Washington, United States | AFP | Google, Facebook and other tech firms joined global news organizations Thursday in an initiative aimed at identifying “trustworthy” news sources, in the latest effort to combat online misinformation. Microsoft and Twitter also agreed to participate in the “Trust Project” with some 75 news organizations to …
Read More »African Union lets SADC bloc take lead on Zimbabwe
Washington, United States | AFP | The African Union will allow Zimbabwe’s southern neighbors in the SADC regional bloc to mediate in the political crisis there, a senior official told reporters after talks in Washington. Smail Chergui, the AU commissioner for peace and security, said the union hopes the Zimbabwean …
Read More »Twitter to remove ‘verification badge’ from some accounts
Washington, United States | AFP | Twitter is changing its policy on “verified” accounts, reserving the right to remove the blue badges from users who violate the online platform’s terms of service. The move came a week after Twitter launched a review of its policy following disclosures that neo-Nazi and white …
Read More »US says people of Zimbabwe must choose own government
Washington, United States | AFP | US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that the people of Zimbabwe must be allowed to choose their own government through democratic elections, after the military took power. “We all should work together for a quick return to a civilian rule in that …
Read More »Pope denounces healthcare inequality in rich countries
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis on Thursday took wealthy nations to task over unequal healthcare and systems which increasingly penalise all but the very wealthy. Healthcare is a particularly hot-button issue in the United States, where President Donald Trump has been fighting to scrap the Affordable Care …
Read More »Thousands more US troops arrive in Afghanistan: general
Washington, United States | AFP | Approximately 3,000 additional American troops have now deployed to Afghanistan under President Donald Trump’s revised strategy for the war-torn country, the Pentagon said Thursday. The Pentagon had previously put the number of US forces in Afghanistan at about 11,000 but Trump in August authorized an …
Read More »US joins calls for Liberia to hold presidential run-off
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | The US embassy in Liberia on Thursday expressed “confidence in the integrity” of first-round voting in the country’s presidential election, urging political leaders to allow a “timely conclusion” of the vote. A second round of voting to choose a successor to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was …
Read More »Trump tells UCLA players ‘you’re welcome,’ credits Xi
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump credited China’s President Xi Jinping Thursday with the release of three UCLA basketball players who had been held on suspicion of shoplifting. The three had apologized and thanked Trump for asking Xi to intervene in their case Wednesday on their return …
Read More »US athletes released by China apologize for shoplifting, thank Trump
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Three US college basketball players detained in China for shoplifting publicly apologized Wednesday and thanked President Donald Trump for helping secure their release. Trump had personally asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping to intervene to free UCLA’s LiAngelo Ball — the younger brother of Los …
Read More »US urges ‘all Zimbabwean leaders’ to show restraint
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States expressed concern on Wednesday over the political crisis in Zimbabwe, where the military has apparently placed President Robert Mugabe under house arrest. A State Department official said the US embassy in Harare has been closed to the public as a safety precaution …
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