News Headlines - 25 July 2016

▽China Headlines: Guo Boxiong gets life sentence for taking bribes - Xinhua

A Chinese military court on Monday sentenced Guo Boxiong, former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), to life in prison for accepting bribes.
Guo was also deprived of his political rights for life and stripped of his rank of general. His personal assets were seized, and all his illicit gains were confiscated and turned over to the state treasury.

▽China Bans Internet News Reporting as Media Crackdown Widens - Bloomberg

China’s top internet regulator ordered major online companies including Sina Corp. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. to stop original news reporting, the latest effort by the government to tighten its grip over the country’s web and information industries.

▽Diplomatic win for China as ASEAN drops reference to maritime court ruling | Reuters

China scored a diplomatic victory on Monday as Southeast Asian nations dropped a U.S.-backed proposal to mention a landmark international court ruling against Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea in a joint statement.

▽Ansbach explosion: Syrian refugee bomber was due to be deported, as country faces calls to review refugee policy

The suicide bombing carried out by a Syrian refugee in southern Germany was "likely" to have been an Islamist attack, the Bavarian Interior Minister has said, as he admitted the incident raised serious questions about the country's asylum laws and national security.

▽Astronauts prepare for Mars mission at the bottom of the sea | New Scientist

On 21 July, a crew of six astronauts splashed down in scuba gear into the Aquarius Reef Base, an underwater research station 19 metres below the waves off the coast of Florida. The team’s 16 day mission, NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO), will test gadgets and skills for a future trip to Mars.