<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hungary-protest-pope-defends-migrants-says-dont-blame-migrants-for-everything-185143">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;said Wednesday that Christmas cannot just be about swapping presents and indulging in a massive consumer binge, urging the faithful to remember its original purpose to mark Christ's birth.

"The advertising machine tells us we have to exchange more and more new presents to give us a surprise. But is that the sort of celebration that God wants?" Francis asked a regular open audience in the Vatican.

"No, Christmas is about listening to the silent voice of God," he said.

"Please, I ask you, let us not turn Christmas into a fashionable event!"

"It is not Christmas if we seek out the bright lights, if we load up on presents but then don't help even one poor person," said the Pope who is well known for his criticism of social inequality and injustices.

Pope Francis said Wednesday that Christmas cannot just be about swapping presents and indulging in a massive consumer binge, urging the faithful to remember its original purpose to mark Christ's birth.

Pope Francis said Wednesday that Christmas cannot just be about swapping presents and indulging in a massive consumer binge, urging the faithful to remember its original purpose to mark Christ's birth. "The advertising machine tells us we have to exchange more and more new presents to give us a surprise. But is that the sort of celebration that God wants?" Francis asked a regular open audience in the Vatican. "No, Christmas is about listening to the silent voice of God," he said. "Please, I ask you, let us not turn Christmas into a fashionable event!" "It is not Christmas if we seek out the bright lights, if we load up on presents but then don't help even one poor person," said the Pope who is well known for his criticism of social inequality and injustices.

Merry Christmas but remember, the Pope says it's not about consumerism

A bomb blast early Monday damaged a building in Athens housing the headquarters of Greece's private radio and television network Skai, but there were no casualties, police said.

Anti-terrorist police opened an investigation into the attack that focused on Greek extremist groups.

Attacks targeting broadcasting groups, public companies or embassies have been frequent in Greece in recent years, and have been blamed on anarchist or far-left groups.

The coalition government led by leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras condemned the blast as &nbsp;"an attack on democracy".

The homemade device went off at around 2:30am (0030 GMT), 45 minutes after an anonymous telephone warning to another TV network.

Police cordoned off the neighbourhood in the Athens suburb of Neo Phaliro and evacuated the building, which contains the offices of Skai, a group owned by the Alafouzos shipping family, as well as those of Kathimerini, a centre-right daily critical of the government.

Police said the bomb was placed near a fence around the building and smashed windows on the facade.

Skai said in a statement the blast caused "major damage".

"The terrorist attack will not discourage us..," it said, accusing the government of failing to do enough to protect the media despite "recurrent threats against the station."

The minister for civil protection, Olga Gerovassili, visited the site with police.

"The democracy is not threatened," she said, and warned those who "leave the way open to terrorism or fascism."

Last month a bomb was defused outside the Athens home of a controversial prosecutor. 
&nbsp;

A bomb blast early Monday damaged a building in Athens housing the headquarters of Greece's private radio and television network Skai, but there were no casualties, police said.

A bomb blast early Monday damaged a building in Athens housing the headquarters of Greece's private radio and television network Skai, but there were no casualties, police said. Anti-terrorist police opened an investigation into the attack that focused on Greek extremist groups. Attacks targeting broadcasting groups, public companies or embassies have been frequent in Greece in recent years, and have been blamed on anarchist or far-left groups. The coalition government led by leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras condemned the blast as "an attack on democracy". The homemade device went off at around 2:30am (0030 GMT), 45 minutes after an anonymous telephone warning to another TV network. Police cordoned off the neighbourhood in the Athens suburb of Neo Phaliro and evacuated the building, which contains the offices of Skai, a group owned by the Alafouzos shipping family, as well as those of Kathimerini, a centre-right daily critical of the government. Police said the bomb was placed near a fence around the building and smashed windows on the facade. Skai said in a statement the blast caused "major damage". "The terrorist attack will not discourage us..," it said, accusing the government of failing to do enough to protect the media despite "recurrent threats against the station." The minister for civil protection, Olga Gerovassili, visited the site with police. "The democracy is not threatened," she said, and warned those who "leave the way open to terrorism or fascism." Last month a bomb was defused outside the Athens home of a controversial prosecutor.

Bomb blast at Athens headquarters of media group

Brazil's leading presidential candidate vowed to defend freedom of the press after his tirades against the media and reports of his supporters attacking journalists raised fears that civil liberties might suffer if he is elected.

Soon after describing the media as "trash" in a Thursday tweet, far-right congressman and former army captain Jair Bolsonaro turned around and called journalists "friends," pledging to defend their work.

"When they cover the facts, without political activism and partiality, the media fulfil the valuable role of informing people," he said on Twitter, adding "WE ARE AGAINST ANY TYPE OF SOCIAL CONTROL OF THE MEDIA AND INTERNET."

Like U.S. President Donald Trump, whose 2016 campaign he has emulated, Bolsonaro has derided critical press coverage as "fake news" and connected directly with supporters on social media, where he posts video chats, retweets right-wing outlets and suggests the media is part of a corrupt system out to stop him.

In a Friday interview, his presidential rival, leftist Fernando Haddad, criticized Bolsonaro's campaign for "fostering a culture of violence."

Bolsonaro suspended campaign events after surviving a knife attack during a rally last month, but still rode a wave of anger over political graft, rising violence and a weak economy to win 46 percent of first-round votes on Sunday.

Opinion polls show him with a double-digit lead over Haddad ahead of the Oct. 28 run-off.

In Brazil's most bitterly polarized election since the end of military rule in 1985, Bolsonaro's stabbing by a mentally disturbed man has been the most prominent in a string of violent acts hanging over the race.

Some incidents involve his supporters allegedly attacking or threatening journalists, along with gay people and other minorities that he has denigrated. Some of his comments have led to him facing federal charges of hate speech, which he has dismissed as politically motivated.

On Thursday, a car transporting Haddad was blocked by a pick-up truck in Brasília, according to his communication staff. The unidentified occupants of the vehicle shouted epithets against Haddad, his aides said.

Haddad said a man had been identified in connection with the incident and is being monitored by police.

CLIMATE OF FEAR

Since the impeachment of former President Dilma Rousseff, which Haddad's Workers Party (PT) called a media-supported "coup," crowds at leftist rallies have also been accused of intimidating camera crews from major TV stations.

However, many reporters say the animosity from Bolsonaro supporters has been more intense, targeting specific journalists for social media attacks that have led to physical confrontations.

"There is no doubt we've had violent episodes and a growing climate of fear," said Diego Escosteguy, former editor-in-chief of newsweekly Epoca and critic of the PT.

"Journalists, blacks, women, transsexuals, gays, PT voters - many are afraid," he tweeted on Friday. "That fear is not paranoia. It is the result of what Bolsonaro and his allies say - and what the candidate does not say."

The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji) has identified more than 60 instances of physical violence or its imminent threat against journalists during the campaign and more than 70 cases of online persecution.

Bolsonaro attempted to address the issue during a rare news conference in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, although his efforts were undercut by supporters in the room.

"Members of the press, or maybe I should say 'friends,' ... we're going to guarantee the freedom of the press," he said.

"We want for you to really be independent, and be responsible in everything that you write," he added.

But when it was the turn of a female reporter from newspaper Folha de S.Paulo to ask a question, she was hissed and booed by his supporters, prompting party leader Gustavo Bebianno to remind them of their commitment to a free press. Folha broke news of police investigating a senior Bolsonaro aide this week.

Regarding the aggressions allegedly carried out by his supporters, Bolsonaro said he had zero tolerance.

"If by any chance it was somebody who voted for me, I reject that sort of vote. They committed a crime, they'll have to pay," he said. "My people are not disseminating hate."

Brazil's leading presidential candidate vowed to defend freedom of the press after his tirades against the media and reports of his supporters attacking journalists raised fears that civil liberties might suffer if he is elected.

Brazil's leading presidential candidate vowed to defend freedom of the press after his tirades against the media and reports of his supporters attacking journalists raised fears that civil liberties might suffer if he is elected. Soon after describing the media as "trash" in a Thursday tweet, far-right congressman and former army captain Jair Bolsonaro turned around and called journalists "friends," pledging to defend their work. "When they cover the facts, without political activism and partiality, the media fulfil the valuable role of informing people," he said on Twitter, adding "WE ARE AGAINST ANY TYPE OF SOCIAL CONTROL OF THE MEDIA AND INTERNET." Like U.S. President Donald Trump, whose 2016 campaign he has emulated, Bolsonaro has derided critical press coverage as "fake news" and connected directly with supporters on social media, where he posts video chats, retweets right-wing outlets and suggests the media is part of a corrupt system out to stop him. In a Friday interview, his presidential rival, leftist Fernando Haddad, criticized Bolsonaro's campaign for "fostering a culture of violence." Bolsonaro suspended campaign events after surviving a knife attack during a rally last month, but still rode a wave of anger over political graft, rising violence and a weak economy to win 46 percent of first-round votes on Sunday. Opinion polls show him with a double-digit lead over Haddad ahead of the Oct. 28 run-off. In Brazil's most bitterly polarized election since the end of military rule in 1985, Bolsonaro's stabbing by a mentally disturbed man has been the most prominent in a string of violent acts hanging over the race. Some incidents involve his supporters allegedly attacking or threatening journalists, along with gay people and other minorities that he has denigrated. Some of his comments have led to him facing federal charges of hate speech, which he has dismissed as politically motivated. On Thursday, a car transporting Haddad was blocked by a pick-up truck in Brasília, according to his communication staff. The unidentified occupants of the vehicle shouted epithets against Haddad, his aides said. Haddad said a man had been identified in connection with the incident and is being monitored by police. CLIMATE OF FEAR Since the impeachment of former President Dilma Rousseff, which Haddad's Workers Party (PT) called a media-supported "coup," crowds at leftist rallies have also been accused of intimidating camera crews from major TV stations. However, many reporters say the animosity from Bolsonaro supporters has been more intense, targeting specific journalists for social media attacks that have led to physical confrontations. "There is no doubt we've had violent episodes and a growing climate of fear," said Diego Escosteguy, former editor-in-chief of newsweekly Epoca and critic of the PT. "Journalists, blacks, women, transsexuals, gays, PT voters - many are afraid," he tweeted on Friday. "That fear is not paranoia. It is the result of what Bolsonaro and his allies say - and what the candidate does not say." The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji) has identified more than 60 instances of physical violence or its imminent threat against journalists during the campaign and more than 70 cases of online persecution. Bolsonaro attempted to address the issue during a rare news conference in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, although his efforts were undercut by supporters in the room. "Members of the press, or maybe I should say 'friends,' ... we're going to guarantee the freedom of the press," he said. "We want for you to really be independent, and be responsible in everything that you write," he added. But when it was the turn of a female reporter from newspaper Folha de S.Paulo to ask a question, she was hissed and booed by his supporters, prompting party leader Gustavo Bebianno to remind them of their commitment to a free press. Folha broke news of police investigating a senior Bolsonaro aide this week. Regarding the aggressions allegedly carried out by his supporters, Bolsonaro said he had zero tolerance. "If by any chance it was somebody who voted for me, I reject that sort of vote. They committed a crime, they'll have to pay," he said. "My people are not disseminating hate."

Right-wing Brazil candidate Bolsonaro commits to free press after calling it 'trash'

Media companies are pulling out of a Saudi investment conference over&nbsp;of growing outrage over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey.

Economist Editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes will not participate in the "Future Investment Initiative"&nbsp;conference in Riyadh, spokeswoman Lauren Hackett said in an email.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-entrepreneur-richard-branson-suspends-saudi-links-over-missing-journalist-171114">I suspend my directorships, Virgin Galactic too will suspend talks with Saudi fund: Branson over Khashoggi case</a>

Andrew Ross Sorkin, a CNBC anchor and New York Times business journalist, tweeted that he was not attending the conference, saying he was "terribly distressed by the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and reports of his murder."

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I’m terribly distressed by the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and reports of his murder. I will no longer be participating in the Future&nbsp;Investment&nbsp;Initiative in Riyadh.
— Andrew Ross Sorkin (@andrewrsorkin) <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewrsorkin/status/1050431793680265222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This is leadership: <a href="https://twitter.com/Uber?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Uber</a> CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/dkhos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dkhos</a> says he won't be going to Saudi conf. It's a meaningful decision since Saudi is a big investor in Uber and a Saudi govt rep sits on Uber's board.
— Andrew Ross Sorkin (@andrewrsorkin) <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewrsorkin/status/1050701341604159488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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CNBC will no longer participate in the FII in Riyadh due to the continuing questions surrounding the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
— CNBC (@CNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNBC/status/1050726151163994113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Pressure has mounted on Saudi Arabia since Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi policies, went missing. He was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

The New York Times has also decided to pull out of the event as a media sponsor, spokeswoman Eileen Murphy said.

The Financial Times said in a statement that it was reviewing its involvement as a media partner.

Uber Technologies Inc Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement he won't attend the FII conference in Riyadh unless substantially different set of facts emerge.

Viacom Inc CEO Bob Bakish, who was slated to speak at the conference, has decided to not attend the event, company spokesman Justin Dini said.

Other media companies slated to appear at the conference include CNN and Bloomberg, according to the event's website.

The disappearance of Khashoggi, a US resident who wrote columns for the Washington Post against Crown Prince Salman's regime, has cast a shadow over the three-day conference known as "Davos in the desert," which is scheduled to begin on October 23. The Post is owned by Amazon.com Inc founder and Chief Executive Jeff Bezos.

The event attracted some of the world's business elite including Wall Street's top bosses and executives from multinational media, tech and financial services companies.

Turkish officials have said Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate where he had gone&nbsp;to get documents for his planned marriage. Riyadh has said the claims are baseless.

JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co CEO Jamie Dimon is scheduled to speak, as is Mastercard Inc CEO Ajay Banga. Representatives for both companies did not respond to requests.

Another billionaire, Steve Case, one of the founders of AOL, also decided to distance himself from Saudi Arabia, saying he would no longer attend the event.

"In light of recent events, I have decided to put my plans on hold, pending further information regarding Jamal Khashoggi." Case tweeted

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I was looking forward to returning to Riyadh this month to speak at the Future Investment Initiative conference, and participate in a Red Sea Project meeting. In light of recent events, I have decided to put my plans on hold, pending further information regarding Jamal Khashoggi.
— Steve Case (@SteveCase) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveCase/status/1050527146991648768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Khashoggi's disappearance has led officials and business leaders to drop out of another one of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's large projects.

On Wednesday, former US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said that he had suspended his role on the board of Saudi Arabia's planned mega business zone NEOM until more is known about what happened.

Moniz was named on Tuesday as one of 18 people advising the $500 billion NEOM project. The Crown Prince said last week that the NEOM business zone would build two to three towns each year starting in 2020 and be completed by 2025.

The Harbour Group, a Washington firm that has been advising Saudi Arabia since April 2017, ended its $80,000 a month on Thursday. "We have terminated the relationship," managing director Richard Mintz said.

British billionaire Richard Branson said on Thursday that his Virgin Group would suspend its discussions with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund over a planned $1 billion investment in the group's space ventures, in light of events involving Khashoggi.

Media companies are pulling out of a Saudi investment conference over of growing outrage over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. Economist Editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes will not participate in the "Future Investment Initiative" conference in Riyadh, spokeswoman Lauren Hackett said in an email.

Media companies are pulling out of a Saudi investment conference over of growing outrage over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. Economist Editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes will not participate in the "Future Investment Initiative" conference in Riyadh, spokeswoman Lauren Hackett said in an email. Also read: I suspend my directorships, Virgin Galactic too will suspend talks with Saudi fund: Branson over Khashoggi case Andrew Ross Sorkin, a CNBC anchor and New York Times business journalist, tweeted that he was not attending the conference, saying he was "terribly distressed by the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and reports of his murder." I’m terribly distressed by the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and reports of his murder. I will no longer be participating in the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. — Andrew Ross Sorkin (@andrewrsorkin) October 11, 2018 × This is leadership: @Uber CEO @dkhos says he won't be going to Saudi conf. It's a meaningful decision since Saudi is a big investor in Uber and a Saudi govt rep sits on Uber's board. — Andrew Ross Sorkin (@andrewrsorkin) October 12, 2018 × CNBC will no longer participate in the FII in Riyadh due to the continuing questions surrounding the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. — CNBC (@CNBC) October 12, 2018 × Pressure has mounted on Saudi Arabia since Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi policies, went missing. He was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. The New York Times has also decided to pull out of the event as a media sponsor, spokeswoman Eileen Murphy said. The Financial Times said in a statement that it was reviewing its involvement as a media partner. Uber Technologies Inc Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement he won't attend the FII conference in Riyadh unless substantially different set of facts emerge. Viacom Inc CEO Bob Bakish, who was slated to speak at the conference, has decided to not attend the event, company spokesman Justin Dini said. Other media companies slated to appear at the conference include CNN and Bloomberg, according to the event's website. The disappearance of Khashoggi, a US resident who wrote columns for the Washington Post against Crown Prince Salman's regime, has cast a shadow over the three-day conference known as "Davos in the desert," which is scheduled to begin on October 23. The Post is owned by Amazon.com Inc founder and Chief Executive Jeff Bezos. The event attracted some of the world's business elite including Wall Street's top bosses and executives from multinational media, tech and financial services companies. Turkish officials have said Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate where he had gone to get documents for his planned marriage. Riyadh has said the claims are baseless. JPMorgan Chase & Co CEO Jamie Dimon is scheduled to speak, as is Mastercard Inc CEO Ajay Banga. Representatives for both companies did not respond to requests. Another billionaire, Steve Case, one of the founders of AOL, also decided to distance himself from Saudi Arabia, saying he would no longer attend the event. "In light of recent events, I have decided to put my plans on hold, pending further information regarding Jamal Khashoggi." Case tweeted I was looking forward to returning to Riyadh this month to speak at the Future Investment Initiative conference, and participate in a Red Sea Project meeting. In light of recent events, I have decided to put my plans on hold, pending further information regarding Jamal Khashoggi. — Steve Case (@SteveCase) October 11, 2018 × Khashoggi's disappearance has led officials and business leaders to drop out of another one of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's large projects. On Wednesday, former US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said that he had suspended his role on the board of Saudi Arabia's planned mega business zone NEOM until more is known about what happened. Moniz was named on Tuesday as one of 18 people advising the $500 billion NEOM project. The Crown Prince said last week that the NEOM business zone would build two to three towns each year starting in 2020 and be completed by 2025. The Harbour Group, a Washington firm that has been advising Saudi Arabia since April 2017, ended its $80,000 a month on Thursday. "We have terminated the relationship," managing director Richard Mintz said. British billionaire Richard Branson said on Thursday that his Virgin Group would suspend its discussions with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund over a planned $1 billion investment in the group's space ventures, in light of events involving Khashoggi.

Media companies, executives drop out of Saudi event over Khashoggi's disappearance

Tourism in Kerala is bearing the brunt of the sudden occurrence of&nbsp;Nipah virus&nbsp;in a section of the state. However, locals and tourists believe that the situation has been falsely portrayed by the media.

News of the presence of the virus was first reported from Kozhikode earlier this week, and now, at least 12 deaths have been confirmed to have taken place due to the "rare and deadly" virus. As the death toll is rising each day, a wave of panic has gripped the state, since the infection spreads through human contact.

However, locals in Kochi believe that unnecessary panic has been spread through various sections of the media, which in turn, is disrupting tourism to the region.

"In Northern India, it is the holiday season now, due to which we get many tourists from there. However, the news of the Nipah virus has led to almost 50 to 60 per cent cancellation of bookings. We are also getting inquiries from Gulf countries, as the Arab holiday season is approaching. It has created unnecessary panic," Tourism Profession Club Secretary Paul said.

Echoing a similar thought, Ajay Kumar, a local tourist guide said the false portrayal of the situation is hampering his business.

"In Kochi, there is no need to panic as the area is safe from the virus. It (Nipah) is only in a small section of Kozhikode. However, media is portraying it in such a way that tourists believe the whole of Kerala is affected by the disease. I have lost business due to this, as travellers are cancelling trips booked even for the next month," he added.

However, tourists in the area, although unfazed by the virus, are taking a number of precautionary measures in the wake of the disease.

"We are trying to eat home cooked food for our own safety. We are avoiding excessive amounts of hotel food and fruits for now. We are also planning to avoid visiting Kozhikode at this time," a tourist said.

So far, the virus has claimed 12 lives in Kerala, following which the state's health department issued an advisory for people travelling to the state, and urged travellers to be extra cautious while visiting Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur districts.

A similar note of caution has also been issued by the Himachal Pradesh health ministry on Thursday after more than 18 dead bats were discovered on Wednesday in the premises of a government school in Nahan, triggering a panic among locals.

For those unversed,&nbsp;Nipah virus, spread by fruit bats, causes communicable disease and is fatal for both animals and humans.

The symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, drowsiness, respiratory illness, disorientation and mental confusion.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), these signs and symptoms can progress to coma within 24-48 hours.&nbsp;

Locals in Kochi believe that unnecessary panic has been spread through various sections of the media, which in turn, is disrupting tourism in the region

Tourism in Kerala is bearing the brunt of the sudden occurrence of Nipah virus in a section of the state. However, locals and tourists believe that the situation has been falsely portrayed by the media. News of the presence of the virus was first reported from Kozhikode earlier this week, and now, at least 12 deaths have been confirmed to have taken place due to the "rare and deadly" virus. As the death toll is rising each day, a wave of panic has gripped the state, since the infection spreads through human contact. However, locals in Kochi believe that unnecessary panic has been spread through various sections of the media, which in turn, is disrupting tourism to the region. "In Northern India, it is the holiday season now, due to which we get many tourists from there. However, the news of the Nipah virus has led to almost 50 to 60 per cent cancellation of bookings. We are also getting inquiries from Gulf countries, as the Arab holiday season is approaching. It has created unnecessary panic," Tourism Profession Club Secretary Paul said. Echoing a similar thought, Ajay Kumar, a local tourist guide said the false portrayal of the situation is hampering his business. "In Kochi, there is no need to panic as the area is safe from the virus. It (Nipah) is only in a small section of Kozhikode. However, media is portraying it in such a way that tourists believe the whole of Kerala is affected by the disease. I have lost business due to this, as travellers are cancelling trips booked even for the next month," he added. However, tourists in the area, although unfazed by the virus, are taking a number of precautionary measures in the wake of the disease. "We are trying to eat home cooked food for our own safety. We are avoiding excessive amounts of hotel food and fruits for now. We are also planning to avoid visiting Kozhikode at this time," a tourist said. So far, the virus has claimed 12 lives in Kerala, following which the state's health department issued an advisory for people travelling to the state, and urged travellers to be extra cautious while visiting Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur districts. A similar note of caution has also been issued by the Himachal Pradesh health ministry on Thursday after more than 18 dead bats were discovered on Wednesday in the premises of a government school in Nahan, triggering a panic among locals. For those unversed, Nipah virus, spread by fruit bats, causes communicable disease and is fatal for both animals and humans. The symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, drowsiness, respiratory illness, disorientation and mental confusion. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), these signs and symptoms can progress to coma within 24-48 hours.

Kerala: Nipah virus hampers tourism, locals blame media

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday had a conversation with the party lawmakers and legislatures using his Narendra Modi App and asked them to keep a distance from the media.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"We commit mistakes and give masala to media. The moment we see a camera, we jump to make a statement as if we are great social scientists or experts ... and then these ill-informed statements are used by media. It is not the media's fault," he said.

Modi also asked legislators to apply restraint before commenting on sensitive issues.

“If everyone starts giving opinions then the main issue gets deflected and harms the party and personal image. Specific people have been appointed to reply on issues,” the PM said.&nbsp;

This comes following the much-talked-about Kathua rape case where two BJP ministers passed remarks and subsequently stepped down from their posts. They have also gone public demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation, aggravating the situation in the state which is widely polarised over the issue.

Modi also praised the party members for their continued hard work and said that his government was focusing on education for children, opportunities for youth and healthcare for the elderly.

He also asked all the party MLAs to undertake at least one developmental work for villages under them, while directing MPs to increase their Twitter followers to at least 3 lakh. During the one hour-long interaction, the PM said 11 crore people had already benefited from the Mudra Yojana scheme.

Modi also asked legislators to apply restraint before commenting on sensitive issues

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday had a conversation with the party lawmakers and legislatures using his Narendra Modi App and asked them to keep a distance from the media. "We commit mistakes and give masala to media. The moment we see a camera, we jump to make a statement as if we are great social scientists or experts ... and then these ill-informed statements are used by media. It is not the media's fault," he said. Modi also asked legislators to apply restraint before commenting on sensitive issues. “If everyone starts giving opinions then the main issue gets deflected and harms the party and personal image. Specific people have been appointed to reply on issues,” the PM said. This comes following the much-talked-about Kathua rape case where two BJP ministers passed remarks and subsequently stepped down from their posts. They have also gone public demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation, aggravating the situation in the state which is widely polarised over the issue. Modi also praised the party members for their continued hard work and said that his government was focusing on education for children, opportunities for youth and healthcare for the elderly. He also asked all the party MLAs to undertake at least one developmental work for villages under them, while directing MPs to increase their Twitter followers to at least 3 lakh. During the one hour-long interaction, the PM said 11 crore people had already benefited from the Mudra Yojana scheme.

Don't give media too much masala: PM Modi's advice to party members

If there was one thing that had remained constant — so far — in the 46-month-old Modi government, it was the steadfastness with which the government stuck to many of its controversial decisions, refusing to buckle under criticism or adverse public opinion.&nbsp;

April 3, 2018 changed that.

The government's decision to roll back a proposed crackdown on “fake news” in less than 24 hours could arguably be the first and most significant retreat of the Modi government as it nears completing four years in office and plans to get into election mode with just over a year remaining for the next Lok Sabha polls.

The crackdown — which mandated penalties ranging from the suspension to the cancellation of the accreditation of journalists found guilty of reporting “fake news” — was proposed by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry piloted by Smriti Irani. It was disposed of by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.

Could it be the case that the government had not factored in the furore that erupted following the I&B ministry's diktat? Unlikely. Was it an attempt at testing the waters then? One thing is clear: the speed at which the course-correction took place was unprecedented.

On the face of it, many would think that the I&B ministry erred and was set right by the Prime Minister's Office. But those who cover the government know only too well the overarching control the PMO exercises on all the ministries. Simply put, to think that Irani's ministry could have come up with the diktat without keeping the PMO in the loop is being naive at best. And the Prime Minister directing that the press release regarding fake news be withdrawn and that the matter should only be addressed by the Press Council of India is nothing more than damage control.

Now coming to the diktat itself. Was it really about fake news? That's the big question. Those who would have been impacted by the amended guidelines were journalists accredited with the Government of India — mostly working for the national media and covering the Central government. Does the government have enough reason to believe that these “accredited journalists” are peddling “fake news”? Or was it just an attempt to create a mechanism to muzzle some inconvenient voices — accredited ones, of course.

What made the I&B directive more curious was that it proposed nothing to deal with social media — the most fertile breeding ground for fake news in today's India. Instead, it proposed something bordering on the draconian — immediate suspension of a journalist's accreditation the moment a complaint is registered and sent for inquiry to the Press Council of India or the News Broadcasters Association.

As a barrage of criticism broke loose, the I&B ministry made a feeble attempt at arguing that the “fake news” cases will be determined by PCI and NBA which are not “regulated” or “operated” by the Central government. That is akin to saying the I&B ministry maintains an arm's length distance from Prasar Bharati.

Off the record, in private conversations, central bureaucrats and political insiders have often underlined how the incumbent government was not a “rollback sarkar”. Let's a take a few examples from the I&B ministry itself. Pune's FTII was on the boil for months following Gajendra Chauhan's appointment to its helm, but the government did not budge. As CBFC chief, Pahlaj Nihalani not only kept raising the hackles of the Hindi film industry but was also an embarrassment to the government. But he was persisted with. Because this was not a rollback government, the government machinery argued.&nbsp;

April 3, 2018 changed that.

And to think that Smriti Irani's I&B ministry could have come up with the diktat, proposing the cancellation of the accreditation of journalists found guilty of publishing 'fake news', without keeping the PMO in the loop is being naive at best

If there was one thing that had remained constant — so far — in the 46-month-old Modi government, it was the steadfastness with which the government stuck to many of its controversial decisions, refusing to buckle under criticism or adverse public opinion. April 3, 2018 changed that. The government's decision to roll back a proposed crackdown on “fake news” in less than 24 hours could arguably be the first and most significant retreat of the Modi government as it nears completing four years in office and plans to get into election mode with just over a year remaining for the next Lok Sabha polls. The crackdown — which mandated penalties ranging from the suspension to the cancellation of the accreditation of journalists found guilty of reporting “fake news” — was proposed by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry piloted by Smriti Irani. It was disposed of by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. Could it be the case that the government had not factored in the furore that erupted following the I&B ministry's diktat? Unlikely. Was it an attempt at testing the waters then? One thing is clear: the speed at which the course-correction took place was unprecedented. On the face of it, many would think that the I&B ministry erred and was set right by the Prime Minister's Office. But those who cover the government know only too well the overarching control the PMO exercises on all the ministries. Simply put, to think that Irani's ministry could have come up with the diktat without keeping the PMO in the loop is being naive at best. And the Prime Minister directing that the press release regarding fake news be withdrawn and that the matter should only be addressed by the Press Council of India is nothing more than damage control. Now coming to the diktat itself. Was it really about fake news? That's the big question. Those who would have been impacted by the amended guidelines were journalists accredited with the Government of India — mostly working for the national media and covering the Central government. Does the government have enough reason to believe that these “accredited journalists” are peddling “fake news”? Or was it just an attempt to create a mechanism to muzzle some inconvenient voices — accredited ones, of course. What made the I&B directive more curious was that it proposed nothing to deal with social media — the most fertile breeding ground for fake news in today's India. Instead, it proposed something bordering on the draconian — immediate suspension of a journalist's accreditation the moment a complaint is registered and sent for inquiry to the Press Council of India or the News Broadcasters Association. As a barrage of criticism broke loose, the I&B ministry made a feeble attempt at arguing that the “fake news” cases will be determined by PCI and NBA which are not “regulated” or “operated” by the Central government. That is akin to saying the I&B ministry maintains an arm's length distance from Prasar Bharati. Off the record, in private conversations, central bureaucrats and political insiders have often underlined how the incumbent government was not a “rollback sarkar”. Let's a take a few examples from the I&B ministry itself. Pune's FTII was on the boil for months following Gajendra Chauhan's appointment to its helm, but the government did not budge. As CBFC chief, Pahlaj Nihalani not only kept raising the hackles of the Hindi film industry but was also an embarrassment to the government. But he was persisted with. Because this was not a rollback government, the government machinery argued. April 3, 2018 changed that.

Opinion: Rollback of fake news crackdown is Modi government's first, most significant retreat

Sri Lanka has lifted a week-long ban on Facebook after the tech giant agreed to step up efforts to remove hate speech posted on its platform, President Maithripala Sirisena said Thursday.

Sirisena said he ordered authorities to remove the block, imposed across the country during anti-Muslim riots last week that left three people dead after police said the social network was being used to fuel violence.

&quot;My secretary has discussed with officials of Facebook, who have agreed that its platform will not be used for spreading hate speech and inciting violence,&quot; the president, who is currently touring Japan, said on Twitter.

Sirisena did not elaborate on what, if any, concrete commitments Facebook had made and there was no immediate comment from the social media giant. But on Wednesday the company said it was responding to Sri Lanka&#39;s concerns over the incendiary material.

A state of emergency was declared and internet services suspended entirely in Kandy, the worst-hit central district, for several days last week as authorities sought to disrupt the riots, in which more than 200 Muslim-owned businesses and homes were destroyed.

Island-wide restrictions on image and video sharing on messaging apps WhatsApp and Viber were lifted on Wednesday.

Ministers had said Facebook would remain banned unless it assured Sri Lanka it would take quicker action over hate speech in future.

Censorship and media oppression were used widely by strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse, who for a decade in power ordered local internet providers to block anti-government sentiment online.

His successor President Maithripala Sirisena was elected in 2015 promising an end to draconian government restrictions, but some websites critical of the government were blocked even before the ban on Facebook.

A week-long ban on Facebook lifted after the tech giant agreed to step up efforts to remove hate speech posted on its platform

Sri Lanka has lifted a week-long ban on Facebook after the tech giant agreed to step up efforts to remove hate speech posted on its platform, President Maithripala Sirisena said Thursday. Sirisena said he ordered authorities to remove the block, imposed across the country during anti-Muslim riots last week that left three people dead after police said the social network was being used to fuel violence. "My secretary has discussed with officials of Facebook, who have agreed that its platform will not be used for spreading hate speech and inciting violence," the president, who is currently touring Japan, said on Twitter. Sirisena did not elaborate on what, if any, concrete commitments Facebook had made and there was no immediate comment from the social media giant. But on Wednesday the company said it was responding to Sri Lanka's concerns over the incendiary material. A state of emergency was declared and internet services suspended entirely in Kandy, the worst-hit central district, for several days last week as authorities sought to disrupt the riots, in which more than 200 Muslim-owned businesses and homes were destroyed. Island-wide restrictions on image and video sharing on messaging apps WhatsApp and Viber were lifted on Wednesday. Ministers had said Facebook would remain banned unless it assured Sri Lanka it would take quicker action over hate speech in future. Censorship and media oppression were used widely by strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse, who for a decade in power ordered local internet providers to block anti-government sentiment online. His successor President Maithripala Sirisena was elected in 2015 promising an end to draconian government restrictions, but some websites critical of the government were blocked even before the ban on Facebook.

Sri Lanka lifts Facebook ban after hate speech assurance

Since Saturday, the&nbsp;cause of the Bollywood legend, Sridevi&#39;s death&nbsp;has been discussed and debated at length.&nbsp;The celebs are tweeting how media and others should not mock the death of iconic star who entertained the nation for more than four decades with her movies in various languages.

A while ago Allu Arjun tweeted, &quot;My Humble request to the media , social platform content providers , and people at large. There is a lot of wrong speculation going on . I request each and every one to respect the dead. Thank you. #LetHerRestInPeace (sic)&quot;. And this hashtag #LetHerRestInPeace went viral in no time with other celebs also joining the chorus.&nbsp;

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My Humble request to the media , social platform content providers , and people at large. There is a lot of wrong speculation going on . I request each and every one to respect the dead. Thank you ! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetHerRestInPeace?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetHerRestInPeace</a> <a href="https://t.co/nZkPYjhT1Q">pic.twitter.com/nZkPYjhT1Q</a>
&mdash; Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) <a href="https://twitter.com/alluarjun/status/968421854451871745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Bollywood actor passed away late on Saturday (February 24) in Dubai, while she was with her husband Boney Kapoor and daughter Khushi.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-dubai-police-issues-clearance-letter-to-kapoor-family-sridevis-body-to-be-flown-in-today-34218" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Dubai Public Prosecutors Office&nbsp;</a>closed the case after declaring that the deceased Bollywood star died due to accidental drowning.&nbsp;The mortal remains of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-sridevi-dead-rani-mukerji-to-arjun-kapoor-bollywood-gathers-at-anil-kapoors-residence-to-mourn-her-demise-34055" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;Sridevi arrived at Mumbai&#39;s Vile Parle</a>&nbsp;airport amid high security on Tuesday night.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The hashtag #LetHerRestInPeace is trending at third number.&nbsp;

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Please ???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/letherrestinpeace?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#letherrestinpeace</a> <a href="https://t.co/85EyvLyFGq">pic.twitter.com/85EyvLyFGq</a>
&mdash; taapsee pannu (@taapsee) <a href="https://twitter.com/taapsee/status/968412640383942656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetHerRestInPeace?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetHerRestInPeace</a> PLEASE ???????? <a href="https://t.co/JgK8AlEAOP">pic.twitter.com/JgK8AlEAOP</a>
&mdash; SONAL CHAUHAN (@sonalchauhan7) <a href="https://twitter.com/sonalchauhan7/status/968414715901865984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Guys, seriously. Stop the speculations and grotesque rumours. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetHerRestInPeace?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetHerRestInPeace</a> ???????? <a href="https://t.co/YQ7aUhkK5Q">pic.twitter.com/YQ7aUhkK5Q</a>
&mdash; Kajal Aggarwal (@MsKajalAggarwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/MsKajalAggarwal/status/968415589646721025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Dearest mankind, please <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetHerRestInPeace?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetHerRestInPeace</a> ???? <a href="https://t.co/axHLrIs0lN">pic.twitter.com/axHLrIs0lN</a>
&mdash; Seerat Kapoor (@IamSeeratKapoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/IamSeeratKapoor/status/968415525813538816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Let&rsquo;s not keep speculating please...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetHerRestInPeace?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetHerRestInPeace</a> ???? <a href="https://t.co/hR0duBgAuJ">pic.twitter.com/hR0duBgAuJ</a>
&mdash; Sushanth A (@iamSushanthA) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamSushanthA/status/968413496609161216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The celebs are tweeting how media and others should not mock the death of iconic star who entertained the nation for more than four decades with her movies in various languages

Since Saturday, the cause of the Bollywood legend, Sridevi's death has been discussed and debated at length. The celebs are tweeting how media and others should not mock the death of iconic star who entertained the nation for more than four decades with her movies in various languages. A while ago Allu Arjun tweeted, "My Humble request to the media , social platform content providers , and people at large. There is a lot of wrong speculation going on . I request each and every one to respect the dead. Thank you. #LetHerRestInPeace (sic)". And this hashtag #LetHerRestInPeace went viral in no time with other celebs also joining the chorus. My Humble request to the media , social platform content providers , and people at large. There is a lot of wrong speculation going on . I request each and every one to respect the dead. Thank you ! #LetHerRestInPeace pic.twitter.com/nZkPYjhT1Q — Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) February 27, 2018 × The Bollywood actor passed away late on Saturday (February 24) in Dubai, while she was with her husband Boney Kapoor and daughter Khushi. Dubai Public Prosecutors Office closed the case after declaring that the deceased Bollywood star died due to accidental drowning. The mortal remains of Sridevi arrived at Mumbai's Vile Parle airport amid high security on Tuesday night. The hashtag #LetHerRestInPeace is trending at third number. Please ???????? #letherrestinpeace pic.twitter.com/85EyvLyFGq — taapsee pannu (@taapsee) February 27, 2018 × #LetHerRestInPeace PLEASE ???????? pic.twitter.com/JgK8AlEAOP — SONAL CHAUHAN (@sonalchauhan7) February 27, 2018 × Guys, seriously. Stop the speculations and grotesque rumours. #LetHerRestInPeace ???????? pic.twitter.com/YQ7aUhkK5Q — Kajal Aggarwal (@MsKajalAggarwal) February 27, 2018 × Dearest mankind, please #LetHerRestInPeace ???? pic.twitter.com/axHLrIs0lN — Seerat Kapoor (@IamSeeratKapoor) February 27, 2018 × Let’s not keep speculating please...#LetHerRestInPeace ???? pic.twitter.com/hR0duBgAuJ — Sushanth A (@iamSushanthA) February 27, 2018 ×

Celebrities ask media, fans to stop speculating Sridevi's death with #LetHerRestInPeace

In the month of July 2017, A piece of news got published in different newspapers on the same day. Both India and Pakistan were covering a single incident of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The sequence of events, as reported, was the same and the narrative was same too. The only difference was the outlook of the media of the two countries towards this news.

&nbsp;

The news pieces were related to a dreaded terrorist called Burhan Wani, who got killed in an encounter with security forces in Kokernag area of Kashmir valley.&nbsp; Burhan Wani was wanted for abetment of war against the Indian government and was known for his aggressive social media updates. While the Indian TV channels described it as a victory of Indian Forces over terrorism, nearly all the Pakistani newspapers, as well as media channels, described it as an act of barbarism from the Indian Security forces.

&nbsp;

While Indian channels termed Burhan Wani as a terrorist, Pakistani media referred him as a freedom fighter and an epitome of Kashmiri struggle. One of the Pakistani newspaper even compared him with Che Guevara, a legendary freedom fighter. Not only this, after nearly a month of his death on the Independence Day of Pakistan, the government ran a special train called Azadi Train where they featured the national heroes of Pakistan and Burhan Wani was reflected as one of the national heroes of the country.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Another interesting update is that one of the directors of Lollywood is making a movie on him which is, reportedly, funded by the government of Pakistan. The people who are wanted in serious acts of barbaric terrorism in India are termed as heroes in the neighbouring country.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The question is very simple, should a country support the acts of terror and glorify these terrorists as freedom fighters? India had been a victim of this state-sponsored terrorism for long and suffered the worst. More than 1.3 lakh people were killed in Kashmir because of terrorism. But this is just not a struggle. It is a clear case of state-sponsored terrorism.

&nbsp;

We must explore the role of media in the country. As we know, media is the fourth pillar of democracy and in any sensible country, media plays a vital role in criticising the policies of the government. In India, there have been instances where governments were forced to change their stance because of media criticism. The tougher laws for rape were made possible only after Nirbhaya gangrape case which was highlighted by the Indian media.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

But in Pakistan things are different. National media is under control of the government and anyone who tries to go against the government or Army is severely punished. The telecast of international channels is curbed from time to time and if the government thinks that any channel is not towing its line, it is prohibited in the country outrighted.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The attacks on media persons are a daily routine. In last 20 years itself, more than 70 senior national level media personals have been killed and more than 100 grievously injured. Most of them are kidnapped, beaten and threatened over the gunpoint by the government agencies so that their voice can be suppressed. Sabeen Mehmood, Aftab Alam, Abdul Shinwari, Haroon Khan, Hamid Mir and, more recently, Taha Siddiqui are the live example of this.

&nbsp;

Imagine a scenario where the leaders of the country are supporting the terrorism and the media has no say. This is the reason why Pakistan is unabatedly enhancing its support to terrorism and celebrating violence perpetrated by these so-called freedom fighters.

&nbsp;

What our neighbour is not able to understand is that terrorism cannot lead any country to a secure place. There have been many instances in the past where countries indulged in state-sponsored terrorism and ultimately suffered the worst. The examples of Libya, Syria, Iraq, Sudan and Uganda are visible to everyone. Initially, the countries were isolated internationally, followed by sanctions and then by either a military action or an economic breakdown. In case of Pakistan, the first step of isolating it has started already.

&nbsp;

So, what should our neighbour do? First, the government of Pakistan should understand that there is never good terrorism. All types of terror acts are bad and all of them should be dealt with a firm hand. A terrorist is always an enemy of humanity and any support to them is directly against the humanity. They must understand that unless a country has complete media freedom, it would always be like a table without a leg which cannot stand on its own.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

While Indian channels termed Burhan Wani as a terrorist, Pakistani media referred him as a freedom fighter and an epitome of Kashmiri struggle.

In the month of July 2017, A piece of news got published in different newspapers on the same day. Both India and Pakistan were covering a single incident of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The sequence of events, as reported, was the same and the narrative was same too. The only difference was the outlook of the media of the two countries towards this news. The news pieces were related to a dreaded terrorist called Burhan Wani, who got killed in an encounter with security forces in Kokernag area of Kashmir valley. Burhan Wani was wanted for abetment of war against the Indian government and was known for his aggressive social media updates. While the Indian TV channels described it as a victory of Indian Forces over terrorism, nearly all the Pakistani newspapers, as well as media channels, described it as an act of barbarism from the Indian Security forces. While Indian channels termed Burhan Wani as a terrorist, Pakistani media referred him as a freedom fighter and an epitome of Kashmiri struggle. One of the Pakistani newspaper even compared him with Che Guevara, a legendary freedom fighter. Not only this, after nearly a month of his death on the Independence Day of Pakistan, the government ran a special train called Azadi Train where they featured the national heroes of Pakistan and Burhan Wani was reflected as one of the national heroes of the country. Another interesting update is that one of the directors of Lollywood is making a movie on him which is, reportedly, funded by the government of Pakistan. The people who are wanted in serious acts of barbaric terrorism in India are termed as heroes in the neighbouring country. The question is very simple, should a country support the acts of terror and glorify these terrorists as freedom fighters? India had been a victim of this state-sponsored terrorism for long and suffered the worst. More than 1.3 lakh people were killed in Kashmir because of terrorism. But this is just not a struggle. It is a clear case of state-sponsored terrorism. We must explore the role of media in the country. As we know, media is the fourth pillar of democracy and in any sensible country, media plays a vital role in criticising the policies of the government. In India, there have been instances where governments were forced to change their stance because of media criticism. The tougher laws for rape were made possible only after Nirbhaya gangrape case which was highlighted by the Indian media. But in Pakistan things are different. National media is under control of the government and anyone who tries to go against the government or Army is severely punished. The telecast of international channels is curbed from time to time and if the government thinks that any channel is not towing its line, it is prohibited in the country outrighted. The attacks on media persons are a daily routine. In last 20 years itself, more than 70 senior national level media personals have been killed and more than 100 grievously injured. Most of them are kidnapped, beaten and threatened over the gunpoint by the government agencies so that their voice can be suppressed. Sabeen Mehmood, Aftab Alam, Abdul Shinwari, Haroon Khan, Hamid Mir and, more recently, Taha Siddiqui are the live example of this. Imagine a scenario where the leaders of the country are supporting the terrorism and the media has no say. This is the reason why Pakistan is unabatedly enhancing its support to terrorism and celebrating violence perpetrated by these so-called freedom fighters. What our neighbour is not able to understand is that terrorism cannot lead any country to a secure place. There have been many instances in the past where countries indulged in state-sponsored terrorism and ultimately suffered the worst. The examples of Libya, Syria, Iraq, Sudan and Uganda are visible to everyone. Initially, the countries were isolated internationally, followed by sanctions and then by either a military action or an economic breakdown. In case of Pakistan, the first step of isolating it has started already. So, what should our neighbour do? First, the government of Pakistan should understand that there is never good terrorism. All types of terror acts are bad and all of them should be dealt with a firm hand. A terrorist is always an enemy of humanity and any support to them is directly against the humanity. They must understand that unless a country has complete media freedom, it would always be like a table without a leg which cannot stand on its own. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why media shouldn't eulogise terrorists as heroes

Pakistan&nbsp;foreign office on Wednesday thanked the Pakistani media, for covering the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/killer-son-played-holi-with-blood-of-pakistanis-jadhavs-wife-mother-heckled-by-media-in-islamabad-27829" target="_blank">Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s family meeting in a very responsible way</a>.&nbsp;

The officials sent a thank you note to the media persons expressing their gratitude.

&quot;Extremely glad to have worked with a team of responsible media. Very much thankful for cooperation and tolerance from all of you today,&quot; the statement read.

&quot;Hats off to a great teamwork on both sides and you may see the result.&quot;

&quot;Our media has made Dr. Faisal trending on Twitter. Let&#39;s keep this mutual coordination and respect for all times and events to come,&quot; it further added.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/there-was-something-in-them-pakistan-answer-to-why-jadhavs-wifes-shoes-were-taken-27839">&#39;There was something in them&#39;: Pakistan&#39;s answer to why Jadhav&#39;s wife&#39;s shoes were taken</a>

Jadhav&#39;s Mother Avanti and wife Chetankul Jadhav reached Islamabad on Monday to meet him.&nbsp;

The Indian national met his family from behind a glass barrier at the Pakistan foreign ministry in Islamabad.

It was Jadhav&#39;s first meeting with his family, more than a year after he was arrested by the Pakistani Army over alleged espionage and spying activities in March last year.

The two were accompanied to the Pakistani ministry by Indian deputy high Commissioner JP Singh and three Indian foreign ministry officials.&nbsp;

Only Jadhav&rsquo;s family was allowed into the room where he was sitting, while Singh and other officials monitored the meeting from outside the room. 
&nbsp;

The officials sent a thank you note to the media persons expressing their gratitude.

Pakistan foreign office on Wednesday thanked the Pakistani media, for covering the Kulbhushan Jadhav's family meeting in a very responsible way. The officials sent a thank you note to the media persons expressing their gratitude. "Extremely glad to have worked with a team of responsible media. Very much thankful for cooperation and tolerance from all of you today," the statement read. "Hats off to a great teamwork on both sides and you may see the result." "Our media has made Dr. Faisal trending on Twitter. Let's keep this mutual coordination and respect for all times and events to come," it further added. Also read: 'There was something in them': Pakistan's answer to why Jadhav's wife's shoes were taken Jadhav's Mother Avanti and wife Chetankul Jadhav reached Islamabad on Monday to meet him. The Indian national met his family from behind a glass barrier at the Pakistan foreign ministry in Islamabad. It was Jadhav's first meeting with his family, more than a year after he was arrested by the Pakistani Army over alleged espionage and spying activities in March last year. The two were accompanied to the Pakistani ministry by Indian deputy high Commissioner JP Singh and three Indian foreign ministry officials. Only Jadhav’s family was allowed into the room where he was sitting, while Singh and other officials monitored the meeting from outside the room.

Pakistan foreign office thanks media persons for covering Jadhav's family meet in 'responsible way'

Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother were heckled by the Pakisktani media on Monday when they went to Islamabad to meet him.&nbsp;

As they saw Jadhav&#39;s wife Chetankul, Pakistani journalists shouted what would you say about your husband killing thousands of innocent Pakistanis? (`aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi?)&nbsp;

They asked his mother what are your feelings after meeting your killer son? (aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad?).&nbsp;

In video footage of the incident, India&#39;s deputy high commissioner is seen throwing up his hands in exasperation at the line of questioning.&nbsp;

Watch video below:&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Islamabad: Pakistani journalists heckle &amp; harass <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KulbhushanJadhav</a>&#39;s mother &amp; wife after their meeting with him, shout, &#39;aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi?&#39; &amp; &#39;aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad?&#39; <a href="https://t.co/MUYjPmHY6F">pic.twitter.com/MUYjPmHY6F</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945701606623817728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother met him at Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under strong guard.&nbsp;

The area was declared out of bounds for everybody apart from media and security personnel, and sharpshooters were placed on the roofs surrounding the ministry.&nbsp;

Jadhav was finally allowed to meet his wife and mother but was separated from them by a glass panel.&nbsp;

He was able to speak to them only via an intercom.&nbsp;

India has taken strong note of the meeting, saying Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother were asked to take off their shoes and change their clothes.&nbsp;

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the &quot;cultural and religious sensibilities of family&nbsp;members were disregarded&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included the removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security,&quot; Kumar said.&nbsp;

&quot;For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Kumar said the Pakistani press, despite prior agreement that the media would not be allowed close access, was allowed on multiple occasions to approach the family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Jadhav.&nbsp;

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) clarified that the screen was placed due to security reasons and that Jadhav already knew this would be the setting.&nbsp;

It buttressed its stance by adding that Islamabad considered Jadhav as &quot;the face of Indian terrorism, especially in Pakistan.&quot;&nbsp;

In addition to this, the MoFA released another &quot;confessional&quot; video of Jadhav`s, in which the convicted alleged spy was seen confessing that he did cross from Iran to Pakistan two years back.&nbsp;

Jadhav is a former Indian naval officer.&nbsp;

Pakistan says he is a spy. He was arrested two years ago&nbsp;from Pakistan&#39;s restive Balochistan province.&nbsp;

On April 10, 2017, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial in Pakistan.&nbsp;

On May 18, 2017, the International Court of Justice stayed the hanging, after India approached it against the death sentence.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

What would you say about your husband killing thousands of innocent Pakistanis, the Pakistani media asked Jadhav's wife Chetankul

Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother were heckled by the Pakisktani media on Monday when they went to Islamabad to meet him. As they saw Jadhav's wife Chetankul, Pakistani journalists shouted what would you say about your husband killing thousands of innocent Pakistanis? (`aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi?) They asked his mother what are your feelings after meeting your killer son? (aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad?). In video footage of the incident, India's deputy high commissioner is seen throwing up his hands in exasperation at the line of questioning. Watch video below: #WATCH Islamabad: Pakistani journalists heckle & harass #KulbhushanJadhav's mother & wife after their meeting with him, shout, 'aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi?' & 'aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad?' pic.twitter.com/MUYjPmHY6F — ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017 × Jadhav's wife and mother met him at Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs under strong guard. The area was declared out of bounds for everybody apart from media and security personnel, and sharpshooters were placed on the roofs surrounding the ministry. Jadhav was finally allowed to meet his wife and mother but was separated from them by a glass panel. He was able to speak to them only via an intercom. India has taken strong note of the meeting, saying Jadhav's wife and mother were asked to take off their shoes and change their clothes. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the "cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded". "Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included the removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," Kumar said. "For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard," he added. Kumar said the Pakistani press, despite prior agreement that the media would not be allowed close access, was allowed on multiple occasions to approach the family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Jadhav. The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) clarified that the screen was placed due to security reasons and that Jadhav already knew this would be the setting. It buttressed its stance by adding that Islamabad considered Jadhav as "the face of Indian terrorism, especially in Pakistan." In addition to this, the MoFA released another "confessional" video of Jadhav`s, in which the convicted alleged spy was seen confessing that he did cross from Iran to Pakistan two years back. Jadhav is a former Indian naval officer. Pakistan says he is a spy. He was arrested two years ago from Pakistan's restive Balochistan province. On April 10, 2017, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial in Pakistan. On May 18, 2017, the International Court of Justice stayed the hanging, after India approached it against the death sentence. (With inputs from ANI)

Killer son... played Holi with blood: Jadhav's wife, mother heckled by Pakistan media

A group of Myanmar journalists said they would begin wearing black T-shirts on Saturday in protest at the detention of two Reuters reporters accused of violating the country&#39;s Official Secrets Act, as pressure builds on Myanmar to release the pair.

The Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists, a group of local reporters who have demonstrated against past prosecutions of journalists, decried the &quot;unfair arrests that affect media freedom&quot;.

In a statement on Facebook, the committee said its members would don black T-shirts &quot;to signify the dark age of media freedom&quot; in Myanmar. They demanded the unconditional and immediate release of the two reporters, Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27.

&quot;Journalists all over the country are urged to take part in the Black Campaign,&quot; the group said. It said it also planned to stage official protests and prayers.

The group has staged several protests on behalf of arrested reporters from other media this year, including one in June in which around 100 journalists took part. It was not immediately clear how many journalists have joined the black T-shirt protest.

The Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists was formed in response to the arrest in June of a newspaper editor over the publication of a cartoon that made fun of the military, said video journalist A Hla Lay Thu Zar - one of the group&#39;s 21-member executive committee.

&quot;A reporter must have the right to get information and write news ethically,&quot; said A Hla Lay Thu Zar in reference to the case of the two Reuters` journalists. 
Myo Nyunt, deputy director for Myanmar&#39;s Ministry of Information, told Reuters the case had nothing to do with press freedom.

&quot;It`s related to the Official Secrets Act,&quot; he said. &quot;Journalists should be able to tell what is secret and what is not... We already have press freedom. There&#39;s freedom to write and speak... There&#39;s press freedom if you follow the rules.&quot;

Asked about the local reporters` &quot;black campaign&quot;, he said: &quot;Everyone can express his feelings.&quot;&nbsp;

Pressure from across the world&nbsp;

The journalists were arrested on Tuesday evening after they were invited to dine with police officers on the outskirts of Myanmar&#39;s largest city, Yangon.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, and government officials from Canada, Britain, Sweden, and Bangladesh, have all called for their release.

The two reporters had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis that has seen an estimated 655,000 Rohingya Muslims flee from a fierce military crackdown on militants in western Rakhine state.

The Ministry of Information said the journalists had &quot;illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media&quot;, and released a photo of the pair in handcuffs. It said they were being investigated under the 1923 Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Human rights advocates say press freedom is under attack in Myanmar, where the young civilian-led government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi shares power with the military that ran the country for decades. At least 11 journalists have been detained in 2017, although some have since been released.

Police told Wa Lone&#39;s wife on Thursday that the reporters were taken from Htaunt Kyant police station in north Yangon by an investigation team to an undisclosed location shortly after their arrest.

They added the reporters would be brought back to the station in &quot;two to three days at most&quot;. It is now four days since they were detained.

Separately, police lieutenant colonel Myint Htwe of the Yangon Police Division told Reuters on Thursday the reporters&rsquo; location would not be disclosed until the investigation was complete.&nbsp;

Since then, the authorities have not provided any further information on their whereabouts.

In a statement on Facebook, the committee said its members would don black T-shirts 'to signify the dark age of media freedom' in Myanmar

A group of Myanmar journalists said they would begin wearing black T-shirts on Saturday in protest at the detention of two Reuters reporters accused of violating the country's Official Secrets Act, as pressure builds on Myanmar to release the pair. The Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists, a group of local reporters who have demonstrated against past prosecutions of journalists, decried the "unfair arrests that affect media freedom". In a statement on Facebook, the committee said its members would don black T-shirts "to signify the dark age of media freedom" in Myanmar. They demanded the unconditional and immediate release of the two reporters, Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27. "Journalists all over the country are urged to take part in the Black Campaign," the group said. It said it also planned to stage official protests and prayers. The group has staged several protests on behalf of arrested reporters from other media this year, including one in June in which around 100 journalists took part. It was not immediately clear how many journalists have joined the black T-shirt protest. The Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists was formed in response to the arrest in June of a newspaper editor over the publication of a cartoon that made fun of the military, said video journalist A Hla Lay Thu Zar - one of the group's 21-member executive committee. "A reporter must have the right to get information and write news ethically," said A Hla Lay Thu Zar in reference to the case of the two Reuters` journalists. Myo Nyunt, deputy director for Myanmar's Ministry of Information, told Reuters the case had nothing to do with press freedom. "It`s related to the Official Secrets Act," he said. "Journalists should be able to tell what is secret and what is not... We already have press freedom. There's freedom to write and speak... There's press freedom if you follow the rules." Asked about the local reporters` "black campaign", he said: "Everyone can express his feelings." Pressure from across the world The journalists were arrested on Tuesday evening after they were invited to dine with police officers on the outskirts of Myanmar's largest city, Yangon. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, and government officials from Canada, Britain, Sweden, and Bangladesh, have all called for their release. The two reporters had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis that has seen an estimated 655,000 Rohingya Muslims flee from a fierce military crackdown on militants in western Rakhine state. The Ministry of Information said the journalists had "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media", and released a photo of the pair in handcuffs. It said they were being investigated under the 1923 Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. Human rights advocates say press freedom is under attack in Myanmar, where the young civilian-led government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi shares power with the military that ran the country for decades. At least 11 journalists have been detained in 2017, although some have since been released. Police told Wa Lone's wife on Thursday that the reporters were taken from Htaunt Kyant police station in north Yangon by an investigation team to an undisclosed location shortly after their arrest. They added the reporters would be brought back to the station in "two to three days at most". It is now four days since they were detained. Separately, police lieutenant colonel Myint Htwe of the Yangon Police Division told Reuters on Thursday the reporters’ location would not be disclosed until the investigation was complete. Since then, the authorities have not provided any further information on their whereabouts.

Myanmar journalists' group to don black T-shirts over arrest of reporters

Russia&#39;s justice ministry on Tuesday named nine US media outlets including Voice of America as &quot;foreign agents&quot; after President Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing international media to be slapped with the controversial label.

The ministry said that US-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and seven of their media affiliates had been recognised as &quot;carrying out the functions of a foreign agent&quot;, in a statement posted on its website.

Putin last month signed into law hastily issued legislation allowing the measure to target media.

Russia said this was a retaliatory move after Kremlin-funded RT television registered as a &quot;foreign agent&quot; in the United States under official pressure.

Rights groups fear the law could have a chilling effect on the ability of outlets to carry out independent reporting.

Voice of America and Radio Free Europe began broadcasting to the Soviet Union in the 1950s, playing a key role in providing its citizens with uncensored news.

Both broadcasters had already been formally warned by the justice ministry that they risked recognition as &quot;foreign agents.&quot;

The justice ministry has now formalised the move, naming them and their affiliates, including Radio Free Europe&#39;s news outlets dedicated to Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine, and the Caucasus.&nbsp;

They also include a television channel run jointly by Radio Free Europe and Voice of America called Current Time TV.

Speaking on Current Time TV in Russian, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty&#39;s president Thomas Kent said that &quot;as a result, the activities of our organisation can face even greater restrictions&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;So far we have no concrete information on these restrictions,&quot; the head of the US Congress-funded corporation said.

He stressed: &quot;We remain committed to continuing our work in journalism in the interests of providing precise and objective information to our Russian-language audience.&quot;

&nbsp;&#39;Threat to free media&#39;&nbsp;

The 2012 law previously applied only to non-governmental organisations that had international funding.&nbsp;

Those branded &quot;foreign agents&quot; have to present themselves as such on all paperwork and submit to intensive scrutiny of their staffing and financing.

Many NGOs have closed down as a result, saying the measure made it too difficult for them to operate.

The US State Department said last month that the new law &quot;presents yet another threat to free media in Russia&quot;.

It said it was &quot;disingenuous&quot; of Moscow to equate the move to RT&#39;s listing as a foreign agent in the US since Washington&#39;s measure &quot;does not restrict an organisation&#39;s ability to operate&quot;.

The head of the Russian upper house&#39;s commission for the protection of state sovereignty, Andrei Klimov, said the measure would be strictly enforced but could be reversed.

&quot;If (foreign media) try to get out of it, we will catch up with them anyway, we will force them to obey Russian law,&quot; Klimov told Interfax news agency.

&quot;If Washington comes to its senses and ceases pressure on Russian media, however, in that case we will also consider correcting our decisions.&quot;

Russian MPs are set to vote Wednesday on whether to ban journalists from outlets labelled as &quot;foreign agents&quot; from entering the State Duma lower house of parliament.

The ministry said that US-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and seven of their media affiliates had been recognised as 'carrying out the functions of a foreign agent', in a statement posted on its website

Russia's justice ministry on Tuesday named nine US media outlets including Voice of America as "foreign agents" after President Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing international media to be slapped with the controversial label. The ministry said that US-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and seven of their media affiliates had been recognised as "carrying out the functions of a foreign agent", in a statement posted on its website. Putin last month signed into law hastily issued legislation allowing the measure to target media. Russia said this was a retaliatory move after Kremlin-funded RT television registered as a "foreign agent" in the United States under official pressure. Rights groups fear the law could have a chilling effect on the ability of outlets to carry out independent reporting. Voice of America and Radio Free Europe began broadcasting to the Soviet Union in the 1950s, playing a key role in providing its citizens with uncensored news. Both broadcasters had already been formally warned by the justice ministry that they risked recognition as "foreign agents." The justice ministry has now formalised the move, naming them and their affiliates, including Radio Free Europe's news outlets dedicated to Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine, and the Caucasus. They also include a television channel run jointly by Radio Free Europe and Voice of America called Current Time TV. Speaking on Current Time TV in Russian, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's president Thomas Kent said that "as a result, the activities of our organisation can face even greater restrictions". "So far we have no concrete information on these restrictions," the head of the US Congress-funded corporation said. He stressed: "We remain committed to continuing our work in journalism in the interests of providing precise and objective information to our Russian-language audience." 'Threat to free media' The 2012 law previously applied only to non-governmental organisations that had international funding. Those branded "foreign agents" have to present themselves as such on all paperwork and submit to intensive scrutiny of their staffing and financing. Many NGOs have closed down as a result, saying the measure made it too difficult for them to operate. The US State Department said last month that the new law "presents yet another threat to free media in Russia". It said it was "disingenuous" of Moscow to equate the move to RT's listing as a foreign agent in the US since Washington's measure "does not restrict an organisation's ability to operate". The head of the Russian upper house's commission for the protection of state sovereignty, Andrei Klimov, said the measure would be strictly enforced but could be reversed. "If (foreign media) try to get out of it, we will catch up with them anyway, we will force them to obey Russian law," Klimov told Interfax news agency. "If Washington comes to its senses and ceases pressure on Russian media, however, in that case we will also consider correcting our decisions." Russian MPs are set to vote Wednesday on whether to ban journalists from outlets labelled as "foreign agents" from entering the State Duma lower house of parliament.

Russia declares 9 US media outlets as 'foreign agents'

Russian lawmakers will vote next week on measures banning all US media from the lower house of parliament, a deputy said Friday, in response to the US Congress stripping state channel RT of its credentials.

A senior United Russia party lawmaker Olga Savastyanova said the Russian Duma will vote on the ban on December 6. It is unlikely that the proposal would be rejected by the overwhelmingly pro-Kremlin assembly.

&quot;The ban will impact all American media,&quot; she said, according to the Duma&#39;s official website.&nbsp;

There are 21 American media outlets accredited to work in Russia, according to the website of the foreign ministry which keeps the register and issues documents to journalists.

&quot;After the decree regarding closing access for American journalists to the Duma building is passed, we will work out all organisational and technical issues with the foreign ministry,&quot; Savastyanova said.

The ban would apply to US media rather than journalists from other foreign countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.&nbsp;

&quot;Such outrageous attacks on foreign media, in particular Russian media, go against the international practice of freedom of speech and unfortunately flourish in full Technicolor in the US,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

The ban would be the latest development in tit-for-tat fallout from Washington&#39;s forced registration of RT as a &quot;foreign agent&quot; in the US.&nbsp;

Washington views the channel as a propaganda arm of the Kremlin, which is accused of interfering in the presidential elections last year.

The congressional committee of journalists which regulates who is accredited to cover the legislature said Thursday they voted unanimously to withdraw RT&#39;s press pass.

The ban would be the latest development in tit-for-tat fallout from Washington's forced registration of RT as a 'foreign agent' in the US

Russian lawmakers will vote next week on measures banning all US media from the lower house of parliament, a deputy said Friday, in response to the US Congress stripping state channel RT of its credentials. A senior United Russia party lawmaker Olga Savastyanova said the Russian Duma will vote on the ban on December 6. It is unlikely that the proposal would be rejected by the overwhelmingly pro-Kremlin assembly. "The ban will impact all American media," she said, according to the Duma's official website. There are 21 American media outlets accredited to work in Russia, according to the website of the foreign ministry which keeps the register and issues documents to journalists. "After the decree regarding closing access for American journalists to the Duma building is passed, we will work out all organisational and technical issues with the foreign ministry," Savastyanova said. The ban would apply to US media rather than journalists from other foreign countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Such outrageous attacks on foreign media, in particular Russian media, go against the international practice of freedom of speech and unfortunately flourish in full Technicolor in the US," he said. The ban would be the latest development in tit-for-tat fallout from Washington's forced registration of RT as a "foreign agent" in the US. Washington views the channel as a propaganda arm of the Kremlin, which is accused of interfering in the presidential elections last year. The congressional committee of journalists which regulates who is accredited to cover the legislature said Thursday they voted unanimously to withdraw RT's press pass.

Russian MPs to vote on banning US media from parliament on December 6

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday invoked late President APJ Abdul Kalam to urge the media to give up negativity and focus on positive developments to help give direction to the country.

Modi made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the &#39;Hindustan Times Leadership Summit - 2017&#39; here.

The prime minister also said that each institution involved in nation building should identify challenges before the country and resolve to solve these at their respective levels by 2022, when the country completes 75 years of independence.

&quot;He (Kalam) had few years ago asked why our media is so negative? These are not my words, (he had said) why is that in India, we are embarrassed about our capabilities and achievements?

&quot;We are a great country, we have unprecedented stories of success. Still, we refuse to accept them. Why is it so? These were Kalam&#39;s words,&quot; Modi said.

The prime minister suggested that the media can discuss the issue in seminars and their newsrooms to bring about an &quot;irreversible change&quot;.

&quot;I urge the media to be resolute and also inspire others. Be part of this journey of resolution the way you played an active role in turning the Clean India mission into a public campaign...Increase your partnership...Cooperate in giving direction to the country,&quot; he urged.

&nbsp;

The prime minister suggested that the media can discuss the issue in seminars and their newsrooms to bring about an "irreversible change".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday invoked late President APJ Abdul Kalam to urge the media to give up negativity and focus on positive developments to help give direction to the country. Modi made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the 'Hindustan Times Leadership Summit - 2017' here. The prime minister also said that each institution involved in nation building should identify challenges before the country and resolve to solve these at their respective levels by 2022, when the country completes 75 years of independence. "He (Kalam) had few years ago asked why our media is so negative? These are not my words, (he had said) why is that in India, we are embarrassed about our capabilities and achievements? "We are a great country, we have unprecedented stories of success. Still, we refuse to accept them. Why is it so? These were Kalam's words," Modi said. The prime minister suggested that the media can discuss the issue in seminars and their newsrooms to bring about an "irreversible change". "I urge the media to be resolute and also inspire others. Be part of this journey of resolution the way you played an active role in turning the Clean India mission into a public campaign...Increase your partnership...Cooperate in giving direction to the country," he urged.

Shun negativity, focus on country's success stories: PM to media

Russia&rsquo;s lower house of parliament on Wednesday passed on second reading a law that would allow the Russian authorities to designate foreign media operating in Russia as &ldquo;foreign agents&rdquo;, RIA news agency reported.

The US&nbsp;Department of Justice has required RT America, which has ties with the Kremlin-backed TV station RT, to register as a &ldquo;foreign agent&rdquo; after accusations by US&nbsp;intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in last year&rsquo;s presidential election.

Russia, which denies interference in the election, has said it would respond in kind to the U.S. action. A third reading is still required before the legislation passes on to the upper house of parliament for approval.

Russia's lower house of parliament passed the law saying the foreign media operating there will be termed as ' Foreign Agents '

Russia’s lower house of parliament on Wednesday passed on second reading a law that would allow the Russian authorities to designate foreign media operating in Russia as “foreign agents”, RIA news agency reported. The US Department of Justice has required RT America, which has ties with the Kremlin-backed TV station RT, to register as a “foreign agent” after accusations by US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in last year’s presidential election. Russia, which denies interference in the election, has said it would respond in kind to the U.S. action. A third reading is still required before the legislation passes on to the upper house of parliament for approval.

Russia passes law to designate foreign media as 'foreign agents'

Just over a week after she blazed into controversy for plagiarising Michelle Obama, the website of Donald Trump&#39;s third wife Melania mysteriously vanished following questions about her university education. 
 
&quot;The website in question was created in 2012 and has been removed because it does not accurately reflect my current business and professional interests,&quot; the mother of one tweeted yesterday. 
 
The website disappeared after US media questioned whether the wife of the Republican nominee for president had a degree in architecture from the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, as the online biography stated. 
 
Trump told MSNBC in February only that she &quot;studied&quot; design and architecture. A follow-up interview with GQ Magazine published in April said she dropped out after a year to pursue a modeling career in Milan and later Paris. 
 
Those who try to access www.melaniatrump.com are now automatically diverted to her husband&#39;s company website. 
 
While his three adult children, who hold executive positions at The Trump Organization, have biographies on the site, she does not. Neither is she mentioned in her husband&#39;s more than 4,000-word online biography. 
 
Yesterday&#39;s tweet was a rare update from Melania Trump in the 13 months since her husband launched his controversial bid for the White House. 
 
While the ex-model used to post regular style, food and scenic photographs, she has tweeted rarely since his foray into politics. 
 
Last week, a staffer apologised for cribbing remarks from the current Democratic first lady for a speech Melania Trump delivered at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. 
 
Melania Trump had &quot;always liked&quot; Michelle Obama and read out passages from one of her speeches as examples of what she wanted to say, said the staffer. 
 
&quot;I did not check Mrs Obama&#39;s speeches. This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused,&quot; she said. 
 
(AFP)

The website was removed because it did not 'accurately reflect my current business and professional interests', Melania tweeted yesterday

Just over a week after she blazed into controversy for plagiarising Michelle Obama, the website of Donald Trump's third wife Melania mysteriously vanished following questions about her university education. "The website in question was created in 2012 and has been removed because it does not accurately reflect my current business and professional interests," the mother of one tweeted yesterday. The website disappeared after US media questioned whether the wife of the Republican nominee for president had a degree in architecture from the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, as the online biography stated. Trump told MSNBC in February only that she "studied" design and architecture. A follow-up interview with GQ Magazine published in April said she dropped out after a year to pursue a modeling career in Milan and later Paris. Those who try to access www.melaniatrump.com are now automatically diverted to her husband's company website. While his three adult children, who hold executive positions at The Trump Organization, have biographies on the site, she does not. Neither is she mentioned in her husband's more than 4,000-word online biography. Yesterday's tweet was a rare update from Melania Trump in the 13 months since her husband launched his controversial bid for the White House. While the ex-model used to post regular style, food and scenic photographs, she has tweeted rarely since his foray into politics. Last week, a staffer apologised for cribbing remarks from the current Democratic first lady for a speech Melania Trump delivered at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Melania Trump had "always liked" Michelle Obama and read out passages from one of her speeches as examples of what she wanted to say, said the staffer. "I did not check Mrs Obama's speeches. This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused," she said. (AFP)

Melania Trump's website deleted after degree questions

Donald Trump gave an interview with The New York Times Wednesday night, the same evening he received the Republican nomination for President of the United States. The Times&nbsp;didn&#39;t publish a full transcript of the 45 minute discussion, but summarised the thrust of Trump&#39;s responses, supplemented when necessary with quotations. 
 
The interview covers a range of topics. 
 
Moral standing 
 
Trump said he would not condemn authoritarian allies like Turkey, who critics fear is in the midst of a widespread purge of the regime&#39;s domestic enemies. President Erdogan has reportedly arrested or fired 50,000 people, from high-ranking figures in the military, justice system and police to university professors. In a move that rings of anything but democracy, he is currently trying to reinstate the death penalty. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think we have a right to lecture,&quot; Trump said. &quot;How are we going to lecture people when people are shooting policemen in cold blood?&quot; He was responding to the two recent fatal attacks against policemen by two ex-military African-American men, who appeared to be responding, in an appalling and unforgivable way, to numerous incidents of police brutality against African-Americans happening in cities across America. 
 
It failed to dawn on Trump that he&#39;s comparing a rogue military faction and a sitting President&#39;s authoritarian response to the actions of two non-state actors. About the preponderance of videos emerging showing American policemen shooting unarmed civilians Trump was quiet, but that would have made his comparison closer to sensible. 
 
Ironically, corroborating Trump&#39;s claim that the US shouldn&#39;t preach is Trump&#39;s own behaviour, as he has incited violence at his rallies. Unsurprisingly he has failed to criticize himself for this. 
 
Foreign policy 
 
Trump sees the world, and every single thing in it, through a money lens.&nbsp; 
 
When asked if under his presidency he would defend the 28 members of Nato,&nbsp;he laid a new condition; he would, but only after assessing their contributions to the alliance. Allies would receive protection if their relationship was economically advantageous, or would leave them to the wolves if they proved a net loss. 
 
Many before have criticised the military-industrial complex, but the notion of the American military being nothing more than a money-making enterprise has never been laid out so nakely by someone so close to the White House.&nbsp;More, this response presupposes that signed international treaties&nbsp;are in no way legally binding, undermining not just Nato but the very idea of entering into agreements with other countries. 
 
In terms of international trade he urged to put &quot;America first&quot;, as if any other American politician has ever campaigned on &quot;America second&quot;. He is by definition above rules, laws and agreements.&nbsp;&quot;He was prepared to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement if he could not negotiate radically better terms.&quot; 
 
The Coup 
 
&quot;I give credit to him for being able to turn that around&quot;, Trump said, as if talking about a dramatic come-from-behind victory in game 7. It doesn&#39;t take much reverence for morals or law to be concerned over the tens of thousands people imprisoned since the failed military coup, who can&#39;t all be guilty. Many world leaders urged Erdogan to be lawful in the wake of &nbsp;the failed coup.&nbsp;This is as basic as it is important, so it&#39;s worth quoting the&nbsp;Times&nbsp;piece here in full: 
 
&quot;Asked if Mr Erdogan was exploiting the coup attempt to purge his political enemies, Mr Trump did not call for the Turkish leader to observe the rule of law, or Western standards of justice. &#39;When the world sees how bad the United States is and we start talking about civil liberties, I don&#39;t think we are a very good messenger,&#39; he said.&quot; 
 
The article points out that this places him in the same camp as Russia, North Korea and China, &quot;and other autocratic nations (who) frequently cite violence and disorder on American streets to justify their own practises, and to make the case that the United States has no standing to criticise them&quot;. 
 
But this obscures an important point: those countries have in mind footage of American police killing citizens, mostly poor or African-American ones, something Trump has never denounced and if anything supports. When he talks about the apparent erosion of civil liberties,&nbsp;it&#39;s unclear what he means. If he has in mind the two men who recently killed police officers, he&#39;s making a categorical mistake: by definition only agents of the state, not private citizens, can take away civil liberties.&nbsp; 
 
Islamic State 
 
Obama&#39;s administration is in a bind: both its ally Turkey and the Kurds are fighting IS effectively, but Turkey is also fighting the Kurds out of fear they will break away and form their own state. Trump claims he will break this impasse by...hosting meetings. Knowing no middle ground, the way to defeat IS is either to &quot;bomb the shit out of them&quot; or to converse.&nbsp; 
 
Regarding the leader of Syria Trump was uncharacteristically perspicacious, saying, &quot;Assad is a bad man&quot;. Trump claimed to have been briefed by two former Republican secretaries of state, who gave him &quot;a lot of knowledge&quot;, but shed no light on this knowledge. 
 
Nuclear weapons 
 
The Obama administration has begun the process of modernising its nuclear arsenal, but the next president will decide whether or not to launch the reboot in earnest, with all the purchasing of submarines and bombers that entails, for an estimated cost&nbsp;of $500-billion. &quot;He talked of funding a major military buildup, starting with a modernisation of America&#39;s nuclear arsenal,&quot; the article says.&nbsp; 
 
To put it lightly, nothing in the Times&nbsp;interview, or anything he has ever said bolsters confidence that Trump can be trusted around nuclear weapons. &quot;We have a lot of obsolete weapons. We have nuclear that we don&#39;t even know if it works.&quot; 
 
Just how he plans to learn whether or not these nuclear weapons work should be a terriyfing thought to everybody. 
 
(WION) 
&nbsp;

Wide-ranging media interview comes as close as possible to revealing what may be called his thoughts

Donald Trump gave an interview with The New York Times Wednesday night, the same evening he received the Republican nomination for President of the United States. The Times didn't publish a full transcript of the 45 minute discussion, but summarised the thrust of Trump's responses, supplemented when necessary with quotations. The interview covers a range of topics. Moral standing Trump said he would not condemn authoritarian allies like Turkey, who critics fear is in the midst of a widespread purge of the regime's domestic enemies. President Erdogan has reportedly arrested or fired 50,000 people, from high-ranking figures in the military, justice system and police to university professors. In a move that rings of anything but democracy, he is currently trying to reinstate the death penalty. "I don't think we have a right to lecture," Trump said. "How are we going to lecture people when people are shooting policemen in cold blood?" He was responding to the two recent fatal attacks against policemen by two ex-military African-American men, who appeared to be responding, in an appalling and unforgivable way, to numerous incidents of police brutality against African-Americans happening in cities across America. It failed to dawn on Trump that he's comparing a rogue military faction and a sitting President's authoritarian response to the actions of two non-state actors. About the preponderance of videos emerging showing American policemen shooting unarmed civilians Trump was quiet, but that would have made his comparison closer to sensible. Ironically, corroborating Trump's claim that the US shouldn't preach is Trump's own behaviour, as he has incited violence at his rallies. Unsurprisingly he has failed to criticize himself for this. Foreign policy Trump sees the world, and every single thing in it, through a money lens. When asked if under his presidency he would defend the 28 members of Nato, he laid a new condition; he would, but only after assessing their contributions to the alliance. Allies would receive protection if their relationship was economically advantageous, or would leave them to the wolves if they proved a net loss. Many before have criticised the military-industrial complex, but the notion of the American military being nothing more than a money-making enterprise has never been laid out so nakely by someone so close to the White House. More, this response presupposes that signed international treaties are in no way legally binding, undermining not just Nato but the very idea of entering into agreements with other countries. In terms of international trade he urged to put "America first", as if any other American politician has ever campaigned on "America second". He is by definition above rules, laws and agreements. "He was prepared to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement if he could not negotiate radically better terms." The Coup "I give credit to him for being able to turn that around", Trump said, as if talking about a dramatic come-from-behind victory in game 7. It doesn't take much reverence for morals or law to be concerned over the tens of thousands people imprisoned since the failed military coup, who can't all be guilty. Many world leaders urged Erdogan to be lawful in the wake of the failed coup. This is as basic as it is important, so it's worth quoting the Times piece here in full: "Asked if Mr Erdogan was exploiting the coup attempt to purge his political enemies, Mr Trump did not call for the Turkish leader to observe the rule of law, or Western standards of justice. 'When the world sees how bad the United States is and we start talking about civil liberties, I don't think we are a very good messenger,' he said." The article points out that this places him in the same camp as Russia, North Korea and China, "and other autocratic nations (who) frequently cite violence and disorder on American streets to justify their own practises, and to make the case that the United States has no standing to criticise them". But this obscures an important point: those countries have in mind footage of American police killing citizens, mostly poor or African-American ones, something Trump has never denounced and if anything supports. When he talks about the apparent erosion of civil liberties, it's unclear what he means. If he has in mind the two men who recently killed police officers, he's making a categorical mistake: by definition only agents of the state, not private citizens, can take away civil liberties. Islamic State Obama's administration is in a bind: both its ally Turkey and the Kurds are fighting IS effectively, but Turkey is also fighting the Kurds out of fear they will break away and form their own state. Trump claims he will break this impasse by...hosting meetings. Knowing no middle ground, the way to defeat IS is either to "bomb the shit out of them" or to converse. Regarding the leader of Syria Trump was uncharacteristically perspicacious, saying, "Assad is a bad man". Trump claimed to have been briefed by two former Republican secretaries of state, who gave him "a lot of knowledge", but shed no light on this knowledge. Nuclear weapons The Obama administration has begun the process of modernising its nuclear arsenal, but the next president will decide whether or not to launch the reboot in earnest, with all the purchasing of submarines and bombers that entails, for an estimated cost of $500-billion. "He talked of funding a major military buildup, starting with a modernisation of America's nuclear arsenal," the article says. To put it lightly, nothing in the Times interview, or anything he has ever said bolsters confidence that Trump can be trusted around nuclear weapons. "We have a lot of obsolete weapons. We have nuclear that we don't even know if it works." Just how he plans to learn whether or not these nuclear weapons work should be a terriyfing thought to everybody. (WION)

Trump joins China and Russia in denouncing US civil liberties, without pointing to an example

Controversial presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has stepped up his attack on the US media, terming the political press as &quot;extremely dishonest&quot; and even calling a TV journalist &quot;a sleaze&quot;, triggering angry protests from media associations. 
&quot;We have to read probably libellous stories, or certainly close, in the newspapers and the people know the stories are false, I am going to continue to attack the press,&quot; Trump, 69, told reporters at a news conference in New York yesterday. 
&quot;I find the press to be extremely dishonest. I find the political press to be unbelievably dishonest. I will say that. OK. Thank you all very much,&quot; the former reality TV star said. 
He slammed the US media for questioning the USD six million fund he claimed to have raised for veterans on one night in Iowa in January. He had skipped a Republican debate hosted by Fox News and hosted a fundraising event for veterans&#39; charities. 
&quot;The press should be ashamed. I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job. I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I have ever met,&quot; he said. 
Trump pointed to ABC News journalist Tom Llamas and said, &quot;You are a sleaze because you know the facts and you know the facts well&quot;. 
The New York-based real estate tycoon-turned politician, however, immediately faced backlash from the media and presidential candidates of rival parties. 
Without naming Trump, the White House Correspondent&#39;s Association (WHCA) condemned any attack on the freedom of press. 
&quot;The WHCA advocates for access to the president and administration officials to enhance the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press. We are concerned that any administration or presidential candidate would seek to curb the First Amendment right to free speech and a free press,&quot; WHCA President Carol Lee said. 
&quot;We do not know who will be in the White House in January, but the presidential campaign has underscored the importance of press freedoms, and the WHCA will continue to defend those rights through the transition this fall and with the new administration next year,&quot; Lee said. 
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, 68, meanwhile alleged that Trump had been attacking everybody. 
&quot;He attacks everybody. Is a recipe for gridlock in Washington. And that is what we have got to break and get away with. You know he seems to believe, or at least is demonstrating that insulting and attacks is his mode of operations,&quot; Clinton told the CNN in an interview. 
In another interview to MSNBC, Clinton hoped that voters looked at the full picture of everything she has done in her career. 
&quot;I have faith in the American people that they will make the right choice here,&quot; Clinton added.

The Republican Presidential candidate launched into a fiery attack, slamming the media for questioning the $6 million fund he claims to have raised for military veterans

Controversial presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has stepped up his attack on the US media, terming the political press as "extremely dishonest" and even calling a TV journalist "a sleaze", triggering angry protests from media associations. "We have to read probably libellous stories, or certainly close, in the newspapers and the people know the stories are false, I am going to continue to attack the press," Trump, 69, told reporters at a news conference in New York yesterday. "I find the press to be extremely dishonest. I find the political press to be unbelievably dishonest. I will say that. OK. Thank you all very much," the former reality TV star said. He slammed the US media for questioning the USD six million fund he claimed to have raised for veterans on one night in Iowa in January. He had skipped a Republican debate hosted by Fox News and hosted a fundraising event for veterans' charities. "The press should be ashamed. I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job. I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I have ever met," he said. Trump pointed to ABC News journalist Tom Llamas and said, "You are a sleaze because you know the facts and you know the facts well". The New York-based real estate tycoon-turned politician, however, immediately faced backlash from the media and presidential candidates of rival parties. Without naming Trump, the White House Correspondent's Association (WHCA) condemned any attack on the freedom of press. "The WHCA advocates for access to the president and administration officials to enhance the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press. We are concerned that any administration or presidential candidate would seek to curb the First Amendment right to free speech and a free press," WHCA President Carol Lee said. "We do not know who will be in the White House in January, but the presidential campaign has underscored the importance of press freedoms, and the WHCA will continue to defend those rights through the transition this fall and with the new administration next year," Lee said. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, 68, meanwhile alleged that Trump had been attacking everybody. "He attacks everybody. Is a recipe for gridlock in Washington. And that is what we have got to break and get away with. You know he seems to believe, or at least is demonstrating that insulting and attacks is his mode of operations," Clinton told the CNN in an interview. In another interview to MSNBC, Clinton hoped that voters looked at the full picture of everything she has done in her career. "I have faith in the American people that they will make the right choice here," Clinton added.

Trump attacks U.S media, calls TV journalist 'sleaze'

Inter Milan said on Monday its coach Roberto Mancini is leaving, citing a &quot;mutual agreement&quot; amid media reports the Serie A club&#39;s new Chinese owners decided fresh blood is needed to rejuvenate the team. 
 
&quot;FC Internazionale Milano confirms that it has parted company with head coach Roberto Mancini by mutual agreement,&quot; the club said in a statement 
 
Mancini is tipped in the media to be replaced by Dutch coach Frank de Boer. 
 
Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport reported there was a contract dispute with Mancini and that the Chinese owners, the Suning group, were furious after Inter lost 6-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly in Oslo on Thursday. 
 
Mancini had been a&nbsp;coach for two years and was under contract until 2017. He was given severance pay of 2.5 million Euros ($2.8 million) net, and will take his entire staff with him, Corriere dello Sport said. De Boer left Ajax Amsterdam at the end of last season. 
 
&quot;Inter would like to place on record its thanks to Roberto for the work carried out with the team since joining in November 2014,&quot; the club said. 
 
(AFP)

Media reports however said the Serie A club's new Chinese owners decided fresh blood was needed to rejuvenate the team

Inter Milan said on Monday its coach Roberto Mancini is leaving, citing a "mutual agreement" amid media reports the Serie A club's new Chinese owners decided fresh blood is needed to rejuvenate the team. "FC Internazionale Milano confirms that it has parted company with head coach Roberto Mancini by mutual agreement," the club said in a statement Mancini is tipped in the media to be replaced by Dutch coach Frank de Boer. Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport reported there was a contract dispute with Mancini and that the Chinese owners, the Suning group, were furious after Inter lost 6-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly in Oslo on Thursday. Mancini had been a coach for two years and was under contract until 2017. He was given severance pay of 2.5 million Euros ($2.8 million) net, and will take his entire staff with him, Corriere dello Sport said. De Boer left Ajax Amsterdam at the end of last season. "Inter would like to place on record its thanks to Roberto for the work carried out with the team since joining in November 2014," the club said. (AFP)

Inter Milan says coach Roberto Mancini is leaving by 'mutual agreement'

Indian interior minister Rajnath Singh&#39;s speech during the seventh SAARC home ministers&#39; meeting held in Pakistan&#39;s capital Islamabad was blacked out. 
 
Members of the Indian media, who had gone to report on the conference, were not allowed to cover the speech. They were reportedly kept at a distance by Pakistani officials, which led to a verbal dual between officials of the two sides. 
 
Only Pakistan state PTV was allowed to cover introductory speeches of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and interior minister&nbsp;Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan. Even private Pakistani media was not allowed to cover the event. 
 
As per reports, Singh has left for Islamabad airport to return to India. Media reports also said that his scheduled news conference at Delhi airport has been cancelled. 
 
During a terse speech in Islamabad, Singh said that there should&nbsp;be strongest of action not only against terrorists but also against organisations, individuals and nations which support terror. He said mere condemnation of terrorism and individual acts by terrorists was not enough as far as India was concerned. 
 
Launching a veiled attack on Pakistan for glorifying Hizbul commander Burhan Wani as a martyr, Singh said that there should be no glorification of terrorists, adding there is no good or bad terrorism. 
 
The ongoing strain in Indo-Pak relations was evident when Singh came face- to-face with Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan for the first time today. The two leaders barely shook hands at the entrance of the venue of the conference at the posh Serena Hotel. 
 
Singh arrived in Islamabad yesterday amid protests by supporters of the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Harkat ul Mujahideen. The protests were held at a distance of about 10 kilometres from the&nbsp;National Assembly. Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin was also present during the protests. 
 
(ANI)

Members of the Indian media were not allowed to cover the speech. They were reportedly kept at a distance by Pakistani officials

Indian interior minister Rajnath Singh's speech during the seventh SAARC home ministers' meeting held in Pakistan's capital Islamabad was blacked out. Members of the Indian media, who had gone to report on the conference, were not allowed to cover the speech. They were reportedly kept at a distance by Pakistani officials, which led to a verbal dual between officials of the two sides. Only Pakistan state PTV was allowed to cover introductory speeches of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and interior minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan. Even private Pakistani media was not allowed to cover the event. As per reports, Singh has left for Islamabad airport to return to India. Media reports also said that his scheduled news conference at Delhi airport has been cancelled. During a terse speech in Islamabad, Singh said that there should be strongest of action not only against terrorists but also against organisations, individuals and nations which support terror. He said mere condemnation of terrorism and individual acts by terrorists was not enough as far as India was concerned. Launching a veiled attack on Pakistan for glorifying Hizbul commander Burhan Wani as a martyr, Singh said that there should be no glorification of terrorists, adding there is no good or bad terrorism. The ongoing strain in Indo-Pak relations was evident when Singh came face- to-face with Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan for the first time today. The two leaders barely shook hands at the entrance of the venue of the conference at the posh Serena Hotel. Singh arrived in Islamabad yesterday amid protests by supporters of the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Harkat ul Mujahideen. The protests were held at a distance of about 10 kilometres from the National Assembly. Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin was also present during the protests. (ANI)

Indian interior minister's speech blacked out at SAARC summit in Pakistan

Turkey said yesterday it was discharging 149 generals and ordering the closure of dozens of media outlets in the next phase of its controversial crackdown in the wake of the failed coup. 
 
Eighty-seven land army generals, 30 air force generals, and 32 admirals - a total of 149 - were being dishonourably discharged from the military over their complicity in the coup bid, a Turkish official said, confirming a government decree published in the official gazette. 
 
In addition, 1,099 officers and 436 junior officers have also received a dishonourable discharge, the decree added. 
 
The discharge of the generals - most of whom are currently under arrest - comes a day ahead of a meeting of Turkey&#39;s Supreme Military Council which is expected to agree one of the most radical shake-ups of the armed forces in years. 
 
Meanwhile the closure was ordered of three news agencies, 16 television stations, 23 radio stations, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 publishers, the official gazette added. 
 
It did not give the names of those media outlets to be closed but according to a list obtained by the CNN-Turk channel they include mainly provincial titles but also some well-known national media. 
 
These include the Cihan news agency, the pro-Kurdish IMC TV and the opposition daily newspaper Taraf. 
 
Also to be shut are the Zaman newspaper and its Today&#39;s Zaman English language sister publication which, like Cihan, were part of a holding linked to the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen until being put into state administration earlier this year. 
 
(AFP)

The country will dishonourably discharge 149 generals - most of whom are under arrest - over their complicity in the coup bid

Turkey said yesterday it was discharging 149 generals and ordering the closure of dozens of media outlets in the next phase of its controversial crackdown in the wake of the failed coup. Eighty-seven land army generals, 30 air force generals, and 32 admirals - a total of 149 - were being dishonourably discharged from the military over their complicity in the coup bid, a Turkish official said, confirming a government decree published in the official gazette. In addition, 1,099 officers and 436 junior officers have also received a dishonourable discharge, the decree added. The discharge of the generals - most of whom are currently under arrest - comes a day ahead of a meeting of Turkey's Supreme Military Council which is expected to agree one of the most radical shake-ups of the armed forces in years. Meanwhile the closure was ordered of three news agencies, 16 television stations, 23 radio stations, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 publishers, the official gazette added. It did not give the names of those media outlets to be closed but according to a list obtained by the CNN-Turk channel they include mainly provincial titles but also some well-known national media. These include the Cihan news agency, the pro-Kurdish IMC TV and the opposition daily newspaper Taraf. Also to be shut are the Zaman newspaper and its Today's Zaman English language sister publication which, like Cihan, were part of a holding linked to the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen until being put into state administration earlier this year. (AFP)

Turkey discharges generals, shuts media outlets after coup

The Maldives Civil Court today banned former employees of the defunct Haveeru from working in any other media station, ordering Ministry of Home Affairs to penalise any employee who does, within the next two years, according to reports. 
 
The issue could force the closure of&nbsp;Mihaaru newspaper,&nbsp;which was set up last year by former&nbsp;Haveeru&nbsp;journalists who resigned en masse after the ownership dispute. 
 
Mihaaru&#39;s&nbsp;assistant editor Ali Naafiz spoke to&nbsp;The Maldives Independent: 
 
&quot;If we continue, the home ministry can enforce the order and take back the operating license of&nbsp;Mihaaru.&nbsp;If we still continue we can be arrested and charged individually.&nbsp;We will be jobless for the next two years. This is an absolute violation of our fundamental rights, our right to work anywhere we want. This is part of the government&#39;s continuing crackdown on the press.&quot; 
 
This comes after the shutting down of a media outlet, Channel News Maldives,&nbsp;known for being critical of the current administrtion. Four journalists from&nbsp;Raajje TV,&nbsp;known for supporting the opposition, are soon to stand trial. 
 
Haveeru&nbsp;shuttered last April after the paper&#39;s founder, Doctor Mohamed Zahir Hussain, was sued by its three new shareholders for a share of the assets and profits acquired over the past 35 years.&nbsp; 
 
This High Court ruling controversially cited a 1983 agreement, resulting in three former editorial staff getting a controlling stake of the paper.&nbsp; 
 
Reportedly, sources close to Zahir claim the lawsuit was politically motivated, and sought to compromise the newspapers journalistic independence. 
 
Many argue that today&#39;s ruling infringed on the constitutional rights of the former&nbsp;Haveeru&nbsp;employees. 
 
&quot;Every citizen has the right to engage in any employment or occupation,&quot; states article 37(a) of the constitution, which also prohibits slavery and forced labour. 
 
(WION with inputs from The Maldives Independent)

'This is part of the government's continuing crackdown on the press'--former Haveeru editor

The Maldives Civil Court today banned former employees of the defunct Haveeru from working in any other media station, ordering Ministry of Home Affairs to penalise any employee who does, within the next two years, according to reports. The issue could force the closure of Mihaaru newspaper, which was set up last year by former Haveeru journalists who resigned en masse after the ownership dispute. Mihaaru's assistant editor Ali Naafiz spoke to The Maldives Independent: "If we continue, the home ministry can enforce the order and take back the operating license of Mihaaru. If we still continue we can be arrested and charged individually. We will be jobless for the next two years. This is an absolute violation of our fundamental rights, our right to work anywhere we want. This is part of the government's continuing crackdown on the press." This comes after the shutting down of a media outlet, Channel News Maldives, known for being critical of the current administrtion. Four journalists from Raajje TV, known for supporting the opposition, are soon to stand trial. Haveeru shuttered last April after the paper's founder, Doctor Mohamed Zahir Hussain, was sued by its three new shareholders for a share of the assets and profits acquired over the past 35 years. This High Court ruling controversially cited a 1983 agreement, resulting in three former editorial staff getting a controlling stake of the paper. Reportedly, sources close to Zahir claim the lawsuit was politically motivated, and sought to compromise the newspapers journalistic independence. Many argue that today's ruling infringed on the constitutional rights of the former Haveeru employees. "Every citizen has the right to engage in any employment or occupation," states article 37(a) of the constitution, which also prohibits slavery and forced labour. (WION with inputs from The Maldives Independent)

Maldives' Court bans 'Haveeru' employees from working in other media stations for two years

Democrats demanding action on gun control turned to Twitter&#39;s Periscope and Facebook&#39;s live video platform to broadcast their &quot;sit-in&quot; on the floor of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday after the chamber&#39;s cameras shut down. 
 
Representative Scott Peters of California told Reuters he downloaded the online video platform Periscope from the House floor after it became clear that chamber cameras were not operating. 
 
The protest was the latest move by Democrats to persuade the Republican majority in Congress to take up votes on gun control measures in response to last week&#39;s mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest in modern US history. 
 
In video streamed on Facebook Live by Congressman Beto O&#39;Rourke, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi can be seen speaking into a microphone that was turned off. She could be heard asking the House Speaker to turn the microphones back on. 
 
At about noon EDT (1600 GMT), presiding House officer and Republican Representative Ted Poe declared the House not in order, as Democratic protesters sat at the front of the chamber. 
 
Cable news channel C-SPAN, which typically uses the House cameras to broadcast live footage of Congress, broadcast Peters&#39; Periscope feed instead. 
 
The hashtag #NoBillNoBreak became a rallying cry for gun control supporters on Twitter and quickly became the top-trending hashtag in the United States on the social media platform. 
 
Politicians and average social media users alike used the hashtag as a sign of solidarity with the sit-in.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

After Orlando shooting, Republicans face more pressure to stop voting against gun control measures

Democrats demanding action on gun control turned to Twitter's Periscope and Facebook's live video platform to broadcast their "sit-in" on the floor of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday after the chamber's cameras shut down. Representative Scott Peters of California told Reuters he downloaded the online video platform Periscope from the House floor after it became clear that chamber cameras were not operating. The protest was the latest move by Democrats to persuade the Republican majority in Congress to take up votes on gun control measures in response to last week's mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest in modern US history. In video streamed on Facebook Live by Congressman Beto O'Rourke, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi can be seen speaking into a microphone that was turned off. She could be heard asking the House Speaker to turn the microphones back on. At about noon EDT (1600 GMT), presiding House officer and Republican Representative Ted Poe declared the House not in order, as Democratic protesters sat at the front of the chamber. Cable news channel C-SPAN, which typically uses the House cameras to broadcast live footage of Congress, broadcast Peters' Periscope feed instead. The hashtag #NoBillNoBreak became a rallying cry for gun control supporters on Twitter and quickly became the top-trending hashtag in the United States on the social media platform. Politicians and average social media users alike used the hashtag as a sign of solidarity with the sit-in. (Reuters)

Democrats broadcast House sit-in on social media to protest gun control impasse

A month-old Bactrian camel named Alexander Camelton at Chicago&#39;s Lincoln Park Zoo has become a social media star.

The gangly brown camel has Twitter abuzz over his name, a play on Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States and the inspiration for the smash Broadway&nbsp;musical &quot;Hamilton.&quot;

&quot;We&#39;ve been very surprised with the reaction we&#39;ve gotten on social media,&quot; Lincoln Park Zoological Manager Dan Boehm said on Tuesday.

Boehm described Alexander Camelton, the first Bactrian camel born at the zoo since 1998, as very precocious and said he was adjusting very well.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote and stars in &quot;Hamilton,&quot; posted an emoji of a camel and a blushing face on Twitter in recognition of baby Camelton.

Other social media users had fun with the camel&#39;s name.

&quot;It&#39;s going to be really awkward when Alexander Camelton dies in a duel with Aaron Brrrr the Penguin,&quot; tweeted Mike Sager (@msager) on Monday, referring to Aaron Burr, who mortally wounded Alexander Hamilton in a duel 1804.

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Soon all the zoo animals will have &lsquo;Hamilton&#39; names. Alexander Camelton. Salamander Hamilton. Alexander Lambilton. Lin-Manuel the Panda
&mdash; Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) <a href="https://twitter.com/gilbertjasono/status/739894758684794880">June 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>

A month-old Bactrian camel named Alexander Camelton has Twitter abuzz over his name

A month-old Bactrian camel named Alexander Camelton at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo has become a social media star. The gangly brown camel has Twitter abuzz over his name, a play on Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States and the inspiration for the smash Broadway musical "Hamilton." "We've been very surprised with the reaction we've gotten on social media," Lincoln Park Zoological Manager Dan Boehm said on Tuesday. Boehm described Alexander Camelton, the first Bactrian camel born at the zoo since 1998, as very precocious and said he was adjusting very well. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote and stars in "Hamilton," posted an emoji of a camel and a blushing face on Twitter in recognition of baby Camelton. Other social media users had fun with the camel's name. "It's going to be really awkward when Alexander Camelton dies in a duel with Aaron Brrrr the Penguin," tweeted Mike Sager (@msager) on Monday, referring to Aaron Burr, who mortally wounded Alexander Hamilton in a duel 1804. Soon all the zoo animals will have ‘Hamilton' names. Alexander Camelton. Salamander Hamilton. Alexander Lambilton. Lin-Manuel the Panda — Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) June 6, 2016

Chicago zoo's baby camel a social media star

&nbsp;The NPR photojournalist and his Afghan colleague killed in Afghanistan on Sunday died on the first day of an embed with local troops, highlighting the risks for reporters in a country where increasing amounts of territory are off-limits. 
 
Photographer David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna, an Afghan journalist working as a translator, were killed in a Taliban ambush shortly after joining Afghan troops in Helmand province, one of the most volatile areas in the country. 
 
The NPR team, including Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and producer Monika Evstatieva, had just spent several days with coalition troops, including U.S. special forces, before they went over to an Afghan unit, said Colonel Michael Lawhorn, a spokesman for the NATO-led military coalition. 
 
The team spent Sunday morning in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah interviewing local officials, according to Shakil Ahmad Tasal, a public affairs officer for the 205th Corps who accompanied the NPR team during the drive. 
 
The team carried a letter from the Afghan Ministry of Defence, directing the soldiers to escort them to the town of Marjah, roughly 30 km (18 miles) away, he said. 
 
While Lashkar Gah has remained in government control, some surrounding areas of Helmand have been under serious pressure from Islamist militants from the Taliban insurgency. 
 
Earlier this year in Marjah, U.S. forces conducted several air strikes to help beleaguered Afghan troops, and a U.S. Special Forces soldier was killed and two others were wounded during a Taliban attack. 
 
On Sunday afternoon, a convoy of six lightly armoured Humvees, which also carried an Afghan general, was nearing Marjah when Taliban gunmen opened fire, pelting the vehicles with small arms and rocket fire. 
 
&quot;We were taking very heavy fire,&quot; Tasal told Reuters. 
 
The Humvee carrying Tamanna and Gilkey was hit by a shell and caught fire, killing the journalists and the soldier driving the vehicle, according to witnesses and NPR. 
 
DOZENS FORM GUARD OF HONOUR 
 
A gunfight raged for at least 30 minutes before coalition and Afghan aircraft arrived overhead, apparently prompting the Taliban to break off the attack, Tasal said. 
 
The coalition said its aircraft provided surveillance for the Afghans, while attack aircraft were put on standby but never launched. 
 
The other two NPR staffers, travelling in another vehicle, were unharmed. 
 
A veteran photojournalist, Gilkey, 50, had reported from Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, and won awards for covering veterans issues in the United States and the ebola breakout in Africa. 
 
In a video posted by NPR on May 13, just prior to his departure for Afghanistan, Gilkey described a desire to get close to what is happening. 
 
&quot;What I always try to show in my pictures is what it&#39;s like for the guys on the ground that are having to operate there,&quot; he said. 
 
Like many Afghan journalists who perform the lion&#39;s share of the work covering their country, Tamanna had worked for a variety of foreign outlets, including the Chinese news agency Xinhua and Turkey&#39;s Anadolu News Agency. 
 
Qualified journalists in their own right, Afghans like Tamanna are often contracted to provide translation and other help for foreign reporters. 
 
&quot;He was a very honest, responsible person and loved his country,&quot; Haroon Sabawoon, a friend and business partner, said of Tamanna. &quot;He was very polite, calm and had high hopes for peace and security.&quot; 
 
Tamanna, 38, left behind a wife and three children. 
 
Afghan troops recovered the bodies of the slain journalists and handed them over to coalition forces at Camp Shorab, where the team had just previously been embedded with American troops, Lawhorn said. 
 
&quot;Dozens and dozens&quot; of U.S. troops at the base formed an honour guard, stood to attention and saluted when the journalists&#39; remains arrived, Bowman reported to NPR. 
 
Coalition CH-47 helicopters then transported them to the base at Kandahar Air Field, Lawhorn said.

Photographer David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna, an Afghan journalist working as a translator, were killed in a Taliban ambush shortly after joining Afghan troops in Helmand province, one of the most volatile areas in the country.

The NPR photojournalist and his Afghan colleague killed in Afghanistan on Sunday died on the first day of an embed with local troops, highlighting the risks for reporters in a country where increasing amounts of territory are off-limits. Photographer David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna, an Afghan journalist working as a translator, were killed in a Taliban ambush shortly after joining Afghan troops in Helmand province, one of the most volatile areas in the country. The NPR team, including Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and producer Monika Evstatieva, had just spent several days with coalition troops, including U.S. special forces, before they went over to an Afghan unit, said Colonel Michael Lawhorn, a spokesman for the NATO-led military coalition. The team spent Sunday morning in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah interviewing local officials, according to Shakil Ahmad Tasal, a public affairs officer for the 205th Corps who accompanied the NPR team during the drive. The team carried a letter from the Afghan Ministry of Defence, directing the soldiers to escort them to the town of Marjah, roughly 30 km (18 miles) away, he said. While Lashkar Gah has remained in government control, some surrounding areas of Helmand have been under serious pressure from Islamist militants from the Taliban insurgency. Earlier this year in Marjah, U.S. forces conducted several air strikes to help beleaguered Afghan troops, and a U.S. Special Forces soldier was killed and two others were wounded during a Taliban attack. On Sunday afternoon, a convoy of six lightly armoured Humvees, which also carried an Afghan general, was nearing Marjah when Taliban gunmen opened fire, pelting the vehicles with small arms and rocket fire. "We were taking very heavy fire," Tasal told Reuters. The Humvee carrying Tamanna and Gilkey was hit by a shell and caught fire, killing the journalists and the soldier driving the vehicle, according to witnesses and NPR. DOZENS FORM GUARD OF HONOUR A gunfight raged for at least 30 minutes before coalition and Afghan aircraft arrived overhead, apparently prompting the Taliban to break off the attack, Tasal said. The coalition said its aircraft provided surveillance for the Afghans, while attack aircraft were put on standby but never launched. The other two NPR staffers, travelling in another vehicle, were unharmed. A veteran photojournalist, Gilkey, 50, had reported from Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, and won awards for covering veterans issues in the United States and the ebola breakout in Africa. In a video posted by NPR on May 13, just prior to his departure for Afghanistan, Gilkey described a desire to get close to what is happening. "What I always try to show in my pictures is what it's like for the guys on the ground that are having to operate there," he said. Like many Afghan journalists who perform the lion's share of the work covering their country, Tamanna had worked for a variety of foreign outlets, including the Chinese news agency Xinhua and Turkey's Anadolu News Agency. Qualified journalists in their own right, Afghans like Tamanna are often contracted to provide translation and other help for foreign reporters. "He was a very honest, responsible person and loved his country," Haroon Sabawoon, a friend and business partner, said of Tamanna. "He was very polite, calm and had high hopes for peace and security." Tamanna, 38, left behind a wife and three children. Afghan troops recovered the bodies of the slain journalists and handed them over to coalition forces at Camp Shorab, where the team had just previously been embedded with American troops, Lawhorn said. "Dozens and dozens" of U.S. troops at the base formed an honour guard, stood to attention and saluted when the journalists' remains arrived, Bowman reported to NPR. Coalition CH-47 helicopters then transported them to the base at Kandahar Air Field, Lawhorn said.

Embed quickly turned deadly for NPR team in Afghanistan

The statue in the town square of a Houston suburb depicting two young&nbsp;women&nbsp;posing for a selfie was meant to be a sign of the times. It has unleashed another sign of the times - a heated social media debate. 
 
The statue in Sugar Land, just outside of City Hall, was part of an installation of pieces donated to the city. Residents have been quick to weigh in on social media. 
 
&quot;Selfie Statue, Seriously? Sugarland what are your officials thinking,&quot; one Twitter comment read. Said another: &quot;I hope someone demolishes that disgrace of culture and an eye sore.&quot; 
 
Others defended the selfie statue. &quot;Let&rsquo;s Be Honest: The #SelfieStatue in #SugarLand, TX is a Perfect Sign of the Times,&quot; said one commentator. Added another: &quot;Unpopular Opinion: The Sugar Land, TX, selfie statue everyone is talking about is both art and good art.&quot; 
 
The statue in question is part of a group donated from a local resident. Others in the group include a statue of a man playing a guitar, and one of an alligator, installed near a pond. 
 
Some fans of the selfie statue have posed for selfies in front of it, while others praised the work but slammed the artist for depicting the&nbsp;women&nbsp;using what appears to be an outdated phone. 
 
Sugar Land city spokesman Doug Adolph said the selfie statue depicts something seen every day and yet &quot;it has upset some people.&quot; 
 
&quot;You can&#39;t please everyone,&quot; he said.

The statue in the town square of a Houston suburb depicting two young?women?posing for a selfie has sparked off a heated social media debate

The statue in the town square of a Houston suburb depicting two young women posing for a selfie was meant to be a sign of the times. It has unleashed another sign of the times - a heated social media debate. The statue in Sugar Land, just outside of City Hall, was part of an installation of pieces donated to the city. Residents have been quick to weigh in on social media. "Selfie Statue, Seriously? Sugarland what are your officials thinking," one Twitter comment read. Said another: "I hope someone demolishes that disgrace of culture and an eye sore." Others defended the selfie statue. "Let’s Be Honest: The #SelfieStatue in #SugarLand, TX is a Perfect Sign of the Times," said one commentator. Added another: "Unpopular Opinion: The Sugar Land, TX, selfie statue everyone is talking about is both art and good art." The statue in question is part of a group donated from a local resident. Others in the group include a statue of a man playing a guitar, and one of an alligator, installed near a pond. Some fans of the selfie statue have posed for selfies in front of it, while others praised the work but slammed the artist for depicting the women using what appears to be an outdated phone. Sugar Land city spokesman Doug Adolph said the selfie statue depicts something seen every day and yet "it has upset some people." "You can't please everyone," he said.

Selfie statue fails to click with some in Houston suburb

A baby suffering from a birth defect caused by the Zika virus was born on Tuesday in New Jersey to a woman visiting from Honduras who is infected with virus after she was bitten by a mosquito early on in her pregnancy, media reported.

The baby girl is suffering from severe microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems, after she was delivered through cesarean section at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey, the news website NorthJersey.com reported.

U.S.&nbsp;health&nbsp;officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly. The World&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.

The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,300 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers.

The unidentified premature newborn also suffers from intestinal and visual issues, Manny Alvarez, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Hackensack, told NorthJersey.com.

&quot;You could see the pain in her heart,&quot; Alvarez said of the mother, the website reported.

Hospital officials were not available for comment.

The unidentified 31-year-old mother was staying with relatives after she arrived in the United States more than a month ago from Honduras, where she was bitten by a mosquito, Alvarez said.

Zika is carried by mosquitoes, which transmit the virus to humans. A small number of cases of sexual transmission have been reported in the United States and elsewhere. A case of suspected transmission through a blood transfusion in Brazil has raised questions about other ways that Zika may spread.

In January, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that a U.S. woman who had lived in Brazil gave birth to a microcephalic baby in Hawaii.

The Zika outbreak is affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil the hardest hit.

Honduras is the Central American country with the highest number of Zika cases, with 19,000 infections, and at least 238 pregnant women infected. It has also detected at least 78 Guillain-Barre cases.

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of dengue and chikungunya and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected.

A baby suffering from a birth defect caused by the Zika virus was born on Tuesday in New Jersey to a woman visiting from Honduras who is infected with virus after she was bitten by a mosquito early on in her pregnancy, media reported.

A baby suffering from a birth defect caused by the Zika virus was born on Tuesday in New Jersey to a woman visiting from Honduras who is infected with virus after she was bitten by a mosquito early on in her pregnancy, media reported. The baby girl is suffering from severe microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems, after she was delivered through cesarean section at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey, the news website NorthJersey.com reported. U.S. health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly. The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,300 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. The unidentified premature newborn also suffers from intestinal and visual issues, Manny Alvarez, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Hackensack, told NorthJersey.com. "You could see the pain in her heart," Alvarez said of the mother, the website reported. Hospital officials were not available for comment. The unidentified 31-year-old mother was staying with relatives after she arrived in the United States more than a month ago from Honduras, where she was bitten by a mosquito, Alvarez said. Zika is carried by mosquitoes, which transmit the virus to humans. A small number of cases of sexual transmission have been reported in the United States and elsewhere. A case of suspected transmission through a blood transfusion in Brazil has raised questions about other ways that Zika may spread. In January, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that a U.S. woman who had lived in Brazil gave birth to a microcephalic baby in Hawaii. The Zika outbreak is affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil the hardest hit. Honduras is the Central American country with the highest number of Zika cases, with 19,000 infections, and at least 238 pregnant women infected. It has also detected at least 78 Guillain-Barre cases. There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of dengue and chikungunya and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected.

Baby born with birth defect in New Jersey to mother infected by Zika

A crocodile in Australia snatched a woman taking a late-night swim in a national park and is believed to have killed her, media reported on Monday. 
 
The 46-year-old woman was swimming with a friend late on Sunday in waist-deep water at a beach in Queensland state when she disappeared, police said. 
 
&quot;They felt a nudge, and a large crocodile is alleged to have grabbed one of the ladies and pulled her into the water,&quot; Neil Noble, a supervisor for the Queensland state ambulance service, told reporters. 
 
Police would only say the woman was believed to have been taken by a crocodile. Media reported that the friend struggled to pull the woman back from the crocodile`s jaws. 
 
Police did not identify the woman or give her nationality but said she lives in Australia and has family in New Zealand. 
A police spokesman told Reuters a search and rescue operation would continue on Tuesday. 
 
Warren Entsch, the area`s member of parliament, said the incident occurred in a place that is popular with crocodile-spotting tours, with many warning signs. 
 
The incident should not encourage reprisals against the animals, he said. 
 
&quot;You can`t legislate against human stupidity,&quot; Entsch told reporters. &quot;This is a tragedy but it was avoidable. There are warning signs everywhere up there.&quot;

A crocodile in Australia snatched a woman taking a late-night swim in a national park and is believed to have killed her, media reported on Monday. The 46-year-old woman was swimming with a friend late on Sunday in waist-deep water at a beach in Queensland state when she disappeared, police said.

A crocodile in Australia snatched a woman taking a late-night swim in a national park and is believed to have killed her, media reported on Monday. The 46-year-old woman was swimming with a friend late on Sunday in waist-deep water at a beach in Queensland state when she disappeared, police said. "They felt a nudge, and a large crocodile is alleged to have grabbed one of the ladies and pulled her into the water," Neil Noble, a supervisor for the Queensland state ambulance service, told reporters. Police would only say the woman was believed to have been taken by a crocodile. Media reported that the friend struggled to pull the woman back from the crocodile`s jaws. Police did not identify the woman or give her nationality but said she lives in Australia and has family in New Zealand. A police spokesman told Reuters a search and rescue operation would continue on Tuesday. Warren Entsch, the area`s member of parliament, said the incident occurred in a place that is popular with crocodile-spotting tours, with many warning signs. The incident should not encourage reprisals against the animals, he said. "You can`t legislate against human stupidity," Entsch told reporters. "This is a tragedy but it was avoidable. There are warning signs everywhere up there."

Crocodile attacked woman taking late-night swim in Australia

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