It's just the beginning for hoverboard lawsuits

One of the hottest holiday presents this year may also be a gift to personal injury lawyers.

Hoverboards have been randomly bursting into flames. Riders have taken dangerous spills, some even ending up in the ER. The logical next step for some shaken hoverboard owners (after posting a video to social media) is a lawsuit.

There are already at least two known lawsuits in the works. A couple in Alabama is suing a local hoverboard retailer after one of the devices caused a fire in their home. The seller is a mall kiosk.
Earlier this month in New York, Michael Brown filed lawsuit after the board he bought for his kids allegedly caught on fire while charging. He's suing hoverboard maker Swagway as well as the

Rwanda genocide: Pastor Jean Uwinkindi sentenced to life in prison

Sourece: BBC

Rwanda's High Court has sentenced a pastor to life in prison for his role in the 1994 genocide.

Jean Uwinkindi organised and participated in attacks on the minority Tutsi ethnic group, the court ruled.
Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by militias from the majority Hutu ethnic group.
The 64-year-old Hutu pastor was the first genocide suspect to be sent back to Rwanda for trial by the Tanzanian-based UN tribunal.

High dose vitamin D could treat multiple sclerosis, scientists find

Source: THE TELEGRAPH

Taking large doses of the recommended daily dose of vitamin D could be a cheap and simple treatment for multiple sclerosis, say scientists.

Low levels of vitamin D in the blood are known to be associated with an increased risk of developing MS.

And patients with low levels of the vitamin are also likely to suffer from disability, but until now scientists have now known if supplements could help the condition.

Amnesty: ITF to Train Ex-Niger Delta Militants for Sustainable Re-integration

Director-General of ITF, Mrs. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko

Sourece: THISDAY LIVE

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has offered to train beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) who are former Niger Delta militants, towards sustainable re-integration into the larger society.

The Director-General of ITF, Mrs. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko made the offer on Tuesday during a courtesy call on the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and PAP Coordinator , Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh (Rtd) in his office in Abuja.

Bill Cosby charged with felony sexual assault in Pennsylvania

Source: REUTERS

Bill Cosby was charged on Wednesday with sexually assaulting a woman after plying her with drugs and alcohol in 2004, the only criminal case against a once-beloved entertainer whose father-figure persona has been marred by dozens of similar misconduct accusations.
A frail-looking Cosby, 78, walking with a cane and accompanied by two lawyers, appeared for his arraignment hours later at a courthouse just outside Philadelphia, where he posted a $1 million bond, turned over his passport and was ordered to avoid any contact with his accuser.
Smiling and politely thanking District Court Judge Elizabeth McHugh at the end of the brief proceeding, Cosby left the Elkins Park courthouse and was driven to a nearby police precinct to be finger-printed and booked.

Electricity tariffs will fall in first quarter of 2016: SP Services

Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA

SINGAPORE: Electricity bills will fall in the first three months of 2016, due to the lower cost of natural gas, SP Services announced on Thursday (Dec 31). This will see electrical bills lower than at any point in 2015.
For the period spanning Jan 1 to Mar 31, 2016, electricity tariffs will decrease by an average of 4.2 per cent, or 0.85 cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh), compared to the previous quarter. The tariff reduction is due to the lower cost of natural gas for electricity generation which fell by 8.9 per cent compared to the last quarter of 2015, SP Services said.

Putin's Pivot: Out of Ukraine, Into Syria

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

"How great is it that our nation is ruled by a man that we can be so proud of?" To be honest, this is a first in my life." This was the praise given to President Vladimir Putin in the wake of his speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 28 in the Noviye Izvestia newspaper.
The writer was Alexander Kalyagin, a prominent Russian actor and theater director, and a Soviet screen icon, and he continued: "Every word, every pause, every intonation was in place. Having heard [Putin's words], 'Do you understand what you've done,' I couldn't help but applaud."
Kalyagin's lofty appraisal of Putin's General Assembly address — his first in a decade — was symptomatic of a wider trend — across Russia's cultural and political elite, it was an event that marked Russia as a major player in world affairs once again.

Asia trades mixed, ASX sheds 2% for the year

Source: CNBC

Asian markets were treading water on the final trading day of 2015, with investors eyeing oil prices for further clues after a turbulent year for stocks.
The Australian market, which closed early, shed over 2 percent for the year as lower commodity prices hit many stocks on the main index.

Overnight, oil prices fell over 3 percent. During Asian trade, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures saw some uptick, trading 0.38 percent higher at $36.74 a barrel. The global benchmark Brent futures was up slightly at $36.63 a barrel.

Syrian troops and Russian jets push for key town

 

Source: ALJAZEERA

 The Syrian army backed by Russian warplanes engaged in fierce fighting with rebels close to the border with Jordan, residents and opposition fighters said.

Inside Story - Are Russia and the US escalating the war in Syria?

Nigerian president offers talks with Boko Haram over Chibok girls

Source: BBC

Nigeria's president has said he is prepared to negotiate with Boko Haram militants to secure the release of about 200 schoolgirls.

Muhammadu Buhari said that if a credible Boko Haram leadership could be identified then he was prepared to talk with them without preconditions.
But he said he had no intelligence on the girls' whereabouts or their health.

Microsoft to warn email users of suspected hacking by governments

Source: REUTERS

Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday it will begin warning users of its consumer services including Outlook.com email when the company suspects that a government has been trying to hack into their accounts.
The policy change comes nine days after Reuters asked the company why it had decided not tell victims of a hacking campaign, discovered in 2011, that had targeted international leaders of China's Tibetan and Uighur minorities in particular.

Kidnapping: Police rescue two victims in Port Harcourt

Source: PREMIUM TIMES

The Rivers Police Command said it had rescued two persons kidnapped by gunmen at Ogbakiri in Emohua Local Government Area of the state, in the early hours of Wednesday.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Ahmad Muhammad, said in a statement in Port Harcourt that the rescued victims are Jackson Sunday and Mary Monday.
The statement said the victims were safely rescued during the operation.
It said an Ak-47 assault rifle; one locally made pistol; 20 rounds of ammunition and a Nissan Jeep were recovered, while three suspected kidnappers were fatally wounded during the operation.
It said the operation was carried out by the command`s

ZARIA, Nigeria: El-Zakzaky running a parallel govt for 40 years – Gumi

Source: PUNCH NIGERIA

A renowned Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, on Tuesday accused the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, of running a parallel government in the North.

Gumi, while speaking with newsmen in Kaduna, alleged that for the 40 years of its existence, the Shi’ite sect had been conducting military training for its members.

Burundi's Pierre Nkurunziza threatens AU peacekeepers

Source: BBC

Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza has threatened to fight African Union (AU) peacekeepers if they are deployed to the country.

The AU announced two weeks ago that it would send 5,000 troops to protect civilians in the country, even without the government's consent.
"Everyone has to respect Burundi borders," Mr Nkurunziza said in his first public response to the AU plan.
At least 400 people have been killed and 220,000 displaced since April.
The violence began after Mr Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third term in office. He survived a coup attempt in May, and secured a landslide victory in disputed elections in July.
There have been fears that the violence could spiral into civil war and possible ethnic conflict.

Under Burundi's constitution, foreign troops can only intervene if the warring parties ask for it, or if there is no legitimate government in place, the president said in comments broadcast on state radio.
Any violation of those principles would be considered "an attack on the country and every Burundian will stand up and fight against them," he said.
Other government officials have already criticised the AU proposal saying it would violate the country's sovereignty.

If the deployment goes ahead, it would be the first time the AU uses its power to deploy a force without a country's consent.
A clause in the organisation's charter allows it to intervene in a member state because of grave circumstances, which include war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
Diplomatic moves to prevent a civil war in Burundi have recently accelerated with the UN, the European Union and the East African Community fearful of the impact of worsening violence both on the local population and the region.
The government has said there is no threat of genocide.
A peace meeting held in neighbouring Uganda on Tuesday to find a solution to the crisis ended without any agreement.

50 feared Killed in Boko Haram Attacks on Adamawa, Borno

Source: THISDAY LIVE

Almost on the eve of the deadline given to the military by President Muhammadu Buhari to destroy the Boko Haram sect and end the insurgency in the North-east of Nigeria, about 50 more people were reported killed in Madagali, Adamawa State; and Maiduguri, Borno State, on Monday by bombs detonated by female suicide bombers of the sect.

The killings occurred in spite of assurances by President Buhari; the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; and the military that the sect had been incapacitated and no longer had the capacity to harm Nigerians.

Petrol to sell at N86.50 in PPPRA’s new template

Source: THE GUARDIAN NIGERIA

THERE will no longer be a uniform price for petroleum products, according to a new regulatory framework released by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) in Abuja, yesterday.
Effective January 1 till the end of March 2016 at least, petrol will be sold at N86.50 kobo at retail outlets owned by independent and major marketers while outlets owned or operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will sell at N86.

Chicago Teen Shooter pleads not guilty to murder

Source: REUTERS

The Chicago police officer who shot a black teenager last year pleaded not guilty to murder on Tuesday, as Mayor Rahm Emanuel cut short a vacation to return to the city to deal with the fallout from two more fatal police shootings over the weekend.
Meanwhile, protesters demonstrated outside the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office in Cleveland, a day after a grand jury decided not to charge two white police officers in the 2014 shooting death of Tamir Rice, a black 12-year-old boy who was playing in a park with a toy gun that shoots plastic pellets.

Top aide to North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un dies in car crash

Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA


SEOUL: A senior North Korean ruling party official and a top aide to leader Kim Jong-Un has died in a car accident, the state news agency reported on Wednesday, the latest dramatic demise in the close circle of deputies to the country's leader.
Kim Yang-Gon, who was a secretary of the Workers' Party and the head of its United Front Department, the unit that handles the North's ties with South Korea, was Kim Jong-Un's "closest comrade, a solid revolutionary partner", KCNA said.
Kim was part of a high-level delegation that held talks in August after the rival states exchanged artillery fire, raising tensions to one of its highest points in recent years.
Those talks produced an agreement that ended the standoff and for the two sides to reopen dialogue to improve ties.

Frontier markets down? Blame the index

Source: CNBC

Frontier markets tumbled this year, but don't point the finger at the usual suspects, such as weak currencies or oil, investors said. Instead, blame the benchmark index.
Although frontier markets have long been billed as plays on domestic economic growth that is uncorrelated to global markets, they've tracked sharp declines in emerging markets amid huge fund outflows this year. The benchmark MSCI Frontier Market index is down about 18.2 percent year-to-date, in line with the MSCI Emerging Market index's 16.4 percent drop over the same period.
Frontier markets - those not yet big enough to qualify as emerging - are meant to offer the same opportunity for growth that emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil presented 20 years ago. Economic growth there can be rapid. For example, Vietnam reported last week that its economy grew 6.68 percent in 2015.

ISIL Fighters shot at Iraq PM's helicopter takes in Ramadi

Source: BBC

Iraq's prime minister visited the city of Ramadi on Tuesday, a day after claiming its capture from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) after a months-long siege by the armed group.
A source told Al Jazeera that ISIL fighters on the ground opened fire with small-arms on Haider al-Abadi's helicopter, but were too far out of range to do any damage. Abadi arrived safe and sound with the province's top military commander at the Anbar University complex in the city's southern outskirts.

Ebola outbreak ends in Guinea

Source: BBC

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, two years after the epidemic began there.

Guineans are expected to celebrate the landmark with concerts and fireworks.
The disease killed more than 2,500 people in the West African state, and a further 9,000 in neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Liberia was declared Ebola-free by the WHO in September, and Sierra Leone in November.

Worries grow over humanitarian impacts of 'strongest El Nino'

Source: BBC

The strongest El Nino on record is likely to increase the threat of hunger and disease for tens of millions of people in 2016 aid agencies say.

The weather phenomenon is set to exacerbate droughts in some areas while increasing flooding in others.
Some of the worst impacts are likely in Africa with food shortages expected to peak in February.
Regions including the Caribbean, Central and South America will also be hit in the next six months.
This periodic weather event, which tends to drive up global temperatures and disturb weather patterns, has helped push 2015 into the record books as the world's warmest year.

Missouri under water as U.S. storms sweep north

Source: REUTERS

Floods in Missouri forced hundreds of residents out of their homes on Tuesday after four days of
storms sent rivers to record levels, killing at least 13 people, closing hundreds of roads and halting shipping on the swollen Mississippi river.
A week of chaotic weather continued throughout the United States as a storm system that spawned deadly tornadoes in the Midwest and Southwest pushed north. More than 40 people across the country have died of weather-related causes during the Christmas holidays in the past week.
Missouri has been pounded by downpours since Saturday, and forecasters warned that its major rivers could crest between Wednesday and Saturday at records.

Russia Plans to Build at Least 6 Nuclear Units in India in 20 Years - Putin

Source: THE MOSCOWTIMES

Russia plans to build at least six new nuclear power units in India in the next 20 years, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

BREAKING: Pakistan suicide blast 'kills 12'

At least 12 dead in Pakistan suicide blast, one of the worst attacks since security crackdown last year according to BBC.

This breaking  news is still developing. check back for update.

FG to Announce Petrol Price in January, Kachikwu Clarifies

Ibe Kachikwu

 

• Says at current crude prices, there is no subsidy
•  Ogbe: Funds should be diverted to agriculture

Chineme Okafor, John Shiklam in Kaduna and Adebiyi Adedapo in Abuja  

Contrary to the perception created on Christmas day that the price of petrol would be reduced to N85 per litre effective January 1, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, sunday clarified that its official price would be announced next month.

He added that at the current price of crude oil, the subsidy element had been eliminated, but the price of petrol had not been deregulated nor would it be deregulated come January.

“It will be adjusted within the modulating band of N87 per litre to N97 per litre in accordance with the international price of crude oil,” he explained.

Govt needs $460b to fight Climate Change

Source: THE GUARDIAN NIGERIA

FACED with the realities that Nigeria will one of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world, by 2050, the authorities said it would cost between six per cent and 30 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of over $460 billion to fight its impacts in the country.
Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed who made this known in a press conference after the Paris Climate Summit in Abuja, said the Nigeria government was committed to domestic action to deliver on its agenda, and pledged to promote green economy in cities, energy, and agriculture.
“ The new leadership team is extremely well-placed to deliver on this agenda. In order to assist Nigeria overcome these challenges, it is pursuing international partnerships that can support the country with technology, capacity building and finance.

Wild weather tears across US after deadly weekend storms

Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA

CHICAGO: Wild weather that saw tornadoes and flooding kill dozens of people continued to advance across the United States Monday (Dec 28), now bringing deep snow and freezing rain over a huge swath of the country.
At least 44 people died over the weekend from tumultuous weather that included rare but extremely powerful December twisters.
On Monday, more than 20 states were under a weather watch or warning from a massive storm that stretched from Texas to as far north as Maine.
The National Weather Service said the northern tip of the storm could bring up to a foot of snow as it moved across the Midwest Monday and into New England on Tuesday. The southern front was forecast to spread freezing rain, thunderstorms and - possibly even more tornadoes.
Over 2,100 US flights were canceled and another 3,700 were delayed Monday, according to tracking service FlightAware.

Fears over lack of armed police to protect New Year revellers

Source: THE TELEGRAPH

New Year revellers cannot be fully protected from a terror attack because of a lack of firearms officers around the UK, a rank and file police leader has warned.

Sparse resources outside of London means there is a dearth of trained officers to deal with a marauding gun attack like last month’s Paris attacks.

Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation, said the lack of officers was a cause for concern and meant forces did not have the resilience to deal with major attacks.

Malaysia PM Najib Razak used $700M donation to win 2013 elections: WSJ

Source. CNBC

Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak said he channeled an anonymous $700 million donation to politicians and projects to help his ruling party win 2013 elections, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed cabinet minister.
"I took the money to spend for us," the unnamed minister quoted Najib as saying at a July meeting of senior leaders, the WSJ reported. The report noted that the spending by public entities to help Najib's United Malays National Organization stay in power was not illegal but "represented a new milestone in Malaysia's freewheeling electoral system."
In July, the WSJ published a report alleging that nearly $700 million had flowed from Malaysia's state investment fund, 1MDB, to Najib's personal bank account.

Implementation of Ukraine Ceasefire Deal to Drag Into 2016

Source: THE MOSCOWTIMES

MOSCOW — The implementation of the cease-fire accords, aimed to resolve the Ukraine crisis and known as the Minsk 2 agreements, will drag into 2016, RIA Novosti news agency reported on Thursday, citing Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin as saying.
"It is already clear that they (the Minsk agreements) are being extended," Karasin told RIA. The Minsk 2 agreements were reached in the Belarussian capital in February after the collapse of a cease-fire agreed earlier.

Saudi Arabia hikes petrol prices by 40% at the pump

Source: ALJAZEERA

After $98bn budget deficit announcement, world's leading oil producer to privatise state corps and slash subsidies. 

Saudi Arabia has raised domestic energy prices by as much as 40 percent after the world's leading oil producer announced a record $98bn budget deficit on Monday citing rock-bottom global petroleum prices.
The budget deficit is the highest in the history of Saudi Arabia, but was not as big as some expected. The International Monetary Fund had projected a deficit of $130bn.
The kingdom has seen a sharp drop in revenues as oil prices have fallen more than 60 percent since mid-2014 to below $40 a barrel.

Lemmy, Motorhead frontman, dies aged 70 after cancer diagnosis

Source: BBC

Motorhead frontman Lemmy has died aged 70, two days after learning he had cancer, the British band has announced.

Lemmy formed the rock group in 1975 and recorded 22 albums, including Ace of Spades, as he became one of music's most recognisable voices and faces.
The band said on its Facebook page: "Our mighty, noble friend Lemmy has passed away after a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer."
Lemmy was born Ian Fraser Kilmister in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in 1945.
He acquired the nickname Lemmy while at school, although he claimed to have had no idea where it came from.

Nigeria suicide bombers attack Maiduguri and Madagali

Source: BBC

A wave of attacks by female suicide bombers in north-eastern Nigeria has killed more than 50 people.

In the latest blasts two bombers struck a market in the town of Madagali in Adamawa state, an army official said. More than 25 people were killed.
In neighbouring Borno state, several attacks in Maiduguri killed more than 30 people and injured over 100.
Last week, Nigeria's leader said the war against Islamist Boko Haram militants had been "technically won".
The attacks are being blamed on the group.
The BBC's Abdullahi Kaura Abubakar in the capital, Abuja, says Boko Haram jihadists appear to be trying to prove that they can still inflict widespread destruction.

Texas 'affluenza' teen taken into custody, official says

Source: REUTERS

A Texas teen from a wealthy family, a fugitive after breaking his probation sentence for killing four people while driving drunk, has been taken into custody, a Tarrant County official said on Monday.
CNN reported he had been taken into custody in Mexico.
Ethan Couch, 18, nicknamed the "affluenza" teen, was serving 10 years probation for intoxication manslaughter in the 2013 incident.
He and his mother, Tonya Couch, 48, disappeared earlier this month, prompting officials in Tarrant County to place the teen on the county's most wanted list and issue a warrant for his apprehension.
Couch became known as the "affluenza" teen during his trial, when a psychologist said he was so wealthy and spoiled he could not tell the difference between right and wrong.

Kinder, Gentler Vikings? Not According to Their Slaves

New clues suggest slaves were vital to the Viking way of life—and argue against attempts to soften the raiders’ brutish reputation.

 

A bare-chested Viking offers a slave girl to a Persian merchant in an artist’s rendering of a scene from Bulgar, a trading town on the Volga River.

The ancient reputation of Vikings as bloodthirsty raiders on cold northern seas has undergone a radical change in recent decades. A kinder, gentler, and more fashionable Viking emerged. (See “Did Vikings Get a Bum Rap?”)

Crocodiles 'seen' in flooded streets as rains in northern Australia cause flooding

Source: THE TELEGRAPH

According to the THE TELEGRAPH, residents have reported seeing saltwater crocodiles roaming in the Northern Territory in Australia as heavy tropical rains in the region left one person dead and two others believed missing.

The waters flooded townships and cut the territory’s main highway, about 200 miles south of Darwin and in the remote community of Daly River, locals said they saw saltwater crocodiles, including around the local football field.

BREAKING: Fresh explosion kills many in Maiduguri mosque

According to PREMIUM TIMES, at least 20 persons were killed in a fresh explosion in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Monday morning, as residents gathered around a mosque.
The explosion sounded as residents speculated that a fleeing Boko Haram bomber abandoned an improvised explosive device in the area during Sunday night’s attack on the city.
A police officer, who informed PREMIUM TIMES of the incident, said the victims had gathered to investigate if a bomb was truly abandoned in the mosque.
“I have never seen such foolishness when people would go peeping into a mosque to find out if truly there was an explosive deposited in a place. But sadly, the bomb went off and over 20 persons were killed and many injured.”

CBN insists it won’t reverse restriction on Naira ATM card abroad

 Source: TODAY

The Central Bank of Nigeria has said the decision of Deposit Money Banks to place a restriction on the use of Automated Teller Machine cards abroad by bank customers is due to scarcity of foreign exchange.
The apex bank said while it had no powers to reverse the restriction placed by the DMBs on the use of the ATMs abroad, the CBN was in support of the decision as it would assist in reducing the pressure on the naira.
So also did the apex bank in the country said it will now start selling foreign exchange directly to end users.

Buhari: How We Intend to Fund N6 Trillion Budget

Source THISDAY LIVE

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that by blocking all leakages in revenue generation and eliminating waste, the country will generate enough revenue from internal sources to finance the N6 trillion budget he submitted to the National Assembly last week.

The president spoke in an interview with Mansur Liman of the BBC Hausa service on Christmas eve.

The president said: “As a government, we inherited N1.5 trillion domestic debt and when foreign debt is added, we have about N2.2 trillion. Everybody knows Nigeria is not a poor country, we are rich, and we have human resources. The problem was that the leadership did not take seriously, curbing corrupt tendencies.

African countries to restore 100 million hectares of land by 2030

Source: THE GUARDIAN NIGERIA

AFR100 will help to translate ambitious commitments into action with support from private sector investors, foundations, development banks, and bilateral and multilateral funders. AFR100 will leverage a variety of financing, including grants, equity investments, loans, risk management guarantees and funds for specific interventions. 
 
A PAN-African, country-led effort to restore 100 million hectares (386 thousand square miles) of degraded and deforested landscapes by 2030, has been launched by African countries.
The project known as African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR 100) has been endorsed by the African Union. So far 10 African countries have agreed to join AFR100 and committed at least 31.7 million hectares of land for forest landscape restoration. AFR100 partners are earmarking more than USD $1 billion in development finance and more than $540 million in private sector impact investment to support restoration activities.

Robot shakes things up for Singapore seniors

Source: CNBC

At 89-years old, Chan Yit Yoong lives alone in a one-room apartment and gets around with the help of a walking stick. Every Wednesday morning, she heads to Lion Befrienders, a senior activity center in her neighborhood, to exercise with a prototype robot named Xuan.
"Look," Chan says while holding up her right hand and bending her fingers with noticeable difficulty.
"Before Xuan-xuan came, all my fingers couldn't bend properly, but now it's only the index finger that has that problem," she tells CNBC.
As part of a "Digital Inclusion" initiative, Singapore's government, together with Ngee Ann Polytechnic, developed the RoboCoach, a robot exercise instructor for the elderly.

One killed, 13 wounded in Kabul suicide attack: Afghan officials

Source: REUTERS

A suicide bomber killed at least one person and wounded 13 in an attack on a road near Kabul airport, officials in the Afghan capital said on Monday, barely two weeks after a major Taliban assault in the city.
A police officer at the scene said the suicide bomber walked up to a white pickup truck and detonated explosives he was wearing. A minibus was also destroyed by the explosion, which shattered the windows of nearby shops.

Torrential rains, flooding kill at least 10 in South America

Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA

Mudslides have killed at least four people in Brazil, one of several South American countries where torrential rains and flooding now have claimed at least 10 lives, officials said on Sunday.

ASUNCION: Mudslides have killed at least four people in Brazil, one of several South American countries where torrential rains and flooding now have claimed at least 10 lives, officials said on Sunday (Dec 27).

Crude oil recovery next year will boost the Canadian dollar: Analyst

Source: CNBC

The weak oil market is poised for some recovery in 2016, offering potential upside to the currencies of oil-producing countries, an analyst said Monday.
"The oil market is over supplied, doesn't look great in the short run, but there is still a recovery story for the second half," said Dominic Schnider, UBS Wealth Management's head of commodity and Asia-Pacific forex.
An uptick in oil prices will give some upside to oil currencies, particularly the Canadian dollar, which is also closely linked to a U.S. economy that is showing signs of a pickup, he told CNBC's Squawk Box.
The Canadian dollar, known as the loonie, is down 20 percent this year against the U.S. dollar amid a rout in energy prices that sent crude oil prices down about 40 percent so far this year.

8 Shades of Crisis - Russia's Year of Economic Nightmares

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

Imagine Russia as a combustion engine. Oil and gas pumped from its vast territories wash through the economy as taxes, government spending and investment. Foreign currency from oil and gas sales is used to fund imported equipment and products on shop shelves. Cash from the energy industry flows through companies and into pay packets. Whether directly or indirectly, Russians have oil money in their pockets.
So while on the face of it, the energy industry accounts for only around one-quarter of Russian output, in reality it is the source of up to 70 percent of Russia's gross domestic product, according to research by Andrei Movchan, an associate at the Carnegie Center in Moscow.
That helps explain how, in the late 1980s, a halving in the price of oil precipitated the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Deadly blast at Kabul airport as Taliban attacks surge

Source: ALJAZEERA

At least one Afghan civilian was killed and several others were wounded after a suicide car bomb exploded at Kabul's airport, Afghan officials have said.
The attack happened early on Monday morning near the airport's military entrance, which is used by NATO and coalition forces, the Afghan interior ministry said.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

El Gordo: Senegal man wins €400,000 in Spain lottery

Source: BBC

A migrant from Senegal who travelled to Europe by boat has won a stake of some €400,000 (£294,000; $436,000) in Spain's Christmas lottery.

The man, named Ngagne, travelled from Morocco to Spain in 2007.
Ticket-holders in his coastal town of Roquetas de Mar won first prize, and a share of €640m (£470m), in the "El Gordo" (The Fat One) lottery.
Ngagne told one Spanish newspaper that he and his wife often did not have even €5 to last the day.
The 35-year-old and his wife were rescued when they made the journey by boat in 2007, and taken to the island of Tenerife. They now live in Roquetas de Mar, which is on Spain's south coast.

Christmastime storms, tornadoes kill at least 43 in U.S.

Source: REUTERS

Storms hit the U.S. South, Southwest and Midwest over the Christmas holiday weekend, unleashing floods and tornadoes that killed at least 43 people, flattened buildings and snarled transportation for millions during a busy travel time.
The bad weather, or the threat of it, prompted the governors of Missouri and New Mexico to declare a state of emergency for their states.
Flash floods killed at least 13 people in Missouri and Illinois.
In Missouri, emergency workers have evacuated residents from their homes and conducted dozens of water rescues, Governor Jay Nixon said on Sunday. He said at least eight people had been killed and numerous roadways had been closed.

Syrian FSA defies threats over Moadamiyah pullout

Source: ALJAZEERA


Syrian armed opposition groups have rejected the government's demand to lay down their arms and withdraw "unconditionally" from a Damascus-area town by Monday, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army (FSA) has told Al Jazeera.
"We will continue to defend the town and will not stop doing so no matter what," Abu al-Khair al-Attar, a member of the FSA's negotiating committee, said.
When asked whether the FSA will comply to the government's conditions, al-Attar said: "We will not lay down our weapons as long as the cause that led us to take up arms is still there."

As Buhari Raises Prospect of Forex Market Rules Review

Source: THIS DAY LIVE

President Muhammadu Buhari’s assurance of a review of foreign exchange market rules came at a point when the various restrictive policies put in place by the Central Bank of Nigeria to avert a free fall of the naira appeared to have reached a saturation point, reports Festus Akanbi

There are strong indications that a chain of restrictive policies  churned out by the Central Bank of Nigeria in the foreign exchange market since the beginning of the year has fully run its course. As the apex bank continues to tighten the noose around banks in the area of foreign exchange management, the banks on the other hands are left with no choice but to adopt some survival moves, the latest being the recent restriction on the use of debit cards outside the shore of the country, among others.

Zaria Residents Accuse Zakzaky, Followers of Alleged Human Right Abuses and Impunity

Source: THIS DAY LIVE

Some residents of Zaria, Kaduna state, on Saturday alleged that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, otherwise known as Shiites, had subjected them to untold hardship in the past 20 years.

Addressing a news conference in Kaduna, spokesman of the group, Alhaji Idris Mohammed Baba, said the Shiites had held residents of Zaria and Sabon Gari local government areas hostage with impunity, as they allegedly operated a parallel government.

Chicago police officer shoots, kills two, one by mistake

Source: REUTERS

In a city troubled by allegations of police misuse of force, a Chicago officer early on Saturday shot and killed a male college student and a mother of five, both black, and the police department later said the woman's death was both accidental and tragic.
Hours later police shot another person at a separate location.
"Officers were confronted by a combative subject resulting in the discharging of the officer's weapon which fatally wounded two individuals," the police department said in a statement.
A woman, 55, "was accidentally struck and tragically killed," it said, adding "the department extends its deepest condolences to the victim's family and friends."

FW De Klerk criticises Rhodes statue removal campaign

Source: BBC

Former South African President FW De Klerk has criticised a campaign to remove a statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oxford University's Oriel College.

Mr De Klerk said South Africa's white Afrikaner population had many reasons to dislike Rhodes but "never thought of removing his name from our history".
Campaigners say the statue venerates the 19th Century colonialist and the values he stood for.
Former Australian PM Tony Abbott has also saith the statue should stay.
Mr Abbott, a Rhodes Scholar, said removing the statue would "substitute moral vanity for fair-minded enquiry".

Myanmar army chief asks Thailand for death sentence review

Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA

YANGON: Myanmar's army chief has called on Thailand to review the sentencing of two countrymen to death for murdering a pair of British backpackers after a controversial trial that sparked protests.
General Min Aung Hlaing, head of the country's influential military, has asked Thailand for a "review of the evidence" against the two men, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Sunday.

Refugees bring new life to Greek businesses

Lesbos, Greece - Greek authorities say they could end up spending $500m this year trying to contain the refugee crisis, with further revenue losses from declining tourism.
The European Union reimburses most of the money Greece spends building and maintaining camps for the tens of thousands of refugees making the journey from Turkey to any one of dozens of Greek islands in the Mediterranean Sea.
Since the crisis escalated earlier this year, the number of tourists visiting Greece has declined leading to lower than expected revenues in what is one of the country's top sources of income.
But as resorts report fewer customers, smaller businesses catering to refugees are reporting an increase in sales.

China readies new anti-terror law, ejects l'Obs writer over Uighur story

Source: CNBC

China will force a French journalist who criticized its treatment of its Muslim Uighur minority to leave the country, as the country prepares to pass controversial new anti-terrorism laws.
The French weekly l'Obs news magazine, said on Friday that the press visa of Ursula Gauthier, its Beijing correspondent, was due to expire on Dec. 31 and Beijing had refused to grant an extension, saying a report she wrote supported acts of violence by Uighurs that China considers terrorist activity.
The story, dated Nov. 18, suggested that China was using last month's Paris attacks to justify crackdowns on Uighur people in northwest China's Xinjiang region.

Russia's Air Force Conducted 5,240 Sorties in Syria Since Sept. 30

Russia's air force has made 5,240 sorties since it started the strikes in Syria on Sept. 30, including 189 sorties on Thursday alone, Russia's defense ministry told reporters on Friday.
Russian long-range strategic bombers have carried out 145 sorties since Sept. 30, Sergei Rudskoi, a department chief at the General Staff of the armed forces, told a news briefing in Moscow.

Benin PM Lionel Zinsou escapes from helicopter crash

Source: BBC

Benin's Prime Minister walked away unscathed after the helicopter in which he was travelling crashed in the country's northwest, his daughter said.

It is unclear why the helicopter carrying Lionel Zinsou crash-landed in a stadium.
"My father is fine. There were no victims in the helicopter accident in Djougou," Marie-Cecile Zinsou tweeted.
Earlier this month, Mr Zinsou confirmed he would run as a candidate in Benin's 2016 presidential elections.
The helicopter crashed while landing at a stadium in the city of Djougou, a spokesman for Benin's interior ministry Leonce Houngbadji told the AFP news agency.
He said no-one in the helicopter was hurt.

Eight killed in Dallas area amid tornadoes, flooding

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Source: REUTERS

Eight people died in the greater Dallas area as a storm system brought tornadoes and flooding on Saturday, increasing the death toll from harsh weather in the southern United States this week to 26, according to officials and local media.
Authorities in Garland confirmed that five people died after a tornado struck the city, some 15 miles (24 km) northeast of downtown Dallas. Homes, apartments and vehicles were also damaged, police said, but it was not clear how many people were hurt.
The five deaths were believed to have been related to vehicles having been struck by a tornado near State Highway 190 and Interstate 30.
Two other people were found dead at a gas station in the city of Copeville, another 20 miles (32 km) to the northeast, said Lt. Chris Havey, spokesman for the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, and an infant had died in Blue Ridge.

Buhari Grieves Nnewi Gas Victims, Condoles Lamido, CBN Governor Over Mothers’ Demise

Source: THIS DAY LIVE

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed deep regret over the death of people in Anambra State, following an industrial gas explosion, which occurred a few hours before the Christmas celebration.

In a press statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, President Buhari said he was greatly shaken and shocked by such large-scale loss of human lives in a single industrial accident, which casts a gloom on the families of the victims “who were looking forward to a joyous Christmas celebration”.

Abuja: TUC hails plan to employ 500,000 teachers

Source: THE NATION ONLINE

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has praised the decision of the Federal Government to  hire 500,000 unemployed graduates as teachers, saying the move will curb the escalating rate of unemployment.

The union said it was still not comfortable with the position of the government on fuel subsidy removal and asked the government to call a stakeholders meeting which include labour to discuss why it has become impossible to refine and sell fuel for as low as N50 per liter.

Top Syrian rebel leader killed in air strike in Damascus suburb

 

Source: REUTERS

A top Syrian rebel leader and head of the most powerful insurgent group in the eastern suburbs of Damascus was killed in an aerial raid that targeted the group's headquarters, rebel sources and the Syrian army said on Friday.
The death of Zahran Alloush, 44, head of Jaysh al Islam, is a big blow to rebel control of the rural eastern suburban area of Damascus known as al Ghouta, the rebels said.
Defense experts say the disarray among the rebel forces could also consolidate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's control over the rest of the area.

Pollution cancels more than 220 Beijing flights: Xinhua

Source: CNBC

More than 220 flights at Beijing's Capital International Airport were canceled Friday as pollution caused poor visibility, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.
Beijing's pollution alert level was upgraded to yellow on Friday from Thursday's blue, Xinhua reported Friday, noting that the four color-coded levels, in order from most severe to least, are red, orange, yellow and blue. Beijing has issued two red alerts in December -- its only two ever. A red alert dramatically limits car use, advises schools to close, shuts down outdoor construction sites and closes certain industrial plants.