Posts by Amelia Frost
Disinformation Blizzard Targets Germany Before Election
Stories of a pre-election state of emergency, police escorts for toddlers and forged ballot papers — a blizzard of online disinformation has targeted German voters ahead of Sunday’s election. Russia has been the main suspect, and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) the main beneficiary, says Berlin. On top of all that, Trump ally Elon…
Read MoreIs Xi’s Sudden Embrace of Business for Real? China Is Left Guessing.
When Xi Jinping, China’s leader, made his entrance at a symposium with a group of top entrepreneurs this week, he seemed to be in good spirits. China has had a few good weeks. The artificial intelligence models by the start-up DeepSeek sent U.S. stocks tumbling and Western commentators screaming, “Sputnik moment.” Then an animated film…
Read MoreGaza Hostage-prisoner Swap Set To Go Ahead After Row Over Bodies
The seventh hostage-prisoner exchange under a fragile Gaza ceasefire was set to go ahead on Saturday, despite an outpouring of grief and anger in Israel after Hamas returned the remains of two child hostages without their mother’s. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed Hamas as “monsters” and “savages” on Friday, accusing the Palestinian militant group of…
Read MoreOn $15 A Month, Venezuela’s Teachers Live Hand To Mouth
With a monthly salary of $15, a teacher in Venezuela earns nowhere near enough to cover their basic food necessities, never mind rent or medicine. Many in the crisis-stricken South American country are forced to work multiple jobs, or pool their money with family. Thousands have emigrated in pursuit of greater financial stability. “For the…
Read MoreAustralia Says China Has Not Explained Naval Live-fire Warning
Australia said Saturday it has not received a satisfactory explanation from Beijing after Chinese warships off its east coast broadcast a “disconcerting” live-fire warning that forced commercial flights to change course. Australia and close ally New Zealand have been monitoring three Chinese navy vessels — a frigate, a cruiser and a supply tanker — since…
Read MorePorn Stars: Oscar Favorite ‘Anora’ Gets Sex Work Right
For a film about sex work to win an Oscar is rare. For it to win the respect of sex workers is even rarer. If Sean Baker’s “Anora” triumphs at the Academy Awards next Sunday, as predicted by most pundits, it will have achieved both. “Sean gets sex work. He just does,” porn actress and…
Read MoreArab Leaders Meet In Saudi Arabia To Hash Out Gaza Plan
Arab leaders met in Riyadh on Friday to craft a plan for Gaza’s post-war reconstruction to counter Donald Trump’s proposal for the United States to take over the territory without its Palestinian residents. Trump’s plan has united Arab states in opposition to it, but disagreements remain over who should govern Gaza and how its reconstruction…
Read MoreAustralia Says No Live Firing Seen Or Heard From Chinese Ships
Australia says it detected no live firing from Chinese naval ships off its east coast, despite the vessels broadcasting a warning that forced commercial flights to detour. Australia and close ally New Zealand have been monitoring three Chinese navy vessels — a frigate, a cruiser and a supply tanker — since they were spotted in…
Read MorePatsy Grimaldi, Whose Name Became Synonymous With Pizza, Dies at 93
Patsy Grimaldi, a restaurateur whose coal-oven pizzeria in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge won new fans for New York City’s oldest pizza style with carefully made pies that helped start a national movement toward artisan pizza, died on Feb. 13 in Queens. He was 93. His nephew Frederick Grimaldi confirmed the death, at NewYork-Presbyterian…
Read MoreHow Trump’s Unprecedented First Month of Rapid-Fire Executive Orders Stacks Up Against His Campaign Promises
In his first month since returning to the White House for a second term, President Donald Trump has used his presidential powers to issue dozens of executive orders. As of February 20, Trump has signed a total of 73 orders, 68 of which have been published and gone into effect, that are intended to transform…
Read MoreVeterinarian and 13 Horse Trainers Violated Drug Rules, U.S. Regulator Says
A veterinarian and 13 trainers, seeking an edge at a Pennsylvania racetrack, injected pain medications into the joints of more than 100 horses in violation of federal rules, the federal agency that now regulates the sport said on Friday. Afterward, 30 percent of the horses never raced again and 10 percent were declared lame post-race…
Read MoreAP Sues White House Officials Over Denial Of Access
The Associated Press filed a lawsuit against three White House officials on Friday after the news agency was barred from some of US President Donald Trump’s events. The AP, in the suit filed in a federal court in Washington, said the denial of access violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom…
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