Financial Times (January 24)
Undercover reporting by the Financial Times revealed “groping and sexual harassment” at a secretive black-tie event that “has been a mainstay of London’s social calendar for 33 years.” Thursday’s event, attended by 360 men “from British business, politics and finance” with entertainment provided by 130 female hostesses, however, will be the last. The expose unleashed a deluge of criticism and The Presidents Club is disbanding.
Tags: Black-tie, Business, Entertainment, Finance, Groping, London, Politics, Presidents Club, Reporting, Secretive, Sexual harassment, Social calendar, Undercover
New York Times (October 21)
“The sweeping victory of Justin Trudeau in Canada’s elections on Monday shows how ready Canadians were to emerge from a decade under the Conservative government of the secretive and combative Stephen Harper,” who proved to be “at odds with” Canada’s identity, which features “core values, like a generous safety net, active participation in international organizations like the United Nations, a humanitarian foreign policy and an inclusive concept of nationhood.”
Tags: Canada, Conservatives, Core values, Foreign policy, Harper, Safety net, Secretive, Sweeping victory, Trudeau, UN
BBC (December 13, 2013)
The purge and execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle Chang Song-thaek has provided fodder for speculation, such as whether the dramatic events herald a broader purge. “Such a public display of state brutality is unprecedented, but the ultra-secretive nature of the state means that observers can never really claim to know exactly what happened and when,” let alone forecast what will ensue.
Tags: Brutality, Chang Song-thaek, Execution, Kim Jong Un, North Korea, Observers, Purge, Secretive, State