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Facebook-owned WhatsApp hits 2 billion users mark

San Francisco, United States | AFP |  The Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp said Wednesday it now has more than two billion users around the world, as it reaffirmed its stand on the need for strong encryption to protect privacy. WhatsApp, acquired by Facebook in 2014, has grown into one of …

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China virus threatens to hobble Gulf economies

Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | The coronavirus crisis, which has already battered oil prices, threatens to further undercut Gulf economies battling a downturn and struggling to wean themselves from a decades-old energy addiction. The six Gulf states — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates …

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Trump under fire for intervening in Roger Stone case

Washington, United States | AFP |  US President Donald Trump faced fresh accusations of abuse of power Tuesday after appearing to pressure the Justice Department to seek a lighter prison sentence for his longtime political aide Roger Stone. Stone was convicted in November last year of lying to Congress, tampering with …

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Italy Senate to vote on migrant trial for far-right head Salvini

Rome, Italy | AFP |  Italian senators will decide Wednesday whether far-right leader Matteo Salvini should face trial on charges of illegally detaining migrants at sea last year, for which he could be jailed for 15 years. A court in Sicily has recommended that former interior minister Salvini stand trial for …

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Sanders wins in New Hampshire as Biden crashes and burns

Manchester, United States | AFP |  Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire’s high-stakes Democratic primary on Tuesday, according to US network projections, leaving rivals including party stalwart Joe Biden in his wake as he staked his claim to challenge President Donald Trump in November. Sanders, the flag-bearer for the party’s progressive wing, …

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WHO warns of ‘very grave’ global virus threat

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The head of the World Health Organization on Tuesday warned the novel coronavirus was a “very grave threat” for the world as he opened a conference to combat the epidemic. “With 99% of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, …

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UK set to back high-speed railway despite soaring cost

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was set Tuesday to announce his plans for the HS2 high-speed railway, with reports suggesting he will stick with the long-running project despite soaring costs. HS2, which would quicken rail journeys between London in southeast England and cities to the …

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Digital lifeline for refugees in Bulgaria — and beyond

Sofia, Bulgaria | AFP |  Single mother-of-two Sara Faizi from Afghanistan faced a dead end when she arrived in Bulgaria in 2018: the former bank branch operations manager needed a job but neither spoke the local language nor had any contacts. An energetic Bulgarian, Iva Gumnishka, 25, and her social enterprise …

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Three-way tie in Irish general election: exit poll

Dublin, Ireland | AFP |  Ireland’s three main parties are tied neck-and-neck following Saturday’s general election according to an exit poll, leaving the question of who will control the next government hanging in the balance. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s incumbent Fine Gael party, their centre-right rivals Fianna Fail and left-wingers Sinn …

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