Cuba grants amnesty to thousands of prisoners
Jailed American subcontractor Alan Gross will not be among those released by Raul Castro before visit by Pope
Cuba's supreme governing body has pardoned nearly 3,000 prisoners, including some convicted of political crimes, though no mention was made of jailed American government subcontractor Alan Gross, whose case has become a sticking point between Havana and Washington.
The Council of State agreed to release 2,900 prisoners, among them inmates who are over 60 years old or are ill, women and young people with minor criminal records. President Raul Castro cited an upcoming visit by the Pope among the reasons for the amnesty, saying the humanitarian act showed Cuba's strength.
Airlines cleared to use Santa's short-cut
New destinations and shorter journey times on way after North Pole route is approved for passenger jets.
Hard-pressed airlines have been handed the perfect Christmas present: permission to fly twin-jet aircraft over the North Pole, saving millions on fuel costs, opening up new destinations and reducing damage to the environment.
The easing of rules about how close twin-jets must keep to diversion airports means faster, cheaper and cleaner flights.
Inside Syria's Death Zone
Assad's Regime Hunts People in Homs
When the haze dissipates in the late afternoon light, and when the last unfortunate souls hurry across the open space, running in a zigzag pattern, hunting season begins on Cairo Street. There is random shooting all day long at this spot, but from this moment on the shooting becomes targeted. A few people make it to the other side on this day, but one does not. He screams and falls to the ground as he is hit. He was carrying a loaf of bread, something that was no longer available on his side of Cairo Street.
Kim Jong-Il's son hailed by N Korean media
December 24, 2011 - 6:55PM
North Korean media has hailed the youngest son of late leader Kim Jong-Il as "supreme commander" of the powerful military, in the latest sign that the untested successor is cementing his hold on power.
"We will uphold Comrade Kim Jong-Un as our supreme commander and general and we will bring the Songun (military-first) revolution to a completion," the ruling communist party's Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in an editorial on Saturday.
WHAT A SCROOGE!
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma's controversial nephew and mine owner, Khulubuse, splashed out over R1-million on a Maserati for his fiancée.
Today, the Sunday Times can reveal how, last Wednesday night, he gave the 2009-model silver Maserati, which retails for between R1-million and R1.6-million, to Fikisiwe Dlamini at Durban's five-star Oyster Box Hotel.
This as some of the more than 700 destitute miners at his liquidated mines - Grootvlei in Gauteng and Orkney in North West - are left destitute and unable to go home for Christmas, as they have not been paid for two years.
China grapples with mass migration from villages to cities
Tom Miller, author of 'Urban Billion,' discusses the planning pitfalls Beijing faces as hundreds of millions of Chinese become city dwellers.
December 24, 2011
It's been called the largest migration in human history: An estimated 320 million Chinese will leave small villages and rural counties to start new lives in cities over the next decade and a half.
It's the equivalent of everyone in the United States packing their belongings and changing addresses.
Urbanization is the linchpin to China's development. It raises standards of living and encourages residents to become consumers.
It's the equivalent of everyone in the United States packing their belongings and changing addresses.
Urbanization is the linchpin to China's development. It raises standards of living and encourages residents to become consumers.
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