Bariloche, Argentina | AFP | President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were both addressing drug smuggling and immigration across the southern US border. But their stark difference in tone during separate Friday meetings underlined a divide that has some asking: “Who speaks for America?” Trump was in Virginia, …
Read More »Brazil court suspends export of live animals for slaughter
Sao Paulo, Brazil | AFP | A Brazilian judge has suspended export of live animals for slaughter, citing concerns that they are transported in cruel conditions. Exports can only restart when guarantees of adequate treatment are provided, Judge Djalma Moreira Gomes in Sao Paulo wrote in his late Friday decision, published …
Read More »Turkey says Assad must go ‘at some point’
Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | Turkey on Saturday said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should leave office “at some point” in the future but denied there was any kind of contact between Ankara and Damascus over ending the seven year civil war. Ankara has been a prime foe of Assad throughout …
Read More »Trump feels vindicated after Republican memo’s release
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump claimed vindication Saturday in the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 White House election, following the release of a controversial memo implying partisanship at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The declassified Republican document released Friday claimed that Democrat-funded research prompted …
Read More »Thousands protest over UK health service
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday in support of the country’s embattled National Health Service (NHS), which is straining under the weight of winter demand. NHS staffing levels have been in crisis for months, an issue made worse by a winter flu …
Read More »UK police probing Weinstein assault claims by 9 women: media
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British police are now investigating sexual assault allegations brought by nine women against US film mogul Harvey Weinstein, according to media reports Saturday. Scotland Yard confirmed that its “Operation Kaguyak” was investigating 14 separate claims brought by nine women, but it doesn’t identify suspects unless …
Read More »US jobs engine gathers speed in January as wages rise
Washington, United States | AFP | US job creation accelerated in January, as the labor market continued to absorb workers at a robust pace, unemployment clung to a record low and wages moved higher, the government said in a key report Friday. And with a near 10-year record in wage …
Read More »Republican memo alleges Justice Dept, FBI abuse of power
Washington, United States | AFP | Republican legislators released Friday a highly contentious memo alleging that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice abused their powers to spy on President Donald Trump’s election campaign. – Key findings – Based on classified materials, the four-page memo claims that …
Read More »Apple overtakes Samsung in shrinking smartphone market: survey
Washington, United States | AFP | Apple overtook Samsung in the fourth quarter as the largest smartphone producer in a declining global market for handsets, research firm IDC said Friday. A survey by IDC showed Apple — which reported its quarterly data Thursday — led all vendors with 77.3 million …
Read More »Rihanna vows to ‘never stop’ fight to put children back in school
Dakar, Senegal | AFP | Megastar Rihanna vowed she would “never stop fighting” to get millions of children back in school on Friday as French President Emmanuel Macron promised a major boost in foreign aid for education in developing nations. Macron co-hosted a conference in Dakar organised by the Global …
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