Beijing, China | AFP | Beijing says it is ready to retaliate if President Donald Trump goes through with his threat to impose punitive tariffs on another $300 billion in Chinese goods on September 1. The 10 percent duties would extend Washington’s border taxes to almost every import from China, with …
Read More »Al-Qaeda heir Hamza Bin Laden killed: US media
Washington, United States | AFP | Osama bin Laden’s son Hamza, chosen heir to the leadership of Al-Qaeda, has been killed, US media reported Wednesday citing American officials. NBC News said three US officials had confirmed they had information of Hamza bin Laden’s death, but gave no details of the place …
Read More »Twitter back on
Twitter acknowledges outages affecting some users Washington, United States | AFP | Twitter said Thursday some users could not access the messaging service amid reports of an outage in some parts of the world. “We are currently investigating issues people are having accessing Twitter,” a spokesperson said in an email. …
Read More »Behind Russia’s growing influence in Africa
Why the new development could be bad news for the US, Europe and India Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | As Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, hosts more than 50 African presidents for the first-ever Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi on Oct. 24, top on the agenda will be how to sustain …
Read More »Donald Trump steps into North Korea, in historic first
Panmunjom, South Korea | AFP | Donald Trump stepped onto North Korean soil Sunday as he met Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong Un in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula, in a symbolic diplomatic spectacle and a first for any American president. After shaking hands with Kim over the line …
Read More »‘Beautiful harmony’: Trump plays nice as divisive G20 opens
Osaka, Japan | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Friday struck a conciliatory tone with fellow world leaders at one of the most high-stakes G20 meetings in years, despite deep divisions on trade and climate change. Host Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, appealed for unity among bickering world leaders …
Read More »Trump in spotlight as Twitter adds warnings to rule-breaking tweets
Washington, United States | AFP | Twitter announced Thursday it would add warning labels to tweets from officials and politicians that violate its rules — a move potentially affecting the prodigious output of US President Donald Trump. The new policy will also “deprioritize” inappropriate comments and enables Twitter to move …
Read More »Huawei a key beneficiary of China subsidies that US wants ended
Beijing, China | AFP | A replica of the Palace of Versailles, medieval turrets, and spires rise across Huawei’s new campus in southern China, a monument to the telecom giant’s growing fortune — and the benefits of state aid. The fairytale-like facilities rest on land that was sold by the local …
Read More »Breakup isn’t the answer, Facebook’s Zuckerberg says
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday rejected the idea of breaking up the social media giant as off-target, saying it could hamper the fight against deceit and harmful online content. The Facebook co-founder’s defense of the leading social network came as it …
Read More »Panasonic joins firms stepping away from Huawei after US ban
Tokyo, Japan, | AFP | Japan’s Panasonic on Thursday said it would stop supplying some components to Huawei, joining a growing list of firms distancing themselves from the Chinese telecoms giant after a US ban over security concerns. The announcement came a day after four major Japanese and British mobile carriers …
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