Bossier City, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump campaigned on Thursday for the Republican challenger in the Louisiana governor’s race, in what is seen as a test of his own political vitality as he battles an impeachment inquiry. Addressing a rally in Bossier City, Trump urged a crowd of thousands whose votes …
Read More »MH17 calls ‘show ties between Russian officials, rebels’
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | International investigators looking into the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine released intercepted phone calls on Thursday showing close links between “high-ranking” Russian officials and rebel suspects facing trial over the crash. The probe said the recordings raised questions about the possible involvement of key …
Read More »Amazon says ‘bias’ in Pentagon awarding $10 bn contract to Microsoft
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Amazon on Thursday challenged the awarding of a $10 billion Pentagon cloud computing contract to Microsoft, alleging “unmistakable bias” in the process. The 10-year contract for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure program, better known as JEDI, ultimately will see all military branches sharing information …
Read More »The rediscovered memories of a Viennese Jewish family
Vienna, Austria | AFP | Another moving chapter in the story of the Viennese Jewish Ephrussi family — made famous in the book The Hare With Amber Eyes — has been written after around 40 members of the family reunited in the Austrian capital for the first time in decades. The …
Read More »Facebook says AI getting better at spying unwanted content
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook on Wednesday said that its software is getting more skilled at spying banned content at the social network, then working with humans to quickly remove terrorist videos and more. “While we err on the side of free expression, we generally draw the line …
Read More »China’s economy shows further signs of weakness
Beijing, China | AFP | China’s economy showed further signs of strain on Thursday with data showing a sharp slowdown in consumer spending and factory production, while investment growth hit a record low as the trade war with the US takes its toll. The readings are the latest to give a …
Read More »US Congress can still seek Trump tax records, court decides
Washington, United States | AFP | Congress can request nearly a decade of Donald Trump’s tax filings, an appeals court said Wednesday, striking a new blow to the US president as he attempts to keep his financial records out of Democrats’ hands. The decision marked the second time an appeals court …
Read More »Pressure builds as Trump impeachment probe hears new claims
Washington, United States | AFP | Two top US diplomats delivered gripping testimony Wednesday about Donald Trump’s efforts to get Ukraine to investigate his potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, as the impeachment inquiry into the president shifted into a new phase of high-stakes televised hearings. Trump dismissed the probe in the …
Read More »Brexit will make Britain ‘second-rate player’: EU’s Tusk
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Britain will be a “second-rate player” after Brexit, unable to compete with big powers like the US, China and EU, outgoing EU Council president Donald Tusk warned Wednesday. The former Polish premier said Brexit supporters were deluded if they thought leaving the EU would bring a …
Read More »The coffee conundrum: consumption is up but trade prices are low
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Despite a steady increase in coffee consumption around the world, trade prices have fallen dramatically in the past three years, hitting producers. At the same time, the cost of an espresso or latte remains as full-fat as ever. What’s going on? Futures on arabica and …
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