December, 2016

• 13 December

  Trump taps ExxonMobil chief Tillerson as secretary of state

  

    Washington / AFP US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday tapped ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson as his nominee to be secretary of state, despite concerns on both sides of the political aisle about the oilman’s deep ties to Russia. The nomination was the one most awaited by observers at home and abroad as the 70-year-old Republican billionaire builds his cabinet …

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• 13 December

  Putin foe Alexei Navalny announces 2018 Kremlin bid

  

    Moscow / AFP Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Tuesday announced he would run for president in 2018 after a court victory allowed the outspoken Kremlin critic to be a candidate. In an email sent to supporters, the 40-year-old anti-corruption campaigner said: “Presidential polls will take place in our country in 2018 and I have decided to take part in …

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• 13 December

  China warns Trump of ‘crushing his own toes’ on Taiwan row

  

    Beijing / AFP China offered its sternest rebuke yet to Donald Trump, saying anyone who challenges Beijing’s interests in Taiwan will “lift a rock only to crush his own toes”. “If he tries to sabotage the One China policy or harm China’s core interests, ultimately he will lift a rock only to crush his own toes,” Chinese foreign minister Wang …

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• 13 December

  Beijing offers Philippines weapons for drug war

    Manila / AFP China is ready to give the Philippines weapons to help President Rodrigo Duterte wage his controversial war on drugs which has claimed over 5,000 lives, the Chinese ambassador to Manila said. Beijing has previously said it supports Duterte’s bloody crime war, which has been slammed by the United Nations and human rights watchdogs over alleged extrajudicial …

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• 13 December

  British commuters face worst rail strike in decades

  

    London / AFP Hundreds of thousands of British commuters faced travel chaos on Tuesday as train drivers went on strike in what is expected to be the worst rail disruption in decades. Southern Rail, which runs trains between England’s south coast and London, warned of severe disruption as it cancelled more than 2,000 services after workers launched three days of …

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• 13 December

  Executions reported as Aleppo battle nears end

  

    Beirut / AFP The UN said on Tuesday it had credible reports of pro-government forces in Syria’s Aleppo executing dozens of civilians including women and children as the crucial battle for the city neared its end. The UN human rights office said at least 82 civilians, including 11 women and 13 children, had been killed in recent days. UN rights …

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• 13 December

  Turkey to step up Russia talks on Aleppo ceasefire

    Ankara / AFP Turkey will intensify talks with Russia and other countries for a ceasefire to end the “humanitarian tragedy” in the Syrian city of Aleppo, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday. “Today, tomorrow, everyday, we will intensify our talks with Russia and other countries so we can find a solution to this humanitarian tragedy,” Cavusoglu said at a …

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• 13 December

  Ankara detains two pro-Kurdish party MPs

    Ankara/ AFP Turkish police detained two more pro-Kurdish lawmakers hours after arresting over 200 people accused of links to Kurdish militants, their party said early Tuesday. The two women, Caglar Demirel and Besime Konca, who represent the southeastern Kurdish-majority cities of Diyarbakir and Siirt respectively, were held as part of a sweeping anti-terror probe, state news agency Anadolu said. …

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• 13 December

  Aleppo’s famed Old City left ‘unrecognisable’ by war

  

    Aleppo / AFP Once renowned for its bustling souks, grand citadel and historic gates, Aleppo’s Old City has been rendered virtually unrecognisable by some of the worst violence of Syria’s war. For centuries, Aleppo was Syria’s economic and cultural powerhouse, attracting tourists from around the world to its celebrated heritage sites. But now, only gaunt stray cats roam the rubble-strewn …

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• 13 December

  Envoys discuss N Korea amid political flux in US, S Korea

  

    Seoul / AFP Senior US, Japanese and South Korean officials with special responsibility for the North Korean nuclear issue held talks on Tuesday, at a time of political flux and policy uncertainty in Washington and Seoul. “We shared the view that it is more important than ever to keep close cooperation among the three countries,” South Korea’s nuclear envoy Kim …

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