Colorado Springs, United States | AFP | At tens of thousands of kilometers above the Earth, a Russian satellite slowly approached the French-Italian satellite Athena-Fidus in October 2017, a move France later denounced as “an act of espionage.” What is less widely known is that just a few days before …
Read More »Airbus flies into new era with change of boss
Paris, France | AFP | Frenchman Guillaume Faury took over as CEO of European aerospace giant Airbus on Wednesday, looking to benefit from the current troubles of rival Boeing and limit potential disruption from Brexit and US President Donald Trump’s trade threats. The 51-year-old will replace Tom Enders, who is …
Read More »Uber launches electric bikes, scooters in Paris
Paris, France | AFP | US ride-hailing group Uber said Wednesday that it would start deploying electric bikes and scooters for rent on Paris streets as soon as this week, joining a crowded market which city officials have vowed to rein in. Initially 500 of its Jump bikes and 500 …
Read More »Minister Azuba off to Canada to flag-off Uganda Airlines
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Minister of Works and Transport Monica Azuba will lead a team of managers heading to Canada to conclude ceremonial matters and flag off the new Uganda Airlines aircraft to Entebbe. She will join an acceptance team from Uganda Airlines that is already at the …
Read More »Grapes on Mars? Georgia winemakers aiming high
Tbilisi, Georgia | AFP | Georgia is immensely proud of its ancient wine-making tradition, claiming to have been the first nation to make wine. Now it wants to be the first to grow grapes on Mars. Nestling between the Great Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea, Georgia has a mild climate …
Read More »France begins debating digital tax, defying US ire
Paris, France | AFP | French lawmakers on Monday began debating a new tax on digital giants such as Facebook and Apple that has angered the United States, with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire boasting that France was proud to be in the vanguard of such a move. The United …
Read More »Uganda Airlines firms up orders for Airbus A330neo
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda Airlines, the national carrier of Uganda, has firmed up its order for two A330-800 airliners, the latest version of the most popular A330 widebody airliner. They become only the second airline to own the new aircraft. Kuwait Airways is the only other customer …
Read More »Snapchat launches own multi-player gaming platform
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Messaging app Snapchat, which is widely popular among younger users but has struggled to turn a profit since its creation in 2011, on Thursday unveiled new features including an integrated gaming platform, an expansion of its original series and new partnerships with developers. “Friendship …
Read More »COMMENT: Journalism’s risky tech attraction
Why news organization strategists must not allow themselves to be swept up by every new tech trend Project Syndicate | ALEXANDRA BORCHARDT | Technology was supposed to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Connect everyone to the Internet, it was once assumed, and democracy would follow. Collect enough …
Read More »‘Ethiopian crew followed procedure, but jet was out of control’
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | The crew of the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed last month killing 157 people, repeatedly followed procedures recommended by Boeing, but were unable to regain control of the jet, the Ethiopian transport minister said Thursday. “The crew performed all the procedures repeatedly provided by …
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