German carrier Lufthansa today said it would buy the 55 per cent of Brussels Airlines it does not already own, completing a long-mooted takeover and stepping up its battle against low-cost rivals.
	Shareholders in Brussels Airlines must still agree to the deal, the statement said, adding that managers expect to complete the transaction by early 2017.
	Lufthansa has owned 45 per cent of Brussels Airlines owner SN Airholding since 2009 and kept an option to buy the rest from around 30 remaining shareholders.
	The companies did not reveal the price Lufthansa would pay for the remaining stake.
	The Belgian carrier returned to profitability for the first time in years in 2015.
	Lufthansa has previously said that it would add Brussels' 49-strong fleet to its own Eurowings low-cost offering, as chief executive Carsten Spohr builds the brand up for a Europe-wide battle with rivals Ryanair and Easyjet.
	A deadline for the German giant's final decision, originally set for June this year at the .

Lufthansa to buy remaining 55 per cent of Brussels Airlines

PTI Automatic

Moscow today described as "biased" and "politically motivated" the Dutch-led inquiry into the downing of Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, which concluded the plane was shot down by a missile brought from Russian territory.
	"Russia is disappointed that the situation around the investigation of the Boeing catastrophe is not changing," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement, adding: "The conclusions... Confirm that the investigation is biased and politically motivated.

MH17 probe 'biased', Moscow 'disappointed': foreign ministry

MH17 probe 'biased', Moscow 'disappointed': foreign

A criminal inquiry into the downing of Flight MH17 said today it is investigating 100 people for a missile attack on the plane two years ago that killed all 298 people on board over eastern Ukraine, saying the system used had been transported from Russia.
	The investigators also confirmed that the BUK missile which slammed into the Malaysia Airlines plane was fired from a field in a part of eastern Ukraine which at the time was under the control of pro-Russia separatists.
	The Boeing 777 passenger jet was brought down over rebel- held eastern Ukraine in July 2014 on a routine flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 people on board including 196 Dutch citizens.
	"Our investigation has shown that the location from where the BUK was fired was in the hands of the Russian separatists," said Wilbert Paulissen, the head of the Dutch police investigation.
	The joint investigation "has identified approximately 100 people who can be linked to the downing of MH17 or the transport .

Hundred people being probed for MH17 disaster: inquiry

BlackBerry, the Canadian firm that helped pioneer the smartphone market, said today it will stop making handsets, outsourcing production to an Indonesian partner.
	Handsets with the BlackBerry name will be produced under license by PT Tiphone Mobile Indonesia Tbk, allowing the Canadian firm to concentrate on software and services, a statement by the firms said.

BlackBerry to outsource handsets, will halt production

A Swiss army helicopter crashed today in a high mountain pass in the Alps, the defence ministry announced on Twitter, saying there were probably injuries.
	The accident happened around midday in the remote Gotthard Pass in the Tessin region near a hospice that stands at an altitude of 2,100 metres (6,900 feet).
	Emergency services have arrived at the scene, with the number of people travelling in the helicopter unknown.
	"There are probably injuries," the ministry said.
	At the end of August, a Swiss pilot died after crashing his F/A-18 in the Hinter-Tierberg region, apparently after flight controllers gave him incorrect altitude instructions.
	That accident was the latest in a string of crashes to befall the Swiss air force.
	In June, two Swiss Tiger F-5E fighter jets collided in the Netherlands in June during a training flight for an air show.
	And during another training exercise in October last year, an F/A-18 crashed in an uninhabited part of France's eastern Doubs region.
	No ...

Swiss army helicopter crashes in Alps: ministry

A man accused by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte of being the nation's top drug trafficker was injured and a gang member killed during jailhouse knife attacks today, authorities said.
	Two other high-profile inmates were injured in the violence at Manila's notorious Bilibid National Penitentiary, from where Duterte has said much of the nation's illegal drug trade is run.
	"It appears there was a knife fight," Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said.
	Duterte won the presidential election in a landslide in May after promising to kill 100,000 criminals as part of a campaign against illegal drugs.
	More than 3,700 people have been killed in the less than three months he has been in office, prompting widespread criticism from Western governments and rights groups about a breakdown in the rule of law.
	Duterte has railed against the criticism, vowing to do whatever is necessary to stop the Philippines from becoming a narco state.
	He had targeted Bilibid prison as one of the hotspots 

Drug lords killed, injured in Philippine jail

Shareholders of brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev approved the blockbuster takeover of rival SABMiller, the brewer said today, that would create the biggest beer company in the world.
	AB InBev, the brewer of Budweiser and Stella Artois, is already the world's top brewer and the SABMiller acquisition for USD 104 billion is in line to be the third largest merger in history.
	"AB InBev shareholders expressed their support for the combination by passing all resolutions that were proposed in connection with the combination," a short statement from the Belgium-based brewer said.
	A similar vote by SABMiller shareholders, in which the outcome is more uncertain, is expected later today in London.
	SABMiller's biggest shareholders had split on the deal in July, throwing doubt on the success of the takeover.
	But early indications were that the deal would go forward, Bloomberg reported yesterday. Most SABMiller investors voting by proxy supported the takeover in advance of today's shareholder 

Brewer AB InBev shareholders approve takeover of SABMiller

Turkey said today that courts have placed 32,000 suspects under arrest on charges of links to a group run by the US-based preacher blamed for the July coup bid, as the country braces for the most extensive trials in its history.
	Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told NTV television that 70,000 people had been investigated after the attempted putsch on July 15 and of them 32,000 remanded in custody.
	"This process is continuing," he said. The numbers of those arrested marks an increase of more than 10,000 from those previously given by the government.
	Bozdag said that there could be new arrests, while some of those currently arrested could still be freed under judicial control or freed entirely.
	Some two-and-a-half months after the coup attempt aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan led to a crackdown unprecedented in Turkey's modern history, there is still no indication as to when trials might start.
	The trials of tens of thousands of people will be the biggest legal process .

32,000 arrested in Turkey coup probe

Police in a California city fatally shot a black man who had been acting erratically, prompting protesters to quickly gather and accuse officers of an unjustified killing.
	The shooting yesterday in El Cajon, 24 kilometres east of San Diego, was the latest in a string of killings of black men by police that have fueled outrage across America.
	Two police officers encountered the unidentified man, who was in his 30s, behind a restaurant after receiving reports of someone "not acting like himself" and walking in traffic, El Cajon police said in a statement.
	The man, who was pacing back and forth, refused officers' orders to take his hand out of his pocket, police said.
	According to the police account, at one point, as the officers tried to talk to the man, he "rapidly drew an object from his front pants pocket, placed both hands together and extended them rapidly toward the officer taking up what appeared to be a shooting stance."
	Police Chief Jeff Davis did not say what the object ..

Police in California kill black man acting erratically

An engine failure forced an Etihad Boeing 777 airliner to make an emergency landing in Abu Dhabi shortly after taking off for Sydney, the airline said today.
	Flight EY450 was forced to return to the United Arab Emirates capital yesterday following a malfunction with one of the engines, according to the carrier.
	"The pilots and cabin crew carried out the emergency procedures before landing which they practice regularly during their routine training details," a spokesperson said.
	"The crew are to be commended for their calm professionalism which ensured a safe outcome for all our guests."
	Etihad is one of the fast-growing Gulf carriers that have seized a sizable proportion of transcontinental travel capitalising on their geographical locations.
	Etihad operates a fleet of 123 Airbus and Boeing planes, with 179 others on orders for delivery before 2025.
	In May, 31 Etihad passengers were injured when an Airbus A330-200 experienced "severe and unexpected" turbulence just before ...

Etihad plane in emergency landing as engine fails

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hailed Shimon Peres's long efforts to forge a deal aimed at fostering peace in Israel and the Middle East, after the statesman's death earlier today.
	"He worked tirelessly for a two-state solution that would enable Israel to live securely and harmoniously with the Palestinians and the wider region," Ban said of the former Israeli leader who died at 93.
	"Even in the most difficult hours, he remained an optimist about the prospects for reconciliation and peace," Ban added.
	Peres, who shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, died in his sleep after suffering a stroke, drawing tributes from past and present world leaders.
	Ban voiced hope that Peres's determination will "guide us as we work to ensure peace, security and dignity for Israelis, Palestinians and all the peoples of the region.

Peres worked 'tirelessly' for two-state solution: UN chief

Missile that downed MH17 fired from rebel-held Ukraine

Deutsche Bank has agreed to sell its British insurance company Abbey Life to life insurer Phoenix Group for 1.1 billion euros, the troubled German lender announced today.
	Shares in the bank had jumped 3.65 percent in Frankfurt by just after 0800 GMT on the news, recouping a fraction of the heavy losses suffered on Monday and Tuesday.
	Regulators must still approve the 935-million-pound (USD 1.2-billon) sale, the bank said.
	Deutsche Bank said in a statement that the sale would boost its core capital ratio -- the stock of funds regulators require banks to have on hand -- by 10 basis points, or 0.1 per cent over its level on June 30.
	But it added that it would book a pre-tax loss of 800 million euros in a writedown of the value of its business and intangible assets.
	The announcement comes after shares in the bank hit a record low on Monday, dropping 7.54 percent to close at 10.55 euros (USD 11.80) amid growing fears over its capital cushion.
	Investors are nervous after it emerged ...

Deutsche Bank to sell UK insurer Abbey Life for 1.1 bn euros

Israel's Supreme Court today turned down an appeal by disgraced former prime minister Ehud Olmert against an eight-month prison term for corruption handed down in 2015.
	The ruling means that Olmert, who entered prison in February, is due to serve a total of 27 months behind bars for the corruption case and other convictions for bribery and obstruction of justice.
	He had appealed against both the conviction and sentence for receiving envelopes of cash from a US businessman while trade and industry minister in the early 2000s.
	"The justices ruled unanimously to reject the appeal, both regarding the conviction and the severity of the sentence," said a transcript of today's hearing, released by the justice ministry.
	It said the judges also turned down a prosecution appeal for harsher punishment in the bribery case, upholding the previous sentence of 18 months.
	He was later given an additional month on a separate charge of obstructing justice.
	He became Israel's first former premier .

Israel court rules ex-PM Olmert must serve 27 months for graft

Pope Francis today said those behind the bombing of Aleppo, where Syrian and Russian forces have conducted days of deadly airstrikes, will have to "answer before God."
	"I appeal to the conscience of those responsible for the bombardment, who will have to answer before God," the pope said at his weekly address in St Peter's square, without naming Syria or Russia.
	He spoke of his "deep pain and serious concern about the events" in Aleppo, where air strikes by Syrian and Russian forces on eastern rebel positions have sparked international condemnation.
	The Pope referred to Aleppo as a "battered city where children, the elderly, the sick, the young, the old are dying... So many people."
	He also repeated his call for "everyone to commit themselves with all their power to the protection of civilians," adding that this was "an imperative and urgent obligation."
	The recent airstrikes have been some of the fiercest since the start of the five-year conflict in Syria.
	They followed last ...

Aleppo bombers will have to 'answer before God': pope

Half a dozen people were taken to hospital today after they fell ill on a Tokyo commuter train, complaining of an odd smell similar to paint thinner, police and reports said.
	It was not immediately clear what was behind the passengers' complaints and they were not seriously ill, local media said.
	Police confirmed there was an incident at Takadanobaba station without giving further details.
	TV footage showed police, emergency crews and ambulances on the scene.
	The incident, which began around 5:45 pm (local time) fanned fears in a city still horrified by deadly sarin gas attacks two decades ago.
	Last year, the final suspect in the 1995 nerve gas attack on the Japanese capital's metro was jailed for life for his part in a crime that shocked the world.
	The attack left 13 people dead and injured some 6,000.

Half dozen taken to hospital in Tokyo train incident

The missile which brought down Flight MH17 two years ago over eastern Ukraine was transported into the area from Russia, a Dutch-led investigation found today.
	"Based on the criminal investigation we have concluded that flight MH17 was downed by a BUK missile of the series 9M83, that came from the territory of the Russian Federation," the head of the Dutch police investigation Wilbert Pualissen said, adding afterwards the missile launcher system "was taken back to Russia.

MH17 downed by missile transported from Russia: inquiry

The body of a South Sudanese journalist abducted almost four months ago was found on a farm this week, press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said today.
	RSF urged South Sudan's authorities "to shed all possible light" on the murder of freelance reporter Isaac Vuni, who was kidnapped on June 4 along with his brother from the family's home in southern Kerepi, near the Ugandan border.
	Responsibility for the abduction was never claimed.
	Vuni's relatives told the independent Sudan Tribune newspaper that his body was discovered on a farm outside Kerepi, RSF said in a statement. His brother has yet to be found.
	It said that a witness had told the South Sudan Liberty News website at the time that the abductors wore the same military dress as the "Tiger Battalion", President Salva Kiir's bodyguards.
	"We condemn Isaac Vuni's foul murder and call on the authorities to conduct an investigation to identify those responsible and bring them to justice," said Clea Kahn Sriber, the head ..

S Sudan journalist's body dumped at farm: rights group

Police have arrested five suspected members of an Islamic State cell in Spain, Belgium and Germany that spread propaganda for the group online, the Spanish interior ministry said today.
	Two suspects were arrested in Barcelona in northeastern Spain, one in Spain's North African territory of Melilla, one in Brussels and another in Wuppertal, in Germany, it said in a statement.
	The suspects included one Moroccan national and four Spaniards.
	The group used social media, mainly a Facebook page called "Islam in Spanish" -- run by the suspects arrested in Belgium and Germany -- to promote Islamist extremism, the statement said.
	"Under the guise of disseminating religious context on this web page, radical messages were exchanged which praised jihadists, 'martyr' fighters, actions carried out by DAESH and the importance of individual jihad," it said using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
	The Facebook page was followed by 32,500 people and was drawing 500 new followers per week, the ..

AFP

AFP

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