France arrests sixth suspect in terror plot

PARIS • French judicial authorities have arrested and charged a sixth suspect in a foiled militant plot to attack sites in the Paris region.

The 31-year-old suspect has been placed in preventive detention and accused of cooperation with "criminal terrorists" and of having supplied weapons to his accomplices.

Five other men suspected of being part of the plot are in custody after simultaneous police swoops last month in France.

REUTERS

Monkeys can talk like us, but don't have the brains

WASHINGTON • Monkeys have the vocal tracts to produce human speech sounds, but what they lack is a speech-ready brain, a new study has found.

The study, conducted by researchers from the United States and Europe, used X-ray video to see within the mouth and throat of macaque monkeys induced to vocalise, eat food or make facial expressions.

The scientists used the data to build a computer model of the monkey's vocal tract. The results showed that monkeys could make enough sounds to produce thousands of words.

XINHUA

Iran, Boeing agree on $24b deal for 80 planes

TEHERAN • Iran's national carrier has reached an agreement with Boeing to buy 80 aircraft worth US$16.6 billion (S$23.75 billion), the first deal of its kind since 1979. The deal includes 50 737-MAX 8s, 15 777-300ERs and 15 777-9s, and was reached under the conditions of a US government licence issued to Boeing in September, the company said yesterday.

BLOOMBERG