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Soyuz Space Capsule Docked to ISS

James J. Williams
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Soyuz Space Capsule Docked to ISS

The Soyuz space capsule has arrived to the International Space Station (ISS).

British astronaut Tim Peake and fellow crew members Russian Yuri Malenchenko and American Tim Kopra, docked with the ISS high above the Earth.

The crew controlled the approach manually, after complications with the usual automatic docking procedure.

Tim Peake is making history as the first official UK astronaut.

He was waved off by his wife and two sons at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan earlier on the day.

The launch was from the same place where Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space in 1961.

There were no reported problems during the blast-off.

However, docking with the space station – which is regarded as one of the most difficult stages of the journey – did not go entirely to plan when the crew had to steer the spacecraft in manually.Soyuz docked to ISS

The docking happened about 10 minutes after its scheduled time of 17:24 GMT.

It takes four orbits of Earth and about six hours to reach the ISS.

Having arrived safely, the team will have to wait around two hours before they can leave the capsule to allow safety checks and for the air pressure to be equalized.

In the meantime, the new arrivals will carry out routine checks for leaks.

ESA said the crew reported they were fine and were starting to shut down the spacecraft’s systems as they were no longer needed.

The Soyuz capsule will remain attached to serve as an escape vehicle if the ISS has to be evacuated in an emergency.

Once on board the ISS, the crew will work, sleep and exercise in a dozen modules, together about the same volume as two Boeing 747s.

The three crew members will join the existing taskforce on board the ISS – NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov.

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko are approaching the ninth month of their one-year ISS mission.

A maximum of 10 crew members can live on the station.

Tim Peake will spend six months on board the ISS where he will conduct scientific experiments and carry out educational projects designed to attract young people into science.

Marine Le Pen Acquitted in Inciting Hatred Case

Diane A. Wade
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Marine Le Pen Acquitted in Inciting Hatred Case

Marine Le Pen has been acquitted of charges of inciting hatred on the December 2010 campaign trail in Lyon, France.

The charges relate to the National Front leader’s comments comparing Muslims praying in the streets to the Nazi occupation of France in World War Two.

In October Marine Le Pen told a court in Lyon she did not commit any offence.

Prosecutors said she had exercised her right to free speech and was not referring to all Muslims.

Marine Le Pen was charged in July 2014 after her immunity as a member of the European Parliament was lifted following a vote requested by French authorities.

In her 2010 speech to far-right FN supporters, broadcast by French media, Marine Le Pen said that France had initially seen “more and more veils”, then “more and more burkhas” and “after that came prayers in the streets”.Marine Le Pen inciting hatred

She said: “I’m sorry, but some people are very fond of talking about World War Two and about the occupation, so let’s talk about occupation, because that is what is happening here…

“There are no tanks, no soldiers, but it is still an occupation, and it weighs on people.”

The case was originally dropped last year by the Lyon court of appeal but was revived by anti-racism groups who made a civil complaint.

Praying in the streets was banned in Paris in 2011 in response to growing far-right protests.

In the same year France became the first EU state to ban public wearing of the face-covering Islamic veil (niqab).

The ruling came after Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration FN gained a record number of votes in regional elections.

The FN led in six of the 13 regions after the first round of voting, though due to tactical voting it did not go on to win any regions in the second round.

The party received 6.8 million votes in the second round, amounting to a 27.36% share of the vote.

“Nothing can stop us now,” Marine Le Pen told supporters after the result announcement.

“By tripling our number of councilors, we will be the main opposition force in most of the regions of France.”

Los Angeles Unified School District Closes All Schools over Bomb Threat

Diane A. Wade
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Los Angeles Unified School District Closes All Schools over Bomb Threat

The Los Angeles Unified School District has closed all schools as an unspecified threat is investigated, the police have said.

Officials would not specify the nature of the threat, which led to students being sent home and school buses returned to depots.

A school district spokesman said it involved rucksacks, and they were exercising “an abundance of caution”.

The LA Unified School District (LAUSD) is the second largest in the US, with 640,000 students attending more than 1,000 schools.

Police are searching all the schools, which will remain closed until the threat is over, officers told reporters at a press conference.LAUSD school closure

“Earlier this morning we did receive an electronic threat that mentions the safety of our schools,” said Steven Zipperman, chief of the Los Angeles school police department.

“We have chosen to close our schools today until we can be absolutely sure that our campuses are safe.”

An unnamed police official told Associated Press the threat was emailed to a school board member and was thought to have come from overseas.

It comes amid a heightened alert after 14 people were killed by a radicalized Muslim couple in San Bernardino, 60 miles east of Los Angeles.

“I think it’s important to take this precaution based on what has happened recently and what has happened in the past,” said district superintendent Ramon Cortines.

“It was not to one school, two schools or three schools. It was to many schools, not specifically identified. But there were many schools. That’s the reason I took the action I did… It was to students at schools.”

When asked what was meant be “electronic” threat, he said simply that “it was a message”.

In a separate incident, classes were also canceled at San Bernardino Valley College on December 15 due to a bomb threat made on the previous day.

Paris Attacks: Suspect Claude Hermant Arrested in France

Roy Siemens
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Paris Attacks: Suspect Claude Hermant Arrested in France

A man has been arrested in the Paris region as part of the investigation into the November 13 attacks in the city, sources close to French police say.

Some 2,700 raids have been conducted since the attacks, with 360 people placed under house arrest across France, the AFP reports.

Police have also arrested two people in northern France suspected of supplying weapons to one of the gunmen in earlier attacks on Paris, reports say.

They were taken in for questioning.

The 29-year-old man arrested on December 15 was planning to travel to Syria, according to one French media report.

The Paris prosecutor’s office says the two people arrested in northern France were held on suspicion of helping to provide guns to Amedy Coulibaly, who attacked a kosher supermarket in January.Paris attacks November 2015

The prosecutor’s office confirmed that the man arrested was Claude Hermant, who is known to have links to far-right groups, while the other is his partner.

Amedy Coulibaly killed four people inside the supermarket, and separately a policewoman, before dying in a shootout with police.

Meanwhile, a prominent Islamist preacher, Sven Lau, has been arrested in Moenchengladbach, western Germany, on suspicion of supporting a group linked to ISIS militants, and recruiting fighters for it.

Sven Lau – a convert to Islam – is known for a series of controversial initiatives, like setting up so-called Sharia police patrols to enforce Islamic rules in the western city of Wuppertal.

The state interior minister for North Rhine-Westphalia, Ralf Jaeger, said the state authorities were trying to monitor hundreds of Islamists they believed were willing to use violence.

He said Sven Lau played an important role in trying to radicalize people: “He is one of the leading figures of the Salafist scene. He is someone who is trying to infect other young people with this extremism. He openly campaigns for terrorist organizations. That’s clearly dangerous because more and more people slip into this scene.”

It is known that the two Stade de France bombers arrived on Leros aboard smugglers’ boats on October 3, then left for Athens with four other men, who have not been seen since.

A travel agent in Leros, who unwittingly sold the two bombers ferry tickets to Athens, says he is reasonably sure he also served Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who stood out from hundreds of other migrants because he spoke French.

A trustee at the main island hospital also claims Abdelhamid Abaaoud came to the hospital to be treated for a minor leg wound. He claims Abdelhamid Abaaoud appeared nervous and suspicious, and offered a €100 ($110) bribe to jump the treatment queue.

Belgian and French officials say Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Belgian Islamist of Moroccan descent, organized November’s attacks which killed 130 people.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud was known to have been living in Athens in January this year, but fled to Syria after a failed attempt by Belgian police to catch him.

Star Wars: Force Awakens Had World Premiere in Los Angeles

Sonia Pantiss
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Star Wars: Force Awakens Had World Premiere in Los Angeles

Highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens has had its world premiere in Los Angeles.

Stars attended from the original series, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, as well as newcomers including John Boyega and Daisy Ridley.

Security was tight, with a giant tent shrouding the red carpet.Star Wars Force Awakens world premiere

The plot of the new addition to the Star Wars franchise remains a closely-guarded secret and a media embargo on reviews is in place until December 16.

Some reviewers did comment briefly on Twitter, however.

Fans had been camping out for days outside the TCL Chinese Theatre, which along with other LA venues screened the seventh Star Wars installment.

The TCL Chinese Theatre – formerly known as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre – hosted the premiere for the first Star Wars movie in 1977.

More than 150 fans lined up to buy tickets for the first public screenings of Episode VII on December 17 but they got a surprise when they were all invited into one of the three cinemas showing the premiere.

New Zealand Flag Referendum: Silver Fern Confirmed as Winner

Diane A. Wade
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New Zealand Flag Referendum: Silver Fern Confirmed as Winner

Silver Fern – the black, white and blue silver fern design – won New Zealand’s referendum to become a possible new flag, after the final votes were counted, the election commission confirmed.

A second referendum will be held in March to decide whether to adopt the new flag or keep the current one.

The design was named as a preliminary winner on December 11, but this final tally factors in late and overseas votes.

A similar design in red and blue came in a close second.

Both flags were designed by architect Kyle Lockwood. About 1.5 million votes were cast in the referendum, with a voter turnout of 49%, said New Zealand’s election commission.

Photo New Zealand Government
Photo New Zealand Government

Still in third place is Red Peak, a design that was popular on social media and was added to the ballot following an online lobbying campaign.

The winning design, known officially as Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue), happens to be PM John Key’s pick, and he had earlier expressed delight that it had won in the preliminary tally.

New Zealanders were asked to choose which of five designs they preferred.

The referendum has divided opinion in New Zealand over its cost and timing.

The entire exercise is expected to cost around NZ$27 million ($18 million).

Many also took issue with the final five flags on the ballot, saying they were largely uninspiring.

The decision to choose a new flag has been backed by PM John Key, who has said the current one is too similar to Australia’s and that it is time to remove the Union Jack from the current flag.

Bowe Bergdahl Faces Court-Martial for Desertion

Roy Siemens
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Bowe Bergdahl Faces Court-Martial for Desertion

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl will face a general court-martial for desertion and other charges.

The US soldier was held for five years by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

General Robert Abrams overruled a previous recommendation that the case be moved to a lower court with a maximum penalty of 12 months of prison.

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl now could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty.

He was released in exchange for five Taliban officials held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2014.Bowe Bergdahl court martial

The 29-year-old gave the first public account of his story last week to the podcast Serial.

The podcast ran excerpts of an interview, in which Bowe Bergdahl claims that he left his base without permission in order to create a crisis and highlight poor leadership within his unit.

Bowe Bergdahl’s release, initially cheered by President Barack Obama and other officials, quickly became controversial when critics said it ran contrary to policy against negotiating with terrorists.

With news that the recommendation had been disregarded, his lawyer Eugene Fidell sent an email to reporters on behalf of the defense team saying he “had hoped the case would not go in this direction”.

In the same email, Eugene Fidell called upon leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to “cease his prejudicial months-long campaign of defamation against our client”. Donald Trump has in the past accused Bowe Bergdahl of treason.

Eugene Fidell also asked members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to “avoid any further statements or actions that prejudice our client’s right to a fair trial”.

Five Guantanamo detainees were swapped for the soldier, when Bowe Bergdahl was freed in May 2014. He had spent almost five years in Taliban captivity, after he walked off his post in Afghanistan in 2009.

Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee accused President Barack Obama of misleading them over the prisoner swap.

The charges were filed against Bowe Bergdahl in March, and his case was recommended for the lower court in October.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand Makes Rare Public Appearance

Lisa.Felice
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King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand Makes Rare Public Appearance

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand has made a rare public appearance, amid concerns for his ailing health.

In TV footage released on December 14 by the palace he is seen swearing in judges at a Bangkok hospital where he has been staying.

The 88-year-old king has received treatment for a number of ailments including a lung infection.

The health of the monarch is of public concern as he is widely revered and seen as an arbiter in the country’s divided political arena.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who is the world’s longest serving monarch, was last seen in September in a video released by the palace.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

The king missed his birthday celebrations for the second consecutive year on December 5. The event was marked by a cycling event last week in Bangkok led by his son, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Palace officials did not give any further details of the king’s health on December 14.

King Bhumibol has been in and out of hospitals for the past few years and has had operations to remove his gallbladder and to treat hydrocephalus – an excessive build-up of fluid on the brain.

The monarch was re-admitted to Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok in June, shortly after he was discharged.

King Bhumibol’s popularity stems partly from his long reign, but he is also seen as a pillar of stability in Thailand which has been wracked by political strife in recent years and is currently governed by a military-led government.

Strict lese majeste laws ban any criticism of King Bhumibol or the royal family.

Syria’s President Does Not Want To Negotiate With The Armed Groups In The Region

Dana R
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Syria’s President Does Not Want To Negotiate With The Armed Groups In The Region

Bashar al-Assad had declared recently that he will not be negotiating with the armed groups. Stratfor is a leading news platform breaking all kinds of news to you firsthand. The platform had reported about an agreement that was reached by the various opposition parties and rebel fighting groups in Syria. This was done mainly due to the fact that all of them want to defeat their common enemy that had invaded large parts of Iraq and Syria and is also a major threat to Russia and the west.

Assad’s Stance

In an interview, the Syrian president had stated that he would not show any kind of support to the armed groups and had accused Saudi Arabia and Washington of their will to negotiate with terrorist entities. He had stated that they were only in contact with these armed groups so that they would make peace by giving up arms and either start leading normal lives or joining the government. He had also stated that everyone holding a machinegun was a terrorist to them.

There Have Been Demands For Assad To Leave

There was a statement issued by the rebel groups in Riyadh which stated that Assad needs to leave power at the transitional period’s beginning and that Syria should be a democratic and all inclusive civic state. However, such a demand has been rejected by Iran and Russia.

Talks With Opposition Groups In Syria

A minimum of 100 delegates from various rebel fractions and political opposition which included extreme Islamist groups had met up in Riyadh for two days during which talks were held in the hopes that all these divisions and opposition parties will be unified to officially put an end to the conflict in Syria. The talks had also included around 20 members from the Syrian National Council that is backed by the west along with the National Coordination Body that is based in Syria.

The Saudi is putting all of its efforts into making sure that the rebel and opposition groups in Syria can come to a mutual understanding and they can work together to form a common platform. There was also a comprehensive strategy meeting that occurred in Vienna to which none of the rebel and opposition groups were invited. The talks however could not resolve what was to be the role of Assad during the time of transition.

Most of the oppositions in Syria do not support the president at all and want him to step down. But the west as well as the United States has finally come to a realization that it will be extremely chaotic if Assad was asked to step down.

The Kurdish Group, Democratic Union Part, and People’s Protection Units in Syria was not invited for the talks. All that can be done now is to wait for Stratfor to report more news on what is to come after these meetings. For now, only this much is known.

Paris School Attack: Teacher Invented Jean Perrin Kindergarten Incident

Diane A. Wade
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Paris School Attack: Teacher Invented Jean Perrin Kindergarten Incident

A teacher at Paris’ Jean Perrin kindergarten, who said he had been stabbed by a man shouting “Islamic State”, has admitted he made the story up, prosecutors say.

The 45-year-old teacher said he had been attacked while alone in a classroom in Aubervilliers, a suburb of Paris.

However, prosecutors said he had wounded himself with a box cutter and was now being questioned as to why he lied.

France remains on high alert following the terror attacks in Paris on November 13 that left 130 people dead.

The teacher – who has not been named – has been treated in hospital for superficial wounds to his side and neck.

According to his account, a man had attacked him with a box cutter at about 07:10AM on December 14 and had shouted: “This is for Daesh [Islamic State]. It’s a warning.”Aubervilliers kindergarten fake attack

The incident sparked a manhunt in the northern suburb, as police tried to track down the alleged attacker.

The anti-terrorism branch of the Paris prosecutor’s office also opened an investigation for attempted murder in relation to a terrorist act.

After the incident, French Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem visited the scene and vowed to increase security at schools.

All classes at the Jean-Perrin preschool were canceled.

Mayor of Aubervilliers Pascal Beaudet said it was not yet known what had motivated the teacher to lie.

He said the teacher had 20 years’ experience and was “appreciated” by parents at the school.

Last month, the ISIS’s French-language magazine Dar-al-Islam recently urged followers to kill teachers in France, describing them as “enemies of Allah” for teaching secularism.

Rachel Schneider, of the French primary school teachers’ union SNUipp, said many teachers had been alarmed by the threat.

“We have received many calls from colleagues, who are very worried,” she said.

“They don’t necessarily think there will be an organized attack, but they fear this message of murderous madness will inspire unstable people to action.”

Aubervilliers is in the Seine-Saint-Denis department of the Ile-de-France region.

Gu Kailai Death Sentence Commuted to Life in Prison

Diane A. Wade
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Gu Kailai Death Sentence Commuted to Life in Prison

A Beijing court has commuted the suspended death sentence of Bo Xilai’s wife, Gu Kailai, to life in prison.

The court said Gu Kailai showed repentance and “did not commit any crimes” in jail.

Gu Kailai was sentenced in 2012 for murdering British businessman Neil Heywood.

Disgraced former Politburo member Bo Xilai was jailed for life in 2013 for corruption and abuse of power. The cases were China’s biggest political scandal in years.

“The aforementioned criminal has recently certainly shown repentance,” the court said, adding that Gu Kailai had practiced “thought, culture and technical study.”

The statement was dated December 11 but released only on December 14.Gu Kailai death sentence commuted

The document also said that Gu Kailai had “obeyed discipline”, and “completed labor tasks in a timely manner”. As a result she was “eligible for the legal conditions for a commutation”.

Correspondents say with good behavior suspended death sentences are usually commuted to life in prison in China.

Gu Kailai’s case was one among several public notices soliciting public objections to reduced sentences.

The other two were former electronics tycoon Huang Guangyu, who was convicted of bribery; and Liu Zhijun, former railways minister who was previously given a suspended death sentence for taking bribes and was partly blamed for a fatal bullet train crash in 2011.

Public consultation for Huang Guangyu closes on December 15.

The notices for both Gu Kailai and Liu Zhijun were published on the Supreme People’s Court website last month, but were only reported by local media on December 14, several weeks after the end of the consultation period.

The cases were reported shortly after the trial opened of one of China’s leading human rights lawyers, Pu Zhiqiang, in Beijing. That trial attracted considerable international attention, particularly after plainclothes security officials aggressively manhandled journalists, diplomats and protesters gathered outside the court.

Gu Kailai’s case sparked the series of events which brought down her high-flying husband.

Bo Xilai was removed as Communist Party boss of the important metropolis of Chongqing in south-western China, and from the Politburo, which makes key party decisions, in 2012.

During his trial, Bo Xilai claimed that Gu Kailai – who testified against him – had gone insane.

Balint Homan Statue: US Diplomats Join Budapest Protest

James J. Williams
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Balint Homan Statue: US Diplomats Join Budapest Protest

US diplomats joined a protest in Budapest, Hungary, against a planned statue honoring pro-Nazi Minister Balint Homan, who fomented anti-Semitism in the 1930s.

Several hundred Hungarians gathered for a candle-lit protest in Szekesfehervar, southwest of Budapest.

The mayor of Budapest says a private foundation is entitled to honor Balint Homan with a life-size bronze statue.

The US government’s special envoy for combating anti-Semitism, Ira Forman, said: “We’re shocked by it.”

Hungary’s Jewish community has urged the right-wing Fidesz government of Viktor Orban to prevent the statue going up.

Nazi Germany and its fascist Arrow Cross allies in Hungary murdered some 565,000 Hungarian Jews during World War Two, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum says.Hungary protest Balint Homan statue

As a government minister in the 1930s Balint Homan spearheaded anti-Semitic legislation and in 1944 called for the deportation of Hungarian Jews.

When the Nazis invaded Hungary in 1944 some 424,000 Jews were deported to the Auschwitz death camp, where nearly all of them died.

Balint Homan, a historian, was in the Arrow Cross, which also slaughtered thousands of Jews on the banks of the Danube.

In communist-run Hungary in 1946 a court sentenced Balint Homan to life imprisonment for voting to declare war on the Soviet Union in 1941. He died in prison in 1951.

According to the World Jewish Congress, Hungary’s Jewish population is estimated today at 35,000-120,000. The higher estimate is the figure given by the Hungarian Jewish organization Mazsihisz.

Establishing a precise figure is difficult because definitions of Jewish identity differ and many Hungarian Jews are married to non-Jews.

Paris School Attack: Teacher Stabbed in Preschool Class by Man Citing ISIS

Roy Siemens
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Paris School Attack: Teacher Stabbed in Preschool Class by Man Citing ISIS

A French teacher has been attacked in a preschool class in Aubervilliers, a suburb of Paris, by a man citing ISIS.

The attacker shouted: “This is for Daesh [ISIS]. It’s a warning.”

He stabbed the teacher with a box cutter or scissors before fleeing.

The life of the 45-year-old teacher, who was alone in the room, is not in danger.

France remains on high alert after the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13 that left 130 people dead.

Police sources said the teacher was stabbed in the side and throat at about 07:10 local time as he was preparing for class at the Jean-Perrin preschool, which caters for children between the ages of three and six.

The attacker reportedly arrived wearing a balaclava and gloves but was unarmed and used weapons he found in the classroom.

The attacker fled on foot and is still on the run. A manhunt is under way.French teacher attack Jean Perrin kindrgarten

Local official Philippe Galli said there were no children present at the time of the attack but other staff members were in the building. Classes have been cancelled.

The teacher is being treated in hospital and has not yet been interviewed by police.

The anti-terrorism branch of the Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation for attempted murder in relation to a terrorist act.

The ISIS’ French-language magazine Dar-al-Islam recently urged followers to kill teachers in France, describing them as “enemies of Allah” for teaching secularism, AFP reports.

Security has been strengthened at schools since the Paris attacks.

Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem traveled to the Aubervilliers school on December 14, calling the attack an “act of great gravity” that was “unacceptable”.

Last week, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said the terrorist threat was “real and permanent”, adding: “All public places must be protected, particularly schools.”

Aubervilliers is in the Seine-Saint-Denis department of the Ile-de-France region.

In the 2010 census, Aubervilliers had a population of 76,000, including a large number of immigrants, mostly from North African Maghreb countries.

Guo Guangchang Makes Public Appearance

Clyde K. Valle
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Guo Guangchang Makes Public Appearance

Chinese tycoon Guo Guangchang, who was detained by police last week, has made an appearance at Fosun’s annual meeting in Shanghai.

The Fosun International chairman was first reported missing on December 11. The company later revealed he was assisting authorities with a probe.

Fosun president Wang Qunbin said the investigation mostly concerned Guo Guangchang’s personal affairs, not company business.

Wang Qunbin said he could not give more details as the investigation was “sensitive”.

On December 14, the website Caixin reported that Guo Guangchang, one of China’s richest men, had been released by police.

The businessman received a standing ovation at company meeting, a person in the audience told Reuters.

A string of senior executives at Chinese companies have temporarily gone missing this year amid a crackdown by Beijing on its financial sector.Guo Guangchang appears in public

Citic Securities, China’s biggest brokerage, said earlier this month it was unable to contact two of its top executives following reports they had been asked by authorities to assist in an investigation.

Guo Guangchang, 48, has been described as “China’s Warren Buffett”. Fosun Group has interests spanning media, insurance, real estate and retail.

It recently took control of French holiday group Club Med in a deal worth some $1 billion.

Fosun International, the parent company of Shanghai-based Fosun Group, was listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2007.

Its shares were suspended on December 11 and fell more than 10% when trading resumed on December 14.

Shares in Fosun Pharmaceutical, which is also listed in Hong Kong, dropped a similar amount.

Guo Guangchang’s sudden absence, and the lack of detailed information released by the company, underlines the opaqueness of China’s legal system, analysts say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXVuArpLcLw

Nurofen to Be Taken off Australian Shelves

Kathryn R. Bown
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Nurofen to Be Taken off Australian Shelves

Australia has ordered Reckitt Benckiser to take the Nurofen pain relief range off the Australian shelves after a court said UK-based drug giant misled consumers.

The court said products marketed to treat specific pains, such as migraines, were identical to one another.

Research also found the products were sold for almost double the price of Nurofen’s standard product.

Reckitt Benckiser said the case related only to Australia.

It said the ruling would not be applicable in other countries.Nurofen Australia scandal

Reckitt Benckiser said it would comply with the Australian court order and that it “did not set out to mislead consumers”.

Australia’s consumer watchdog brought the matter to court earlier this year.

The Federal Court of Australia said the products must be taken off Australian shelves within three months.

The products affected by the order include Nurofen Back Pain, Nurofen Period Pain, Nurofen Migraine Pain and Nurofen Tension Headache.

The retail price for each of the pain-specific products was also found to be “significantly higher than that of other comparable analgesic products which also act as general pain relievers,” the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACC) said.

The ACC said the court had found each product “was formulated to treat a particular type of pain; and solely or specifically treated a particular type of pain” – but that each product contained the same active ingredient, ibuprofen lysine 342mg.

However, the products were found to be “no more effective at treating the type of pain described on its packaging than any of the other Nurofen specific pain products.”

Reckitt Benckiser is a consumer goods manufacturer and makes products including Nurofen, Dettol and Harpic, among others.

The company has been ordered to publish correction notices in newspapers and on its website and to pay the ACCC’s court costs.

Russian Destroyer Fires Warning Shots at Turkish Fishing Boat in Aegean Sea

Roy Siemens
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Russian Destroyer Fires Warning Shots at Turkish Fishing Boat in Aegean Sea

A Russian warship fired warning shots at a Turkish fishing boat in the Aegean Sea to avoid a collision, the Russian defense ministry announced in a statement.

According to the statement, the Turkish vessel approached to 1,800ft before turning away in response to Russian small arms fire.

The captain of the Turkish boat said he was unaware that his vessel had been shot at.

The Turkish military attaché in Moscow has been summoned to the foreign ministry over the incident.

Relations remain tense between Turkey and Russia since Turkey’s shooting down of a Russian warplane.

“We are not in favor of tension,” Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying after the incident.

“We have always been in favor of overcoming tensions through dialogue rather than conflict.”Russian destroyer Smetlivy

The captain of the Turkish vessel told Dogan news agency he did not realize his boat had been shot at.

“We were not aware that they had fired shots at us,” Muzaffer Gecici said.

“We have video footage and we have handed this to the coastguard. We didn’t even know it was a Russian ship.”

In November, a Russian Su-24 aircraft was shot down by two Turkish F-16s in the Turkish border-Syria area. Turkey maintained the plane had crossed into its airspace, although Russia disputed this.

Last week, Turkey complained over what it said was a sailor on a Russian naval ship brandishing a missile launcher as the vessel passed through Istanbul. Russia rejected the criticism, saying the crew had a “legal right” to protect the ship.

In the latest incident, Russia’s defense ministry said its destroyer Smetlivy was anchored just off the Greek island of Lemnos on December 13 when it spotted the Turkish fishing boat heading towards it some 1,000m away.

“Despite numerous attempts by the crew of the Smetlivy, the crew of the Turkish fishing boat did not make radio contact and did not respond to visual signals by semaphore or warning flares,” the ministry said in a statement.

To prevent a collision, “small arms were fired in the direction of the Turkish vessel from a range that is not lethal”.

The ministry said that “immediately after that the Turkish vessel drastically changed course” and passed within 1,800ft of the Smetlivy, still making no contact with the Russian crew.

Russian military vessels are involved in Russia’s intervention against rebels in Syria.

President Vladimir Putin described as a “stab in the back” Turkey’s downing of the Russian bomber and has imposed economic sanctions.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned on December 11 that Ankara’s patience with Russia was “not unlimited”, and accused Moscow of using “every opportunity” to punish Turkey for the downing of the plane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQXydo4zQYw

South Africa: Jacob Zuma Names Third Finance Minister in a Week

Diane A. Wade
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South Africa: Jacob Zuma Names Third Finance Minister in a Week

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has announced he is replacing newly appointed Finance Minister David van Rooyen with Pravin Gordhan.

On December 9, Jacob Zuma sacked Nhlanhla Nene in a move that sent the rand to record lows and sparked a sell-off in bank shares.

Nhlanhla Nene’s replacement for less than a week, David van Rooyen, is a little known lawmaker.

The latest move sent the rand up almost 5% on December 13.

A more experienced Pravin Gordhan was widely respected when he served as South Africa’s finance minister from 2009 until 2014.

However, Mohammed Nalla, head of research at Nedbank Capital, said having a finance minister serve just two days did not bode well for South Africa’s reputation.Pravin Gordhan South Africa finance minister

“International investors are probably thinking: why didn’t the president make a much more considered decision in the first place?” he said.

The leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance party, Mmusi Maimane, said: “This is reckless by President Zuma – he is playing Russian roulette with the South African economy.”

A statement from Jacob Zuma’s office said he had “received many representations” to reconsider his decision to appoint David van Rooyen.

“As a democratic government, we emphasize the importance of listening to the people and to respond to their views,” it added.

Credit agency Fitch downgraded South Africa earlier this month, leaving the country just one notch above “junk” status. It said on December 10 that Nhlanhla Nene’s sacking “raised more negative than positive questions”.

Nhlanhla Nene’s reluctance to approve a plan to build several nuclear power stations at a cost of up to $100 billion is thought to have contributed to his removal as finance minister.

David van Rooyen will take over from Pravin Gordhan as minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs.

Marches to call for Jacob Zuma’s removal as president are being planned for five cities in South Africa on December 16 – a public holiday.

The US Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates on the same day in a move that could put economies in countries like South Africa under further pressure.

Former Health Minister Barbara Hogan on December 11 called on Jacob Zuma to resign. The highest-profile ANC member to oppose Nhlanhla Nene’s removal, she said that the president had crossed a line and needed to be held to account.

France Elections 2015: Front National Fails to Win a Single Region in Second Round

Diane A. Wade
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France Elections 2015: Front National Fails to Win a Single Region in Second Round

Marine Le Pen’s far-right Front National (National Front) has failed to win a single region in the second round of elections, exit polls indicate.

According to early, the FN has been beaten into third place, despite leading in six of 13 regions in the first round of votes a week ago.

The polls predict Nicolas Sarkozy’s centre-right Republicans will win most seats ahead of the ruling Socialists.

Acknowledging defeat, Marine Le Pen pledged to keep fighting.

She blamed the outcome on the mainstream parties which joined forces to keep the FN from power, telling her supporters they had been “disenfranchised in the most indecent of ways by a campaign of lies and disinformation”.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

Marine Le Pen stood as a candidate in the northern region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie. Her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen was standing in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, in the south.

After both secured more than 40% of the vote in the first round, the trailing Socialist candidates in those regions pulled out so their voters could support the Republican candidate against the FN for the second round.

One poll suggested Marine Le Pen had secured 42.5% in the second round in her region, against the centre-right’s 57.5%.

Xavier Bertrand, who is leading in Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, said the French had given “a lesson of rallying together, courage. Here we stopped the progression of the National Front.”

Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls was less upbeat. He warned the “danger posed by the far right has not gone away, far from it”.

Nicolas Sarkozy said now was the time “for in-depth debates about what worries the French”, noting security concerns, unemployment and frustration with the EU.

These elections were to vote for councils and presidents of the 13 French regions, which have wide powers over local transport, education and economic development.

French media are predicting that the Republicans have taken seven regions and the Socialists five, with nationalists winning Corsica. Official results are expected early on December 14.

The first round of voting on December 6 gave the FN the best election results in its history.

It was the first electoral test since last month’s Paris attacks claimed by ISIS, in which 130 people were killed.

In the lead-up to the first round, opinion polls suggested that the popularity of the anti-immigration, anti-EU FN had increased since the deadly attacks.

The FN had been hoping a strong performance would boost Marine Le Pen’s chances for the 2017 presidential election.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdBB8JD06vk

Dow Chemical and DuPont Announce $130 Billion Merger Plan

Clyde K. Valle
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Dow Chemical and DuPont Announce $130 Billion Merger Plan

Dow Chemical and DuPont have announced a plan to merge, in a deal valuing them at $130 billion.

The all-share deal will eventually lead to the merged company, initially to be called DowDuPont, being split in three.

The three companies would focus on agriculture, materials and specialty products.

If the merger is cleared by regulators, the new company will be owned equally by current Dow and DuPont shareholders.

The chemical giants aim to achieve the split into three within two years of the completion of the merger.Dow DuPont merger plan 2015

They hope to save $3 billion through cost-cutting during that period.

Potential tax savings were one reason for the complicated merger-before-breakup deal, analysts said.

At the same time, DuPont announced a cost-saving plan that will involve cutting about 10% of staff.

Dow CEO Andrew Liveris will be executive chairman of the new company, while DuPont CEO Ed Breen will be the new chief executive.

“This transaction is a game-changer for our industry and reflects the culmination of a vision we have had for more than a decade to bring together these two powerful innovation and material science leaders,” Andrew Liveris said.

Shares in Dow Chemical closed down 2.8% in New York, while DuPont fell 5.5% on December 11.

Dow also said that it would assume full control of its joint venture with glassmaker Corning.

Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi Becomes First Saudi Woman Elected

Diane A. Wade
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Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi Becomes First Saudi Woman Elected

Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi has become the first woman politician elected in Saudi Arabia.

She has won a seat on a municipal council for the first time in the country, after the kingdom lifted its ban on women taking part in elections.

Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi won a seat in Mecca province in December 12 vote, the electoral commission said.

The election was the first where women were allowed to vote and stand as candidates, and is being viewed as a landmark in the conservative kingdom.

Saudi women still face many curbs in public life, including driving.First Saudi woman elected

A total of 978 women registered as candidates, alongside 5,938 men.

Officials said about 130,000 women had registered to vote in yesterday’s poll, compared with 1.35 million men.

The disparity was attributed by female voters to bureaucratic obstacles and a lack of transport, the AFP says.

Female candidates were also not allowed to address male voters directly during campaigning. Turnout was high, state media reported.

Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi won a seat on the council in Madrakah in Mecca province, the president of the election commission, Osama al-Bar, told the official SPA news agency.

She was running against seven men and two women, Osam al-Bar was quoted as saying.

Elections of any kind are rare in the Saudi kingdom – December 12, 2015 was only the third time in history that Saudis had gone to the polls.

There were no elections in the 40 years between 1965 and 2005.

The decision to allow women to take part was taken by the late King Abdullah and is seen as a key part of his legacy.

In announcing the reforms, King Abdullah said women in Saudi Arabia “have demonstrated positions that expressed correct opinions and advice”.

Before he died in January, King Abdullah appointed 30 women to the country’s top advisory Shura Council.

There were 2,100 council seats available in December 12 vote. An additional 1,050 seats are appointed with approval from the king.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBvngUUCCBw

Barack Obama: Paris Climate Deal Is World’s Best Chance

James J. Williams
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Barack Obama: Paris Climate Deal Is World’s Best Chance

President Barack Obama has said the climate deal reached at Paris summit is “the best chance we have to save the one planet we have”.

He said it could be a “turning point” for the world to take on the challenge of a low-carbon future.

China, the world’s biggest polluter, also hailed the deal. However, some campaigners said it did not go far enough to protect the planet.

The Paris Agreement aims to curb global warming to less than 2C (3.6F)

Nearly 200 countries took part in tense negotiations in Paris over two weeks, striking the first deal to commit all nations to cut emissions.

The agreement – which is partly legally binding and partly voluntary – will come into being in 2020.Barack Obama on Paris climate change deal

Describing the agreement as “ambitious”, Barack Obama said: “Together, we’ve shown what’s possible when the world stands as one.

“In short, this agreement will mean less of the carbon pollution that threatens our planet and more of the jobs and economic growth driven by low-carbon investments.”

However, the US president admitted that the pact was not “perfect”.

China’s chief negotiator Xie Zhenhua agreed that the Paris plan was not ideal. But he added that “this does not prevent us from marching historical steps forward”.

China earlier said rich developed countries needed to offer more financial support to developing countries.

Giza Gaspar Martins, the chairman of the group representing some of the world’s poorest countries, said: “It is the best outcome we could have hoped for, not just for the Least Developed Countries, but for all citizens of the world.”

However, Nick Dearden, director of campaign group Global Justice Now, said: “It’s outrageous that the deal that’s on the table is being spun as a success when it undermines the rights of the world’s most vulnerable communities and has almost nothing binding to ensure a safe and liveable climate for future generations.”

Some aspects of the agreement will be legally binding, such as submitting an emissions reduction target and the regular review of that goal.

However, the targets set by nations will not be binding under the deal struck in Paris.

Russia: At Least 21 People Killed in Mental Health Clinic in Voronezh

Nancy Clayson
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Russia: At Least 21 People Killed in Mental Health Clinic in Voronezh

A fire at a mental health clinic in the Voronezh region, western Russia, has killed at least 21 people, the emergency ministry says.

Another two people are still reportedly missing after the blaze.

More than 20 people are being treated in hospital, and there are fears the death toll will rise further.Voronezh mental health clinic fire

The building was completely destroyed by the fire that began late on December 12, reports say. The cause of the blaze is being investigated.

A number of fires at state institutions across Russia in recent years have resulted in heavy losses of life.

In September 2013, 37 people died in a fire that swept through a psychiatric hospital in the north-western Novgorod region.

Several months earlier, a blaze at another psychiatric hospital near Moscow killed 38 people.

In 2009, 23 people died at an old people’s home in the north-west Komi region, while in 2007, 63 were killed at a home in Krasnodar, southern Russia.

In 2006, a fire at a Moscow drug rehabilitation clinic killed 45 women.

France Regional Elections: Marine Le Pen’s FN Seeks to Consolidate First Round Gains

Diane A. Wade
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France Regional Elections: Marine Le Pen’s FN Seeks to Consolidate First Round Gains

Marine Le Pen’s National Front (FN) is seeking to consolidate its last week’s gains in France’s second round of regional elections.

The far-right FN is leading in six of 13 regions in mainland France.

However, opinion polls indicate that the centre-right Republican opposition of Nicolas Sarkozy has gained ground since then.

The Republicans pushed the ruling Socialists into third place in the first round.

The Socialists have removed losing candidates from vulnerable seats to avoid splitting the anti-FN vote. However, the Republicans have refused to do the same.

The FN won 27.73% of the vote in the first round, followed by Nicolas Sarkozy’s Republicans on 26.65% and President Francois Hollande’s Socialists with 23.12%.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

Marine Le Pen, who stood in the northern region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, and her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen, who stood in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur in the south, both looked to have won more than 40% of the vote.

She later told her supporters it was a “magnificent result” which proved the FN was “without contest the first party of France”.

French regions have wide powers over local transport, education and economic development.

The far right has been steadily gaining votes over the past few years from both left- and right-wing sympathizers through a mix of nationalist and pro-welfare policies, correspondents say.

In the lead-up to the first round, opinion polls suggested that the popularity of the anti-immigration, anti-EU FN had increased since the deadly attacks in Paris on November 13.

The FN is hoping a strong performance will boost Marine Le Pen’s chances in the 2017 presidential election.

The government’s response to the Paris attacks has boosted President Francois Hollande’s approval ratings – they have soared more than 30 percentage points to 50%.

However, this surge in personal popularity has so far not translated into greater approval for Francois Hollande’s Socialist Party.

Paris Agreement: Climate Change Deal Agreed at COP21

James J. Williams
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Paris Agreement: Climate Change Deal Agreed at COP21

World leaders have agreed a deal attempting to limit the rise in global temperatures to less than 2C after two weeks of negotiations at the climate change summit in Paris.

The global pact is the first to commit all countries to cut carbon emissions.

The agreement is partly legally binding and partly voluntary.

Earlier, key blocs, including the G77 group of developing countries, and nations such as China and India said they supported the proposals.

President of the UN climate conference of parties (COP) and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said: “I now invite the COP to adopt the decision entitled Paris Agreement outlined in the document.

“Looking out to the room I see that the reaction is positive, I see no objections. The Paris agreement is adopted.”

As Laurent Fabius struck the gavel to signal the adoption of the deal, delegates rose to their feet cheering and applauding.

Nearly 200 countries have been attempting to strike the first climate deal to commit all countries to cut emissions, which would come into being in 2020.

President Barack Obama was among the first world leaders to tweet his congratulations, describing the deal as “huge”.

The chairman of the group representing some of the world’s poorest countries called the deal historic, adding: “We are living in unprecedented times, which call for unprecedented measures.

“It is the best outcome we could have hoped for, not just for the Least Developed Countries, but for all citizens of the world.”

Paris Agreement key measures:

  • To peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and achieve a balance between sources and sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century
  • To keep global temperature increase “well below” 2C (3.6F) and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5C
  • To review progress every five years
  • $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020, with a commitment to further finance in the future.

Ahead of the deal being struck, delegates were in a buoyant mood as they gathered in the hall waiting for the plenary session to resume.

Laurent Fabius was applauded as he entered the hall ahead of the announcement.Paris Agreement climate change deal

Earlier, French President Francois Hollande called the proposals unprecedented, while UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on negotiators to “finish the job”.

However, the celebratory mood has not been shared among all observers.

Nick Dearden, director of campaign group Global Justice Now, said: “It’s outrageous that the deal that’s on the table is being spun as a success when it undermines the rights of the world’s most vulnerable communities and has almost nothing binding to ensure a safe and livable climate for future generations.”

Some aspects of the agreement will be legally binding, such as submitting an emissions reduction target and the regular review of that goal.

However, the targets set by nations will not be binding under the deal struck in the French capital.

Observers say the attempt to impose emissions targets on countries was one of the main reasons why the Copenhagen talks in 2009 failed.

In 2009, nations including China, India and South Africa were unwilling to sign up to a condition that they felt could hamper economic growth and development.

The latest negotiations managed to avoid such an impasse by developing a system of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).

In these, which form the basis of the Paris agreement goal of keeping global temperature rise “well below” 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels, nations outline their plans on cutting their post-2020 emissions.

An assessment published during the two-week talks suggested that the emission reductions currently outlined in the INDCs submitted by countries would only limit global temperature rise by 2.7C.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGfbhZyJdg0

Moranbong Halts China Goodwill Tour

Sonia Pantiss
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Moranbong Halts China Goodwill Tour

North Korean pop group Moranbong has halted its goodwill tour of China – before it even began.

The all-female band unexpectedly turned up at Beijing’s main airport just hours before their first concert and flew back to Pyongyang.

Moranbong were due to play three shows to help improve ties between China and North Korea.

It is not yet clear why the performances were canceled.

Moranbong is one of North Korea’s most popular bands. Its members were reportedly handpicked by the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, himself.

The band plays a mixture of Western and traditional Korean tunes, and has been happy to perform the theme from the movie Rocky alongside patriot songs praising North Korea’s communist rulers.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

Moranbong members play a range of instruments, including electronic violins.

In North Korea, the Moranbong musicians are also known for wearing revealing outfits and sporting fashionable hairstyles.

The women were waved off for their first-ever foreign tour from Pyongyang railway station on December 9 by senior leaders.

Dressed in military uniforms, they smiled and waved to fans when they came and went from their hotel after arriving in China.

There was no hint of trouble when they practiced in Beijing’s National Center for Performing Arts on December 11.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman confirmed the performances were aimed at improving ties between China and North Korea. She also joked that she did not know where to get hold of a ticket for the concerts.

However, on December 12, the band unexpectedly arrived at Beijing airport and boarded a plane back home – a scheduled flight whose departure was delayed for several hours.

Moranbong’s stage set was dismantled and its concerts were canceled. Neither China nor North Korea has given an official reason for the abrupt end of the tour.

China and North Korea are allies. China’s Chairman Mao once said they were as close as lips and teeth.

However, they have not always seen eye-to-eye over recent years. China has been particularly angry at three nuclear tests carried out by North Korea, the last in 2013.

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