Washington, United States | AFP | The US Air Force will this summer begin testing a laser that will be mounted on an F-15 warplane, an official said Monday. The Pentagon last year awarded a $26 million contract to Lockheed Martin for a laser program called SHiELD (Self-protect High Energy …
Read More »Facebook launches audit of data leaked to Trump consultant
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook announced Monday it has hired a digital forensics firm to investigate the handling of data on millions of Americans leaked to a consulting firm working on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The move by Facebook came amid an onslaught of criticism after …
Read More »Uber self-driving car kills Arizona pedestrian
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Ride-sharing giant Uber said Monday it is suspending its self-driving car program after one of the vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian in the US state of Arizona. The Uber vehicle was in autonomous mode, with an operator behind the wheel, when it …
Read More »‘Black Panther’ clings to lead, nears an all-time record
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Digging in its claws, “Black Panther” has clung to its box-office lead for a fifth straight weekend, taking in an estimated $27 million in North American theaters while fending off two new films, website Exhibitor Relations said Sunday. The Disney/Marvel superhero film has …
Read More »IMF chief warns ‘no winners’ in trade wars
Buenos Aires, Argentina | AFP | International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde cautioned the United States against putting up barriers to trade in an interview published Sunday. “Trade wars leave no winners,” she said in the interview with Argentine daily La Nacion, responding to a question about President Donald Trump’s …
Read More »Trump attacks FBI as his lawyer calls for end to Russia probe
Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump slammed the FBI as he hailed the firing of a veteran Bureau agent as a “great day for democracy,” a move his attorney said he hoped would bring an end to a probe into alleged collusion between the president’s campaign and Russia. …
Read More »Trump lawyer claims porn star liable for $20 million
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Donald Trump’s lawyer claims porn actress Stormy Daniels is liable for at least $20 million for violating a nondisclosure agreement she says prevents her from discussing an affair with the president, according to a Friday court filing. A lawyer for Michael Cohen’s Essential …
Read More »Drake breaks new streaming record – in video games
New York, United States | AFP | Hip-hop superstar Drake has broken a new record in streaming — this time in video games. The most streamed artist on Spotify, whose latest hit “God’s Plan” has spent the last seven weeks at number one on the US singles chart, made waves …
Read More »‘Top bottled water brands Aqua, Dasani contaminated with plastic particles’
Miami, United States | AFP | The world’s leading brands of bottled water are contaminated with tiny plastic particles that are likely seeping in during the packaging process, according to a major study across nine countries published Wednesday. “Widespread contamination” with plastic was found in the study, led by microplastic …
Read More »Rihanna hits Snapchat over beating ad, sending shares tumbling
New York, United States | AFP | Rihanna on Thursday denounced Snapchat after an advertisement made light of her beating by fellow pop star Chris Brown, sending the company’s share prices tumbling. The social media platform — which counts 187 million users, especially young people drawn to its quickly vanishing …
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