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Failing to control debt handicaps future generations: Spain’s former foreign minister

Europe • 3:42 PM

The new French government faces many challenges, including questions about its democratic legitimacy, and a public debt which has worried France’s EU partners. We discuss the economic outlook with former Spanish foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya, wh

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What the operation to blow up Hezbollah’s pagers tells us about Israel’s spy agencies

The mass explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies believed to belong to members of the Iran-backed Shiite group Hezbollah in Lebanon have widely been attributed to Israel’s intelligence services. The attacks, which killed dozens of people and wounded thou

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MEPs challenge Viktor Orban on 'European values': Hungary’s controversial EU presidency

Europe • 3:15 PM

Few EU presidencies have rocked the bloc as much as the current one, held by Hungary. European leaders, many MEPs, and EU Commissioners, were rattled by what Prime Minister Viktor Orban called his peace mission in July, which included a meeting with Pres

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French judge limits of screenings of ‘shocking’ videos in Pelicot mass rape case

A French judge on Friday ruled that videos of men raping Gisele Pelicot while she was drugged could be shown at the request of the prosecution or defence, but not as a matter of course due to the disturbing content. Pelicot had urged that the footage be

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Satirical, sexy and downright strange: Bill Plympton’s animated adventures

Culture • 2:44 PM

From cartoon baddies to Hollywood pin-ups, Bill Plympton’s animations embrace an eccentric collection of characters, all of them set in motion in his unique, shimmering style. As the animator and cartoonist’s work goes on show at the Formula Bula Festiva

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Online misogyny and the US election: How to counter the war of disinformation

How the US presidential election has been blighted by a campaign of online disinformation including misogynist and racist content. Annette Young talks to American disinformation specialist, Nina Jankowicz about how governments need to step up to prevent

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Davos in the French suburbs: How to boost the local economy?

In this week's show we shine the spotlight on France’s "banlieues": the low-income neighbourhoods that are on the periphery of the country’s largest cities. On September 17th and 18th, the first ever “banlieue economic forum” took place in Paris – provid

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Can your phone blow up? Remote device attacks in Lebanon stoke panic

This week’s attacks on Hezbollah pagers and radios have spread anxiety among Lebanese people, and a sense that no electronic device is safe. Amid some confusion over how the explosions were triggered, you might be wondering whether you can trust the phon

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Harris and Oprah hold star-studded US election rally

A star-studded virtual event hosted by Oprah Winfrey Thursday night to build enthusiasm for Kamala Harris' campaign was marked by teary moments and celebrity endorsements, drawing hundreds of thousands of viewers across social media.

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Taiwan tries to curb deadly addiction to betel nut

It’s known as “Taiwan's chewing gum”. Betel, a nut as hated as it is loved, occupies a special place in the island's culture. This stimulant is consumed by hundreds of thousands of people, mainly from working-class backgrounds, and supports just as many

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Titan submersible malfunctioned days before fatal Titanic dive, scientific director says

The submersible that imploded in June 2023 on its way to visit the Titanic malfunctioned days before its final voyage, the scientific director of the company that owned the craft said during a US Coast Guard investigation. Other testimonies indicate a la

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Ukraine's Kursk offensive diverted thousands of Russian troops, says Zelensky

Europe • 9:00 AM

Ukraine's offensive into the Russian border region of Kursk diverted around 40,000 Russian troops away from the frontline, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday. Kyiv launched its Kursk offensive on August 6 in a bid to pull Moscow's force

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Taiwan questions two in probe into Lebanon pager attack

Taiwan said on Friday that hundreds of pagers that exploded in Lebanon on Tuesday were not made in Taiwan after prosecutors questioned two people associated with Gold Apollo, the Taiwanese company that produced the communication devices.

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‘I was convinced it was a game': Defendants begin testifying at Pelicot rape trial gripping France

France • 7:16 AM

The trial of 51 men for the rape of Gisèle Pelicot began in earnest on Thursday as the first defendants took the stand. Their testimony included expressions of regret along with more ambiguous statements regarding their awareness of their victim’s vulner

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🔴Live: Israel says it killed Hezbollah commander in Beirut strike

The Israeli military on Friday said its air strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut killed top Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil and other senior commanders of the movement's Radwan special forces. Hezbollah has not confirmed the killing. The massive str

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Trump ally refuses to leave governor's race after 'Black Nazi' comments emerge on porn site

A Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina has rejected calls to drop out of the race after a report that he made controversial comments about slavery and called himself a 'Black Nazi' on a porn website more than a decade ago.

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Two missing, 1000 evacuated as Storm Boris brings flooding to northern Italy

Two people are missing and some 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes after heavy flooding and landslides hit the northeastern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The mayor of the city of Ravenna described the situation as a "full emergency".

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Israel-Hezbollah exchanges intensify on Lebanon border

Israel said Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets from Lebanon on Friday following overnight air strikes which destroyed dozens of launchers after its leader vowed retribution for deadly sabotage attacks on its communications.

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Lebanese hospitals overrun, people shaken by explosive devices attack

The mass attacks targeting Hezbollah electronic devices, which killed 37 people and wounded thousands, has shaken Lebanese society, says FRANCE 24’s James Andre, reporting from Beirut. “People are staying at home,” reports Andre. “People are staying at h

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Dozens of women accuse late Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed of sexual assault

Europe • 12:12 AM

Dozens of women say they were sexually abused by the late businessman Mohamed Al Fayed while working at his London department store Harrods. Lawyers representing the women described their cases as "horrific" and said many were girls when the abuse occure

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Yesterday

Champions League: Barca lose to Monaco as Arsenal draw with Atalanta

On the opening matchday of the 2024-2025 Champions League, Barcelona dropped points, Manchester City and Arsenal lost and there were some banner results. Bayern Munich scored nine goals.

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iPhones, cars, toilets…. No, these devices did not explode during electronic attacks in Lebanon

Panic also hit social media following the second wave of exploding devices in Lebanon, as users claim that other electronic devices also exploded as part of this attack. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

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South African government seeks solution to millions in unpaid electricity bills

Africa • 8:28 PM

In South Africa, the government considers how to absorb the impact of around 400 million euros worth of electricity bills still unpaid by some districts. Also, NGOs say that French energy giant TotalEnergies' controversial oil project in northern Uganda,

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French PM Barnier presents new cabinet picks to Macron

Following a meeting with the leaders of French conservative and centrist parties and parliamentary groups, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Thursday presented his new cabinet choices to President Emmanuel Macron. The new premier, a seasoned politi

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Martinique grapples with major cost of living crisis

People in Martinique are protesting the cost of living. That's because food products on the island cost up to 42 percent more than in mainland France. Sri Lankans are gearing up for a presidential election – and this year, the economy will be at the top

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Major jihadist attack in Mali’s capital killed more than 70, security source says

Africa • 5:38 PM

A major attack by an al Qaeda-linked group on a military police training camp and nearby airport complex in Bamako earlier this week killed more than 70 people and wounded more than 200, a Malian security source said Thursday. News from the West African

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Migrant women face ‘second trauma’ when reporting sexual abuse in France

France • 4:37 PM

A recent report from Amnesty International reveals that undocumented women in France face significant barriers when reporting sexual violence, often encountering hostility from the institutions meant to help them. French NGOs say law enforcement has incr

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China's 'full-time dads' challenge patriarchal norms

Pacific Asia • 4:03 PM

Cooking, cleaning, and caring for the kids during the day, Chen Hualiang takes on household tasks many Chinese fathers tend to leave to their wives, bucking a deep-rooted patriarchal tradition and even inspiring a hit TV show. The former project manager

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Israel 'crossed all red lines', says Hezbollah's Nasrallah in first speech since device attacks

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday acknowledged that his group had suffered a "major and unprecedented" blow after two waves of attacks targeted Hezbollah's electronic devices. Even as Nasrallah delivered his first address since the attacks, I

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Filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof on fleeing Iran after making a movie in secret

Culture • 2:30 PM

In this arts24 episode, we talk to fugitive director Mohammad Rasoulof about his powerful Iranian film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”, a brazen and startling picture about the misogyny and theocracy in his country. The director had to flee Iran where he wa

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Sri Lanka to vote in first poll since economic collapse

Pacific Asia • 1:36 PM

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka will vote for its next president Saturday in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis.

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‘Surgeries throughout the night’: Lebanon hospitals overwhelmed after attacks

The explosion of pagers and walkie talkies in an attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon has seen the country’s entire hospital sector mobilized to treat the wounded. The victims, mostly young, underwent eye surgery and, in many cases, amputations. For the medica

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Trump's devout followers: How Christian nationalists could sway the US election

Donald Trump is eager to keep the hearts of Christian nationalists, who overwhelmingly voted for him in 2016 and 2020. The former US president has given this community many reassurances, including appointing two conservative judges to the Supreme Court.

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Economy high on voters' mind ahead of Sri Lanka presidential election

Sri Lankan voters will head to the polls this Saturday to choose a new president. We'll see why the economy will be at the heart of the campaign with the financial collapse of 2022 still present in peoples' minds. In 2024, economic indicators have recove

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Exploding communication devices: What impact on Hezbollah?

Hezbollah was in disarray on Thursday after a second wave of deadly explosions swept through its strongholds across Lebanon, putting pressure on its leader to exact revenge for the operation it blames on Israel. Kethevane Gorjestani takes a look at how t

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Initial probe shows Lebanon pagers 'booby-trapped with explosives'

A preliminary investigation has found hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members that exploded across Lebanon this week had been booby-trapped, a security official told AFP on Wednesday. "Data indicates the devices were pre-programmed to detonate and c

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‘I feel humiliated’: Gisèle Pelicot outraged by suggestions of complicity at France mass rape trial

In the courthouse in the southern French city of Avignon, Gisèle Pelicot spoke out once again on Tuesday about the rapes she suffered at the hands of scores of men while heavily sedated, assaults that were instigated by her husband over a decade. The vic

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Hezbollah chief Nasrallah says Israel crossed ‘red lines’ by detonating electronic devices

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday blamed Israel for the deadly attacks targeting the group’s electronic devices in Lebanon, calling them a “massacre” that crossed a “red line”. In his first speech since the attacks, Nasrallah vowed not to give

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Musk’s X to face $900,000 daily fine in Brazil as top court orders it to respect ban

Brazil’s top court on Thursday said social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, would be hit with a daily fine of over $900,000 if it does not comply with a ban the court imposed last month. Access to the platform returned for many Brazilian user

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'Giant performance': Man City blunted by Inter Milan in Champions League stalemate

Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi praised his team's "giant performance" after holding Manchester City to a 0-0 draw in their Champions League opener. The expanded tournament format, designed to pit Europe’s top clubs against each other more frequently, s

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Politics and identity: Racism on the US campaign trail

From comments on curry to fried chicken, we take a look at how racially charged views have gone viral in the US presidential campaign. We find out how the controversy began with a tweet by a right-winger influencer, Laura Loomer. We also dive into how ra

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Despite cosy relations with Russia, India’s munitions enter Ukraine

Indian munitions are being diverted by European intermediaries to support Ukraine's defence against Russia, according to government and defence sources and customs data. Despite Indian arms export regulations and protests from Moscow, transfers of Indian

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Israeli planes bomb southern Lebanon after radio blasts

Israel bombed southern Lebanon on Thursday, a day after explosions of Hezbollah radios that came on the heels of blasts in booby trapped pagers, setting the foes hurtling towards war.

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Wednesday, september 18, 2024

US says Iran hackers offered 'stolen' Trump campaign material to Biden team

US officials say Iranian hackers offered Joe Biden's campaign hacked information from Donald Trump’s electoral team in late June and early July, according to the FBI and intelligence agencies. The unsolicited emails were sent before Biden dropped out of

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Two killed in New Caledonia during French security forces operation

Two men were killed during a French security forces operation in New Caledonia overnight, raising the death toll to 13 after four months of unrest. Clashes continue in Saint Louis, a stronghold of the independence movement south of Noumea, as tensions pe

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US Federal Reserve lowers interest rates weeks before presidential election

The Federal Reserve slashed US interest rates by 50 basis points, its first cut in four years, lowering the benchmark rate to 4.75-5.00 percent. The move, double the typical 25 basis point adjustment, signals heightened concern about economic growth as i

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French mass rape survivor says 'humiliated' by lawyers' claims of complicity in her abuse

Europe • 10:28 PM

Gisele Pelicot expressed feeling humiliated during the trial of her ex-husband, after defense lawyers accused her of complicity in the abuse. She described the experience in court as degrading. Dominique Pelicot has admitted to drugging Gisele with sedat

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US Federal Reserve cuts interest rates for first time in four years

The US Federal Reserve lowered its key lending rate by a deeper-than-expected 0.5 percent, in its first rate cut in more than four years. The move indicates that while monetary policymakers are confident about taming inflation, their focus has shifted to

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Teamsters union declines to endorse Trump or Harris for president

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, one of the largest and most influential US labour unions, declined Wednesday to make a presidential endorsement, breaking with a quarter-century tradition of backing Democratic White House hopefuls. FRANCE 24's

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Brussels summons Congolese ambassador over Belgian death sentence

Africa • 9:00 PM

A series of death sentences in a coup trial in DRC is causing a stir both inside the country and abroad. Also, Zimbabwe has followed Namibia in announcing plans to slaughter hundreds of wild elephants and other animals in a bid to tackle the fallout from

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Motorola wrongly accused of manufacturing Hezbollah pagers

Some on X are calling it the ‘Israeli Motorola massacre,’ blaming Motorola for manufacturing the deadly Hezbollah pagers that exploded in Lebanon. For years, the American mobile company has faced boycotts, accused of supplying the Israeli army with commu

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First pagers, now walkie-talkies: What's behind targeting of Hezbollah devices?

A precision operation that’s part of a grander scheme or a one-off magic trick to score spy ops points against the enemy? Either way, what to make of a second day of exploding devices that has killed a dozen and wounded more than 3-thousand? Hezbollah's

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What we know about Lebanon’s exploding devices

One day after hundreds of pagers widely used by Hezbollah simultaneously exploded in Lebanon, two-way radios used by the group detonated on Wednesday in what appeared to be a second wave of sophisticated, deadly attacks. The unprecedented series of explo

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Ukrainian drone attack triggers earthquake-sized blast at arsenal in Russia's Tver region

Europe • 4:45 PM

A large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Russia triggered an earthquake-sized blast at a major arsenal in the Tver region on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of a nearby town, according to war bloggers. FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris Trent reports from Kyi

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Russian advance in Kursk 'stopped', says Ukraine military official

Europe • 3:51 PM

A spokesman for the Ukrainian army said on Wednesday that the Russian counter-offensive in the Kursk region had been halted and that parts of that zone remained "under Ukrainian control". In western Russia, Ukrainian drones "destroyed" a warehouse contai

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Fresh explosions heard in Lebanon as Hezbollah hand-held radios detonate

Hand-held radios used by Hezbollah detonated late on Wednesday afternoon across Lebanon's south and in Beirut's southern suburbs, security sources and witnesses said, further hiking tensions with Israel a day after similar explosions launched via the gro

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Indian-administered Kashmir holds first local election after losing autonomy

Pacific Asia • 1:41 PM

Five years after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its statehood, the northern Indian region voted Wednesday in its first local election in a decade. The disputed Kashmir Valley has experienced profound change

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Film show: 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' critiques Iranian regime

Culture • 1:32 PM

Director Mohammad Rasoulof had escaped a prison sentence in Iran just days before his latest film screened at the Cannes Film Festival this year. "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" went on to stun critics and win the Jury Prize. Critic Emma Jones tells us why

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Promising findings emerge from latest cancer trials

We take a look at some of the findings that emerged from this year's European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Barcelona. Some 30,000 people attended the forum to hear what advances doctors and researchers have made in the fight against cancer.

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'Chaotic 24 hours in Lebanon' after Hezbollah pager attack

France 24's Rawad Taha reports on a chaotic last 24 hours in Lebanon following an attack that saw the pages of Hezbollah group members explode, killing 12 people and wounding up to 2,800 others. The attack has been blamed on Israel, but Lebanese authorit

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French Paralympian Stéphane Houdet on why every disadvantage has an advantage

One of France's leading Paralympians has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his motto in life, as he reflects on the success of this summer's Paralympic Games here in Paris. Stéphane Houdet told us that "everyone has two lives, and the second one starts when you

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Mumbai's dabbawalas, a centuries-old food delivery service for Indian workers

Pacific Asia • 10:59 AM

Food delivery services are now a $150 billion industry worldwide. The rise of user-friendly apps has led to these services becoming ubiquitous in many countries. But before Uber Eats or Deliveroo, there were dabbawalas. In the Indian city of Mumbai, they

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Militants launch a deadly attack on a military training camp in Mali's capital

Africa • 10:11 AM

Islamic militants attacked a military training camp and the airport in Mali’s capital Tuesday, sparking deadly gunbattles before troops were able to subdue the assailants, officials said. No details of casualties were immediately released.

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Taiwan's Gold Apollo says Hezbollah pagers made by Hungary partner

Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said on Wednesday that the pager model allegedly used by Hezbollah members that simultaneously exploded and killed at least nine people was made by its Hungarian partner.

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Hezbollah vows to punish Israel after deadly pager blasts

Hezbollah vowed on Wednesday to punish Israel for a deadly attack in which hundreds of paging devices used by the militant group's members exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the wave of explosions

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Pager blasts: Lebanese papers decry 'war crime', Israeli press divided

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, September 18: Lebanese and Israeli papers react to the deadly pager blasts across Lebanon. Some Israeli papers are jubilant at the ingenuity of the attack, while others fear it brings war with Lebanon into the realm of the proba

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Google wins EU court bid to overturn €1.49 billion antitrust fine

Google on Wednesday won a court challenge against a €1.49-billion fine levied by the European Union for abuse of dominance over online advertising in the latest in a series of legal clashes between the tech giant and the European Bloc. EU courts scrapped

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