Washington, United States | AFP | Former US first couple Barack and Michelle Obama unveiled their portraits at Washington’s National Gallery Monday, two contrasting works by African American artists that shocked and delighted. The paintings by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, were revealed …
Read More »US tells DR Congo to scrap electronic voting
United Nations, United States | AFP | The United States urged the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday to scrap plans to use electronic voting for the first time in elections this year, saying it risked undermining the credibility of the historic polls. After much delay, the DR Congo will hold …
Read More »Tillerson says ‘too early’ for direct talks with N. Korea
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday it was “too early” to discuss direct negotiations with North Korea, after Vice President Mike Pence said the US was open to talks. Pence was quoted in the Washington Post on Sunday as saying the US and …
Read More »100 years ago today, jazz broke loose in Europe
Nantes, France | AFP | A hundred years ago in World War One, a group of American soldiers stormed Europe — not to the boom of guns, but the swinging rhythm of saxophones, drums and horns. They came to fight in the mud against the Germans in a war approaching …
Read More »Trump to unveil $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan
Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump’s administration will sketch out more details of its plan to invest in America’s creaking infrastructure Monday, hoping it can leverage up to $1.5 trillion for the cause. Senior White House officials said the president’s budget, due to be released on Monday, will …
Read More »US wants to privatize International Space Station: report
Washington, United States | AFP | Could the International Space Station become a commercial venture run by private industry? That is the wish of the White House, which hopes to end funding for the costly program within a few years, The Washington Post reported Sunday. The US plan, the paper …
Read More »Sterile mosquitos released in Miami to battle disease
Miami, United States | AFP | In a bid to cut the population of disease-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitos, health officials in Miami are releasing millions of their brethren treated with a bacteria that makes them sterile. “Treat them carefully! You don’t want to hurt them,” said South Miami mayor Philip Stoddard …
Read More »Trump praises aide amid White House abuse scandal
Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump on Friday praised an former aide accused of battery, amid a scandal that called into question the president’s judgment and tainted his chief of staff John Kelly and long-time aide Hope Hicks. Allegations against ousted staff secretary Rob Porter prompted a litany of …
Read More »Twitter hits milestone with first-ever profit
Washington, United States | AFP | Twitter on Thursday reported its first-ever quarterly profit, a key milestone that sent shares soaring at the social network which has lagged for years behind fast-growing rivals. The San Francisco-based one-to-many microblogging service said it earned $91 million in the fourth quarter, the first …
Read More »Ex-Trump aide Omarosa warns things ‘bad’ inside White House
Washington, United States | AFP | Reality TV star turned political operative turned reality TV star Omarosa Manigault has issued a cryptic warning that things are “bad” inside the White House and the public should be worried. The fiery former star who was pushed out of the White House appeared …
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