Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations on Friday signed a joint declaration on combating terrorism, at a summit on the Italian island of Sicily.
The 15-point document says the fight against "violent extremism" is "a major priority" of the G7, which "will bring the fight ... to a higher level by relentlessly preventing, investigating and prosecuting terrorist acts, their perpetrators and supporters".
Internet giants must crack down on extremist content
British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G7 summit on the Italian island of Sicily on May 26, 2017./VCG Photo
To fight against terrorism, the G7 nations demanded action from Internet providers and social media firms against extremist content online, vowing to step up their fight against terrorism after this week's Manchester attack.
British Prime Minister Theresa May won solidarity from her G7 colleagues at the summit following Monday's suicide bombing at a pop concert which killed 22 people, including several children.
Balloons, flowers and messages of condolence left for the victims of the Manchester Arena attack, in central Manchester, Britain on May 25, 2017. /VCG Photo
The G7 also vowed a collective effort to track down and prosecute foreign fighters dispersing from conflicts such as Syria, which May said showed the morphing nature of the threat. "We agreed the threat from Daesh is evolving rather than disappearing," she told a news conference, referring to the Islamic State group, also known by the acronyms of ISIS and ISIL.
Three weeks ago, Facebook said it was hiring an extra 3,000 staff to remove violent content such as gruesome killings and suicides broadcast on its platform.
Climate harmony elusive
G7 leaders from the world's major industrialized nations failed to persuade US President Donald Trump to back a landmark climate deal at the summit.
"There is one open question, which is the US position on the Paris climate accords," Paolo Gentiloni, Prime Minister of Italy, told reporters, referring to a 2015 deal on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. "All others have confirmed their total agreement on the accord."
US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit on the island of Sicily on May 26, 2017. /VCG Photo
Trump told his G7 counterparts from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on Friday that he had not yet decided whether to honor the landmark 2015 Paris accord on curbing carbon emissions.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the climate debate as "controversial".
There was a "very intensive" exchange of views, she said.
(Source: AFP, Xinhua, Reuters)
What is G7?
The Group of 7 (G7) is a group consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union is also represented within the G7. These countries are the seven major advanced economies as reported by the International Monetary Fund. The group has met regularly since 1976 to discuss key issues related to global economic stability.
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