Washington, United States | AFP | It could be a manipulated video embarrassing a candidate. Or a computer voting system locked by ransomware. Or doubts about electronic voting machines with no paper backups. As Americans prepare for 2020 elections, digital threats to election security are multiplying, stoking fears of a …
Read More »EGYPT: Anti-Sisi protests break out, several arrested
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Rare small protests broke out on Friday in Cairo and other Egyptian cities calling for the removal of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi but police quickly dispersed them, AFP journalists reported. Dozens of people joined night-time demonstrations around Tahrir Square — the epicentre of the 2011 …
Read More »The whistleblower and Trump phone call: What we know
Washington, United States | AFP | A mysterious whistleblower, a telephone call between President Donald Trump and a foreign leader, and military aid to Ukraine. Here’s what we know about the latest political firestorm swirling around Washington: – Whistleblower – On August 12, an unknown whistleblower in the US intelligence …
Read More »Indonesia moves to ban sex outside marriage
Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | Indonesia is set to vote on a plan to outlaw gay and pre-marital sex while beefing up its blasphemy laws in a shakeup fuelled by religious conservatism and slammed by rights groups Thursday. The proposed criminal law overhaul could affect millions in the world’s biggest …
Read More »Zuckerberg meets US senators, rejects call to break up Facebook
Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg met privately with members of Congress Thursday on a political reconnaissance mission to Washington, where he rejected calls for him to break up the world’s biggest social network. Zuckerberg’s visit with policymakers comes as Facebook faces a myriad of …
Read More »OBITUARY: Ousted Tunisian president Ben Ali dies at 83
Tunis, Tunisia | AFP | Tunisia’s all-powerful leader for over two decades, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was forced from power and into exile by a landmark popular uprising in early 2011, sparking revolts across the Arab world. The man who once appeared in official portraits with a benevolent smile …
Read More »Trump orders increase in Iran sanctions as Germany extends Saudi arms ban
Washington, United States | AFP | Trump has ordered government to ‘substantially increase’ Iran sanctions but in Berlin, Germany has extended Saudi arms exports ban as tensions rise in the Middle East. Trump announced what he said would be substantial new sanctions against Iran in the first response to what US …
Read More »Dutch say the tax party’s over for multinationals
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | Long criticized at home and abroad for being a haven for giant corporations, the Netherlands announced fresh measures Tuesday to crack down on tax breaks for multinationals. Business-minded Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, leading a fragile coalition, is backing a proposal originally tabled by …
Read More »Britain’s Supreme Court enters Brexit drama
London, United Kingdom | AFP | The Brexit drama switches venues from Brussels to the UK Supreme Court on Tuesday for hearings on Boris Johnson’s explosive decision to suspend parliament for over a month. The British prime minister’s first talks Monday with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and top EU …
Read More »Xenophobia: S.Africa’s president jeered, apologises at Mugabe funeral
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was jeered and whistled at on Saturday during his speech at Zimbabwe ex-leader Robert Mugabe’s funeral before he apologised for recent xenophobic attacks. At least 12 people have been killed this month in a surge in violence and …
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