Tag: US

Trump announces exit of ‘warrior’ spokeswoman Sarah Sanders

by Sebastian Smith WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the surprise departure of his spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, after a combative tenure that saw her all-but-kill off traditional White House briefings to journalists. Sanders has been one of Trump’s most loyal foot soldiers, almost constantly at his side during his tumultuous two and a half years at the White House and during the campaign before. Trump announced her exit in a […]

US man sentenced to death for killing his five children

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — An American convicted of killing his five small children was sentenced to death Thursday, even after his ex-wife asked jurors to spare his life because the kids loved him. Lawyers for Timothy Jones, 37, had argued that he is schizophrenic and therefore not competent to stand trial. Jones was convicted last week of killing his five children — aged one to eight — in 2014. His ex-wife stunned the courtroom […]

US warns UN of ‘clear threat’ from Iran after tanker attacks

by Carole LANDRY UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The United States called Thursday for the UN Security Council to confront a “clear threat” posed by Tehran, after Washington said Iran was behind an attack on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The council met behind closed doors to hear US acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen present a briefing on Washington’s assessment that Iran was responsible for the suspected attack on two tankers in the […]

In Tehran, Japan’s Abe urges Iran to play ‘constructive role’

by Amir HAVASI TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged Tehran to play a “constructive role” for Middle East peace Wednesday during a rare diplomatic mission to the Islamic republic aimed at defusing US-Iran tensions. Iran has been locked in a bitter standoff with the United States since US President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal in May last year. Washington has since reimposed crippling unilateral sanctions — which […]

Huawei denies being bound by Chinese spy laws

by Dmitry ZAKS LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Huawei’s cybersecurity chief told the UK parliament Monday that the Chinese telecoms giant has been advised it was under no obligation to spy for Beijing if so asked by the Communist state. John Suffolk told a committee hearing that Huawei has sought guidance from its attorneys to see if a Chinese law on domestic companies’ cooperation with the government on security matters could force it to conduct […]

Media group study finds Google makes billions from news

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Google took in some $4.7 billion in revenue in 2018 from “crawling and scraping” news websites without paying publishers, according to an industry-sponsored study released Monday which was disputed by the tech giant and media analysts. The study by the News Media Alliance underscores industry arguments about Google and other online giants harming traditional news organizations by dominating the internet news ecosystem and ad revenues generated through it. According […]

US Supreme Court rejects challenge to regulation of gun silencers

  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is rejecting a challenge to federal regulation of gun silencers, just days after a gunman used one in a shooting rampage that killed 12 people in Virginia. The justices did not comment Monday in turning away appeals from two Kansas men who were convicted of violating federal law regulating silencers. The men argued that the constitutional right “to keep and bear arms” includes silencers. Kansas and seven other […]

Trump raises tariff threat anew over secret provision in Mexico deal

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump said Monday a secret provision of the US immigration deal with Mexico will require the approval of that country’s legislature and warned US tariffs will be reinstated if it is not forthcoming. Trump did not say what the provision entails, only that it would be revealed “in the not too distant future and will need a vote by Mexico’s Legislative body.” “We do not anticipate a […]

Microsoft gives glimpse of new Xbox console

by Glenn CHAPMAN LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Microsoft on Sunday gave the world a first glimpse of a powerful next-generation Xbox gaming console that it aims to release late next year. Xbox head Phil Spencer pulled back the curtain on “Project Scarlett,” the creation of a successor to the Xbox One that will give game makers “the power they need to bring their creative visions to life.” No pricing plans for the new […]

China warns tech giants after US Huawei ban: report

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Chinese government convened top tech companies this week and warned them of consequences if they cut off technology sales to the country, US media reported on Saturday. The meeting followed US President Donald Trump’s move last month to blacklist Chinese tech giant Huawei over national security concerns, threatening the firm’s global ambitions and ramping up the months-long trade battle between the two countries. Earlier this week, the Chinese government […]

Trump’s threatened tariffs on hold after deal with Mexico

By JILL COLVIN, MATTHEW LEE and LUIS ALONSO LUGO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has put on hold his plan to begin imposing tariffs on Mexico on Monday, saying the U.S. ally will take “strong measures” to reduce the flow of Central American migrants into the United States. But the deal he announced Friday night, after returning from a trip to Europe, falls short of some of the dramatic overhauls pushed for […]

NASA to open International Space Station to tourists from 2020

  NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — NASA said Friday it will open up the International Space Station to business ventures including space tourism as it seeks to financially disengage from the orbiting research lab. Price tag? Tens of millions of dollars for a round trip ticket and $35,000 a night. “NASA is opening the International Space Station to commercial opportunities and marketing these opportunities as we’ve never done before,” NASA chief financial officer Jeff […]