New York, United States | AFP | Facebook on Wednesday announced that its year-old job-hunting service is expanding to dozens more countries, aiming to connect members with local work. Facebook vice president Alex Himel described the move into more than 40 countries as a “new stage of the diversification of the …
Read More »World’s first hand-painted film vies for an Oscar
Gdansk, Poland | AFP | Vying for an Oscar, “Loving Vincent” is the world’s first animated feature film painted by hand — all 65,000 frames — in the distinct style of Vincent van Gogh. Centred on a probe into his untimely death, the film was shot on a shoestring budget of …
Read More »Four UN troops killed in central Mali mine blast
Bamako, Mali | AFP | Four UN peacekeepers were killed on Wednesday when a mine exploded under their vehicle in central Mali in a deliberate attack, capping a bloody week for civilians and security forces in the West African nation. Jihadists have ramped up their activities in central Mali in recent …
Read More »ARTS: The OBAMA portrait
Kampala, Uganda | KEHINDE WILEY | Over the course of the past year, I have had the life-changing honour of painting President Obama’s portrait for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. On Monday, we unveiled it to the world. I’d like to tell you a bit about it. In choosing the composition …
Read More »US training Europeans to use nukes against Russia: Lavrov
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday accused Washington of training Europeans in the use of nuclear weapons, with the aim of using them against his country. “Nuclear disarmament is hampered by the US non-strategic nuclear weapons in Europe,” Lavrov told the UN Conference on Disarmament …
Read More »Trump nomination for Nobel Peace Prize possibly a fake
Oslo, Norway | AFP | Has Donald Trump really been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize? The Norwegian Nobel Institute said Wednesday it had filed a police report after receiving a seemingly fraudulent nomination for the US president. “We have good reason to believe that a nomination we received concerning Trump …
Read More »North Korea vows sanctions will ‘never work’
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | North Korea told a United Nations disarmament forum on Tuesday that sanctions over its nuclear programme would “never work”, as it voiced further defiance against President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign. The “US should (be) aware that sanctions and pressure will never threaten (North Korea) and …
Read More »Trump names campaign manager for 2020 reelection bid
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump has only just completed his first year in the White House, but he is already looking ahead to a 2020 reelection campaign, tapping Brad Parscale to get the ball rolling. In a statement on Tuesday, Trump’s campaign announced the 42-year-old digital expert …
Read More »Facebook launches effort to help boost newspaper subscriptions
Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook on Tuesday announced a $3 million pilot project aimed at helping US newspapers boost paid digital subscriptions. The move was the latest by the huge social network to respond to concerns that it and other online platforms have hurt news organizations by dominating …
Read More »Boeing says it has Trump deal on Air Force One planes
Washington, United States | AFP | Boeing said Tuesday it has reached an agreement to build future Air Force One planes after addressing Donald Trump’s criticism over hefty costs associated with the presidential aircraft. “Boeing is proud to build the next generation of Air Force One, providing American Presidents with a …
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