An American Airlines mechanic on Friday was due to appear in court on charges he tampered with an aircraft over stalled union negotiations that he said harmed him financially.
US prosecutors have charged Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani with interfering with part of an aircraft fight data system, causing the grounding of a July flight from Miami to the Bahamas, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in Miami.
Alani is due to appear before a judge later Friday.
The maximum possible penalty for the violation is 20 years in jail, said a spokeswoman for the US Attorney's Office in Miami.
The plane carrying 150 passengers and crew was taken out of service before takeoff due to an error in the air data module system.
Alani was identified in surveillance footage as having entered the aircraft earlier in the morning.
Alani allegedly admitted to the FBI that he had inserted a piece of foam into the ADM inlet and applied super glue to prevent the foam from coming off, according to an ..

American Airlines mechanic charged with aircraft sabotage

PTI Automatic

Thousands of Hong Kongers held rallies on Friday night, rejecting calls by the city's pro-Beijing leader to end their movement as the finance hub braces for another weekend of clashes, including a plan to disrupt the airport.
Police fired brief volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets against a few hundred protesters who had gathered outside a police station in Mongkok district.
But a second, much larger rally in the heart of the city's commercial district remained peaceful.
Millions of pro-democracy supporters have taken to Hong Kong's streets for the past three months in the biggest challenge to China's rule since the city's handover from Britain in 1997.
On Wednesday, the city's unelected pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam surprised many by announcing she was scrapping a hugely unpopular extradition law that sparked the huge and sometimes violent rallies, a key demand of protesters that she and Beijing had previously refused to budge on.
She portrayed the move as a bid to de-escalate ...

Hong Kong protesters reject leader's concession with new rallies

A coalition of US states announced Friday an antitrust investigation of Facebook to determine if the social media giant has hindered competition and put users at risk.
New York state Attorney General Letitia James released a statement announcing the action on behalf of seven other states and the District of Columbia.
The move marks the first official US antitrust action against one of the so-called Big Tech companies -- although a landmark case had targeted Microsoft back in the 1990s.
"Even the largest social media platform in the world must follow the law and respect consumers," James said.
"We will use every investigative tool at our disposal to determine whether Facebook's actions may have endangered consumer data, reduced the quality of consumers' choices, or increased the price of advertising."
Joining the action were attorneys general of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, according to James.
Facebook did not immediately respond to an AFP query ..

US states announce antitrust probe of Facebook

A prominent British gay rights activist seriously injured in 2001 while trying to arrest Robert Mugabe said Friday the former Zimbabwean President had "demonised" the LGBT+ community "in a way not entirely dissimilar to Hitler."
Peter Tatchell told AFP that Mugabe, who died on Friday in a Singaporean hospital, had scapegoated them "to deflect attention away from the failings of his own regime".
The veteran campaigner twice tried to arrest Mugabe, who was proudly homophobic during his decades of rule, and says he was beaten unconscious by his henchmen after one second attempt in 2001.
"President Mugabe began his homophobic tirades long before I or anyone else protested against them," Tatchell said, noting that the despot was clearly influenced by a deeply conservative Catholic upbringing.
"By scapegoating the LGBT+ community he could deflect attention away from the failings of his own regime.
"He demonised gay people in a way not entirely dissimilar from the way Hitler demonised gay ...

UK rights activist says Mugabe 'demonised' gay community

Rory Burns hit his third score of fifty or more this Ashes to lead England's fightback with the bat in the fourth Test against Australia at Old Trafford on Friday.
England were 125-2 at tea on the third day, still 372 runs behind Australia's imposing first-innings 497-8 declared.
Burns, however, was 62 not out, with England captain Joe Root 47 not out after the pair had put on exactly 100 runs for the third wicket.
Rain meant there was no play before lunch and, as a result, the second session was extended to two hours and 50 minutes.
England resumed on 23-1, with left-handed opener Burns 15 not out and nightwatchman Craig Overton three not out.
Overton had added just two to his score when the ninth ball of the day saw him edge a full-length, rising delivery from Josh Hazlewood to second slip, where Steve
Smith held a waist-high catch.
Burns, who scored a century in the first Test, cover-drove Mitchell Starc for a resounding four.
And when left-arm fast bowler Starc, playing his first .

Burns and Root keep Australia at bay in fourth Test

Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga on Friday became the first bowler in Twenty20 internationals to claim 100 wickets, achieving the feat in the third match against New Zealand in Kandy.
Malinga, who surpassed Pakistan spinner Shahid Afridi's tally of 97 scalps to become the leading T20 wicket-taker on Sunday, bowled Colin Munro to get a century of wickets in his 76th match.
The 36-year-old speedster went on to complete a hat-trick and took four wickets in four balls. Hamish Rutherford, Colin de Grandhomme and Ross Taylor followed Munro to the pavilion.

Sri Lanka's Malinga first T20 bowler to claim 100 wickets

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that Iran's latest reduction in commitments to a nuclear deal -- made in retaliation for US sanctions -- was "unacceptable."
"They announced... that they're going to continue to do more research and development on their nuclear weapon systems. Those things are unacceptable," Pompeo told Kansas City radio station KCMO.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made the announcement Wednesday and the country's atomic energy organisation is set to hold a press conference on Saturday, as Tehran shows its frustration with the 2015 deal.
Iran has been negotiating with European powers that hope to salvage the accord despite the reimposition of sanctions by the United States, which last year pulled out of the deal.
Despite his hawkish stance, President Donald Trump has said he is willing to speak with Iran, a prospect proposed by France.
"For months now President Trump has said that he'd be happy to meet with Iranian leadership with no preconditions.
But ..

Pompeo says Iran nuclear commitment cuts 'unacceptable'

The powerful House Oversight Committee announced Friday it was investigating why Vice President Mike Pence decided to stay at President Donald Trump's golf resort during an official visit to Ireland.
Pence stayed at Trump's Doonbeg resort last weekend, a distant 185 miles (300 kilometers) from Dublin, where he met with top Irish officials.
Pence's spokesman said they decided to stay at the Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg at the "suggestion" of the president, rather than using a Dublin hotel, which would have likely been much cheaper, transportation-wise.
Democrat Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings said it appeared that Trump was profiting personally on the vice president's trip, given all the government funds spent at the resort to house his sizable entourage.
"The committee does not believe that US taxpayer funds should be used to personally enrich President Trump, his family, and his companies," Cummings said in a statement.
Cummings said the bill for the trip ...

House investigates Trump business use of golf resorts

The head of Russia's central election committee was attacked at night by a masked assailant who climbed into her house and hit her with a taser, Russian police said Friday.
The attack on 65-year-old Ella Pamfilova, at around 1:30 am (Thursday 2330 GMT) came ahead of contentious regional elections on Sunday, which have prompted large protests in Moscow.
Police described the attack in a village outside Moscow as "armed assault," saying the offender "entered the house's conservatory via a window and hit the owner with an electric shocker several times, after which he fled".
Pamfilova on Friday took part in a conference in Moscow and television footage did not show any visible injuries.
Speaking to Rossiya 24 she said she hurt her finger while trying to fight off the attacker.
"He was wearing gloves and a mask," she said.
"I'm in shock -- imagine waking up and there is a man in your house trying to attack you." "I want to hope it was an accident... maybe somebody wanted to scare me, or he 

Russian election chief attacked ahead of polls

Star South African athlete Caster Semenya, who cannot defend her world 800-metre title this month because she refuses to take testosterone-reducing drugs, is set to become a footballer.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist is training with the Johannesburg-based JVW club, but cannot play until next year because the registration deadline for this season has closed.
"I am looking forward to this new journey -- I appreciate the love and support I already get from the team," Semenya said on the club website.
National women's team captain Janine van Wyk, after whom the club is named, told AFP she was "thrilled Caster had chosen to join her team".
Semenya is following in the footsteps of Jamaican superstar sprinter Usain Bolt, who trained with Australian club Central Coast Mariners after retiring but did not secure a contract.
International athletics body the IAAF ruled this year that females like Semenya who have differences of sexual development have a competitive advantage.
It barred such 

Banned athletics star Semenya joins South African football club

Mo Farah says he has "no regrets" over his decision to skip the world championships in Qatar as he seeks to retain his Chicago Marathon crown.
With his glittering track career now apparently over, Farah is aiming to establish himself among the world's elite marathon runners.
"I don't have any regrets (about missing the world championships), the 36-year-old told Britain's Press Association news agency.
"It's too close to Chicago (on October 13) and if I want to get ready for the 2020 Olympics, I have to do more marathons.
"It is better to do one where I can feel strong and make sure I'm up there among the best in the world." Farah claimed his first marathon title 12 months ago when he stormed clear of Ethiopia's Mosinet Geremew to win in Chicago in a time of two hours, five minutes and 11 seconds -- a European record.
"I think it is going to be a different race in Chicago this year because after winning it last year I am going into it with a target on my back," the British runner ...

Farah has 'no regrets' about missing world championships

Firefighters who rushed to the World Trade Center on 9/11 have a greater danger of heart disease, says a report out Friday, adding to studies that documented higher risk of cancer.
The study, published in the American Medical Association's JAMA Open Network, examined the medical data of nearly 9,800 New York fire personnel mobiliSed on the day the Twin Towers fell and in the months afterward.
Over the 16 years following the September 11 attacks in 2001 there were 489 cardiovascular-related illnesses among the firefighters, including heart attacks, coronary artery disease and even a few deaths.
The authors discovered that the cases were more severe among those who worked at the site the morning of the attack.
They also concluded that firefighters who worked at Ground Zero for six months or more were more likely to develop a cardiovascular disease than those who spent less time there.
"The findings of the study suggest a significant association between greater WTC (World Trade Center) ..

9/11 firefighters at greater risk of cardiovascular disease: study

Former England star Andrew Flintoff has revealed he dreams of coaching the national team in the future.
Flintoff called time on his international career in 2009 and has been working as a television presenter recently after a brief foray into boxing.
The all-rounder hopes to return to cricket in a coaching capacity and already has lower-level qualifications.
England are currently looking for someone to replace Trevor Bayliss who is due to step down at the end of the current Ashes series against Australia.
Flintoff, who helped England win the Ashes as a player in 2005 and 2009, concedes it is too soon to expect to get the job now.
But the 41-year-old refused to rule it out in the long-term.
"Coaching is definitely an ambition. There are probably two or three coaching jobs I'd like - England, Lancashire or Lancashire Academy," he told BBC radio's Test Match Special programme on Friday.
"I'd love to be England coach one day, just not quite yet." Flintoff, who played his county cricket ...

Flintoff reveals England coaching dream

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced Friday he is no longer considering an independent run for the US presidency.
"I have concluded that an independent campaign for the White House is not how I can best serve our country at this time," Schultz said in a statement.
Schultz, a billionaire, had depicted himself as a business-smart moderate Democrat who criticised what he called the party's excessive shift to the left.
Many in America had said that if he ran, Schultz would benefit the Republican Donald Trump by drawing away votes from whoever the Democratic candidate turns out to be for the 2020 election.
Schultz argued Friday that because of quirks in the US election system, it is likely that the Democratic nominee will not be known before the deadlines for an independent to get on the ballot.
"If I went forward, there is a risk that my name would appear on ballots even if a moderate Democrat wins the nomination, and that is not a risk I am willing to take," said ...

Ex-Starbucks boss Schultz ends flirtation with White House run

Turkey's main opposition party said its Istanbul head was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison on Friday mainly over social media posts, including "insults" to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Canan Kaftancioglu of the secular Republican People's Party (CHP)'s Istanbul branch, was found guilty of "terrorist propaganda", among other charges, in a trial she has derided as political.
She played a key role in the shock victory of the CHP's new Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu earlier this year -- the first time Erdogan's party had lost power in Turkey's biggest city for 25 years.
The CHP said the sentences must be confirmed by an appeals court before Kaftancioglu can be sent to prison.
The tweets included criticism of the death of a 14-year-old boy who was hit by a tear gas grenade during the mass "Gezi Park" protests of 2013.
She received sentences for five charges, including 20 months for "humiliating" the state, 18 months for "insulting a public official", 28 months for ...

Istanbul opposition leader sentenced to nearly 10 years

Robert Mugabe, the former guerrilla leader tuned despot who ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years until forced out by the military, has died aged 95, the country's president announced Friday.
First heralded as a liberator who rid the former British colony of Rhodesia of white minority rule, Mugabe used repression and fear to govern until he was finally ousted by his previously loyal generals in November 2017.
"It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe's founding father and former President... Robert Mugabe," President Emmerson Mnangagwa said in a tweet.
Mugabe died at 0240 GMT in Singapore, where he had been hospitalised in April, a Zimbabwean diplomat in South Africa told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"Mugabe was an icon of liberation, a pan-Africanist who dedicated his life to the emancipation and empowerment of his people. His contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten," Mnangagwa said.
Mugabe had been battling ...

Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's ruthless ex-president, dies aged 95

America's jobs engine downshifted in August as employers unexpectedly held back hiring across major industries, another sign that the world's largest economy could be weakening, government data showed Friday.
As the numbers were released, President Donald Trump, whose record as a job creator could wane ahead of next year's elections, renewed his attacks on the US central bank, which he blames for failing to stimulate the economy fast enough.
The surprisingly weak result confirmed that labor markets in 2019 have softened from their brisk pace last year amid a protracted trade dispute with China that has dragged down global trade, caused a spike in business uncertainty and driven US manufacturing into recession.
Employers added 130,000 net new positions for the month, far lower than analyst forecasts, while the jobless rate held steady at 3.7 percent for the third month in a row, and wages rose, according to Labor Department estimates.
Estimates for the May and June were also cut by a ..

US jobs creation cools in August as Trump hammers Fed

The exiled leader of Papua's independence movement has called for "a free and democratic referendum" backed by the UN, and warned over a possible bloodbath after weeks of deadly unrest gripped Indonesia's easternmost territory.
Tens of thousands protested across Papua -- on the western half of New Guinea island --  as anger over racism and calls for self-rule fuelled mass demonstrations and violent clashes between civilians and security forces.
"We need the UN to intervene," Benny Wenda, chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, told AFP by telephone from Britain, where he has lived for years.
"It's a new era and I'm confident that the world is beginning to notice what's going on."
A low-level separatist insurgency has simmered for decades in Papua, a former Dutch colony, after Jakarta took over the mineral-rich region in the 1960s.
A vote to stay within the archipelago was widely viewed as rigged.
This week, Indonesia repeated its position that a new independence ...

Papua independence leader calls for UN-backed vote

US travel and restaurant website TripAdvisor has failed to do enough to stop fake hotel reviews, British consumer association Which? said in a study published on Friday.
A total 15 out of 100 top-rated hotels around the world displayed TripAdvisor reviews showing "blatant" signs of being fake, the study found.
TripAdvisor responded that it was committed to ensuring accurate information and catching fraudsters, while Which? added that the website had taken down hundreds of reviews after its investigation.
"TripAdvisor's failure to stop fake reviews and take strong action against hotels that abuse the system risks misleading millions of travellers and potentially ruining their holidays," said Naomi Leach, head of the Which? travel division.
She added: "Sites like TripAdvisor must do more to ensure the information on their platforms is reliable, and if they continue to fall short they should be compelled to make changes so holidaymakers are no longer at risk of being duped by a flood of .

TripAdvisor 'failing to stop fake reviews': study

Sweden's foreign minister Margot Wallstrom announced Friday that she was stepping down from her post to focus on family.
"The time has come for me to spend more time with my husband, my children and my grandchildren. I have notified the Prime Minister of my wish to leave the government and my post as Minister for Foreign Affairs," Wallstrom said on Twitter.

Swedish foreign minister Wallstrom resigns

Germany plans to ban single-use plastic bags from next year, joining a growing movement to fight global pollution, the environment minister said Friday.
Supermarkets and other retailers will be barred from offering lightweight plastic carrier bags at their checkouts, including those now marketed as being biodegradable or being made from renewable sources instead of petroleum.
"The vast majority of Germans want this ban," said Environment Minister Svenja Schulze of the centre-left Social Democrats, introducing the initiative that she hopes to soon turn into law.
Breaches of the ban, set to take effect in the first half of next year, would threaten businesses with fines of up to 100,000 euros ($110,000), according to a report by Bild newspaper.
Plastic pollution, especially in waterways and oceans, is a major ecological hazard as it injures or kills marine and bird life, fouls beaches and creates giant floating garbage patches in oceans.
Scientists warn that, as plastic slowly breaks ...

AFP

AFP

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