Chicago, United States | AFP | A twitter post in late October from Kansas policeman Ben Gardner featured a large cow curled up on top of a BMW sedan’s hood. The message from the spokesman for the Midwestern US state’s highway patrol department was that animals seek warm cars during …
Read More »From Myanmar to Zimbabwe, China’s global footprint grows
Beijing, China | AFP | China has traditionally rejected US-style interventionism, but its deepening economic involvement in volatile countries like Myanmar and Zimbabwe is thrusting Beijing towards a more assertive global role, analysts say. China’s foreign policy has been guided by its principle of “non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs”, …
Read More »Netanyahu slams deputy minister’s digs at US Jewry
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday rapped his deputy foreign minister for “offensive” remarks in which she said US Jews were too “comfortable” to understand threats to Israel. Tzipi Hotovely of Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party apologised later on Israeli public television. “I apologise from the depth …
Read More »Female-led investor groups ‘preparing offers’ for Weinstein company
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Two female-led investor groups are interested in taking over The Weinstein Company, which is on the verge of bankruptcy after the sexual misconduct allegations that have poured in against co-founder Harvey Weinstein, said US media and a source close to the issue. One is …
Read More »As Black Friday nears, US stores get creative to battle e-commerce
New York, United States | AFP | The photo op with Santa Claus has long been a holiday mainstay for American children. But this year, shopping malls in several states are scheduling glamour shots for man’s best friend. As the Christmas shopping season kicks into high gear on Black Friday, the …
Read More »Uber in legal crosshairs over hack cover-up
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Two US states said Wednesday they are investigating Uber’s cover-up of a hack at the ride-sharing giant that compromised the personal information of 57 million users and drivers. Uber purportedly paid data thieves $100,000 to destroy the swiped information — and remained quiet …
Read More »Facebook to show people if they fell for Russian propaganda
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook on Wednesday said it will help people see if they liked or followed posts considered part of a Russian effort to meddle with last year’s US election. A software tool to be released by the end of this year will allow users to …
Read More »Sixty percent of US women ‘sexually harassed’: poll
New York, United States | AFP | Sixty percent of US women voters say they have experienced sexual harassment and more than two-thirds of them said it happened at work, a nationwide poll revealed Tuesday. The findings come as the United States grapples with sexual assault and harassment scandals that have …
Read More »Chad denies US claim its president took oil bribe
N’Djamena, Chad | AFP | Chad’s government on Tuesday denied allegations by US investigators that President Idriss Deby received a $2 million (1.7 million euros) bribe for oil rights in the country. “Faced with this umpteenth false allegation, the government of Chad formally refutes this shameful fabrication,” the government said in …
Read More »McDonald’s to demolish ‘Store No. 1’ historic replica
Chicago, United States | AFP | It has stood alone, closed to visitors, for a decade — a historic replica built on the site of the first McDonald’s franchise restaurant in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines. The fast food giant on Tuesday said it will demolish the time capsule from …
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