Global Markets-Asian shares advance, dollar supported by March rate hike bets

Asian shares rose on Thursday as investors were encouraged by President Donald Trump’s measured tone in his first speech to Congress, which sent Wall Street stocks sharply higher, while growing bets on a U.S. rate hike this month buoyed the dollar. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.2 percent, led by rebound in Australian shares .

Roadside bomb hits police vehicle in Pakistan, wounding 19

A Pakistani police official says a roadside bomb has struck a vehicle carrying police in the country’s northwest, wounding four officers and 15 passers-by. Local police official Mohammad Nawaz says Wednesday’s attack took place in the city of Dera Ismail Khan, a gateway to Pakistan’s troubled tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

Protesting migrants took staff as hostages in Italian reception centre

Migrants, visibly of African sub-Saharan origin, barricaded staff inside a reception centre in northern Italy in a protest over living conditions there after the death of a young woman. The 25-year-old woman from the Ivory Coast died apparently of natural causes on Monday afternoon at the centre in Cona, near Venice, the town’s mayor told La Repubblica TV.

Turkish parliament approves extending state of emergency by 3 months

Turkey’s parliament on Tuesday approved a government-backed motion to extend by another three months the state of emergency imposed in the wake of the 15 July failed coup against President Recep Tayyip The state of emergency – which has seen tens of thousands lose their jobs or be arrested on suspicion of links to the putsch – had already been prolonged once before and was due to expire on 19 January. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker pledged Turkey the EU’s “continued support” in its fight against terrorism yesterday , after the New Year’s Eve nightclub attack that killed 39 people.

Faraday Future unveils electric vehicle in Las Vegas to kick off CES

Nick Sampson , senior vice president of product R&D and engineering at Faraday Future, shakes hands with YT Jia , founder and CEO of LeEco, in front of a Faraday Future FF 91 electric car during an unveiling event in Las Vegas, Nevada January 3, 2017. Hong Bae, director of ADAS and self driving at Faraday Future, celebrates as a self-driving Faraday Future FF 91 electric car finds a parking space and self-parks during a live demonstration in Las Vegas, Nevada January 3, 2017.

A German court has shut down hopes for a breakaway Bavaria

Bavarian riflemen and women in traditional costumes fire their muzzle loaders in front of the “Bavaria” statue on the last day at the 183rd Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich on Monday, Oct. 3, 2016. Would Germany be Germany without Bavaria? The wealthy southern state comprises roughly one-fifth of Germany’s landmass.

War legacy recovered

Reunited: Brothers Murray and Jack Granter with their father’s medals, including his Belgian Croix de Guerre, and diploma from the Belgian government. A travelling exhibition chronicling the horrors of World War I has helped two Warrnambool brothers re-connect with their father’s decorated past after more than 60 years.

Alfa Romeo confirms Giulia QV pricing for Australia

Alfa Romeo has revealed sharp pricing for its high-performance Giulia QV of $143,900 before on-road costs, positioning it $14,215 cheaper than Mercedes-AMG C63 S and just $4285 more expensive than its BMW M3 rival. While BMW’s sedan hero can be had for $139,615 in its base guise, opting for the Competition-spec version raises prices up to $144,615 – $715 more expensive than the Alfa – and the Mercedes C-Class-based bruiser starts at $155,615.

Get Ready to Rio! with Chef Hubert Keller

As the world’s attention turns to Rio de Janeiro for the August 2016 Olympics, Chef Hubert Keller explores and celebrates Rio’s exciting and vibrant culinary scene. In the show, Chef Keller talks with and learns from Rio’s most celebrated chefs, popular street food vendors, a brewmaster, and Brazilian cookbook author.

113 mutilated bodies found dumped across Balochistan in 2016: BHRO

Karachi [Pakistan], Jan. 4 : Baloch Human Rights Organisation chairperson Bibi Gul Baloch has claimed that at least 113 mutilated bodies were found dumped across Balochistan last year. Revealing details of the annual report compiled by the BHRO at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday, Gul Baloch said that during 2016 scores of military operations were carried out in the province’s insurgency-hit south-western parts and that 32 people had gone missing after being “arrested by the law enforcement agencies”.

Chinese renewable power giant builds global empire

In this Nov. 7, 2008 photo, people stand near electric pylons watching flow of water is discharged through the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang in central China’s Hubei province. Three Gorges Group is spending heavily to buy or build hydro, wind and solar projects at a time when Western utility investors are pulling back and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to revive coal use has raised doubt about U.S. support for renewables.

Citi FM’s Hello Kigali trip attracts dozens of private businesses

The Hello Kigali Trip, involving Citi FM and private sector delegation, is to expose businesses to a first-hand experience of how a country with a recent genocide history, has turned around its story making it an investment hub within sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the impact of Rwanda’s genocide story on the country’s political and socio-economic fundamentals, major reforms have made it one of the most sought after economies in Africa and around the globe.

When Twinkle Khanna and Akshay Kumar stalked ‘Menstrual Man’

India’s sanitary-pad-man Padma Shri Arunachalam Muruganantham tells hitlist how he was chased, coerced by Twinkle Khanna and Akshay Kumar into lending his story for Bollywood big screen adaptation After hounding Menstrual Man Padma Shri Arunachalam Muruganantham for months and finally convincing him to allow them to translate it for the big screen, Twinkle Khanna, Akshay Kumar and R Balki are all set to showcase ‘Padman’ to the world. Back in 1998, Muruganantham had sparked off a revolution when he developed, after much derision and social censure, a low-cost sanitary napkin machine.

Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Jung Ho Kang may lose WBC roster spot

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang may lose his spot on South Korea’s roster for the World Baseball Classic after his third arrest for driving under the influence since 2009 last month in Seoul. Kang, 29, was also interviewed by Chicago police last summer as a “person of interest” in a sexual assault investigation, although no charges were filed.

Indian police investigate New Year sex attacks

Indian police have filed a case after finding “credible” evidence that groups of men sexually assaulted women at a New Year’s eve celebration, an incident that has sparked widespread outrage. Praveen Sood, the police commissioner of Bangalore city, said an inquiry had been set up into allegations women attending the Saturday night celebrations were chased, groped, molested and robbed.