Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump said Friday he has not agreed to roll back tariffs on Chinese imports, dampening recent optimism for a major de-escalation in the US-China trade war. Amid a steady stream of conflicting reports, Trump’s remarks appeared to push back against Beijing’s claims that …
Read More »Divisions rife as Germany marks 30 years since Berlin Wall fall
Berlin, Germany | AFP | Germany on Saturday marks 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall that ushered in the end of communism and national reunification, as the Western alliance that helped secure those achievements is riddled with divisions. Two days before the date that brought epochal change, France’s …
Read More »Police in Bolivia join opposition as crisis mounts
La Paz, Bolivia | AFP | Police in three Bolivian cities joined anti-government protests Friday, in one case marching with demonstrators in La Paz, in the first sign security forces are withdrawing support from President Evo Morales after a disputed election that has triggered riots. The defense minister said the …
Read More »Romania presidential hopefuls court crucial emigrant vote
Paraiesti, Romania | AFP | With a religious icon pinned to a wall, washing hung out to dry, and a table and two chairs standing on a terrace, Paraiesti looks like almost any other village in rural Romania — at least at first glance. But Paraiesti is actually more of a …
Read More »China export drop beats forecasts in October but more pain tipped
Beijing, China | AFP | China’s exports suffered their third month of decline in October, and while the drop was less than expected there were warnings Friday of more pain to come as the US trade war rumbles on. While tensions between the world’s top two economies are beginning to ease, …
Read More »Trump will not impose tariffs on EU cars: Juncker
Munich, Germany | AFP | The outgoing president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday he believes the US will not impose new tariffs on imported European cars in the coming days. President Donald Trump’s administration has been threatening since last year to impose tariffs on auto imports to defend …
Read More »Music by the numbers: scientists reveal a secret to great song writing
Washington, United States | AFP | What makes some music so enjoyable, and can science help us engineer the perfect pop song? A group of researchers who statistically analyzed tens of thousands of chord progressions in classic US Billboard hits say they have found the answer, and it lies in the …
Read More »US diplomat: Trump pressure on Ukraine harmful to rule of law
Washington, United States | AFP | A senior US diplomat saw President Donald Trump’s pressure for Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival as a threat to the rule of law in both countries, testimony released Thursday showed. As Congress moved towards launching public hearings on impeaching Trump next week, it also …
Read More »In bear country Romania, cohabitation grows strenuous
Cusma, Romania | AFP | When Maria Lacatus’ son opened the barn door, it was already too late. “The bear had one of the pigs in its claws,” the sobbing 86-year-old says. After losing a horse too a few days later, Lacatus now agrees with many of her neighbours in the …
Read More »Documents show Facebook controlling competitors with user data: report
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Leaked documents from a civil suit against Facebook show how the social network aimed to employ user data as a tool for bargaining and to manipulate competitors, NBC News reported on Wednesday. Some 7,000 pages of documents reveal how Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and …
Read More »