December 9, 2016 France's court cancels Kazakh banker's extradition to Russia A top court in France refused Friday to hand a Kazakh banker-turned-dissident charged with embezzling billions over to Russia, saying it considered the extradition request from Moscow to be "politically motivated." Mukhtar Ablyazov's lawyers had asked France's Council of State to block his extradition, fearing Russia would quickly send him back to Kazakhstan.
December 9, 2016 Rep. Robert Pittenger: Why Commerce must not give China 'market economy' status When China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, it agreed to allow all WTO countries to automatically treat China as a “Non-Market Economy” for a 15-year period.
December 9, 2016 The Latest: SKorean lawmakers begin vote to impeach leader The Latest on impeachment of South Korean President Park Geun-hye (all times local): 3 p.m.
December 9, 2016 Doping report details 'institutional conspiracy' in Russia A new report into systematic Russian doping details a wide-ranging "institutional conspiracy" that involved more than 1,000 athletes across more than 30 sports, including evidence corroborating large-scale sample swapping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
December 9, 2016 SKorea president impeachment ruins legacy of dictator father Park Geun-hye could always rely on one unwavering gift throughout a political career that saw a triumphant return as South Korea's first female president to the palatial Blue House where she'd lived as a girl: She always enjoyed the reflected devotion, some might say worship, that half the country felt for her late dictator father.
December 9, 2016 Thai army says 6 drug smugglers killed in gunfight The Thai army says six drug smugglers were fatally shot in a gunbattle in the country's north when they were confronted by soldiers.
December 9, 2016 Diplomats call for aid access to troubled Myanmar state Foreign diplomats in Myanmar are urging its government to allow full and unfettered humanitarian access to troubled Rakhine state, where operations by aid agencies have been curtailed while the army carries out counterinsurgency operations.
December 9, 2016 Japan doubles cost estimate for Fukushima cleanup A Japanese government panel says an estimate of the total costs to clean up the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant has doubled to nearly 22 trillion yen ($190 billion), with decommissioning costs expected to continue to rise.
December 9, 2016 Japan ratifies Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact despite Trump's plan to withdraw Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won parliamentary approval Friday for ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, despite U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's plan to withdraw from the 12-nation trade pact.
December 9, 2016 Retired Indian air force chief held for Italian chopper deal India's main investigating agency says it has arrested a former air force chief for allegedly influencing a $750 million deal with AgustaWestland for the purchase of 12 luxury helicopters to ferry Indian VIPs.
