London, United Kingdom | AFP | British music retailer HMV, which was launched by English composer Edward Elgar in 1921, has collapsed into administration after weak Christmas sales and amid a declining market for CDs and DVDs, its owner said on Friday. His Master’s Voice (HMV), which is known worldwide …
Read More »Netanyahu hails ‘new era’ with Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | AFP | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed what he said would be a “new era” in ties with “great power” Brazil ahead of meeting Friday with the Latin America’s country’s incoming far-right leader, Jair Bolsonaro. Netanyahu also stressed that he would press Bolsonaro on …
Read More »Trump threatens to ‘entirely’ close US-Mexico border unless wall demands met
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to “entirely” close the southern US border with Mexico if lawmakers refuse his demands to fund a wall. “We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the …
Read More »Tighter EU terrorism tracking measures take effect
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Tighter measures to fight crime and terrorism in the European Union took effect on Friday as the 28-nation bloc seeks to improve security by sharing information more efficiently. New rules that strengthen the Schengen Information System (SIS) should help border guards and law enforcement agencies, …
Read More »French ‘yellow vest’ protests planned for Saturday, New Year’s Eve
Paris, France | AFP | The “yellow vest” anti-government protests that have rocked France will be held on Saturday and New Year’s Eve, and continue into 2019, several sources in the movement said Thursday. “The yellow vests are still mobilised,” said Laetitia Dewalle, one spokeswoman of the protest movement which …
Read More »US government shutdown extends into next week
Washington, United States | AFP | The US government partial shutdown was set to stretch deep into next week after legislators failed Thursday to make a breakthrough in the row over President Donald Trump’s demand for a US-Mexico border wall. After convening for just a few minutes following the official …
Read More »Michelle Obama tops Hillary Clinton as America’s most admired woman
Washington, United States | AFP | Former First Lady Hillary Clinton’s 17-year run as the woman Americans admire most is over. Another former First Lady, Michelle Obama, has deposed Clinton as America’s most admired woman, according to a Gallup poll published on Thursday. Former president Barack Obama was named the …
Read More »Nations count cost of 2018 climate disasters
Paris, France | AFP | Climate change-induced disasters cost nations at least $100 billion in 2018, a watchdog said Thursday, warning the spate of deadly wildfires, floods and superstorms was “a shadow” of things to come if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t slashed. This year is set to be the fourth …
Read More »Saudi king orders government reshuffle after Khashoggi fallout
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia’s King Salman ordered a sweeping government reshuffle Thursday, replacing key security and political figures including the foreign minister, as the kingdom grapples with the international fallout over critic Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. The surprise shake up saw the appointment of a new National …
Read More »Instagram blames ‘bug’ for design change that prompted backlash
Washington, United States | AFP | Instagram said Thursday it accidentally rolled out a design change to a large number of users and quickly ended the test after complaints from users of the Facebook-owned social network. The redesign required users to swipe horizontally instead of the normal vertical scroll to …
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