Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump’s longtime aide Roger Stone will be sentenced Thursday in a case that has caused a stir in Washington following meddling by the US president and his attorney general. Stone, one of the Republican leader’s allies and “oldest friends,” was convicted in November of …
Read More »China cuts loan rate as it battles coronavirus impact
Beijing, China | AFP | China on Thursday announced it would cut interest rates in a bid to boost the economy, as it battles the economic fallout of the new coronavirus outbreak. The reduction in the loan prime rate (LPR) — one of the preferential rates commercial banks give to …
Read More »Critics slam UK post-Brexit immigration plans
✳ Foreign worker to earn 70 points to be eligible ✳ A maximum 20 points are awarded for prospective migrants who will earn at least £25,600 ($33,325 or 30,820 euros) ✳ Twenty points also go to people with an “appropriate skill level” ✳ 20 points for those who speak English …
Read More »EU seeks AI champions: Five things to know
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | From translation apps to facial recognition, artificial intelligence is becoming a major part of everyday life and the European Union is eager to bring order to this digital “wild west” where the US and China dominate. On Wednesday, key Brussels officials will unveil ideas to regulate …
Read More »Huawei loses legal challenge of US federal purchase ban
Houston, United States | AFP | Washington has the right to block US federal agencies from buying products by Huawei on cybersecurity grounds, a judge ruled Tuesday, dismissing the Chinese telecom giant’s legal challenge to a purchase ban. Huawei filed the suit last year and claimed Congress had failed to provide …
Read More »China craving for Senegal peanuts rattles local business
Sanguil, Senegal | AFP | Large peanut orders from Chinese traders have cut Senegal’s traditional selling season short this year, rewarding farmers with fat profits but leaving local buyers with slim pickings. Peanuts are an important export in the West African state of Senegal, with the area around the central city …
Read More »Iran dissidents urge vote boycott as leaders eye high turnout
Paris, France | AFP | Opponents of Iran’s theocratic leadership are urging an outright boycott of its parliamentary elections, arguing that it is anything but democratic and that casting a ballot serves only to bolster the country’s Islamic rulers. The country’s supreme leader has urged Iranians to “disappoint the enemy” by …
Read More »CHINA: The only thing to fear is fear itself, not the virus
Travel restrictions on China fuelling ‘panic:’ ambassador Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Travel restrictions imposed on China over its virus outbreak COVID-19 are only fuelling “panic” and threatening attempts to resume business, the country’s ambassador to the EU warned on Tuesday. Envoy Zhang Ming also told a media conference in …
Read More »WHO warns against virus over-reaction as death toll hits 1,868
Beijing, China | AFP | The World Health Organization has warned against a global over-reaction to the new coronavirus epidemic following panic-buying, event cancellations and concerns about cruise ship travel, as China’s official death toll neared 1,900 on Tuesday. More than 72,000 people have now been infected in China and hundreds …
Read More »Apple to miss revenue forecast as iPhone supply hit by coronavirus
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Apple is to miss its revenue forecast for the March quarter due to the coronavirus epidemic, the US tech giant said Monday, warning that iPhone supplies worldwide would also be impacted, underlining the economic cost of the health crisis. The COVID-19 virus death toll …
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