Day: January 3, 2017

China: Regime confirms its carrier held drills in South China Sea

“China confirmed that its aircraft carrier has for the first time conducted drills in the South China Sea with a formation of other warships and fighter jets, a move that could raise concerns among its neighbors. The Defense Ministry said several J-15 fighter jets took off and landed from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Liaoning on Monday.

Rural schools facing low enrolment

PETALING JAYA: At least seven Chinese primary schools, almost all in rural areas, did not receive new Year One pupils this year, while 13 schools only had one new pupil. While vernacular schools in urban areas are struggling with burgeoning numbers, those in rural locations in Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Johor and Sarawak are having a hard time attracting new enrolment.

Syrian cease-fire crumbles as government forces advance around Damascus

BEIRUT - A Syrian cease-fire backed by Russia and Turkey is crumbling five days after it began, with government forces pushing offensives around Damascus and rebels threatening to suspend participation in further talks. The truce was to have been followed by a meeting between government representatives and mainstream rebel factions in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Video shows man believed to be nightclub attacker in Turkey

To continue reading up to 10 premium articles, you must register , or sign up and take advantage of this exclusive offer: In this photo obtained Tuesday Jan. 3, 2017, undated photo of a man believed to be the gunman who killed dozens at an Istanbul nightclub, films himself as he wanders nearby to Istanbul’s Taksim square. An assailant armed with a long-barrelled weapon, opened fire at the nightclub in Istanbul’s Ortakoy district during New Year’s celebrations, killing dozens of people and wounding many others.

Haiti certifies presidential win for businessman candidate

To continue reading up to 10 premium articles, you must register , or sign up and take advantage of this exclusive offer: A supporter of presidential candidate Jovenel Moise holds up a campaign poster as he celebrates his candidate’s victory in Petion-Ville, Haiti, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. An electoral tribunal certified on Tuesday the presidential election victory of the first-time candidate.

Rotorua’s new night-time wildlife experience

Rotorua, 4 January 2017: A new interactive night-time experience at Rotorua’s Rainbow Springs Nature Park offers visitors the opportunity to explore the park after-hours this summer, in a relaxed ‘Kiwi backyard’ setting. ‘In the Shadows: Dine + Discover’ runs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5 January to 25 February 2017 and includes a stylish three-course BBQ-style dinner, guided night walks, entertainment, animal encounters and the chance to see kiwi as they wake from their slumber.

Cold Southerly Blast Today

A cold southerly blast spreads up the country today, bringing a few thunderstorms and even hail to some areas in the east of the country. The cold change is expected to continue up the Kaikoura coast this afternoon, and the rest of the North Island this evening.

US-trained dolphins to help locate Mexico’s vaquita porpoise

U.S. Navy-trained dolphins and their handlers will participate in a last-ditch effort to catch, enclose and protect the last few dozen of Mexico’s critically endangered vaquita porpoises to save them from extinction. International experts confirmed the participation of the Navy Marine Mammal Program in the effort, which is expected to start sometime this spring.

Mexico registers first baby with maternal last names

Public registry officials in northern Mexico say they have registered the country’s first baby named with the maternal surnames of both parents. The tradition in Latin America is to give babies two last names – the father’s surname, followed by the mother’s paternal surname.

Suspected rebels storm Philippine jail, 132 inmates escape

KIDAPAWAN, Philippines – More than 130 inmates have escaped in one of the largest jailbreaks in recent years after suspected Muslim rebels attacked a jail in the southern Philippines before dawn on Wednesday, officials said. Jail warden Superintendent Peter Bongat said a guard was killed and an inmate was wounded in a gunbattle when dozens of gunmen stormed the North Cotabato District Jail in Kidapawan.

‘We were meant to be together forever’

THE fiancee of a young man killed in a jetskiing accident weeks before they were due to marry has paid tribute to his “quirky” personality. Launceston man Luke Rice, 22, was killed on Monday while jetskiing at Trevallyn Dam on the South Esk River in Tasmania.

Five Finger Death Punch Finish Next Studio Album

Ah, the joys of finishing a new album! Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Jason Hook was so overjoyed, he hopped on Instagram to post a seemingly innocuous shot of a car dashboard that is until you realize that it was Hook enjoying the moment of listening back to mixes from the new album through his BMW car stereo. “Our new record is finished,” beamed Hook in the caption accompanying the Instagram photo.

Leipzig: The Cosmopolitan City of Germany

Located in the East German state of Saxony at the confluence of three rivers, Leipzig has always been a historically important city. Many notable figures have lived here, and its citizens were instrumental in bringing about the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.

Water crisis in Syrian capital as government attacks valley

This frame grab from video provided By Yomyat Kzefeh Hawen Fi Dimashq , a Damascus-based media outlet that is consistent with independent AP reporting, shows Syrian re… , via AP). This frame grab from video provided By Yomyat Kzefeh Hawen Fi Dimashq , a Damascus-based media outlet that is consistent with independent AP reporting, shows Syrian re… , via AP).

The REAL heroes who expose what a tawdry joke out honours system…

The REAL heroes who expose what a tawdry joke out honours system is: Britain’s last Dambuster and our oldest Olympian were REFUSED gongs in list that knighted foreign aid boss – and gave Posh an OBE Even before our first glimpse of the New Year’s Honours list, there were howls of complaint when news of Victoria Beckham OBE leaked out in advance. The din grew even louder when the list duly appeared and we saw other awards, notably a knighthood for the man in charge of squandering Britain’s chaotic foreign aid budget and the mandatory gongs for Tory donors.

Canadian juniors look to test Sweden’s mettle

The Swedes didn’t see much adversity as they rolled off five straight wins to start the world junior hockey championship, and Canada will be their biggest test yet when they meet in a semifinal on Wednesday night at the Bell Centre. “They’re a good team.

Hail and ‘decent gusts’ for Christchurch

In the middle of New Zealand’s summer, hail could whiten the ground in Christchurch this afternoon as a cold snap moves up the island. Enough hail to blanket the ground is expected in the late afternoon, and Cantabrians with vegetable gardens are warned to cover them or expect damage from hailstones up to 1.5cm.

Alessandra Ambrosio soaks up sun in bikini while living it up in Brazil

‘We wish her the best’: Murdoch hopes Megyn Kelly has ‘tremendous success’ after it’s revealed she’ll return to Fox News show tonight but is out end of week after taking NBC ‘triple role’ Hillary WILL go to Trump inauguration – and so will Bill: Bitter Clintons accept invitation after George W Bush says he will be there Put down your fork after three bites, greet people with a kiss and NEVER let guests wash up! Etiquette expert reveals the Duchess of Cambridge’s rules for hosting a successful party The 10 rules that every long-term couple MUST follow in the bedroom to keep the romance alive and avoid someone straying Reality star’s cause of death is still unknown despite her student lover confessing to hitting her over the head with a hammer SEVEN times KATIE HOPKINS: Mariah Carey is a glitter-covered, camel-toed diva and her New Year’s Eve debacle is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen … (more)

Cane shortage brings down sugar rush

Sugar mills have been able to produce higher volume of the sweetener in the first quarter of the season due to better yield of sugarcane in Uttar Pradesh, but the euphoria of beating a lower output estimate may soon be over with factories in Maharashtra closing down one after another, earlier than the regular schedule. As much as 25 mills in the top sugar-producing state of Maharashtra have closed factories due to a severe shortage of sugarcane.

Thanks Obama=

Recently, President Obama spearheaded a UN resolution effectively declaring Judaism’s and Christianity’s holiest sites, the Temple Mount, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Western Wall, Israeli occupied territory belonging to Palestinians. Now, Muslims are demanding Jews and Christians stop referring to the site by it’s historical Jewish name, the Temple Mount.

IAAF guidelines for Russians hoping to compete as neutrals

The IAAF provided new guidelines Tuesday for Russians hoping to compete in a neutral capacity while their country remains banned from track and field competitions. The governing body of athletics said it is assessing evidence and intelligence relating to around 200 Russian athletes gathered by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren.

Pentagon: The US can protect its allies from North Korean nukes

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un provides field guidance at the newly built National Space Development General Satellite Control and Command Centre in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency in Pyongyang May 3, 2015. The US Defense Department, reacting to North Korea’s statement that it plans to test an intercontinental ballistic missile, said on Tuesday it was confident in its ability to protect U.S. allies and the U.S. homeland from threats from Pyongyang.

China Needs U.S. More Than U.S. Needs China

I received several questions concerning the subject matter of my last column , wherein I introduced the Triffin Dilemma, so I’m going to expand on those issues here. Because of the rhetoric being used by Donald Trump and his economic team concerning the need to renegotiate new trade agreements and threatening domestic companies with penalties for taking advantage of existing agreements , it is important to understand the logic for doing so and the issues that may arise as a result.

Libya’s Oil Revival Gathers Pace to Highlight Risks on OPEC Deal

Libya, the holder of Africa’s biggest crude reserves, is ramping up output from its biggest oil field again after two years of internal conflict, the latest reminder of just how vulnerable OPEC’s quest to clear a global crude glut might be. The Sharara deposit in the Libya’s south west will ship almost 1.9 million barrels this month from its Zawiya port near Tripoli, according to a loading program obtained by Bloomberg.

‘Disorder’ at protest after man shot dead on M62

It is understood protesters have gathered on Leeds Road in Bradford in response to the death of father-of-two Mohammed Yassar Yaqub, who was shot by police in a “pre-planned operation” at Ainley Top near Huddersfield. We are unable to send your welcome email at this time.

Islamic guards at Jerusalem holy site object to archaeologist calling it a Temple Mounta

A respected Israeli archaeologist was nearly ejected from a holy site in Jerusalem for calling it by the term “Temple Mount.” Archeologist Dr. Gabriel Barkay on Sunday was explaining the archaeological history of the site to a multi-faith group of students from the University of California-Los Angeles when two guards of the Wakf, the Islamic authority that oversees the site known as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, who had been shadowing the group, brought him to Israel Police officers at the site to complain, the Times of Israel reported.

Homes connected to Berlin attack raided

German investigators searched a refugee centre and a flat in Berlin on Tuesday which they believe were homes to associates of the Tunisian man who killed 12 people in an attack in the capital before Christmas, the federal prosecutor’s office said. Anis Amri ploughed a truck through a Berlin Christmas market on December 19. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, calling the assailant a “soldier” of the militant group.