KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Rosmah Mansor, the luxury-loving wife of Malaysia’s former prime minister, was Thursday charged with money laundering linked to a multi-billion-dollar scandal that helped bring down his government. The 66-year-old pleaded not guilty to 17 charges of money laundering at a court complex where her husband Najib Razak was also making a separate appearance in connection with the alleged plunder of state funds. Prosecutors sought a 10 million ringgit ($2.4 million) bail […]
Other News
Wilder, Fury pump up volume ahead of Dec 1 heavyweight clash
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury were at it again on Wednesday, pushing and shoving and trading barbs as their three-city promotional tour for their heavyweight world title fight hit Los Angeles. Two days after their London press conference was broken up after they traded shoves, the two scuffled again and were separated by their teams at L.A. Live’s Novo Club — just a stone’s throw from the Staples Center […]
US pulls out of international accord over Jerusalem embassy case
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States said Wednesday it was quitting an international accord related to the top UN court after the Palestinians challenged the US move of its Israel embassy to Jerusalem. It was the latest attack on the international justice system by the administration of President Donald Trump, who last month at the United Nations virulently rejected the authority of the International Criminal Court. Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, […]
India-led solar alliance will outshine OPEC: PM Modi
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — An India-led coalition to harness solar energy will eventually replace the OPEC oil cartel, India’s premier predicted Tuesday, as he opened the International Solar Alliance’s first assembly with UN chief Antonio Guterres. “The role of the oil wells today will be that of the Sun’s rays tomorrow,” Narendra Modi said at the meeting in New Delhi. “In the coming years, when the world discusses initiatives for the welfare of humanity […]
Thai bay made famous in ‘The Beach’ shut indefinitely
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — The glittering Thai bay immortalized in the movie “The Beach” will be closed indefinitely to allow it to recover from the impact of hordes of tourists, an official said Wednesday, as a temporary ban on visitors expired. Maya Bay, ringed by cliffs on Ko Phi Phi Ley island, was made famous when it featured in the 2000 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It was initially shut for four months in June due […]
S.Korean minister proposes US-N.Korea tradeoff
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — An end to the Korean War in return for the verified dismantling of its major North Korean nuclear facility: South Korea’s foreign minister on Wednesday proposed this tradeoff to unblock stalled negotiations between the United States and North Korea. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump held a groundbreaking summit in Singapore in June, where they reached a vague agreement to denuclearize the Korean peninsula, but […]
#MeToo movement gave Ronaldo accuser ‘courage’ to come forward
LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — Kathryn Mayorga, the American former model who has accused soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009, decided to go public with her allegations as a result of the #MeToo movement, her lawyer said Wednesday. “The MeToo movement and the women who have stood up and disclosed sexual assaults has given Kathryn a lot of courage, and has enabled her to come forward,” […]
Lockheed Martin unveils its lunar lander concept vehicle
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, responding to NASA’s plans to renew the exploration of the moon and Mars in the next decade, unveiled Wednesday a concept spacecraft able to land on the lunar surface. The US space agency said it plans to send astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 as the initial stage for a future trip to Mars — part of an official US policy […]
Chile archbishop remains silent over abuse cover-up claims
by Miguel SANCHEZ Agence France Presse RANCAGUA, Chile (AFP) — Santiago Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati on Wednesday went before a prosecutor investigating a sex abuse scandal that has roiled the Catholic Church in Chile but declined to answer questions about accusations he was involved in a cover-up. The Catholic Church is under increasing scrutiny because of the escalating worldwide sex abuse crisis, which has seen scandals emerge in North and South America, Europe and Australia that […]
Indonesian soldiers ordered to fire on looters in disaster zone
PALU, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesian soldiers have been ordered to fire on people caught looting on the quake and tsunami-struck island of Sulawesi, a colonel said Wednesday, after desperate survivors raided shops for food and water. Police have already arrested dozens of people for looting in the disaster zone around the seaside city of Palu, which has been reduced to rubble. Local military colonel Ida Dewa Agung Hadisaputra told AFP soldiers had now been given […]
LeBron, Warriors top key rankings in GMs survey
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — LeBron James is tipped to win the NBA’s MVP award in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers while the Golden State Warriors are favourites to clinch a third consecutive championship, the league’s annual survey of general managers revealed Wednesday. While James has cautioned that it will take time to transform the Lakers into a team capable of challenging for silverware, the 33-year-old remains the most popular pick […]
October snow blankets Calgary
CALGARY (Eagle News) — It’s only October and Calgarians woke up to heavy snow. According to Environment Canada, “General snowfall amounts of 10 to 25 cm are expected with a temperature of -3C however amounts of up to 45 cm are possible in the Mountains and under the more intense snowbands.” The snow became a problem for many buses early this morning, leaving them stuck on the road and stranding commuters. Some bus routes were […]
