International

• Tuesday, December 27th 2016 - 09:03 UTC

  Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse reach payment deals with US authorities on sub-prime scams

  

  Germany's Deutsche Bank announced it has agreed a US$7.2bn payment to US authorities over an investigation into mortgage-backed securities. The sum, which needs final approval, is far lower than the US$14bn the US had asked the bank to pay in September. The looming fine had caused concerns that a failure of the bank could pose a risk to the global financial system.

• Tuesday, December 27th 2016 - 08:56 UTC

  Only 7.100 cheetahs left in the world, fears of quick extinction

  

  The sleek, speedy cheetah is rapidly heading towards extinction according to a new study into declining numbers. The report estimates that there are just 7,100 of the world's fastest mammals now left in the wild.

• Tuesday, December 27th 2016 - 08:41 UTC

  Iranian currency on freefall as Trump's inauguration approaches

  

  Iran's monetary unit, the rial, reached a new low against the U.S. dollar on Monday in what was perceived as a sign of doubt about the country's future following the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. Presidential elections in Iran next year also played a part.

• Tuesday, December 27th 2016 - 07:53 UTC

  Tension mounts as strong Chinese fleet of aircraft carrier and navy vessels spotted south of Taiwan

  

  What China's Defense Ministry deemed as “routine exercises,” was cause for grave concern among Taiwanese authorities as a strong Chinese fleet led by the Soviet-built Liaoning aircraft carrier escorted by five other warships entered the top half of the South China Sea on Monday passing southeast of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.

• Monday, December 26th 2016 - 04:24 UTC

  Israel summons ambassadors from UN Security Council member states (not US) over Friday's resolution

  

  Israel's Foreign Ministry on Sunday announced it was summoning ambassadors from the United Nations' Security Council member states, ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said. He added that the 14 envoys are to visit the ministry in Jerusalem on Monday. The representative of the United States' was not on the “guest” list.

• Monday, December 26th 2016 - 02:43 UTC

  Military transport Russian airplane enroute to Syria crashes into Black Sea shortly after takeoff

  

  A Russian Air Force 33-year-old Tupolev 154-B military transport airplane Sunday crashed into the Black Sea shortly after taking off from Adler airport on its way to Syria, killing all 92 occupants onboard, it was announced. The aircraft had begun its journey in Moscow and stopped to refuel at Adler, near the city of Sochi. The pilot made no emergency call and the weather was good, Adler sources indicated.

• Saturday, December 24th 2016 - 18:59 UTC

  Khaddafi followers hijack Lybian airliner, divert it to Malta and surrender

  

  Using fake guns, two men Friday hijacked an Afriqiyah Airways flight on service from Libya’s southwestern city of Sabha to the capital, Tripoli with 111 passengers (82 men, 28 women and a child) and seven crew members on board., and forced it to fly to Malta, where they surrendered after four hours of negotiations.

• Saturday, December 24th 2016 - 18:30 UTC

  Merkel now wants immigration less easy following Berlin's terrorist attack

  

  Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday vowed to reinforce immigration controls and security natiowide following a terrorist attack at a Christmas market in Berlin that left 12 people dead, for which ISIS has claimed responsibility.

• Saturday, December 24th 2016 - 17:50 UTC

  UK and Brazil agree on a Business Dialogue to address commercial and political issues

  

  The United Kingdom and Brazil announced the creation of the Anglo-Brazilian Business Dialogue, which aims to establish a bilateral business dialogue to address commercial and political issues affecting UK and Brazilian companies in their respective markets and to refer them to the upper echelons of both governments. This was achieved during the recent visit to Brazil of Liam Fox, British Secretary of State for International Trade

• Friday, December 23rd 2016 - 15:23 UTC

  Anis Amri shot dead by Italian police

  

  The Tunisian suspect who quickly became Europe's most wanted alleged criminal for his involvement in Monday's lorry jihadist attack against a Christmas market in Berlin, was killed Friday in a shootout with the police in Milan, the Italian interior minister has confirmed.