A spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has criticised a US move to no longer refer to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights as occupied territories in its annual human rights report. Nabil Abu Rudeineh called it "a continuation of the hostile approach of the American administration toward our Palestinian people and... contrary to all UN resolutions." In a statement carried by official Palestinian news agency WAFA late Wednesday, he said the change was part of US President Donald Trump's plan to "liquidate" the Palestinian cause. Trump is expected to unveil his long-awaited plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace in the coming months, even though the Palestinian leadership has frozen contact with Washington over Trump's 2017 declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Palestinians believe the upcoming plan will be blatantly biased in favour of Israel. In its latest human rights report published Wednesday, the United States referred to the Golan Heights as … [Read more...] about Palestinian president slams US dropping ‘occupied’ in report
Reports
Report: Nord Stream 2 eyes way to curb EU oversight of pipeline
MOSCOW, Mar 14 (PRIME) -- The group building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to import Russian gas into Germany is exploring plans to hive off its last 50 kilometers into a separate company, a move that would undermine E.U. plans to regulate the entire U.S. $9.5 billion project, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Under the proposal, a new company would own and manage the small part of the undersea pipeline within German territorial waters. While this section would be subject to E.U. rules, the rest of Nord Stream 2 — nearly 1,200 kilometers through the Baltic Sea — would remain outside the bloc’s jurisdiction, according to three people familiar with the plans. The plan, while in its early stages, could stoke further criticism of Nord Stream 2, owned by Russia’s Gazprom, which some central and eastern European member states charge is counter to E.U. efforts to diversify its energy sources. The U.S. has threatened sanctions against the project and criticized … [Read more...] about Report: Nord Stream 2 eyes way to curb EU oversight of pipeline
Live: Brexit vote, EU summit on Syria’s future, NATO’s annual report
Good morning, Europe. Today we're watching British MPs to vote on delaying Brexit: UK Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a fresh defeat after Ministers ruled out a no deal on Wednesday night. May told MPs the outcome of the vote does not change the fundamentals of Brexit. On Thursday, MPs will return to the UK parliament to vote on a possible delay to Brexit until June 30. EU summit on Syria: Foreign Ministers from dozens of countries, including Lebanon and Turkey, as well as senior UN officials arrive in Brussels for a political discussion on the multiple aspects of the Syria crisis. NATO annual report: NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will release his annual report for 2018. It comes at a time of increased tension with the US as President Donald Trump has questioned the value of NATO for Washington. Follow our updates here: … [Read more...] about Live: Brexit vote, EU summit on Syria’s future, NATO’s annual report
Facebook reportedly under criminal investigation for secret data-sharing deals
Federal prosecutors are probing Facebook's illicit data-sharing partnerships, reportedly subpoenaing data from smartphone manufacturers as the regulatory walls appear to close in on the beleaguered social media firm. A New York grand jury has subpoenaed two device-makers' records as part of a criminal investigation into some of the 150+ dubiously legal data partnerships Facebook forged with technology companies and other large corporations, according to sources familiar with the requests who spoke to the New York Times. "We are cooperating with investigators and take those probes seriously," a Facebook spokesman said in a statement, adding, "We've provided public testimony, answered questions and pledged that we will continue to do so." Also on rt.com 150+ firms, incl Netflix & Spotify thrived on Facebook user data under secretive partnership – media Facebook's secretive data-sharing partnerships allegedly allowed tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Spotify … [Read more...] about Facebook reportedly under criminal investigation for secret data-sharing deals
Investors could pump $1 bn into Uber self-driving cars: report
A group of investors including SoftBank Group is in talks to invest $1 billion or more into Uber's self-driving car unit, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Word of a potential infusion of cash valuing the Uber autonomous vehicle division at from $5 billion to $10 billion comes as the ride-hailing startup steers toward a hotly-anticipated stock market debut. Under terms being discussed, SoftBank's Vision Fund and other investors, including a car maker, would take a minority stake in Uber's self-driving vehicle unit, according to the Journal. Led by Japan's Masayoshi Son, the Vision Fund is heavily invested by Saudi Arabia. The Journal described the "late-stage" talks as fluid, with the possibility a deal might not be reached. Uber has been in a race with Google-owned Waymo and a host of other companies, including major automakers, to develop self-driving vehicles. Waymo said this month that it would sell a key innovation to companies that don't compete with its autonomous … [Read more...] about Investors could pump $1 bn into Uber self-driving cars: report