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    Abbas says Palestinians won't accept any US peace plan

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    Bomb explodes outside Greek court, no casualties: police

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    Founder of S. Korea's Lotte Group given 4 years jail for embezzlement

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    Puigdemont says 'no one can dispute' Catalan separatists won vote

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    Eric Schmidt stepping down as chair of Alphabet board

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    US House votes to avert looming government shutdown

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    Catalan separatists could win absolute parliamentary majority: partial official count

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    UN Security Council will vote Friday on N.Korea sanctions: diplomats

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    US vice president makes unannounced Afghanistan visit

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    Netanyahu says he's satisfied after UN vote on Jerusalem

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    Catalan vote turnout at 1700 GMT sees strong rise on 2015: officials

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    UN votes 128-9 to reject US decision on Jerusalem

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    South Sudan warring parties agree ceasefire: AU chair

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    US presents new N.Korea sanctions resolution, vote expected Friday

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    Raul Castro to step down as Cuba's president in April 2018

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    US hits Myanmar general in new global rights sanctions

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  • Seoul (AFP) - 12/24/2017 - 05:12

    N. Korea slams new UN sanctions as an "act of war": state media

  • Davao (Philippines) (AFP) - 12/23/2017 - 23:25

    37 feared dead in Philippine mall blaze: vice mayor

  • Manila (AFP) - 12/23/2017 - 18:50

    Philippines storm death toll climbs to 182: police

  • Harare (AFP) - 12/23/2017 - 13:15

    Zimbabwe's ex-army chief named ruling party VP: official

  • Moscow (AFP) - 12/23/2017 - 12:33

    Moscow warns US decision to arm Ukraine could cause 'new bloodshed'

  • Manila (AFP) - 12/23/2017 - 09:29

    Storm death toll in Philippines climbs to 133: govt

  • Manila (AFP) - 12/23/2017 - 07:11

    Philippines storm death toll rises to 74, many missing: govt

  • Mexico City (AFP) - 12/23/2017 - 06:10

    2017 Mexico's most violent year in two decades: officials

  • Manila (AFP) - 12/23/2017 - 02:55

    Philippines tropical storm toll climbs to 30: officials

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 22:03

    'World wants Peace, not Death,' Trump says as UN sanctions N.Korea

  • Tegucigalpa (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 19:50

    Honduras opposition candidate admits defeat in disputed poll

  • United Nations (United States) (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 19:27

    UN Security Council unanimously backs new sanctions on N.Korea

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 17:22

    Trump signs sweeping tax overhaul, sealing major victory

  • Brasília (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 16:45

    Brazil intends to maintain control over Embraer: Temer

  • Moscow (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 15:39

    Russia's partial Syria withdrawal 'carried out': defence minister

  • Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 15:28

    2nd Palestinian dead in Israel-Gaza border clashes: ministry

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 15:28

    US congratulates Hernandez on 'victory' in disputed Honduras vote

  • Madrid (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 14:32

    Spain PM rejects ousted Catalan leader's call to meet

  • Kampala (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 14:12

    Ugandan army says it attacked rebel camps in eastern DR Congo

  • Moscow (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 13:41

    Russia must be 'absolute leader' in building new military: Putin

  • Moscow (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 13:30

    Putin slams 'aggressive' new US defence strategy

  • Astana (Kazakhstan) (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 13:24

    Syria congress to take place in Sochi Jan 29-30: statement

  • Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 13:23

    Gazan killed by Israeli fire in clash on border: health ministry

  • Brussels (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 13:13

    Ousted Catalan leader demands 'to be heard' by EU

  • Brussels (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 12:36

    Ousted Catalan leader offers to meet PM outside Spain

  • Moscow (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 11:26

    Russia ready for 'dialogue' with Britain on equal terms: Lavrov

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 11:25

    US has 'marginalised itself' in Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Macron

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 11:18

    Abbas says Palestinians won't accept any US peace plan

  • Athens (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 08:20

    Bomb explodes outside Greek court, no casualties: police

  • Seoul (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 08:02

    Founder of S. Korea's Lotte Group given 4 years jail for embezzlement

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    Peru Congress falls short in vote to impeach president

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/22/2017 - 01:27

    US Congress approves short-term budget to avoid shutdown

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    Puigdemont says 'no one can dispute' Catalan separatists won vote

  • San Francisco (AFP) - 12/21/2017 - 23:33

    Eric Schmidt stepping down as chair of Alphabet board

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/21/2017 - 23:05

    US House votes to avert looming government shutdown

  • Barcelona (AFP) - 12/21/2017 - 22:52

    Catalan separatists could win absolute parliamentary majority: partial official count

  • United Nations (United States) (AFP) - 12/21/2017 - 22:35

    UN Security Council will vote Friday on N.Korea sanctions: diplomats

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    US vice president makes unannounced Afghanistan visit

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    Boeing, Embraer confirm merger talks ongoing; deal not guaranteed

  • United Nations (United States) (AFP) - 12/21/2017 - 19:12

    Palestinian envoy: UN Jerusalem vote 'massive setback' for US

  • Jerusalem (AFP) - 12/21/2017 - 19:10

    Netanyahu says he's satisfied after UN vote on Jerusalem

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    Catalan vote turnout at 1700 GMT sees strong rise on 2015: officials

  • United Nations (United States) (AFP) - 12/21/2017 - 18:22

    UN votes 128-9 to reject US decision on Jerusalem

  • Addis Ababa (AFP) - 12/21/2017 - 18:21

    South Sudan warring parties agree ceasefire: AU chair

  • United Nations (United States) (AFP) - 12/21/2017 - 17:20

    US presents new N.Korea sanctions resolution, vote expected Friday

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    Israel 'will never be driven from Jerusalem,' envoy tells UN

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    'This vote will be remembered': Haley says of UN Jerusalem vote

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/21/2017 - 16:40

    US hits Myanmar general in new global rights sanctions

  • United Nations (United States) (AFP) - 12/21/2017 - 16:20

    UN General Assembly opens meeting on Jerusalem

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    German pilots' union calls first-ever Ryanair strike on Friday

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    EU approves Lufthansa buyout of Air Berlin assets

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World's largest amphibious aircraft takes off in China

AFP/File / STR The AG600's flight capabilities put all of China's island building projects in the South China Sea well within range

China's home-grown AG600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft in production, took to the skies on Sunday for its maiden flight.

The plane codenamed "Kunlong" according to state news agency Xinhua, took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour long flight.

With a wingspan of 38.8 metres (127 feet) and powered by four turbo-prop engines, the aircraft is capable of carrying 50 people and can stay airborne for 12 hours.

"Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world's few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft," chief designer Huang Lingcai told Xinhua.

The amphibious aircraft has military applications but will also be used for firefighting and marine rescue, with at least 17 orders placed so far with its state-owned manufacturer Aviation Industry Corp of China, state media reported.

While it is around the size of a Boeing 737, the AG600 is considerably smaller than billionaire Howard Hughes' flying boat, better known as the Spruce Goose, which had a wing span of 97 metres and a length of 67 metres but only made one brief flight, in 1947.

The AG600's flight capabilities put all of China's island building projects in the South China Sea well within range.

The aircraft can fly to the southernmost edge of China's territorial claims -- the James Shoal -- in just four hours from the southern city of Sanya, state-owned Global Times reported.

The shoal is also claimed by Taiwan and Malaysia, and is currently administered by Malaysia as the collection of submerged rocks lies roughly 80 kilometres from its coastline and about 1,800 kilometres from the Chinese mainland.

Beijing's buildup in the South China Sea, through which some $5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes, is hotly contested by other nations.

The Philippines for many years was one of the region's strongest opponents of Chinese expansionism, and brought a complaint to a United Nations-backed tribunal.

The panel ruled last year that China's territorial claims in the sea were without legal basis, but the Philippines has backed away from the dispute under its new president Rodrigo Duterte.

The launch of the new amphibious aircraft also adds to China's rapidly modernising military.

Earlier this year, it launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, which complemented the Liaoning, a secondhand Soviet carrier commissioned in 2012 after extensive refits.

China's military expenditure in 2016 was an estimated $215 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, putting it in first place in Asia, well ahead of India ($56 billion), Japan ($46 billion) and South Korea ($37 billion).

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News

World's largest amphibious aircraft takes off in China

AFP/File / STR The AG600's flight capabilities put all of China's island building projects in the South China Sea well within range

China's home-grown AG600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft in production, took to the skies on Sunday for its maiden flight.

The plane codenamed "Kunlong" according to state news agency Xinhua, took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour long flight.

With a wingspan of 38.8 metres (127 feet) and powered by four turbo-prop engines, the aircraft is capable of carrying 50 people and can stay airborne for 12 hours.

"Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world's few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft," chief designer Huang Lingcai told Xinhua.

The amphibious aircraft has military applications but will also be used for firefighting and marine rescue, with at least 17 orders placed so far with its state-owned manufacturer Aviation Industry Corp of China, state media reported.

While it is around the size of a Boeing 737, the AG600 is considerably smaller than billionaire Howard Hughes' flying boat, better known as the Spruce Goose, which had a wing span of 97 metres and a length of 67 metres but only made one brief flight, in 1947.

The AG600's flight capabilities put all of China's island building projects in the South China Sea well within range.

The aircraft can fly to the southernmost edge of China's territorial claims -- the James Shoal -- in just four hours from the southern city of Sanya, state-owned Global Times reported.

The shoal is also claimed by Taiwan and Malaysia, and is currently administered by Malaysia as the collection of submerged rocks lies roughly 80 kilometres from its coastline and about 1,800 kilometres from the Chinese mainland.

Beijing's buildup in the South China Sea, through which some $5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes, is hotly contested by other nations.

The Philippines for many years was one of the region's strongest opponents of Chinese expansionism, and brought a complaint to a United Nations-backed tribunal.

The panel ruled last year that China's territorial claims in the sea were without legal basis, but the Philippines has backed away from the dispute under its new president Rodrigo Duterte.

The launch of the new amphibious aircraft also adds to China's rapidly modernising military.

Earlier this year, it launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, which complemented the Liaoning, a secondhand Soviet carrier commissioned in 2012 after extensive refits.

China's military expenditure in 2016 was an estimated $215 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, putting it in first place in Asia, well ahead of India ($56 billion), Japan ($46 billion) and South Korea ($37 billion).

AFP/File / STR The AG600's flight capabilities put all of China's island building projects in the South China Sea well within range

China's home-grown AG600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft in production, took to the skies on Sunday for its maiden flight.

The plane codenamed "Kunlong" according to state news agency Xinhua, took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour long flight.

24 Dec 2017

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