Australia’s famous Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park has been closed after a huge rainfall.
Waterfalls appeared all over the landmark, also known as Ayers Rock, at the heart of the national park in central Australia.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), the massive Christmas storm is a twice-a-century weather event.
Flash floods in the remote town of Kintore forced the evacuation of dozens of residents.
Image source Wikpedia
Up to 25 houses were flooded in Kintore, near the border with the state of Western Australia, Northern Territory police told Australia’s ABC.
Kintore was almost cut off, with only severely impaired access from the Western Australian side, they added.
Papunya, another town 155 miles from Alice Springs, was completely cut off, while the town square of Yulara – the nearest community to Uluru – was inundated.
Rangers closed the Uluru national park at 09:00 local time on Boxing Day (Second Christmas Day), citing the risk of flooded roads and potential car accidents.
Parks Australia said they were continuing to monitor the situation but it was not yet safe to
Uluru is a large sandstone rock in the outback sacred to the indigenous Anangu people, and one of Australia’s top tourist attractions.
Today’s workforce is more agile than ever before as technology transforms the way we do business. Thanks to Wi-Fi and mobile devices, employees are often encouraged to work from anywhere or bring their own devices into the office. But with this newfound flexibility comes new risks.
While many companies are making the move to mobile, so are cyber criminals. Below are a few reasons crafty hackers are specifically drawn to mobile devices and what you can do to insulate yourself against this growing threat.
Unprotected Wi-Fi: Remote employees love free Wi-Fi, but many are completely unaware of the risks of joining an unfamiliar connection. Cyber eavesdroppers can often steal information in transit over insecure Wi-Fi connections, even if the data is being sent to a secure network. Especially cunning hackers may even set up a phony hotspot to snare unsuspecting users and pilfer their most valuable data. Don’t conflate ‘work from anywhere’ with ‘work from any connection!’
If you want to connect to the internet safely and privately, update your Wi-Fi settings to block open sharing with other devices. Consider using a Virtual Private Network or VPN to turn your public connection into a personal one. Finally, turn off your Wi-Fi connection when you are not using it. This will reduce the time available for hackers to penetrate your firewall.
Image source Flickr
Trojan Horse Apps: Sad to say, many of the consumer apps available for download on the app store are downright dangerous — either because they are unguarded or malicious. Phony flashlight and calculator apps, for example, have been known to contain spyware which tracks a user’s keystrokes or phone calls, and can even be used to listen in on their conversations or sell personal information to advertisers.
Mobile app security depends on a keen eye and warry thumb. If an app doesn’t seem right, don’t click it. Don’t just trust the reviews, be on the lookout for grammatical or spelling errors, unnecessary permissions or apps which eat up a considerable amount for no discernable reason. Take notice of these red flags to better protect your mobile app security.
Losing Your Phone: It seems all too obvious, but one of the easiest ways to open yourself up to digital infiltration is to drop your phone in a public place. If you haven’t locked your device with a PIN or password, a single swipe is all it takes. Does your phone or tablet connect to your email, social media, banking and box services? Too bad, because a smart hacker will have no trouble stealing your identity, locking your social pages, vandalizing your finances and transferring your business data to god-knows-where.
Remember, protecting your phone means implementing safeguards before you lose it. Always lock your devices using a PIN, password or thumbprint. While it’s not perfect, it might be enough to discourage some thieves. Download device locator or remote wipe apps to keep your information from falling into the wrong hands.
Mobile Phishing & Spoofing: The majority of hackers prefer to use methods tried and true, and no attack is more common than phishing attacks. While phishing scams are still used to swipe personal account information and login credentials through spam emails and bogus sign-in pages, some cybercriminals have updated their techniques for the mobile age.
Beware of SMS or text messages containing web links from unknown sources. You could be putting your mobile app security at risk. The same can be said for social media sites as devious cyber crooks masquerade as a familiar user or company. If you are unsure about a link, avoid it or communicate your concerns to the sender in person to avoid catastrophe.
Protecting yourself from digital intrusion is not only important to your own security, but also for the safety of your business, your customers and your partners. Safeguard your mobile devices using the tips above and stay educated about up-and-coming threats. After all, the world of mobile security is still in hot competition with hackers and cybercriminals around the world.
Russian search teams are continuing a huge operation in the Black Sea after a military plane with 92 people on board crashed on Christmas Day.
Some 3,500 people on ships, jets, helicopters and submersibles are involved in the operation near Sochi.
The Tupolev Tu-154 plane – carrying soldiers, members of famed Alexandrov army music ensemble and reporters – was heading for Syria.
All those on board are feared dead after yesterday’s crash.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a national day of mourning on Monday, December 26.
At a briefing on December 26, Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said that search teams – including 139 divers – worked through the night in three shifts, and the operation “did not stop for a minute”.
Igor Konashenkov said that 11 bodies and “154 fragments” have been found since the operation began.
Image source WIkimedia
Overnight, he added, powerful spotlights were used to search the crash area.
The 4 square miles search area just off the coast had been extended, the spokesman said.
Ten of the bodies have already been sent back to Moscow for identification, media reports say.
On December 26, Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov said that terrorism was not “among the main versions” of the possible causes of the crash.
He reiterated that investigators were looking into whether a pilot error or technical fault may have brought down the aircraft.
The minister earlier stressed that it was too early to speculate on possible crash causes.
Russian media quoted Aerospace Forces Commander Viktor Bondarev as saying that the plane’s black boxes had been located and they were not likely to have been damaged.
The aircraft disappeared from radar two minutes after taking off from Sochi’s Adler airport at 05:25AM local time, heading for Latakia in Syria, the defense ministry said.
The flight had originated in Moscow and landed in Sochi for refueling.
It was carrying 64 members of the famed Alexandrov Ensemble, who were to perform for Russian troops in Syria.
An audio recording played on Russian media and said to be of the final conversation between air traffic controllers and the plane reveals no sign of any difficulties.
Voices remain calm until the plane disappears and the controllers try in vain to re-establish contact.
The plane came into service in 1983.
Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the plane was last serviced in September and had undergone more substantial repairs in December 2014. It had an “experienced” pilot, he said.
Typhoon Nock-Ten is threatening the Philippines, as it heads towards the area around the heavily-populated capital Manila.
Civil defense officials have been put on “red alert”, as Nock-Ten is due to hit Manila on December 26.
The typhoon has weakened since making landfall on the eastern coast on December 25, but it still packs winds up to 87mph, meteorologists say.
Three people were reported killed in Albay province, south-east of Manila.
Nock-Ten (known as Nina in the Philippines) has cut power lines and uprooted trees.
Manila’s civil defense office warned that the capital could be hit by “heavy to intense rains, flash floods and severe winds”.
Image source CNN
The coastguard has ordered beaches south of Manila to be cleared.
The storm hit the coast near Catanduanes Island on Christmas Day, knocking out power.
Hours later, local media reported that in Albay province a couple were swept away in a flash flood and an elderly man was killed by a collapsing wall.
About 100,000 people had been earlier moved from areas at risk in the Bicol region amid fears of widespread flooding and possible landslides.
There were fears Filipinos would ignore evacuation warnings to stay at home with family at Christmas, the biggest holiday in the largely Catholic nation.
Dozens of ports remain closed, with warnings of high waves.
Nock-Ten is expected to pass across the main island of Luzon, before heading into the South China Sea.
Pop superstar George Michael has passed away on Christmas Day at his home at the age of 53, his publicist has announced.
George Michael, who launched his career with Wham! in the ‘80s and had huge success as a solo performer, “passed away peacefully” in Goring, Oxfordshire.
Thames Valley Police say they are treating the death as unexplained but there were no suspicious circumstances.
Former Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley said he was “heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend”.
Writing on Twitter and referring to George Michael as “Yog”, a nickname for “Yours Only George”, Andrew Ridgeley added: “Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved. A xx”
Elton John posted on Instagram a picture of himself with George Michael, writing: “I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friend – the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist. My heart goes out to his family and all of his fans.”
Image source Wikimedia
George Michael’s family announced news of his death in a statement issued through the singer’s publicist.
The statement said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period.
“The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage.”
South Central Ambulance Service had been called to George Michael’s property at 13:42 GMT.
Thames Valley Police said its officers also attended and George Michael was confirmed dead at the scene.
Police added: “At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. A post-mortem will be undertaken in due course. There will be no further updates from Thames Valley Police until the post-mortem has taken place.”
George Michael’s manager, Michael Lippman, gave the cause of death as heart failure.
A small heart wreath and a rose are among the tributes that have begun to be left outside the front door of the superstar’s home, a detached property by the River Thames.
George Michael, who was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in north London, sold more than 100 million albums throughout a career spanning almost four decades.
The musician first found fame with schoolfriend Andrew Ridgeley in duo Wham! – reaching No 1 in the UK singles charts on four occasions – before going on to release solo albums, including the multi-million selling Faith in 1987.
The follow-up Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 outsold Faith in the UK but led to George Michael losing a court case with record label Sony over his frustration at how the album has been marketed.
As a solo artist, George Michael scored a further seven No 1 singles in the UK with songs including Careless Whisper and Fastlove, collaborated with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Elton John, and won three Brit Awards and two Grammys.
George Michael later began facing headlines for the wrong reasons.
In October 2006, the singer pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs, and in 2008 was cautioned for possession of class A drugs, including crack cocaine.
In September 2010, George Michael received an eight-week prison sentence following an incident in which he crashed his Range Rover into a shop in north London. He admitted driving under the influence of drugs and possessing cannabis.
Earlier this month it was announced that producer and songwriter Naughty Boy was working with George Michael on a new album.
A documentary film entitled Freedom was due for release in March 2017.
In 2011, George Michael postponed a series of concerts after being taken to hospital for treatment for pneumonia.
After treatment in a Vienna hospital, the musician made a tearful appearance outside his London home and said it had been “touch and go” whether he lived.
Doctors were reported to have performed a tracheotomy to keep his airways open and George Michael was unconscious for some of his spell in hospital.
After years of refusing to be drawn on speculation about his sexuality, George Michael disclosed he was gay in 1998 after being was arrested in a public toilet in Beverly Hills, California.
Russia’s defense ministry has announced that all 92 people on board a military aircraft are feared dead after it crashed into the Black Sea in the morning.
The Tupolev Tu-154 disappeared from radar two minutes after taking off from Sochi at 05:25Am local time, heading for Latakia in Syria, the defense ministry said.
Debris and 11 bodies have been found, with no reports of survivors.
The plane was carrying soldiers, reporters and 64 members of the famed Alexandrov military music ensemble who were to perform for Russian troops.
More than 100 divers are involved in a round-the-clock search operation at the site of the crash, the defense ministry says.
Russia’s transport minister says investigators are looking into an “entire spectrum” of possible reasons the crash occurred, including the possibility of a terror attack.
Earlier, a Russian official had downplayed any suggestion of a terror attack.
President Vladimir Putin has said December 26 will be a day of national mourning.
The flight had originated in Moscow and landed at Adler airport in Sochi for refueling.
Image source WIkimedia
The defense ministry said in a statement: “Fragments of the Tu-154 plane of the Russian defense ministry were found 1.5km [one mile from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi at a depth of 50 to 70m [165-230ft.”
Ministry spokesman Maj-Gen Igor Konashenkov said: “No survivors have been spotted.”
An audio recording played on Russian media and said to be of the final conversation between air traffic controllers and the plane reveals no sign of any difficulties being faced by the crew.
Voices remain calm until the plane disappears and the controllers try in vain to re-establish contact.
Reports from the area said flying conditions were favorable.
Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the plane was last serviced in September and had undergone more substantial repairs in December 2014. It had an “experienced” pilot.
President Vladimir Putin has ordered a state commission to look into the crash and sent his condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
The defense ministry has published a passenger list, showing that 64 of those on board were from the Alexandrov Ensemble, including its director, Valery Khalilov.
There were 9 journalists, 8 soldiers, two civil servants and eight crew members.
Also on board was Elizaveta Glinka, known as Dr. Liza, the executive director of the Fair Aid charity and the inaugural winner of Russia’s state prize for achievements in human rights.
The Alexandrov Ensemble was scheduled to perform a New Year’s concert at Russia’s Hmeimim air base near Latakia.
Carrie Fisher is in stable condition after suffering a heart attack on December 23, her mother has announced.
The 60-year-old actress, who played Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars saga, is in the ICU of a Los Angeles hospital.
Carrie Fisher had heart problems during a flight from London to LA, and passengers attempted to revive her with CPR.
Photo Flickr
Her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, said on Twitter: “Carrie is in stable condition. If there is a change, we will share it. For all her fans & friends. I thank you for your prayers & good wishes.”
Carrie Fisher had been on tour promoting her latest book, The Princess Diarist.
According to TMZ, the cardiac arrest happened about 15 minutes before the plane landed in LA. A doctor who was travelling on the plane administered CPR.
Paramedics then spent a further 15 minutes administering more CPR to Carrie Fisher before getting a pulse, TMZ reported.
Carrie Fisher appeared in the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a sequel released in 2015.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has summoned American Ambassador Dan Shapiro amid a growing row after the US eased the passage of a UN resolution against Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also foreign minister, took the unusual step of calling the US ambassador to his office.
The move comes after Israel summoned ambassadors from countries which voted for the December 23 resolution.
The reprimands came after Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to take retaliatory steps for what he called a “shameful” act by the UN.
The resolution, which harshly criticized Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, passed when the US abstained instead of using its veto.
Image source Wikimedia
Israel has accused the US, its closest ally but a frequent critic of settlements, of engineering the vote – a charge Washington has denied.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu said: “From the information that we have, we have no doubt that the Obama administration initiated it, stood behind it, co-ordinated on the wording and demanded that it be passed.
“Friends don’t take friends to the Security Council.”
The UN resolution – the first since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy – said the settlements had “no legal validity” and constituted “a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution”.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama have had a difficult relationship during President Obama’s two terms and Israel had feared that Washington would take such a measure in the final weeks of Obama’s presidency.
Donald Trump tweeted that the vote was a “big loss” for Israel which “will make it much harder to negotiate peace”, vowing “we will get it done anyway”.
The president-elect promised that “things will be different” at the UN after he takes office on January 20.
Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his foreign ministry to summon the ambassadors of 10 countries which voted in favor of the resolution and which have embassies in Israel.
The reprimand on Christmas Day, when most embassies are closed, is unusual and a sign of the seriousness with which Israel is taking the matter.
In remarks on December 24, Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would work to get the resolution rescinded, adding that allies in the US Congress and the incoming administration had promised to “fight an all-out war” against the measure.
The prime minister said he had already halted Israeli funding to five UN institutions “that are especially hostile to Israel”, and warned of further steps to come.
In the wake of the vote, Israel recalled its ambassadors from New Zealand and Senegal, which both put forward the resolution, and canceled planned visits to Israel by the foreign ministers of Senegal and Ukraine, which had voted for the text.
The issue of Jewish settlements is one of the most contentious between Israel and the Palestinians.
More than 500,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem – land the Palestinians want for a future state.
The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
A Russian Tu-154 plane with 93 people on board has crashed into the Black Sea, the defense ministry has said.
The military plane disappeared from radar two minutes after taking off from the resort of Sochi at 05:25AM local time. Debris and one body have been found, with no reports of any survivors.
The Russian defense ministry said the Tu-154 was carrying soldiers, 65 members of the famed Alexandrov military music ensemble, and nine reporters.
The plane was flying to Latakia in Syria.
The flight originated in Moscow and had landed at Adler airport in Sochi for refueling.
The Russian defense ministry said in a statement: “Fragments of the Tu-154 plane of the Russian defense ministry were found 1.5km [one mile] from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi at a depth of 50 to 70m [165-230ft.”
Image source WIkimedia
An audio recording played on Russian media and said to be of the final conversation between air traffic controllers and the plane reveals no sign of any difficulties being faced by the crew.
Voices remain calm until the plane disappears and the controllers try in vain to re-establish contact.
Reports from the area said flying conditions were favorable.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a state commission to look into the crash and sent his condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
The defense ministry has published a passenger list, showing that 65 of those on board were from the Alexandrov Ensemble, including its director, Valery Khalilov.
There were 9 journalists, 8 soldiers, two civil servants and eight crew members.
Also on board was Elizaveta Glinka, known as Dr. Liza, the executive director of the Fair Aid charity and the inaugural winner of Russia’s state prize for achievements in human rights.
The plane was carrying passengers to a New Year’s performance for Russian troops deployed in Syria.
The performance was scheduled to take place at Russia’s Hmeimim air base, near Latakia.
Russia has been carrying out air strikes in support of Syrian government forces who are battling rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
During a high-security Christmas Mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis has said that the true meaning of Christmas is being drowned out by materialism.
The Pope also denounced the continuing suffering of children.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church mentioned those who faced hunger, danger on migration routes and bombing in Syrian cities such as Aleppo.
Image source AP
Those taking part in Christmas Eve service inside St Peter’s Basilica had to pass through metal detectors.
The Mass celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ is the first major event of the Christmas season for the Pope, which will include his noon blessing on Christmas Day.
During the service, Pope Francis said Christmas had been “taken hostage” by materialism, and that the season needed more humility.
The pontiff said people now lived in a time “when the lights of commerce cast the light of God into the shadows, when we are concerned for gifts, but cold toward those who are marginalized”.
Throughout the past year, Pope Francis has urged compassion towards refugees, urging Christians to remember that Jesus himself was a migrant.
President Barack Obama has delivered his final Christmastime weekly address on December 24.
He was joined by First Lady Michelle Obama and all together wished families across the US a joyous holiday.
Photo White House
Barack and Michelle Obama are continuing their annual tradition of spending Christmas in Hawaii, where they will remain until after New Year’s.
In their weekly address, President Barack Obama and the First Lady look back at their first joint holiday address, which appeared to tickle the commander-in-chief.
Barack and Michelle Obama also thanked US troops for their service and urged people to find ways to support them during the holidays.
Donald Trump’s transitional team has announced that the president-elect intends to dissolve the Trump Foundation that remains under investigation.
In a statement, Donald Trump said the move was aimed at avoiding “even the appearance” of any conflict of interest with his presidency.
Earlier this year, New York’s Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said that he was investigating the Trump Foundation over suspected “impropriety”.
Donald Trump has dismissed the claim.
The president-elect’s statement on December 24 said that “the foundation has done enormous good works over the years in contributing millions of dollars to countless worthy groups, including supporting veterans, law enforcement officers and children.
Photo AP
“However, to avoid even the appearance of any conflict with my role as president I have decided to continue to pursue my strong interest in philanthropy in other ways.”
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in September that his office wanted to ensure the Foundation was “complying with the laws that govern charities in New York”.
“We have been concerned that the Trump Foundation may have engaged in some impropriety from that point of view,” he told CNN at the time.
According to media reports, Eric Schneiderman’s office has been investigating the Trump Foundation since at least June, when it formally questioned a donation made to a group backing Republican Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi in 2013.
The $25,000 payment was made at a time when Pam Bondi’s office was reportedly considering whether to open a fraud investigation into Trump University.
The fraud investigation never happened, although Pam Bondi denies the decision was influenced by the donation she received.
Donald Trump’s aides have already admitted the donation was a mistake resulting from clerical errors, according to reports.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is getting ready to tackle its annual holiday mission – tracking Santa’s storybook sleigh ride around the world.
Peterson Air Force base in Colorado Springs has been working for weeks for its one-day mission.
Volunteers will be answering calls from an estimated 125,000 children around the globe looking for Santa’s whereabouts.
The call center in a training building will be staffed starting at 1 AM on December 24, for 23 hours on Christmas Eve. Volunteers will also share Santa’s location on Facebook and Twitter.
The nephew of the Berlin Christmas market attacker Anis Amri and two other suspects have been arrested in Tunisia, officials say.
The three, aged between 18 and 27, were members of a “terrorist cell”, and they were detained overnight, the Tunisian interior ministry said.
Tunisian-born Anis Amri, 24, was shot dead by police near the Italian city of Milan on December 23.
This week’s truck attack at the Breitscheidplatz Christmas market left 12 people dead and 49 injured.
The interior ministry statement said Anis Amri’s nephew – the son of his sister – had confessed that he had communicated with his uncle via the encrypted chat application Telegram to evade security surveillance.
It said the three-member cell had been active in the towns of Fouchana, outside Tunis, and Oueslatia near Anis Amri’s hometown of Kairouan, about 95 miles south of the capital.
The statement added that Anis Amri had sent money to his nephew to travel to Germany and join a jihadist group, and encouraged him to pledge allegiance to ISIS.
Meanwhile, intelligence services in Spain are investigating a possible internet communication between Amri and a Spanish resident on 19 December, Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido told radio station COPE.
On December 23, ISIS released a video showing Anis Amri pledging allegiance to its leader Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Anis Amri was shot dead after opening fire on police officers during a routine police check in the Milan suburb of Sesto San Giovanni, after a three-day Europe-wide manhunt.
According to a United Nations report, an estimated 5,500 Tunisians – mostly young people between the ages of 18 and 35 – were fighting in the ranks of terrorist organizations in Libya, Iraq, Syria and, to a lesser extent, Mali.
In November 2016, the ministry of the interior in Tunis said about 800 fighters had returned to the country.
Rick Parfitt has died in hospital in Spain at the age of 68, his manager has announced.
The Status Quo guitarist died from a severe infection after going to hospital on December 22 following complications to a shoulder injury.
Rick Parfitt had been due to launch a solo career with an album and autobiography planned for 2017.
Status Quo found global success with hits including Rockin’ All Over The World and Whatever You Want.
Image source Wikimedia
In a statement, Rick Parfitt’s manager Simon Porter said the family was “devastated” to announce the musician’s death.
“He will be sorely missed by his family, friends, fellow band members, management, crew and his dedicated legion of fans from throughout the world, gained through 50 years of monumental success with Status Quo.”
Rick Parfitt had suffered a series of health problems including having to undergo a quadruple heart bypass in 1997.
In October, he said he would no longer be performing with his band after suffering from a heart attack in the summer.
Rick Parfitt is survived by his wife Lyndsay, their twins Tommy and Lily, and his adult children Rick Jr. and Harry, a statement from the family said.
South Koreans protesters dressed as Santa Claus have marched through the streets of Seoul calling for the immediate removal of President Park Geun-hye.
The festive protest marks the ninth week of rallies against the South Korean president.
Earlier this month South Korea’s parliament has voted to impeach Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal, but that decision has to be confirmed by the country’s constitutional court.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators demand the president to resign at once.
Organizers say more than 550,000 people joined the ranks marching towards the presidential Blue House, the prime minister’s office and the constitutional court. Police figures were not available.
The crowd chanted “Arrest Park immediately!” and sang along to Christmas songs whose lyrics they had changed to mock the president.
Between 200 and 300 young people in Santa outfits handed out books and Christmas cards to children at the demonstration, chanting: “Gifts to children and handcuffs to Park!”
The scandal which has engulfed President Park Geun-hye centers on her relationship with long-time friend Choi Soon-sil, who faces charges of coercion and abuse of power.
It is alleged that after Park Geun-hye became president in 2013, Choi Soon-sil, 60, used their friendship to pressure top companies into donating to foundations she controlled, and then siphoned off funds for her own gain.
Prosecutors are also investigating new allegations that Choi Soon-sil sent dubious assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars overseas.
Park Geun-hye’s one-time ally has been in custody since October, and was brought to a special prosecutors’ office to be questioned on December 24.
A spokesman for the special prosecutor told reporters: “We will question her to confirm her earlier statements and investigate other allegations.”
President Park Geun-hye has been suspended from her duties since the impeachment vote on December 9, but insists she will wait “calmly” until the constitutional court delivers its decision.
If the constitutional court confirms her impeachment, Park Geun-hye will be permanently removed from office, and elections will be held within 60 days.
Carrie Fisher is in intensive care after suffering a massive heart attack during a flight from London to Los Angeles, her brother, Todd Fisher, has announced.
The 60-year-old actress, who played Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies, went into cardiac arrest minutes before the end of the flight.
According to TMZ, passengers attempted to revive Carrie Fisher with CPR and she was taken to hospital when the plane landed after midday local time.
Todd Fisher said she was in intensive care in LA.
He told Entertainment Tonight: “If everyone could just pray for her that would be good.
“The doctors are doing their thing and we don’t want to bug them. We are waiting by patiently.”
Photo Flickr
Carrie Fisher had been on tour promoting her latest book, The Princess Diarist.
The heart attack happened about 15 minutes before the plane landed in LA, TMZ reported. A medic who was travelling on the plane administered CPR.
Paramedics then spent a further 15 minutes administering more CPR to Carrie Fisher before getting a pulse, TMZ reported. She was on a ventilator in the UCLA medical center, the website said.
United Airlines issued a statement saying that Flight 935 from London to LA was met on the ground by medical personnel after the crew reported that a passenger was “unresponsive”, but did not name the passenger, Reuters reported.
The LA Fire department said its paramedics met the plane and “provided advanced life support and aggressively treated and transported the patient to a local hospital”.
A law enforcement official told NBC that Carrie Fisher’s condition was “not good”.
Carrie Fisher appeared in the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a sequel released in 2015.
Donald Trump’s New York campaign co-chair Carl Paladino has come under fire after crude remarks about President Barack Obama and the first lady.
Asked by a newspaper what he would most like to happen in 2017, Carl Paladino said he hoped President Barack Obama would die from mad cow disease and Michelle Obama would “return to being a male”.
Carl Paladino, 70, later said his remarks were meant to be humorous.
However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the comments were “racist” and “ugly”.
Photo Flickr
Many Twitter users also condemned Carl Paladino, with one saying there was “something deeply, horribly wrong” with him.
Meanwhile, the Parent Teacher Organization in the city of Buffalo called on Carl Paladino to resign from its school board.
The White House has made no public comment.
Carl Paladino, the unsuccessful Republican candidate for the post of New York governor in 2010, was asked by Buffalo’s Artvoice newspaper for his hopes for 2017.
This is Artvoice‘s traditional end-of-the-year feature, where prominent local figures give their predictions.
Referring to Barack Obama, Carl Paladino said he hoped the president “catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations” with a cow and would die and be buried “in a cow pasture”.
On Michelle Obama, he said: “I’d like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.”
Carl Paladino later said his remarks were “about a little deprecating humor which America lost for a long time”, adding: “Merry Christmas and tough luck if you don’t like my answer.”
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has described the UN call to end settlement activity on occupied land as “shameful”.
The prime minister stressed that Israel would not abide by December 23vote at the 15-member UN Security Council.
However, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ spokesman said the resolution was a “big blow to Israeli policy”.
The resolution was passed after the US refused to veto it, breaking with long-standing American practice.
Washington has traditionally sheltered Israel from condemnatory resolutions.
The Egyptian-drafted resolution had been withdrawn after Israel asked President-elect Donald Trump to intervene, but it was proposed again by Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal and Venezuela.
The UN resolutin, approved by 14 votes to zero, with only the US abstaining, demands that Israel immediately “cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem”.
Image source Wikimedia
It says Jewish settlements are a “flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace”.
The issue is one of the most contentious between Israel and the Palestinians.
About 500,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Israel rejects this shameful anti-Israel resolution at the UN and will not abide by its terms.
“At a time when the Security Council does nothing to stop the slaughter of half-a-million people in Syria, it disgracefully gangs up on the one true democracy in the Middle East, Israel, and calls the Western Wall <<occupied territory>>.”
He said the Obama administration “not only failed to protect Israel against this gang-up at the UN, it colluded with it behind the scenes”, and added that he looked forward to working with Donald Trump.
Israel also announced its ambassadors to New Zealand and Senegal had been ordered to return for consultations and that it was cutting all aid programs to Senegal.
It has no diplomatic ties with Malaysia and Venezuela.
A spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas said: “The Security Council resolution is a big blow to Israeli policy, a unanimous international condemnation of settlements and a strong support for the two-state solution.”
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, said: “The Council’s action, while long overdue, is timely, necessary and important.”
Samantha Power, the US envoy to the UN, said the resolution reflected the “facts on the ground” that settlement growth had been accelerating.
Criticizing Benjamin Netanyahu, she said: “One cannot simultaneously champion expanding settlements and champion a two-state solution that would end the conflict.”
However, Samantha Power said the US had not voted in favor of the resolution because it was “too narrowly focused” on settlements.
She added that even if all settlements were dismantled, both sides would still have to acknowledge “uncomfortable truths” and make “difficult choices” to reach peace.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted after the vote: “As to the UN, things will be different after Jan. 20th.”
On December 22, Donald Trump had urged the council to reject the motion, saying: “Peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations.”
Star Wars legend Carrie Fisher is in a critical condition after suffering a massive heart attack and being unresponsive for 10 minutes during a flight from London to Los Angeles, reports say.
Carrie Fisher, 60, is best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars saga.
According to TMZ, passengers attempted to revive the actress with CPR and she was rushed to hospital when the plane landed after midday local time.
Carrie Fisher had been on tour promoting her latest book The Princess Diarist.
The heart attack happened about 15 minutes before the plane landed in LA, TMZ reported. A medic who was traveling on the plane administered CPR.
A law enforcement official told NBC that Carrie Fisher’s condition was “not good”.
Photo Flickr
United Airlines issued a statement saying that Flight 935 from London to Los Angeles was met on the ground by medical personnel after the crew reported that a passenger was “unresponsive”, but did not name the passenger, Reuters reported.
Passengers on the plane have been tweeting about what they saw.
Fellow Star Wars actor Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the saga, tweeted his thoughts and prayers for “everyone’s favorite princess”.
Carrie Fisher appeared in the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a sequel released in 2015.
The actress also appeared in other movies including The Blues Brothers and When Harry Met Sally.
Carrie Fisher has written four novels and three memoirs and was previously married to the musician Paul Simon.
In her latest memoir, Carrie Fisher reveals that she and Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo, had an affair during the filming of Star Wars when she was 19 years old, and he was 33 and married with two children.
Carrie Fisher is the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds.
Donald Trump’s transition team has released a letter that they say was sent to him by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The president-elect said about the note, which is dated December 14, 2016: “A very nice letter from Vladimir Putin; his thoughts are so correct.”
On December 22, the two leaders called for their respective nations to boost their nuclear arsenals.
Earlier, Donald Trump seemed to welcome the notion of a nuclear arms race tweeting that the US “must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability”, only after hours after President Vladimir Putin had called for his own military to “strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces”.
Image NBC News
In the letter released by the Trump transition team, Vladimir Putin says he hopes that “we will be able – by acting in a constructive and pragmatic manner – to take real steps to restore the framework of bilateral cooperation in different areas as well as bring our level of collaboration to the international scene to a qualitatively new level”.
Experts believe that Vladimir Putin hopes that the next US president will remove economic sanctions by the US Department of Treasury which have been placed on Russian officials following the invasion and annexation of Crimea.
At an annual media briefing on December 23 in Moscow, Vladimir Putin said he saw nothing remarkable in Donald Trump’s tweet, making it clear that he does not view the US as a potential aggressor.
Donald Trump has been seen as close to Vladimir Putin and the Russian government, and drew condemnation from both Republicans and Democrats when he announced his selection of Rex Tillerson to be secretary of state.
Rex Tillerson, the CEO of ExxonMobil, has worked closely with Russian state oil company Rosneft, spoken out against international sanctions imposed on Moscow, and in 2013 was awarded an Order of Friendship by the Kremlin.
In response to Vladimir Putin’s letter, Donald Trump praised the Russian president’s words, calling them “so correct”.
Deutsche Bank has agreed a $7.2 billion fine over an investigation into mortgage-backed securities in the US.
The sum, which needs final approval, is far lower than the $14 billion the US authorities had asked the German bank to pay in September.
That fine had caused concerns that a failure of Deutsche Bank could pose a risk to the global financial system.
Credit Suisse also announced a similar deal, while Barclays is now under investigation too.
The sale of residential mortgage-backed securities played a significant role in the 2008 financial crisis.
Several banks in the US have been subject to investigations over allegations of giving mortgages to unqualified borrowers, then repackaging those loans as safe investments and selling the risk on to others. The inquiries related to deals done between 2005 and 2007.
Meanwhile, Credit Suisse has said it has agreed a $5.28 billion deal to settle its own dispute with US authorities over mortgage-backed securities.
Credit Suisse will pay US authorities $2.48 billion, and will also give consumers $2.8 billion in compensation over the next five years.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that a highly effective vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus could be available by 2018.
Trials conducted in Guinea, one of the West African countries most affected by an outbreak of Ebola that ended this year, show the vaccine offers 100% protection.
The vaccine is now being fast-tracked for regulatory approval.
Manufacturer Merck has made 300,000 doses of the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine available for use should Ebola strike.
GAVI, the global vaccine alliance, provided $5 million for the stockpile.
Photo Flickr
The trial’s results, published in The Lancet medical journal, show of nearly 6,000 people receiving the vaccine, all were free of the virus 10 days later.
In a group of the same size not vaccinated, 23 later developed Ebola.
Only one person who was vaccinated had a serious side effect that the researchers think was caused by the jab. This was a very high temperature and the patient recovered fully.
It is not known how well the vaccine might work in children since this was not tested in the trial.
The trial was led by the WHO, working with Guinea’s health ministry and international groups.
WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, who is the lead author of the study, said the results could help combat future outbreaks: “While these compelling results come too late for those who lost their lives during West Africa’s Ebola epidemic, they show that when the next Ebola outbreak hits, we will not be defenseless.”
Other drug companies are developing different Ebola vaccines that could be used in the future too.
The Ebola virus was first identified in 1976 but the recent outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people, highlighted the need for a vaccine.
The Ebola outbreak began in Guinea in 2013 and spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The men who seized control of a Libyan plane have surrendered in Malta.
The Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320 with 118 people on board was hijacked after taking off from Sabha, bound for the Libyan capital Tripoli.
Instead, the plane was diverted to Malta International Airport.
It appears the two hijackers are supporters of Libya’s late deposed leader, Muammar Gaddafi.
Images of the two men kneeling on the tarmac with their hands up appear to show the moment they were arrested by the Maltese authorities.
All the passengers – including one infant – and a number of the crew had already been released.
Image source Wikimedia
Malta’s PM Joseph Muscat initially said that the men had been armed with pistols and a grenade – but later tweeted that the weapons appeared to be replicas.
Joseph Muscat said neither of the men, believed to be of Libyan nationality, had made any demands.
The prime minister told a press conference: “The two hijackers have been detained in custody and interrogations are ongoing. The rest of the crew and passengers are also being questioned to ascertain events.
“Once this interrogation process is completed over the next few hours arrangements will be made to send the passengers and the crew members back to Libya with another Afriqiyah aircraft.”
Shortly before the incident drew to an end, one man emerged from the plane briefly and stood on the plane steps waving a green, Gaddafi-era flag – adding support to earlier suggestions they were loyalists to the former leader, killed in 2011.
Taher Siala, the foreign minister of Libya’s internationally backed Government of National Accord, said the hijackers wanted to set up a pro-Gaddafi political party.
One of the hijackers told a Libyan TV station: “We took this measure to declare and promote our new party.”
The incident began after the plane took off from Sabha at 11:10 local time, landing in Malta two hours and 20 minutes later.
PM Joseph Muscat said the passenger list included 82 men, 28 women and one baby.
Malta International Airport was closed and all flights were diverted while the incident was on-going.
Libya has been in a state of chaos since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, who had ruled the country since 1969.
Cuba’s lively capital is one of a kind. Crumbling and gorgeous, lively but relaxed, peaceful but revolutionary, Havana is a place of delightful contrasts and offers its visitors incredible experiences that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. From driving a 1950s Cadillac through the candy coloured streets to enjoying a delicious mojito in a cosy cabana bar, there are some things only to be enjoyed in Havana. Here are the top unique experiences you need to head to Havana to enjoy today:
Cuban Cigars
Whilst you may have enjoyed a Cuban cigar before, enjoying one in Havana in a Cuban cabana bar accompanied by the pulsating salsa rhythms and a deliciously minty mojito is something that doesn’t quite compare.
Image source Wikimedia
Salsa Dancing
Salsa dancing in Cuba is hotter and more alive than salsa anywhere else in the world. From watching local dance groups perform in the city’s salsa clubs, to the open dance floors where you can try out a few of your own, salsa dancing in Havana is livelier and more exciting than anywhere else, try club 1830 for a special outdoor dance experience.
Hotel Nacional de Cuba
Cuba’s most famous hotel, located in the Vedado area can be explored with tours regularly each day to the famous building. Home to guests such as Frank Sinatra, Walt Disney and Winston Churchill, it’s a building that houses a pretty impressive past guest list, not to mention its ancient splendour and impressive views of the Havana harbour on offer.
Siboney
To the west of the city lies the impressive Siboney boulevard. Beautiful 1950s mansions line the streets of the tree lined boulevard in an array of candy coloured hues. A stroll along the street is enough to transport you back in time to a forgotten era of unique Cuban glamour and decadence.
Classic Cocktails
Havana is the home of rum cocktails and enjoying one in the home of Cuban rum is a must, Strong, sweet and deliciously limey the refreshing cocktails you’re served in Havana go down so easily, you’ll be heading back to the bar in no time.
With Havana serving up some of the most incredible and unique experiences, it’s a must visit location to add your list. Head there today with Cuba’s lively capital for a once in a lifetime trip to a city that’s like nowhere else on earth.
