Paris, France | AFP | A French court on Friday fined oil giant Total 500,000 euros ($575,000) for corruption over bribes it paid to secure a huge gas concession in Iran in 1997. The French company was accused of paying $30 million in bribes in return for help in securing …
Read More »Ford recalls 874,000 pickups in US, Canada on fire risk
New York, United States | AFP | Ford is recalling 874,000 of its best-selling F-series pickup trucks due to fire risk from the engine block heater system, the company announced Friday. The problem occurs when there is corrosion in a connector in the engine block heater, which is used in …
Read More »UN fails to reach deal on budget shortfall as US funding dips
United Nations, United States | AFP | United Nations member states failed to come up with a deal Friday to make up for a $220 million budget black hole left by the United States downsizing its contribution to peacekeeping operations, diplomats said. The United States had paid around 28 percent …
Read More »US charges Chinese national for stealing energy company secrets
Washington, United States | AFP | The US Justice Department announced Friday the arrest of a Chinese national who allegedly stole trade secrets from a US oil company he worked for. Tan Hongjin, 35, was arrested on Thursday in Oklahoma where he lived as a permanent resident. The Justice Department …
Read More »US government shutdown would impact 800,000 federal employees
Washington, United States | AFP | A threatened shutdown of the US government would see hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed and many more working without pay. President Donald Trump warned Friday that a shutdown could last a “very long time” unless Democrats in the Senate join Republicans and …
Read More »Hazard set for ‘false nine’ role again for striker-less Chelsea
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri is contemplating deploying Eden Hazard as a “false nine” for a third straight Premier League game to set him “free”. The Blues, fourth in the Premier League, play Leicester on Saturday, after beating champions Manchester City and then Brighton without …
Read More »Guardiola dismisses Klopp’s claim that Man City have no weaknesses
Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | Pep Guardiola on Friday dismissed Jurgen Klopp’s suggestion that Manchester City are a team with no sign of weakness as the two battle for the Premier League title. Guardiola’s City and Klopp’s Liverpool appear increasingly to be the two main contenders in the title …
Read More »Solskjaer talks tough as he vows to get best out of Pogba at Man Utd
Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he will be no pushover as he attempts to save Manchester United’s season, vowing to get the best out of Paul Pogba, who fell out spectacularly with Jose Mourinho. Former Old Trafford favourite Solskjaer — known in his playing days …
Read More »Returning Ozil has Arsenal future says Emery
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Mesut Ozil will return to the Arsenal squad for Saturday’s Premier League visit of Burnley, with manager Unai Emery saying he believes the midfielder has a future at the Emirates Stadium. Ozil did not make the substitutes’ bench for the League Cup quarter-final defeat …
Read More »Nearly 300 migrants rescued off Libya: aid group
Madrid, Spain | AFP | A migrant group said Friday it had rescued nearly 300 migrants off the coast of Libya over the previous 24 hours. “More than 300 people safe on board the #OpenArms,” the Proactiva Open Arms organisation tweeted. The organisation added that it had rescued people on …
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