London, United Kingdom | AFP | US ride-hailing company Uber on Friday lost its appeal against a landmark court ruling in Britain that would give drivers the right to paid holidays and the national minimum wage. The London employment tribunal upheld an October 2016 judgment in a case that is …
Read More »Under-fire US comic admits to sexual misconduct
New York, United States | AFP |Â A US comedian on Friday admitted sexual misconduct and expressed remorse after being accused of masturbating in front of women, a rare statement of contrition in the midst of Hollywood’s burgeoning sexual harassment scandal. Father of two Louis C.K. released the statement to …
Read More »US Senate candidate accused of sexual contact with minor in 1979: report
Washington, United States | AFP | The Republican candidate for a vacant US Senate seat initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl when he was practicing law, the victim, now a grown woman, said in an explosive report Thursday. Candidate Roy Moore of Alabama was facing calls to step …
Read More »Zimbabwe frees US journalist jailed on subversion charges
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP |Â Zimbabwe freed on Thursday a 25-year-old American journalist charged with subverting President Robert Mugabe on account of an alleged tweet that described the ageing leader as “selfish and sick”. Martha O’Donovan had been charged with attempting to overthrow Mugabe as well as undermining or insulting the …
Read More »No decision on Trump, Putin meeting: Tillerson
Beijing, China | AFP |Â Russia and the US disagreed on Thursday over whether US President Donald Trump plans to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at an Asia-Pacific summit in Vietnam. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told Russian news agencies that the meeting “will be on November 10,” with the exact …
Read More »China signs $37 billion deal to buy 300 Boeing planes
Beijing, China | AFP |Â China signed an agreement Thursday to buy 300 airplanes from US aerospace giant Boeing valued over $37 billion, as part of a multi-billion dollar raft of deals announced during President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. The agreement for China Aviation Suppliers Holding Co (CASC) to buy …
Read More »US slams World Bank lending to rich countries like China
Washington, United States | AFP |Â World Bank lending to countries like China that are rich enough to finance their own development hurts poor countries that need help, a senior US Treasury official said Wednesday. David Malpass, Treasury’s under secretary for International Affairs, cited China as a prime example of the …
Read More »US judge allows psychologist to evaluate ‘El Chapo’
New York, United States | AFP |Â A US judge on Wednesday authorized a psychologist to examine Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, one of the world’s most notorious criminals, after his lawyer complained that his mental state is deteriorating in a New York jail. The 60-year-old kingpin, accused of …
Read More »Trump in China for talks on North Korea’s ‘cruel dictatorship’
Beijing, China | AFP |Â US President Donald Trump toured the Forbidden City with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday as he began the crucial leg of an Asian tour intended to build a global front against North Korea’s nuclear threats. After warning North Korea’s “cruel dictatorship” in a speech in …
Read More »NY could seek Weinstein indictment next week: reports
New York, United States | AFP |Â Manhattan’s district attorney is preparing a criminal case against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein which he could present to a grand jury as early as next week, US media reported Tuesday. The reports, quoting anonymous law enforcement officials, came after police confirmed they had …
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