Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Democratic mega-donor and billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer has bought every member of Congress a copy of Michael Wolff’s controversial book `Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House’. The book portrays Trump as a Republican candidate who did not actually expect to win the presidency …
Read More »Blame game as Congress struggles to end US govt shutdown
Washington, United States | AFP | With the US government in shutdown, the Senate convened a rare emergency session Saturday to negotiate a way out of a crisis that has marred the anniversary of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. Hours after a marathon session Friday failed to produce agreement on a …
Read More »Four US, Canadian captives freed in Nigeria: police
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Two American and two Canadians who were kidnapped in an ambush by gunmen in northern Nigeria this week were freed on Saturday, police said. Nigerian security forces had launched a manhunt after the four were seized on Tuesday evening in the state of Kaduna by …
Read More »Facebook to let users rank ‘trust’ in news sources
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook announced Friday it will ask its two billion users to rank their trust in news sources, in its latest attempt to combat the spread of misinformation on the social network. The change comes as the online giant seeks to address charges that …
Read More »Twitter says Russia-linked accounts more widespread
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Twitter on Friday said the number of Russia-linked accounts firing off tweets evidently aimed at the US election in 2016 was more widespread than initially determined. The social media company found, and shuttered, an additional 1,062 accounts associated with the Internet Research Agency, …
Read More »US condemns arrests of AFP reporter, others at Sudan demo
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States condemned Sudan’s arbitrary detention of journalists Friday after an AFP reporter and two colleagues were arrested covering a street protest. Abdelmoneim Abu Idris Ali of Agence France-Presse and at least two more journalists were taken away by authorities on Wednesday as …
Read More »US cities gear up for anti-Trump Women’s March 2.0
New York, United States | AFP | Giant crowds are expected at rallies around the United States Saturday for a second Women’s March opposing President Donald Trump, and calling for voter mobilization ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. On January 21, 2017, one day after Trump’s inauguration, more than three …
Read More »US says four Shabaab militants killed in Somalia strike
Washington, United States | AFP | US forces in Somalia said Friday that four Al-Shabaab militants were killed in an airstrike as part of the ongoing offensive against the jihadist rebels. The US Africa Command said the strike took place on Thursday in southern Somalia, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) …
Read More »US to overtake Saudi as crude oil producer: IEA
Paris, France | AFP | The United States are set to overtake Saudi Arabia as the world’s number two oil producer after Russia this year, as shale companies, attracted by rising prices, ramp up drilling, the International Energy Agency said on Friday. “This year promises to be a record-setting one …
Read More »Google, Tencent eye collaboration on new technologies
Shanghai, China | AFP | Internet titans Google and Tencent on Friday signalled possible future collaboration on developing new technologies as the US and Chinese firms announced a long-term patent-sharing agreement. The companies gave no details on the scope or nature of the potential cooperation but said in a joint …
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