Month: December 2016

Sri Muda Umno members leave for Pribumi

SHAH ALAM: Some 200 former Umno members from Sri Muda are claimed to have left their party for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Pribumi supreme council member Abu Bakar Yahya said that he had received more than 200 applications to join the party from various Umno divisions in Taman Sri Muda.

Mumbere 670×305

Scores of people died and the Rwenzururu king, Charles Wesley Mumbere and over 160 of his subjects arrested in the incident. Joint prayers for the families of the people killed and arrested in the November bloody clashes in Kasese district were held in Kasese town.

Fake celeb encounter top fake news for Medicine Hat

Way back when, this column challenged readers to get Medicine Hat on the map in 2016, nudging eyeballs toward application and nomination forms for halls of fame, committees and other enterprises of renown. The most notable, but absolutely unconfirmed mention of the Hat comes via a series of Facebook posts that portend that actor Hugh Jackman got a flat outside town.

UNSC Resolution 2334 Takes Israel’s Shackles Off

At first, the resolution knocked the wind out of Israel and the Jewish nation, worldwide, as well as those who support the Jewish state and the Jewish nation. The gathering storm has not moved on and is not totally over; there are 22 more days for Obama’s disastrous reign during which, after he stabbed Israel in her back he may go for the jugular and declare a “Palestine” state, a member of the putrid United Nations Organization .

Pacific islands first to welcome in new year

Islands in Polynesia and the Central Pacific have ushered in the new year as the UK counts down to the start of 2017. Cities in the island nations of Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati were the first to welcome the new year as the clock hit 10am on New Year’s Eve in London.

Here are the best and worst investments from 2016

With the S&P/TSX composite index up roughly 18 per cent, the S&P/TSX venture up 44 per cent and the major U.S. indices all hitting record highs, you had to have a really good year in 2016 to stand out from the pack. And, from the Russian ruble to the mighty marijuana plant, there were plenty of assets that did just that.

Turning Iraq history to rubble, leaving the mess to looters

Iraq archaeologist Layla Salih, left, confers with UNESCO’s representative in Iraq Louse Haxthausen, right, at the ancient site of Nimrud, Iraq, in this Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016 photo. Days after Iraqi forces drove the Islamic State group from Nimrud in November, Salih arrived to survey the damage they wreaked on the nearly 3,000-year-old site.

Agatha Christie had little-known role in ancient Nimrud

This 1949 photo taken by British mystery author Agatha Christie shows a statue of a lamassu, a winged bull from Assyrian mythology who guarded the royal court from evil, at the ancient site of Nimrud, near modern day Mosul, Iraq. Christie had a little-known link to Nimrud: She accompanied her husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan, as he excavated the onetime capital of the Assyrian Empire, and she assisted by piecing together some artifacts and chronicling the dig in photos and film.

Bravo, you saved $4: Why your New Year’s Eve fill-up to avoid…

While the rest of Canada was quietly stocking up on champagne and sparklers for the New Year’s countdown, in Alberta and Ontario there were long lineups as drivers queued for one last fill-up before 2017. The reason? New climate change legislation that, once in force on January 1, would jack up fuel prices by about five cents per litre.

Greek ambassador to Brazil killed; widow and 2 men questioned

Brazilian police are questioning the widow of the Greek ambassador to that country, along with a military police officer described as her lover and another man in the death of the diplomat, authorities said Friday. Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, had been missing since Monday, Evaristo Pontes Magalhaes, a police investigator in the Baixada Fluminense state, said Friday at a news conference.

US stocks notched big gains in 2016 despite an early stumble

In a year with no shortage of surprises and stomach-churning turns in the market, stock investors can feel pretty good about 2016. Wall Street repeatedly bounced back from steep slumps, including the worst start to any year for stocks, the second correction for the market in five months and investor fears of a global slowdown.

Man charged with wife’s death in Tonga wants his cash back

A U.S. citizen detained in Honolulu and facing extradition to Tonga where he’s accused of beating his wife to death has asked the U.S. government to return cash he had amassed from other countries including Canada and New Zealand. The various denominations of currency from Tonga, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United States are the “only means that Mr. Fletcher has to hire an attorney and mount any meaningful defense to the charges in Tonga,” Assistant Federal Defender Melinda Yamaga said in the motion.

S. Koreans demand president’s removal on New Year’s Eve

Even on New Year’s Eve, large crowds of South Koreans were expected to join another rally demanding the ouster of impeached President Park Geun-hye, who’s determined to restore her powers through a court trial. Hundreds of thousands were expected to participate in the evening marches near Seoul’s presidential palace and the Constitutional Court.

2016 Mattapoisett Woman of the Year: Jo Pannell never stops giving to the town

The Council on Aging, the Historical Commission and Society and the public library - Jo Pannell has more than made her mark on all these town organizations in decades as a dedicated volunteer.  She worked with persistence to obtain the town’s first wheelchair accessible van, COA treasurer Liz Field said in her written recommendation of Pannell, and she is helping to create the Brick Memorial Park walkway at Ned’s Point and Shipyard Park.  As Field’s recommendation points out, Pannell has been a member of the Historical Commission since 1998 and is now chairman. She’s a member of the Friends of the Public Library and a regular volunteer there.

China says ‘Sky Net’ campaign recovers $331 million in corruption losses

China’s President Xi Jinping looks on before meeting with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the Great Halll of the People in Beijing, China December 2, 2016. China has recovered 2.3 billion yuan in losses from graft in the first 11 months of this year from across more than 70 different regions and countries, the country’s corruption watchdog said on its official website on Saturday.

Taiwan says will be calm when dealing with China, but 2017 will test national security

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Saturday that Taiwan will be “calm” when facing issues to do with China, but uncertainties next year will test the self-ruled island and its national security team, even as she recommitted to maintaining peace. FILE PHOTO: Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen waves her hand as she boards the nation’s first domestically built Tuo Jiang twin-hull stealth missile corvette at Suao Naval Base in Yilan, Taiwan June 4, 2016.

Throat singer, children’s storyteller among new Order of Canada recipients

As Canada enters a year marked by national birthday celebrations and the beginnings of an inquiry into the country’s past, sordid treatment of its indigenous peoples, Nunavut-based throat singer Tanya Tagaq Gillis hopes her music will open minds and lead to change. So far, though, she’s been confronted by some closed ones – people who send her hate mail over how her art form breaks from tradition.

US Scrambles to Clear Egg Exports to Bird Flu-hit South Korea

U.S. officials are urgently seeking an agreement with South Korea that would allow imports of American eggs so farmers can cash in on a shortage caused by the Asian country’s worst-ever outbreak of bird flu. South Korea banned imports of U.S. table eggs last year after the United States grappled with its own bout of bird flu.

Vancouver hotel manager guided newcomers into Canadian life

The families endured a frustrating period waiting to start their lives in a new land, but Mr. Ali and his staff tried their best to make the hotel feel like a home. The families endured a frustrating period waiting to start their lives in a new land, but Mr. Ali and his staff tried their best to make the hotel feel like a home.

Russian hackers penetrated Vermont electric utility -Wash Post

A code associated with the Russian hacking operation dubbed Grizzly Steppe by the Obama administration has been detected within the system of a Vermont electric utility, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing unnamed U.S. officials. The Russians did not actively use the code to disrupt operations of the utility, the officials told the Post, but penetration of the nation’s electrical grid is significant because it represents a potentially serious vulnerability.

World News Schedule at 0200 GMT/0900 Et

PALM BEACH, Fla./ MOSCOW – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump praises Russian President Vladimir Putin for refraining from retaliation in dispute over spying and cyber attacks, in another sign that Republican plans to patch up badly frayed relations with Moscow. , moved, by Richard Cowan and Polina Devitt, 870 words) BEIRUT – Clashes, shelling and air raids in western Syria mar Russian- and Turkish-backed cease-fire that aims to end nearly six years of war and lead to peace talks between rebels and government emboldened by recent battlefield success.

Junior Josh storms home in boilover

HE is competing with the senior cyclists for the first time at a Tasmanian Carnivals series but Launceston teenager Josh Duffy showed the tactical nous of a seasoned veteran to cause a major boilover and claim the Devonport Wheel. The 16-year-old made the most of his 240m mark at the front of the field in last night’s final, to hold off some fast-finishing backmarkers to claim the $6500 prize in the biggest win of his infant career.

Five-star performance

This one’s mine: Andrea Lee beat Aifa Azman to win the girls’ Under-19 title at the Pontefract Open yesterday. Despite missing Ng Eain Yow, who withdrew from the boys’ Under-19 category on Wednesday after falling sick, the Malaysian youngsters proved unstoppable when the four-day meet ended yesterday.

Azmin resigns as FAS president in another twist to internal strife

Their president, who is also the Selangor Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, has decided to step down from the post he has held since December 2014. In a joint Facebook statement with former Selangor manager Amirudin Shari, Azmin gave an assurance that the state government will continue to provide support in the development of the sport which will be announced soon.

More

The 29th London Art Fair , the UK’s premier Fair for Modern British and contemporary art, will be the most international edition to date when it returns to the Business Design Centre, Islington, from 18-22 January 2017. The Fair is renowned for providing a supportive environment for collectors of all levels, enhanced by an engaging programme of curated exhibitions, talks, tours, films and performances.

Magnificent masterpieces by Artemisia Gentileschi on view at the Museo di Roma

A journey through the art of the first half of the 17th century in the footsteps of a great and true woman. A first-class painter with a lively effervescent mind, who did not limit herself to sublime painting techniques, but who could modulate it according to the demands of her different patrons, transform it after having absorbed the best from her contemporaries, as she did from the ancient masters, sculptors and painters.

More Queensland women choose midwives to deliver babies

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of Queensland women choosing midwives to manage the birth of their babies, despite doctors’ concerns the practice puts patients at risk. The midwife model of care operates in five hospitals across the state, which have all reported a rise in demand.

New Year’s Honours for red rose greats

Thirteen people – including Preston Paralympic champion Stephanie Slater, academics, community heroes and business heavyweights – have appeared alongside celebrities such as Ken Dodd and Andy Murray. UCLan’s Professor of Stroke Care Caroline Watkins, the only stroke care professor in the UK, has been made a Dame for her services to stroke and nursing care.

Pic credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Photographers, dance teachers, anti-slavery ambassadors, and charity and community workers are among those named in the New Year’s Honours list. The British Empire Medal is a medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown.

Mo Farah hails New Year Honours knighthood as a ‘dream come true’

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah felt being awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours was a “dream come true” for a boy who arrived in London from Somalia unable to speak English. The 33-year-old successfully retained his 5,000 and 10,000 metres titles at the Rio Olympics, becoming the first British track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals.

Team GB lead the way in New Year Honours list

Britain’s first ever Tour de France cyclist, a cutler to the Queen with 76 years under his belt and the director of an agricultural show are among the Yorkshire recipients of New Year’s Honours Nationally, Olympic heroes Mo Farah, Andy Murray and Sheffield’ Jessica Ennis-Hill lead the way in a list dominated by Rio 2016’s Team GB. Others who will claim the title Sir in the new year include Kinks frontman Ray Davies, 72, and veteran comic Ken Dodd, 89, recognised for services to the arts, and entertainment and charity, respectively.

The dirty secret about your clothes

A woman hangs dyed yarn to dry at a textile mill on the outskirts of Agartala, capital of India’s northeastern state of Tripura. In the Colours of Nature dye house, Vijayakumar Varathan is busy prepping a vat of indigo.