OTTAWA,  (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp and Facebook Inc have agreed to help boost the security of Canada’s October election by removing fake accounts and cracking down on bots, a top government official said yesterday. Last month the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau complained that the world’s major social media companies were not doing enough to help combat potential foreign meddling in the vote and said Ottawa might have to regulate them.

Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould told legislators that the two companies had made commitments in a voluntary declaration on electoral integrity. “The Wild West online era cannot continue – inaction is not an option. Disinformation must not stand,” said Gould, repeating the threat to crack down on the firms if necessary. Government officials say they fear bad actors – some linked to Russia – will try to interfere in the vote.

“The malicious, multi-faceted and ever-evolving tactics constitute a serious strategic threat,” said Gould. Microsoft and Facebook had also agreed to intensify efforts to combat disinformation, promote safeguards to address cyber security incidents and explain their rules about accepting political advertising, Gould said.(Reuters)…[+]

Girls from across Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) showcased their own original technological solutions to gender-based violence and climate change at the T&T segment of the Caribbean.Girls.Hack competition last Friday, 24 May 2019. In doing so, the young girls competed for the opportunity to present their tech-based innovative ideas to policy makers during the upcoming subregional preparatory meeting of the XIV Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) subregional headquarters for the Caribbean partnered with the Government of T&T and the non-governmental organisations, SheLeadsIT and Restore a Sense of I Can (RSC) Tech Clubs, for the day-long event, which was held at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in San Fernando. Through a number of participatory online training sessions and activities, the initiative aimed at engaging young girls in interactive, fun and problem-solving experiences using technology, whilst empowering them to pursue studies and careers in ICT. It was also an occasion for them to learn about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Regional Gender Agenda and the importance of these frameworks for promoting girls’ access to ICT related fields…[+]

Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz faces being removed from office in a no-confidence vote on Monday afternoon. His previous coalition ally, the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), said it would support the motion being brought by the opposition Social Democrats.

The FPÖ had become embroiled in a political scandal caused by a secret video, which ended the coalition. If Mr Kurz is forced out, a new chancellor would lead a caretaker government ahead of elections. They are expected in September. Mr Kurz, head of the conservative Austrian People’s Party, could become the first chancellor in post-war Austrian history to be removed from office in this way. At 32, he is the world’s youngest state leader.

There will be two no-confidence votes, one against the government and the other against Mr Kurz individually. The motions have been submitted by the opposition Social Democrats, with the debate due to begin at 13:00 (11:00 GMT). But they only have 52 seats in the 183-seat lower chamber. Unfortunately for Mr Kurz, the FPÖ has signalled it will back the motion, and it has 51 seats. A majority is all that is needed in the votes.(BBC)…[+]

BRUSSELS – Parties committed to strengthening the European Union held on to two-thirds of seats in the EU parliament, official projections from the bloc’s elections showed yesterday, though far-right and nationalist opponents saw strong gains. France’s Emmanuel Macron, who has staked his presidency on persuading Europeans that the EU is the answer to the challenges of an uncertain, globalising world economy, took a personal hit when his centrist movement was edged into second place by Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration, anti-Brussels National Rally.

But Macron’s Renais-sance, built on the ruins of centre-left and centre-right parties, added to gains for liberals at the EU level as turnout bounced sharply across the bloc. Along with a surge for the Greens, that meant four groups occupying the pro-EU middle ground lost under 20 seats, securing 505 seats out of 751, according to a projection by the European Parliament.

That may complicate some policymaking, as a two-party “grand coalition” of the conservative European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists (S&D) no longer has a majority. The liberals, with over 100 seats and Greens, with nearly 70, want a big say. But it also dents the hopes of Le Pen, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and others who have been seeking to disrupt attempts to forge closer EU integration. Salvini called the elections a mandate for a shake-up in Brussels.(Reuters)…[+]

Sad­dened by the en­slave­ment of Venezue­lan mi­grants who are on­ly seek­ing to fill emp­ty stom­achs in T&T, re­cent­ly-in­stalled mod­er­a­tor of the Pres­by­ter­ian Church, Rev Joy Ab­dul-Mo­han, says her flock will use their re­sources to al­le­vi­ate the mi­grants’ hunger. She said it was wor­ri­some to think that po­lice of­fi­cers were in­volved in hu­man traf­fick­ing of refugees to have them prac­tice mod­ern day slav­ery.

“Refugees and mi­grants are hu­man be­ings cre­at­ed in the im­age and like­ness of God like all of us. They are fam­i­lies with hopes and dreams for their chil­dren. The church must make a dif­fer­ence in the lives of those who are mar­gin­alised, alien­at­ed, op­pressed and ex­ploit­ed,” Ab­dul-Mo­han said.

“The ques­tion must be asked: If we see refugees as fam­i­lies seek­ing a bet­ter life as many ‘Trin­bag­on­ian’ fam­i­lies who mi­grat­ed to North Amer­i­ca and Eu­rope, how might that change the ways we re­ceive them in our coun­try? Notwith­stand­ing the crim­i­nal el­e­ments and the need to put prop­er struc­tures in place to deal with the is­sue at hand.” Ab­dul-Mo­han made the com­ment as she was be­ing recog­nised by the Rapid-fire Kidz Foun­da­tion for be­ing el­e­vat­ed to her new po­si­tion at Can­ton Palace, San Fer­nan­do, on Sat­ur­day.(Trinidad Guardian)…[+]