World

Georgia's political crisis deepened on Wednesday as police raided opposition party offices, sparking widespread condemnation. The raids came after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze vowed to crack down on pro-EU protests, which have rocked the capital city of Tbilisi since the disputed October 26 parliamentary election. "It is clear to everyone that these violent actions are entirely coordinated by the radical opposition... No one will escape accountability, including the politicians hiding in their offices," Prime Minister Kobakhidze said, adding that "radical" political forces are responsible for the protests. Soon after, the Georgian police beat and arrested the leader of Akhali liberal opposition party and also conducted a raid on the offices of the Droa party. Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria posted on X: "They are now in our party office, searching. Likely hoping to find something to charge some of our members with trumped-up charges." Tens of tho...

Midwifery and nursing were the last two educational avenues for women in Afghanistan which have now been padlocked by the Taliban government, according to the BBC. This poses serious questions as the United Nations said in 2023 that Afghanistan needs an additional 18,000 midwives to meet the needs of the country. Women training in these avenues have said that they were ordered not to return to classes in the morning and while their statements have been corroborated by institutions in Afghanistan, the Taliban government's health ministry has not issued a response. The institutes say that the Taliban has instructed them to close until further notice. Teenage girls have been unable to access education since 2021 despite the Taliban promising they would restart their education once the curriculum has been ensured as "Islamic". The only other way to seek some education was through midwifery or nursing - an important field since male doctors are not allowed to treat women...

Despite widespread concern that generative AI could interfere with major elections around the globe this year, the technology had limited impact across Meta Platforms' apps, the tech company said on Tuesday. Coordinated networks of accounts seeking to spread propaganda or false content largely failed to build a significant audience on Facebook and Instagram or use AI effectively, Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, told a press briefing. The volume of AI-generated misinformation was low and Meta was able to quickly label or remove the content, he said. The snapshot from Meta comes as misinformation experts say AI content has so far failed to significantly sway public opinion, as notable deepfake videos and audio, including of President Joe Biden's voice, have been quickly debunked. Coordinated networks of accounts attempting to spread false content are increasingly shifting their activities to other social media and messaging apps with fewer safety guardrails...

A lawyer defending Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari,  the Hindu priest arrested and accused of sedition in Bangladesh, has been attacked, the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) has said. A court in Bangladesh is expected to hear the case on December 3.  In a post on X, Radharaman Das, the spokesperson for ISKCON, said, "Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life". Many lawyers in Bangladesh, however, have denied any such event. Last month too, there were claims on social media and a few news outlets that a lawyer defending Chinmoy Krishna Das was killed. But investigations revealed that the murdered lawyer, Saiful Islam, was an assistant public prosecutor and he was not defending Chinmoy Das. The post from Radharaman Das read:  Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault...

The root causes of diseases like cancer, dementia and heart disease are expected to be better understood following a "significant" research partnership involving an Indian-origin entrepreneur's genetics initiative. Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, said the development of a world-first "epigenetic map" of the human genome could lead to breakthroughs in new diagnoses and treatments. The new resource for medical researchers will be created following the UK government's strategic partnership with the Oxford-headquartered life science company, UK Biobank, NHS England and Genomics England unveiled last week. "This project represents a significant leap forward in epigenetic research, an increasingly important area of study related to disease progression and response to treatment," said Sanghera, born in the UK to a Punjabi family. "Working with UK Biobank to create the world's largest epigenetic dataset aligns with our co...

US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday named Lebanese-American businessman Massad Boulos as his senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, the latest family member to be appointed to a key position. "I am proud to announce that Massad Boulos will serve as Senior Advisor to the President on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs," Trump posted on Truth Social of the appointment, which puts his daughter Tiffany's father-in-law in a major White House position. Boulos was a key emissary for the Trump campaign, helping to mobilize Arab American and Muslim voters, many of whom were disaffected with White House policy on the war in Gaza. The businessman will take over a difficult portfolio, with Israel's war raging in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon seeing early violations, and rebel forces in Syria making advances against the government of Bashar al-Assad. Massad Boulos's son, Michael, is married to Trump's daughter Tiffany....

The White House is working on a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza but is "not there yet," the US National Security Advisor told NBC on Sunday, with fighting in the conflict raging on as regional leaders meet to discuss the crisis. "We are working actively to try to make it happen. We are engaged deeply with the key players in the region, and there is activity even today," said Jake Sullivan, according to a transcript released by the broadcaster. "There will be further conversations and consultations, and our hope is that we can generate a ceasefire and hostage deal, but we're not there yet," he added. Sullivan's comments came a day after Israel hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, days into a fragile ceasefire in its conflict with the Iran-backed group. Addressing that conflict, Sullivan lauded the ceasefire deal and said the US was working with Lebanon's military to ensure it was implemented "effectively." "We need to...