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 …
Read More »Tehran says Trump’s ‘genocidal taunts won’t end Iran’
Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday the “genocidal taunts” of US President Donald Trump will not “end Iran”, as tensions spike between the two countries. “Iranians have stood tall for millennia while aggressors all gone. Economic terrorism and genocidal taunts won’t ‘end Iran’,” …
Read More »US urges immediate resumption of Sudan talks
Washington, United States | AFP | Major international powers during talks Friday in Washington urged Sudan’s military rulers and protesters to resume stalled negotiations immediately, the United States said. Representatives from the UN, African Union and European powers “called for an immediate resumption of talks” between the two sides, tweeted …
Read More »US slaps sanctions over Russia rights despite revived ties
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on five Russians over abuses including the killing of a prominent opposition leader, days after top-level talks seemed to ease tensions between the powers. The State Department highlighted the actions against the five people, plus one …
Read More »Soda taxes work in cutting consumption, US study finds
Washington, United States | AFP | New research backs the argument that “sin taxes” lead to a reduction in consumption, justifying the use of the duties in combating obesity and other health issues, its authors say. The 2017 decision by city officials in Philadelphia to impose a beverage tax on …
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