Category: News

Photo by REUTERS/PAWEL KOPCZYNSKI

Islamic State militants are trying to develop the capability to launch deadly cyber attacks against Britain’s infrastructure, finance minister George Osborne will say on Tuesday as he announces a doubling of spending on cyber security, reports.

Osborne, Prime Minister David Cameron’s close ally, said Friday’s attacks in Paris, which killed at least 129 people and were claimed by Islamic State (ISIL), underscored the need to improve Britain’s protections against electronic attack.

“ISIL are already using the Internet for hideous propaganda purposes; for radicalisation, for operational planning too,” he said in excerpts of a speech he was due to give at Britain’s GCHQ eavesdropping agency.

“They have not been able to use it to kill people yet by attacking our infrastructure through cyber attack,” he said. “But we know they want it and are doing their best to build it.”

Australia’s first party representing Muslims intends to contest senate seats at the next federal election, the BBC reports.

Launching the party in Sydney, founder Diaa Mohamed told Fairfax he wanted a louder voice for Muslims.

“There are a lot of parties out there to specifically oppose Islam and Muslims, yet Muslims don’t have any official representation,” he said.

Australia has a number of anti-Islam parties, including one backed by Dutch MP Geert Wilders.

Mr Mohamed, a 34-year-old businessman, also defended launching the party immediately after terror attacks in Paris this week.

“There are going to be a lot of questions raised in the coming days of the events recently, and this is the whole reason we created this party,” he told the ABC’s AM program.

“So it is as good a time as any to launch it.”

Mr Mohamed condemned the attacks in Paris and said Islam strictly forbade the killing of innocent people.

But he said his party would never support the invasion of a Muslim country in response to an incident such as the attacks in Paris.

“Let’s look at how well that’s worked in the past. We’ve invaded Afghanistan … we’ve invaded Iraq, and we’re in the mess we’re in right now,” he said.

“So would I support something that’s never worked in the past? No.”

Hollywood star Charlie Sheen has confirmed he is living with HIV in a US television interview, the BBC reports.

“I am here to admit that I am HIV positive,” he said.

It bring to an end days of intense media speculation. The former star of sitcom Two And A Half Men is appearing on NBC’s Today show.

“I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of sub truths,” he said adding he was diagnosed four years ago.

“I think I release myself from this prison today,” he said, referring to the speculation over his health.

He admitted that his use of drink and drugs was a “bad decision” but said it was “impossible” that he would have passed HIV on to anyone else.

Sheen rose to fame in the 80s with hit films including Platoon and Wall Street and, in 2011, was the highest-paid actor on TV thanks to his sitcom role.

He has frequently struggled with drink and drug abuse.

Egyptian officials have arrested two Sharm al-Sheikh airport workers on suspition of aiding terrorists in planting a bomb on board the Russian flight A321, according to security staff, Sputnik News reports.

The first meeting of the Armenia-U.S. Council on Trade and Investment was held in Yerevan on November 17, 2015.

This Council was established in May 2015 under a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the United States of America for further strengthening and deepening of the Armenian-American economic cooperation, as well as expansion of turnover of products and services between two countries.

The Armenian delegation was headed by Karen Chshmaritian, Minister of Economy of RA, while the u.S. delegation was led by Elizabeth Hafner, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative.

The Council on Trade and Investment included a high-level U.S. delegation from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Department of State and the trade representative’s office. The meeting was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Armenia H.E. Mr. Richard Mills.

From the Armenian side the meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Economy Garegin Melkonyan, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Arayik Petrosyan, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Economy, Finance, Agriculture, Development Foundation of Armenia, Chamber of Commerce, the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia, the American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia (AmCham) and other interested institutions.

Addressing the meeting, Armenian Economy Minister Karen Chshmaritian said: “Armenia is ready to become a center of interests for international business community, adding traditional Armenian hospitality to the favorable conditions for business activities. In this context I would propose to consider the opportunities to establish headquarters of international companies in Armenia, especially considering, that the U.S. investors have already appreciated the opportunities of Armenia, particularly in the spheres of tourism, information and high technologies, consulting”.

The perspectives and opportunities of the growth of mutual trade and investment between Republic of Armenia and the United States were discussed. On the agenda were discussions on intellectual property rights, customs clearances, technical barriers to trade, sanitary measures for agriculture, investment promotion efforts, private sector engagement, government procurement, WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, and environmental and labor issues.

“By identifying and addressing these technical issues, we will deepen the trade relationship between the U.S. and Armenia,” said U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills.

In addition to the bilateral meeting, a roundtable discussion was held with interested private sector stakeholders. This was the first such meeting, with plans to continue them annually.

“Business leaders and the private sector play an important role in policy and regulatory decision-making,” Ambassador Mills said. “This roundtable discussion helped provide an opportunity for stakeholders to consult on the on-going trade discussions.”

A joint action plan outlining further steps for promoting mutual trade and investment, as well as expanding areas of cooperation is expected to be adopted at the outcome of the meeting.

The Minister of Economy Karen Chshmaritian expressed confidence that “Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) signed between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the United States of America creates new opportunities for promotion of investment and trade between two countries, expanding existing areas of cooperation, identifying new areas of cooperation”.

Charles Aznavour has become a Commander of the Belgian Order of the Crown, the highest distinction awarded by King Philip on the proposal of Foreign Minister Didier Reynders,  reports.

The ceremony was held under special circumstances due to the emotion aroused by the attacks that bloodied Paris Friday. Minister Reynders praised the qualities of the artist.

Born in Paris to a father to Armenian origins, Charles Aznavour is campaigning for recognition of the Armenian genocide. Belgium recognized the Armenian genocide through parliamentary initiatives and, more recently, by the voice of Prime Minister Charles Michel in a speech in the House.

Photo by XL Recordings

With only three days to go before Adele’s new album, 25, hits the shelves, she has released a second song from the record, the BBC reports.

When We Were Young was recently described in The Guardian as the album’s “centrepiece” and “a standard in the making”.

It has the same combination of hope and melancholy that made Someone Like You a worldwide hit, without sounding like a facsimilie of that song.

The video, uploaded to YouTube this morning, sees Adele perform the track live at London’s Church studios, where some of 25 was recorded.