QWorld: Syrian Army’s Aleppo Advance; S Korea’s Prez Impeachment

A roundup of the important headlines from around the world.

Syrian President Bashar Assad (Photo: AP)

1. Trump to Name Andy Puzder as Head of Labor Department

President-elect Donald Trump will name fast-food executive Andy Puzder to head the US Department of Labor, according to a source familiar with the matter, in an appointment likely to antagonise organised labor.

Puzder, chief executive of CKE Restaurants Inc, which operates the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's fast-food chains, has been a vociferous critic of government regulation of the workplace.

2. Syrian Army's Aleppo Advance Slows, But Victory in Sight

The Syrian army's advance in Aleppo slowed on Thursday, but a victory was still firmly in sight after President Bashar al-Assad vowed that retaking the city would change the course of the six-year-old war.

Russia's RIA news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying the Syrian army, which has captured territory, including Aleppo's historic Old City in recent days, had halted military activity to let civilians leave rebel-held territory.

3. South Korea's President Park Faces Historic Impeachment Vote

South Korean President Park Geun-hye, engulfed in an influence-peddling scandal that has prompted massive rallies calling for her removal, faces an impeachment vote that could see her become the country's first democratically-elected leader to be ousted from office.

The Parliament is expected to vote in favour of impeachment, with support from some members of Park's conservative Saenuri Party, but the Constitutional Court must decide whether to uphold the motion, a process that could take up to 180 days.

4. Bangladesh Panel Finds Insiders Negligent in Central Bank Heist

A Bangladesh government-appointed panel investigating the cyber-heist of $81 million from its central bank in February found five officials at the bank guilty of negligence and carelessness, the head of the panel told Reuters on Thursday.

In his first detailed comments on the inquiry since a report was submitted to the government in May, former central bank governor Mohammed Farashuddin said the officials were low to mid-level and were not directly involved in the crime.

5. Merkel's Bavarian Allies Praise Tougher Migrant Stance, but Say It's Not Enough

The Bavarian party allied to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrat Union (CDU) on Thursday welcomed the CDU's tougher stance on the integration of migrants but urged it to go further to restrict arrivals and up deportations.

The CDU and Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU) together form the conservative faction in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, but the two parties are at odds over how to deal with last year's record migrant influx to Germany of 890,000 people.

6. US Congress Passes $618.7 Billion Annual Defence Bill

The US Senate overwhelmingly passed a compromise version of an annual defence policy bill on Thursday without controversial provisions, such as requiring women to register for the draft or allowing contractors to make religion-based hiring decisions.

Ninety-two Senators backed the $618.7 billion National Defence Authorisation Act, or NDAA, and seven opposed it. Because it passed the House of Representatives by a similarly large margin last week, the bill now goes to the White House for President Barack Obama to veto or sign into law.

7. Italy President Starts Talks to Seek Way Out of Political Crisis

Italy's president began talks with political leaders on Thursday to seek a way out of the political crisis caused by the resignation of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Sergio Mattarella, a 75-year-old former constitutional court judge, must decide if someone can lead Italy to elections scheduled for 2018, or whether an interim government should serve until a snap vote can be held in spring.

8. UK Supreme Court to Decide Brexit Trigger Case as Quickly as Possible

Britain's Supreme Court will decide as quickly as possible whether Prime Minister Theresa May can trigger Britain's exit from the European Union by the end of March without parliament's assent, its President said on Thursday.

Last month, the High Court decided that May could not invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU's exit clause, using executive powers known as the "royal prerogative".

9. Ghana Opposition Leader Says 'Quietly Confident' of Election Victory

Ghana's main opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo said on Thursday he was "quietly confident" he had beaten President John Mahama and that his New Patriotic Party (NPP) had taken a majority of seats in Parliament in this week's election.

The electoral commission has yet to release results from Wednesday's vote, but the opposition said it had tabulated figures from individual constituencies. Officials from Mahama's National Democratic Congress (NDC) rejected the claims and said the incumbent was on track for re-election.