Washington, United States | AFP | The US Justice Department has confirmed there is no evidence to back up President Donald Trump’s claim that his predecessor Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 election campaign. “Both FBI and NSD (National Security Division) confirm that they have no records related to …
Read More »Record-breaking NASA astronaut comes back to Earth
Washington, United States | AFP | A record-shattering NASA astronaut touched down to Earth on Sunday, finishing a 288-day mission that put her over the top as the American who has spent the most cumulative amount of time in space. Peggy Whitson, 57, is also the oldest female astronaut in the …
Read More »‘Blockbuster’ WWII bomb forces evacuation of 60,000 in Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main, Germany | AFP | At least 60,000 people were forced to leave their homes in central Frankfurt on Sunday as Germany begins an operation to defuse a huge unexploded World War II bomb dubbed “blockbuster”. The operation is the biggest evacuation of its kind in post-war Germany, Frankfurt’s …
Read More »Furious Moscow demands swift return of closed US facilities
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia on Sunday demanded the US rethink its shuttering of Moscow’s diplomatic premises, insisting Washington bore sole responsibility for worsening ties after the “hostile act”. “We consider what has happened as an openly hostile act and a gross violation of international law by Washington,” the foreign …
Read More »Pope Francis: 5 key causes in Latin America
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis visits Colombia next week on the latest in a series of emotionally charged trips to his home region of Latin America. Here are five key challenges that the Argentine pope has confronted in a continent stricken by poverty and crime: – Colombian …
Read More »Obama’s letter to Trump: On the need to ‘leave democracy strong’
Washington, United States | AFP | It is an elegant tradition: the outgoing US president leaves a letter for his successor in the aged oaken desk in the Oval Office, to be read upon his arrival. The letter left by Barack Obama for Donald Trump, revealed some seven months after …
Read More »North Korea declares H-bomb test ‘a perfect success’
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea said Sunday it had tested a hydrogen bomb which it can mount on a missile, declaring “perfect success” in its biggest-ever nuclear detonation and presenting a potent challenge to President Donald Trump. Pyongyang has long sought the means to deliver an atomic …
Read More »Religious tourism: the white gold of Saudi Arabia
Mina, Saudi Arabia | AFP | With global oil prices flailing, Saudi Arabia is turning to another natural resource: billions of dollars gained from religious tourism as the kingdom hosts the annual hajj pilgrimage. Shops line the packed esplanade of the Great Mosque of Mecca, one of the holiest sites in …
Read More »Urban sprawl in spotlight after historic Houston floods
Washington, United States | AFP | Rapid, poorly regulated urbanization in Houston has exacerbated the impact of flooding from Hurricane Harvey, experts say, warning that local authorities must pay attention as global climate change threatens to intensify extreme weather events. A residential and commercial construction boom the Greater Houston area, even …
Read More »Why twitter’s “new” terms of service are making people mad
Why twitter’s “new” terms of service are making people mad Kampala, Uganda | LOUIS JADWONG | Twitter has made some changes to its terms of service (ToS) for its users that take effect in October. The terms of service restate that once content is posted on online news and social networking service twitter, it …
Read More »