Sharp | Common News Update

Nov172020 by adminNo Comments

US announces sharp reduction of troop numbers in Afghanistan and Iraq

World

US President Donald Trump will cut his country's military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Pentagon has announced.Acting defence secretary Christopher Miller said the number of US soldiers in Afghanistan will fall from 4,500 to 2,500 by the time Mr Trump leaves office early next year. The number of troops in Iraq will be reduced from around 3,000 to 2,500.This is expected to be completed just five days before Joe Biden takes over as president on 20 January, although President Trump has still refused to acknowledge his election loss. Image: These US soldiers returned from Afghanistan in 2013 but thousands of their colleagues remain The plan comes despite arguments from senior military officials in favour of a slower withdrawal, es...

Aug272020 by adminNo Comments

The Latest: Africa reports sharp decline in new infections

Health

JOHANNESBURG — Africa’s top public health official says the continent has seen a 20% decrease in confirmed coronavirus cases in the past week, but he warns that “we shouldn’t go home celebrating that our pandemic is over.”John Nkengasong with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells reporters that testing and other efforts to contain the virus are largely working, but just one or two cases could reignite infections.He says 23 of Africa’s 54 countries have reported a sustained decrease in new confirmed cases in the past couple of weeks.The African continent has reported more than 1.2 million confirmed cases, roughly half in South Africa. More than 11 million tests for the virus have been conducted across the continent of 1.3 billion people, and Nkengasong says the new goa...

Aug72020 by adminNo Comments

UN reports sharp increase in cybercrime during pandemic

Technology

The U.N. counterterrorism chief says a 350% increase in phishing websites was reported in the first quarter of the yearBy EDITH M. LEDERER Associated PressAugust 7, 2020, 4:16 AM3 min readShare to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleUNITED NATIONS -- A 350% increase in phishing websites was reported in the first quarter of the year, many targeting hospitals and health care systems and hindering their work responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.N. counterterrorism chief said Thursday. Vladimir Voronkov told the U.N. Security Council that the upsurge in phishing sites was part of “a significant rise in cybercrime in recent months” reported by speakers at last month’s first Virtual Counterterrorism Week at the United Nations. He said the U.N. and global experts don’t yet fully und...

Jul232020 by adminNo Comments

Stock futures rise slightly after Thursday’s sharp sell-off

Finance

Brendan McDermid | ReutersU.S. stock futures rose on Thursday night after broad declines in the major tech names pushed the major averages lower during regular trading.The Dow ended Thursday's cash session down more than 1% along with the S&P 500. The Nasdaq Composite dropped more than 3% as Microsoft and Apple each lost more than 4%. Facebook and Amazon were both down more than 3% and Netflix lost 2.5%.Big Tech has been the market leader this year as investors grapple with the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on corporate profits. Amazon and Netflix were both up more than 47% year to date. Alphabet and Facebook are up over 13% in that time."Concerns of another technology bubble are rising," said Keith Lerner, chief market strategist at Truist/SunTrust Advisory, in a note. "There is...

Jul212020 by adminNo Comments

Nationals’ Strasburg sharp in start after bus ride to Baltimore

Sports

July 21 (UPI) -- Reigning World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg looked sharp in his final start of summer camp, as he led the Washington Nationals to a 4-2 win against the Baltimore Orioles. Strasburg had six strikeouts and allowed just one run in five innings Monday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Advertisement Nationals players took five buses and personal vehicles on the trip due to social distancing safety precautions amid the coronavirus pandemic. They used staggered arrival times to avoid long lines for COVID-19 testing when they got to the stadium. "It felt like something that you would normally do in spring training," Strasburg told reporters. First baseman Howie Kendrick led the Nationals at the plate. Kendrick went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored in the win. His day fe...