Reuters, Vienna
Russia’s foreign minister called on Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) countries to strengthen efforts to ensure the safety of the internet on Thursday.
Moscow faces widespread allegations that it interfered in the U.S. presidential election and was behind a wave of destructive global hacking attacks. It has denied any involvement in either.
“We urge concentrating on (the) elaboration and implementation of specific additional confidence building measures in order to secure the cyber security and not to waste breath with unfounded accusations without any fact,” Sergei Lavrov told a meeting of foreign ministers from OSCE countries.
Major powers to push KSA, Iran to stop
interfering in Lebanon
Reuters, Paris
Major powers will try to shore up Lebanon’s stability on Friday by pushing Saudi Arabia and Iran to stop interfering in its politics, and urging Hezbollah to rein in its regional activities, diplomats said.
Lebanon plunged into crisis on Nov. 4 when Saad al-Hariri resigned as prime minister while he was in Saudi Arabia, saying he feared assassination and criticising the Saudis’ regional arch-rival Iran along with its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
Two teens killed in US school shooting
AFP, Los Angeles
Two teens were killed in a shooting at their high school in the southwestern US state of New Mexico on Thursday, police said, adding that the assailant was dead.
The attack took place at Aztec High School, New Mexico State Police said on Twitter. The school is located in the small town of Aztec some 180 miles (300 kilometers) northwest of Albuquerque in an area close to Navajo tribal lands.
Initial reports of other people being wounded are wrong, San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christesen told a press conference.
Mugabe-era finance minister released
AFP, Harare
A Zimbabwean court on Thursday freed a Mugabe-era finance minister on bail ahead of his trial on corruption charges, laid following his arrest at the height of last month’s military takeover.
Ignatius Chombo, a close ally of former president Robert Mugabe who resigned on November 21, was the first Mugabe loyalist to be charged with a crime.
Yemen govt retakes Red Sea town
AFP, Aden
Yemen’s government has retaken a Red Sea town from Huthi insurgents, officials said Thursday, days after President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s administration ordered troops to advance on the rebel-held capital.
The war-torn Arabian Peninsula country has been plunged deeper into turmoil by the killing on Monday of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh by the Huthis after his alliance with the Iran-backed insurgents collapsed.
