(BBC News) As Spain reels from the flash floods that struck the southeast of the country this week, many are wondering why the death toll — at over 200 — is so high.
Almost all of the deaths confirmed so far have been in the Valencia region on the Mediterranean coast.
Some areas have been particularly devastated: the town of Paiporta, population 25,000, reported at least 62 deaths.
Various factors, including drivers becoming trapped in their cars, poor...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) Mauritius has cut access to all social media platforms until November 11, a day after its upcoming general election.
The move on Friday came amid a wiretapping scandal, and even as the opposition raised the alarm about an alleged ploy by the governing party to avoid defeat at the polls.
The Indian Ocean island nation’s communications regulator ordered all internet service providers to suspend access to social media until November 11 in...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has sued CBS over an early October interview of Harris aired on its 60 Minutes news program, alleging that the broadcast was misleading, Reuters reports, citing a court filing.
The complaint, filed in federal court in the Northern District of Texas, alleges that the network aired two different responses from the Democratic candidate responding to a question about the war in Gaza.
The version that aired during the...
(BBC News) A Russian court has fined Google two undecillion roubles – a two followed by 36 zeroes – for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube.
In dollar terms, the tech giant has been told to pay $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Despite being one of the world's wealthiest companies, that is considerably more than Google's $2.12-trillion market capitalization.
In fact, it is far greater than the world’s total GDP, which is estimated by the International Monetary Fund to be $110 trillion.
The...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) The United States has finalized rules that limit investments in critical technology sectors in China such as artificial intelligence on national security grounds, the Treasury Department has announced.
The restrictions will bar US citizens and permanent residents, as well as US-based companies, from engaging in transactions involving technologies including AI, semiconductors and quantum computing, the Treasury said in a statement on Monday.
US investors will also be obligated to inform the Treasury...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) China has slammed the latest round of United States arms sales to Taiwan, vowing to take “all necessary measures” to assert its sovereignty over the self-ruled island it claims as its own.
The US State Department on Friday approved a $2-billion arms sale package for Taiwan, including advanced surface-to-air missile systems and radar as part of its efforts to counter China’s growing military power in the Asia Pacific.
The administration of US...
(BBC News) The Washington Post has announced it will not endorse a presidential candidate in the upcoming election, provoking a backlash among some of its employees and subscribers.
CEO William Lewis said the decision was a return "to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates" and that the newspaper was ending the practice going forward.
The move breaks with decades of tradition, with the paper having endorsed a candidate in most presidential elections since the 1970s...
(BBC News) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump‘s three-hour interview with the United States’ #1 podcaster, Joe Rogan, has been released.
In the wide-ranging sit-down, the former president discusses everything from the “biggest mistake” of his White House tenure, what he told North Korea’s leader, and whether extraterrestrial life exists.
Two years ago, Rogan described Trump as “an existential threat to democracy” and refused to have him on his show. But the pair seemed friendly on Friday...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) Israel has attacked Iran, killing two Iranian soldiers. It also launched simultaneous strikes on Iran-linked interests in Syria.
Israel says the campaign early on Saturday targeted military sites and was a response to attacks from “Iran and its proxies”.
Iran says it will continue defending against Israeli attacks on Gaza, Lebanon, and Iranian officials.
This is the first time Israel openly claimed an attack on Iran.
Here’s what to know about the latest strikes and what to...
(BBC News) Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected a visit to Ukraine by UN Secretary General António Guterres over his trip to Russia, a source in the presidential office has told the BBC.
After attending a BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan this week, Guterres had wanted to visit Kyiv, the BBC says.
"The president did not confirm his visit," the source told the BBC. "After Kazan and after he shook hands with the war’s instigator...
