Author: News Desk

Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is likely to cancel a planned trip to the United States for talks with President Joe Biden this month due to the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, public broadcaster NHK said on Saturday. Kishida and Biden met in Glasgow last month on the sidelines of the United Nations climate summit, agreeing to meet formally by the end of the year to discuss issues of mutual concern, such as China, Japanese media reported at the time. But given the rapid spread of the new coronavirus variant as well as the U.S. political…

Hong Kong : Didi said Friday that it would “immediately” start the process of delisting from the New York Stock Exchange and pivot to Hong Kong, just months after its disastrous IPO. “After a careful study, the company will start delisting on the New York Stock Exchange immediately, and start preparations for listing in Hong Kong,” the Chinese ride-hailing firm wrote Friday on its verified account on Weibo, a popular Twitter-like platform in the country. In a separate, English-language statement, the company said that its board of directors has authorized the company to file for delisting in New York. The board will “organize…

People planning on moving to Dubai or going there on holiday are being warned about the country’s different laws. Looking up what is and isn’t legal in a particular country is important to do before you visit it to make sure you don’t end up with fines or possible jail time. Billy Hood was jailed for 25 years in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), for possessing CBD vape oil. The Brit was convicted of drug trafficking, despite working in the country as a football coach. He has since had his conviction reduced to 10 years. Police found four bottles of the CBD oil…

Washington : Ford Motor Co (F.N) expects to be the world’s second largest electric vehicle manufacturer within two years, with annual production capacity of nearly 600,000, a top company executive said Friday. Driving the automaker’s optimism is increasing demand for its next new EV, the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup, with retail reservations now approaching 200,000, according to Lisa Drake, chief operating officer of Ford North America. Speaking at an investor conference, Drake said Ford is working with five global battery suppliers to manufacture and help develop battery cells for its future EVs. Those suppliers include SK On (096770.KS), LG Energy…

London : A British court dismissed an appeal on Thursday by a newspaper publisher seeking to overturn a previous ruling that found the Mail on Sunday had breached the Duchess of Sussex’s privacy by publishing portions of a letter she sent to her father. Britain’s Court of Appeal upheld the earlier High Court decision, handed down in February, that the Mail had in fact breached Meghan’s privacy in a way that was “manifestly excessive and hence unlawful.” In a statement provided by Meghan and husband Prince Harry’s Archwell non-profit organization, the duchess called the appeal court’s decision “a victory not just for me, but for anyone who has…

Dubai :  Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, His Highness Shaikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, received visiting Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, His Highness Shaikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at Expo 2020 Dubai today. According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), they discussed the friendly relations, joint cooperation and development opportunities in various fields under the strategic partnership that brings the two countries together, especially in the investment and economic aspects, advanced technology, energy and food security, in addition to the cultural, educational…

A former Arizona nurse was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday for sexually assaulting an incapacitated woman at a long-term care facility where she later gave birth. Nathan Sutherland received the maximum punishment called for under his agreement to plead guilty to sexual assault. He also received lifetime probation for a conviction for abuse of a vulnerable adult stemming from his treatment of the woman. “It’s hard to imagine a more vulnerable adult than the victim in this case,” said Superior Court Judge Margaret LaBianca, adding that Sutherland exploited his position of trust as a caregiver to sexually abuse the…

OXFORD TOWNSHIP :  A teenager accused of killing four students at a Michigan high school was called to the office before the shooting but “no discipline was warranted,” the superintendent said Thursday in his first extended remarks since the tragedy. Tim Throne, leader of Oxford Community Schools, said Oxford High School looks like a “war zone” and won’t be ready for weeks. But he repeatedly credited students and staff for how they responded to the violence Tuesday. “To say that I am still in shock and numb is probably an understatement. These events that have occurred will not define us,”…

BEIJING :  China and the United States are tussling over President Joe Biden’s upcoming democracy summit, which the ruling Communist Party sees as a challenge to its authoritarian ways. The party maintains China has its own form of democracy and plans to issue a report titled “China: Democracy that Works” on Saturday, five days before the opening of Biden’s two-day virtual meeting with about 110 other governments. The White House pushed back Thursday against Chinese criticism of Biden’s “Summit for Democracy,” after a senior Chinese official said that it divides countries and points fingers at others. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki…

Manila :  World Health Organization officials in the Western Pacific say border closures adopted by some countries may buy time to deal with the omicron coronavirus variant, but measures put in place and experience gained in dealing with the delta variant should remain the foundation for fighting the pandemic. While a few regional countries are facing surges, COVID-19 cases and deaths in many others have decreased and plateaued, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr. Takeshi Kasai told reporters Friday in a virtual news conference broadcast from Manila, Philippines. “Border control can delay the virus coming in and buy…