WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, which is subject to US sanctions over concerns about its ties to the government in Beijing, is planning to make major job cuts at its US operations, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. The layoffs are expected at Huawei’s US-based research and development arm, Futurewei Technologies, the paper reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the situation. The unit currently employs 850 people at several labs in […]
Tag: US
Barry weakens, but US officials warn of heavy rains, floods, tornadoes
by Michael Mathes MANDEVILLE, United States (AFP) — Barry weakened further on Sunday as the storm churned across the US state of Louisiana, bringing along heavy rains and the possibility of flooding and tornadoes. There have been no reported deaths so far in Louisiana or neighboring states from Barry, which had briefly become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season before the National Hurricane Center downgraded it to a tropical storm and then a tropical […]
Storm Barry takes aim at Louisiana, could roar ashore as hurricane
by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse PORT SULPHUR, United States (AFP) — Millions of residents in Louisiana on Friday braced for impact from Tropical Storm Barry, which is threatening the southern US state and its largest city New Orleans with potentially disastrous rainfall and flooding. Authorities ramped up evacuations, airlines cancelled flights and flood gates slammed shut as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast the strengthening storm would reach hurricane status Saturday and roar […]
Trump declares state of emergency as storm bears down on New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Barry bears down on New Orleans, as the southern city braces for extreme winds over the weekend. The weather system is expected to reach hurricane strength Friday or early Saturday when it nears Louisiana’s coast, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), and has already caused major flooding in the low-lying city. Trump on Thursday […]
R. Kelly arrested on child pornography charges: report
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — R. Kelly has been arrested on child pornography and other charges, the New York Times reported, in the latest criminal investigation into the R&B superstar dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct. The 52-year-old, whose legal name is Robert Kelly, was taken into custody by federal agents in Chicago late Thursday, the newspaper said. Federal prosecutors have issued a 13-count indictment against the singer, which also includes enticement of a […]
New Orleans braces for new inundation as storm looms
NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) — Tropical Storm Barry barreled toward water-logged New Orleans Thursday as the city girded for an ordeal that evoked fearful memories of 2005’s deadly Hurricane Katrina. The weather system, which has already caused major flooding in the low-lying city, is expected to strengthen and “become a hurricane late Friday or early Saturday,” according to the National Hurricane Center. With Barry just 90 miles (145 kilometers) from the mouth of the […]
Trump backs down on including citizenship question in 2020 census
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump backed down Thursday on a push to force a controversial question on citizenship onto the 2020 census following a backlash by civil rights campaigners. Critics said the administration wanted to add the question to suppress participation by immigrant communities in the once-a-decade survey that helps officials determine where to allocate federal resources. “We are pursuing a new option to ensure a complete and timely count of […]
US to probe alleged abuse of migrant children by border agents
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — US authorities said Wednesday they are investigating allegations of abuse of migrant children by border agents, including the groping of a Honduran teenage girl, at a facility near the southern border with Mexico. The allegations were reported by NBC News, which cited official reports of the incidents — including the children’s accounts — at a Customs and Border Protection facility in Yuma, Arizona, where the migrants were held. […]
New Orleans threatened by floods as big storm forms
by Elodie MAZEIN WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US city of New Orleans prepared Wednesday to face the first tropical storm of the season, which could become a hurricane and led the governor of Louisiana to declare a state of emergency. “It is still too soon to tell what the impact will be, but we believe there will be an impact,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said at a press conference in the city […]
US-China trade talks resume: US officials
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US officials held a phone call on Tuesday with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the ongoing trade conflict between the countries, US officials said. It was the first official contact since President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to resume talks just over a week ago. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer “spoke with Vice Premier Liu He and Minister Zhong Shan today to […]
Hard soil, big jumps and epiphanies: what it’s like on the Moon
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Twelve American men walked on the Moon between 1969 and 1972, with most describing in great detail their experiences on the dusty, low-gravity world lit by the blinding light of the Sun. Here are their impressions, collected from a series of oral history interviews by NASA during the 1990s and 2000s, unless otherwise stated. Right after landing “That’s where you experience the most quiet moment a human being can experience […]
China demands US cancel arms sale to Taiwan
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China demanded Tuesday that the United States “immediately cancel” a potential sale of $2.2 billion in arms to self-ruled Taiwan, including battle tanks and anti-aircraft missiles, adding fuel to tensions between the two powers. The US later shrugged off China’s complaints, responding that the equipment would contribute to “peace and stability” in Asia. The sale would be the first transfer of big-ticket US military gear to the democratically-governed island in decades, […]





