by Anne Lebreton with Andrew Marszal in Los Angeles Agence France Presse SANTA FE, United States (AFP) — Hollywood star Alec Baldwin said his “heart is broken” Friday after he fatally shot a cinematographer with a prop gun on the set of a Western he was filming about an accidental killing. The US actor and producer said he was “fully cooperating” with a police investigation into the incident, which also left the film’s director […]
Tag: US
Biden says US would defend Taiwan against China invasion
BALTIMORE, United States (AFP) — The United States would defend Taiwan if the island were attacked by China, President Joe Biden said Thursday, a declaration welcomed by the democratic island that risks fury from Beijing. Authoritarian China regards self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize the island, by force if needed. Beijing’s sabre-rattling has ramped up in recent years, exacerbating fears the island of 23 million people could become […]
Google cuts its commission on app subscriptions
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Google announced Thursday it will lower a fee in its app store as pressure mounts on tech giants to loosen their grip over their online marketplaces. The commission on subscriptions taken by Google Play will be lopped in half to 15 percent starting in January, vice president of product management Sameer Samat said in a blog post. Currently Google gets a 30 percent cut for the first year of […]
Trump announces plans to launch new social network ‘TRUTH Social’
by Sarah TITTERTON Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – Former US president Donald Trump announced plans Wednesday to launch his own social network, in the latest push to reclaim his internet dominance after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook in the wake of the violent Capitol insurrection. “TRUTH Social” will be owned by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), and is expected to begin its beta launch for “invited guests” next month. […]
New name for Facebook? Critics cry smoke and mirrors
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook critics pounced Wednesday on a report the leading social network plans to rename itself, arguing it may be seeking to distract from recent scandals and controversy. The report from website The Verge, which Facebook refused to confirm, said the embattled company was aiming to show its ambition to be more than a social media site. But an activist group calling itself The Real Facebook Oversight Board, warned […]
US authorizes ‘mix and match’ Covid vaccine boosters: regulator
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized using a so-called “mix and match” strategy for people who require a booster shot of a Covid vaccine after their primary series. “The FDA has determined that the known and potential benefits of the use of a single heterologous booster dose outweigh the known and potential risks of their use in eligible populations,” the agency said in a statement. The […]
All 21 on board scramble to safety after Texas plane crash
HOUSTON, United States (AFP) — A private plane crashed when attempting to take off Tuesday in Texas, with all 21 passengers and crew on board scrambling to safety before the aircraft burst into flames. Television images showed fire fighters spraying water onto the burning remains of the plane, which had plowed through a fence and come to a halt across a track in a field, surrounded by trees and bushes. The fuselage was reduced to […]
US set to vaccinate kids aged 5-11 against Covid from next month: White House
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States is ready to start vaccinating children aged 5-11 against Covid-19 starting next month, the White House said Wednesday, a move that will make 28 million more Americans eligible for shots. “Our planning efforts mean that we will be ready to begin getting shots in arms in the days following a final CDC recommendation,” the White House said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drugmaker […]
Atea-Roche plans for Covid pill hit by poor trial results
ZURICH, Switzerland (AFP) — US-based Atea Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday its plans to develop an orally administered drug to treat coronavirus patients together with Swiss pharma giant Roche have suffered a set back in clinical trials. The drug “did not meet its primary endpoint, showing no significant reduction in viral load,” Atea said in a statement. When compared to a placebo administered to some of the hospitalised patients in the trial “no meaningful difference was seen […]
Gates Foundation invests $120 million for Covid pill access
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Wednesday announced an investment of up to $120 million in an effort to speed up low-income countries’ access to a new anti-Covid drug. The treatment, a pill called molnupiravir developed by US lab Merck, reduces the risk of hospitalization by half in Covid-19 patients who take it in their first few days of infection, the company has said, and could be even more […]
Biden’s vision for green US imperiled by Senate coal-state tycoon
by Frankie TAGGART Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – President Joe Biden has pledged to enact the toughest environmental policies in US history but his plans look dead on arrival thanks to one senator who has pocketed a fortune from fossil fuels. The $150 billion Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) — a cornerstone of Biden’s sweeping domestic agenda — would reward utilities that switch to renewable energy and penalize those that do not. […]
Colin Powell’s death sparks misleading claims about Covid-19 vaccines
by Claire SAVAGE WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Social media posts claim that Colin Powell’s death from complications caused by Covid-19 means vaccines against the disease are ineffective. But Powell had a type of cancer that experts say undermines the efficacy of the shots, and data shows his age left him especially vulnerable. “PROOF this Vaccine does NOT EVEN WORK, or-and is NOT EVEN a REAL VACCINE,” said a Facebook post sharing an article about […]





