London, United Kingdom | AFP | The fate of Theresa May’s tortured Brexit deal now appears to rest squarely with Arlene Foster — a Northern Irish ultra-conservative politician whose father was shot in the head by the IRA. She has been thrust into the global spotlight by a confluence of events …
Read More »Apple disputes Spotify anti-competitive claims
Paris, France | AFP | Apple dismissed Friday Spotify’s accusations of anti-competitive behaviour, saying the Swedish music streaming giant was trying to enjoy the benefits of its online market without paying the cost of its upkeep. Spotify filed on Wednesday a formal complaint with the EU Commission that took issue with …
Read More »NZealand mosque killings spark global horror
Paris, France | AFP | Attacks on two mosques in New Zealand which left at least 49 people dead on Friday have sparked horror, revulsion and dismay around the world. One of the gunmen – believed to be an Australian extremist — apparently livestreamed the deadly assault. “It is clear …
Read More »Diplomats walk out of UN conference in Venezuela protest
Vienna, Austria | AFP | Diplomats Thursday walked out of a UN convention on drugs addressed by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, saying his government was illegitimate and did not represent the country. Dozens of officials from Latin America, as well as the US, Canada and some European countries, including France, left the room in …
Read More »US-backed Syria force pummels last IS bastion
Baghouz, Syria | AFP | Kurdish-led fighters backed by US warplanes tried Thursday to break the last defences of holdout Islamic State group jihadists making a suicidal last stand in a remote Syrian village. All that remains of a sprawling cross-border “caliphate” the jihadists declared in 2014 is a battered riverside …
Read More »VW slashes thousands more jobs to fund electric transition
Frankfurt am Main, Germany | AFP | German car giant Volkswagen said Wednesday it would slash thousands of posts to cope with its transition to electric and autonomous driving the day after reporting rising profits, saying heavy costs for investments meant savings were needed elsewhere. Chief executive Herbert Diess had …
Read More »In rejecting May’s deal, Brexiteers risk helping Remainers
London, United Kingdom | AFP | In voting against Prime Minister Theresa May’s divorce deal this week, hardline supporters of Brexit risked helping those who want to undermine the whole process. The so-called Brexiteers declared victory on Tuesday when the House of Commons rejected May’s EU withdrawal agreement for a …
Read More »Spotify lodges EU complaint against Apple over unfair music competition
Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | Swedish music streaming giant Spotify said Wednesday it had filed a formal complaint with the EU Commission against Apple, accusing its US rival of stifling competition in the online music market. Analysts were quick to point out that there is no guarantee that the EU’s executive arm will actually investigate …
Read More »Stop the Brexit ‘circus’, pleads UK business
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s business community on Wednesday urged politicians to avoid a “no deal” Brexit after another crushing parliamentary defeat for Prime Minister Theresa May over her EU-divorce deal with Brussels. MPs will Wednesday vote on whether the country should leave the European Union without a deal in just over two weeks, …
Read More »Nissan says to stop producing Infiniti cars in UK
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Nissan will stop production of Infiniti cars at its factory in Sunderland, northeast England, the Japanese carmaker said Tuesday, one month after cancelling the plant’s plans for the X-Trail SUV. Infiniti Motor Company, a division of Nissan, said in a statement that it would stop production of Q30 and …
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