North America

China's Huawei overtakes Apple as world's 2nd largest smartphone seller

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has surpassed Apple to become the world's second-largest smartphone seller, a market research firm said.

Huawei shipped around 54.2 million handsets for the second quarter this year, showcasing a 40.9 percent year-on-year growth and a 15 percent global market share, while Apple shipped about 41.3 million units, according to data from the U.S.-based International Data Corporation (IDC).

Kurdish refugee wins 'Nobel of mathematics' Fields medal

2 Aug 2018; AFP; Kurdish refugee turned Cambridge University math professor Caucher Birkar was among four winners Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro of the prestigious Fields prize, dubbed the Nobel for mathematics, but had his gold medal stolen minutes later.

It was an embarrassing debut for crime-ridden Rio, the first Latin American city ever to host the Fields ceremony, which takes place every four years.

US Korean War dead heading home at last

2 Aug 2018; AFP; Sixty-five years after the Korean War ended, the remains of dozens of American soldiers killed during the brutal conflict are finally coming home.

Wednesday's repatriation marks an important step after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a summit, during which Kim agreed to send home the war dead.

Trump tells attorney general to end Russia probe

2 Aug 2018; AFP; Donald Trump on Wednesday told his attorney general to end the high-profile investigation into Russian election meddling that has ensnared key members of his presidential campaign and cast a long shadow over his White House.

In a series of tweets that quickly sparked accusations that Trump was publicly trying to pervert justice, the president decried the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller as "a disgrace."

Terrorist Jarrod Ramos enters a plea of not guilty for shooting five people dead

Jarrod Ramos 38, accused of killing four Capital Gazette journalists and a sales assistant in Annapolis, Maryland, has entered a plea of not guilty to all 23 charges against him.

Ramos’ lawyers entered the plea with the Anne Arundel county circuit court. Ramos did not appear in court. He remains jailed without bond.

Canada ‘not fazed’ at being left out of NAFTA talks

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada

1 Auig 2018; AA; Canada on Tuesday put a positive spin at being left out of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks, saying it is a good sign that the U.S. and Mexico are trying to work out differences between themselves.

The U.S. excluded Canada at NAFTA renegotiation meetings later this week with Mexico in Washington.

US judge blocks release of 3D gun blueprints amid uproar

1 Aug 2018; AFP; A US judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the online publication of blueprints for 3D-printed firearms, in a last-ditch effort to stop a settlement President Donald Trump's administration had reached with the company releasing the digital documents.

Eight states and the District of Columbia, that houses the capital Washington, had filed a lawsuit against the federal government, calling its settlement with Texas-based Defense Distributed "arbitrary and capricious."

Facebook discovers coordinated disinformation operation on its platform

SAN FRANCISCO, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Facebook announced Tuesday that its security unit has found a coordinated campaign on its platform aiming to exerting political influence ahead of the upcoming U.S. mid-term elections in the next few months.

The world's largest social media network said it has removed 32 Pages and accounts from Facebook and Instagram for being "involved in coordinated inauthentic behavior."

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