Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Thursday confirmed a “reimbursement” as part of a hush agreement with porn star Stormy Daniels over allegations of a decade-old affair, but he said campaign money wasn’t involved. Trump’s comments in a series of tweets, which contradicted his earlier …
Read More »77 killed as powerful dust storms ravage north India
New Delhi, India | AFP | Dust storms tore across northern India killing at least 77 people and injuring 143 as trees and walls were flattened by powerful winds, officials said Thursday. The overnight storm ravaged Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan states and the death toll was expected to rise, officials …
Read More »Naked Trump statue goes for $28,000 at auction
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | A naked statue of Donald Trump, complete with a distended belly and jowly sneer, is to go on display at a Haunted Museum after a paranormal investigator bought it at auction. Julien’s Auctions announced Wednesday it sold the artwork — believed to be …
Read More »Sexual abuse victims call for Vatican to crack down on Chilean cardinals
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Three victims of a Chilean paedophile priest on Wednesday demanded the Catholic Church force tougher sanctions on complicit cardinals after meeting Pope Francis. The calls by Juan Carlos Cruz, James Hamilton and Jose Andres Murillo come a day after Australian authorities ordered the …
Read More »Cambridge Analytica to close after Facebook data scandal
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Cambridge Analytica, the British marketing analytics firm, announced Wednesday that it was closing and would file for insolvency in Britain and the United States after failing to recover from the Facebook data scandal. The decision follows weeks of intense pressure on the company, hired …
Read More »Macron says will scrap ‘exit tax’ on high-earners
Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron intends to scrap a 30 percent “exit tax” on top-earners who transfer their assets outside of France, in a bid to boost the attractiveness of the country for foreign investors. The levy was introduced in 2012 under former rightwing president Nicolas …
Read More »Prince Harry, Meghan pick carriage for wedding procession
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will ride in an open-top horse-drawn carriage through the streets of Windsor after their wedding later this month, Kensington Palace announced on Wednesday. The pair have chosen the Ascot Landau carriage for their procession through the town on …
Read More »India’s Modi twice as popular on Facebook as Trump: study
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | US President Donald Trump may rule the roost on Twitter, but he lags far behind Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook, according to a study published Wednesday. Modi is by far the most followed world leader on the gargantuan social networking platform, counting 43.2 …
Read More »Trump says Kim summit details to be unveiled within days
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump seemed pleased Tuesday by a suggestion he should get the Nobel Peace Prize for his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, promising that a time and place for the historic meeting will soon be announced. “Nobel Peace Prize? …
Read More »Facebook messaging app adds real time translations
San José, United States | AFP | Facebook on Tuesday gave its popular Messenger app the ability to translate missives in real time, deploying artificial intelligence to enable text conversations between people using different languages. Messenger has become a tool for businesses to connect with customers, and the ability to converse …
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