WORLD

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Shares in British tobacco giant Imperial Brands slumped Thursday after it issued a profit-warning linked to a backlash against vaping in the United States. Imperial, whose e-cigarette brand is blu and traditional tobacco brands include Davidoff and Gauloises, expects annual revenue to grow 2.0 percent, …

New York, United States | AFP | A whistleblower report that has prompted an impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump contains “very troubling” allegations, US lawmakers have said, after the president dismissed the case against him as a “joke.” Democrats have accused Trump of a “mafia-style shakedown” of his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Berlin boxer Zeina Nassar’s fighting spirit has won her plenty of titles, but her battle to wear the hijab in the ring has also made her an equal opportunity champion. Today, the 21-year-old, who discovered female boxing by watching online videos as a teenager, is a …

New York, United States | AFP |  A downbeat Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed as a “joke” the grounds laid out for the impeachment inquiry into him, as Democrats stood firm in accusing the US president of a “mafia-style shakedown” of his Ukrainian counterpart. Trump denied claims he abused his …

United Nations, United States | AFP | Iran’s president on Wednesday closed the door on meeting Donald Trump despite last-minute European efforts to ease tensions as the United States again ramped up punishing sanctions. French President Emmanuel Macron had shuttled between his US and Iranian counterparts over two days at the …

  London, United Kingdom | AFP |  A transgender man who gave birth but did not want to be registered as the child’s mother on the birth certificate lost a legal battle at England’s High Court on Wednesday. Freddy McConnell, 32, was born as a woman but has lived as …

New York, United States | AFP | Boeing has reached settlements with 11 families of victims from October’s Lion Air crash, the first agreements following two deadly crashes that killed 346 people, a plaintiffs attorney said Wednesday. The Wisner Law Firm, which specializes in aviation cases, is also “optimistic” about reaching …

  Transcript confirms Trump asked Ukraine leader to investigate Biden Washington, United States | AFP |  The White House released a call transcript Wednesday confirming Donald Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart to probe his political rival Joe Biden — a day after Democrats seized on the explosive allegation to launch an …

Zurich, Switzerland | AFP |  Heidi and Super Mario may not seem to have much in common but anime and video game aficionados will detect the signature style of Japanese character designer Yoichi Kotabe in both. Far from the Swiss Alps, the cherished 19th-century storybook character Heidi has played an unlikely …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | British MPs return to parliament on Wednesday following a momentous Supreme Court ruling that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend the house was unlawful. The judgement has hit Johnson’s authority, prompting calls for his resignation and cast further doubt on his promise to pull …