Month: January 2017

Online nostalgia for country’s first amusement park

Fireworks explode above Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Dan Neramitr amusement park, Thailand’s first amusement park, on its last day of operation in mid-2000 as loyal customers look on. Thai netizens in their 30s up to retirement age on Sunday recalled the good old days of visiting Dan Neramit , Thailand’s first stand-alone amusement park, which opened 41 years ago today.

Interview: Early vote in Italy more likely, after constitutional court revises electoral law

An early vote in Italy would be more likely, after the country’s constitutional court revised parts of the electoral law earlier this week, an Italian political analyst said. “The constitutional court has largely acknowledged the legitimacy of so-called “Italicum” electoral system, which applies to the lower house,” Sergio Fabbrini, director of the School of Government at LUISS University in Rome, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Johnson: ‘Wrong to stigmatise because of nationality’

A US judge has issued a stay temporarily halting the deportation of visa holders or refugees President Trump issued an executive order. There are scenes of chaos at airports across the US after Donald Trump imposed a ban on people from seven Muslim-majority nations from entering the country for 90 days.

The Latest: Iraq: We understand motives behind travel ban

The Latest on U.S. President Donald Trump and his ban on refugees from Muslim-majority countries : The Iraqi government says it understands the security motives behind President Donald Trump’s decision to ban seven predominantly Muslim nations, including Iraq, from entering the United States, but underlined that their “special relationship” should be taken into consideration. Government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi says Iraqis are hoping that the new orders “will not affect the efforts of strengthening and developing the bilateral relations between Iraq and the United States.”

The man wanted in connection with series of sexual assaults on buses

Scotland Yard has said a man is wanted for questioning over a series of “despicable” sexual assaults on buses, including on a 13-year-old girl Six young women have made complaints over a man matching the same description on buses in Lewisham and Southwark, south-east London, but officers warned many more could exist. The Metropolitan Police said a string of attacks took place on January 27, starting with a girl, 17, boarding a 176 bus at 3.15pm.

Hampshire festival to return with biggest ever event

ONE of the county’s most popular events will return later this year, and is set to be the biggest yet. Taking place from July 1 to 16, the Romsey Festival, held every three years, will put on scores of exciting events including exhibitions, concerts, recitals and even gastronomy for its 11th instalment.

PM will intervene if Trump ban hits Britons – Downing Street

Theresa May does “not agree” with Donald Trump’s travel ban on refugees and citizens of seven mainly-Muslim countries and she will make representations if it hits Britons, Downing Street has said. The Prime Minister arrived back in Britain to a storm of fury after she refused to condemn the US president’s controversial ban, which could affect UK citizens born abroad.

French left-wing presidential primary: Hamon vs. Valls

Manuel Valls, a center-leaning former prime minister who rallied France tog… . Former French prime minister and candidate in the left-wing primary for the 2017 French presidential election, Manuel Valls, arrives for a meeting in Alfortville, outside Paris, France, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017.

Venter back on SARU radar

According to afrikaans newspaper Rapport , SA Rugby are set to make three changes to the Boks’ coaching staff, but it doesn’t include a change in head coach. Venter will in all likelihood come in as defence coach, Cheetahs head coach Franco Smith will be added as backline coach and Konrad van Hagen looks primed to take over as team doctor.

Police hunt man over bus sex attacks

Scotland Yard has said a man is wanted for questioning over a series of “despicable” sexual assaults on buses, including on a 13-year-old girl Scotland Yard has said a man is wanted for questioning over a series of “despicable” sexual assaults on buses, including on a 13-year-old girl Six young women have made complaints over a man matching the same description on buses in Lewisham and Southwark, south-east London, but officers warned many more could exist. The Metropolitan Police said a string of attacks took place on January 27, starting with a girl, 17, boarding a 176 bus at 3.15pm.

Save Malaysia Roundtable of political and civil society leaders on…

Save Malaysia Roundtable of political and civil society leaders on Tunku’s 114th birthday anniversary to save Malaysia from global kleptocracy and a failed and rogue state Wednesday, February 8, 2017 is the 114th birthday anniversary of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Bapa Malaysia and the first Prime Minister of the country. I believe Tunku would be horrified that Malaysia has become a global kleptocracy and heading towards a failed and rogue state.

Israeli troops kill Palestinian in West Bank: medics

Palestinian protesters burn tires during clashes with Israeli security forces following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum, near Nablus, in the occupied West Bank on January 27, 2017. / AFP / JAAFAR ASHTIYEH

Armenia again breaks ceasefire with Azerbaijan

News selected on topics and regions – oil and gas, business, politics, IT, the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea region, Central Asia Ranking of the Azerbaijani banking sector Over the past 24 hours, Armenia’s armed forces have 11 times violated the ceasefire in various directions along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend Jan. 29. The Azerbaijani army positions located in the Kamarli village of the Gazakh district, the Kohnagishlag village of the Aghstafa district and the Alibayli village of the Tovuz district underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located in the Dovekh village of the Noyemberyan district, the Paravakar village of the Ijevan district and the Aygepar village of the Berd district.

Firefighters successfully quench fire at Tehran refinery

News selected on topics and regions – oil and gas, business, politics, IT, the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea region, Central Asia Ranking of the Azerbaijani banking sector Firefighters have fought for four hours to put off a fire that had erupted at a tanker at Tehran’s Tondgooyan Refinery, no lives were lost, IRNA news agency reported Jan. 29. A 500,000-liter tanker at the refinery caught fire at 00:19 . One hundred and twenty firefighters were dispatched to the spot, according to the news agency.

Francisco Vargas: He Cut Me, I Couldn’t See, I Want a Rematch

In a heart and soul performance before a sold-out crowd at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt pulled the upset of a lifetime and was crowned the new after an 11th round stoppage of former two-time world champion Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas . The fight featured moments of heavy exchanges, which resulted in the reopening of a former cut above one of Vargas’s eyes during the ninth round.

In-form sprinter Jordan Castle off to track cycling World Cup

The young Ashhurst sprinter is part of a young group of 12 riders selected to at Cali, as is rising star Campbell Stewart, who has just finished at Palmerston North Boys’ High School, but went to a world cup last year. Castle, who has been in good form recently, is one of two sprinters in the group along with Rio Olympian Zac Williams and this trip is a way of giving some of the younger riders experience.

Boat with 31 mostly Chinese tourists missing in Malaysia

Chinese state media say a boat carrying 31 people, including more than 20 Chinese tourists, is missing after sailing out from an eastern Malaysian city. The official Xinhua News Agency cited the Chinese Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu in the Malaysian state of Sabah as saying Sunday that the boat lost contact after sailing out on Saturday.

Stadium takes on logistical nightmare

ILT Stadium Southland general manager Nigel Skelt takes a break as the stadium prepares for its most challenging couple of weeks. ILT Stadium Southland general manager Nigel Skelt says the next 15 days will provide the biggest logistical challenge they have encountered in the venue’s 17-year history.

Nation-Now 54 mins ago 9:13 p.m.Court grants emergency stay of Trump’s immigration ban

Protesters gather at JFK International Airport’s Terminal 4 on Jan. 28, 2017, to demonstrate against President Trump’s executive order to suspend refugee arrivals. President Trump’s ban on immigration by citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries ran into at least a temporary roadblock Saturday night, after a U.S. District judge in Brooklyn granted an emergency stay sought by immigrants’ rights lawyers.

West Bengal: TMC leader arrested for vandalizing police station in Burdwan

Kolkata/Burdwan, Jan 29 : Hours after a police station was ransacked by angry mob over a local issue in West Bengal’s Burdwan district, police on Saturday night arrested at least eleven persons, including a local leader of ruling Trinamool Congress , in connection with the case, reports said. Earlier in the afternoon, alleging that police were helping in an illegal and unauthorized construction in a local school compound and demanding the removal of local police stations Inspector-in-Charge , a large number of local villagers attacked Ausgram Police Station.

Councilman Randy Burkett says Facebook posts led to threats

Amarillo City Councilman Randy Burkett said Saturday that a Facebook exchange in which he was involved ended with threats made against him and that those threats are now being investigated by “law enforcement entities.” This most recent war of words involving the councilman, the third this month, stems from his responses to posts on a “friend’s” Facebook timeline.

Sukhbir fights a bruising battle, with hands tied by his rebel MP

It’s not going to be a cakewalk for Shiromani Akali Dal president and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal who won this seat in 2012 elections by over 50,000 votes. Badal too appears to have sensed this, going by the timed release of the sleaze tape against dissident SAD MP Sher Singh Gubhaya, to whom thousands of Rai Sikh voters here owe community allegiance.

Canada PM Justin Trudeau welcomes refugees; US-bound passengers turned away

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to the media at the end of a two-day cabinet retreat in Calgary, Alberta, Canada January 24, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Bolin Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed those fleeing war and persecution on Saturday even as Canadian airlines said they would turn back US-bound passengers to comply with an immigration ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries.

PM Trudeau says Canada welcomes refugees

In this Dec. 11, 2015 file photo, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, greets Georgina Zires, center, Madeleine Jamkossian, second right, and her father Kevork Jamkossian, refugees fleeing from Syria, as they arrive at Pearson International airport, in Toronto. Trudeau has a message for refugees rejected by U.S. President Donald Trump: Canada will take you.

Thailand separates LGBT inmates, considers segregated prison

In this Jan. 6, 2017 photo, transgender inmates get a security check from female officers before entering their cell at Pattaya Remand Prison in Pattaya, Chonburi province, Thailand. The prison separates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender prisoners from other inmates, a little-known policy despite being in place nationwide since 1993, according to the Department of Corrections.

Judge Grants Refugees Stay From Trump’s Executive Order

Stranded Syrian refugees carry their children through a snow storm at a refugee camp north of Athens, Greece January 10, 2017.REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis A federal judge in Brooklyn, N.Y., ordered a stay for those in U.S. airports affected by President Donald Trump’s order halting immigration from certain Middle Eastern countries. The Saturday order comes one day after Trump signed a new order halting visas and immigration from seven Middle Eastern countries and suspending admission of all refugees for 120 days, except Syrians, who are suspended indefinitely.