Month: December 2016

Friend of South Korea’s Park denies charges on first day of trial

Choi Soon-sil, a long-time friend of South Korean President Park Geun-hye who is at the center of the South Korean political scandal involving Park, arrives for her first court hearing in Seoul, South Korea, December 19, 2016. Korea Pool/via Choi Soon-sil , a long-time friend of South Korean President Park Geun-hye who is at the center of the South Korean political scandal involving Park, arrives for her first court hearing in Seoul, South Korea, December 19, 2016.

Russian military plane crashes in Siberia, 23 hospitalized: agencies

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday that one of its planes had crashed in northeast Siberia, but that nobody had been killed in the accident, Russian news agencies reported. The Defence Ministry Ilyushin Il-18 aircraft made an emergency landing 30 kilometers from an airfield near the town of Tiksi in the Sakha Republic at 4:45 a.m. local time, the TASS news agency reported.

Weeding out a deadly farming issue

LIVESTOCK CONCERN: Yenda Producers animal health consultant Korie Hoskinson urges farmers to inspect livestock of liver damage following growth of deadly weeds. PHOTO: Rebecca Hopper LIVESTOCK farmers in the Riverina are being encouraged to check their paddocks for potentially deadly weeds, spread by increased winter rain.

Mother-of-three avoids jail for causing crash that left woman with life changing injuries

Claire Pringle lost control of her car as she overtook on double white lines on a sharp bend, swerving into the grass verge and hedge on the A358 Chard to Taunton road in the Peasmarsh area. Her car ended up at a 90 degree angle to the road, hit a car on the opposite side of the road and veered into the path of a car coming in the opposite direction, while two other cars also collided, Taunton Crown Court heard on Friday.

Risk of Australia’s first 2016/17 cyclone this week

A slow-moving tropical low in the Indian Ocean could intensify into Australia’s first cyclone of the 2016/17 season, forecasters said on Monday. The near-stationary low was situated 550 km north northwest of Karratha, an oil, gas and iron ore mining hub along Australia’s west coast, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Leanspoon, Truworth ink deal for corporate wellness services

Hyderabad, Dec 19 : LeanSpoon, a health food startup, and Truworth Wellness, a digital health and wellness company, have partnered to integrate health and wellness requirements for corporate workforce, a statement said on Monday. [NK Andhra Pradesh] LeanSpoon and Truworth Wellness’ The Wellness Corner, a web and mobile engagement platform, will enable users to order healthy and nutritionally-balanced meals that match up to their personal nutrition requirements.

Local Taliban Commander Killed In Afghan Checkpoint Clash

The Afghan police repelled a Taliban attack on security checkpoint in the eastern province of Laghman on Monday, killing three militant, China’s Xinhua news agency reported quoting the provincial government. “Armed militants stormed an Afghan Local Police post in Dawlat Shahi district roughly at 1.30 am local time and the ALP fought back the attack after three hours exchange of firing, killing three militants,” it said in a statement.

Amnesty: Myanmar may be guilty of crimes against humanity

Amnesty International said Myanmar may be guilty of crimes against humanity in a report published Monday documenting a brutal “scorched earth” campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority. “The Myanmar military has targeted Rohingya civilians in a callous and systematic campaign of violence,” Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty International’s director for South-east Asia and the Pacific, said in a statement.

A Christmas tale of thievery

Sylvia was partial to the idea of spending Christmas in New York City, of seeing the big tree, shopping at the original Macy’s and such. But Tom had that TV preacher’s spiel bouncing around in his head: Christmas in the Holy Land.

Ap Photos: Editor selections from the past week in Asia

In this Friday, Dec. 16, 2016, photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, share a light moment during their visit to the Kodokan judo hall in Tokyo. Russia and Japan agreed Friday to hold talks on joint economic development on four islands at the center of a territorial dispute between the countries.

S. Korea begins trial of confidante of disgraced president

Choi Soon-sil, the jailed confidante of disgraced South Korean President Park Geun-hye, center, appears for the first day of her trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. less Choi Soon-sil, the jailed confidante of disgraced South Korean President Park Geun-hye, center, appears for the first day of her trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Dec. 19, … more Choi Soon-sil, the jailed confidante of disgraced South Korean President Park Geun-hye, center, appears for the first day of her trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Dec. 19, 2016.

Pressure on Myanmar as region holds Rohingya talks

Myanmar faced growing pressure from its neighbours on Monday over claims its army has carried out a bloody campaign of abuse against its Rohingya minority as ministers held emergency talks on the crisis. More than 27,000 from the Muslim ethnic group have fled northwestern Myanmar for Bangladesh since the start of November to escape a heavy-handed military counterinsurgency campaign.

Mowden could link up with Newcastle Falcons

DARLINGTON Mowden Park could be offered the chance to “buddy up” with Newcastle Falcons next season if RFU plans are given the go-ahead. The main aim is for financially-strapped Championship clubs who have no interest in promotion to utilise up to 12 under-used players from a Premiership club, plus academy youngsters.

Bronze Age burial site in suburbia given heritage protection status

A Bronze Age burial site in suburban London, Victorian lamp-posts and Britain’s oldest water chute ride are among the more unusual heritage protected this year. More than 1,000 places have been given protected status across England in 2016, and government body Historic England has released details of 21 of the most surprising and lesser known sites which are now on the heritage list.

RPT-High-flying Freeport CEO steers towards new Indonesia mining deal

JAKARTA, Dec 16 Chappy Hakim, a retired air force chief who says he knows next to nothing about mining, now heads Indonesia’s biggest copper producer, entrusted to use his connections to guide it through regulatory uncertainty to a renewed contract for its mine. Picking another former military officer to lead the local unit of U.S. mining giant Freeport-McMoRan underlines how pivotal political ties can be in Indonesia, where the firm got its start nearly 50 years ago helped by close relations to late autocratic President Suharto.

French foreign minister visits Haiti city devastated by

France’s foreign minister has visited a Haitian city devastated by Hurricane Matthew two months when the Category 4 storm’s center tore through the impoverished country’s southwest. The French Embassy in Port-au-Prince says the purpose of Jean-Marc Ayrault’s visit to Jeremie on Sunday was to express France’s solidarity with its former colony as affects areas struggle to recover from Matthew’s Oct. 4 passage.

Ex-soccer star, now mayor, ends hunger strike in Mexico

Former Mexican soccer star Cuauhtemoc Blanco says he is ending a hunger strike to defend his mayorship of the city of Cuernavaca, after Mexico’s Supreme Court issued a stay against efforts to impeach him. He had begun sitting outside the cathedral early Saturday to protest the state congress’ decision to refer the impeachment process to a three-judge panel.

Amnesty warns Myanmar over treatment of Rohingya

Amnesty International has warned Myanmar that the actions of its military may constitute crimes against humanity, based on accounts of violence against the country’s Muslim Rohingya minority. Myanmar has come under heavy criticism for its army’s forceful treatment of the Rohingya.

Zim Warriors vs Ivory Coast; Afcon 2017, Football friendly latest news

With many top players still involved in international club football, Zimbabwe Warriors will miss the likes of Knowledge Musona in their Abidjan friendly encounter against the elephants of Ivory Coast on Monday next week. China-based forward Nyasha Mushekwi who is attending to personal issues in UK will also miss the friendly, so is Sparta Prague defender Costa Nhamoinesu who has club commitments.

Venezuela leader says cash crackdown a victory over foes

Venezuela’s president said Sunday that the sudden decision to scrap the country’s most-used currency bill was an economic triumph over the country’s enemies even as the government sent troops and police to cities where riots and looting broke out over the measure. In a national radio and television broadcast, Nicolas Maduro said his abrupt action had flooded the country’s banks with currency deposited by Venezuelans racing to get rid of the paper bills while also devastating Colombian-border currency traders he blames for the bolivar’s precipitous plunge in value against “the criminal dollar.”

Sen. Cory Gardner must reject Rex Tillerson as secretary of state

In this June 15, 2012, file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson shake hands at a signing ceremony of an agreement between state-controlled Russian oil company Rosneft and ExxonMobil at the Black Sea port of Tuapse, southern Russia. The U.S. intelligence community has stated that Russia interfered with our free and democratic elections, and last week Donald Trump appointed ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be secretary of state.

Council shake-up as Conservative councillor switches to Greens

WELCOME: Cllr Claudia Moore, second left, with Cllr Jon Orrell, Cllr Clare Sutton and Green campaign coordinator Caz Dennett Picture: GARDIA PHOTOGRAPHY THE Green Party has gained another councillor in Weymouth and Portland after Claudia Moore crossed the floor from the Conservatives. Cllr Moore, who has been a councillor for Weymouth West since 2014, said she felt “more closely aligned with the Greens”, but also expressed concern about some Tory decisions.

Joseph Kabila prepares to crush protests in Congo power play

Flares are launched by DRCongo Police forces during a demonstration in Goma on September 19, 2016. At least 17 people, mostly civilians, were killed on September 19, 2016 when clashes erupted ahead of a planned opposition rally in the Congolese capital Kinshasa, a minister said, warning the toll was “provisional”.

Olympiakos comes from behind to beat Panetolikos 3-1

ATHENS, Greece – Defending champion Olympiakos needed an equalizer and two late goals to beat Panetolikos 3-1 in the Greek league on Sunday. Panetolikos had two good chances to open the scoring in the first half before finally succeeding in the 52nd with a header by Giorgos Kousas.

Alleged BDS activist writer may be forced to leave Israel

A journalist who has allegedly engaged in activity supportive of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement may not be able to remain in Israel, the Government Press Office told The Jerusalem Post exclusively on Sunday. GPO director Nitzan Chen said he was leaning against renewing the press card of Antony Loewenstein, a Jerusalem- based freelance reporter who writes for The Guardian and other publications.

Scotland to Propose Plan to Stay in EU, Curb Brexit Damage

Scotland will publish proposals this week for how it can remain in the European single market after Britain leaves the European Union in order to avoid the “national disaster” of a “hard Brexit,” the Scottish government said Sunday. British Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the formal process of leaving the EU, by the end of March to kick off two years of exit talks.

Scotland to Propose Plan to Stay in EU, Curb Brexit Damage

Scotland will publish proposals this week for how it can remain in the European single market after Britain leaves the European Union in order to avoid the “national disaster” of a “hard Brexit,” the Scottish government said Sunday. British Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the formal process of leaving the EU, by the end of March to kick off two years of exit talks.