Jeremy Corbyn is facing his toughest electoral test to date as voters go to the polls in two crunch by-elections in Labour’s traditional heartlands. The party is fighting to hold Copeland and Stoke-on-Trent Central in the face of strong challenges from the Conservatives and Ukip.
Day: February 23, 2017
US envoy Tillerson in Mexico to soothe ties
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets with Mexican leaders on Thursday to try to calm a row over President Donald Trump’s trade and immigration policies. Trump has outraged Mexico by vowing to build a wall along the border to keep out migrants, whom he branded rapists and criminals during his presidential campaign.
Surigao airport reopened 12 days after quake damages runway
By MB Online After 12 days since its runway was damaged by the 6.7-magnitude earthquake, Surigao airport has finally reopened. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines issued a Notice to Airmen announcing the reopening of the said airport.
Iraqi forces push up to Mosul’s key military base by airport
Iraq’s special forces say they have begun an assault against the Islamic State group on a sprawling military base south of Mosul that’s adjacent to the city’s airport.
Victoria Jones plays Cilla in Cilla and the Shades of the 60s [Picture: Scott Candi]
There’s a ‘stunning and elegant’ review of the life of singer Cilla Black coming to the Exmouth Pavilion soon. And we’ve got a pair of tickets for this terrific show to give away in our easy-to-enter competition! Cilla and the Shades of the 60s rediscovers one of pop music’s most defining eras, and reflects on some of its biggest stars.
American Samoa’s ex-congressman dies at 73
In this Jan. 5, 2011 file photo, House Speaker John Boehner, second left, of Ohio participates in a ceremonial House swearing-in ceremony for Del.
Moore eyes permanent stay at Bradford Bulls
Scott Moore looks on in the background during his debut for Bulls against Swinton. The prop is looking forward to making his first home appearance against Toulouse Picture: Brian King Moore, who joined the Odsal club on a four-game trial last week, is currently the subject of a police investigation after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and theft.
Iraqi security forces storm Mosul airport
“Rapid response forces, federal police and anti-terrorism forces stormed Mosul airport… and an al-Ghazlani military camp,” said a statement read out on state TV.
Tech breakthroughs take a backseat in upcoming Apple iPhone launch
An Apple iPhone 7 and the company logo are seen in this illustration picture taken in Bordeaux, France on February 1, 2017. FILE PHOTO – A customer buys the new iPhone 7 smartphone inside an Apple Inc. store in Los Angeles, California, U.S. on September 16, 2016.
Top students more likely to smoke pot, drink alcohol, study says
British teens with the highest test scores are less likely to smoke cigarettes yet more likely to drink alcohol and smoke pot compared with teens with lower scores, according to a study published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal Open. Although some people believe smart students simply have a tendency to experiment, James Williams and Gareth Hagger-Johnson, co-authors of the new study, say these patterns of substance use may continue into adulthood.
UN hosts ‘Geneva IV’ talks: Sequel or new script for Syria?
After months of Syria bloodshed, stalled humanitarian aid deliveries and stop-and-start diplomacy, U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura is reconvening talks between government and opposition delegations on Thursday, in the latest bid to end the country’s catastrophic six-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more. Hopes are not exactly high for “Geneva IV,” the fourth round of U.N-mediated intra-Syrian talks since early last year.
Fred’s drugstore chain to double with Rite-Aid store buys
It all started Tuesday, when Fred’s said it would pay $950 million to buy 865 stores that Rite Aid needed to sell in order to appease anti-trust regulators and close its $9.4 billion buyout deal with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. The deal will more than double Fred’s current store count of 650. CEO Michael Bloom called it a “transformative event” for the company.
The Latest: Malaysia wants Interpol help on tracing suspects
The Latest on the investigation into the killing of Kim Jong Nam, Kim Jong Un’s half brother, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia : Malaysia’s national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar says help has been sought from Interpol to issue an alert for the four North Korean suspects who left Malaysia on the same day Kim Jong Nam, a half brother of North Korea’s leader, was killed. It is not known what Interpol can do, as the four are believed to be back in Pyongyang and North Koreas is not a member of Interpol.
Seven Earth-like planets discovered around single star
Researchers announced on Feb. 22 the stunning discovery of seven Earth-like planets orbiting a small star in our galaxy, opening up the most promising hunting ground so far for life beyond the Solar System. All seven roughly match the size and mass of our own planet and are almost certainly rocky, and three are perfectly perched to harbour life-nurturing oceans of water, they reported in the journal Nature.
Photo: In this Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, photo released b
In this Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, photo released by China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Pandas, a worker feeds U.S.-born giant panda Bao Bao as she arrived at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan province.
US muscle flexing not a cure to DPRK issue
A surface-to-surface medium- and long-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2 is test-fired by DPRK on Jan 12, 2017. [Photo/VCG] China will not import coal from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for the rest of 2017, the Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday.
Latin American Cafe delivers diverse dining
The space at 710 Central Ave. in Estherville has had a few issues with past owners opening or staying open. This time, the grill is sizzling, the oven baking, and the service is friendly with manager Oliver Mejia wrangling the front of house.
Activists seek corporate help for Myanmar’s Rohingyas
Activists are asking a major corporate investor in Myanmar to speak out against the country’s treatment of its Rohingya minority. An advocacy group, known as #WeAreAllRohingyaNow, sent an open letter this week to food and hygiene conglomerate Unilever, which owns two factories near Yangon, the largest city in the country.
Glasgow City keeper targets place at European Championships after Scotland call-up
Stewartfield star Lee Alexander is hoping to win her first cap for her country at the Cyprus Cup next week Lee Alexander is hoping to stake her claim for a place in the Scotland women’s squad at this summer’s European Championships after receiving a call-up to the national team. The uncapped Glasgow City goalkeeper, from Stewartfield, has been named in Anna Signeul’s 21-woman squad for the Cyprus Cup next week and is determined to make an impression.
Philippines’ minister says Duterte agrees with ban on mining in watershed areas
The Philippines’ environment minister on Thursday said that President Rodrigo Duterte had supported her decision to bar mining in watershed areas at a meeting earlier this week. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers a speech during the Philippine Military Academy alumni homecoming in Fort Del Pilar, Baguio city, north of Manila, Philippines February 18, 2017.