THE recent daring attacks on Border Guard Police posts in Rakhine State in Burma by a poorly armed, but very determined and apparently well trained group of young guerrilla fighters seeking justice for the long victimised and persecuted Muslim Rohingya minority should make us pause for thought about the identity of this minority. On Oct 25, 1948, the Muslim Council of North Arakan declared in an address to Prime Minister U Nu on the occasion of his visit to Maungdaw: “We are dejected to mention that in this country we have been wrongly taken as part of the race generally known as Chittagonians and as foreigners.
Category: World News
Australian police nab 15 suspects in 1 ton cocaine bust
Australian officials seized more than a ton of cocaine worth about 360 million Australian dollars in what police on Thursday dubbed one of the largest drug busts in the nation’s history. Fifteen men were arrested following a 2 1/2-year federal and state police investigation into suspected drug trafficking by commercial fishermen in Sydney, New South Wales police said in a statement.
Oil has more room to run
Crude oil has risen nearly 15% since the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed to cut oil output. We believe that the deal has put a floor under oil prices, and that this will help bolster prices of related assets.
AAP announces Delhi MLA Jarnail Singh as candidate against Punjab CM from home turf Lambi
After declaring MP Bhagwant Mann as candidate from Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s constituency Jalalabad, Aam Aadmi Party announced Delhi MLA and Sikh rights activist Jarnail Singh as candidate to contest in the electoral battle against Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from his home turf Lambi in Muktsar district. While making the announcement, AAP President, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the party will field its strongest candidates against senior Akali leaders.
Kerry condemns growth of Israeli settlements
Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday harshly criticized Israeli settlements in the West Bank, saying that their growth threatens to destroy the viability of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said the United States was obliged to allow passage of a UN resolution condemning the activity in order to preserve the possibility of peace.
Morrison’s pilsner best at Taste
WINNERS: Launceston’s Morrison Brewery brewer Paul Morrison and assistant brewer Will Horan won an award for best lager at the Taste of Tasmania in Hobart. Using an experimental style of hops paid off for Launceston’s Morrison Brewery when it was named best lager at the Taste of Tasmania on Thursday.
10 Things to Know for Thursday
Debbie Reynolds, the mother of Carrie Fisher and star of the 1952 classic ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ dies at 84, one day after Fisher, her son said.
In China, calls for end to aggressive child custody tactics
Dai Xiaolei last saw her son in 2014 when he was 17 months old and living with her Chinese in-laws outside the capital Beijing. Dai Xiaolei poses with a picture of her son in the bedroom she designed for him in her former marital apartment in Beijing, China, September 19, 2016.
China completes high-speed rail links from southwest Yunnan
China has completed two new high-speed rail links connecting Kunming, the capital of southwestern Yunnan province, with Shanghai and Guangzhou on the eastern coast, according to a transport ministry notice. A China Railway High-speed bullet train runs towards Beijing South Railway Station July 25, 2011.
Labasa water supply disrupted
Update: 3:11PM A BURST main at Airport road has caused an interruption of water supply in some parts of Labasa. Water Authority of Fiji is advising its customers residing in the areas mentioned above to store and use water wisely for their immediate needs during this temporary disruption period.
Trump tweets gives a glimpse into foreign policy approach
President-elect Donald Trump has used Twitter – his preferred means of communication – to weigh in on a swath of foreign policy issues over the past few weeks. His comments give glimpse into how his incoming administration will deal with pressing foreign matters – but also highlight how reactionary comments on social media can immediately spur international concern and attention.
a Kerry’s Mideast Plan – Impossible’
The Israeli-Palestinian negotiating formula proposed during a speech Wednesday by lame-duck Secretary of State John Kerry is “impossible and does not correspond with reality,” Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely stated. “The formula proposed by Secretary Kerry is impossible and does not correspond with reality.
The Wednesday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories
KERRY DEFENDS U.S. POSITION ON ISRAEL: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has staunchly defended the Obama administration’s decision to allow the UN Security Council to declare Israeli settlements illegal. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called Kerry’s speech “clear, courageous and committed.”
Israeli Minister: – Obama Is History, We Have Trump’a
“Obama is history. We have Trump,” Israel’s Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev said on Tuesday, adding that President Barack Obama never supported Israel.
Coulter: Tweeting the 2016 Campaign
And GOP can’t figure out why Trump is sweeping the country. @AnnCoulter Jan. 15 Bush campaign lands the coveted Lindsey Graham endorsement, bringing an additional 0.0% support to the juggernaut that is Jeb! @AnnCoulter Jan. 30 Sweaty little liar Rubio sucks up to Iowans with Jesus talk, but he tried to replace them with 30 million Mexicans.
Toronto’s main stock index pushes higher as oil price sets new 2016 record
After being closed for two days, Toronto’s main stock index finished in positive territory Wednesday as oil prices rose to their highest level all year. The S&P/TSX composite index gained 32.95 points at 15,361.10, buoyed by advancing gold, materials and energy stocks.
The Latest: Israeli envoy says UN vote an act against Israel
In this July 14, 2015 file photo, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference with Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem. Some suburban Philadelphia high school alumni say theyA’ve sent a 1960s yearbook to one of their most famous classmates, Netanyahu.
Canadian man saves dog by punching cougar
A Canadian man punched a cougar in the face to stop it attacking his dog in a wooded area near a fast food chain in Whitecourt, central Alberta, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has said. William Gibb, 31, from Red Deer, Alberta, had stopped at a Tim Hortons outlet, a popular Canadian restaurant chain on his 600-kilometre drive to Grand Prairie on the evening of St Stephen’s Day and let his dog out for a walk, Whitecourt RCMP Sergeant Tom Kalis said.
Northland cooking school closure linked to fraud probe
The closure of the Culinary Institute of New Zealand, in Kerikeri, came as a shock to staff and students. Photo / Peter de Graaf A Northland culinary school which closed down suddenly last month, putting tutors out of work and students in limbo, was owned by a company caught up in a Serious Fraud Office probe.
Abbas: Stop building and peace talks can resume
Hours after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech on the Middle East peace process , Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday again imposed conditions on peace talks. Abbas, reacting to Kerry’s remarks, said he was ready to resume peace efforts with Israel if it stops “settlement building”.
Death threats to exiled men
Death threats to exiled men. December. 29, 2016 07:10. pisong@donga.com. While Leon Trotsky was in exile in Mexico, he did not stop denouncing Stalin.
Endless fight until official apology from Japan
Endless fight until official apology from Japan. December. 29, 2016 07:10. by Ho-Kyeong Kim kimhk@donga.com.
Man flown to hospital after injuring his hand in planer accident
A man suffered a critical injury when his hand went through a planer in Thames this morning. The man, in his 30s, was flown by the Auckland and Coromandel Westpac Rescue Helicopter, based at Whitianga for the summer, to Waikato Hospital just after 7am.
Gisborne bus crash survivors settle in at Auckland church
Dozens of students aged between 11 and 17 from Tonga’s Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu College, in Vava’u, have started settling in at a church in the city, having been flown to Auckland free by Air New Zealand . The youngsters, most of them teenage boys, spoke quietly but continued to smile and joke with each other, while others slept inside.
The 14GE objective is not only to remove the UMNO/BN federal…
The 14GE objective is not only to remove the UMNO/BN federal government in Putrajaya but also the UMNO/BN state government in Sabah In September this year, former Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that if there is a four per cent swing against UMNO/BN in the 14th General Election, the UMNO/BN coalition would lose 45 seats, the majority of which are UMNO seats. This would mean the UMNO/BN coalition getting even less seats than what the Pakatan Rakyat won in the 13th General Election.
Secretary of State John Kerry: Two-state solution in Middle East in ‘serious jeopardy’
With less than a month left in office, Secretary of State John Kerry laid out the Obama administration’s vision for Middle East peace Wednesday, offering a framework for a deal between Israelis and Palestinians. Kerry defended the United States’ decision to abstain from a vote on – and not veto – a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as one aimed at “preserving the two-state solution” and offered a stinging rebuke of Israeli settlement policy as he promoted a two-state solution to the conflict, which he called “the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
The Latest: Kerry offers bases for future Mideast peace pact
Yaakov Peri, a former chief of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, on Wednesday praised what he called Kerry’s “balanced speech, based on reality and facts.” Peri is a member of the centrist Yesh Atid party, which sits in the opposition.
He’s a friendly feline! Tiger is best friends with a ferret and a…
The emotional moment Cam Newton surprised a terminally ill 10-year-old boy who made a Christmas wish to meet his NFL hero Thousands sign petition demanding that Hunter College fires boastful professor whose husband harassed Ivanka Trump on a flight with her children ‘My daughter was in tears for most of the day’: Parents furious after thousands of the must-have Hatchimal Christmas toys fail to ‘hatch’ How to EAT your way to success: Millionaire businessman reveals the diets of the world’s rich and powerful Kerry’s parting shot at Netanyahu: Secretary of State criticizes Israeli settlement building and says a two-state solution is the ‘only way’ to ensure peace in Mideast ‘Smooth transition – NOT!’ Trump clobbers Obama for his ‘disdain and disrespect’ of Israel and urges the Jewish state to ‘stay strong’ Married client, 65, is sentenced to life in prison for murdering single soccer mom … (more)
Need for deft handling in Hong Kong
It has been clear ever since Chris Patten, the last British governor, left Hong Kong following its handover to China, that the road to the territory’s Government House runs through Beijing. With its current incumbent, the unpopular Leung Chun Ying, announcing that he would not seek a second term as Chief Executive, the field is open to fresh candidates.
Man allegedly kills Tinder date, dissolves her body in acid
Francia Ruth Ibarra’s body was dissolved in acid after she allegedly refused to have sex with Emmanuel Delani Valdez Bocangegra. He was arrested in Mexico City.
Our favourite images from around the world 2016
In this series of year-end galleries our photo editors select their favourite images from around the world in 2016. President Barack Obama shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump following a meeting in the Oval Office on November 10 in Washington, DC.
Pushing back on Israel, Kerry defends Obama’s UN vote
Stepping into a raging diplomatic argument, Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday staunchly defended the Obama administration’s decision to allow the U.N. Security Council to declare Israeli settlements illegal and warned that Israel’s very future as a democracy is at stake. Kerry, pushing back on Israel’s fury at the U.S. abstention of the United Nations vote, questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s true commitment to Palestinian statehood, which has formed the basis for all serious peace talks for years.
A rare visit to the Raqqa front line shows how near – and far – the defeat of ISIS remains
“Raqqa we are coming” say the words spray-painted in Kurdish at the entrance to this empty little town, which lies on the front line of a U.S.-backed advance toward the Islamic State’s capital. The city of Raqqa is 17 miles away, a tantalizingly short hop to the place showcased in the militants’ propaganda videos as an Islamist utopia, where the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels were planned and where, U.S. officials warn, new plots against the West are being forged.
Kinmen a ‘model spot’ for cross-strait exchange
Taiwan will develop Kinmen, an island group it controls off southern China, into a “model spot” for peaceful exchanges between the two sides of Taiwan Strait, the head of the Taipei-based Straits Exchange Foundation said Wednesday. Although cross-strait dialogue has been suspended by China, foundation Chairman Tien Hung-mao said during a visit to Kinmen that he found cross-strait exchanges and interactions through the “three mini-links” between Kinmen and China’s Fujian Province are operating normally.
Chris Gillespie, Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch and More Slated for Bemelmans Bar This Winter
The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, will welcome Chris Gillespie , Champian Fulton and Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch to Bemelmans Bar for Sunday night residencies throughout the winter 2017 season. Featuring top artists from the worlds of jazz, cabaret and Broadway alongside special unannounced guests, Sunday nights at Bemelmans Bar have become a favorite spot for a wide range of performing musicians across the city.
Hualien, Taitung named top spots to catch sunrise
The east coast counties of Hualien and Taitung are the two top choices for people seeking to catch the first sunrise of 2016, ezTravel agency said Wednesday. It said that based on its sales of New Year travel packages, other popular destinations are Longpan in Kenting National Park in southern Taiwan, Alishan in Chiayi County, Erliao in Tainan, and Wuling in Nantou County.
Panic alarms to be installed after 115 assaults at Bay hospitals
Bay of Plenty District Health Board acting chief executive Pete Chandler said panic alarms will be installed in standalone buildings after at least 115 assaults on hospital staff this year. Photo/file Panic alarms are to be installed at Tauranga and Whakatane hospitals after more than 100 assaults on staff were recorded this year.
Temperature in Tamsui records low of 10.9 C
A strong continental air mass has brought with it lower temperatures, with Tamsui recording 10.9 degrees Celsius twice on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, a new low for low lying areas this year, the Central Weather Bureau said. The strongest cold front so far this season sent temperatures as low as 13-14 degrees in northern Taiwan and Yilan in the northeast, 11-12 degrees in coastal areas of those regions and 16 degrees in southern Taiwan, as well as Hualien and Taitung in the east on Wednesday morning, according to the bureau.
70% of plastic bags found to carry false labels: consumer group
Ten out of 14 types of plastic bags sold in grocery stores, convenience stores and shopping centers have been found be carrying false labels marking them as biodegradable and environmentally friendly, the Taipei-based Consumers’ Foundation said Wednesday. The plastic bags in question break into tiny pieces during the natural process of degradation, but are nevertheless promoted as biodegradable, said Ling Young-chien , chief inspector of the foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to consumers’ rights.
Vicky’s Six Brilliant Things to do this Week
THE Emperor and the Nightingale by Neil Duffield, based on The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen is showing at Theatre by the Lake until January 14 . This charming tale of China’s young emperor Wu, who is kept a virtual prisoner in his palace by his scheming guardian and told the world outside the Forbidden City is a dangerous place.