UK club rocked by accusations of sexual misconduct
UK club rocked by accusations of sexual misconduct
LONDON
Britain’s financial “old boys” club was rocked by its own sexual harassment scandal Wednesday after a Financial Times investigation found that female hostesses were groped at a men-only charity gala attended by hundreds of senior executives.
Last week’s event at London’s Dorchester Hotel featured about 100 female hostesses who were required to wear short skirts and high heels. The hostesses included two undercover FT reporters who described harassment, lewd comments and “repeated requests to join diners in bedrooms elsewhere in the Dorchester.”
“It is quite extraordinary to me that in the 21st century, allegations of this kind are emerging,” Education Minister Anne Milton told the House of Commons after lawmakers requested an urgent discussion of the matter.
US puts sanctions on North Korea’s business interests
WASHINGTON
The Trump administration slapped sanctions Wednesday on North Korean financial and business networks in China and Russia as it pushed to cut off revenues for the increasingly isolated nation’s nuclear and missile programs.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also targeted five North Korean shipping companies and six of its vessels. That’s part of an intensified effort by Washington to interdict ships that help the North evade sanctions.
The sanctions have been tightened significantly in the past year as Kim Jong Un’s government accelerates toward perfecting a nuclear weapon that can threaten the U.S. mainland.
Maine shaken by 5th quake in a week
HARRISON, Maine
An earthquake has been recorded in Maine for the fifth time in a week.
The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed a 2.3-magnitude earthquake struck about 2 a.m. Wednesday. The earthquake was centered near Harrison, and multiple people reported shaking.
Another minor earthquake was recorded in Dresden on Jan. 17. The agency said the 2.6-magnitude quake struck before 7 p.m., and it was followed by two other minor quakes.
Fairfield was shaken by an earthquake two days after that, a magnitude 1.7.
No injuries or damage have been reported.
Earthquakes happen in New England, but they’re relatively rare.
A 4.0-magnitude quake in 2012 near Hollis, Maine, was felt as far away as Connecticut, and a 4.2-magnitude quake in 2006 struck Maine’s Mount Desert Island, causing boulders to tumble.
Militants attack Afghan offices of children’s NGO
KABUL, Afghanistan
Militants stormed the offices of Save the Children in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing four people and triggering a shootout with police that lasted almost 10 hours, provincial officials and the organization said.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. Among the four killed were two staffers of the NGO, a security guard who also worked for Save the Children and an Afghan army soldier.
The assault started with a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives’ vest at the provincial offices of Save the Children, said Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor.
Associated Press