Top US Republican Paul Ryan distances himself from Donald Trump
The leader of the US House of Representatives distanced himself from Donald Trump on Monday (Oct 10) as the Republican presidential candidate's campaign sank deeper into crisis over his sexually aggressive remarks about women.
House Speaker Paul Ryan told an emergency meeting of fellow Republican lawmakers that he would neither defend Trump or campaign with him in the coming 30 days, the time remaining to the Nov 8 presidential and congressional elections, but would focus on protecting Republican majorities in Congress.
His comments were made during a conference call by Republicans in the US Congress, a source familiar with the call said. The call was arranged to work out how to handle the fallout from a video that surfaced on Friday (Oct 7) showing the Republican nominee making lewd comments about women in 2005.
Brexit minister says UK has negotiating leverage on financial passporting
Britain will have leverage in talks with the European Union over so-called "passporting" rights, which allow financial services to be sold into the EU states from London, Brexit minister David Davis told parliament on Monday.
"Actually, we issue more passports than we seek," Davis said citing figures used by another lawmaker earlier in a parliamentary debate. "As a result, our negotiating leverage in this area is at least reasonable."
Warning financial firms against "rashly" pre-empting the outcome of Britain's EU negotiations by moving staff overseas, he said the finance ministry had been considering alternative arrangements to allow the sale of financial services across EU borders.
With Syrians' help, German police arrest ISIS bomb plot suspect
A Syrian man suspected of planning an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) bomb plot in Germany was arrested on Monday, thanks to three of his compatriots who restrained the fugitive and handed him to police.
Jaber Albakr, 22, had narrowly slipped through the police net on Saturday when commandos raided his apartment and found 1.5 kilogrammes of TATP, the homemade explosive used by militants in the Paris and Brussels attacks.
The explosives were "almost ready, or even ready for use", said Joerg Michaelis, chief investigator in the eastern state of Saxony, adding that the suspect was apparently preparing a "bomb, possibly in the form of a suicide vest".
Apple stock hits highest since Dec on Samsung Note 7 fire crisis
Apple Inc's stock on Monday jumped 2.2 per cent, reaching a high not seen since December, after rival Samsung Electronics suspended production of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphones following reports of fires in replacement devices.
Fires in the smartphones that were meant to replace devices that had been recalled because of their propensity to explode could be a disaster for Samsung and a potential boon to Apple.
Apple's stock was up 2.2 per cent at US$116.59 (S$160.36) in afternoon trading and was the largest contributor to gains on the S&P 500. Earlier, Samsung's stock dipped 1.5 per cent.
Dubai begins building 'world's tallest' tower
Dubai began construction work on Monday (Oct 10) on a tower that will stand higher than its Burj Khalifa, which is currently the world's tallest skyscraper.
The Gulf emirate's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, marked the groundbreaking of The Tower at Dubai Creek Harbour as construction workers laid foundations for the skyscraper at a vast patch of sand.
The structure "will be the world's tallest tower when completed in 2020," said a statement issued at the ceremony.
