Iran’s official IRNA news agency is reporting the deputy transport minister as saying that his county will only pay half of the announced price for 80 new Boeing planes, given the reductions in its purchasing options. According to the Sunday report, Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan says that despite an initial $16.8 billion deal with Boeing to purchase 80 passenger planes, “Regarding the style of our order and its options, the purchase contract for 80 Boeing aircraft is worth about 50 percent of the amount.”
714 Voters Hold Key for Final Result in Macedonia Election
Residents of the northwestern Macedonian village of Tearce are voting in an election rerun that could tilt the national election result. The rerun Sunday involves a single polling station with 714 registered voters in the village, 50 kilometers from the capital of Skopje.
Mali’s Christians Return to Church under Police Protection
As the sun starts to fall, the call to prayer at the mosque echoes throughout Gao, a predominantly Muslim town in northern Mali. At that same moment, a small church bell nearby also rings.
Ashington man Nick Dunn spends another Christmas in Indian ‘hell hole’ as he awaits appeal
Nick Dunn was hoping to be reunited with his loved ones after four years in India but a decision on his appeal is not expected until New Year Six British ex-soldiers will spend Christmas Day in a “hell hole” Indian jail after their hopes of coming home were dashed again. The six, who a British lawyer says are victims of a miscarriage of justice, hoped their appeal in court last month would allow them to be reunited with their loved ones back home for the first time in four years.
East Dunbartonshire to host National Holocaust Memorial Day
Scotland’s national Holocaust Memorial Day will be hosted next month by East Dunbartonshire – along with a number of other events throughout the week. The Council is working in partnership with Interfaith Scotland and the Scottish Government to raise awareness of the persecution on the theme of ‘How can life go on?’ Bishopbriggs Academy has been chosen as the venue for Scotland’s Holocaust memorial event on Thursday 26 January – the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day.
Essex man fighting for his life in hospital after he was discovered unconscious in a park
Mystery surrounds man, 35, who is fighting for his life in hospital after he was discovered unconscious in a park after his work’s Christmas party Detectives have released an image of a man in a life threatening condition after he was found unconscious in a park after a Christmas party. He had suffered a severe head injury and was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge where he is currently recovering.
Pope urges peace, comforts terror victims in Christmas message
Pope Francis urged peace around the world in his traditional Christmas address on Sunday, calling for weapons in Syria to fall silent and offering comfort to victims of terrorism. As Europe ramped up security for the holiday just days after the truck attack that left 12 dead at a Berlin Christmas market, the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics said he hoped for “peace to those who have lost a person dear to them as a result of brutal acts of terrorism”.
Tens of thousands flee Christmas Day typhoon in Philippines
Babies, toddlers and old people were loaded onto military trucks in pouring rain in the Philippines on Sunday as tens of thousands fled the path of a powerful typhoon barrelling towards the disaster-prone archipelago. Officials warned of large coastal waves of up to 2.5-metres high, landslides and flash floods as Nock-Ten closed in on the Bicol peninsula and nearby islands.
Israel to do ‘all it takes’ to emerge unharmed by UN vote
Israel pressed forward with promises of retaliation and damage control Sunday following a U.N. vote last week on an anti-settlement resolution that passed thanks to an abstention by the U.S., Israel’s close ally. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it began summoning the ambassadors of countries who voted in favor of the resolution, including those from the permanent members of the Security Council _ Russia, China, the U.K. and France.
The Latest: Putin declares day of mourning for crash victims
The Latest on the crash of a Russian aircraft with 92 people on board en route to Russia’s air base in Syria : Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a nationwide day of mourning for victims of the crash of a Russian plane that plunged into the sea with 92 people aboard. There appeared to be no survivors after the Tu-154 passenger plane operated by the Russian Defense Ministry crashed into the Black Sea Sunday minutes after taking off from Sochi.
China aircraft carrier to lead Pacific d…
China’s navy sent its sole aircraft carrier into the Pacific for the first time, state media reported — a move likely to ratchet up regional tensions. The duration of the drill and the route of the flotilla were not known.
Russian plane with 92 aboard crashes int…
A Russian plane headed to an air base in Syria with 92 people aboard, including members of the world-famous Russian army choir, crashed into the Black Sea on Sunday minutes after taking off from the city of Sochi, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. There appeared to be no survivors.
‘Hit by drought, Kashmir nomads shifting closer to urban centres’
Jammu, Dec 25 : Hit by unprecedented dry spell in the higher reaches, nomad tribals in Jammu and Kashmir have started shifting to plain areas close to cities and towns in the Jammu region, a tribal rights body said on Sunday. [NK Business] “Facing extreme deficit of fodder for their animals due to insufficient rainfall, the drought-hit families of Gujjars living in hills of Jammu and Kashmir have started shifting along with their cattle towards the plain areas, nearer to cities and towns, in search of cattle feed and water,” the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, representing nomadic tribals, said in a statement.
Money has lost its ‘anonymity’ after demonetisation: Jaitley
New Delhi, Dec 25 : Describing the currency being deposited in banks following last month’s demonetisation of high-value notes as money that has lost its earlier “anonymity”, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said these funds now available with the banks have strengthened the Indian banking system. [NK Business] “The money that is being deposited in cash form after demonetisation… now the anonymity of that money is gone,” Jaitley said at the DigiDhan Mela event here to promote cashless transactions.
Pakistan releases Indian fishermen in bid to ease tensions with Delhi
Pakistan released 220 Indian fishermen on Sunday as a goodwill gesture aimed at easing tensions with its neighbour, officials said. The men were arrested more than a year ago, accused of entering Pakistani waters in an area of the Arabian Sea where the border is unclear.
Tunisia security forces warn of returning extremists
Tunisian women shout slogans during a demonstration outside parliament against allowing Tunisians who joined the ranks of jihadist groups to return to the country, in the capital Tunis on December 24, 2016. / AFP / FETHI BELAID
Ilham Aliyev offers condolences to Russian president
“I am deeply shocked by the news of heavy casualties after the crash of a Tu-154 plane,” the president said in his letter of condolences.
Autohome Inc. (ATHM) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts
Autohome Inc. has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the nine ratings firms that are covering the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company.
My Year in Golf, 2016: Jeff Babineau
Ah, another year in the books. Thirty-plus years into this business, and the calendars are starting to run faster than Usain Bolt.
Queen Elizabeth to miss church service due to heavy cold
Buckingham Palace said Sunday that Queen Elizabeth will miss the traditional Christmas morning church service as she continues to recover from a heavy cold. The church service near her Sandringham estate in rural Norfolk, 177 kilometres north of London, is an important part of the royal Christmas celebration.
Russian military plan crashes, all 92 on board dead
A Russian military plane with 92 people on board has crashed into the Black Sea. No survivors have been reported.
The global wave of populism that turned 2016 upside down
If you had to sum up 2016 in one word, you might choose “populism.” Once rarely used outside the academic halls of political science departments, that word has been fully cemented in the mainstream this year as shock-voting results emerged around the world.
Performers headed to Syria lost in deadly Russian plane crash
A Russian military plane carrying members of the country’s official choir traveling to perform in Syria has crashed in the Black Sea near Sochi. There are apparently no survivors, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
German town evacuates on Christmas morning for WWII bomb
Police help a man to leave his apartment in Augsburg, Germany as the town was evacuated so authorities could disarm a World War II bomb. FRANKFURT, Germany – Thousands of people in the southern German city of Augsburg have left Christmas presents and decorations behind, forced to evacuate while authorities disarm a large World War II aerial bomb.
George Mitchel at the Commitent to Life Aids benefit concert on Jan….
George Michael, the English singer-songwriter who shot to stardom as a teen idol in the 1980s as half of the pop duo Wham! and went on to become one of the era’s biggest pop solo artists with hits such as “Faith” and “I Want Your Sex,” died over the Christmas holiday, The Associated Press has confirmed. He was 53. Michael, whose career was marred by a 1998 arrest for engaging in a lewd act in a Beverly Hills park restroom, died peacefully at home, his publicist said.
Abbas welcomes UN resolution, calls on Israel to talk peace
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas congratulates Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa , apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, during the Christmas Midnight Mass in Saint Catherine’s Church at the Church of the Nativity, on December 25, 2016 in Bethlehem, West Bank Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday night that the UN Security Council’s resolution condemning Israeli settlements was a step in the right direction for his people, asserting that it posited the “legal basics” for a two-state solution to the conflict and appealing to Israel to make peace.
Six British ex-soldiers to spend another Christmas in ‘hell hole’ Indian jail
Six British ex-soldiers will spend Christmas Day in a “hell hole” Indian jail after their hopes of coming home were dashed again. The six, who a British lawyer says are victims of a miscarriage of justice, hoped their appeal in court last month would allow them to be reunited with their loved ones back home for the first time in four years.
Teens’ tales of PT3 trials and triumphs
He was among the 15-year-olds across the nation who obtained the Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga results last Monday. They are the third batch to sit for the PT3 introduced in 2014.
Chandigarh, neighbouring areas receive showers
Chandigarh, Dec 25 : Giving a break to a prolonged dry spell this winter, Chandigarh and parts of neighbouring Punjab and Haryana received rainfall early on Sunday. [NK Punjab] The rain came as a relief on the occasion of Christmas for revellers who were planning to drive to hill stations like Shimla and Kasauli in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.
Sri Lanka claims world’s tallest artificial Christmas tree
A Sri Lankan family takes photographs standing near an enormous artificial Christmas tree as others gather around it in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016. Sri Lanka has unveiled a towering Christmas tree, claiming to have surpassed the world record for the tallest artificial Christmas tree.
Enhanced Energy: ONR Global Seeks More Powerful Electronic Devices
Washington, DC – Groundbreaking energy research from the United Arab Emirates, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research Global , is the focus of an article published this week in the acclaimed Nature Magazine journal “Scientific Reports.” Dr. Ammar Nayfeh’s article reveals unique use of zinc oxide to improve semiconductors and energy output in electronic devices.
Faith-filled New Zealanders still keep Christ at the centre of Christmas
It was a full house at St Mary’s Peace Hall in New Plymouth with parishioners flocking to celebrate Christmas with their church community. It was the first Christmas service following the closure of the cathedral earlier this year, which stands as the oldest stone church in New Zealand but requires an extensive amount of earthquake strengthening.
The Latest: Trumps attend church services on Christmas Eve
Trump on Thursday abruptly called for the United States to “greatly strengthen and expand… The president-elect and his wife, Melania, arrived Saturday night at the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea. The soon-to-be first couple were married at the church in 2005.
Faithful celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem
Thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world together with local Christians gathered in the biblical town of Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas Eve in the traditional birthplace of Jesus, with spirits lifted by a slowdown in recent violence and cool, clear weather. Security was tight in Bethlehem after recent deadly attacks on Christian targets in neighboring Egypt and Jordan by Islamic extremists.
Israela s Netanyahu lashes out at Obama over UN vote
Israel’s prime minister lashed out at President Barack Obama on Saturday, accusing him of a “shameful ambush” at the United Nations over West Bank settlements and saying he is looking forward to working with his “friend” President-elect Donald Trump. Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments came a day after the United States broke with past practice and allowed the U.N. Security Council to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem as a “flagrant violation” of international law.
LDS missionary dies in South Africa
A full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from New Zealand, serving in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission, died on Dec. 23. Elder Nofo-I-Lelenga Latu, 19, from the Auckland New Zealand Tamaki Stake, Clover Park Ward, died of injuries sustained in a car accident. He was traveling with three other missionaries, who are being treated for minor injuries.
Sri Lanka claims worlda s tallest artificial Christmas tree
The tree costs $80,000 and was criticized by the Catholic Church as a “waste of money.” The church suggested that the funds better be spent on helping the poor.
Woman, teen tied to Islamist militant group blow themselves up
Bangladesh policemen cover their nose to protect themselves from the smell of teargas during a raid in a building in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s home minister says a woman and a teenager thought to be linked with a banned Islamist militant group have blown themselves up during a police raid on a two-story house in the nation’s capital.
Sri Lanka unveils artificial Christmas tree it claims is world’s tallest
A Sri Lankan family takes photographs standing near an enormous artificial Christmas tree as others gather around it in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016.
Thousands of faithful celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem
To continue reading up to 10 premium articles, you must register , or sign up and take advantage of this exclusive offer: A Palestinian dressed as Santa Claus takes a picture on Christmas Eve in Manger Square, outside the Church of the Nativity, built atop the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016. BETHLEHEM, West Bank – Thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world together with local Christians gathered in the biblical town of Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas Eve in the traditional birthplace of Jesus, with spirits lifted by a slowdown in recent violence and cool, clear weather.