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.com | I Coast leader seeks bigger majority to keep economy strong

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara is hoping voters will shore up his parliamentary majority Sunday to help keep the world’s top cocoa producer in the fast economic lane. The weeklong election campaign was peaceful, but the authorities have ordered some 30 000 security forces into the street in the wake of scattered incidents in recent months, including attacks on police posts.

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Four cultural preservation projects in Paphos district, aimed at protecting the island’s common cultural heritage, will start next year, following a series of conservation studies. At a press briefing and tour in Paphos, the UNDP-PFF outlined plans for structural and aesthetic restoration of a hamam and three mosques in and around Paphos.

Turkish news agency reports car bomb attack

A deadly car bomb attack hit the central Anatolian province of Kayseri on Saturday morning, according to Turkish media reports. State-run Anadolu Agency said the car bomb went off at an entrance gate of Erciyes University, hitting a public transportation bus that included on-leave soldiers among its passengers.

.com | EXCLUSIVE: DRC nationals in SA vow to ‘remove envoy from Pretoria office’

Democratic Republic of Congo nationals living in South Africa are threatening to take things into their own hands and remove their ambassador in Pretoria from office should President Joseph Kabila not step down on Monday. Ilunga Mpanga Kazadi, a Gauteng-based Congolese community leader, told News24 “we will go to the ambassador on Tuesday and ask him to hand over his credentials, and then he must go”.

Lions hope sleigh outings beat previous festive fundraising efforts

KINGSWINFORD and Stourbridge Lions hope to beat previous festive fundraising efforts with this year’s Christmas sleigh outings with a brand new Santa mobile. The charitable group has been treated to an all-new sleigh this time – thanks to sponsorship from a number of local businesses and organisations including NatWest Bank, West Bromwich Building Society, Asda, Stourbridge Motor House, Imperial Commercials, Crown Butchers.

Is Kate going to be Pippa’s bridesmaid?

Duchess Catherine will still “play a part” in her sister’s wedding. The 34-year-old royal – who is married to Prince William has reportedly decided not to be a bridesmaid or maid of honour when Pippa Middleton ties the knot with James Matthews next May because she doesn’t want to upstage the bride, but insiders insist that doesn’t mean she will be stepping back from proceedings altogether.

5.1 magnitude quake hits Indonesia

Jakarta, Dec 17 : An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale jolted Abepura in Indonesia, the US Geological Survey said. [NK World] The epicentre of the quake on Friday was determined at 3.1272 degrees south latitude and 139.1478 degrees east longitude, Xinhua news agency reported. py/

Indian scientists generate electricity from water sans using energy

New Delhi, Dec. 17 : Soon, a device that runs on a few drops of water could revolutionise the way electricity is generated, thanks to a team of scientists at Delhi’s National Physical Laboratory . [NK Technology] Researchers have developed a novel way of producing electricity from water at room temperature without using any power or chemicals.

Festive misery for travellers as airport crews vote to strike

TENS of thousands of festive travellers are facing the prospect of holiday misery after unions announced a series of strikes at Scotland’s three biggest airports in the days running up to Christmas. Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen are among 18 UK airports targeted by the Unite union as more than 1500 check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew stage a 48-hour walk-out in the runup the December 25. Members of Unite employed by Swissport will walk out on December 23 and 24 at other airports including Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Doncaster, East Midlands, Gatwick, Heathrow, Leeds/ Bradford, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Stansted.

Bisaya songs in Play Store

Collaboration. FPT Software signs an agreement with 22 Tango Records’ Cattski Espina and Kadasig’s Jude Gitamondoc for the development of IslaTunes, an application that will serve as platform for homegrown music.

Santa Cruz County jobs picture better than a year ago

SANTA CRUZ >> Santa Cruz County saw farm jobs shrink by 2,700 and hospitality jobs drop 600 in November, typical for the season, but compared to a year ago, the employment picture is much improved, according to state figures posted Friday. • The county’s unemployment rate was 6.1 percent, down from 7.2 percent a year ago and the lowest for November since 2007, when it was 5.4 percent.

Poland’s Kaczynski leaves parliament after police remove protesters

Jaroslaw Kaczynski attends a pro-government demonstration to mark the 35th anniversary of the marshal law in Warsaw, Poland, December 13, 2016. The head of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, left parliament in the early hours of Saturday after the police forcefully removed protesters blocking the exit from parliament, television footage showed.

Peter Mihaere: If you’ve been interviewed by Paul Henry – you will miss him

OPINION: When I was invited to contribute to the Manukau Courier my response was: “any particular focus? I ask because next Friday I head to the UK as a dad to see his daughter; as a great grandson to visit the spot in Belgium where my great-grandfather was rescued in WW1; holidaying in Italy with my family; meeting with a couple of people in London about research for a new book project that will be launched next year around child slave labour… so what were you after?” Trusting me, he said I could write on anything. After cogitating for a number of days I decided to simply give a shout out to a broadcaster we all know.

India rebuff’s China, says Dalai Lama’s visit wasn’t political

New Delhi, Dec. 16 : After China took strong objection to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama’s sharing dais with President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan during a children’s summit, India on Friday rebuffed Beijing’s charges, saying it was a non-political event orgnaised by Nobel Laureates dedicated to the welfare of children. [NK India] “You are aware of India’s consistent position.

Election Commission extends ‘Every Indian Vote counts’ deadline till Dec.31

New Delhi, Dec. 17 : In view of increasing participation by respondents to the Election Commission of India’s online creative competition for Overseas Indian Citizens on the topic ‘Every Indian Vote Counts’, the last date for submitting entries has now been extended to December 31. [NK India] The winner of the competition shall get return air tickets for two to India sponsored by national carrier Air India. The Online Survey and Competition for Overseas Indian Citizens developed in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences , was launched on October 20, 2016.

Rahul Gandhi saying irrelevant things to ensure his relevance in Congress: BJP

New Delhi, Dec. 17 : Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s opinions on demonetisation, the Bharatiya Janata Party has said the Congress vice-president always says irrelevant things in order to stay relevant within the party and Indian politics. [NK India] “As far as the speeches of Rahul Gandhi are concerned, his working in principle nod is to talk irrelevant in order to be relevant within the Congress party and Indian politics.

Three women win Rs. 1 Lakh at TiE-Aspire Young Achievers Awards 2016

New Delhi, Dec.17 : Aspire, India’s largest Ivy league education firm providing embedded educational programs for schools, colleges and universities to enhance employability and life skills in partnership with the world’s largest network of intellectual capital and entrepreneurs, The Indus Entrepreneurs , has announced the winners of the TiE- Aspire Young Achievers Award today on the first day of the TiE Global Summit 2016. [NK India] In its eighth year, the TiE celebrates the determination, courage and hard work of three young achievers who fight against all odds to achieve something commendable and praiseworthy.

Vancouver Island cannabis growers high on legal pot prospects

Tilray president Brendan Kennedy says the company will enter the recreational marijuana market but with a different brand and product than its medical marijuana line. Licensed medical marijuana producers on Vancouver Island are already angling for expansion into a legalized recreational market as proposed new rules take shape.

Trump tweet attacking Vanity Fair brings it a bonanza

Usually when President-elect Donald Trump pumps out a nasty tweet, the recipient suffers, such as Lockheed did after he derided what he deemed the high cost of a fighter plane it is constructing. But the reverse is true after he took on his newest target: Vanity Fair, which gave the restaurant in Trump Tower a scathingly bad review.

china alarmed by chilli – conspiracy’ in Indonesia

China’s embassy in Indonesia has expressed alarm at media reports accusing China of using a “biological weapon” against Indonesia, after four Chinese nationals were arrested for planting imported chilli seeds contaminated with a bacteria. The headlines splashed across Indonesian media have sparked a wave of anti-Chinese sentiment on social media in a country with a history of simmering resentment towards its giant neighbour and a minority ethnic Chinese community.

Can Stellar ETF Gains Continue In 2017?

Many ETF investors want to know if the long bull market will persist in the new year. The phrase “shock and awe” may very well describe the feelings of many ETF investors when they take stock of their portfolios as a tumultuous and challenging year winds down.

Businesses in Swindon wear it festive for charity

Nationwide, in Pipers Way, raised money for its charity partner Shelter – which seeks to end homelessness in the UK – with a variety of activities including festive treats, quizzes, and employees dressed in their favourite Christmas jumpers. Stephan Uden, head of social investment at Nationwide, said: “It’s great to see all our people coming together to help make a difference to end homelessness in the UK.

US two-star general demoted after affair

A US army major general has been stripped of his stars and forced out of the military after a 30-year military career because of a long extramarital affair and “swinger” lifestyle. An army spokesman says Major General David Haight was demoted by three steps to the rank of lieutenant colonel, a steep and rare downgrade for a senior officer.

Ecopetrol – A High-Risk Investment

It has been a tough two years for energy companies globally with sharply weaker oil placing considerable pressure on margins and the economic viability of a range of oil assets. One integrated energy company that has been hit particularly hard is Colombian government controlled integrated energy major Ecopetrol .