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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