Hunter Biden could face trial, says US special counsel

Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, departs federal court after a plea hearing on two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes in Wilmington, Delaware, US, July 26, 2023. (PHOTO / REUTERS) WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden may be headed for a...

S. Africa’s Zuma appears, released under remission process

Former South African President Jacob Zuma appears at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on April 17, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP) JOHANNESBURG — South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma appeared at the Estcourt correctional facility on Friday morning and was released under a remission process, a senior prisons...

Virgin Galactic launches tourists to edge of space

Virgin Galactic's rocket-powered plane Unity 22, lands after a short flight to the edge of space at Spaceport America, near Truth or Consequences, NM, Aug 10, 2023. (PHOTO / AP) WASHINGTON - Virgin Galactic on Thursday blasted three tourists to the edge of space aboard its air-launched VSS Unity spaceplane,...

Chip-sale restriction could backfire on US

Move may hit industry and undermine development goals, top executives say Industry leaders in the United States are expressing concerns that restricting the sale of semiconductors to China could be detrimental to the US. During a recent meeting in Washington with the administration of US President Joe Biden, the CEOs...

6 arrested in Ecuadorian presidential candidate killing

A handout picture released on Aug 10, 2023 by the Ecuadorian Police shows six Colombian men arrested in connection with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in Quito. (HANDOUT / ECUADORIAN POLICE / AFP) QUITO - Six suspects arrested in connection with the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando...

W. Africa bloc has force on standby for Niger intervention

ECOWAS leaders attend an extraordinary summit in Abuja, Nigeria, on Aug 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA) ABUJA - The 15-member Economic Community of West African States on Thursday said it has resolved to activate its standby force in response to the recent coup in Niger while underscoring its continued commitment...

UK defends plan to demand access to encrypted messages

This illustration photograph taken on April 11, 2023, shows the US instant messaging software WhatsApp's logo on a smartphone screen in Moscow. (PHOTO / AFP) LONDON — British technology minister Michelle Donelan defended plans to require messaging apps to provide access to encrypted private messages when needed to protect children...