The Islamic State group has released a video showing John Cantlie, a British journalist kidnapped in Syria four years ago, alive in the Iraqi city of Mosul.
	The propaganda video by the IS-affiliated Amaq network shows an emaciated Cantlie speaking in English to the camera in the style of a news report similar to previous videos in which he appeared.
	The footage was not dated but the destroyed bridges seen behind Cantlie in the video suggest it was shot in recent weeks.
	The US-led coalition assisting Iraq in its fight against IS has destroyed several bridges in central Mosul over the past few weeks.
	Tens of thousands of Iraqi troops backed by coalition warplanes on October 17 launched a massive offensive on Mosul, the last major urban centre in Iraq still controlled by the jihadists.
	Cantlie was kidnapped along with fellow journalist James Foley while covering the war in Syria in November 2012.
	Foley then became the first of several hostages to be slain by IS.
	Media rights ...

IS video shows kidnapped Briton Cantlie alive in Mosul

PTI Automatic

A Norwegian court sentenced today a 66-year-old man to eight years in prison for inciting dozens of children in Norway and the Philippines to commit sex acts on Skype, media reports said.
	The man was found guilty of having sent money to a family in the Philippines in exchange for organising sex acts between children, some of whom were under the age of 14. The scenes were filmed live on Skype.
	He "knew that the underage victims and their families were poor, and as such dependent on the money he paid for these sex acts," a court in the western town of Bergen found, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported.
	The man, who lives off of disability benefits in Bergen, also passed himself off as a teenager on various internet communications services, in order to trick young Norwegians and win their trust so they would undress in front of a webcam.
	The man partially confessed to the crimes.
	The prosecution, which claimed there were a total of 20 victims in the Philippines and 42 in ...

Norway jails man over child sex abuse committed live on Skype

Former French budget minister Jerome Cahuzac, whose brief in government was to crack down on tax dodgers, was sentenced to three years in prison today for tax fraud and money laundering.
	Cahuzac's ex-wife Patricia Menard was given a two-year sentence for her role in stashing millions of euros abroad.

French ex-budget minister gets 3-year sentence for tax fraud

High up on a hillside in the south of Hong Kong, shaded beneath dense green foliage, are the pockmarked remnants of World War II pillboxes, a reminder of the city's failed attempt to fend off a Japanese invasion.
	It is 75 years since Hong Kong fell -- less than three weeks after the Japanese first attacked what was then a British colony.
	Hours after swooping on Pearl Harbor, bringing a reluctant United States into the war, Hong Kong was an early target in what would become a full-blown Asian campaign for imperial Japan.
	Although extra troops had been brought in to bolster its defences, the outpost of the British Empire was crushed under heavy bombardment in the 18-day Battle of Hong Kong.
	The brutal confrontation, much less reported upon than other clashes in the Pacific theatre, saw around 1,500 allied troops die trying to defend the territory.
	Keen to limit potential losses, the British government had initially been reluctant to send reinforcements in to what they saw as an ...

The Fall of Hong Kong: 75 years since Japan took the city

At least 11 people have died this month in northern Myanmar in escalating clashes between security forces and armed insurgents that have undercut Aung San Suu Kyi's bid for peace.
	Thousands have fled their homes in northern Shan state since the fighting erupted in late November, with many crossing the border into China.
	In response, Beijing has placed its military on high alert, fearing the violence could once again spill into its territory after several of its nationals were killed last year.
	The bodies of nine policemen killed by rebels on December 2 have been recovered, state-run Global New Light of Myanmar said Thursday. Two civilians were also reportedly killed in that incident.
	In total at least 30 soldiers, police, pro-government militia and civilians have died since the fighting began, according to a tally of state media figures.
	The clashes have delivered a fresh blow to de facto leader Suu Kyi's hopes of forging a nationwide peace agreement to end decades of bloody ...

11 killed in northern Myanmar rebel clashes: state media

Park

Motion will be put to a full vote of the National Assembly on Friday

S Korea lawmakers set impeachment vote in motion

Press Trust of India

Seven drug traffickers from the notorious Wa tribe died in a late night shoot-out with a Thai army patrol near the rugged Golden Triangle border region, an officer said today.
	The fighting broke out after the seven men, who were travelling through the mountainous region by foot, refused to stop for a search, according to the military officer who requested anonymity.
	"The seven dead men, who we suspect were from the Wa tribe, were trafficking drugs to nearby Chiang Rai province," he told AFP, adding the shoot-out took place around 1:00 am (1800 GMT yesterday) close to the border with Myanmar.
	The ethnic Wa are mostly based in northwestern Myanmar, where their powerful rebel militia controls a large swathe of territory and is accused of running a narcotics empire.
	But some Wa communities have also settled in northern Thailand, which forms part of the notorious Golden Triangle -- a drug-producing zone where the two countries meet Laos.
	The Thai rangers seized 554,000 methamphetamine 

Seven drug traffickers die in gunfight with Thai army

China has indicated it may relax restrictions on foreign investment in some sectors as it struggles to balance an overseas exodus of capital and faces accusations of protectionism from US President-elect Donald Trump.
	A record-setting wave of Chinese investment abroad has raised mounting concern in Beijing over capital flight, reckless spending overseas, and the yuan currency's fall against the US dollar.
	A notice from China's economic planning agency yesterday said foreign investment restrictions could be lifted in sectors such as automotive electronics, rail transport equipment, some mining, agricultural and chemical production, theme parks and golf courses, as well as some service- industries.
	Such notices typically result in policy changes.
	Citic Bank International's chief China economist Liao Qun said the circular from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) was prompted by concern over capital outflows.
	China's foreign exchange reserves plunged by USD 69 ...

As capital flees, China mulls liberalising some sectors

Aftershocks rattled the survivors of a devastating Indonesian earthquake that killed more than 100 people, as officials urgently appealed today for medicine and doctors to treat the hundreds injured.
	The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake levelled hundreds of homes, mosques and businesses across Aceh province, one of the areas worst affected by the devastating 2004 tsunami.
	Search and rescue crews using advanced life-detecting devices have been combing the rubble for any sign of movement, as hopes fade of finding any more survivors more than a day after the quake.
	"These scan through the rubble to see if anyone's alive or dead," national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told AFP.
	The death toll stands at 102 but is expected to rise, he added. The figure has fluctuated as authorities identify the dead across the region.
	Thousands of soldiers and emergency personnel have been using excavators to clear rubble in the worst-hit areas, with volunteers -- equipped with little ...

Aftershocks rattle Indonesia

The hidden secrets of Egyptian mummies up to 3,000 years old have been virtually unwrapped and reconstructed for the first time using cutting-edge scanning technology in a joint British-Australian exhibition.
	Three-dimensional images of six mummies aged between 900BC and 140-180AD from ancient Egypt, which have been held at the British Museum but never physically unwrapped, give an insight into what it was like to live along the Nile river thousands of years ago.
	"We are revealing details of all their physical remains as well as the embalming material used by the embalmers like never before," the British Museum's physical anthropology curator Daniel Antoine told AFP at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney today.
	"What we are showing to the public is brand-new discoveries of their insides."
	Two of the travelling mummies were previously exhibited at the British Museum in 2014, with the other four being revealed to the world for the first time in the Sydney show that opens on Saturday.
	A 

Egyptian mummies virtually unwrapped in Australia

New Zealand is to erase the racially offensive word "nigger" from its landscape, the government said today.
	The names of three areas in the Southern Alps of the South Island have been changed to words taken from the indigenous Maori language.
	Nigger Stream will now be known as Pukio Stream, Niggerhead becomes Tawhai Hill and Nigger Hill is renamed Kanuka Hills.
	Land Information Minister Louise Upston said the use of "nigger" reflected a time "when attitudes towards this word were markedly different to what they are now".
	"It is a word that is clearly offensive to most people today," she added.
	"This isn't about rewriting history. It is and will remain a matter of public record that these three places used to carry different names.
	"However, in a society like ours that is multicultural and where most New Zealanders do not go out of their way to be offensive or exclude others, I do not believe this word has a place in our official names."
	But there has been no move to change ...

New Zealand drops racially offensive place names

New Zealand Finance Minister Bill English became the presumptive prime minister today as his two challengers pulled out of the race to succeed John Key.
	Police Minister Judith Collins and Health Minister Jonathon Coleman withdrew their nominations and said they were putting their support behind English, whom Key named his prefered successor when he announced his sudden resignation earlier in the week.
	Their decision not to contest the leadership came as polling of MPs within the ruling National Party showed English had the numbers.
	"At least 30 MPs have committed to backing English, meaning he has half of the votes of National's 59-vote caucus," the New Zealand Herald said, listing the names of the pro-English camp.
	Polls by Radio New Zealand and Fairfax Media also showed majority support for 54-year-old English, who comes from a farming background.
	"It is clear to me that 50 per cent of the caucus support Bill English as the leader and therefore as far as I'm concerned he has ...

English presumptive New Zealand PM as challenges fade

Every player in the world's top 99 bar pregnant Victoria Azarenka has confirmed for the Australian Open, including Roger Federer and Serena Williams as they return from injury, organisers said today.
     The all-star field for the opening Grand Slam of 2017 at Melbourne Park will see Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber start as top seeds in a sign of the changing of the guard in world tennis.
     It will also be notable for six-time tournament champion Williams, who is attempting to claim her 23rd major singles title to surpass Steffi Graf and set a new record for the Open Era.
     On the men's side, world number two Novak Djokovic will be aiming to hoist the trophy for a record seventh time.
     "We have an exceptionally strong field for Australian Open 2017, and it's exciting to welcome two new world number ones, and two new top seeds in Angie (Kerber) and Andy (Murray)," said tournament director Craig Tiley.
     American powerhouse Williams has been out of action since September .

All top stars confirmed for Aussie Open

Australia named an unchanged squad today for the opening day-night Test against Pakistan as they look to build on progress made after a team clear-out following a horror run of five defeats.
     The shake-up ahead of the third and final Test against South Africa last month worked with the new-look Australia finally getting a win under their belts, and selectors have stuck by the same 12.
     "We were very pleased with how the team came together in Adelaide after some significant changes following the Tests in Perth and Hobart," said interim chief selector Trevor Hohns.
     "This is a young group with a lot of promise and we believe all deserve their opportunity again in this upcoming Test."
     That means English-born Matt Renshaw will again open alongside David Warner with middle-order batsmen Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson also retained.
     Experienced opening batsman Shaun Marsh was not considered as he continues to recover from a finger injury that kept him out of the ...

Australia unchanged for first Pakistan Test

Borussia Dortmund set a new Champions League scoring record in a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid while FC Porto and Sevilla claimed the two remaining last-16 spots.
     Dortmund made sure of top spot in Group F after fighting back from 2-0 down against defending champions Madrid, leaving the Spanish giants with theoretically a tougher draw to make the quarter-finals.
     Marco Reus was the star of the late show at the Santiago Bernabeu, hitting the equaliser two minutes from time.
     A double from Karim Benzema looked to have Real well set to leapfrog the Germans and secure a home game in the second leg of their last-16 tie.
     However, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reduced the arrears before substitute Reus slid in to turn Aubameyang's dangerous low cross high into the net.
     Dortmund scored 21 goals in their group campaign, the most for any team in a group stage in the history of the tournament.
     "Real had some big chances in the second half, but we hoped for a lucky punch and 

Dortmund hold Real as Porto, Sevilla make last 16

Thai authorities have ordered a controversial Buddhist temple to suspend its 24-hour TV channel, as police redouble efforts to arrest the spiritual leader of the scandal-hit sect.
	A cat-and-mouse game between investigators and the powerful Wat Dhammakaya temple in Bangkok has staggered on for months over allegations its former abbot accepted illicit funds.
	Police are reluctant to raid the super-rich temple's 1,000-acre compound after previous attempts saw thousands of devotees of the breakaway order turn out to defend the 72-year-old monk.
	Authorities suspect Phra Dhammachayo of accepting embezzled funds worth 1.2 billion baht (USD 33 million) from the owner of a cooperative bank who was jailed.
	Eager to avoid clashing with devotees on temple grounds, police have repeatedly allowed deadlines for the monk's surrender expire.
	But the stand-off has heated up in recent weeks, with authorities leveling new accusations against the well-connected monk and moving to target the temple's ..

Thailand shuts ultra-rich temple's TV channel amid scandal

A senior Cuban diplomat has said that she hopes President-elect Donald Trump will take into account advances in US-Cuban relations and can even improve on them when he takes office.
	Trump has threatened to end the US thaw with Cuba unless Havana delivers a "better deal" for Washington and makes concessions on human rights and opening up its economy.
	He also described the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro as a "brutal dictator" after the revolutionary icon died on November 25.
	Nevertheless, Cuba "would hope the new government of the United States takes into account the results we have achieved" since diplomatic ties were re-established in 2015, and would be ready to continue improving them "on the basis of respect," said Josefina Vidal, head of US affairs at the Cuban foreign ministry.
	Vidal spoke to reporters after meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Mari Carmen Aponte in Havana.
	Cuba reaffirmed its will "to continue making progress in ...

Senior Cuban diplomat hopes Trump will improve US-Cuba ties

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology shares tumbled early today after President-elect Donald Trump signaled that he plans to crack down on runaway drug prices.
	US stocks were mostly lower after Trump's comments, which followed controversies in recent months over massive drug price increases by Mylan, Valeant and other companies.
	"I'm going to bring down drug prices," Trump told Time magazine. "I don't like what has happened with drug prices." Time has named Trump its "Person of the Year."
	Dow member Pfizer dropped 2.4 per cent, Celgene fell 4.2 per cent and Mylan 4.7 per cent. The drug industry had initially rallied after Trump's election November 8 on expectations he would be less aggressive towards drug pricing than his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
	About 30 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up a hair at 19,257.85.
	The broad-based S&P 500 lost 0.2 percent at 2,209.02, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index fell 0.5 per cent to 5,307.44.
	Western ...

Pharma shares tumble as Trump threatens to crackdown on drug prices

Agencies

Japan's third-quarter GDP was weaker than thought with a 0.3 per cent expansion, revised data showed today, as slack corporate spending held back the world's number three economy.
	The latest figures were lower than an initial estimate of 0.5 per cent growth in the July-September period, with exports also under pressure.
	The weak reading translates into annualised growth of 1.3 per cent, far below the median market forecast of an annualised 2.3 per cent expansion.
	But the government did offer a glimmer of hope, slightly revising up growth figures for the first and second quarter, as spending ticked up.
	And while Japan's recovery has been unsteady, the economy is "growing bit by bit", said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute in Tokyo.
	"With slack consumption at the moment and slow capital spending, the economy may not look like it's expanding," he added.
	"But it will carry on growing steadily even though the number may not be that strong."
	Japan's ...

Japan cuts GDP growth for third quarter

DR Congo's independent human rights commission has blamed both the government and the opposition for the deaths of 46 people, most of them by gunfire, in clashes in Kinshasa in September.
	Scores more were hurt in the capital when "non-identified elements in the police" and "protesters using stolen weapons" clashed September 19 and 20 in opposition protests against President Joseph Kabila, a commission report said yesterday.
	The release of the CNDH report, its first since the commission was set up in July 2015, was hailed by the European Union, a major donor to the vast resource-rich nation.
	Democratic Republic of Congo has seen months of trouble ahead of the official end of Kabila's mandate on December 20, his second term in office.
	He is barred from serving again but has never said he plans to step aside and last month cut a power-sharing deal with fringe opposition politician Samy Badibanga as prime minister in a move that effectively extends his term to early 2018.
	The CNDH ...

Congo rights group blames govt, parties for deadly unrest

Nine years ago Donald Trump shaved off her husband's hair after a wrestling match on live television. The president-elect nominated wrestling tycoon Linda McMahon to his cabinet.
	The perhaps most bizarre backstory to any of Trump's nominations so far underscores his astonishing rise from braggadocious billionaire on the celebrity circuit to the White House, taking charge on January 20 of the world's most powerful democracy.
	The incoming Republican president yesterday announced that he had nominated McMahon to serve as head of the Small Business Administration, a cabinet-level position. McMahon met with Trump in New York last week.
	Trump, who has promised to slash corporate tax rates and roll back regulations in an attempt to drive economic growth, called his new pick "one of the country's top female executives."
	"She helped grow WWE from a modest 13-person operation to a publicly traded global enterprise with more than 800 employees in offices worldwide," he said in a statement ...

AFP

AFP

Page 1264 - Afp