London, United Kingdom | AFP | Two decades on from the death of princess Diana, her sons Princes William and Harry are working to keep her legacy alive with unusually emotional tributes after years of official silence. As the 20th anniversary of her death on August 31 approaches, the brothers have …
Read More »Forget oil, Russia goes crazy for cryptocurrency
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Standing in a warehouse in a Moscow suburb, Dmitry Marinichev tries to speak over the deafening hum of hundreds of computers stacked on shelves hard at work mining for crypto money. “The form of currency we are used to is about to disappear,” predicts the 42-year-old …
Read More »Trump’s morning Twitter habit takes unfortunate turn
New York, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump likes to tweet early in the morning — often while watching television. But on Tuesday, he may have hit the button a bit too quickly. From Trump Tower in New York, where he is spending a few days, the Republican leader …
Read More »Trump, the businessman president, loses CEO support
The honeymoon is definitely over. New York, United States | AFP | In June, optimism among American CEOs was at a three-year high on hopes that US President Donald Trump would succeed in implementing his pro-growth agenda, including tax cuts. But this week, Trump has lost support from four executives who …
Read More »At least 221 dead in India, Bangladesh, Nepal floods
Saptari, Nepal | AFP | At least 221 people have died and more than 1.5 million been displaced by monsoon flooding across India, Nepal and Bangladesh, officials said Tuesday, as rescuers scoured submerged villages for the missing. In Nepal, severe flooding has left tens of thousands of homes totally underwater in …
Read More »Trump under fire on twitter over ‘blame on both sides’ Charlottesville comment
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump triggered fresh outrage Tuesday after reiterating his initial response to the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville that resulted in bloodshed, saying there was “blame on both sides.” The statement once again drew sharp criticism from across the political and …
Read More »China runners brave gawps, pollution and deadly driving
Shanghai, China | AFP | A group of elderly Chinese joggers are pounding along a deserted motorway when suddenly a taxi ploughs into the back of them, knocking them over like skittles. At least one person was killed and the footage from the eastern province of Shandong went viral on Chinese …
Read More »Don’t report sex abuses revealed in confessional: Australia bishops
Sydney, Australia | AFP | Priests should not be forced to report child sexual abuse revealed in the confessional, top Australian Catholics said Tuesday, adding they would rather risk jail than break the sacramental seal. The comments follow a national inquiry set up by the government into institutional child sexual …
Read More »Maduro orders Venezuela military drill after Trump threat
Caracas, Venezuela | AFP | Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro ordered the army to conduct a round of military drills later this month in response to US President Donald Trump’s threat of military action in the crisis-stricken nation. Maduro’s embattled government — facing a deepening economic emergency and swelling street protests — …
Read More »China says N.Korea crisis faces ‘turning point’
Beijing, China | AFP | China said Tuesday that the North Korean nuclear crisis had reached a “turning point” and it was time to enter peace talks. The comments by foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying came as the verbal sparring between the United States and North Korea took a less bellicose …
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