in a statement to Fox News Digital and said no Australians were involved in the crash. "Defence can confirm an aircraft incident occurred mid-morning on 27 August on Melville Island, north of the city of Darwin, during Exercise Predator’s Run 2023," the spokesperson said. "Initial reports suggest the incident involves United States defence perso

US military aircraft carrying more than 20 Marines crashes over Australia, injuring all onboard

A military helicopter carrying more than 20 U.S. Marines crashed Sunday morning during an exercise in Australia's Northern Territory, injuring the military personnel onboard, according to officials. Twenty-three Marines were hurt, some critically, when the V-22 Osprey helicopter crashed at about 11 a.m. local time near Melville Island off the coast of the city of Darwin as military personnel from the U.S., Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste were participating in exercise drills. A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Defence confirmed the incident in a statement to Fox News Digital and said no Australians were involved in the crash. "Defence can confirm an aircraft incident occurred mid-morning on 27 August on Melville Island, north of the city of Darwin, during Exercise Predator’s Run 2023," the spokesperson said. "Initial reports suggest the incident involves United States defence personnel and that Australian Defence Force members

US military aircraft carrying about 20 Marines crashes over Australia, 3 injured

A military helicopter carrying about 20 U.S. Marines crashed Sunday morning during an exercise in Australia's Northern Territory, injuring three military personnel, according to officials. The V-22 Osprey helicopter crashed at about 11 a.m. local time near Melville Island off the coast of the city of Darwin as military personnel from the U.S., Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste were participating in exercise drills, according to Sky News. A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Defence confirmed the incident in a statement to Fox News Digital and said no Australians were involved in the crash. "Defence can confirm an aircraft incident occurred mid-morning on 27 August on Melville Island, north of the city of Darwin, during Exercise Predator’s Run 2023," the spokesperson said. "Initial reports suggest the incident involves United States defence personnel and that Australian Defence Force members were not involved. At this critical earl

UK's $125M AI chip investment not enough to keep pace in tech race, experts warn: 'Go big or go home'

The United Kingdom has pledged to spend 100 million pounds (or $125.8 million) on buying and developing computer chips necessary for artificial intelligence (AI) systems in a move that seeks to cement Britain as a global leader in the sector, but experts worry it is not enough to match the competitive market.  "The U.K. has a valuable perspective on AI development – sitting between the U.S. free-for-all position and the EU regulatory approach – that makes it the perfect venue for the first international AI global safety conference," Alan Mendoza, co-founder and executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.  British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to build thousands of high-powered artificial intelligence chips, building on a deal struck between the U.K. and U.S. during his state visit in June when he and President Biden signed the "Atlantic Declaration."  The White House touted the agreement as something that would ensure that the &qu

Losing Guatemalan presidential candidate files voter fraud complaint

The party of former first lady Sandra Torres, who lost Guatemala’s presidential elections this week, filed a complaint Friday alleging fraud in the way the votes were counted. Torres, a candidate who came to exemplify the political establishment in a country that's grown tired of endemic corruption , has remained silent since her Sunday loss. GUATEMALAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WINS IN LANDSLIDE BUT POLITICAL ELITE COULD PREVENT HIM FROM TAKING OFFICE She has refused to accept the results announced by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which recognized progressive Bernardo Arévalo, of the Semilla Movement party, as the winner of one of the most tumultuous elections in the Central American nation's recent history. Carlos López, a lawyer for Torres' National Unity of Hope party, filed the complaint on behalf of the party, citing irregularities in the vote counting and saying they amounted to fraud. GUATEMALAN AUTHORITIES RAID LEFTIST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE'S PARTY OFFICE

Monaco closes corruption probe into Lebanese PM

A three-year probe against Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister and his family over corruption allegations has been closed by Monaco's judicial authorities for lack of evidence, the premier's office said Friday. Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s office said that Morgan Raymond, the deputy public prosecutor in Monaco, told the Lebanese premier's legal team that they have closed the investigation into the case that was raised by unspecified Lebanese plaintiffs on allegations of illicit enrichment and money laundering. STRIKE PLANNED FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS AT LEBANON'S ONLY CIVILIAN AIRPORT Mikati’s office said Monaco's decision shows that the case was "fake" and meant "for political purposes." It added that Mikati and his family will take legal action against those who were behind these "lies and rumors." In 2021, a trove of leaked documents named the "Pandora Papers," that were examined by the International Consortium of I

British Museum director resigns over alleged apathy toward claims of potential mass art theft

The British Museum was alerted more than two years ago to the possible theft or disappearance of valuable artifacts when an art historian became suspicious about objects for sale on eBay. But the museum’s director, Hartwig Fischer, said Friday that he didn’t treat the whistleblower’s warning seriously enough and announced his resignation as investigators figure out what happened to hundreds of missing pieces, including gold jewelry, semi-precious gems and antiquities dating to the 15th century B.C. "It is evident that the British Museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have in response to the warnings in 2021, and to the problem that has now fully emerged," Fischer said in a statement. "The responsibility for that failure must ultimately rest with the director." BRITISH MUSEUM FACES PRESSURE TO RETURN PARTHENON ARTIFACTS TO GREECE Most were small items kept in a storeroom and none had been on display recently, the museum said. The museum fired a