North America

YouTube shooting shows how fake news spirals on social media

by Frédéric POUCHOT / Fiachra GIBBONS Agence France-Presse PARIS, France – Within minutes of the shooting at YouTube offices in California, social media was awash with conspiracy theories and images of the supposed “shooter” wearing a Muslim headscarf. Some Facebook videos were quick to claim that it was a “false flag” attack, carried out to discredit the powerful US gun lobby in the wake of the Parkland high school massacre in Florida. With wildly exaggerated […]

Pentagon hustles to jump in line with Trump’s border directive

by Thomas WATKINS Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States – Pentagon planners scrambled Wednesday to find ways to support President Donald Trump’s surprise edict that he would send “the military” to guard America’s southern border. The commander-in-chief’s seemingly off-the-cuff directive blindsided officials Tuesday, when Trump said the military would guard the frontier until “we can have a wall and proper security.” It took hours for the White House to clarify that Trump’s plan involved mobilizing the […]

Teachers return to streets to protest US school funding

  by Nova Safo Agence France Presse CHICAGO, United States (AFP) — A teachers’ protest entered its second day in the US state of Oklahoma on Tuesday as lawmakers faced a spreading schoolhouse revolt against a decade of deep cuts to public education. The teachers’ union organizing the demonstration estimated at least 20,000 people rallied outside the capitol building in Oklahoma City and filled every floor of the rotunda inside — chanting “We’re not leaving” […]

Female suspect dead, several hurt in YouTube shooting

  by Josh Edelson Agence France Presse SAN BRUNO, United States (AFP) — Gunfire erupted at YouTube’s offices in California Tuesday, leaving at least three people injured and sparking a panicked escape before the suspected shooter — a woman — apparently committed suicide. Amid a chaotic scene in the city of San Bruno, a woman believed to be the shooter was found dead at the scene of the Google-owned video sharing service. “We have one […]

Despite Trump vow, quick US pullout from Syria unlikely

by Thomas WATKINS Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — When President Donald Trump vowed US forces would shortly quit Syria, observers were left wondering if he was signaling an epic policy shift — or whether it was more a case of wishful thinking. Trump, who campaigned on a pledge of “America First,” is said to be frustrated by the open-ended US commitment in Syria, where special operations forces are training and advising Kurdish […]

Hundreds line up for free pizza in nationwide giveaway

FLORIDA, United States (Eagle News) – “When Crazy Happens,” there’s free pizza for lunch. And hundreds of Americans lined up for this. The National Collegiate Athletic Association partnered with Little Caesar’s Pizza in launching a pizza promo on Monday, April 2, to celebrate “When #16 beats #1”, during the Men’s 2018 national basketball tournament. UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore County) men’s basketball team beat Virginia Cavaliers last month in the first round of the playoffs, […]

Facebook needs ‘a few years’ to fix problems: Zuckerberg

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Facebook will likely need “a few years” to fix the problems uncovered by the revelations on the hijacking of private user data, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in an interview released Monday. Speaking to the news site Vox, Zuckerberg defended the company’s business model and shot back at criticism of the social networking giant from Apple CEO Tim Cook last week. Zuckerberg maintained that one of Facebook’s problems was that […]

Saudi prince says Israel has ‘right’ to its land

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The crown prince and de facto leader of Saudi Arabia said Israel has a “right” to a homeland, a notable shift in the kingdom’s position published Monday. Saudi Arabia and Israel still have no formal diplomatic relations, but behind the scenes, improvements in their ties have accelerated in recent years. Both countries see Iran as their biggest outside threat and the United States as their key ally, and both see […]

Washington, Beijing flexing muscles in trade dispute

by Delphine TOUITOU Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The temperature is rising between the United States and China but the simmering confrontation has not yet boiled over into a trade war since the tit-for-tat countermeasures so far have been confined to a few specific products. Beijing on Monday imposed tariffs on 128 American goods, retaliating for President Donald Trump’s decision last month to slap import duties of 25 percent on steel and […]

Mexico presidential candidates open race slamming Trump

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico’s top presidential candidates launched their campaigns Sunday vowing to take a harder line against Donald Trump, with the leftist front-runner saying his country is done being the US president’s “pinata.” Just as candidates were putting the finishing touches on their opening campaign speeches for Mexico’s July 1 elections, Trump gatecrashed the kick-off party via Twitter, accusing the country of doing “very little” to stop illegal migration and drugs, and renewing […]

China slaps retaliatory tariffs on 128 US imports

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China on Monday imposed new tariffs on 128 US imports worth $3 billion, including fruits and pork, in retaliation to US duties on steel and aluminium, fuelling fears of a trade war. Beijing’s move, which the Xinhua news agency said was decided by the custom tariffs commission of the State Council, follows weeks of heated rhetoric and threats between the world’s two biggest economies. President Donald Trump has repeatedly railed against China’s […]

1968, key events in “The Year That Changed America”

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The year 1968 featured a series of tumultuous events in the United States. Here are some of the most notable occurrences during the year: January 23  North Korea captures the USS Pueblo, claiming the US Navy intelligence vessel violated its territorial waters. One member of the Pueblo’s crew was killed in the attack and the other 82 held for 11 months before being released. January 30  North Vietnamese troops launch the […]