London, United Kingdom | AFP | A European-wide deep freeze that shows no sign of stopping anytime soon led Friday to the postponement of several British sports fixtures this weekend. And while no games in English football’s elite Premier League have yet been called off (pitches at most top-flight clubs …
Read More »EU’s Barnier welcomes ‘clarity’ in May Brexit speech
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Friday welcomed a key speech on Brexit by British Prime Minister Theresa May, saying she had brought “clarity”. Barnier said May’s highly-anticipated address in London, in which she said said it was time to face up to …
Read More »May says no UK PM could accept EU Brexit treaty
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May angrily rejected a draft divorce treaty unveiled by the EU on Wednesday, saying she would never allow the bloc to undermine her country’s “constitutional integrity”. May lashed out at the proposal to keep British-ruled Northern Ireland in a customs union if …
Read More »Former British PM John Major suggests new Brexit vote
Londres, United Kingdom | AFP | Former prime minister John Major suggested Wednesday that Britons should be given the chance to vote again on Brexit, warning they were “misled” about its consequences. He said UK lawmakers should have the option of calling a second referendum on EU membership when they …
Read More »Standard Chartered brings back dividends as profits jump
Hong Kong, China | AFP | Banking giant Standard Chartered on Tuesday announced a return of dividends for shareholders after a two-year hiatus as it reported a surge in annual profits following restructuring and cutbacks. The Asia-focused lender said it would pay out a full-year dividend of 11 cents per …
Read More »Haiti suspends Oxfam operations pending sex scandal probe
Port-au-Prince, Haiti | AFP | Haiti on Thursday suspended the operations of British charity Oxfam pending the outcome of its investigation into allegations that its staff sexually exploited Haitians after a devastating 2010 earthquake. The country’s ministry of planning and foreign aid said Oxfam GB had made a “serious error” …
Read More »British couple kidnapped in S.Africa: foreign office
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | An elderly British couple have been kidnapped in South Africa, police said Thursday, amid reports they were abducted by extremists suspected to have links to the Islamic State group. The British foreign office confirmed that a pair of Britons had been kidnapped and warned …
Read More »UNICEF number two Forsyth resigns after complaints of inappropriate behavior
United Nations, United States | AFP | UNICEF deputy director Justin Forsyth on Thursday resigned from the UN children’s agency following complaints of inappropriate behavior towards female staff in his previous post as head of British charity Save The Children. He apologized again for his past “mistakes”, but said his …
Read More »UK’s top energy supplier Centrica says cutting 4,000 jobs
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s top energy supplier Centrica said Thursday it would cut 4,000 jobs by 2020 after announcing a 17-percent drop in profits in 2017 due to a loss of customers and poor performance in North America. “We expected the new programme to involve reduction in …
Read More »KFC falls fowl in Britain with chicken run
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Hundreds of KFC outlets remained shut in Britain on Wednesday due to a supply crisis, leaving fans craving a fix of deep-fried chicken. The shortages, which are expected to last all week in some parts of Britain, have prompted online mockery and disbelief aimed …
Read More »