Beijing police detains teacher related to alleged abuse at RYB kindergarten

BEIJING (Reuters) - The police of Beijing's Chaoyang district have detained a teacher on suspicion of abuse at a RYB kindergarten, the police said in an statement posted on its official Weibo account.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2zAWKG6

U.S. Navy plane scours South Atlantic in search for Argentine sub

More than 30 aircraft and ships from Argentina, Britain, Brazil, the United States, Chile and other countries are participating in the effort to find the ARA San Juan submarine, which disappeared on Nov. 15 with 44 crew members on board. "It's great to be able to utilize everything we have - all the training we have, the equipment we have - in order to come down here to Argentina to help find this submarine," said mission commander Lieutenant Zachary Collver, a 32-year-old pilot from Washington state. Midway through its seven-hour flight, the U.S. plane changed course, picked up speed and descended toward the ocean surface.

Donald Trump posts bizarre reply to tweet accusing him of stoking racism

"Trump's rage-tweets about LaVar Ball are part of a pattern," Greg Sargent, the author of the opinion piece tweeted. Ten minutes later, he sent another "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" tweet, this time as a post to all his followers rather than a reply.

Event 'consistent with an explosion' detected where Argentinian submarine went missing

Hopes for the survival of 44 crew members of the missing Argentine submarine ARA San Juan all but vanished on Thursday as the country’s navy said a “violent event consistent with an explosion” had been detected three hours after the vessel disappeared in the South Atlantic.  Search vessels were combing an area with a 80-mile radius close to the submarine’s last known position, after analysis from the US and Austria revealed a “hydroacoustic anomaly” on the morning that the ARA San Juan lost contact after reporting a fault with its batteries. Captain Enrique Balbi, a Navy spokesperson, confirmed “a singular event, short, violent, non nuclear, consistent with an explosion” had occurred some 30 miles north of the site the submarine disappeared. Eight days into the search, the revelation of the apparent explosion led to cries of anger from waiting relatives. Speaking outside the Mar del Plata Naval Base, Itati Leguizmon, wife of radarist Germán Oscar Suárez, said she felt “deceived” by Navy officials, who she alleged had “lied to us” and withheld information on the missing submarine. Some relatives had become “aggressive” when they were informed, Ms Leguizmon said, and were “breaking things” inside the base. Captain Balbi defended the delay amid a barrage of questions. He insisted the report from the United States had only been “officially” received on Wednesday and the second from Austria - which offered more details on the source of the anomaly.  Submarine rescue mission The “hydroacoustic anomaly”  was recorded by hydrophones - listening posts scattered around the world’s oceans capable of detecting underwater noise - and the material had to be collated, analysed and cross checked, the spokesman explained. The ARA San Juan had previously reported a short-circuit in its batteries and been ordered to divert to the Mar del Plata naval base; the location of the purported explosion lies on the route it is likely to have taken. Captain Balbi said an explosion inside the submarine could have caused it to implode, which could explain why no debris had been found in the area. Family members have also rounded on authorities over what they say was the decrepit state of the submarine. Built in 1985, the German-made vessel was fully renovated in 2014, and the Argentine government has dismissed complaints over its age, insisting it was well-maintained. But Ms Leguizmon - a lawyer - alleged that the ARA San Juan had in fact suffered a serious fault in 2014, and that all of the crew and their families were well aware of the precarious conditions they were working in. "My husband told me that they had a fault in 2014 and that it was serious, that is all. That it was serious and it generated a bit of tension and fear inside there." She said crew regularly said of the submarine that "it is all held together with wire". Gavin Williamson, the UK Defence Secretary, voiced his sympathy for Argentina.  “This has not just been an agonising time for Argentina, but for our whole international community, and this news is truly devastating for everyone involved in this week’s search and rescue operation," he said. “When it comes to situations like this, nationality doesn’t matter: all sailors have an obligation to help each other in a time of such desperate need. “I’m extremely proud of the role our Navy and Air Force have played in the international effort to help, and I speak on behalf of those involved, and the whole country, in offering our sincerest condolences to Argentina and the family and friends of the crew.”

Buddhist nationalism burns as Pope visits Myanmar

A fiery brand of Buddhist nationalism is burning brighter than ever as Myanmar braces for its first ever papal visit, posing a challenge to the message of religious tolerance Pope Francis is expected to preach next week. A wing of extremist monks have been stirring Islamaphobia in Myanmar for years, earning a reputation as incubators of "Buddhist terror". Global outrage over the violence -- which the UN and the US have called ethnic cleansing -- has triggered an ultra-nationalistic reflex inside Myanmar, pushing the public towards firebrand monks who have long cast the Rohingya as ill-intentioned outsiders.

Two London Underground stations reopen after terrorist-incident scare

Two London underground stations on Oxford Street have reopened after an incident that police initially treated as if it might be terrorist-related, the city's transport authority said on Friday.

Baltimore Detective Sean Suiter killed day before testimony in police corruption case

When Suiter was killed with his own weapon, he was set to testify before a federal grand jury the next day against eight elite officers already indicted in a police corruption investigation.

Trump wants to end welfare as Bill Clinton knows it

Overhauling welfare was one of the defining goals of Bill Clinton's presidency, starting with a campaign promise to "end welfare as we know it," continuing with a bitter policy fight and producing change that remains hotly debated 20 years later.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa promises to pay compensation for land grabs and clean up Zimbabwe’s ‘poisoned politics’ as he is sworn in

Emmerson Mnangagwa appealed for national unity and promised compensation for dispossessed white farmers as he sought to draw a line under the Robert Mugabe era in his inaugural speech as president of Zimbabwe.  Mr Mnangagwa was sworn in as the second president of Zimbabwe with a 21 gun salute, marching troops, and dancing children just ten days after the country’s military launched a coup that led to the resignation of Mr Mugabe, who had ruled the country for 37 years, earlier this week.  In an address to 60,000 people in Harare’s national stadium, he praised Mr Mugabe as his mentor and a “founding father” of the nation, but in a tacit rebuke called on the international community to lift sanctions in recognition of the country’s “new start.” "For me personally he is a mentor, father, comrade in arms, and my leader," Mr Mnangagwa said of the outgoing president.  Emmerson Mnangagwa, centre, takes his seat at his presidential inauguration ceremony in Harare, Zimbabwe Credit: AP "While we cannot change the past, there is a lot we can do in the present and the future to give our nation a different positive direction," he added.  Mr Mugabe, 93 did not attend the lavish inauguration ceremony in Harare's National Stadium on Friday morning. His spokesman said that he needed to rest.  Robert Mugabe kissing his wife and first lady Grace Mugabe during the country's 37th Independence Day celebrations  Credit: Jekesai Njikizana/AP Under overcast skies and watched by 60,000 spectators from the stands, Mr Mnangagwa swore to uphold the Zimbabwean constitution and defend the country's 16 million citizens. It was the first time since the independence ceremony of April 18 1980, that a crowd of all political parties, races, and creeds gathered to hear the speech of the leader of Zimbabwe.  Service chiefs including Gen Constanino Chiwenga, the armed forces commander who orchestrated the coup that ousted Mr Mugabe, lined up to swear allegiance to Mr Mnangagwa after he had taken the oath.  Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife Auxillia arrive at the presidential inauguration ceremony in the capital Harare, Zimbabwe Credit: AP Edgar Lungu, the president of Zambia, and Botswana’s Ian Khama, who regularly criticized Mr Mugabe over the torture and mistreatment of opposition leaders, flew in to attend the ceremony.   Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa, the most influential regional power, did not attend. Rory Stewart, the UK's Africa Minister, who is in Zimbabwe, was also absent.  The ceremony was attended by Morgan Tsvangirai, the former prime minister and leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, and Joice Mujuru, another opposition leader.  Emmerson Mnangagwa is sworn in as president in Harare Credit: AFP Mr Mnangagwa, who became leader of the ruling Zanu PF party over the weekend, made explicit promises to fix both Zimbabwe's "poisoned" political environment and its dysfunctional economy. “I am not oblivious to the many Zimbabweans across the political and racial divide who helped make this day happen, and thus have legitimate expectations of the office I now occupy,” he said, in an apparent acknowledgement of the vast numbers of opposition supporters who marched against Mr Mugabe in Harare on Saturday.  He said “free and fair” elections will go ahead as scheduled next year when the current five year presidential term, which Mr Mugabe began in 2013, ends.  Timeline Robert Mugabe as leader of Zimbabwe Turning to the economy, he said he would invite foreign direct investment in an effort to stimulate "job job job creation" - a pledge that brought a loud cheer - and called for the EU and the United States to drop sanctions against top military and Zanu PF figures.  "All foreign investment will be safe in Zimbabwe," said Mnangagwa, addressing fears following moves by Mr Mugabe to nationalize the country's lucrative resources such as diamonds, platinum, gold and chrome.  He also said that the "redistribution" of white-owned farms would not be reversed but said his incoming government would be "committed to compensating farmers from whom land was taken."  Gunners fire a 21 gun salute at the inauguration ceremony Credit:  Anadolu/Wilfred Kajese Zimbabwe already runs a compensation scheme introduced last year that sees tenants on "redistributed" land pay rent to the state which is in theory used to compensate evicted farmers, but it has been criticised as effectively unaffordable for new tenants.  The ceremony came as troubling details emerged about the arrest of ministers in the previous government.  Ignatius Chombo, the finance minister in Mr Mugabe’s government, was admitted to hospital with injuries sustained from beatings while in military custody, his lawyer said.  New Zimbabwe President Emerson Mnangagwa is seen after he was sworn in Credit: Wilfred Kajese/ Anadolu Mr Chombo has not been seen since he was arrested in the military coup that unfolded in Zimbabwe on the night of November 14.  Human rights groups have expressed concern about the treatment of a number of  political allies of Grace Mugabe, the former first lady, who were arrested in the coup.  The families of Saviour Kasukwere, the regional government minister, and Jonathan Moyo, the tertiary education minister, have reported military raids on the their homes and arbitrary arrests in the days since the coup.  Mr Kasukwere and Mr Moyo themselves are believed to have left the country. The speech drew a mixed reaction on the streets of Harare.  Zimbabwe's new first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa  Credit: SIPHIWE SIBEKO/Reuters “It was ok. It was nice to see and watch. But let’s see what he does. We are very happy Mugabe has gone. But can he fix it? Today is a working day for us." said a vendor selling mobile phones at a traffic light in central Harare. ”We have no jobs, we have nothing to show for our years as Zimbabwe. Don’t believe our schools are ok - they are not. I have a child out of school because I cannot afford the fees,” added the man, who declined to give his name.   "We heard what he said. The hatred is not there any more. But where is the proof? Where is the money in the banks?” said Alice Mokwena, a part time job as a cleaner.  The first sign of optimism after Mr Mnangagwa’s speech was a drop in the black market rate for swipe cards and  phone credit, a defacto-currency for many in the country, against US dollars. The Zimbabwe dollar disappeared in 2009 when it lost all value after years of hyperinflation.  “The rate has been slipping the last few days and is now a further 10 percent down,” said a small currency trader. “I am not sure how long this will last."

You Look Like a Morrissey Fan

By RYAN LOWRY, MELISSA MORA HIDALGO and EVE LYONS from NYT Style http://ift.tt/2hTsKKk

Online Spending Is Up as Millions Shop Black Friday Sales

The battle for your wallet is unfolding on smartphones and tablets as more people opt to shop from home instead of going out to crowded stores.

The Latest: Zimbabwe opposition not invited to inauguration

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The Latest on Zimbabwe's political turmoil (all times local):

Erdogan says no contact with Assad regime 'at the moment'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said there was no contact "at the moment" between Ankara and the Syrian government despite both sides' opposition to Syrian Kurdish militia, in comments reported on Friday. The Turkish leader said Russian President Vladimir Putin told him that Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad "negatively" viewed Syrian Kurdish armed groups, in an interview published in Hurriyet and Milliyet papers. Putin met Assad earlier this week at the Black Sea resort of Sochi before a summit with Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday aimed at finding a political settlement to the Syria conflict.

Mnangagwa vows to rebuild Zimbabwe and serve all citizens

By Emelia Sithole-Matarise HARARE (Reuters) - New President Emmerson Mnangagwa laid out a grand vision on Friday to revitalise Zimbabwe's ravaged economy and vowed to rule on behalf of all the country's citizens. Sworn in days after the overthrow of Robert Mugabe, the 75-year-old former security chief promised to guarantee the rights of foreign investors and to re-engage with the West, and said elections would go ahead next year as scheduled. In a 30-minute speech to tens of thousands of supporters in Harare's national stadium, Mnangagwa extended an olive branch to opponents, apparently aiming to bridge the ethnic and political divides exploited by his predecessor during his 37 years in charge.

Couple crashes car into tree while having sex on highway with baby in back seat

The man was drunk and the woman was sitting on top of him, engaging in sexual activity, while they navigated a local highway, State Trooper Brooke Bova told The Independent. The man failed to negotiate the curves in the road, Ms Bova said, and struck a tree with his car. Ms Bova believes the couple were scrambling to locate their clothes before police arrived.

Syria congress to go ahead despite Turkey 'reservations' over Kurds: Kremlin

The Kremlin said Thursday Turkey's opposition to the participation of Kurdish militias in Syria's political process would not stand in the way of a peace "congress" Moscow is seeking to organise in the near future. "We know that there are certain reservations on the part of our Turkish partners with regards to the forces they believe pose a threat to their national security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Charles Manson 'left his entire estate and body to prison pen pal'

Charles Manson reportedly left his entire estate, including his remains, to a prison pen pal. The murderous cult leader, who died last week aged 83, struck up a friendship with a male correspondent who first wrote to him in the 1990s, TMZ reported. The man reportedly sent 50 unanswered letters to Manson at the California State Prison until he eventually received a reply. Manson then talked to him by telephone and the pen pal started visiting him in jail starting in 2002. According to a yellowing will obtained by TMZ, and dated Feb 14, 2002, Manson left all his belongings, including his clothes and money, to the pen pal. Manson also left to the man rights to use his name and image, and control of songs he had written. The pen pal, who TMZ did not name, also had the right to claim Manson's body within 10 days of his death, and told the news website that he intended to do so. If he does not claim it then the killer will be cremated by the California prison system. According to the will Manson chose specifically to disinherit his known and unknown children, former wives, all relatives, friends, and lawyers. The pen pal said he last spoke to Manson by phone on Oct 21 The will was typed but included some scrawled handwriting, which appeared to match Manson's known style. It included the message: "I'm not in the best spot to rest in peace." The will was said to have been witnessed by one of Manson's fellow inmates. Charles Manson Credit: AP Manson spent his last 45 years in jail after sending followers known as the "Manson Family" to commit gruesome murders,  In the summer of 1969 he directed his mostly young, female followers to murder seven people in what prosecutors said was part of a plan to incite a race war. Among the victims was actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski. She was stabbed 16 times by cult members. A section of the will said Charles Manson, Prisoner B33920, wished to have his body released to the custody of the pen pal who was "my one and only executor of any services, viewings, funeral arrangements, or otherwise, in his judgment OF MY WISHES only". Manson also said that he was "of a sound mind".

Afghan air strike kills about 20 Taliban at religious school - officials

A rocket attack on an Afghan religious school killed about 20 Taliban insurgents exchanging fire with security forces, officials said on Friday, adding that no children were among the victims. The insurgents had taken shelter at the school compound in the central eastern province of Wardak, 35 km (20 miles) southwest of the capital, Kabul, when the air strike hit late on Wednesday, the officials said.

Trump Names Budget Director Mulvaney Interim Head Of Consumer Agency

Donald Trump has named his Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney the acting head of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau in what’s bound to be a major showdown over the agency’s future.

US already has 2,000 troops in Syria, Pentagon set to reveal

The Pentagon is likely to announce in the coming days that there are about 2,000 U troops in Syria, two US officials said on Friday, as the military acknowledges that an accounting system for troops has under-reported the size of forces on the ground. The US military had earlier publicly said it had around 500 troops in Syria, mostly supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces group of Kurdish and Arab militias fighting Islamic State in the north of the country. Two US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon could, as early as Monday, publicly announce that there are slightly more than 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria.

Oscar Pistorius' Murder Sentence Has Been Extended to 13 Years

Oscar Pistorius’ prison sentence was increased to 13 years and five months by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal on Friday, a decision that more than doubled the Olympic runner’s jail term for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Aung San Suu Kyi signs agreement to take Rohingya back after atrocities

Burma and Bangladesh signed an accord on Thursday over terms for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh, a government official said, amid concern that Burma’s powerful army could prove obstructive. Rights groups have accused the military in mostly Buddhist Burma of carrying out mass rape and other atrocities during a counter-insurgency operation launched in late August in retaliation for attacks by Rohingya militants in Rakhine State. On Wednesday, the United States said the military operation that drove 620,000 Rohingya to seek sanctuary in neighboring, largely Muslim Bangladesh, amounted to “ethnic cleansing”, echoing an accusation first leveled by top UN officials in the early days of the humanitarian crisis. Burma - also known as Myanmar - is seeking to ease international pressure by striking an initial agreement on returns, while Dhaka wants to ensure overstretched refugee camps that have mushroomed in the Cox’s Bazar region don’t become permanent. Rohingya refugees wait after crossing the Naf river from Burma into Bangladesh in Whaikhyang  Credit: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images “We are ready to take them back as soon as possible after Bangladesh sends the forms back to us,” Myint Kyaing, a permanent secretary at Burma’s ministry of labor, immigration and population, told Reuters, referring to forms the Rohingya must complete with personal details before repatriation. The signing took place after a meeting between Burma’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Bangladesh foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in Naypyitaw. Mr Kyaing said that the memorandum of understanding was based on the 1992-1993 repatriation agreement between the two countries which had been inked following a previous spasm of violence in Burma. The forms that the refugees will have to fill include names of family members, their previous address in Burma, date of birth and a disclaimer that they are returning voluntarily, he added. Roland Oliphant: The scale of the Rohingya crisis 'is mindblowing' 00:56 He said that based on the 1992-1993 agreement, Burma would accept those who could present identification documents issued to the Rohingya by Burma governments in the past. Those include the currently distributed national verification cards, as well as now-withdrawn “white cards”, as well as receipts the Rohingya received when returning their “white cards”, he said. Diplomats and aid workers have said the key elements of the deal will be the criteria of return and the participation of the international community, such as the United Nations refugee agency, in the process. Other important points include safeguards for the Rohingya against further violence, a path to resolving their legal status and whether they would be allowed to return to their own homes and farms. Mr Kyaing declined to elaborate on those points. Speaking at a military event in Dhaka, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she was calling on Burma ”to start taking back soon their nationals from Bangladesh.”

Mnangagwa vows to rebuild Zimbabwe and serve all citizens

By Emelia Sithole-Matarise HARARE (Reuters) - New President Emmerson Mnangagwa laid out a grand vision on Friday to revitalise Zimbabwe's ravaged economy and vowed to rule on behalf of all the country's citizens. Sworn in days after the overthrow of Robert Mugabe, the 75-year-old former security chief promised to guarantee the rights of foreign investors and to re-engage with the West, and said elections would go ahead next year as scheduled. In a 30-minute speech to tens of thousands of supporters in Harare's national stadium, Mnangagwa extended an olive branch to opponents, apparently aiming to bridge the ethnic and political divides exploited by his predecessor during his 37 years in charge.

Papua New Guinean police evict asylum-seekers from Australian-run camp, UNHCR decries force used

By Tom Westbrook and Jonathan Barrett SYDNEY (Reuters) - Papua New Guinean police cleared the remaining asylum-seekers from a shuttered Australian-run detention complex on Friday, ending a three-week protest which started with some 600 people surviving on rain water and smuggled food and supplies. Australia closed the Manus Island detention centre on Oct. 31, after it was declared illegal by a Papua New Guinea court, but the asylum seekers refused to leave to transit centres saying they feared for their safety. Despite the unsanitary conditions and lack of adequate food and fresh water, about 300 remained when Papua New Guinea police started removing people on Thursday and Friday.

Dem Lawmaker: Ethics Investigation Into John Conyers Allegations Is 'Not Accountability'

Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) is standing by her call for Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) to resign amid sexual harassment allegations, arguing that a congressional investigation into the matter is too little, too late.

Why Lost Ice Means Lost Hope for an Inuit Village

By LIVIA ALBECK-RIPKA from NYT Climate http://ift.tt/2n5pZLs

India’s Gay Rights Activists Seize Momentum After Landmark Ruling

By KAI SCHULTZ from NYT World http://ift.tt/2zo7SC7

In Busy Rome, a Hotel That’s an Oasis

By ADAM H. GRAHAM from NYT Travel http://ift.tt/2zmfTY4

Inside the Revolution at Etsy

By DAVID GELLES from NYT Business Day http://ift.tt/2n2M7Wv

China Limits Waste. ‘Cardboard Grannies’ and Texas Recyclers Scramble.

By MIKE IVES from NYT Business Day http://ift.tt/2Bn1ix6

Argentine sub disaster stirs bitter memories in Russia

President Vladimir Putin has offered his Argentine counterpart Mauricio Macri help in trying to find a submarine that disappeared in the South Atlantic a week ago, and dispatched a Russian military vessel to the scene. In 2000, just a few months after the former KGB officer assumed his presidential duties for the first time, Russia lost a nuclear submarine with all 118 sailors on board following a bungled rescue effort. The loss of the Kursk became the worst disaster in the history of the Russian navy and a huge embarrassment for Putin.

Event 'consistent with an explosion' detected where Argentinian submarine went missing

Hopes for the survival of 44 crew members of the missing Argentine submarine ARA San Juan all but vanished on Thursday as the country’s navy said a “violent event consistent with an explosion” had been detected three hours after the vessel disappeared in the South Atlantic.  Search vessels were combing an area with a 80-mile radius close to the submarine’s last known position, after analysis from the US and Austria revealed a “hydroacoustic anomaly” on the morning that the ARA San Juan lost contact after reporting a fault with its batteries. Captain Enrique Balbi, a Navy spokesperson, confirmed “a singular event, short, violent, non nuclear, consistent with an explosion” had occurred some 30 miles north of the site the submarine disappeared. Eight days into the search, the revelation of the apparent explosion led to cries of anger from waiting relatives. Speaking outside the Mar del Plata Naval Base, Itati Leguizmon, wife of radarist Germán Oscar Suárez, said she felt “deceived” by Navy officials, who she alleged had “lied to us” and withheld information on the missing submarine. Some relatives had become “aggressive” when they were informed, Ms Leguizmon said, and were “breaking things” inside the base. Captain Balbi defended the delay amid a barrage of questions. He insisted the report from the United States had only been “officially” received on Wednesday and the second from Austria - which offered more details on the source of the anomaly.  Submarine rescue mission The “hydroacoustic anomaly”  was recorded by hydrophones - listening posts scattered around the world’s oceans capable of detecting underwater noise - and the material had to be collated, analysed and cross checked, the spokesman explained. The ARA San Juan had previously reported a short-circuit in its batteries and been ordered to divert to the Mar del Plata naval base; the location of the purported explosion lies on the route it is likely to have taken. Captain Balbi said an explosion inside the submarine could have caused it to implode, which could explain why no debris had been found in the area. Family members have also rounded on authorities over what they say was the decrepit state of the submarine. Built in 1985, the German-made vessel was fully renovated in 2014, and the Argentine government has dismissed complaints over its age, insisting it was well-maintained. But Ms Leguizmon - a lawyer - alleged that the ARA San Juan had in fact suffered a serious fault in 2014, and that all of the crew and their families were well aware of the precarious conditions they were working in. "My husband told me that they had a fault in 2014 and that it was serious, that is all. That it was serious and it generated a bit of tension and fear inside there." She said crew regularly said of the submarine that "it is all held together with wire". Gavin Williamson, the UK Defence Secretary, voiced his sympathy for Argentina.  “This has not just been an agonising time for Argentina, but for our whole international community, and this news is truly devastating for everyone involved in this week’s search and rescue operation," he said. “When it comes to situations like this, nationality doesn’t matter: all sailors have an obligation to help each other in a time of such desperate need. “I’m extremely proud of the role our Navy and Air Force have played in the international effort to help, and I speak on behalf of those involved, and the whole country, in offering our sincerest condolences to Argentina and the family and friends of the crew.”

Border without doctors? South Koreans urge more funding for trauma care after defector drama

By Josh Smith and Heekyong Yang SEOUL (Reuters) - A defector’s treatment for critical injuries suffered during a dramatic dash from North Korea has highlighted a shortage of South Korean trauma doctors and again underscored Seoul's lack of preparedness in the event of hostilities with Pyongyang. The defector, identified only by his family name of Oh, was shot at least four times by his former comrades during his daring escape into South Korea last week. American military helicopters flew the wounded soldier not to one of the many hospitals in Seoul, closer to the border, but to the Ajou University trauma center an hour south of the capital.

Syria congress to go ahead despite Turkey 'reservations' over Kurds: Kremlin

The Kremlin said Thursday Turkey's opposition to the participation of Kurdish militias in Syria's political process would not stand in the way of a peace "congress" Moscow is seeking to organise in the near future. "We know that there are certain reservations on the part of our Turkish partners with regards to the forces they believe pose a threat to their national security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

After DNA test, California man freed from prison in 1978 double-murder

By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A man wrongfully convicted in California of the 1978 double-murder of a woman and her child is spending his first Thanksgiving Day as a free man in 39 years, after being released on the basis of DNA evidence. California Governor Jerry Brown pardoned 70-year-old Craig Coley on Wednesday and prison officials quickly set him free, according to prosecutors and police in Simi Valley, where the double-slaying occurred. Local authorities in Simi Valley, a community just outside Los Angeles, supported the governor's decision.

First House Dem Calls On Rep. Conyers To Resign

Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) became the first Democrat in Congress to call on Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) to resign from Congress in light of recent sexual harassment allegations.

Drug Dealer Who Sold Teen Lethal Amount Of Fentanyl Ordered To Pay For His Funeral

A drug dealer in Ohio was ordered by a judge this week to cover the funeral costs for a teen who died of a fentanyl overdose.

North Korean defector recovering after daring escape

As the North Korean soldier who made a daring escape across the DMZ recovers, six servicemen, including three Americans, were honored for their bravery in facing North Korean fire.

Oscar Pistorius' Murder Sentence Has Been Extended to 13 Years

Oscar Pistorius’ prison sentence was increased to 13 years and five months by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal on Friday, a decision that more than doubled the Olympic runner’s jail term for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Mnangagwa vows to rebuild Zimbabwe and serve all citizens

By Emelia Sithole-Matarise HARARE (Reuters) - New President Emmerson Mnangagwa laid out a grand vision on Friday to revitalise Zimbabwe's ravaged economy and vowed to rule on behalf of all the country's citizens. Sworn in days after the overthrow of Robert Mugabe, the 75-year-old former security chief promised to guarantee the rights of foreign investors and to re-engage with the West, and said elections would go ahead next year as scheduled. In a 30-minute speech to tens of thousands of supporters in Harare's national stadium, Mnangagwa extended an olive branch to opponents, apparently aiming to bridge the ethnic and political divides exploited by his predecessor during his 37 years in charge.

Donald Trump uses Egypt mosque attack that killed 235 to promote border wall and travel ban

President Donald Trump has used the terror attack in Egypt to advocate for his travel ban and proposed border wall with Mexico. At least 235 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in an attack on a Sufi mosque in Egypt's North Sinai region on Friday. The US President tweeted his condolences to the people of Egypt, and added: “We have to get TOUGHER AND SMARTER than ever before, and we will.

Russia's New Stealth Torpedoes Have a Neat Trick: They Can Pretend to Be Giant Fish

This is what U.S. ship captains will scream too late, if Russia has its way. Russia is promising to develop smart mini-torpedoes that are noiseless, leave no wake—and creep through the water at two to three miles per hour. The project is still in the conceptual stage, Aliyev told Russian news agency RIA Novosti [Google English translation here].

North Korean defector recovering after daring escape

As the North Korean soldier who made a daring escape across the DMZ recovers, six servicemen, including three Americans, were honored for their bravery in facing North Korean fire.

Online Spending Is Up as Millions Shop Black Friday Sales

The battle for your wallet is unfolding on smartphones and tablets as more people opt to shop from home instead of going out to crowded stores.

In Russia, Sudan's Bashir asks Putin for 'protection' from US

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and war crimes, on Thursday asked Russia's Vladimir Putin to protect his country from the United States. Speaking during his first visit to Russia as president, Bashir also said he wanted to ramp up military ties and praised Moscow's military campaign in Syria.

Aung San Suu Kyi signs agreement to take Rohingya back after atrocities

Burma and Bangladesh signed an accord on Thursday over terms for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh, a government official said, amid concern that Burma’s powerful army could prove obstructive. Rights groups have accused the military in mostly Buddhist Burma of carrying out mass rape and other atrocities during a counter-insurgency operation launched in late August in retaliation for attacks by Rohingya militants in Rakhine State. On Wednesday, the United States said the military operation that drove 620,000 Rohingya to seek sanctuary in neighboring, largely Muslim Bangladesh, amounted to “ethnic cleansing”, echoing an accusation first leveled by top UN officials in the early days of the humanitarian crisis. Burma - also known as Myanmar - is seeking to ease international pressure by striking an initial agreement on returns, while Dhaka wants to ensure overstretched refugee camps that have mushroomed in the Cox’s Bazar region don’t become permanent. Rohingya refugees wait after crossing the Naf river from Burma into Bangladesh in Whaikhyang  Credit: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images “We are ready to take them back as soon as possible after Bangladesh sends the forms back to us,” Myint Kyaing, a permanent secretary at Burma’s ministry of labor, immigration and population, told Reuters, referring to forms the Rohingya must complete with personal details before repatriation. The signing took place after a meeting between Burma’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Bangladesh foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in Naypyitaw. Mr Kyaing said that the memorandum of understanding was based on the 1992-1993 repatriation agreement between the two countries which had been inked following a previous spasm of violence in Burma. The forms that the refugees will have to fill include names of family members, their previous address in Burma, date of birth and a disclaimer that they are returning voluntarily, he added. Roland Oliphant: The scale of the Rohingya crisis 'is mindblowing' 00:56 He said that based on the 1992-1993 agreement, Burma would accept those who could present identification documents issued to the Rohingya by Burma governments in the past. Those include the currently distributed national verification cards, as well as now-withdrawn “white cards”, as well as receipts the Rohingya received when returning their “white cards”, he said. Diplomats and aid workers have said the key elements of the deal will be the criteria of return and the participation of the international community, such as the United Nations refugee agency, in the process. Other important points include safeguards for the Rohingya against further violence, a path to resolving their legal status and whether they would be allowed to return to their own homes and farms. Mr Kyaing declined to elaborate on those points. Speaking at a military event in Dhaka, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she was calling on Burma ”to start taking back soon their nationals from Bangladesh.”

Mnangagwa vows to rebuild Zimbabwe and serve all citizens

By Emelia Sithole-Matarise HARARE (Reuters) - New President Emmerson Mnangagwa laid out a grand vision on Friday to revitalise Zimbabwe's ravaged economy and vowed to rule on behalf of all the country's citizens. Sworn in days after the overthrow of Robert Mugabe, the 75-year-old former security chief promised to guarantee the rights of foreign investors and to re-engage with the West, and said elections would go ahead next year as scheduled. In a 30-minute speech to tens of thousands of supporters in Harare's national stadium, Mnangagwa extended an olive branch to opponents, apparently aiming to bridge the ethnic and political divides exploited by his predecessor during his 37 years in charge.