Blog

Photo: ALON SKUY / AFP A New York judge has delayed former US President Donald Trump's sentencing in his hush money criminal case until after the 5 November election, writing that he wants to avoid the unwarranted perception of a political motive. Trump, the Republican nominee for president, had previously been scheduled to be sentenced on 18 September. His lawyers in August asked Justice Juan Merchan to push back his sentencing date until after the vote, citing "naked election-interference objectives." Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the charges against Trump, is a Democrat. Merchan said on Friday (Saturday NZT) he now planned to sentence Trump on 26 November, unless the case is dismissed before then. "The imposition of sentence will be adjourned to avoid any appear...

By Farah Master, Reuters Photo: 123rf China will no longer send children overseas for adoption, the government said, overturning a more than three-decade rule that was rooted in its once strict one-child policy. More than 160,000 Chinese children have been adopted by families across the world since 1992, when China first opened its doors to international adoption. Around 82,000 of these children, mostly girls, have been adopted in the United States, according to China's Children International (CCI). China was one of just seven countries that allow New Zealanders to adopt children not related to them, under the Hague Convention. The others are Chile, Hong Kong, India, Lithuania, the Philippines and Thailand. On Thursday (local time), Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning said the Chine...

Photo: 123RF A fire at a primary boarding school in central Kenya has killed 17 students, a police spokeswoman said on Friday. President William Ruto said he had asked authorities to investigate and hold those responsible to account. More rescuers were on their way to the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri, the spokeswoman, Resila Onyango, said in a broadcast on Kenya's Hot 96 FM radio, and authorities would provide details later. "We have lost 17 pupils in the fire incident while 14 are injured ...," Onyango told Reuters by telephone. "Our team is at the scene at the scene at the moment." The fire had burnt the students beyond recognition, Citizen Television said earlier. "I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held t...