New York, United States | AFP | On message, disciplined and rising in the polls, Donald Trump has been playing it straight in the home stretch of the US election — ever since the FBI clobbered Hillary Clinton’s campaign by resurrecting her email scandal. The FBI announcement threw the Republican’s …
Read More »Alibaba sales growth soars into the cloud
Beijing, China | AFP | Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s sales soared 55 percent in the last quarter, thanks in part to a more than doubling of revenue from cloud computing, the company said Wednesday. The year-on-year growth in group sales, to 34.29 billion yuan ($5.14 billion), was not matched by …
Read More »A high-stakes ‘ground game’ in last days before US vote
Miami, United States | AFP | It’s the final week of the US presidential race and most of the desks are empty at the Donald Trump campaign office in Miami. Star-spangled Mylar balloons pucker in mid-air over rows of unmanned phones. Just a few people huddle at a table in …
Read More »Two US police officers killed in Iowa ‘ambush’
Chicago, United States | AFP | Police quickly apprehended a 46-year-old white male in the shooting death of two police officers who were “ambushed” in separate attacks in the US state of Iowa early Wednesday, authorities said. Scott Michael Greene from Urbandale — a suburb of state capital Des Moines …
Read More »Uber hits road with overhauled smartphone app
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Uber on Wednesday began rolling out an overhauled smartphone application that uses artificial intelligence in a bid to speed up and improve the ride-sharing experience. The update is the first major overhaul for the popular application since 2012 and aims to simplify usage …
Read More »You love me? Vote for her! Obama hits frontline for Clinton
Washington, United States | AFP | How do you gift your popularity to someone else? As Barack Obama rolls up his sleeves to ensure Hillary Clinton succeeds him in the White House, his argument increasingly boils down to a simple message: Do it for me. With approval ratings almost unheard …
Read More »Thomson Reuters cuts jobs as profits slip
New York, United States | AFP | Thomson Reuters announced a new “streamlining” plan on Tuesday to cut an estimated 2,000 jobs at the financial information group as it reported flat revenues and a drop in profits. “Our core subscription businesses are moving in the right direction, our cost controls …
Read More »Facebook-owned Instagram getting into shopping
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Instagram on Tuesday said it will start testing features that let smartphone or tablet users easily buy items they find on the popular photo and video sharing service. The test slated to begin next week in the US will be tailored for Instagram …
Read More »US extends sanctions on Sudan
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | President Barack Obama has extended US sanctions on Sudan for another year, saying Khartoum’s policies remained an “extraordinary threat” to the national security of the United States. Sudan has been subject to a US trade embargo since 1997 for its alleged support for Islamist groups. …
Read More »Obama to hand @potus digital keys to successor
Washington, United States | AFP | The White House announced plans Monday for the transfer of power, online power that is — in the form of Twitter and other social media accounts with millions of followers. “The handle @POTUS will be made available to the 45th President of the United …
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