Free Republic

BRUSSELS (AP) – The Belgian government has vowed to reinforce measures to contain the coronavirus even more with fresh measures to be decided Friday, possibly including more school closures and further reducing opening times of bars and restaurants. Local media said Friday’s possible measures also include further cuts in indoor sports events, and reducing group meetings to 200 people at most.

Taiwan is one of at least seven countries across eastern Asia that have recently enacted or are considering laws to limit or gain access to information about internet reports that officials claim are false, speculative, exaggerated, or truthful yet hurtful. As does President Trump, they often lump such reports under a vague, and often misleading, heading: fake news. For nations with one-party rule, regulations squelching false or sensitive stories emanating from social media would result in an expansion of longstanding controls over the traditional mass media. Such efforts have been on the rise over about the last two years due...

Officials from the United States Department of Homeland Security visited Chicago this week to deal with security issues involving local synagogues. Jewish centers in the city were apparently the targets in a recent bomb plot. On Wednesday, officials will begin conference calls with Jewish leaders across the country to discuss security. Officials working with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released guidelines for dealing with packages from abroad. “If there's an odor to the package, or if the packaging looks funny, treat it cautiously and with suspicion,” said the ADL's Mark Briskman. “Don't play with it. Don't open it. Get away from...

WASHINGTON - Federal scientists want to tighten smog standards, a step that would allow tens of millions of Americans to breathe easier. The plan also would run head-on into President Bush's hopes of weaning Americans from gasoline by using more smog-producing ethanol. Environmental Protection Agency scientists on Wednesday will say that tougher standards "would provide greater health protection for sensitive groups, including asthmatic children and other people with lung disease, healthy children and older adults — especially those active outdoors, and outdoor workers." Nearly 160 million people now breathe illegal levels of ozone pollution — smog — mostly in and...

ARLINGTON, Va. (Army News Service, Dec. 13, 2005) – Most Iraqis are anticipating the upcoming Dec. 15 national elections with enthusiasm, according to a recent poll, and Coalition forces have been busy conducting pre-election security sweeps to remove terrorists from the streets and ensure a safe election day. Early voting for Iraqi security forces and detainees has already begun. Nearly 90 percent of all eligible detainees in Coalition internment facilities had voted by Dec. 13, Coalition officials said. They said every detainee was afforded the opportunity to vote. Turnout for the national elections in Iraq is expected to be high,...

Islamic fighters tighten control of rebel city Four months after the US failed to pacify Falluja, religious laws rule the stronghold of Iraq's insurgency Rory McCarthy in Baghdad Saturday September 11, 2004 The Guardian (UK) Islamic militants in Iraq are strengthening their grip on the insurgent stronghold of Falluja, four months after American commanders struck a ceasefire deal that was supposed to pacify the city and return it to government control, residents said yesterday. Militants have imposed religious law on communities, issuing edicts and executing those accused of spying and even stealing. US patrols no longer enter the city, 40...

US forces 'tighten Najaf noose' Shia militia have been defying US-led forces for three weeks American tanks and Iraqi soldiers are moving into position closer to the Imam Ali shrine in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf, eyewitnesses say. The mosque complex is occupied by militia loyal to the rebellious Shia cleric, Moqtada Sadr. The move comes after days of heavy fighting in the streets around the Imam Ali shrine. Interim Iraqi Defence Minister Hazim Shalaan is quoted as saying that the government is losing patience. However, correspondents point out that several previous ultimatums from the US-backed Iraqi government have...

<p>SACRAMENTO (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Wednesday told county leaders unhappy with parts of his budget plan that eliminating the state's deficit will require sacrifices.</p> <p>"Everyone here has to tighten the belt, because if we don't balance our budget we risk every program for years to come," Schwarzenegger said at the California State Association of Counties conference.</p>

U.S. Will Tighten Rules on Holding Terror Suspects Fri Jun 13, 3:05 PM ET The New York Times to My Yahoo! By ERIC LICHTBLAU The New York Times WASHINGTON, June 12 Federal authorities said today that they planned to use stricter standards for identifying and locking up terrorist suspects in light of concerns raised in a recent report that hundreds of illegal immigrants were mistreated after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Law enforcement officials plan to make at least 12 structural changes that were recommended in a report issued last week by the Justice Department inspector general, according to interviews...