Acting head of U.N. Palestinian agency says ‘difficult’ year ahead, amid funding cuts and Israeli pressure
The interim head of the U.N. agency that aids Palestinian refugees on Thursday accused pro-Israel groups of lobbying foreign parliaments to stop donations, even as it struggled to recover from losing United States funding in 2018.
Guatemalan president cuts ties with Venezuela: state news agency
Guatemala’s new President Alejandro Giammattei said on Thursday his country was cutting diplomatic ties with Venezuela and closing its embassy in Caracas, the Central American country’s state news agency reported.
Panama probes suspected killing of seven by religious sect
Panamanian prosecutors are investigating the suspected killing of seven people, including a pregnant woman and five of her children, by members of religious sect that was believed to have been performing exorcisms, authorities said on Thursday.
Pompeo to attend Libya conference in Berlin; priority is ceasefire – State Department
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Germany this weekend to attend the Libya conference and push for sustaining a fragile ceasefire and getting all foreign powers to withdraw from the conflict in the North African country, the State Depa…
Israeli surveillance software lawsuit goes behind closed doors
An Israeli court on Thursday ordered closed-door hearings in Amnesty International’s legal bid to stop NSO Group exporting surveillance software, which rights groups say is used to spy on journalists and dissidents worldwide.
EU mulls five-year ban on facial recognition tech in public areas
The European Union is considering banning facial recognition technology in public areas for up to five years, to give it time to work out how to prevent abuses, according to proposals seen by Reuters.
Russia denies bombing civilian targets in Syria’s Idlib – RIA
Russia’s Ministry of Defence on Thursday denied media reports that it had bombed civilian targets in the de-escalation zone in Syria’s Idlib province, saying there had been no military flights since a ceasefire was introduced on Jan.9, RIA reported.
Three Turkish soldiers killed in car bomb attack in Syria – sources
Three Turkish soldiers were killed in a car bomb attack while carrying out roadside checks on vehicles in northeast Syria on Thursday, security sources said.
Spain’s government under fire for blurring lines between executive and judiciary
Just days into its mandate, Spain’s new government has come into conflict with several judges on the country’s judicial watchdog, several of whom voted on Thursday against the controversial appointment of a former justice minister as prosecutor general…
Over 1,000 migrants enter Guatemala, caravan heads toward Mexico
At least 1,300 people have entered Guatemala in a new U.S.-bound caravan from Honduras, authorities said on Thursday, putting pressure on the region to satisfy Trump administration demands to contain northbound illegal immigration.
