News Headlines - 17 December 2015

▽Japanese Journalist Cleared in South Korean Defamation Case

In South Korea Thursday a court acquitted a Japanese journalist of criminal defamation for reporting that President Park Geun-hye was involved in an illicit tryst at the time a deadly ferry accident occurred last year.

▽North Korea sentences Canadian pastor to hard labor for life | Reuters

North Korea's highest court has sentenced a South Korea-born Canadian pastor to hard labor for life for subversion, the North's official KCNA news agency reported on Wednesday, a punishment Canada condemned as "unduly harsh."

▽Hideo Kojima's first post-Konami game will be a PS4 console exclusive | The Verge

After months of speculation, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima's future is clear; Kojima Productions has relaunched as an independent studio, and its first game will be a PlayStation 4 console exclusive.

▽Google to Make Driverless Cars an Alphabet Company in 2016 - Bloomberg Business

Google Inc. plans to make its self-driving cars unit, which will offer rides for hire, a stand-alone business under the Alphabet Inc. corporate umbrella next year, a person briefed on the company’s strategy said.

▽The Force Awakens to get widest ever December release in US | The Guardian

JJ Abrams’ mega-hyped new instalment will debut at 4,100 cinemas in North America on Friday as studio Disney eyes all-time opening weekend record