Los Angeles, United States | AFP | SpaceX on Friday blasted off a payload of global communications satellites for Iridium, marking the first launch of 2019 for the California-based company headed by Elon Musk. “Three, two, one, ignition, liftoff of Falcon 9,” Iridium CEO Matt Desch said on a live …
Read More »FBI says operations threatened by US govt shutdown
Washington, United States | AFP | Federal Bureau of Investigation agents warned Thursday that the ongoing partial shutdown of the government is threatening their ability to investigate crimes and maintain staffing. “Special Agents remain at work for the American people without being paid, and FBI leadership is doing all it …
Read More »Central Americans flee crime, poverty for better life in US
Mesilla, United States | AFP | Ovidio Lopez Tum sold tortillas in his hometown of Chicaman in Guatemala to support his wife and eight children. But after being wounded in machete and grenade attacks by extortionists, the 53-year-old Lopez said he decided to flee to the United States. To bolster his …
Read More »Toyota recalls 1.7 mn more autos over Takata airbag defects
New York, United States | AFP | Toyota on Wednesday announced a recall of 1.7 million vehicles in North America as part of a general effort to replace defective Takata airbags tied to some 20 deaths worldwide. The Japanese auto manufacturer did not say whether it had been notified of injuries …
Read More »US detained over 50,000 illegal immigrants in December
Washington, United States | AFP | Illegal border crossings into the United States continued at a high pace in December, with more than 50,000 people detained for a third straight month as the number of families illegally entering surged, US Customs and Border Protection said Wednesday. With the US government in …
Read More »Trump campaign firm pleads guilty in Facebook data case
London, United Kingdom | AFP | A UK consultancy working on Donald Trump’s US election campaign pleaded guilty and was fined by a London court Wednesday over its refusal to release personal data it secretly hoovered off Facebook. The social media giant has admitted that Cambridge Analytica — a political …
Read More »Ford, VW planning auto partnership announcement: source
New York, United States | AFP | Ford and Volkswagen are preparing to announce a strategic partnership, including in areas such as self-driving and electric autos, a person with knowledge of the matter told AFP on Wednesday. The announcement could come Tuesday during this year’s Detroit auto show, the person …
Read More »Trump demands $5.7 bn for steel barrier on US-Mexico border
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump demanded $5.7 billion to fund a wall on the US-Mexico border in his first televised Oval Office address Tuesday, describing a “growing crisis” of illegal immigration hurting millions of Americans. The president stopped short of calling for a much-touted state of …
Read More »Stop holding Americans ‘hostage’ over shutdown, Pelosi tells Trump
Washington, United States | AFP | Top congressional Democrats on Tuesday accused President Donald Trump of holding Americans “hostage” by refusing to strike a deal to fund shuttered government agencies, and using fear mongering to justify his demand for his much-hyped border wall. “President Trump must stop holding the American …
Read More »Trade war ‘certainly’ hurting China economy: US official
Washington, United States | AFP | China’s economy is more vulnerable to the fallout in the current trade stand-off with Washington and already has been hurt by the dispute, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Monday. Ross’s remarks emphasized President Donald Trump’s confidence that the robust US economy means Washington …
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