Washington, United States | AFP | New satellite imagery shows China has apparently installed “significant” defensive weapons on a series of artificial islands it built in the South China Sea, a US-based think tank said Wednesday. Beijing has created seven islets in the Spratly Islands in recent years, built up …
Read More »Amazon video goes global, steps up challenge to Netflix
Washington, United States | AFP | Amazon announced Wednesday it was extending its on-demand video streaming service to more than 200 markets, stepping up its challenge to Netflix as a global television network. The US online giant said its Prime Video would be available in “more than 200 countries and …
Read More »Trump meets with tech execs, including his critics
New York, United States | AFP | US President-elect Donald Trump sat down Wednesday with top tech executives — including several of his sharpest critics — to mend fences after a divisive election in which the majority of Silicon Valley backed Hillary Clinton. The afternoon summit at Trump Tower comes …
Read More »Putin is world’s most powerful man, Trump in second
New York, United States | AFP | Vladimir Putin was the world’s most powerful person for a fourth straight year in 2016, with US president-elect Donald Trump in second place, Forbes magazine said Wednesday in its annual rankings. “Russia’s president has exerted his country’s influence in nearly every corner of …
Read More »Bill Gates urges Trump to inspire Americans like JFK did
New York, United States | AFP | Bill Gates on Tuesday called on Donald Trump to inspire Americans to embrace innovation as John F. Kennedy once did by urging them to fly to the moon. “In the same way President Kennedy talked about the space mission and got the country …
Read More »Kanye West emerges from hospital to meet Trump
New York, United States | AFP | Rap superstar Kanye West on Tuesday delivered a surprise even in this most unusual of political years — he met President-elect Donald Trump, marking the artist’s first appearance since a reported mental breakdown. West, a rare US celebrity to voice support for Donald …
Read More »‘La La Land’ leads Golden Globe nominations
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Dreamy musical romance “La La Land”, set in modern-day Los Angeles, topped nominations for the Golden Globes on Monday, as Hollywood’s awards seasons revs up in the march to the Oscars. Damien Chazelle’s tribute to the Golden Age of American musicals picked up …
Read More »White House backs Congress probe of election hacking
Washington, United States | AFP | The White House on Monday threw its support behind a Congressional investigation into Russian meddling in the US election, saying lawmakers had a “special responsibility” to investigate such an explosive issue. “We have long supported the principle of congressional review of this matter,” said …
Read More »TRUMP: I don’t want China dictating to me
Washington, United States | AFP | President-elect Donald Trump questioned in an interview broadcast Sunday whether the United States should continue its “one China policy” unless Beijing makes concessions on trade and other issues. “I don’t want China dictating to me,” Trump said as he made a vehement defense of …
Read More »Early US astronauts faced uncertainty, danger and death
Miami, United States | AFP | John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962, but for a solid hour of that journey, NASA feared he was about to die in a blazing fireball. In fact, all of the original crew of astronauts, known as the Mercury …
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