Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 21 February

Italy warns of election threat as rival parties court Russia

By NICOLE WINFIELD ing a March 2017 visit to sign
ROME (AP) — Italian gov- a cooperation agreement
ernment officials are warn- with ruling party United Rus-
ing of possible foreign in- sia. The 5-Stars, meanwhile,
terference in the March 4 have fostered similar rela-
general election, sounding tionships and called for the
the alarm following the U.S. lifting of European Union
indictment of Russian trolls sanctions against Russia.
and evidence of Russian- Deputy U.S. Secretary of
sourced fake news on pop- State John J. Sullivan said
ular Italian platforms. he inquired about the risk
Premier Paolo Gentiloni on of Russian meddling during
Tuesday released Italy's an- talks in Rome Monday with
nual security report, which officials from Italy's foreign
aside from highlighting the and interior ministries.
threat of Islamic extrem- "They believe there will be a
ism, warned about online free election that will reflect
"influence campaigns" that the will of the Italian people
aim to "condition both the on March 4," Sullivan told a
sentiment and political ori- forum at the Rome-based
entation of public opinion, Center for American Stud-
especially at election time." ies. "But they are very cau-
The report didn't mention Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni, left, shakes hands with the head of the Italian secret service, Ales- tious and keeping a close
Russia by name. But for sandro Pansa, on the occasion of the presentation of the annual security report at Chigi Palace eye on any potential for an
months, U.S. and Italian premier's office in Rome, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. outside party, such as those
analysts have warned that (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP). we saw in the election in
European elections are because two key opposi- tablishment, populist 5-Star League leader Matteo Sal- the United States in 2016,
prime targets for Russian tion parties — the national- Movement — have culti- vini has made several high- interfering."
meddling, with the Italian ist League and the anti-es- vated ties with Moscow. profile trips to Russia, includ- “So they’re vigilant but op-
contest particularly ripe timistic,” he added in re-
sponse to a question from
Oxfam apologizes over of Haiti scandal The Associated Press.
Pre-election opinion polls
currently give the lead to
By DANICA KIRKA making comments in the over Oxfam's response to misconduct while working a center-right coalition
LONDON (AP) — Oxfam's Guardian newspaper sug- allegations that some of in Haiti after the 2010 earth- comprising the Forza Italia
leadership apologized gesting that the response its staff in Haiti used prosti- quake that devastated party of ex-Premier Silvio
Tuesday for downplaying to the scandal had been tutes, including some who the country. Government Berlusconi, Salvini’s anti-
the significance of a sexu- out of proportion because may have been minors. The officials and Britain's char- immigrant League and
al misconduct scandal in no one had "murdered ba- scandal has shaken the aid ity regulator have said that a smaller right-wing na-
Haiti as they were grilled bies in their cots." group to the core, with the Oxfam didn't tell them the tionalist party, Brothers of
by British lawmakers and "I should not have said government suspending allegations included sexual Italy. Berlusconi has a long
sought to stem the tide of those things. It is not for Ox- funding for the agency. misconduct until Britain's friendship with Russian Pres-
cancelled donations. fam to judge issues of pro- In addition, Oxfam said Times newspaper revealed ident Vladimir Putin from his
Appearing before Parlia- portionality or motivation," Tuesday that about 7,000 details of the case earlier own years in power. While
ment's International De- he said. "I am sorry, we are individual donors have can- this month. the center-left Democratic
velopment Committee, sorry, for the damage Ox- celed regular donations in Goldring said that with Party that has led Italy since
Oxfam Great Britain CEO fam has done both to the the past 10 days and some hindsight, the charity's 2013 conformed to the EU
Mark Goldring repeatedly people of Haiti but also to corporate sponsors are re- leaders made the wrong sanctions over Moscow’s
apologized for a lack of wider efforts for aid and de- serving judgment. call at the time of their ini- annexation of Crimea and
transparency and urgency velopment by possibly un- Seven Oxfam workers were tial investigation about support for separatist fight-
in handling the original al- dermining public support." fired or resigned in 2011 how much information to ers in Ukraine, plenty of Ital-
legations. The committee called the after a whistleblower ac- give to the public and gov- ians would like to see the
Goldring said he regretted urgent session amid fury cused staff members of ernment authorities. q sanctions lifted.q