Bank stocks in Spain dropped Wednesday, as lenders faced the prospect of repaying billions of euros to borrowers after losing a European court case. The European Court of Justice decided that borrowers should be eligible for full reimbursements of excess interest payments on variable-rate mortgages.
Millionaire given life sentence for murdering escort girlfriend
A multi-millionaire property developer who brutally strangled his escort girlfriend after learning of her plans to blackmail him has been jailed for life. Peter Morgan, 54, will spend at least 25 years in prison for murdering Georgina Symonds, 25, at her home in Llanmartin, Newport.
Wolfpack trialists take spoils with late winner at Brighouse
Action from the trial match between Brighouse Rangers and Toronto Wolfpack, which attracted a record crowd of over 1,000 to Russell Way – Picture: Keith McGhie A RECORD crowd for their Russell Way ground of over 1,000 watched Brighouse Rangers give Toronto Wolfpack’s trialists the sternest of tests before the Canadian side edged home 28-26. Only a late breakaway try from Nathan Campbell gave a mud-splattered Wolfpack select team, who have been nicknamed ‘Benetton’ by their coaching staff as their players have come from Jamaica, Canada and the United States, the spoils.
After IMF, EU disburses 45 mln euros of aid to Moldova
Dec 21 The European Commission said on Wednesday it had disbursed 45.3 million euros of aid to Moldova, noting the government’s efforts to restore economic stability and reform an opaque banking system. It follows the International Monetary Fund approving a three-year loan programme for Moldova in November, worth $178.7 million, that had been frozen after a $1 billion corruption scandal plunged the ex-Soviet republic into turmoil.
After IMF, EU disburses 45 mln euros of aid to Moldova
Dec 21 The European Commission said on Wednesday it had disbursed 45.3 million euros of aid to Moldova, noting the government’s efforts to restore economic stability and reform an opaque banking system. It follows the International Monetary Fund approving a three-year loan programme for Moldova in November, worth $178.7 million, that had been frozen after a $1 billion corruption scandal plunged the ex-Soviet republic into turmoil.
Final victory for campaigners as Government rules against development of inner city woodland
CAMPAIGNERS in the long-running battle to save an inner-city woodland from development have won their fight as ministers rule against the plans. Opponents of the plan to build around 100 town houses on the site in Glasgow’s west end have been informed by the Scottish Government that it has refused planning permission, marking a victory in the five-year campaign for residents and their high-profile supporters.
Chinese builder in $3.4b agreement for UK homes
China National Building Materials Group Corp struck a 2.75-billion-pound joint venture deal on Monday to open six highly cost-efficient pre-fabricated house-building factories in the United Kingdom, capable of producing 25,000 homes a year. The new homes built by the joint venture will reduce construction costs to a target of 400 pounds per square meter, significantly less than the 1,000 pounds per sq m average in the UK market.
Swedish Ikea warns: Sleepover in stores equals trespassing
Ikea is urging teenagers to stop creeping into its stores and having illegal sleepovers. About 10 “non-sponsored sleepovers” have been logged across the world by the Swedish flat-pack furniture giant this year.
Swedish Ikea warns: Sleepover in stores equals trespassing
Ikea is urging teenagers to stop creeping into its stores and having illegal sleepovers. About 10 “non-sponsored sleepovers” have been logged across the world by the Swedish flat-pack furniture giant this year.
Old papers shed new light on South Korea deal with Lockheed Martin
Letters to former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il from South Korean President Park Geun -hye are shedding light on how Park navigated inter-Korea relations during her years as a lawmaker. The letters and draft documents, obtained by South Korean magazine Weekly Kyunghyang in March and October, are being considered again from a different perspective in the wake of the political scandal that has culminated in Park’s impeachment and the trial of her influential friend Choi Soon-sil.
Old papers shed new light on South Korea deal with Lockheed Martin
Letters to former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il from South Korean President Park Geun -hye are shedding light on how Park navigated inter-Korea relations during her years as a lawmaker. The letters and draft documents, obtained by South Korean magazine Weekly Kyunghyang in March and October, are being considered again from a different perspective in the wake of the political scandal that has culminated in Park’s impeachment and the trial of her influential friend Choi Soon-sil.
Routine drug screening should be done in primary care settings: Study
A new study by UCLA is calling for routine drug testing in primary care settings in areas where misuse of drugs is prevalent. Researchers found that 19.4 percent of people answering a computerized self-administered survey in community clinics in East Los Angeles admitted to moderate-to-high drug use.
Routine drug screening should be done in primary care settings: Study
A new study by UCLA is calling for routine drug testing in primary care settings in areas where misuse of drugs is prevalent. Researchers found that 19.4 percent of people answering a computerized self-administered survey in community clinics in East Los Angeles admitted to moderate-to-high drug use.
LeEco plans to target high-value added customers
Chinese internet major LeEco said on Tuesday that its TV business will open content and platform resources to more third-party partners, with an expectation that its revenue from non-hardware will reach over 20 billion yuan in the next three years. LeEco announced the 2017 to 2019 strategy for its large-screen TV business, emphasizing it will continue to target high-value users, stick to its “open eco” concept and use the US market as the base of global operations.
Ukraine’s Antonov rolls out first AN-132D aircraft
The plane was rolled out during a ceremony attended by high-ranking government officials, including Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko and Saudi Prince Turki bin Saud bin Muhoammed Al Saud. Poroshenko presented an optimistic vision for aircraft during a speech.
Argentina, Britain agree to identify bodies from Falklands War
Argentina and Britain have agreed to identify the bodies buried on the disputed Falkland Islands after the 1982 war, both nations’ foreign ministers announced. Forensic experts from the International Committee of the Red Cross will take DNA samples from the soldiers’ bodies as part of the agreement signed Tuesday in London by British Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan and Argentinian Vice Foreign Minister Pedro Delgado.
Argentina, Britain agree to identify bodies from Falklands War
Argentina and Britain have agreed to identify the bodies buried on the disputed Falkland Islands after the 1982 war, both nations’ foreign ministers announced. Forensic experts from the International Committee of the Red Cross will take DNA samples from the soldiers’ bodies as part of the agreement signed Tuesday in London by British Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan and Argentinian Vice Foreign Minister Pedro Delgado.
Petra Kvitova could return to tennis in about 6 months
A woman crosses a street in front of the house where Czech tennis player Petra Kvitova has been attatcked and injured in her flat in Prostejov, 260 kilometres east of Prague, on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016. Two-time Wimbledon cham… .
Petra Kvitova could return to tennis in about 6 months
A woman crosses a street in front of the house where Czech tennis player Petra Kvitova has been attatcked and injured in her flat in Prostejov, 260 kilometres east of Prague, on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016. Two-time Wimbledon cham… .
Michele Morgan, French movie icon and Cannes winner, dies at age 96
French screen legend Michele Morgan, who starred in some 70 movies and took home the best actress prize at the first-ever Cannes film festival, died on Tuesday, aged 96, her family said. An icon of glamour, Morgan was remembered for a regal azure gaze which she first turned on Jean Gabin as an 18-year-old ingenue in “Port of Shadows” , a 1938 gangster movie.
Moscow doubts killer of ambassador was a lone wolf
The spokesman for President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday indicated that Moscow doesn’t believe the gunman who killed Russia’s ambassador to Turkey acted on his own, but refused to explain the reasons for the suspicion. “We shouldn’t rush with any theories before the investigators establish who were behind the assassination of our ambassador,” said spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who offered no suggestions about who those people might be.
Moscow doubts killer of ambassador was a lone wolf
The spokesman for President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday indicated that Moscow doesn’t believe the gunman who killed Russia’s ambassador to Turkey acted on his own, but refused to explain the reasons for the suspicion. “We shouldn’t rush with any theories before the investigators establish who were behind the assassination of our ambassador,” said spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who offered no suggestions about who those people might be.
Iran’s national security and the Development Fund
Iran’s National Development Fund seems to be growing into a useful tool to secure the country against rampant terrorism that is knocking at its doors. Iranian officials have realized that economic underdevelopment has provided justification for the youth in neighboring countries to join terrorist groups.
Jog your way into a healthy 2017
If you’re determined to turn over a new leaf in 2017 – you want to feel healthier and better about yourself or lose a few pounds and make some new friends – then jog your way into January. Anyone who is new to jogging, or has not run for a long time, can be guided through a series of gentle walking and jogging programmes led by a qualified Jog Derbyshire leader.
Jog your way into a healthy 2017
If you’re determined to turn over a new leaf in 2017 – you want to feel healthier and better about yourself or lose a few pounds and make some new friends – then jog your way into January. Anyone who is new to jogging, or has not run for a long time, can be guided through a series of gentle walking and jogging programmes led by a qualified Jog Derbyshire leader.
The woman had been trying to rescue her dog when she also became stuck
Crews from Ely and Cambridge were called out to save a dog and its owner after they became stuck in a sluice gate in Lark Bank, near Prickwillow. A specialist team of firefighters arrived at the scene at 5.55pm last night , where crews trained in water and animal rescues wore dry suits to enter the water which had collected in the drainage system.
The Chinese are coming
Tech companies in China are coming to Cambridge next month with the aim of working closer with the city’s tech cluster. “The synergy resulting might in some cases change the world and clearly, many areas of activity will move forward faster through a “better together” approach than through needless competition,” says Alan Barrell, a professor in China and veteran Cambridge businessman.
Surreal’ declared Merriam-Webster’s 2016 word of the year
Surreal, meaning “marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream” was looked up so much by online users that Merriam-Webster dubbed it the 2016 word of the year. Surreal joined the Oxford English Dictionary’s “post-truth” and Dictionary.com’s “xenophobia” as top words of the year.
Norwich church hosts production of A Christmas Carol
Moss Banks Productions is presenting a stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at St John Maddermarket Church, in Norwich. Photo: supplied by Moss Banks Productions.
Weak UK pound an early Christmas present for Irish shoppers
A border crossing south of Newry, Northern Ireland, is marked only by billboards for money-changing kiosks and cut-price fuel in this image taken Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. The introduction of the European Union common market allowed the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom to remove all customs searches and import restrictions from the 310-mile Irish border a quarter-century ago.
Reports: Kids injured in deadly Mexico blast sent to Galveston…
This image made from video recorded from a passing car shows an explosion ripping through the San Pablito fireworks’ market in Tultepec, Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016. Sirens wailed and a heavy scent of gunpowder lingered in the air after the afternoon blast at the market, where most of the fireworks stalls were completely leveled.
Here’s why Uddhav Thackeray will be sharing the stage with PM Modi for the first time
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, whose party had boycotted a function involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year, will attend the public function in Mumbai on December 24 to be addressed by Modi. The Prime Minister, after laying the foundation stone for two Metro rail projects, elevated rail corridors project, the Mumbai Trans Harbour link and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj memorial off Arabian Sea, will address a public function in suburban Bandra-Kurla Complex .
Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das in race for Sebi chief post
Three senior bureaucrats, including Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das, are believed to be in contention for the post of capital market regulator Sebi chairman after the extended tenure of incumbent U K Sinha ends early next year. The process for choosing the next chief of the Securities and Exchange Board of India started in September and the government has received many applications.
ORYZON Receives a New 0.8M USD Public Grant to Explore New Indications for Epigenetic Inhibitors
Oryzon will receive approximately 0.8M USD for further development of its epigenetic inhibitors against inflammatory indications. This grant will cover the partial funding of a project entitled “Epigenetic regulation of the inflammatory response” that is currently being carried out under the leadership of Oryzon in collaboration with various well renowned academic institutions such as the Cajal Institute , the Lopez Neira Institute , Bosch i Gimpera Foundation and the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Russia ‘determined to fight terror’ after envoy’s assassination
Russia warned it will not make “concessions to terrorists” a day after its ambassador was gunned down in the Turkish capital, Ankara. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his country remained “determined to fight terrorism” after a meeting Tuesday in Moscow with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts.
Afghan Taliban reiterate demands for peace talks with US
A spokesman for the Afghan Taliban says the group is ready for peace talks with the United States, if their demands are met. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said earlier this week that their two conditions for peace talks are the removal of the group leader’s name from the U.N. blacklist and the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan.
Ravindra Jadeja confident of strong overseas show in 2017
Signing off on a positive note, in what has been an exceptional year for the Indian cricket team, star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Wednesday promised that they will try to shed the “poor travellers” tag in 2017. “Me and my team want to promise our fans around the world that India will put up a good show overseas in 2017.
Council agrees to sell land to Heights school
A NEW school is set to be built on a public sports ground in Caversham. Reading Borough Council has agreed to sell a section of Mapledurham playing fields, off Woodcote Road, as a permanent site for the Heights Free School.
Narendra Modi got kickbacks from Sahara and Birla, claims Rahul Gandhi
Mehsana : Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister had taken money from Sahara and Birla groups and demanded an independent inquiry into it, a charge BJP rejected as an attempt to divert attention from the AgustaWestland probe in which the names of Congress leaders and the “family” were coming up. Addressing a rally in Mehsana in the Prime Minister’s home state, he alleged that in the I-T records there are notings of Sahara officials’ claims that they had paid 9 times to Modi between October, 2013 and February, 2014.
Swindon author writes what he likes to read
Jim Ody, 40, is the author of two self-published thrillers, Lost Connections and The Place that Never Existed. He recently had a story printed in an anthology called Dark Minds, sold in aid of charities Hospice UK and Sophie’s Appeal, where it appears alongside works by other authors including Amazon best-seller Louise Jensen.