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Saudis sentence five to death for Khashoggi murder
Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor says five people have been sentenced to death and three more to jail terms totalling 24 years in the case of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October last year. No names were given for those found guilty. The killing had shocked the world and drawn condemnation from the global community, including the United Nations. [Full Article...]
Jamal Khashoggi: Five sentenced to death over journalist's murder
Khashoggi was killed in Istanbul in October past year. However, the prosecutor said Saud al-Qahtani, a former high-profile Saudi royal adviser, was investigated but not charged and was released. The court also ruled that the Saudi consul-general in Istanbul at the time, Mr Mohammed al-Otaibi, was not guilty. "We found that Khashoggi's murder was not premeditated", the statement said. [Full Article...]
In Beijing, East Asia's trade chiefs vow to accelerate FTA talks
Planning is underway for a state visit by Xi to Japan in the spring, made possible by the temporary shelving of contentious political issues and Beijing's desire to exploit regional dissatisfaction with Washington over its trade policies. "The Japan-South Korea relationship remains in a severe state but it's important for Japan and South Korea , along with the United States, to work together unde... [Full Article...]
Mild Monday followed by cooler weather by Christmas
Even though there's only a 10 percent chance historically for a snowy Yuletide in Northwest Washington, weather forecasters in the USA and Canada are predicting snow flurries or a mix of rain and snow for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Here are the preliminary storm totals for late Sunday through late Tuesday. The agency says the second storm is colder, which means it could have a greater impa... [Full Article...]
Poster in Ranchi claims JMM-alliance victory in Jharkhand polls
Stakes are high for BJP in Jharkhand especially after Maharashtra setback, where the party could not form the government. Majority of the the exit polls have predicted an edge for the pre-poll alliance of Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal. [Full Article...]
Syrian air defenses intercept Israeli missiles, state media reports
Without divulging further details in the matter, the Syrian state TV, however, quoted residents in Damascus as saying that explosions could be heard near the capital. Israel has vowed it will continue its strikes against Iranian targets trying to establish a permanent military presence there and against advanced weapons shipments to Hezbollah in Lebanon. [Full Article...]
Hong Kong protest at China's treatment of Uighurs ends in violent clashes
Multiple protesters were seen being detained. Last month, police in Taichung apprehended the suspect , who was alleged to have robbed a store during a day trip to Hong Kong on October 6, stealing two watches worth a total of NT$3.8 million (US$126,000). [Full Article...]
Winners cash in €400000 in Spain's traditional Christmas lottery
Spain's Christmas lottery, known as El Gordo or "The Fat One", dished out its biggest prize on Sunday worth $436,000. The winning number, worth €400,000 (£341,000) tumbled out of enormous shuffling bins in a live televised event on Sunday morning. [Full Article...]