Washington (AFP) – The US Powerball jackpot grew to a staggering $1.9 billion -– the largest prize in world history -– after yet another week without a winner, ensuring a new surge in lottery fever across the country. The winning numbers for Saturday’s…
Twitter layoffs before US midterms fuel misinformation concerns
Washington (AFP) – Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk has pledged the platform will not devolve into a “free-for-all hellscape,” but experts warn that mass layoffs may deeply impair the social network’s ability to curb misinformation. Twitter on Friday fire…
Ukraine’s occupied city of Kherson without electricity, water after strike
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukraine’s Russian-occupied city of Kherson was cut off from water and electricity supplies Sunday after an air strike and a key dam in the region was also damaged, local officials said. It is the first time that Kherson — which …
US Latinos: less predictable at the polls, more focused on pocketbook
Washington (AFP) – While Latino voters lean Democratic in the run-up to US midterm elections, soaring inflation makes their support less predictable and may compel a shift toward Republican candidates, analysts say. Inflation now at eight percent troub…
Indigenous people free tourists taken in Peruvian Amazon
Lima (AFP) – Members of an Indigenous group on Friday freed more than 100 tourists whom they had abducted in the Peruvian Amazon a day earlier to protest what they called government inaction after an oil spill, officials said. The group of detained tou…
US to fund refurbishment of tanks, anti-air missiles for Ukraine
Washington (AFP) – The United States will fund the refurbishment of T-72 tanks and HAWK surface-to-air missiles as part of a roughly $400 million security assistance package for Ukraine, the Pentagon announced Friday. Air defense and armor capabilities…
NASA rolls Moon rocket out to Kennedy Space Center launch pad
Kennedy Space Center (United States) (AFP) – NASA rolled out its largest-ever rocket to a launch pad in Florida on Friday and will try again 10 days from now to blast off on a much-delayed uncrewed mission to the Moon. After two launch attempts were sc…
Twitter sacks half of staff as Musk launches overhaul
San Francisco (AFP) – Twitter sacked half of its 7,500-strong staff on Friday as new owner Elon Musk launched his major overhaul of the troubled company just a week after his blockbuster takeover. An internal document seen by AFP said “roughly 50 perce…
Basketball star Griner ‘well as can be expected’ in Russia prison: W.House
Aboard Air Force One (AFP) – US basketball star Brittney Griner is as well “as can be expected” in a Russian prison, the White House said Thursday after embassy officials were able to visit her. “She’s doing as well as can be expected under the circums…
Fed delivers another steep rate hike with more to come
Washington (AFP) – The Federal Reserve delivered another steep interest rate increase on Wednesday, as expected, with its move to cool red-hot inflation taking on more weight amid the political maelstrom of key US midterm elections. With high inflation…