Washington, United States | AFP | Eighteen people have died from illnesses associated with e-cigarette use since March, US health authorities said Thursday, while more than a thousand others have suffered probable lung injuries linked to vaping. Officials have yet to identify the cause for the outbreak, which dates back to …
Read More »US, allies push Facebook for access to encrypted messages
San Francisco, United States | AFP | The United States, Britain and Australia have called on Facebook to give authorities the ability to circumvent encryption used in its messaging services — a measure opposed by the social media giant. Facebook has been dogged by several privacy scandals in recent years and …
Read More »From Hitler to Michael Jackson, unlikely names for Nobel Peace Prize
Oslo, Norway | AFP | Eighty years ago on the brink of the bloodiest conflict in history, Adolf Hitler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, illustrating that literally anyone can be nominated. From the Fuhrer to the “King of Pop”, in the nearly 120 years the prize has been awarded …
Read More »Trump openly calls on Ukraine, China to investigate Biden
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump openly called on China as well as Ukraine to investigate his potential 2020 election rival Joe Biden, taunting Democrats seeking his impeachment for inviting foreign election interference. Speaking in Florida, Trump blasted his accusers as “maniacs” pursuing “impeachment crap” as he …
Read More »Trump says North Korea talks going ahead despite missile test
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Thursday brushed off North Korea’s test of a sea-launched ballistic missile, saying that planned nuclear talks with Pyongyang will go ahead. “They want to talk and we’ll be talking to them,” Trump told reporters at the White House in his …
Read More »Five things to know about the Nobel prizes
Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | Since 1901, the Nobel prizes have been awarded to men, women and organisations whose work has led to great advances for mankind, in line with the wishes of Alfred Nobel. Here are five things to know about the prizes and their creator. – Nobel the poet …
Read More »Portugal’s Antonio Costa, shrewd dealmaker poised for re-election
Lisbon, Portugal | AFP | Portugal’s Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa, tipped to win a second term in an election on Sunday, is a shrewd tactician who balanced the budget without losing the support of hard-left parties that propped up his minority government. The white-haired former mayor of Lisbon, of Indian …
Read More »COE: Salazar doping scandal won’t ‘derail’ championships
Doha, Qatar | AFP | World athletics chief Sebastian Coe insisted Wednesday the World Championships had not been “derailed” by the Alberto Salazar doping case after the high-profile coach was banned for four years. International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Coe said the governing body had reacted swiftly after …
Read More »White US ex-cop gets 10 years in prison for killing black neighbor
Washington, United States | AFP | A former Texas police officer was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for murdering her neighbor in 2018 when she shot him after entering the wrong apartment while off duty. The Dallas jury could have handed down a sentence between five and 99 …
Read More »Trump fury grows against rising impeachment storm
Washington, United States | AFP | A bellicose Donald Trump on Wednesday unleashed furious attacks on the impeachment inquiry launched against him by Democrats, amid an intensifying standoff between the president and Congress. Trump — accused of leaning on Ukraine’s president to dig up dirt on one of his main 2020 …
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