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The independent

Weinstein scandal envenoms US political feuds

Washington, United States | AFP | The sexual assault accusations against Harvey Weinstein have seeped into America’s partisan politics, with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton accused of waiting too long to disavow their friend and party donor. The politicization of the scandal came as the Hollywood producer faced claims he raped …

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IMF chief urges more support for global trade

Washington, United States | AFP | IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde urged global leaders Wednesday not to reject international trade as policy shifts by Washington and London force resets on major global commercial treaties. Lagarde admitted that the rapid lowering of trade barriers in recent decades had caused significant dislocation, including …

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Oculus unveils standalone virtual reality headset

San José, United States | AFP | Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday unveiled a new Oculus virtual reality headset untethered from computers as part of a vision to bring the new technology to the masses. Oculus Go headsets will be priced at $199 when they begin shipping early next year, …

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Barcelona must remain in La Liga – club director

Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Barcelona must remain in Spain’s La Liga, club general director Oscar Grau said on Wednesday following the signing by Catalan leaders of a declaration of independence. “The budgets are based on participation in La Liga. I think that La Liga and Barca must continue together,” Grau …

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Italian prisoners use Pope visit as chance to escape

Rome, Italy | AFP | Two prisoners who were invited to meet Pope Francis for lunch on his recent visit to Bologna took advantage of the occasion to escape, local media reports said Wednesday. The two men, who were being held in a rehabilitation facility for drug addicts and prisoners, were …

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Beauty is skin deep for Benin’s pineapples

Allada, BENIN | AFP | From his chair in the middle of a pile of pineapples, Jean-Xavier Satola supervises cutting and packaging, as Benin — Africa’s fourth-biggest exporter of the fruit — starts trading again after an eight-month self-imposed absence. The fields of Allada in southern Benin are a hive of …

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Nigerian courts remand 300 Boko Haram suspects

Kano, NIGERIA | AFP | Three hundred Boko Haram suspects were officially remanded in custody in Nigeria on Tuesday, as hearings got under way in the first mass trials linked to the Islamist insurgency. The media has been banned on security grounds from attending proceedings at four civilian courts set up …

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Liberians turn out in force to pick Sirleaf successor

Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | Liberians turned out in force on Tuesday to choose a successor to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in a contest set to complete the country’s first democratic transition of power in more than 70 years. A calm day of ballot casting with long lines across the nation …

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