Author: Editor

Graham: Trump must punish Russia for election interference

A senior U.S. Republican senator urged President Donald Trump Sunday to take action against Russia over allegations that Moscow interfered in the election that brought him to power. U.S. intelligence officials have told Trump that Moscow tried to influence voters by hacking Democratic emails and trolling social media sites, but Trump has sought to downplay Russia’s role in the election.

Winter Asian Games kick off with opening ceremony in Sapporo

The Asian Winter Games officially got underway Sunday with an opening ceremony that united winter athletes from the world’s most populous continent. With the Winter Olympics just a year and a short distance away in South Korea, the continent’s leading winter athletes will use the games to fine tune for Pyeongchang 2018.

Keighley’s self belief pays dividends in the end

WITH time ebbing away, Keighley had a straightforward penalty chance in front of the posts to haul themselves level at 17-17. With errors costing them attacking opportunities though and a try on the left by Joe Copperwaite being ruled out for a forward pass, the decision almost backfired on the hosts.

Iraq begins battle to reclaim Mosul’s west from IS

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of the operation on state TV, saying government forces were moving to “liberate the people of Mosul from Daesh oppression and terrorism forever”, using the Arabic acronym for IS. US-led coalition jets struck militant positions southwest of Mosul early Sunday morning and militarised police fired artillery toward the city.

Handicrafts exports from northeast poised for quantum jump

New Delhi, Feb 19 – India’s north-eastern states, one of the richest in terms of eco-friendly crafts, exported handicrafts and handloom products to the tune of Rs 1,121.75 crore during the year 2015-16. The eight north-eastern states – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura – are home to a large number of tribes and sub-tribes who bring into this region’s export basket, natural and handmade products from about 450 different communities.

14 die in snowfall, severe cold in Afghanistan

Kabul, Feb 19 – At least 14 persons have died in snowfall and freezing weather in Afghanistan, an official said on Sunday. Ten people died due to snowfall in Jawzjan and the neighbouring Saripul province on Sunday, while four others died in Badakhshan since early Saturday, Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.

Food processing can generate $33 bn in funds, 9 mn jobs by 2024: Study

New Delhi, Feb 19 – The Indian food processing sector has the potential to attract $33 billion of investment and generate nine million person-days of employment by 2024, industry chamber Assocham said on Sunday, citing its study. By 2024, food processing sector is expected to employ nine million people in India and expected to generate about 8,000 direct and 80,000 indirect jobs in the state, the Assocham-Grant Thornton joint study on ‘Food Retail: Investment: Infrastructure’ noted.

Islamic extremists denounce Somalia’s new president

A commander of Somalia’s Islamic extremist rebels denounced said the country’s recent election of a new president and vowed to continue fighting the government, the first official comment from al-Shabab since the president’s election earlier this month. In an audio message released by al-Shabab’s radio arm Sunday, Sheikh Hassan Yaqub, a senior commander of the extremist group, called Somalia’s new president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed an “apostate” and warned Somalis against supporting him.

Europeans wonder if Trump will act on Pence’s reassurances

United States Vice President Mike Pence, left and Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, talk prior to their meeting during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. America’s commitment to NATO is “unwavering,” Pence said Saturday, reassuring allies about the direction the Trump administration might take but leaving open questions about where Washington saw its relationship with the European Union and other international organizations.

Starc pulls out of IPL, ends association with RCB

“The Royal Challengers Bangalore and fast bowler Mitchell Starc have mutually decided to discontinue their association ahead of the upcoming season of VIVO Indian Premier League 2017 in accordance with Regulation 41 of the IPL Player Regulations,” the BCCI said in a release. NEW DELHI: Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has pulled out of this year’s Indian Premier League season, ending his association with his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore .

China suspends coal imports from North Korea over missiles

China on Sunday began a suspension of all coal imports from North Korea for the rest of the year as it increases pressure on its communist neighbor to give up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The ban is in line with U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed in November in response to North Korea’s fifth nuclear test two months earlier, the Commerce Ministry said in an online statement Saturday.

Roads closed, trains changed

Road closures at level crossings across the Hunter Valley rail network will take effect later this week as part of a $20 million renewal program by Australian Rail Track Corporation . The million-dollar maintenance includes upgrading track, ballast, sleepers, structures like bridges, culverts and level crossings between Kooragang, Ulan and Narrabri from February 21-24.

What President Trump inherited

“I own nothing in Russia, I have no loans in Russia, I don’t have any deals in Russia”, Trump said. President Trump embraces white identity politics, which excludes Jews, Hispanics, Muslims, African-Americans, Asians -anyone who is not of Northern European heritage, white and Christian.

I Know Paul Pogba Can Do More – Former Manchester United Defender

After the game, Florentin chose to remain in Manchester with his family rather than travel with his teammates back to France. Ferdinand has told BBC Radio Five Live that Keane is always looking to improve his game, and that leaving Manchester United has actually allowed him to improve, suggesting that he could emulate Paul Pogba in leaving United as a youngster before returning as a more polished player.

Iraqi forces launch push to retake western Mosul from IS

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of the operation early Sunday morning on state television, saying government forces were moving to “liberate the people of Mosul from Daesh oppression forever”, using the Arabic acronym for IS. Southwest of Mosul, near the city’s IS-held airport, plumes of smoke were seen rising into the sky as coalition aircraft bombed militant positions.

KVH Introduces Affordable and Highly Reliable Navigation Solution for Light Military Vehicles

KVH Industries, Inc., , is introducing the TACNAV Light/GPS navigation solution today, at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference , in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Based on KVH’s successful line of tactical navigation systems, TACNAV Light/GPS features a newly designed sensor mast with embedded GPS, and utilizes KVH’s new TACNAV Moving Map Display and its proven Universal Multilingual Display .

.com | Uganda seizes ton of ivory, arrests 2 West African suspects

Ugandan authorities seized a ton of illegal ivory and arrested three west Africans they believe were plotting to ship it abroad, an official said Saturday. The seizure happened late Friday at an “opulent, expansive house” in a suburb of the capital, Kampala, where law enforcement officials had been monitoring the West Africans for several weeks, said Gessa Simplicious, a spokesman for the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

.com | Cyclone Dineo is still dangerous

The Mozambican government deployed a team to assess the damage in the aftermath of tropical cyclone Dineo this week as mop-up operations began in earnest. At least 116 government buildings, including hospitals, had their roofs blown off and more than 170 000 people were affected when strong winds and downpours swept through the cities of Inhambane and Maxixe, as well the districts of Morrumbene, Massinga, Jangano, Inharrime, Panda, Vilankulo, Funhalonso, Mabote and Homoine.

Tourism in the north of Cyprus stagnates

A report on the average occupancy percentage of tourist resorts for 2016 shows the average percentage of the occupancy of tourist resorts reached 48.6%, recording a drop of 0.4% from 2015. The data was released in a report issued by the Turkish Cypriot tourism planning office.

Kyprianou: Keep focused on the peace process

By Annie Charalambous As a crisis over a controversial vote in parliament jeopardises the future of the UN-brokered Cyprus talks, Opposition Akel warns of possible startling developments after April’s referendum in Turkey. Left-wing Akel leader Andros Kyprianou also called on President Nicos Anastasiades and ruling right-wing Disy to keep their eyes on the fragile peace process rather than on the 2018 presidential election.

Iraqi forces begin advancing on Mosul

Iraqi planes dropped millions of leaflets on the western side of Mosul warning residents that the battle to dislodge Islamic State is imminent as troops began moving in their direction, the Defence Ministry has stated. The militants are essentially under siege in western Mosul, along with an estimated 650,000 civilians, after US-backed forces surrounding the city forced them from the east in the first phase of an offensive that concluded last month.

Cyclist shot multiple times in chest, head

UPDATE: Police believe at least six shots were fired at a bike rider at Everton on Saturday, with at least one bullet hitting him in the head and multiple rounds hitting his chest. Detective Senior Constable Matt Prestage said it was initially thought a shotgun was used, but police now believe the rider was shot with a pistol.

Russia, Ukraine Agree to Ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine

European powers are backing a new ceasefire agreement announced Saturday for embattled eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists have been locked in conflict for three years. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the deal, set to begin Monday, was settled with input from German and French counterparts, and comes after two other internationally-brokered ceasefires have fizzled in a region where the fighting has only raised tensions between Russia and the West.