News in Brief -(22-08-2019)

FE Team | Published: August 22, 2019 15:42:34

Wife of Honduran ex-president convicted in graft case
Aug 21: A Honduran court convicted the wife of former President Porfirio Lobo on graft charges, including siphoning funds from programs designed to help poor children, a judicial official said on Tuesday. Rosa Elena Bonilla was found guilty of diverting some 18.3 million Honduran lempiras ($779,000) in public funds plus international donations that were originally earmarked for social programs. The funds were then used to pay for personal medical bills, building projects, her children's private school tuition and jewelry. The conviction carries a sentence of between 58 years and 87 years, which will be set next week, according to court spokesman Carlos Silva. — Reuters
Germany seeks more active role in Arctic
BERLIN, Aug 21: Germany says it plans to take a more active role in Arctic affairs, citing the far north's growing ecological, political and economic significance as a result of climate change. Cabinet passed a resolution Wednesday declaring its intention to send German experts to advise the Arctic Council. It also plans to campaign for an expansion of environmental protection areas in the Arctic and explore the potential that the increasingly ice-free Northwest and Northern Passages have for shipping during the summer. —AP
NZ speaker cradles MP's baby in parliament
WELLINGTON, Aug 21: The speaker of New Zealand's parliament has cradled a lawmaker's baby while he presided over a debate in the House of Representatives. Trevor Mallard tweeted a photo of himself feeding MP T?mati Coffey's baby boy in the speaker's seat. Mr Coffey, Labour MP for Waiariki, announced the birth of his son, T?t?nekai Smith-Coffey, in July. The baby was born via a surrogate mother and is the biological son of Mr Coffey's partner, Tim Smith.— BBC
Thailand to set up centre to combat 'fake news'
BANGKOK, Aug 21: Thailand's government has announced plans to set up a centre to combat unverified and unauthenticated news on social media platforms. Minister of Digital Economy and Society Phutthipong Punnakan said Wednesday the planned center's goal would be to fight all kinds of fake news, with a focus on misinformation concerning disasters and financial matters, each of which would be handled by its own department. Phutthipong said a third department would concentrate on teaching media literacy and integrating that subject into Thailand's education system. — AP