The three beefy men sharing a laugh looked like old friends, not geopolitical adversaries. A smiling Donald Trump welcomed Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and its US ambassador Sergey Kislyak to the Oval Office on Wednesday, just a day after the president had fired the man investigating Moscow’s role in helping him enter the White House. The extraordinary scene was just the latest sign that Mr Trump […]
By Rory Carroll | LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES Whether U.S. President Donald Trump will travel to Peru in September to promote Los Angeles’ 2024 Olympics bid is an open question but many believe the controversial leader would do more harm than good as the city vies with Paris for the Games. Trump’s executive order to temporarily ban travel from six Muslim-majority countries, which is currently being reviewed […]
By Chris at www.CapitalistExploits.at What in God’s name is happening? It’s not a high. It’s a record high. Sweet mother of Mary… As we can see from the above chart courtesy of the FT, emerging markets sold a record amount of government debt in the first quarter of this year. More from the FT here: “Data from Dealogic, a research firm, show that sovereign bond sales from emerging markets rose […]
Donald Trump capped a week of Watergate flashbacks in Washington on Friday, as he appeared to channel the ghost of Richard Nixon by threatening his recently sacked FBI director with the release of “tapes” of their private conversation. In a series of irate tweets, Mr Trump warned the former agency chief against leaking to the press amid conflicting accounts of events leading to the director’s sacking this […]
Thailand has given social network operator Facebook until next Tuesday to block illegal content from its site, or face charges under the Computer Crime Act. The country, which has strict lese majeste laws, has detained several social media users since last month, after warning netizens against liking and sharing posts by three of the monarchy’s known critics who are all based overseas. Facebook has 42 million users […]
BAKU A court in Azerbaijan on Friday supported the blocking of the websites of several media outlets critical of the government, including the Azeri service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE). European institutions and rights bodies accuse the oil-producing former Soviet republic Azerbaijan and its leader, Ilham Aliyev, of tightening restrictions on the media and on people’s freedom of expression. Azeri officials deny the accusations. The ruling […]
The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed by Pakistan’s Supreme Court to probe graft allegations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family in the Panama Papers case began its work on Tuesday with an informal meeting in Islamabad. The apex court last week approved the six-member team comprising one representative each from the State Bank of Pakistan, Securities and Exchange Commission, National Accountability Bureau, Federal Investigation Agency, […]
May 12, 2017 IMPHAL, India – Fifteen seconds into the opening match of the 10th Manipur International Polo Tournament, after a long and feverish drumming performance, after the Manipur state chief minister had been properly honored with gifts and praise, after mounted players had paraded around the Mapal Kangjeibung polo ground with country flags held high, the home team scored on the Australians. It was a bright […]
When developer Spike Chunsoft revealed plans to resurrect the long-running Fire Pro Wrestling series with the upcoming Fire Pro Wrestling World, a small but ridiculously passionate slice of the gaming community collectively lost its mind. I was a part of the madness. The last true Fire Pro title—ignoring the Japan-exclusive social game and the awful, avatar-focused Xbox Live Arcade title—was the PlayStation 2’s Fire Pro Wrestling Returns […]
At the end of April, Dubai added yet another acquisition to its steadily growing list of attributes. No longer just a city, an emirate, a tourist destination or even home to the world’s tallest building, the city now also has its own official typeface, the Dubai font. The product of a two-year partnership between the Dubai Executive Council, the computer giant Microsoft and Monotype, the owner of […]
SYDNEY Turkey has agreed to a request from the Australian government to extradite a citizen it believes to be a top recruiter for the Islamic State militant group, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Friday. Melbourne-born Neil Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and has appeared in Islamic State videos and magazines. Australia alleges that Prakash actively recruited Australian men, women and children and […]
To watch the performance of the N League’s topchis and assorted bandmasters, it almost seems as if their leadership has scored a Waterloo triumph against the uniformed lot in the matter of the Dawn leaks. By announcing a virtual ceasefire the army has taken a step back, that’s for sure. To appease the army’s mood a few small sacrificial offerings have been made and that’s about it. […]
Pantech, Korea’s third-largest handset maker, has suspended its smartphone business and will commence restructuring, a move that could see it end for good despite surviving a dramatic bankruptcy filing two years ago. In an email to employees, Jung Jun, the chairman of Optis, the parent company of Pantech, said the company will halt production of smartphones and commence the restructuring. The company will retain its Internet of […]
By Dan Levine | SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO A U.S. judge on Thursday rejected Uber’s [UBER.UL] bid to send its high-profile trade secret dispute with Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) self-driving Waymo unit to a private legal forum, a setback for the ride services company. U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco also partially granted Waymo’s bid for an injunction against Uber over its self driving car program. However, […]
By Jonathan Allen | NEW YORK NEW YORK New York City public defenders on Thursday criticized a proposal by Mayor Bill de Blasio to deny free legal counsel to immigrants in deportation hearings if they had been convicted of serious crimes in the past, saying the plan would deny them due process. In his proposed annual budget, De Blasio allocated $16.4 million to legal services for immigrant […]
WILMINGTON, Del. A judge effectively killed off any practical chance of Anthem Inc (ANTM.N) merging with Cigna Corp (CI.N) on Thursday as he declined to order Cigna not to terminate the deal. Judge Travis Laster of Delaware’s Court of Chancery denied Anthem’s request for a preliminary injunction but stayed implementation of his ruling until noon on Monday to give the insurer time to decide if it will […]
By Brad Brooks and Anthony Boadle | SAO PAULO/BRASILIA SAO PAULO/BRASILIA Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s combative testimony before a federal judge this week did little to dismantle the graft case against him and improve his chances of securing a new term in office. Lula, a founder of the leftist Workers Party (PT) that controlled Brazil’s presidency from 2003 until last year, can only […]
ROME An Italian court has said divorce settlements should no longer guarantee spouses their previous standard of living but rather simply make sure they were financially independent. The top appeals court ruling could bring an end to the huge settlements seen in some break-ups, such as the 1.4 million euros ($1.5 million) a month that former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has to pay his ex-wife, Veronica Lario. […]
ISLAMABAD: The Joint Investigating Team (JIT) tasked with investigating corruption allegations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his children has sought from the Election Commission of Pakistan asset declarations submitted to the electoral body by the premier and his son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar, Geo News quoted sources as saying on Thursday. According to the sources, the JIT, set up by the Supreme Court in the light of […]
DUBAI // Six people have been arrested over a Dh3 million robbery of a bank truck owned by a Dubai cash in-transit company. The suspects, from Asian countries, were arrested on Tuesday night in an apartment in Al Rashidiya following investigations, said Maj Gen Khalil Al Mansouri, assistant commander of CID at Dubai Police. Maj Gen Al Mansouri said one of the suspects was a security guard […]
In this Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016, file photo, a self-driving Uber car stops at a red light on Liberty Avenue through the Bloomfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh. In just a few years, well-mannered self-driving robotaxis will share the roads with reckless, law-breaking human drivers. The prospect is causing migraines for the people developing the robocars and is slowing their development. But experts say eventually the cars will coexist […]
Moon Jae-in’s presidency of South Korea began with admirable pledges to handle an unpredictable and belligerent next-door neighbour, North Korea, and tackle economic problems. He will also tackle broader regional tensions, China’s outrage at the United States THAAD missile defence system in South Korea and rising fears over that same northern neighbour‘s nuclear programme. But one other challenge may be almost as crucial in determining the success […]
Uber should be regulated as a transport company and be subject to the same rules as normal taxis, according to a non-binding opinion by the Advocate General at the EU’s top court. The opinion, stating that the US ride-hailing app “must be classified as a ‘service in the field of transport’”, would deal a major blow to Uber if followed with a final judgment by the European […]
By Michele Sinner and Julia Fioretti | LUXEMBOURG/BRUSSELS LUXEMBOURG/BRUSSELS Uber provides a transport service and must be licensed, the European Union’s top court said on Thursday, in a potential blow to the U.S. firm which says it is merely a digital enabler. “The Uber electronic platform, whilst innovative, falls within the field of transport: Uber can thus be required to obtain the necessary licenses and authorizations under […]
