US: Remains of six recovered from Hawaii helicopter crash, no sign of survivors

 The Kalalau valley in the Na Pali coast state park. The helicopter’s owner contacted the coast guard about 45 minutes after the aircraft was due back from a tour of the area HONOLULU, Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Teams combing the wreckage of a Hawaii sightseeing helicopter that crashed on Kauai…

Portuguese airport workers strike over pay, threaten further action in 2020

The international terminal at Lisbon airport LISBON, Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Workers for Portuguese airport handling company Portway started a three-day strike at Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Funchal airports on Friday over the company’s refusal to unfreeze salaries after three-years of no pay increases. Around 85 per cent of Portway…

German union calls New Year strike at Germanwings

 Talks between the UFO union and airline bosses are deadlocked BERLIN, Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A German cabin crew union has called a three-day strike at Lufthansa subsidiary Germanwings, plunging passengers into turmoil over the busy end-of-year holiday as it ramps up a bitter row over pay and conditions. The…

Algerians protest against new president but some say it’s time for dialogue

ALGIERS, Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tens of thousands of Algerians demonstrated on Friday for the second consecutive week since the contentious election of a new president, insisting on a total revamp of the political establishment. Since Feb 22, the streets of the capital Algiers have been filled with protesters every on…

Chicken pox outbreak forces migrant shelter to shutter in northern Mexico

Mexican officials turned an empty factory in Ciudad Juárez into a temporary shelter to hold migrants who have been arriving in large numbers to the border city across from El Paso CIUDAD JUAREZ (Mexico), Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An outbreak of chicken pox has forced the temporary closure of a…

Uruguay seizes record haul of cocaine

MONTEVIDEO, Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Uruguayan authorities seized a record haul of 4.4 tonnes of cocaine at the port of Montevideo in what the navy described as “the biggest blow to drug trafficking in the country’s history.” In a joint operation between the navy and customs, four soy flour containers packed…

Union boss defiant as record French strike enters fourth week

PARIS, Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The head of a hardline French trade union vowed to press on with a crippling strike that has cast a shadow over Christmas celebrations, with the stoppages entering a fourth week and becoming the longest-lasting such action since the 1980s. The strike against pension reforms championed…

Russia challenges WADA doping ban

Russia has been banned from all sporting events for the next four years, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 FIFA World Cup MOSCOW, Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia on Friday formally contested a four-year ban from major sporting events over doping violations that President Vladimir Putin has condemned as “unjust”, the…

UN backs Russia on internet convention, alarming rights advocates

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations approved a Russian-led bid that aims to create a new convention on cybercrime, alarming rights groups and Western powers that fear a bid to restrict online freedom. The General Assembly approved the resolution sponsored by Russia and backed by China, which…

Russia says first hypersonic missiles enter service

Vladimir Putin (5L) visited Moscow’s national defence control centre to oversee the test launch of the Avangard hypersonic missile on Thursday MOSCOW, Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia’s defence minister told President Vladimir Putin the first Avangard hypersonic missiles had been put into service, in a move hailed as a major coup…