The European Parliament has opposed the controversial ACTA treaty, after three of its influential committees said the trade agreement should be rejected. The Legal Affairs Committee (JURI), the Committee for Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the Committee for Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) all voted against implementing the agreement, which caused mass protests in several... 

Russia backed by China and India is pushing through a takeover of the internet by a UN supranational agency to make the web truly universal. The aim of the plan is to standardize the behavior of countries concerning information and cyberspace. ­Leading emerging economies supported by other United Nations members initiated the discussion around handing over internet regulation to a UN agency. At present... 

Following protests from bee advocates, Poland has banned the use of an insecticide-producing Monsanto seed. Poland has banned a strain of genetically engineered Monsanto corn, citing a link between the pervasive crop and the rapid decline of honeybee populations. After experts determined that widely used neonicotinoid insecticides were causing colony collapse disorder—a worldwide phenomenon wherein... 

Russia can be left without its traditional alcohol beverages after July 1st. It goes about such drinks as mead, sbiten, cider and some others. The producers and importers of these products do not execute the regulations about mandatory licensing, which obliges them to make containers for alcohol and non-alcohol products separately, Interfax reports. During the summer period of the year, which is a... 

US defense secretary Leon Panetta said America needs to increase its military role in the Asian Pacific, restating Washington’s concern over the reality of China’s rapidly developing military influence. “That reality is inescapable for our country and for our military, which has already begun broadening and deepening our engagement throughout the Asia-Pacific,” Panetta said. On... 

A euro coin with the Spanish national flag in the background. The European Commission says Spain is on top of the list of the eurozone 12 critical economies as new reports show investors flee Spain amid the deepening financial crisis. Affected by Greece’s economic woes, the Commission on Wednesday listed Spain and Cyprus as two European states in “very serious” trouble. “Spain faces... 

Several days ago, the world was shocked with the news from Europe. A family couple from Bosnia and Herzegovina had been keeping a young German woman as their slave for eight years. The victim of family violence is now 19 years of age. The Bosnian couple – Milenko Marinkovic, 52, and his wife Slavojka Marinkovic, 45, – were torturing and starving an underage girl, whose name was Karla.... 

Russia is firmly dedicated not to let pass an initiative of foreign military intervention into Syria in the UN Security Council. ­“We always said we’re strongly against any kind of external interference into the Syrian conflict, because it would only worsen the situation and bring unpredictable consequences for Syria and the whole region,” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov... 

Mitt Romney clinched the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday with a win in the Texas primary, a triumph of endurance for a candidate who came up short four years ago and had to fight hard this year as voters flirted with a carousel of GOP rivals. Romney surpassed the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination by winning at least 88 delegates in the Texas primary, according to the Associated... 

Rescuers searching for survivors in Medolla earthquake on May 29, 2012 Italy’s second fatal earthquake in just over a week has killed at least 16 people and injured 350 others in the northern region of Emilia Romagna. At least 14,000 people have also been displaced since a strong earthquake measuring 5.8 struck northern Italy on Tuesday morning, local security officials reported. The rescuing teams... 

Lawmakers in Holland have voted to strike down the international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), slammed by many as a free speech and information access choker. Dutch MPs have also ruled the government will never sign any such agreement. The Dutch parliamentarians have opted not to wait for the EU’s vote on ACTA which is set for June, with consultations kicking off already this Thursday. “The... 

Do you believe that parents should be able to spank their children? Do you ever express that opinion to others? If so, then you could be sent to prison. Sadly, that is exactly what happened to one pastor up in Wisconsin recently. A minister named Philip Caminiti was sentenced to 2 years in prison for simply teaching that parents should spank their children when they misbehave. Please note that Caminiti... 

The new AIDS? A parasitic illness called Chagas disease has been dubbed the 'new AIDS of the Americas' by experts. It is usually transmitted from the bite of blood-sucking insect species called Triatome bugs, which include 'Kissing bugs' (Triatomids) A little-known life-threatening illness caused by blood sucking insects has been labelled the ‘new AIDS of the Americas’ by experts. The... 

Iran launched its first domestically-produced Omid (Hope) satellite in 2009 on board Safir (Ambassador) carrier. An Iranian official has announced that the country is set to launch a high resolution student satellite tasked with taking images of the earth. Head of the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) Hamid Fazeli said the satellite is part of a project by Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology and will... 

Police officers clash with anti-mining protesters in Andahuaylas, Peru on November 10, 2011. The Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency in southern Espinar province to curb seven days of violent anti-mining protests in the highland region. The 30-day state of emergency was imposed after two people were killed and scores more, including police officers, were injured in clashes over controversial...