31 January 2017

John Wetton of rock group Asia has died aged 67

In this Thursday, April 17, 2008 file photo, John Wetton performs with the band Asia at a music store in New York. Singer and bassist John Wetton of the rock group Asia has died. He was 67. A statement from his publicist, Glass Onyon PR, says Wetton died Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017 from colon cancer.
Singer and bassist John Wetton of the rock group Asia has died. He was 67.

A statement from his publicist, Glass Onyon PR, says Wetton died Tuesday from colon cancer.

Wetton was a founding member of Asia. He rose to fame as part of English rock band King Crimson in the 1970s.

UK pardons thousands convicted under past anti-gay laws

In this Thursday, March 19, 2015 file photo, a notebook of British mathematician Alan Turing is displayed in front of his portrait during an auction preview in Hong Kong. Thousands of men convicted under now-abolished anti-homosexuality laws in Britain have been pardoned posthumously under a law passed on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017 and many more still alive can now apply to have their criminal convictions wiped out. Calls for a general pardon have noted the 1954 suicide of World War II codebreaking hero Alan Turing after his conviction for "gross indecency." After he received a posthumous royal pardon in 2013, pressure for pardons intensified.
Thousands of men convicted under now-abolished anti-homosexuality laws in Britain have been pardoned posthumously under a law enacted on Tuesday, and many more still alive can now apply to have their criminal convictions wiped out.
Announcing the new law, the Ministry of Justice said the pardons apply automatically to deceased men who were convicted for consensual same-sex relations before homosexuality was decriminalized several decades ago. Men living with convictions can apply to the government to have their names cleared.

Miss France crowned Miss Universe in Philippines

Iris Mittenaere of France blows kisses to the crowd after being proclaimed the Miss Universe 2016 in coronation Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, at the Mall of Asia in suburban Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines.
A 24-year-old dental student from France won the Miss Universe crown Monday in a pageant held in the Philippines, saying her triumph will make the beauty contest more popular in Europe and help her efforts to put more underprivileged children in school.
Iris Mittenaere from Lille city in northern France buried her face in her hands in shock and joy as the outgoing winner from the Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach, crowned her and the crowd erupted in cheers at the packed Mall of Asia Arena by Manila Bay.

30 January 2017

Walgreens slashes offer for Rite Aid, pushes back deadline

In this June 4, 2014, file photo, a person walks by a Walgreens retail store in Boston. Walgreens and Rite Aid are scrapping their acquisition agreement for an amended deal that calls for a lower price and the sale of up to 1,200 stores to ease regulatory worries about competition. The drugstore chains said Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, that Walgreens will buy shares of Rite Aid for $6.50 to $7 per share, depending on how many stores they need to divest.
Walgreens substantially lowered its offering price for drugstore rival Rite Aid and, facing resistance from U.S. regulators, raised the number of stores it would be willing to unload to ease monopoly concerns.
The companies initially expected to sell no more than 500 stores, but that was pushed to 1,200 under the new terms announced Monday.

29 January 2017

Federer beats Nadal in epic Aussie final to win 18th major

Switzerland's Roger Federer celebrates after defeating compatriot Stan Wawrinka during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017.
So here was Roger Federer, down a break in the fifth set in a Grand Slam final. Across the net was his nemesis, Rafael Nadal, the left-handed Spaniard he hadn't been able to beat in a major final in almost a decade.
The 35-year-old father of four was back in his first tour-level tournament after six months off letting his injured left knee recover, and he hadn't won any of the big four events in tennis since Wimbledon 2012. Nadal was returning from injury, too, and somehow the pair had renewed the Roger-Rafa rivalry in a throwback Australian Open final that transcended sport.

US judge bars deportations under Trump travel ban

President Donald Trump signs an executive order on extreme vetting during an event at the Pentagon in Washington, Friday, Jan. 27, 2017.
A federal judge issued an emergency order Saturday night temporarily barring the U.S. from deporting people from nations subject to President Donald Trump's travel ban, saying travelers who had been detained had a strong argument that their legal rights had been violated.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement early Sunday that said the court order would not affect the overall implementation of the White House order and the court order affected a small number of travelers who were inconvenienced by security procedures upon their return.

'Perry Mason' actress Barbara Hale dies at 94

Barbara Hale, a movie actress who found her most famous role on television as steadfast secretary Della Street in the long-running "Perry Mason" series, has died. She was 94.
Hale was surrounded by family when she died Thursday at her Los Angeles area home, said Jaqueline Stander, an agent for Hale's son, actor William Katt ("The Greatest American Hero," ''Carrie").

Knights of Malta: Pope writes to stress order's sovereignty

In this June 23, 2016 file photo, Pope Francis delivers his blessing during his meeting with Grand Master of the Knights of Malta Matthew Festing, left, at the Vatican. The Knights of Malta is still insisting on its sovereignty in its showdown with the Vatican, even after Pope Francis effectively took control of the ancient religious order and announced a papal delegate would govern it through a "process of renewal."
Pope Francis has reassured the Knights of Malta, an ancient Catholic lay order, about its sovereignty, even as a special papal delegate will work to ensure the "spiritual renewal" of its members, after revelations its charity component had distributed condoms.
The order's Sovereign Council in Rome on Saturday accepted the resignation of Grand Master Fra' Matthew Festing, who had sacked the order's foreign minister, Albrecht von Boeselager. The minister was removed as grand chancellor following revelations that condoms were distributed in Myanmar under his watch.

28 January 2017

Many Clouds, winner of 2015 Grand National, dies after race

Many Clouds ridden by Leighton Aspell, right, jump an early fence in company with Thistlecrack ridden by Tom Scudamore before going on to win The Cotswold Chase Race run during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse, in Cheltenham, England, Saturday Jan. 28, 2017. Many Clouds, the winner of Britain’s 2015 Grand National, has collapsed and died after winning a race at Cheltenham on Saturday. Having won the Cotswold Chase by a head, Many Clouds fell after the winning post and was treated by veterinary staff before his death was confirmed.
Many Clouds, the winner of Britain's 2015 Grand National, collapsed and died after producing one final stunning victory on Saturday.
At Cheltenham, Many Clouds shocked Thistlecrack to win the Cotswold Chase by a head before falling after the winning post. He was treated by veterinary staff before his death was confirmed.

Oscar-nominated Emmanuelle Riva dies in Paris, age 89

In this Sunday, May,20, 2012 file photo, actress Emmanuelle Riva speaks during a press conference for the film Love, at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France. Riva, a French star of screen and stage nominated for an Academy Award for best actress in 2013, has died. She was 89. Riva died Friday, Jan, 27, 2017 in a clinic in Paris, after a long illness, her agent, Anne Alvares Correa, told The Associated Press.
Emmanuelle Riva, a French star of screen and stage who was nominated for an Academy Award for best actress in 2013, has died. She was 89.
Riva died Friday afternoon in a Paris clinic after a long illness, her agent, Anne Alvares Correa, told The Associated Press.
Riva was Oscar-nominated for her role in "Amour, " Michael Haneke's brutal depiction of an aging couple.

23: Serena Williams sets major record with win over Venus

Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk makes a backhand return in the girls singles final against Switzerland's Rebeka Masarova at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017.
Serena Williams held up a Grand Slam winner's trophy for the 23rd time, celebrating her unrivalled place in history, and received a congratulatory letter and a pair of custom-made shoes from Michael Jordan, the name most synonymous with No. 23.
Venus Williams got to watch from close range again, and shed tears more of joy than regret after being beaten in a major final for the seventh time by her record-breaking younger sister.

John Hurt, Oscar nominated for "The Elephant Man" dies at 77

This Sep. 13, 2011, shows British actor and cast member John Hurt arriving for the UK film premiere of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" at the BFI Southbank in London. The great and versatile actor Hurt, who could move audiences to tears in “The Elephant Man,” terrify them in “Alien,” and spoof that very same scene in “Spaceballs,” has died at age 77. Hurt, who battled pancreatic cancer, passed away Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, in London according to his agent Charles McDonald.
The versatile actor Sir John Hurt, who could move audiences to tears in "The Elephant Man," terrify them in "Alien," and spoof that very same scene in "Spaceballs," has died. He was 77.
Hurt, who battled pancreatic cancer, died Friday in London according to his agent Charles McDonald.

Trump orders strict new refugee screening, citing terrorists

Protester Gregory Saint-Jean holds a sign during a rally against President Donald Trump's executive order on Muslim immigration, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2017, in downtown Miami. Protesters manifested their opposition to Trump's executive order restricting immigration from some Middle Eastern and African countries.
President Donald Trump on Friday barred all refugees from entering the United States for four months — and those from war-ravaged Syria indefinitely — declaring the ban necessary to prevent "radical Islamic terrorists" from entering the nation.
The order immediately suspended a program that last year resettled to the U.S. roughly 85,000 people displaced by war, political oppression, hunger and religious prejudice. Trump indefinitely blocked all those fleeing Syria, where a civil war has displaced millions of people, and imposed a 90-day ban on entry to the U.S. from seven Muslim majority nations.

Knights of Malta insist on sovereignty amid papal takeover

The Knights of Malta is still insisting on its sovereignty in its showdown with the Vatican, even after Pope Francis effectively took control of the ancient religious order and announced a papal delegate would govern it through a "process of renewal."
The Knights' current grand master, Fra' Matthew Festing, was at work Friday at the order's swanky Rome palazzo near the Spanish Steps, pending a meeting of his governing council to either accept or reject his resignation.

27 January 2017

'Mannix' star Mike Connors dies at 91

This Jan. 15, 1997 file photo, actor Mike Connors, right, appears with actor Dick Van Dyke during an episode of the television show "Diagnosis Murder," in Los Angeles. Connors, who played a hard-hitting private eye on the long-running TV series "Mannix," has died at age 91. His son-in-law, Mike Condon, says the actor died Thursday afternoon, Jan. 26, 2017, at a Los Angeles hospital from recently-diagnosed leukemia.
Mike Connors, who starred as a hard-hitting private eye on the long-running television series "Mannix," has died. He was 91.
The actor died surrounded by family Thursday afternoon at a Los Angeles hospital from complications of leukemia that had been diagnosed a week earlier, said his son-in-law, Mike Condon.
"Mannix" ran for eight years on CBS beginning in 1967. Viewers were intrigued by the tall, smartly dressed, well-spoken detective who could mix it up with the burliest of thugs and leap on the hood of a racing car to prevent an escape. Episodes normally climaxed with a brawl that left the culprits bruised and beaten.

Throngs cheer new president's triumphant return to Gambia

In this file photo dated Thursday, Jan 19, 2017, Adama Barrow, left, is sworn in as President of Gambia at Gambia's embassy in Dakar, Senegal. Gambia's new President Adama Barrow will return home Thursday Jan 26, 2017, after a political crisis that sent its longtime leader into exile.
President Adama Barrow returned triumphantly to Gambia on Thursday, nearly two months after winning an election disputed by the country's longtime dictator, to the cheers of hundreds of thousands who jammed the roads in welcome.
"That's my president!" the crowds cried, eager to see Barrow fulfill the promise of democratic reforms and newfound freedoms in this tiny West African nation.

26 January 2017

Pope takes over Knights of Malta after condom dispute

In this Feb. 9, 2013 file photo, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta Matthew Festing waits for the start of a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Tacisio Bertone, not pictured, to mark the 900th anniversary of the Order of the Knights of Malta, at the Vatican. Festing resigned after entering into a public spat with Pope Francis over the ouster of a top official involved in a condom scandal, a spokeswoman for the ancient lay Catholic order said on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017.
Pope Francis on Wednesday seized control of the Knights of Malta, and action that amounts to one sovereign country annexing another, if on a very small scale.

Here's what led to the takeover and what it means for the Knights, the Vatican and the Catholic Church.
WHO ARE THEY?
The Knights of Malta is an ancient lay Catholic religious order that runs hospitals and clinics around the world. It counts 3,500 members and 100,000 staff and volunteers who lend first aid in war zones, natural disasters and conflict areas; members also make regular pilgrimages bringing the sick to Catholic shrines.

24 January 2017

Trump moves to pull US out of big Asia trade deal

President Donald Trump speaks while hosting a breakfast with business leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. At left is Wendell P. Weeks, Chief Executive Officer of Corning, at right is Alex Gorsky Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson.
Charting a new American course abroad, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the sweeping Trans-Pacific Partnership on Monday, using one of his first actions in office to reject a centerpiece of Barack Obama's attempts to counter China and deepen U.S. ties in Asia.
Trump's move on trade aimed to fulfill a central campaign promise even as he appeared to be fixated on re-litigating the 2016 election.

Trump undoes parts of Obama agenda with executive actions

Vice President Mike Pence, left, and National Trade Council adviser Peter Navarro, right, wait for President Donald Trump to sign three executive orders, Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.
President Donald Trump signed three executive memorandums on Monday, kicking off his first full week in the White House by undoing parts of his predecessor's agenda and renewing a longtime Republican priority on abortion funding.
Trump signed a memorandum that freezes hiring for some federal government workers, a notice to abandon the proposed Pacific Rim trade pact known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and another executive action to reinstate a ban on providing federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option.

Federal judge swats Aetna-Humana insurer combo

This Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014, file photo, shows signage in front of Aetna Inc.'s headquarters in Hartford, Conn. A federal judge has rejected health insurer Aetna’s plan to buy rival Humana for about $34 billion and become a major player in the market for Medicare Advantage coverage. U.S. District Judge John Bates said in an opinion filed Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, that he largely agrees with federal regulators who contended that such a combination would hurt competition.
A federal judge has rejected health insurer Aetna's bid to buy rival Humana on grounds that the deal would hurt competition in hundreds of Medicare Advantage markets, ultimately affecting the price consumers pay for coverage.
U.S. District Judge John Bates said in an opinion filed Monday that federal regulation would probably be "insufficient to prevent the merged firm from raising prices or reducing benefits," and neither new competitors nor an Aetna plan to sell some of the combined company's business to another insurer, Molina Healthcare Inc., would be enough to ease competitive concerns.

Amnesty urges Egypt to investigate Sinai killings by police

Egypt must launch an independent and thorough investigation into the recent killing of 10 men by security forces in the Sinai Peninsula, Amnesty International said on Monday.
The government announced earlier this month that the 10 had been killed in a shootout in the northern Sinai city of al-Arish. But in a Monday statement, the London-based advocacy group repeated what the families of the slain men already claim — that at least six of them had already been in police custody for weeks before their deaths.

22 January 2017

At least 32 killed, 50 injured as train derails in India

In this image from video, rescuers stand around coaches of a derailed passenger train in Kuneru, Andhra Pradesh, southern India, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. Seven coaches were thrown off the tracks around midnight Saturday after a Hirakand Express train derailed, killing over 20 people.
An overnight passenger train derailed in southern India, killing at least 32 people and injuring 50 others in the latest accident to hit the country's massive, disaster-prone rail network.
Seven coaches of the Hirakand Express were thrown off the tracks around midnight Saturday, some landing on a goods train that was on a parallel track, said Divisional Railway manager Chandralekha Mukherji.

Over 1 million join anti-Trump women's marches worldwide

Demonstrators march on the street near a security checkpoint inaugural entrance, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in Washington, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. Protesters pitching diverse causes but united against the incoming president are making their mark on Inauguration Day.
In a global exclamation of defiance and solidarity, more than 1 million people rallied at women's marches in the nation's capital and cities around the world Saturday to send President Donald Trump an emphatic message on his first full day in office that they won't let his agenda go unchallenged.
"Welcome to your first day, we will not go away!" marchers in Washington chanted.

21 January 2017

Bomb blast kill 22, wounds at least 50 in northwest Pakistan

Pakistani Shiite Muslims attend the funeral prayer of the victims of bomb blast at a mosque in Parachinar, the capital of Pakistan's Kurram tribal region, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017. A bomb exploded in a market in a northwest tribal region that borders Afghanistan, killing more than 20 and wounding dozens. The explosion took place when the market was crowded with retailers buying fruits and vegetables from a wholesale shop, officials said.
A bomb exploded Saturday in a market in a northwest tribal region bordering Afghanistan, killing 22 people and wounding at least 50, officials said.
Dr. Sabir Hussain at the main hospital in Parachinar, the capital of Pakistan's Kurram tribal region, said two more wounded victims died in the hospital, increasing the death toll.

Trump takes charge, assertive but untested 45th US president

President-elect Donald Trump, left, and his wife Melania Trump arrive to the "Make America Great Again Welcome Concert" at the Lincoln Memorial, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Washington.
Pledging emphatically to empower America's "forgotten men and women," Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday, taking command of a riven nation facing an unpredictable era under his assertive but untested leadership.
Under cloudy, threatening skies at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, Trump painted a bleak picture of the America he now leads, declaring as he had throughout the election campaign that it is beset by crime, poverty and a lack of bold action. The billionaire businessman and reality television star — the first president who had never held political office or high military rank — promised to stir a "new national pride" and protect America from the "ravages" of countries he says have stolen U.S. jobs.

20 January 2017

'NCIS: Los Angeles' star Miguel Ferrer dies at 61

This image released by CBS shows Miguel Ferrer in character as NCIS Assistant Director Owen Granger in "NCIS: Los Angeles." Ferrer, who brought stern authority to his featured role on CBS’ hit drama “NCIS: Los Angeles” and, before that, to “Crossing Jordan,” died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, of cancer at his Los Angeles home. He was 61.
Miguel Ferrer, who brought stern authority to his featured role on CBS' hit "NCIS: Los Angeles" and, before that, to NBC crime drama "Crossing Jordan," has died.
CBS said Ferrer died Thursday of cancer at his Los Angeles home. He was 61.
           He had played assistant director Owen Granger on "NCIS: Los Angeles" since 2012. Before that, he played the chief medical examiner and gruff-but-supportive boss to series star Jill Hennessy for the six seasons of "Crossing Jordan."

Iran shocked by deadly fire, collapse of Tehran high-rise

Iranians watch the Plasco building where smoke rises from its windows in central Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. The high-rise building engulfed by a fire collapsed on Thursday as scores of firefighters battled the blaze.
A historic high-rise building in the heart of Iran's capital caught fire and later collapsed Thursday, killing at least 30 firefighters and leaving their stunned colleagues and bystanders weeping in the streets.
The disaster at the 17-story Plasco building, inadvertently shown live on state television, came after authorities said they repeatedly warned tenants about blocking stairwells with fabric from cramped garment workshops on its upper floors.

19 January 2017

S. Koreans' ties with Samsung are lifelong, often conflicted

In this Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, photo, Lee Jae-yong, center, a vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co. arrives for the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea. Many South Koreans were shocked at the sight of Lee being dragged into custody and then released when a court declined to formally arrest him. Its quite difficult for outsiders to fully grasp how Samsung is inextricably woven into the psychological fabric of this small, proud country.
The family smartphones? An assortment of Samsung Galaxies. The flat-screen TV that illuminates the living room? A Samsung SUHD, with the brand name sparkling on the nameplate. The maker of the digital toilet seat? You guessed it: Samsung.
It's difficult for people outside South Korea to fully grasp what Samsung, a truly global brand, means inside its home country, where it is far more than just another big company. It is seen variously as both a talisman and a millstone, as national savior and greedy business behemoth. Those diverse views only intensified Thursday when a court rejected prosecutors' request to arrest Samsung heir and Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong in the corruption scandal surrounding impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

Court denies a request to arrest Samsung's de facto head

Lee Jae-yong, a vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co. gets into a car as he leaves after waiting for the court's decision in front of a detention center in Uiwang, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A Seoul court denied a request to arrest Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, allowing Lee to return home, a setback to prosecutors investigating an influence-peddling scandal that toppled South Korea's president.
A Seoul court on Thursday denied a request to arrest one of South Korea's most powerful men, the heir to the Samsung Electronics juggernaut, in a setback to prosecutors investigating an influence-peddling scandal that toppled South Korea's president.
The Seoul Central District Court said that a judge concluded that there was not enough justification to detain the 48-year-old billionaire Samsung vice chairman, Lee Jae-yong, at this stage.

Death toll in Mali suicide blast rises to at least 60

In this file photo taken on Sunday Nov. 24, 2013, the Malian army patrol the streets of Gao, Northern Mali. A doctor in northern Mali says Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017 that at least seven people have been killed and more than 50 wounded in an attack on an installation for various armed groups, and the toll is certain to rise.
A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle penetrated a camp in northern Mali on Wednesday, killing at least 60 people and wounding 115 soldiers and former fighters who are trying to stabilize the region. The attack marked a significant setback for peace efforts.
Suspicion quickly fell on the Islamic extremist groups operating in the area which oppose the 2015 peace agreement that brought the parties together. A Mauritanian news agency that frequently receives communications from extremist groups, Alakhbar, said a group linked to al-Qaida's North Africa branch, al-Mourabitoun, had claimed responsibility.

18 January 2017

New Silk Road? 1st China-London freight train arrives

The first direct freight train service from China to the United Kingdom arrives at a rail freight terminal in Barking, east London, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Some 34 containers packed with mainly clothes and other high street goods completed the 7,456-mile (11,999km) journey in 18 days.
The first direct freight train service from China to Britain arrived in London Wednesday, another leg in Beijing's plans for closer trade ties with Europe along a modern-day Silk Road.
The 18-day trip saw dozens of containers packed mainly with clothes and household goods transported from the city of Yiwu in eastern China to a freight terminal in Barking in east London, via Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland and western Europe.

Australia defends end of MH370 hunt; investigation continues

In this March 22, 2014, file photo, Flight Officer Jack Chen uses binoculars at an observers window on a Royal Australian Air Force P-3 Orion during the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in Southern Indian Ocean, Australia. The Joint Agency Coordination Center in Australia said Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017 that the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had officially been suspended after crews finished their fruitless sweep of the 120,000-square kilometer (46,000-square mile) search zone west of Australia.
Australia's Transport Minister Darren Chester said on Wednesday that experts will continue analyzing data and scrutinizing debris washing ashore from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in a bid to narrow down where it crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. But Chester declined to specify what kind of breakthrough would convince officials to resume the search for the missing airliner that was suspended this week after almost three years.
"When we get some information or data or a breakthrough that leads us to a specific location, the experts will know it when they see it," he told reporters in the southern city of Melbourne.

Nigerian air force bombs refugee camp, more than 100 dead

In this Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, file photo, Cameroon soldiers stand guard at a lookout post as they take part in operations against the Islamic extremists group Boko Haram, their guard post is on Elbeid bridge, left rear, that separates northern Cameroon form Nigeria's Borno state near the village of Fotokol, Cameroon. Nigerian Air Force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2017, killing more than 100 refugees and wounding aid workers, a Borno state government official said.
A Nigerian air force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp on Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and aid workers and wounding 200, a government official and doctors said.
Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed an accidental bombardment in the northeastern town of Rann, near the border with Cameroon, saying "some" civilians were killed.

17 January 2017

Gene Cernan, last astronaut to walk on the moon, dies at 82

In a Oct. 27, 2007 file photo, former astronaut Neil Armstrong, left, is congratulated by fellow ex-astronaut Gene Cernan following the dedication ceremony of the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. NASA announced that former astronaut Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, died Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, surrounded by his family. He was 82.
Former astronaut Gene Cernan, who as the last person to walk on the moon returned to Earth with a message of "peace and hope for all mankind," died on Monday, his family said. He was 82.
Cernan was with his relatives when he died at a Houston hospital following ongoing heath issues, family spokeswoman Melissa Wren told The Associated Press. His family said his devotion to lunar exploration never waned.
"Even at the age of 82, Gene was passionate about sharing his desire to see the continued human exploration of space and encouraged our nation's leaders and young people to not let him remain the last man to walk on the Moon," his family said in a statement released by NASA.

16 January 2017

Eyewear giant to emerge from tie-up of Luxottica, Essilor

This Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016 photo shows the logo of the Essilor a French ophthalmic optics company, in Charenton le Pont, east of Paris. Essilor International SA announced Monday Jan.16, 2017 it had reached a share exchange deal with Luxottica's main shareholder Delfin to create a combined company making both frames and lenses.
A new European eyewear giant worth more than 50 billion euros ($52.5 billion) is set to emerge as Italy's Luxottica — owner of Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses — merges with French lens manufacturer Essilor.
Essilor International SA said Monday it had reached a share exchange deal with Luxottica's main shareholder, Delfin, to create a combined company making both frames and lenses.
Shares jumped in both Luxottica, which is based in Milan, and Essilor, headquartered near Paris.

Kyrgyzstan: Cargo plane crash kills 37, destroys village

A Kyrgyz firefighter inspects a plane crash site outside Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. A Turkish Boeing 747 cargo plane crashed just outside the Manas airport Monday morning killing people in the residential area adjacent to the Manas airport as well as those on the plane.
A Turkish cargo plane crashed Monday in a residential area just outside the main airport in Kyrgyzstan, destroying half of a village and killing at least 37 people in the plane and on the ground, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.
The Boeing 747 crashed at 7:40 a.m. local time while approaching Manas airport, south of the capital, Bishkek, in this Central Asian nation.

South Korea seeks arrest of Samsung scion in graft scandal

In this Dec, 6, 2016 file photo, Lee Jae-yong, a vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co. arrives for hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. The special prosecutors office said Monday, Jan. 16, 2017 that it requested an arrest warrant for Lee, the 48-year-old Samsung Electronics vice chairman as a bribery suspect in the influence-peddling scandal that led to the impeachment of South Korea's president.
In a departure from the leniency typically given South Korean big businesses, prosecutors on Monday requested the arrest of the de facto head of Samsung Electronics, the country's most valuable company, in an influence-peddling scandal that has toppled the country's president.
Lee Jae-yong, the 48-year-old vice chairman at Samsung Electronics, faces allegations of embezzlement, of lying under oath during a parliamentary hearing and of offering a bribe of 43 billion won ($36 million) to a long-time friend of impeached President Park Geun-hye, according to Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for a special prosecutors' team investigating the political scandal.

Death toll at 26 inmates from latest Brazil prison violence

Naked inmates stand in line while surrounded by police after a riot at the Alcacuz prison in Nisia Floresta, Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017. Security authorities said Sunday they have regained control of two Brazilian prisons after several inmates were killed during a riot, the latest in a string of prison disturbances across the country.
Twenty-six inmates were killed in eruptions of violence inside two prisons in northern Brazil, officials said Sunday as they quelled the latest in a string of jail disturbances across the country in which more than 100 people died within two weeks.
The state security office for Rio Grande do Norte state had reported earlier in the day that there were 27 deaths, but later lowered that by one. It also said all bodies had now been counted.

Bahrain executes 3 over police bombing, triggering protests

In this Friday, March 14, 2014 file photo, Bahraini anti-government protesters burn representations of the flag of Gulf countries' Peninsula Shield forces, during a protest in Malkiya, Bahrain. Bahraini authorities say they have put to death three men found guilty of a deadly attack on police, the kingdom's first executions since an Arab Spring-inspired uprising rocked the country in 2011.
Bahrain on Sunday carried out its first executions since an Arab Spring uprising rocked the country in 2011, putting to death three men found guilty of a deadly bomb attack on police.
The executions of the Shiite men drew swift condemnation from human rights groups and sparked intense protests by opponents of the Sunni-ruled government, who see the charges as politically motivated. Activists allege that testimony used against the condemned men was obtained through torture.

15 January 2017

Gadget mountain rising in Asia threatens health, environment

In this Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 photo, a customer browses through used items at a flea market on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia. The waste from discarded electronic gadgets and electrical appliances has increased by two-thirds in East Asia over five years, posing a growing threat to health and the environment unless proper disposal becomes the norm. The United Nations University says China is the biggest culprit with its electronic waste more than doubling.
The waste from discarded electronic gadgets and electrical appliances has reached severe levels in East Asia, posing a growing threat to health and the environment unless safe disposal becomes the norm.
China was the biggest culprit with its electronic waste more than doubling, according to a new study by the United Nations University. But nearly every country in the region had massive increases between 2010 and 2015, including those least equipped to deal with the growing mountain of discarded smartphones, computers, TVs, air conditioners and other goods.