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From above, the hundreds of people dipping in a giant pool in China, look like floating fruit loops. Hundreds crowded a giant pool for a respite from soaring temperatures as meteorologists renewed a yellow alert on Saturday with a heat wave persisting in most parts of the country. (Video courtesy Agence France Presse TV)
by Mariette le Roux and Pascale Mollard Agence France-Presse The longest “blood moon” eclipse this century will coincide with Mars’ closest approach in 15 years to offer skygazers a thrilling astronomical double bill on Friday, astronomers say. For about half the world, the moon will be partly or fully in Earth’s shadow from 1714 to 2328 GMT — six hours and 14 minutes in all. The period of complete eclipse — known as “totality”, when […]
by Cyril Julien Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — “Permit Patty” and “Pool Patrol Paula” have been unlikely — and somewhat infamous — stars of the Twitter age: they are white Americans who have called the police to report alleged problems with black people. Instead, social media users have quickly accused them of racial profiling — and turned their “problems” into national teachable moments thanks to the power of the hashtag. Incidents of […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Uber made a move into electric scooters Monday, as the ride-service giant agreed to a strategic partnership with Lime, one of the major players in the fast-growing segment. Lime announced the new $335 million investment to be led by GV — formerly Google Ventures — with additional funding from Google parent Alphabet and others including Uber. Uber will make “a sizable investment,” according to Lime co-founder and chief executive Toby […]
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Starbucks was back in hot water Friday, three months after a branch manager called the police on two black men — this time for seemingly mocking a customer with a stutter. When the customer, called Sam, gave his drink order in a Philadelphia Starbucks on June 27 he stuttered over his name. The barista replied “Okay, S-s-s-sam” and, retrieving his iced coffee, found the label was marked “SSSAM,” […]
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – Facebook acknowledged Tuesday it was facing multiple inquiries from US and British regulators about the major Cambridge Analytica user data scandal. The leading social network offered no details but its admission confirmed reports of a widening investigation into the misuse of private data by Facebook and its partners. “We are cooperating with officials in the US, UK and beyond,” a Facebook spokesman said in response to an AFP query. “We’ve provided […]
by Katy Lee and Anne-Laure Mondesert © Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – Fashion powerhouse Dior brushed aside the whims of the Instagram generation with its deliberately low-key new haute couture collection Monday, arguing that the world’s most expensive clothes don’t need to shout about it. Designer Maria Grazia Chiuri said she wanted the French label’s latest prestige range to glorify classic craftsmanship rather than the flashy designs that rack up “likes” on social media. […]
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — An inspirational new version of Barbie will encourage young girls to embark on careers in engineering and the sciences, the iconic doll’s manufacturer Mattel said on Tuesday. Barbie, who first hit the shelves in 1959, prides herself on trying out jobs where women aren’t strongly represented, to add to her more traditional skill set of dancing with Ken and looking fabulous. The company has announced a “Career of the […]
TOKYO, JAPAN (AFP) – Resplendent in shocking pink, a sleek “Hello Kitty” bullet train, complete with special carriages festooned with images of the global icon from Japan, has been unveiled before it chugs into service this week. The special shinkansen or bullet train will run for the next three months between the western cities of Osaka and Fukuoka from Saturday, the West Japan Railway firm said, hoping that one of the country’s most […]
by Anuj Chopra Agence France Presse RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi women celebrated taking the wheel for the first time in decades Sunday as the kingdom overturned the world’s only ban on female motorists, a historic reform expected to usher in a new era of social mobility. The much-trumpeted move is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to modernise the conservative petrostate — but it has been dented by the jailing […]
The Philippine Red Cross said it is preparing for the rainy season as it emphasized the importance of having “lifeline kits” as a precautionary measure for any emergency. A 72-hour lifeline kit containing water, food, emergency tools, important documents and money should be carried in case of evacuation, it said. The PRC has activated its chapters and response teams, prepositioned emergency response vehicles, and alerted its Red Cross 143 volunteers on the ground regarding […]
by Rob Lever Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Twitter on Thursday announced new guidelines to clearly mark political ads on its platform as Facebook said it began implementing a policy requiring labeling and verification of identities of those paying for political messages. The moves by the two social media firms come in response to criticism over their role in allowing disinformation to spread during the 2016 US election, in many cases […]
