Egypt's highest civilian court on Monday upheld death sentences for 12 senior Muslim Brotherhood figures over a 2013 sit-in which ended with security forces killing hundreds of protesters, judicial sources said. 
 
The ruling, which cannot be appealed, means the 12 men could face execution pending approval by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. They include Abdul Rahman Al-Bar, commonly described as the group's mufti or top religious scholar, Mohamed El-Beltagi, a former member of parliament, and Osama Yassin, a former minister. 
 
Many Muslim Brotherhood figures have been sentenced to death in other cases related to the unrest that followed the military's ousting of Brotherhood president Mohamed Mursi in 2013, but the Court of Cassation ordered retrials. 
 
Rights groups have documented a sharp rise in the number of executions in Egypt, with at least 51 carried out so far this year according to Amnesty International. 
 
"Instead of continuing to escalate their use of the death penalty by upholding death sentences following convictions in grossly unfair mass trials Egyptian authorities must immediately establish an official moratorium on executions," Amnesty said in a statement. 
 
Monday's ruling relates to a mass trial of hundreds of suspects accused of murder and incitement of violence during pro-Brotherhood protests at Rabaa al-Adawiya square in Cairo in the weeks after Mursi's overthrow. 
 
In September 2018, an Egyptian criminal court sentenced 75 people to death and issued varying jail terms for more than 600 others. Many defendants were tried in absentia. 
 
Forty-four of those sentenced to death appealed to the Court of Cassation. Thirty-one had their sentences changed to life in prison, while death sentences were upheld for 12 others. 
 
A final defendant, the senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam el-Erian, died in prison in Cairo in August 2020. Mursi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, died in prison in 2019. 
 
The court also upheld jail terms for many other defendants including a life sentence for Mohamed Badie, leader of the outlawed Brotherhood, and a 10-year jail term for Mursi's son Osama, the judicial sources said. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Egypt's highest civilian court on Monday upheld death sentences for 12 senior Muslim Brotherhood figures over a 2013 sit-in which ended with security forces killing hundreds of protesters, judicial sources said.

Egypt's highest civilian court on Monday upheld death sentences for 12 senior Muslim Brotherhood figures over a 2013 sit-in which ended with security forces killing hundreds of protesters, judicial sources said. The ruling, which cannot be appealed, means the 12 men could face execution pending approval by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. They include Abdul Rahman Al-Bar, commonly described as the group's mufti or top religious scholar, Mohamed El-Beltagi, a former member of parliament, and Osama Yassin, a former minister. Many Muslim Brotherhood figures have been sentenced to death in other cases related to the unrest that followed the military's ousting of Brotherhood president Mohamed Mursi in 2013, but the Court of Cassation ordered retrials. Rights groups have documented a sharp rise in the number of executions in Egypt, with at least 51 carried out so far this year according to Amnesty International. "Instead of continuing to escalate their use of the death penalty by upholding death sentences following convictions in grossly unfair mass trials Egyptian authorities must immediately establish an official moratorium on executions," Amnesty said in a statement. Monday's ruling relates to a mass trial of hundreds of suspects accused of murder and incitement of violence during pro-Brotherhood protests at Rabaa al-Adawiya square in Cairo in the weeks after Mursi's overthrow. In September 2018, an Egyptian criminal court sentenced 75 people to death and issued varying jail terms for more than 600 others. Many defendants were tried in absentia. Forty-four of those sentenced to death appealed to the Court of Cassation. Thirty-one had their sentences changed to life in prison, while death sentences were upheld for 12 others. A final defendant, the senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam el-Erian, died in prison in Cairo in August 2020. Mursi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, died in prison in 2019. The court also upheld jail terms for many other defendants including a life sentence for Mohamed Badie, leader of the outlawed Brotherhood, and a 10-year jail term for Mursi's son Osama, the judicial sources said. (With inputs from agencies)

Egypt upholds death sentence for 12 senior Muslim Brotherhood figures

Despite increasing concern over the intrusion of algorithms in daily life, a new research shows that people are more likely to rely on algorithms than humans, especially if a task becomes too challenging.&nbsp;

From choosing the next song on your playlist to choosing the right size pants, people are relying more on the advice of algorithms to help make everyday decisions and streamline their lives.&nbsp;

"Algorithms are able to do a huge number of tasks and the number of tasks that they are able to do is expanding practically every day," said researcher Eric Bogert from the University of Georgia.&nbsp;

"It seems like there's a bias towards leaning more heavily on algorithms as a task gets harder and that effect is stronger than the bias towards relying on advice from other people," Bogert added.&nbsp;

For the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, the team involved 1,500 individuals evaluating photographs.&nbsp;

The team asked volunteers to count the number of people in a photograph of a crowd and supplied suggestions that were generated by a group of other people and suggestions generated by an algorithm.&nbsp;

As the number of people in the photograph expanded, counting became more difficult and people were more likely to follow the suggestion generated by an algorithm rather than count themselves or follow the "wisdom of the crowd", the researcher said.&nbsp;

According to the researcher, the choice of counting as the trial task was an important one because the number of people in the photo makes the task objectively harder as it increases. It also is the type of task that laypeople expect computers to be good at.&nbsp;

Facial recognition and hiring algorithms have come under scrutiny in recent years as well because their use has revealed cultural biases in the way they were built, which can cause inaccuracies when matching faces to identities or screening for qualified job candidates, the team said.&nbsp;

Those biases may not be present in a simple task like counting, but their presence in other trusted algorithms is a reason why it's important to understand how people rely on algorithms when making decisions, they added.&nbsp;

Despite increasing concern over the intrusion of algorithms in daily life, a new research shows that people are more likely to rely on algorithms than humans, especially if a task becomes too challenging.

Despite increasing concern over the intrusion of algorithms in daily life, a new research shows that people are more likely to rely on algorithms than humans, especially if a task becomes too challenging. From choosing the next song on your playlist to choosing the right size pants, people are relying more on the advice of algorithms to help make everyday decisions and streamline their lives. "Algorithms are able to do a huge number of tasks and the number of tasks that they are able to do is expanding practically every day," said researcher Eric Bogert from the University of Georgia. "It seems like there's a bias towards leaning more heavily on algorithms as a task gets harder and that effect is stronger than the bias towards relying on advice from other people," Bogert added. For the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, the team involved 1,500 individuals evaluating photographs. The team asked volunteers to count the number of people in a photograph of a crowd and supplied suggestions that were generated by a group of other people and suggestions generated by an algorithm. As the number of people in the photograph expanded, counting became more difficult and people were more likely to follow the suggestion generated by an algorithm rather than count themselves or follow the "wisdom of the crowd", the researcher said. According to the researcher, the choice of counting as the trial task was an important one because the number of people in the photo makes the task objectively harder as it increases. It also is the type of task that laypeople expect computers to be good at. Facial recognition and hiring algorithms have come under scrutiny in recent years as well because their use has revealed cultural biases in the way they were built, which can cause inaccuracies when matching faces to identities or screening for qualified job candidates, the team said. Those biases may not be present in a simple task like counting, but their presence in other trusted algorithms is a reason why it's important to understand how people rely on algorithms when making decisions, they added.

People trust computers more than humans: Study 

The United Nations has said as many as 23 people were killed in Iran's Sistan Baluchistan province when authorities opened fire on fuel porters and protestors last month. &nbsp;

In a crackdown on cross-border fuel trade, Iran's Revolutionary Guards reportedly used live ammunition on a group of people transporting fuel across the Iranian border with Pakistan.&nbsp;

Shooting on February 22 left 10 Baluchi people dead and five injured in the town of Saravan, Al-Monitor reported. The shooting has sparked protests across southeastern Iran, during which security forces reportedly fired on the crowds to disperse them. &nbsp;

According to Baluchi human rights defenders, two people, including a child, were fatally shot during the protests. A spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Rupert Colville on Friday said, "According to some estimates, which we are unable to confirm, as many as 23 people may have been killed in all."&nbsp;

"In Iran, we condemn use of force violations in recent weeks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and state security forces against unarmed fuel couriers and protesters belonging to the Baluch minority, which has reportedly led to the killing of at least 12 individuals, including at least two minors," he said. &nbsp;

"We are deeply concerned by the widespread shutdown of the internet across several cities in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, with the apparent purpose of preventing access to information about what is happening there. Blanket internet shutdowns violate the principles of necessity and proportionality applicable to restrictions of freedom of expression and constitute a violation of international human rights law," he added.&nbsp;

Colville called on the authorities to immediately restore internet access in areas that remain disconnected. Deploring the systematic intentional use of lethal force by Iranian border officials, especially against border couriers from the Kurdish and Baluch minorities, the UN body called for immediate measures to end the impunity that perpetuates this practice.&nbsp;

"During 2020, a total of 59 Kurdish couriers were reported to have been killed by border officials in provinces in the north-west of Iran. We call for prompt, impartial and full investigations into all such killings, and accountability for those found to be responsible for unlawful use of force leading to death or serious injury. Victims and their families have the right to truth and redress," he said.&nbsp;

Located along Iran's border with Pakistan, Sistan-Baluchestan is among Iran's poorest provinces and is rife with drug traffickers and separatist ethnic Baluch militants. The region is majority Sunni Muslim, whereas Iran's population is majority Shiite. Baluch rights activists organised a demonstration in the Pakistani port city of Karachi this week to protest the violence. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The United Nations has said as many as 23 people were killed in Iran's Sistan Baluchistan province when authorities opened fire on fuel porters and protestors last month.

The United Nations has said as many as 23 people were killed in Iran's Sistan Baluchistan province when authorities opened fire on fuel porters and protestors last month. In a crackdown on cross-border fuel trade, Iran's Revolutionary Guards reportedly used live ammunition on a group of people transporting fuel across the Iranian border with Pakistan. Shooting on February 22 left 10 Baluchi people dead and five injured in the town of Saravan, Al-Monitor reported. The shooting has sparked protests across southeastern Iran, during which security forces reportedly fired on the crowds to disperse them. According to Baluchi human rights defenders, two people, including a child, were fatally shot during the protests. A spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Rupert Colville on Friday said, "According to some estimates, which we are unable to confirm, as many as 23 people may have been killed in all." "In Iran, we condemn use of force violations in recent weeks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and state security forces against unarmed fuel couriers and protesters belonging to the Baluch minority, which has reportedly led to the killing of at least 12 individuals, including at least two minors," he said. "We are deeply concerned by the widespread shutdown of the internet across several cities in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, with the apparent purpose of preventing access to information about what is happening there. Blanket internet shutdowns violate the principles of necessity and proportionality applicable to restrictions of freedom of expression and constitute a violation of international human rights law," he added. Colville called on the authorities to immediately restore internet access in areas that remain disconnected. Deploring the systematic intentional use of lethal force by Iranian border officials, especially against border couriers from the Kurdish and Baluch minorities, the UN body called for immediate measures to end the impunity that perpetuates this practice. "During 2020, a total of 59 Kurdish couriers were reported to have been killed by border officials in provinces in the north-west of Iran. We call for prompt, impartial and full investigations into all such killings, and accountability for those found to be responsible for unlawful use of force leading to death or serious injury. Victims and their families have the right to truth and redress," he said. Located along Iran's border with Pakistan, Sistan-Baluchestan is among Iran's poorest provinces and is rife with drug traffickers and separatist ethnic Baluch militants. The region is majority Sunni Muslim, whereas Iran's population is majority Shiite. Baluch rights activists organised a demonstration in the Pakistani port city of Karachi this week to protest the violence. (With inputs from agencies)

UN condemns killing of 23 people at Iran's border with Pakistan 

A rare snowfall did not stop many Washington DC residents from going about their regular activities on Sunday (January 31).

Washingtonians enjoy rare snowfall

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers the inaugural address on the occasion of the 95th annual plenary session of Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) today.

'Must work on reducing imports and to make self-reliant India', says PM Modi

Thousands of backers of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-withholding-105-million-in-security-aid-for-lebanon-sources-259197">Lebanon's embattled president</a> rallied Sunday in a show of support, after more than two weeks of massive nationwide anti-graft protests that brought down the government.

They paid tribute to President Michel Aoun outside the capital, ahead of another demonstration planned in Beirut to demand a complete overhaul of a political system deemed inefficient and corrupt.

In the town of Baabda, supporters of the retired general turned head of state filled up a two-kilometre-long&nbsp;road leading to the presidential&nbsp;palace, an AFP correspondent said.

Fans of the president waved large Lebanese flags and orange-coloured banners of the political party he founded, the Free Patriotic Movement, he said.

"We are here, General. We won't abandon you as long as we live," one poster read, responding to a cross-sectarian movement calling for an end to his term.

Some Aoun supporters wore orange T-shirts while others held up portraits of the 84-year-old president.

"General Aoun is a reformist and sincere man,&nbsp;not corrupt nor a thief," said one supporter who gave her name as Diana.

"There has been corruption in the state for 30 years. The president isn't responsible. He's trying to fight against graft," she said.

In Baabda, Aoun supporters said they backed the general demands of protesters nationwide but insisted the president was the only man able to bring about reforms.

"There were slogans against the president. That's not fair," said Hanna Nader, an unemployed man in his forties.

More than 25 percent of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lebanon-president-calls-for-merit-based-government-in-nod-to-protesters-259178">Lebanese live in poverty</a>, the World Bank says.

Economic growth in Lebanon has stalled in recent years in the wake of repeated political crises, compounded by an eight-year civil war in neighbouring Syria.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his cabinet would step down.

But it is still unclear what a new government will look like and if it will include independent technocrats as demanded by demonstrators.

Thousands of anti-government protesters flocked together in the northern city of Tripoli Saturday night, many from other parts of the country.

Thousands of backers of Lebanon's embattled president rallied Sunday in a show of support, after more than two weeks of massive nationwide anti-graft protests that brought down the government.

Thousands of backers of Lebanon's embattled president rallied Sunday in a show of support, after more than two weeks of massive nationwide anti-graft protests that brought down the government. They paid tribute to President Michel Aoun outside the capital, ahead of another demonstration planned in Beirut to demand a complete overhaul of a political system deemed inefficient and corrupt. In the town of Baabda, supporters of the retired general turned head of state filled up a two-kilometre-long road leading to the presidential palace, an AFP correspondent said. Fans of the president waved large Lebanese flags and orange-coloured banners of the political party he founded, the Free Patriotic Movement, he said. "We are here, General. We won't abandon you as long as we live," one poster read, responding to a cross-sectarian movement calling for an end to his term. Some Aoun supporters wore orange T-shirts while others held up portraits of the 84-year-old president. "General Aoun is a reformist and sincere man, not corrupt nor a thief," said one supporter who gave her name as Diana. "There has been corruption in the state for 30 years. The president isn't responsible. He's trying to fight against graft," she said. In Baabda, Aoun supporters said they backed the general demands of protesters nationwide but insisted the president was the only man able to bring about reforms. "There were slogans against the president. That's not fair," said Hanna Nader, an unemployed man in his forties. More than 25 percent of the Lebanese live in poverty, the World Bank says. Economic growth in Lebanon has stalled in recent years in the wake of repeated political crises, compounded by an eight-year civil war in neighbouring Syria. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his cabinet would step down. But it is still unclear what a new government will look like and if it will include independent technocrats as demanded by demonstrators. Thousands of anti-government protesters flocked together in the northern city of Tripoli Saturday night, many from other parts of the country.

Thousands rally in support of Lebanese president

Actress Priyanka Chopra and her pop star husband Nick Jonas were named the best dressed of 2019 by People magazine on Wednesday, marking the first time in the celebrity magazine`s history that a couple has shared top style honors. 
 
Chopra, 37, a former Miss World who became a star in both Hollywood and Bollywood, and Jonas, 26 ,topped People`s annual best dressed list in an electic slate that included actor Billy Porter and tennis champion Serena Williams along with style-setting veterans such as Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Celine Dion.

"It`s the first time ever that we have had a man or a couple on the Top 10 list, let alone as the best dressed. But it really felt like these two deserved it," People`s style and beauty director, Andrea Lavinthal, told Reuters. 
 
"The combination of the two of them is so exciting to watch. (Jonas) is not exactly someone who just wears a black tuxedo and stands next to her on the red carpet. You can tell that he enjoys fashion as much as she does," Lavinthal added. 
 
Chopra, who became the first Indian to headline a U.S. television drama series as the star of "Quantico," married the younger of the three Jonas Brothers musicians in New Delhi in December 2018, becoming one of the most sought-after celebrity couples in the world.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/people?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@people</a> 💜 <a href="https://twitter.com/nickjonas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nickjonas</a> <a href="https://t.co/yniW0LSLb8">pic.twitter.com/yniW0LSLb8</a>
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) <a href="https://twitter.com/priyankachopra/status/1169358891563417600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Lavinthal praised Chopra and Jonas for embracing different styles and designers but always looking good. 
 
"They don`t do matchy-matchy but they still look like they go together," she said. "Even walking down the street in New York City, they are not in jeans and a T-shirt or casual pants. She is in a head to toe look, and so is he." 
 
Porter, the Emmy-nominated star of TV series "Pose" about New York`s LGBTQ ballroom culture in the 1980s, was deemed the "Disruptor" on People`s Top 10 best dressed list. 
 
Porter, 49, turned heads when he walked the Oscar red carpet in February in a black velvet tuxedo ball gown, and at the Met Gala in May dressed as an glittering Egyptian sun god with gold wings. 
 
Lavinthal said Porter`s appearances "never felt they were just for the sake of being outrageous or costumey. It was really the start of a conversation about what is considered gender appropriate."

Actress Priyanka Chopra and her pop star husband Nick Jonas were named the best dressed of 2019 by People magazine on Wednesday, marking the first time in the celebrity magazine`s history that a couple has shared top style honors.

Actress Priyanka Chopra and her pop star husband Nick Jonas were named the best dressed of 2019 by People magazine on Wednesday, marking the first time in the celebrity magazine`s history that a couple has shared top style honors. Chopra, 37, a former Miss World who became a star in both Hollywood and Bollywood, and Jonas, 26 ,topped People`s annual best dressed list in an electic slate that included actor Billy Porter and tennis champion Serena Williams along with style-setting veterans such as Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Celine Dion. "It`s the first time ever that we have had a man or a couple on the Top 10 list, let alone as the best dressed. But it really felt like these two deserved it," People`s style and beauty director, Andrea Lavinthal, told Reuters. "The combination of the two of them is so exciting to watch. (Jonas) is not exactly someone who just wears a black tuxedo and stands next to her on the red carpet. You can tell that he enjoys fashion as much as she does," Lavinthal added. Chopra, who became the first Indian to headline a U.S. television drama series as the star of "Quantico," married the younger of the three Jonas Brothers musicians in New Delhi in December 2018, becoming one of the most sought-after celebrity couples in the world. Thank you @people 💜 @nickjonas pic.twitter.com/yniW0LSLb8 — PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) September 4, 2019 × Lavinthal praised Chopra and Jonas for embracing different styles and designers but always looking good. "They don`t do matchy-matchy but they still look like they go together," she said. "Even walking down the street in New York City, they are not in jeans and a T-shirt or casual pants. She is in a head to toe look, and so is he." Porter, the Emmy-nominated star of TV series "Pose" about New York`s LGBTQ ballroom culture in the 1980s, was deemed the "Disruptor" on People`s Top 10 best dressed list. Porter, 49, turned heads when he walked the Oscar red carpet in February in a black velvet tuxedo ball gown, and at the Met Gala in May dressed as an glittering Egyptian sun god with gold wings. Lavinthal said Porter`s appearances "never felt they were just for the sake of being outrageous or costumey. It was really the start of a conversation about what is considered gender appropriate."

In a first, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas both named People's best dressed

People being evacuated during a mass shooting at an El Paso, Texas mall moved quickly through stores, their hands in the air, as law enforcement officers directed them to "go! go!"

People flee El Paso mall following shooting

Thousands of Australians attended "Invasion Day" rallies across the country on Saturday calling for a rethink of national day celebrations they say are disrespectful to indigenous people.

The annual January 26 Australia Day holiday commemorates the arrival of the first British settlers in 1788, but for many Australians it marks the beginning of colonial oppression of Aboriginal people.

Several thousand joined the annual march in Melbourne Saturday chanting "Always was, always will be Aboriginal land", and holding placards stating "Australia is a crime scene".

Thousands more joined similar demonstrations in major cities around the country, calling for a change of date, or for the day to be abolished altogether.

"Why would you want to celebrate this concept called Australia? It is founded on lies, founded on genocide, founded on murder," Melbourne protestor Dominic Guerrera told AFP. "There's nothing to celebrate in that."

Divisions have deepened in recent years with increasing calls to change the date.

Amid the heightened sensitivities this week Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced government funding of a voyage to mark the 250th anniversary of explorer Captain James Cook's first journey to Australia.

Canberra pledged about $6.5 million to a circumnavigation of Australia in a replica of Cook's ship, the Endeavour, which in 1770 brought the British into contact with eastern Australia and foreshadowed the colonisation of the continent.

The story of Cook's voyage and his "discovery" of territory declared New South Wales on the east coast has stirred debate in Australia, with Aboriginal people inhabiting the land for more than 60,000 years before the first European explorers arrived.

Meanwhile, the uncovering this week in London of the remains of British explorer Matthew Flinders, who is credited as the first to circumnavigate the Australian continent in 1802-1803, has also added to the controversy.

An aboriginal aide to Flinders named Bungaree has been largely eclipsed by his British captain, but historians now believe he played a crucial role in success of the voyage.

Morrison, who has resisted calls to change the date, said Saturday Australia cannot "walk away" from its past. &nbsp;

"Australia is the story of being overcome, to be able to see the better nature of Australians and the values we hold together, all races, all peoples, all cultures, all religions, all languages even," he told reporters.

Aboriginal people remain the most disadvantaged Australians, with higher rates of poverty, ill-health and imprisonment than any other community.

Australia Day is also celebrated across the county, with picnics, traditional Aboriginal performances and citizenship ceremonies, where more than 16,000 new Australians pledged their commitment to the nation Saturday.

Thousands of Australians attended "Invasion Day" rallies across the country on Saturday calling for a rethink of national day celebrations they say are disrespectful to indigenous people.

Thousands of Australians attended "Invasion Day" rallies across the country on Saturday calling for a rethink of national day celebrations they say are disrespectful to indigenous people. The annual January 26 Australia Day holiday commemorates the arrival of the first British settlers in 1788, but for many Australians it marks the beginning of colonial oppression of Aboriginal people. Several thousand joined the annual march in Melbourne Saturday chanting "Always was, always will be Aboriginal land", and holding placards stating "Australia is a crime scene". Thousands more joined similar demonstrations in major cities around the country, calling for a change of date, or for the day to be abolished altogether. "Why would you want to celebrate this concept called Australia? It is founded on lies, founded on genocide, founded on murder," Melbourne protestor Dominic Guerrera told AFP. "There's nothing to celebrate in that." Divisions have deepened in recent years with increasing calls to change the date. Amid the heightened sensitivities this week Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced government funding of a voyage to mark the 250th anniversary of explorer Captain James Cook's first journey to Australia. Canberra pledged about $6.5 million to a circumnavigation of Australia in a replica of Cook's ship, the Endeavour, which in 1770 brought the British into contact with eastern Australia and foreshadowed the colonisation of the continent. The story of Cook's voyage and his "discovery" of territory declared New South Wales on the east coast has stirred debate in Australia, with Aboriginal people inhabiting the land for more than 60,000 years before the first European explorers arrived. Meanwhile, the uncovering this week in London of the remains of British explorer Matthew Flinders, who is credited as the first to circumnavigate the Australian continent in 1802-1803, has also added to the controversy. An aboriginal aide to Flinders named Bungaree has been largely eclipsed by his British captain, but historians now believe he played a crucial role in success of the voyage. Morrison, who has resisted calls to change the date, said Saturday Australia cannot "walk away" from its past. "Australia is the story of being overcome, to be able to see the better nature of Australians and the values we hold together, all races, all peoples, all cultures, all religions, all languages even," he told reporters. Aboriginal people remain the most disadvantaged Australians, with higher rates of poverty, ill-health and imprisonment than any other community. Australia Day is also celebrated across the county, with picnics, traditional Aboriginal performances and citizenship ceremonies, where more than 16,000 new Australians pledged their commitment to the nation Saturday.

'Invasion Day' protests draw thousands on Australia's national day

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/unpaid-work-done-by-women-globally-worth-43-times-apples-annual-turnover-oxfam-191775&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiCnI7QrojgAhVMuI8KHaWzBtcQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2lVuPlQ6uybpzP_U5Vk1UD">Apple</a>&nbsp;has dismissed more than 200 employees from its autonomous vehicle group, Project Titan, CNBC reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The dismissals are seen, internally, as anticipated restructuring under the relatively new leadership of Project Titan, CNBC said.

"As the team focuses their work on several key areas for 2019, some groups are being moved to projects in other parts of the company, where they will support machine learning and other initiatives, across all of Apple," the company said in a statement.

However, Apple didn't confirm or deny the layoffs.

Last year, the iPhone maker hired Doug Field, an Apple veteran and a Tesla engineering vice president, to lead the Project Titan team alongside Bob Mansfield.

Apple has dismissed more than 200 employees from its autonomous vehicle group, Project Titan, CNBC reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The dismissals are seen, internally, as anticipated restructuring under the relatively new leadership of Project Titan, CNBC said.

Apple has dismissed more than 200 employees from its autonomous vehicle group, Project Titan, CNBC reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The dismissals are seen, internally, as anticipated restructuring under the relatively new leadership of Project Titan, CNBC said. "As the team focuses their work on several key areas for 2019, some groups are being moved to projects in other parts of the company, where they will support machine learning and other initiatives, across all of Apple," the company said in a statement. However, Apple didn't confirm or deny the layoffs. Last year, the iPhone maker hired Doug Field, an Apple veteran and a Tesla engineering vice president, to lead the Project Titan team alongside Bob Mansfield.

Apple dismisses over 200 staff from autonomous vehicle group: Report

Australia on Thursday accused asylum seekers held in Pacific detention camps of falsely reporting sexual assault in order to get sent to Australia, a day after a newspaper published leaked documents detailing abuse at the Nauru immigration centre. 
 
More than 2,000 incidents, including sexual abuse, assault and attempted self-harm, were reported over two years at the Australian-funded Nauru detention centre, more than half involving children, Guardian Australia reported. 
 
Immigration minister Peter Dutton on Thursday said asylum seekers were lying about sexual abuse, and repeated comments he made earlier this year that refugee advocates were encouraging detainees to self-harm and set themselves on fire. 
 
&quot;I have been made aware of some incidents that have reported false allegations of sexual assault, because in the end, people have paid money to people smugglers and they want to come to our country,&quot; Dutton said in an interview on Australian radio.&nbsp;&quot;Some people have even gone to the extent of self-harming and people have self-immolated in an effort to get to Australia. Certainly some have made false allegations.&quot; 
 
Under its hardline immigration policy, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach Australia by boat are sent for processing to Australian-funded camps on Nauru, which holds about 500 people, and on Manus island in Papua New Guinea. They are told they will never be settled in Australia. 
 
The harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse at the camps have drawn wide criticism at home and abroad. Australia, however, has vowed there will be no change to the policy, which has been pursued by successive governments.&nbsp;Australia says the policy is needed to stop asylum seekers dying at sea on the dangerous boat journey from Indonesia to Australia. Hundreds of people died attempting the trip in the years before the policy was put in place. 
 
Refugee advocates said the leaked reports show the urgent need to end Australia&#39;s offshore detention policy, and that asylum seekers must be given medical and psychological support. 
 
Hayley Ballinger, a child protection worker at the Nauru detention centre from 2014-15, said that it was an &quot;absolute insult&quot; to suggest that refugees had lied about abuse that has now been widely documented. 
 
&quot;All of the statements speak for themselves. Certainly the clients I saw there suffered and they really suffered. And this stuff really, really did happen. We witnessed it first-hand,&quot; Ballinger told Reuters. 
 
(Reuters)

Some people have even gone to the extent of self-harming and self-immolation in an effort to get to Australia: Immigration minister

Australia on Thursday accused asylum seekers held in Pacific detention camps of falsely reporting sexual assault in order to get sent to Australia, a day after a newspaper published leaked documents detailing abuse at the Nauru immigration centre. More than 2,000 incidents, including sexual abuse, assault and attempted self-harm, were reported over two years at the Australian-funded Nauru detention centre, more than half involving children, Guardian Australia reported. Immigration minister Peter Dutton on Thursday said asylum seekers were lying about sexual abuse, and repeated comments he made earlier this year that refugee advocates were encouraging detainees to self-harm and set themselves on fire. "I have been made aware of some incidents that have reported false allegations of sexual assault, because in the end, people have paid money to people smugglers and they want to come to our country," Dutton said in an interview on Australian radio. "Some people have even gone to the extent of self-harming and people have self-immolated in an effort to get to Australia. Certainly some have made false allegations." Under its hardline immigration policy, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach Australia by boat are sent for processing to Australian-funded camps on Nauru, which holds about 500 people, and on Manus island in Papua New Guinea. They are told they will never be settled in Australia. The harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse at the camps have drawn wide criticism at home and abroad. Australia, however, has vowed there will be no change to the policy, which has been pursued by successive governments. Australia says the policy is needed to stop asylum seekers dying at sea on the dangerous boat journey from Indonesia to Australia. Hundreds of people died attempting the trip in the years before the policy was put in place. Refugee advocates said the leaked reports show the urgent need to end Australia's offshore detention policy, and that asylum seekers must be given medical and psychological support. Hayley Ballinger, a child protection worker at the Nauru detention centre from 2014-15, said that it was an "absolute insult" to suggest that refugees had lied about abuse that has now been widely documented. "All of the statements speak for themselves. Certainly the clients I saw there suffered and they really suffered. And this stuff really, really did happen. We witnessed it first-hand," Ballinger told Reuters. (Reuters)

Australia accuses refugees of falsely reporting sexual abuse

Germany appears to have drastically curtailed its open-door policy for migrants in 2016, turning away 13,000 people without valid documentation in the first six months, already 4,000 more than in the whole of 2015, official data showed on Tuesday. 
 
Around 117,500 migrants were admitted in the same period, compared to a record of more than one million migrants entering the country last year, mainly across the border from Austria. 
 
The bulk of the rejections happened at land entry points and Afghans, Syrians, and Iraqis made up the three largest groups of the total, the Interior Ministry data published at the request of the hard-left Die Linke party showed. 
 
Chancellor Angela Merkel last month interrupted her summer break to defend her government&#39;s migration policy after two Islamist attacks by asylum seekers, saying that those fleeing conflicts and persecution have the right to asylum in Germany. 
 
More than 2,500 Afghans, 1,300 Syrians, and 1,000 Iraqis were declined entry at border crossings in the January-June period, the ministry said. Iranians, Moroccans, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Gambians, Somalis and Algerians made up the rest of the top 10. 
 
The number of people seeking asylum in Germany dropped drastically this year as a result of border closures in the Balkans, an EU-Turkey deal to stop sea arrivals in Greece and tougher asylum rules in Germany. 
 
In July, 4,500 migrants arrived in Germany, less than half of the daily arrivals at the peak of the crisis in the fall of last year, German police said earlier this month, bringing the number of arrivals in the first seven months of the year to 122,000. 
 
Migrants who arrive in Germany are first registered at reception centres where they have to wait for months before they can officially file an asylum application, creating a huge backlog and putting a strain on civil servants. 
 
The influx has dented the popularity of Merkel&#39;s ruling conservatives and prompted the rise of an anti-immigration party. 
 
Turkey has threatened to suspend its migrants&#39; agreement with the European Union if there is no deal to grant visa-free travel to Turks. The number of migrants reaches Italy in boats from Libya has also been rising. 
 
(Reuters)

The country has turned away 13,000 people without valid documentation in the first six months, already 4,000 more than in the whole of 2015

Germany appears to have drastically curtailed its open-door policy for migrants in 2016, turning away 13,000 people without valid documentation in the first six months, already 4,000 more than in the whole of 2015, official data showed on Tuesday. Around 117,500 migrants were admitted in the same period, compared to a record of more than one million migrants entering the country last year, mainly across the border from Austria. The bulk of the rejections happened at land entry points and Afghans, Syrians, and Iraqis made up the three largest groups of the total, the Interior Ministry data published at the request of the hard-left Die Linke party showed. Chancellor Angela Merkel last month interrupted her summer break to defend her government's migration policy after two Islamist attacks by asylum seekers, saying that those fleeing conflicts and persecution have the right to asylum in Germany. More than 2,500 Afghans, 1,300 Syrians, and 1,000 Iraqis were declined entry at border crossings in the January-June period, the ministry said. Iranians, Moroccans, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Gambians, Somalis and Algerians made up the rest of the top 10. The number of people seeking asylum in Germany dropped drastically this year as a result of border closures in the Balkans, an EU-Turkey deal to stop sea arrivals in Greece and tougher asylum rules in Germany. In July, 4,500 migrants arrived in Germany, less than half of the daily arrivals at the peak of the crisis in the fall of last year, German police said earlier this month, bringing the number of arrivals in the first seven months of the year to 122,000. Migrants who arrive in Germany are first registered at reception centres where they have to wait for months before they can officially file an asylum application, creating a huge backlog and putting a strain on civil servants. The influx has dented the popularity of Merkel's ruling conservatives and prompted the rise of an anti-immigration party. Turkey has threatened to suspend its migrants' agreement with the European Union if there is no deal to grant visa-free travel to Turks. The number of migrants reaches Italy in boats from Libya has also been rising. (Reuters)

Germany has curbed open-door policy for migrants, government data reveals

Portugal&#39;s Cristiano Ronaldo, winning a record 128th cap, missed a penalty and had a late headed effort disallowed for offside as they were held 0-0 by Austria at Euro 2016 on Saturday (June 18) for their second straight draw. 
 
Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Martin Hinteregger in the 78th minute. 
 
However, Ronaldo sent his effort against the foot of the post for his fourth miss in his last five spot kicks. 
 
Ronaldo also sidefooted wide from a good position in the first half and forced two good saves from Robert Almer in quick succession after halftime. Nani also headed against the post just before the half hour. 
 
Hungary lead the group with four points, followed by Portugal and Iceland on two and Austria on one. Portugal meet Hungary in their last game. 
 
(Reuters)

Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, winning a record 128th cap, missed a penalty and had a late headed effort disallowed for offside as they were held 0-0 by Austria at Euro 2016 on Saturday (June 18) for their second straight draw. Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Martin Hinteregger in the 78th minute. However, Ronaldo sent his effort against the foot of the post for his fourth miss in his last five spot kicks. Ronaldo also sidefooted wide from a good position in the first half and forced two good saves from Robert Almer in quick succession after halftime. Nani also headed against the post just before the half hour. Hungary lead the group with four points, followed by Portugal and Iceland on two and Austria on one. Portugal meet Hungary in their last game. (Reuters)

Ronaldo misses penalty as Portugal held by Austria

Hungary and Portugal reached the Euro 2016 knockout stages after a rip-roaring 3-3 draw in which Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice and became the first player to score at four European Championship finals on Wednesday 
 
The Portuguese came from behind three times as Ronaldo, who also set a tournament record of 17 appearances, finally rediscovered his touch to help Portugal make the last 16, where they will meet Croatia in Lens on Saturday. 
 
Group F winners Hungary finished above Iceland, who also qualified after a last-gasp 2-1 win over Austria in Paris, and third-placed Portugal. 
 
Hungary will play the Group E runners-up, which will be decided later on Wednesday between Belgium, Sweden and Ireland, while Iceland will face England. 
 
Ronaldo equalised twice in the second half after Zoltan Gera&#39;s early strike was cancelled out by Nani just before the break. Hungary captain Balazs Dzsudzsak had twice put his side ahead before Ronaldo burst into life with a double strike. 
 
(Reuters)

Ronaldo became the first player to score at four European championship finals in his 17th match in a Euro tournament

Hungary and Portugal reached the Euro 2016 knockout stages after a rip-roaring 3-3 draw in which Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice and became the first player to score at four European Championship finals on Wednesday The Portuguese came from behind three times as Ronaldo, who also set a tournament record of 17 appearances, finally rediscovered his touch to help Portugal make the last 16, where they will meet Croatia in Lens on Saturday. Group F winners Hungary finished above Iceland, who also qualified after a last-gasp 2-1 win over Austria in Paris, and third-placed Portugal. Hungary will play the Group E runners-up, which will be decided later on Wednesday between Belgium, Sweden and Ireland, while Iceland will face England. Ronaldo equalised twice in the second half after Zoltan Gera's early strike was cancelled out by Nani just before the break. Hungary captain Balazs Dzsudzsak had twice put his side ahead before Ronaldo burst into life with a double strike. (Reuters)

Hungary and Portugal reach knockout stages after thrilling 3-3 draw

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. 
 
Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. 
 
Yerunov, 29, who is supporters&#39; liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club&#39;s website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. 
 
He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. 
 
&quot;I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn&#39;t hit anyone. My hands are clean,&quot; he told the court. 
 
Gorbachev, who leads a supporters&#39; club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. 
 
Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. 
 
Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians&#39; behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: &quot;It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call &#39;the fight&#39;.&quot; 
(AFP)

Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police on Tuesday

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. Yerunov, 29, who is supporters' liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club's website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. "I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn't hit anyone. My hands are clean," he told the court. Gorbachev, who leads a supporters' club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians' behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: "It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call 'the fight'." (AFP)

Russian fans jailed for up to 2 years for Euro 2016 violence

Eleven people have died in flooding in Niger and 30,000 have been rendered homeless after vast swathes of the country, &nbsp;including arid desert locations, were deluged with heavy rain, the United Nations (UN) said today. 
 
The worst affected regions are both desert areas: Tahoua in the west, where seven people died and 5,321 people were left homeless, and Agadez in the north where three people were killed and 18,448 lost their homes, according to the UN`s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). 
 
In the two areas, the freak weather claimed the lives of 19,536 cows, goats, sheep and camels while also devastating hundreds of acres of land, according to local authorities.&nbsp; 
 
Images broadcast by public television showed roads cut off by streams and land littered with rotting animal corpses. 
 
In the Agadez region, annual rainfall seldom exceeds 130 millimetres and floods like those seen in recent days are rare.&nbsp; 
 
But since June, as much as 115 millimetres has regularly been falling in a matter of hours, according to weather reports. 
 
Nigerien authorities and the UN have been distributing food aid to help families displaced by the flooding.&nbsp; 
 
Niger is in the midst of its annual rainy season, having struggled to overcome a severe food crisis caused by drought. 
 
The rains are unlikely to ease the pressure on the country&#39;s food supply, &nbsp;given the damage flooding caused by climate change has wrought on crops.&nbsp; 
 
In early June, &nbsp;the UN warned that flooding could affect 100,000 people in the poor desert country by the end of the year. 
 
In 2015 as many as 103,000 people were left homeless by floods that claimed the lives of tens of victims. 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

The worst affected regions are both desert areas: Tahoua in the west and Agadez in the north

Eleven people have died in flooding in Niger and 30,000 have been rendered homeless after vast swathes of the country, including arid desert locations, were deluged with heavy rain, the United Nations (UN) said today. The worst affected regions are both desert areas: Tahoua in the west, where seven people died and 5,321 people were left homeless, and Agadez in the north where three people were killed and 18,448 lost their homes, according to the UN`s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In the two areas, the freak weather claimed the lives of 19,536 cows, goats, sheep and camels while also devastating hundreds of acres of land, according to local authorities. Images broadcast by public television showed roads cut off by streams and land littered with rotting animal corpses. In the Agadez region, annual rainfall seldom exceeds 130 millimetres and floods like those seen in recent days are rare. But since June, as much as 115 millimetres has regularly been falling in a matter of hours, according to weather reports. Nigerien authorities and the UN have been distributing food aid to help families displaced by the flooding. Niger is in the midst of its annual rainy season, having struggled to overcome a severe food crisis caused by drought. The rains are unlikely to ease the pressure on the country's food supply, given the damage flooding caused by climate change has wrought on crops. In early June, the UN warned that flooding could affect 100,000 people in the poor desert country by the end of the year. In 2015 as many as 103,000 people were left homeless by floods that claimed the lives of tens of victims. (AFP)

Niger floods kill 11, 30,000 rendered homeless

The United Nations has made the first food aid delivery to thousands of people displaced by Boko Haram Islamists in the Nigerian town of Banki, where hundreds have starved to death since March, the UN said on Friday. 
 
Officials from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) delivered 30 tonnes of &quot;various lifesaving food items&quot; transported from neighbouring Cameroon, the OCHA said in a statement.&nbsp;The convoy reached Banki on Thursday and distributed food to the more than 25,000 people in the town, it said. 
 
&quot;An additional 700 kilograms of supplementary food for malnourished children was airlifted from the state capital Maiduguri to Banki on the same day.&quot;&nbsp;It was the first aid delivery to the thousands of internally displaced in the northeast region in the last four months following deadly Boko Haram raids. 
 
They have been without food and basic supplies and relied on paltry food handouts from soldiers who have been sharing their rations.&nbsp;Last month a soldier and a vigilante assisting the military in fighting Boko Haram told AFP at least 10 people were dying from hunger every day, highlighting warnings about a food crisis in the Sahel region. 
 
The vigilante said the cemetery in Banki, some 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of the Borno state capital Maiduguri, was dotted with 376 graves of displaced people who died of starvation.&nbsp;The soldier said people had been reduced to &quot;walking corpses&quot; facing imminent death without food aid. 
 
When Boko Haram intensified attacks on villages in the area, residents fled to Banki where a military detachment has been based since they retook it in September.&nbsp;The United Nations said in May that 9.2 million people living around Lake Chad, which forms the border of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, were in desperate need of food. 
 
According to the OCHA aid distribution in Banki and other areas recently liberated by the Nigerian military was &quot;scaling up&quot; but more funds were needed to meet the &quot;lifesaving needs&quot; of people affected by Boko Haram violence in northeast Nigeria. 
 
Only 28 per cent of the $279 million required by the UN to help those affected by the violence has been realised, leaving a $200 million shortfall. 
 
The Borno state government and aid agencies have warned about acute food shortages in the Lake Chad region as a result of seven years of violence. 
 
Boko Haram&#39;s insurgency has left at least 20,000 dead in Nigeria and devastated infrastructure in the impoverished northeast. The unrest has also displaced more than 2.6 million.&nbsp;Nigeria&#39;s government has been encouraging people to return home since the recapture of swathes of territory lost to the Islamist militants in 2014 but most are still largely reliant on food handouts. 
 
There have been concerns about high death rates from severe acute malnutrition in camps for the internally displaced, while it is feared some inaccessible areas could be suffering from famine.&nbsp;A UN official compared the situation with the crisis in Darfur and South Sudan. 
 
(AFP)

The camps have seen high death rates from severe acute malnutrition in camps, even famine. A UN official compared it to the Darfur crisis

The United Nations has made the first food aid delivery to thousands of people displaced by Boko Haram Islamists in the Nigerian town of Banki, where hundreds have starved to death since March, the UN said on Friday. Officials from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) delivered 30 tonnes of "various lifesaving food items" transported from neighbouring Cameroon, the OCHA said in a statement. The convoy reached Banki on Thursday and distributed food to the more than 25,000 people in the town, it said. "An additional 700 kilograms of supplementary food for malnourished children was airlifted from the state capital Maiduguri to Banki on the same day." It was the first aid delivery to the thousands of internally displaced in the northeast region in the last four months following deadly Boko Haram raids. They have been without food and basic supplies and relied on paltry food handouts from soldiers who have been sharing their rations. Last month a soldier and a vigilante assisting the military in fighting Boko Haram told AFP at least 10 people were dying from hunger every day, highlighting warnings about a food crisis in the Sahel region. The vigilante said the cemetery in Banki, some 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of the Borno state capital Maiduguri, was dotted with 376 graves of displaced people who died of starvation. The soldier said people had been reduced to "walking corpses" facing imminent death without food aid. When Boko Haram intensified attacks on villages in the area, residents fled to Banki where a military detachment has been based since they retook it in September. The United Nations said in May that 9.2 million people living around Lake Chad, which forms the border of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, were in desperate need of food. According to the OCHA aid distribution in Banki and other areas recently liberated by the Nigerian military was "scaling up" but more funds were needed to meet the "lifesaving needs" of people affected by Boko Haram violence in northeast Nigeria. Only 28 per cent of the $279 million required by the UN to help those affected by the violence has been realised, leaving a $200 million shortfall. The Borno state government and aid agencies have warned about acute food shortages in the Lake Chad region as a result of seven years of violence. Boko Haram's insurgency has left at least 20,000 dead in Nigeria and devastated infrastructure in the impoverished northeast. The unrest has also displaced more than 2.6 million. Nigeria's government has been encouraging people to return home since the recapture of swathes of territory lost to the Islamist militants in 2014 but most are still largely reliant on food handouts. There have been concerns about high death rates from severe acute malnutrition in camps for the internally displaced, while it is feared some inaccessible areas could be suffering from famine. A UN official compared the situation with the crisis in Darfur and South Sudan. (AFP)

UN delivers food to starving displaced by Boko Haram

Terrified revellers screamed as a truck careered into a crowd of fireworks spectators in Nice, turning Bastille Day celebrations into a night of horror. 
 
AFP correspondent Robert Holloway was among the crowds celebrating France&#39;s national day on Nice&#39;s Promenade des Anglais when the nightmare began. 
 
He had to shield his face from flying debris as the truck plunged two kilometres (1.3 miles) along the French Riviera resort&#39;s palm-fringed beachfront, mowing people down in its wake. 
 
&quot;It was absolute chaos,&quot; Holloway said. 
 
&quot;We saw people hit and bits of debris flying around. I had to protect my face from flying debris.&quot; 
 
At least 80 people have been killed in what French President Francois Hollande has branded a terrorist attack. 
 
Bodies lay covered in sheets on what is usually a bustling seven-kilometre strip curving along Nice&#39;s clear blue coast, attracting tourists from around the world. 
 
A child&#39;s doll lay abandoned next to one of the dead, as Hollande confirmed that several children were among the victims. 
 
In the early hours of Friday, the truck itself sat finally immobilised in front of the luxury Palais de la Mediterranee hotel, badly damaged with its tyres burst and multiple bullet holes in its windscreen. 
 
The driver had fired a pistol several times before being shot dead by police, regional chief Christian Estrosi said. 
 
All hell broke loose 
 
A witness named Nader told BFM television he had seen the whole attack from start to finish, and had initially thought the driver had &quot;lost control&quot;. 
 
&quot;I was in the street. He stopped just in front of me after he (crushed) a lot of people,&quot; he said. &quot;We were trying to speak to the driver to get him to stop. 
 
&quot;He looked nervous. There was a girl under the car, he smashed her. The guy next to me pulled her out,&quot; he said in broken English. 
 
Nader said he saw the driver pull out a gun and start shooting at police. 
 
&quot;They killed him and his head was out the window.&quot; 
 
People screamed and scattered as the truck veered down the beachfront where thousands of adults and children had gathered for the fireworks. 
 
&quot;For a big truck like that to get actually onto the promenade and then to go in a fairly straight line along there, looked to me like a very deliberate act,&quot; Holloway said. 
 
&quot;It was about 100 metres from me and I had a few seconds to get out of the way.&quot; 
 
Several witnesses described how people hurled themselves off the promenade onto the beach below to escape the path of the truck. 
 
Marie, a 37-year-old security guard at the nearby beachfront Massena Museum which itself hosted Bastille Day festivities just hours before the attack described the panic as people tried to flee. 
 
&quot;We saw hundreds of people rushing to get shelter,&quot; she told AFP, still stunned. 
 
&quot;There were children, people got trampled.&quot; 
 
A single high-heeled shoe lay on a nearby road, lost in the panic. 
 
The city streets were quiet as dawn approached, with the exception of the many soldiers and members of the security forces out on patrol. 
 
Witness Roy Calley, who said he lived 200 metres from the promenade, told the BBC there was &quot;all hell breaking loose&quot; and the situation was &quot;pretty horrendous&quot;. 
 
&quot;It was a celebratory atmosphere, it was fun, people were enjoying themselves. 
 
Suddenly I heard a huge, what I can only describe as maybe an explosion or a crash. 
 
A lot of people were screaming. That was followed by what I thought were maybe gunshots.&quot; 
 
David Cody, a producer for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation who was at the scene, added: &quot;People were tripping over in the commotion, there was a lot of panic. 
 
&quot;People were trying to get into hotels, any businesses that were open, trying to take shelter, because it was unclear what was happening. 
 
&quot;With each bang that we heard behind us, people perhaps started to go a bit faster, people were tripping over. It was a very chaotic scene.&quot; 
 
Earlier in the evening, as the crowds enjoyed the fireworks, lightning had flashed in the skies over Nice. 
 
(AFP)

Later, bodies lay covered in sheets on what is usually a bustling 7-km strip curving along Nice's clear blue coast

Terrified revellers screamed as a truck careered into a crowd of fireworks spectators in Nice, turning Bastille Day celebrations into a night of horror. AFP correspondent Robert Holloway was among the crowds celebrating France's national day on Nice's Promenade des Anglais when the nightmare began. He had to shield his face from flying debris as the truck plunged two kilometres (1.3 miles) along the French Riviera resort's palm-fringed beachfront, mowing people down in its wake. "It was absolute chaos," Holloway said. "We saw people hit and bits of debris flying around. I had to protect my face from flying debris." At least 80 people have been killed in what French President Francois Hollande has branded a terrorist attack. Bodies lay covered in sheets on what is usually a bustling seven-kilometre strip curving along Nice's clear blue coast, attracting tourists from around the world. A child's doll lay abandoned next to one of the dead, as Hollande confirmed that several children were among the victims. In the early hours of Friday, the truck itself sat finally immobilised in front of the luxury Palais de la Mediterranee hotel, badly damaged with its tyres burst and multiple bullet holes in its windscreen. The driver had fired a pistol several times before being shot dead by police, regional chief Christian Estrosi said. All hell broke loose A witness named Nader told BFM television he had seen the whole attack from start to finish, and had initially thought the driver had "lost control". "I was in the street. He stopped just in front of me after he (crushed) a lot of people," he said. "We were trying to speak to the driver to get him to stop. "He looked nervous. There was a girl under the car, he smashed her. The guy next to me pulled her out," he said in broken English. Nader said he saw the driver pull out a gun and start shooting at police. "They killed him and his head was out the window." People screamed and scattered as the truck veered down the beachfront where thousands of adults and children had gathered for the fireworks. "For a big truck like that to get actually onto the promenade and then to go in a fairly straight line along there, looked to me like a very deliberate act," Holloway said. "It was about 100 metres from me and I had a few seconds to get out of the way." Several witnesses described how people hurled themselves off the promenade onto the beach below to escape the path of the truck. Marie, a 37-year-old security guard at the nearby beachfront Massena Museum which itself hosted Bastille Day festivities just hours before the attack described the panic as people tried to flee. "We saw hundreds of people rushing to get shelter," she told AFP, still stunned. "There were children, people got trampled." A single high-heeled shoe lay on a nearby road, lost in the panic. The city streets were quiet as dawn approached, with the exception of the many soldiers and members of the security forces out on patrol. Witness Roy Calley, who said he lived 200 metres from the promenade, told the BBC there was "all hell breaking loose" and the situation was "pretty horrendous". "It was a celebratory atmosphere, it was fun, people were enjoying themselves. Suddenly I heard a huge, what I can only describe as maybe an explosion or a crash. A lot of people were screaming. That was followed by what I thought were maybe gunshots." David Cody, a producer for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation who was at the scene, added: "People were tripping over in the commotion, there was a lot of panic. "People were trying to get into hotels, any businesses that were open, trying to take shelter, because it was unclear what was happening. "With each bang that we heard behind us, people perhaps started to go a bit faster, people were tripping over. It was a very chaotic scene." Earlier in the evening, as the crowds enjoyed the fireworks, lightning had flashed in the skies over Nice. (AFP)

Terrified revellers screamed as monster truck left death and destruction in its wake

Mexican soldiers killed five suspected criminals in a gunfight in a northern state where 14 other people were murdered over the weekend, authorities said.&nbsp;The shootout took place on Sunday on a road in the town of Valle Hermoso, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the US border, in the state of Tamaulipas. 
 
The soldiers were on the road when they saw armed civilians and ordered them to stop, according to the Tamaulipas Coordination Group of federal and state security forces.&nbsp;The civilians &quot;ignored them and began to shoot at the soldiers, who repelled the attack in self-defense&quot;, the group said in a statement. 
 
The dead suspects are part of a criminal group that operates in the region, the statement said yesterday, without identifying the gang. 
The Gulf cartel and their rivals, Los Zetas, have fought brutal turf wars in Tamaulipas for years.&nbsp;On Saturday, 11 members of the same family were killed by gunmen in their home in Ciudad Victoria, the state capital. 
 
Three people from another family were murdered less than an hour later in another home.&nbsp;The government said the killings in Ciudad Victoria appeared to be related to a dispute between rival gangs. 
 
(AFP)

The shootout took place 40 miles south of the US border in Valle Hermoso, where 14 other people were murdered over the weekend

Mexican soldiers killed five suspected criminals in a gunfight in a northern state where 14 other people were murdered over the weekend, authorities said. The shootout took place on Sunday on a road in the town of Valle Hermoso, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the US border, in the state of Tamaulipas. The soldiers were on the road when they saw armed civilians and ordered them to stop, according to the Tamaulipas Coordination Group of federal and state security forces. The civilians "ignored them and began to shoot at the soldiers, who repelled the attack in self-defense", the group said in a statement. The dead suspects are part of a criminal group that operates in the region, the statement said yesterday, without identifying the gang. The Gulf cartel and their rivals, Los Zetas, have fought brutal turf wars in Tamaulipas for years. On Saturday, 11 members of the same family were killed by gunmen in their home in Ciudad Victoria, the state capital. Three people from another family were murdered less than an hour later in another home. The government said the killings in Ciudad Victoria appeared to be related to a dispute between rival gangs. (AFP)

Mexican soldiers kill 5 suspected criminals in gunfight

Manila, Phillipines: Nine people were killed overnight in the Philippines, authorities said Saturday, as police and suspected anti-drug gunmen pushed ahead with President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s controversial war on crime. 
 
Duterte won the May 9 election by landslide largely on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of drug dealers and other criminals, and has urged the police and civilians to help in the killings. 
 
More than 100 suspects have been killed in the seven weeks since Duterte&#39;s election. 
 
One pre-dawn raid in the town of Matalam, about 900 kilometres (600 miles) south of Manila, left eight &quot;drug personalities&quot; dead Saturday, including a woman, regional police spokesman Superintendent Romeo Galgo told reporters. 
 
One other person was arrested on suspicion of drug offences, Galgo said, adding that three pistols and four grenades were found on the dead suspects. 
 
In Manila, police said they found a yet to be identified dead man, his entire head wrapped in tape, on a poorly lit road late Friday. 
 
His torso was covered with a cardboard sign reading: &quot;I Am A Pusher&quot;. 
 
Civil rights campaigners including two legislators called Friday for an enquiry into recent months&#39; police operations amid concerns at least some of the dead suspects could have been summarily executed by the lawmen. 
 
Police have said they had operated within the boundaries of the law in killing 103 suspects between May 10 and July 7. 
 
The Manila newspaper Philippine Daily Inquirer&#39;s own &quot;kill list&quot; of suspected criminals showed 119 victims of suspected summary killings up until July 7, including 13 unidentified ones, since the elections. 
 
(AFP)

More than 100 people have been killed in the seven weeks since Rodrigo Duterte was elected President

Manila, Phillipines: Nine people were killed overnight in the Philippines, authorities said Saturday, as police and suspected anti-drug gunmen pushed ahead with President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial war on crime. Duterte won the May 9 election by landslide largely on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of drug dealers and other criminals, and has urged the police and civilians to help in the killings. More than 100 suspects have been killed in the seven weeks since Duterte's election. One pre-dawn raid in the town of Matalam, about 900 kilometres (600 miles) south of Manila, left eight "drug personalities" dead Saturday, including a woman, regional police spokesman Superintendent Romeo Galgo told reporters. One other person was arrested on suspicion of drug offences, Galgo said, adding that three pistols and four grenades were found on the dead suspects. In Manila, police said they found a yet to be identified dead man, his entire head wrapped in tape, on a poorly lit road late Friday. His torso was covered with a cardboard sign reading: "I Am A Pusher". Civil rights campaigners including two legislators called Friday for an enquiry into recent months' police operations amid concerns at least some of the dead suspects could have been summarily executed by the lawmen. Police have said they had operated within the boundaries of the law in killing 103 suspects between May 10 and July 7. The Manila newspaper Philippine Daily Inquirer's own "kill list" of suspected criminals showed 119 victims of suspected summary killings up until July 7, including 13 unidentified ones, since the elections. (AFP)

Nine more killed in controversial Philippines drug war

Nine people were killed in a stampede at a party in central Ghana to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramzan, a public official told reporters today. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;We so far have nine people who are dead, six females and three males,&quot; said Nurudeen Hamidan, the head of the Asokore Mampong municipal assembly, in the city of Kumasi. 
 
There was no immediate comment from the police in the city, which is 255 kilometres (160 miles) northwest of the capital, Accra. 
&nbsp; 
But Hamidan said three bodies have been identified so far and six people were injured, one of them critical and were receiving treatment in hospital. 
&nbsp; 
The party was organised on Wednesday at a community centre in the Asawase area of Kumasi as the climax to the Eid-ul-Fitr festival, which marks the end of a month of fasting and prayer. 
 
Local member of parliament Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka said carnivals were often held to celebrate the occasion but in the past have been marked by clashes between youths. 
 
Organisers had told police the carnival would end by 9:00 pm (2100 GMT) and a group, thought to number about 300, moved to the community centre, where a fight reportedly broke out, he added. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;In a bid for people to rush out... there was this stampede,&quot; said Muntaka, from President John Dramani Mahama`s National Democratic Congress. 
&nbsp; 
But Hamidan said there were conflicting reports about the cause of the tragedy and a security meeting had been called today afternoon to determine what happened. 
 
&quot;People are saying so many things. Some are saying that there was a lights out and the meter sparked and the sound of the meter made people agitated,&quot; he said. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Others are saying that they finished the programme, they were leaving and there was a stampede along the way. 
 
&quot;As to what caused the actual stampede the security agencies are working to unravel what happened and we will take it on from there.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

The party was organised on Wednesday at a community centre in the Asawase area of Kumasi as the climax to the Eid-ul-Fitr festival

Nine people were killed in a stampede at a party in central Ghana to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramzan, a public official told reporters today. "We so far have nine people who are dead, six females and three males," said Nurudeen Hamidan, the head of the Asokore Mampong municipal assembly, in the city of Kumasi. There was no immediate comment from the police in the city, which is 255 kilometres (160 miles) northwest of the capital, Accra. But Hamidan said three bodies have been identified so far and six people were injured, one of them critical and were receiving treatment in hospital. The party was organised on Wednesday at a community centre in the Asawase area of Kumasi as the climax to the Eid-ul-Fitr festival, which marks the end of a month of fasting and prayer. Local member of parliament Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka said carnivals were often held to celebrate the occasion but in the past have been marked by clashes between youths. Organisers had told police the carnival would end by 9:00 pm (2100 GMT) and a group, thought to number about 300, moved to the community centre, where a fight reportedly broke out, he added. "In a bid for people to rush out... there was this stampede," said Muntaka, from President John Dramani Mahama`s National Democratic Congress. But Hamidan said there were conflicting reports about the cause of the tragedy and a security meeting had been called today afternoon to determine what happened. "People are saying so many things. Some are saying that there was a lights out and the meter sparked and the sound of the meter made people agitated," he said. "Others are saying that they finished the programme, they were leaving and there was a stampede along the way. "As to what caused the actual stampede the security agencies are working to unravel what happened and we will take it on from there." (AFP)

Nine dead in Eid party stampede in Ghana

The Afghan Taliban today condemned a deadly suicide bombing at Islam`s second holiest site in the Saudi city of Medina, describing it as &quot;an act of enmity and hatred&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Four people were killed in the bombing outside the Prophet`s Mosque on Monday, the same day as an attack outside a minority shiite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia, and another near the US consulate in the western city of Jeddah.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) &nbsp;which has been shocked by this gruesome act condemns this incident in the strongest of terms and considers it an act of enmity and hatred towards Islamic rituals,&quot; the militant group said in an emailed statement.&nbsp; 
 
There were no claims of responsibility for the bombings, but the Islamic State group had urged its supporters to carry out attacks during Ramzan. 
 
The Taliban, who were ousted from power by a US-led invasion in late 2001, have themselves been repeatedly blamed by the UN for deliberately targeting civilians in the war-torn country.&nbsp; 
 
As many as 600 civilians were killed and 1,343 were injured in the first three months of 2016, according to a UN report in April, with the Taliban responsible for six out of every 10 casualties.&nbsp; 
 
Monday`s suicide bombing received wide condemnation from across the Muslim world, with Shiite power Iran calling for Muslim unity following the attacks in its Sunni-dominated regional rival. 
 
Afghanistan`s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also condemned the attacks in Saudi Arabia in a tweet today, expressing his sympathies to the people and government of Saudi Arabia. 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Four people were killed in the attack outside the Prophet`s Mosque on Monday

The Afghan Taliban today condemned a deadly suicide bombing at Islam`s second holiest site in the Saudi city of Medina, describing it as "an act of enmity and hatred". Four people were killed in the bombing outside the Prophet`s Mosque on Monday, the same day as an attack outside a minority shiite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia, and another near the US consulate in the western city of Jeddah. "The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) which has been shocked by this gruesome act condemns this incident in the strongest of terms and considers it an act of enmity and hatred towards Islamic rituals," the militant group said in an emailed statement. There were no claims of responsibility for the bombings, but the Islamic State group had urged its supporters to carry out attacks during Ramzan. The Taliban, who were ousted from power by a US-led invasion in late 2001, have themselves been repeatedly blamed by the UN for deliberately targeting civilians in the war-torn country. As many as 600 civilians were killed and 1,343 were injured in the first three months of 2016, according to a UN report in April, with the Taliban responsible for six out of every 10 casualties. Monday`s suicide bombing received wide condemnation from across the Muslim world, with Shiite power Iran calling for Muslim unity following the attacks in its Sunni-dominated regional rival. Afghanistan`s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also condemned the attacks in Saudi Arabia in a tweet today, expressing his sympathies to the people and government of Saudi Arabia. (AFP)

Afghan Taliban condemn Medina bombing

The European Union needs a new roadmap that should be devised in consultation with voters and then put to a referendum, France&#39;s Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said today in comments that may further stir tensions with the ruling Socialist Party. 
 
Macron&#39;s talk of a European-wide referendum goes beyond comments made by President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who both said the EU needed to reinvent itself after Britons voted to leave the bloc but made no reference to a popular vote.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We would first build this new project with European peoples and then submit this new roadmap, this new project, to a referendum,&quot; he said ahead of a debate on the fallout from the British referendum. 
 
Macron said voters should be consulted through a series of debates that he called &quot;democratic conventions&quot;. 
 
&quot;It must be done in the right framework,&quot; the minister added. 
 
Macron, a former investment banker, is one of the embattled Socialist government`s most popular ministers among the public. But his launch last month of his own &quot;En Marche&quot; party a year ahead of a presidential election has fueled speculation that he could be eying the Elysee palace as the ratings of Hollande stay rock-bottom. He has said he would not run in the election. 
 
Macron said a knee-jerk referendum must be avoided. 
 
&quot;The idea would not be to have 27 separate referendums,&quot; Macron said during the debate. &quot;We&#39;ve never had the courage to organise a true European referendum in its real sense. This next project must give it that strength.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
In 2005, a proposed EU constitution was blocked by a referendum in France, due mostly to public opposition to an enlarged, free-marketeering Europe. Dutch voters also rejected the constitution in a separate referendum. 
 
(Reuters)

France's Economy Minister said voters should be consulted through a series of debates that he called 'democratic convention'

The European Union needs a new roadmap that should be devised in consultation with voters and then put to a referendum, France's Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said today in comments that may further stir tensions with the ruling Socialist Party. Macron's talk of a European-wide referendum goes beyond comments made by President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who both said the EU needed to reinvent itself after Britons voted to leave the bloc but made no reference to a popular vote. "We would first build this new project with European peoples and then submit this new roadmap, this new project, to a referendum," he said ahead of a debate on the fallout from the British referendum. Macron said voters should be consulted through a series of debates that he called "democratic conventions". "It must be done in the right framework," the minister added. Macron, a former investment banker, is one of the embattled Socialist government`s most popular ministers among the public. But his launch last month of his own "En Marche" party a year ahead of a presidential election has fueled speculation that he could be eying the Elysee palace as the ratings of Hollande stay rock-bottom. He has said he would not run in the election. Macron said a knee-jerk referendum must be avoided. "The idea would not be to have 27 separate referendums," Macron said during the debate. "We've never had the courage to organise a true European referendum in its real sense. This next project must give it that strength." In 2005, a proposed EU constitution was blocked by a referendum in France, due mostly to public opposition to an enlarged, free-marketeering Europe. Dutch voters also rejected the constitution in a separate referendum. (Reuters)

France's Macron wants new European project, and EU-wide referendum

Nearly 200 people have died in the last month at a camp for people made homeless by Boko Haram violence in northeast Nigeria, an aid agency said Wednesday, warning of a growing malnutrition crisis. 
 
A Doctors Without Borders (MSF) team on Tuesday visited the camp, home to around 24,000 people including 15,000 children, and found what it called &quot;a catastrophic humanitarian emergency&quot; unfolding. 
 
One in five of over 800 children it examined had severe acute malnutrition, while 16 severely malnourished children &quot;at immediate risk of death&quot; were referred to its in-patient treatment centre. 
 
At least 188 people have died in the internally displaced people (IDP) camp in Bama, some 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Maiduguri, since May 23 -- about six a day -- mainly from diarrhoea and malnutrition, MSF said in a statement. 
 
A total of 1,233 graves, many of them of for children, had been dug near the camp in the past year, the agency said. 
 
&quot;This is the first time MSF has been able to access Bama, but we already know the needs of the people there are beyond critical,&quot; said MSF head of mission in Nigeria, Ghada Hatim. 
 
&quot;We are treating malnourished children in medical facilities in Maiduguri and see the trauma on the faces of our patients who have witnessed and survived many horrors.&quot; 
 
&#39;Walking corpses&#39;&nbsp; 
 
The Borno state government and international aid agencies have previously warned about acute food shortages for IDPs in northeast Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region. 
 
On June 15, the Borno state government said it had transferred nearly 700 people, most of them children, from Bama to Maiduguri for treatment for severe malnutrition. 
 
Sixty-one young children and babies were said to be &quot;critically malnourished&quot;. 
 
A civilian vigilante and a soldier based in the remote town of Banki, 60 kilometres from Bama near the Cameroon border, told AFP 
this month at least 10 people were &quot;starving to death&quot; every day. 
 
The vigilante said 376 people had been buried in the last three months and those still alive were like &quot;walking corpses&quot;. 
 
- Security issues - 
 
Boko Haram, whose seven-year Islamist insurgency in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 dead and displaced more than 2.6 million, controlled swathes of territory in the northeast in 2014. 
 
But the Nigerian government has said IDPs housed in camps or host communities can return after a military counter-offensive pushed the militants out of captured towns and villages. 
 
Despite assurances the northeast is largely clear of the rebels, sporadic attacks continue and security remains an issue, while houses, businesses and farms have largely been destroyed. 
 
Domestic and international aid agencies are mainly based in Maiduguri and dependent on Nigerian army assistance to access camps outside the city. 
 
The Borno state governor Kashim Shettima last week ordered police to investigate reports that relief material, including bags of rice meant for IDPs, was being stolen. 
 
The UN&#39;s children&#39;s agency, UNICEF, said it has been working with its partners in Bama since March and has provided health and nutrition support for some 19,000 people. 
 
Its primary health care centre sees on average 140 patients a day for conditions ranging from malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhoea, as well as malnutrition screening and treatment. 
 
(AFP)

One in five of over 800 children had severe acute malnutrition, while 16 severely malnourished children 'at immediate risk of death'

Nearly 200 people have died in the last month at a camp for people made homeless by Boko Haram violence in northeast Nigeria, an aid agency said Wednesday, warning of a growing malnutrition crisis. A Doctors Without Borders (MSF) team on Tuesday visited the camp, home to around 24,000 people including 15,000 children, and found what it called "a catastrophic humanitarian emergency" unfolding. One in five of over 800 children it examined had severe acute malnutrition, while 16 severely malnourished children "at immediate risk of death" were referred to its in-patient treatment centre. At least 188 people have died in the internally displaced people (IDP) camp in Bama, some 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Maiduguri, since May 23 -- about six a day -- mainly from diarrhoea and malnutrition, MSF said in a statement. A total of 1,233 graves, many of them of for children, had been dug near the camp in the past year, the agency said. "This is the first time MSF has been able to access Bama, but we already know the needs of the people there are beyond critical," said MSF head of mission in Nigeria, Ghada Hatim. "We are treating malnourished children in medical facilities in Maiduguri and see the trauma on the faces of our patients who have witnessed and survived many horrors." 'Walking corpses' The Borno state government and international aid agencies have previously warned about acute food shortages for IDPs in northeast Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region. On June 15, the Borno state government said it had transferred nearly 700 people, most of them children, from Bama to Maiduguri for treatment for severe malnutrition. Sixty-one young children and babies were said to be "critically malnourished". A civilian vigilante and a soldier based in the remote town of Banki, 60 kilometres from Bama near the Cameroon border, told AFP this month at least 10 people were "starving to death" every day. The vigilante said 376 people had been buried in the last three months and those still alive were like "walking corpses". - Security issues - Boko Haram, whose seven-year Islamist insurgency in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 dead and displaced more than 2.6 million, controlled swathes of territory in the northeast in 2014. But the Nigerian government has said IDPs housed in camps or host communities can return after a military counter-offensive pushed the militants out of captured towns and villages. Despite assurances the northeast is largely clear of the rebels, sporadic attacks continue and security remains an issue, while houses, businesses and farms have largely been destroyed. Domestic and international aid agencies are mainly based in Maiduguri and dependent on Nigerian army assistance to access camps outside the city. The Borno state governor Kashim Shettima last week ordered police to investigate reports that relief material, including bags of rice meant for IDPs, was being stolen. The UN's children's agency, UNICEF, said it has been working with its partners in Bama since March and has provided health and nutrition support for some 19,000 people. Its primary health care centre sees on average 140 patients a day for conditions ranging from malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhoea, as well as malnutrition screening and treatment. (AFP)

200 die in one month at camp for people made homeless by Boko Haram violence

Following a long-held tradition, thousands of yoga fans gathered in New York`s Times Square on Monday to mark the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. 
 
During the 14th edition of the annual event, yogis transformed the famous intersection in one of the world`s busiest cities into a huge outdoor yoga lesson surrounded by cars, construction and the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. 
 
The first lesson began at 5:00 am (0900 GMT), and the last at 7:30 pm. All were free and open to yoga practitioners of all levels. 
There was a heavy police presence. 
 
Thousands of yoga mats were distributed for the get-together, covering crosswalks. 
 
Last year, during the first international yoga day designated by the United Nations, some 17,000 people participated. 
(AFP)

Last year, during the first international yoga day designated by the United Nations, some 17,000 people participated

Following a long-held tradition, thousands of yoga fans gathered in New York`s Times Square on Monday to mark the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. During the 14th edition of the annual event, yogis transformed the famous intersection in one of the world`s busiest cities into a huge outdoor yoga lesson surrounded by cars, construction and the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. The first lesson began at 5:00 am (0900 GMT), and the last at 7:30 pm. All were free and open to yoga practitioners of all levels. There was a heavy police presence. Thousands of yoga mats were distributed for the get-together, covering crosswalks. Last year, during the first international yoga day designated by the United Nations, some 17,000 people participated. (AFP)

Thousands of yoga practitioners hit Times Square to welcome summer

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today joined over 30,000 people here for the second International Yoga Day celebrations as he pitched for treating diseases like diabetes through the ancient spiritual discipline. 
 
Modi, dressed in a white-coloured t-shirt and trouser along with a scarf, led over 30,000 participants, including defence forces personnel and school children, for the second International Day of Yoga celebrations here at the Capitol Complex amid tight security. 
 
The Prime Minister, who arrived here last night, participated in a mass demonstration of &#39;Common Yoga Protocol&#39;. A yoga enthusiast himself, he performed yoga &#39;asanas&#39; along with the people at the event. 
 
Over 30,000 people from all ages -- 10,000 each from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana -- performed yoga &#39;asanas&#39; on pink and blue coloured mats during the event. Separately, about 10,000 people also performed yoga at over 100 other locations in Chandigarh itself. 
Earlier addressing the gathering, Modi pitched for treating diabetes through yoga. 
 
&quot;I want to request trainers who are associated with yoga, from this public platform. From next year when we celebrate yoga day, in this one year, you continue to do what you do for yoga but focus on one subject and this is my subject -- diabetes -- Diabetes and yoga,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;All people belonging to the yoga field, whatever knowledge they have, they must continue with the rest of their yoga activities but this (diabetes) must be the main focus,&quot; Modi said. 
 
Expressing concern over rising number of patients suffering from diabetes, Modi asked yoga trainers to help in controlling the disease. 
&quot;In India, patients suffering from diabetes are rising. We might be able to get rid of this disease or not but with the help of yoga, diabetes can be controlled. Can we start a public campaign to suggest measures in yoga to the common man suffering from diabetes. 
 
&quot;It will be an achievement if we can help in treating diabetes. From next year, we can take another disease. But I want that for good health, we should address any one disease every year. We should run a public campaign with an aim to address one disease,&quot; he said. 
 
Yoga is not only a way to get rid of a disease but it also guarantees wellness. For holistic development of lives, yoga is a great way, he said. 
 
(PTI)

Says it's a great way to treat diseases like diabetes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today joined over 30,000 people here for the second International Yoga Day celebrations as he pitched for treating diseases like diabetes through the ancient spiritual discipline. Modi, dressed in a white-coloured t-shirt and trouser along with a scarf, led over 30,000 participants, including defence forces personnel and school children, for the second International Day of Yoga celebrations here at the Capitol Complex amid tight security. The Prime Minister, who arrived here last night, participated in a mass demonstration of 'Common Yoga Protocol'. A yoga enthusiast himself, he performed yoga 'asanas' along with the people at the event. Over 30,000 people from all ages -- 10,000 each from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana -- performed yoga 'asanas' on pink and blue coloured mats during the event. Separately, about 10,000 people also performed yoga at over 100 other locations in Chandigarh itself. Earlier addressing the gathering, Modi pitched for treating diabetes through yoga. "I want to request trainers who are associated with yoga, from this public platform. From next year when we celebrate yoga day, in this one year, you continue to do what you do for yoga but focus on one subject and this is my subject -- diabetes -- Diabetes and yoga," he said. "All people belonging to the yoga field, whatever knowledge they have, they must continue with the rest of their yoga activities but this (diabetes) must be the main focus," Modi said. Expressing concern over rising number of patients suffering from diabetes, Modi asked yoga trainers to help in controlling the disease. "In India, patients suffering from diabetes are rising. We might be able to get rid of this disease or not but with the help of yoga, diabetes can be controlled. Can we start a public campaign to suggest measures in yoga to the common man suffering from diabetes. "It will be an achievement if we can help in treating diabetes. From next year, we can take another disease. But I want that for good health, we should address any one disease every year. We should run a public campaign with an aim to address one disease," he said. Yoga is not only a way to get rid of a disease but it also guarantees wellness. For holistic development of lives, yoga is a great way, he said. (PTI)

Indian PM takes centre stage, leads 2nd International Yoga Day celebrations

As they struggle to deal with more extreme weather, a range of food crops are generating more of chemical compounds that can cause&nbsp;healthproblems for people and livestock who eat them, scientists have warned.

A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says that crops such as wheat and maize are generating more potential toxins as a reaction to protect themselves from extreme weather.

But these chemical compounds are harmful to people and animals if consumed for a prolonged period of time, according to a report released during a United Nations Environment Assembly meeting in Nairobi.

&quot;Crops are responding to drought conditions and increases in temperature just like humans do when faced with a stressful situation,&rdquo; explained Jacqueline McGlade, chief scientist and director of the Division of Early Warning and Assessment at UNEP.

Under normal conditions, for instance, plants convert nitrates they absorb into nutritious amino acids and proteins. But prolonged drought slows or prevents this conversion, leading to more potentially problematic nitrate accumulating in the plant, the report said.

If people eat too much nitrate in their diets, it can interfere with the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen in the body, the report said.

Crops susceptible to accumulating too much nitrate in times of stress include maize, wheat, barley, soybeans, millet and sorghum, it said.

&nbsp;

DROUGHT, THEN RAIN

Some drought-stressed crops, when then exposed to sudden large amounts of rain that lead to rapid growth, in turn accumulate hydrogen cyanide, more commonly known as prussic acid, the report said.

Prussic acid &ndash; one of the ingredients used in some types of chemical warfare - interferes with oxygen flow in humans. Even short-term exposure can be debilitating for people, McGlade said.

Plants such as cassava, flax, maize and sorghum are most vulnerable to dangerous prussic acid accumulation, the report said.

Cases of nitrate or hydrogen cyanide poisoning in humans were reported in Kenya in 2013 and in the Philippines in 2005, McGlade said. In Kenya, two children died in coastal Kilifi after eating cassava that had raised levels of prussic acid in it following extreme rainfall, according to local media reports.

Aflatoxins, molds that can affect plant crops and raise the risk of liver damage, cancer and blindness, as well as stunting foetuses and infants, also are spreading to more areas as a result of shifting weather patterns as a result of climate change, scientists said.

McGlade said about 4.5 billion people in developing countries are exposed to aflatoxins each year, though the amounts are largely unmonitored, and the numbers are rising.

&quot;We are just beginning to recognise the magnitude of toxin- related issues confronting farmers in developing countries of the tropics and sub-tropics,&quot; the report noted.

&quot;As warmer climate zones expand towards the poles, countries in more temperate regions are facing new threats,&quot; it added.

In 2004, Kenya suffered severe outbreaks of aflatoxin poisoning, which affected more than 300 people and killed more than 100 following a prolonged drought, according to the International Livestock Research Institute.

&nbsp;

EUROPE AT RISK

The UNEP report said Europe will be at growing risk from aflatoxins in locally grown crops if global temperatures rise by at least 2 degrees Celsius. The world is currently on a path to a more than 3 degree Celsius temperature rise, scientists believe.

An increase in toxic compounds in crops is likely to impact heavily on the world&rsquo;s&nbsp;health&nbsp;system, which are already struggling with the effects of food insecurity, Dorota Jarosinska of the WorldHealth&nbsp;Organization&rsquo;s European Center for Environment and&nbsp;Health&nbsp;said in an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Alex Ezeh, executive director of the African Population&nbsp;Health&nbsp;and Research Center, said the increase in toxins in crops was a big concern.

&quot;Toxic crops can lead to neurological diseases among humans but the greatest challenge is the incidence of cancer,&rdquo; he said in an interview.

The report proposes a list of eight ideas farmers and agricultural experts can adopt to try to limit damage from more crop toxins, such as mapping contamination hotspots and building better evidence about what is happening now with the toxins in their area.

Scientists also suggest that developing crop varieties designed to cope with extreme weather could help reduce the levels of toxic chemicals in food.

&quot;Research centers with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research are developing seeds that are suitable in various regions that have been hit by climate change,&rdquo; McGlade said.

As they struggle to deal with more extreme weather, a range of food crops are generating more of chemical compounds that can cause?healthproblems for people and livestock who eat them, scientists have warned

As they struggle to deal with more extreme weather, a range of food crops are generating more of chemical compounds that can cause healthproblems for people and livestock who eat them, scientists have warned. A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says that crops such as wheat and maize are generating more potential toxins as a reaction to protect themselves from extreme weather. But these chemical compounds are harmful to people and animals if consumed for a prolonged period of time, according to a report released during a United Nations Environment Assembly meeting in Nairobi. "Crops are responding to drought conditions and increases in temperature just like humans do when faced with a stressful situation,” explained Jacqueline McGlade, chief scientist and director of the Division of Early Warning and Assessment at UNEP. Under normal conditions, for instance, plants convert nitrates they absorb into nutritious amino acids and proteins. But prolonged drought slows or prevents this conversion, leading to more potentially problematic nitrate accumulating in the plant, the report said. If people eat too much nitrate in their diets, it can interfere with the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen in the body, the report said. Crops susceptible to accumulating too much nitrate in times of stress include maize, wheat, barley, soybeans, millet and sorghum, it said. DROUGHT, THEN RAIN Some drought-stressed crops, when then exposed to sudden large amounts of rain that lead to rapid growth, in turn accumulate hydrogen cyanide, more commonly known as prussic acid, the report said. Prussic acid – one of the ingredients used in some types of chemical warfare - interferes with oxygen flow in humans. Even short-term exposure can be debilitating for people, McGlade said. Plants such as cassava, flax, maize and sorghum are most vulnerable to dangerous prussic acid accumulation, the report said. Cases of nitrate or hydrogen cyanide poisoning in humans were reported in Kenya in 2013 and in the Philippines in 2005, McGlade said. In Kenya, two children died in coastal Kilifi after eating cassava that had raised levels of prussic acid in it following extreme rainfall, according to local media reports. Aflatoxins, molds that can affect plant crops and raise the risk of liver damage, cancer and blindness, as well as stunting foetuses and infants, also are spreading to more areas as a result of shifting weather patterns as a result of climate change, scientists said. McGlade said about 4.5 billion people in developing countries are exposed to aflatoxins each year, though the amounts are largely unmonitored, and the numbers are rising. "We are just beginning to recognise the magnitude of toxin- related issues confronting farmers in developing countries of the tropics and sub-tropics," the report noted. "As warmer climate zones expand towards the poles, countries in more temperate regions are facing new threats," it added. In 2004, Kenya suffered severe outbreaks of aflatoxin poisoning, which affected more than 300 people and killed more than 100 following a prolonged drought, according to the International Livestock Research Institute. EUROPE AT RISK The UNEP report said Europe will be at growing risk from aflatoxins in locally grown crops if global temperatures rise by at least 2 degrees Celsius. The world is currently on a path to a more than 3 degree Celsius temperature rise, scientists believe. An increase in toxic compounds in crops is likely to impact heavily on the world’s health system, which are already struggling with the effects of food insecurity, Dorota Jarosinska of the WorldHealth Organization’s European Center for Environment and Health said in an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Alex Ezeh, executive director of the African Population Health and Research Center, said the increase in toxins in crops was a big concern. "Toxic crops can lead to neurological diseases among humans but the greatest challenge is the incidence of cancer,” he said in an interview. The report proposes a list of eight ideas farmers and agricultural experts can adopt to try to limit damage from more crop toxins, such as mapping contamination hotspots and building better evidence about what is happening now with the toxins in their area. Scientists also suggest that developing crop varieties designed to cope with extreme weather could help reduce the levels of toxic chemicals in food. "Research centers with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research are developing seeds that are suitable in various regions that have been hit by climate change,” McGlade said.

Extreme weather increasing level of toxins in food, scientists warn

The band Maroon 5 is cancelling concerts planned in North Carolina, the latest musical act to take a stand against a state law on bathroom use that has been criticized as discriminatory against transgender people.

&quot;This was a difficult decision for us to make as a band,&quot; the American pop rock group said on its website on Friday.

&quot;We don&rsquo;t want to penalize our fans in North Carolina by not performing for them, but in the end it comes down to what we feel is morally right AS WE FEEL EVERYONE SHOULD BE TREATED EQUALLY.&quot;

With a law passed in March, North Carolina became the first state in the country to require transgender people to use multiple-occupancy public restrooms and changing facilities that correspond with the gender on their birth certificate rather than their gender identity.

The law, approved by the Republican-led legislature in a one-day special session, also blocks local governments from passing anti-discrimination ordinances that include protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

It has sparked lawsuits by both supporters and opponents of the law, and a mounting backlash from corporations, conventions, tourists and entertainers. Last week, the U.S. Justice Department asked a federal district court to declare that the state is violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

On Tuesday, renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman also backed out of a scheduled performance in North Carolina in protest of the law. Other performers who have canceled shows in the state include Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Boston, Pearl Jam, Ringo Starr and the group Cirque du Soleil.

The upcoming shows by Maroon 5, known for hits such as &ldquo;Moves Like Jagger,&rdquo; were to be held in Raleigh and Charlotte. The band&#39;s decision drew praise and criticism from fans posting comments on its website.

&quot;You shouldn&#39;t punish your fans who have no control over the politics!&quot; one post said.

Republican Governor Pat McCrory&#39;s campaign spokesman Ricky Diaz questioned the timing of the band&#39;s &quot;political statement.&quot; McCrory is up for re-election in November.

&quot;At this point, the only people they are hurting by hypocritically targeting North Carolina for selective outrage are their fans and the hardworking men and women servicing these shows while they keep tour dates overseas &ndash; even in Russia,&quot; Diaz said in a statement.

The band Maroon 5 is cancelling concerts planned in North Carolina, the latest musical act to take a stand against a state law on bathroom use that has been criticized as discriminatory against transgender people.

The band Maroon 5 is cancelling concerts planned in North Carolina, the latest musical act to take a stand against a state law on bathroom use that has been criticized as discriminatory against transgender people. "This was a difficult decision for us to make as a band," the American pop rock group said on its website on Friday. "We don’t want to penalize our fans in North Carolina by not performing for them, but in the end it comes down to what we feel is morally right AS WE FEEL EVERYONE SHOULD BE TREATED EQUALLY." With a law passed in March, North Carolina became the first state in the country to require transgender people to use multiple-occupancy public restrooms and changing facilities that correspond with the gender on their birth certificate rather than their gender identity. The law, approved by the Republican-led legislature in a one-day special session, also blocks local governments from passing anti-discrimination ordinances that include protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation. It has sparked lawsuits by both supporters and opponents of the law, and a mounting backlash from corporations, conventions, tourists and entertainers. Last week, the U.S. Justice Department asked a federal district court to declare that the state is violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act. On Tuesday, renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman also backed out of a scheduled performance in North Carolina in protest of the law. Other performers who have canceled shows in the state include Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Boston, Pearl Jam, Ringo Starr and the group Cirque du Soleil. The upcoming shows by Maroon 5, known for hits such as “Moves Like Jagger,” were to be held in Raleigh and Charlotte. The band's decision drew praise and criticism from fans posting comments on its website. "You shouldn't punish your fans who have no control over the politics!" one post said. Republican Governor Pat McCrory's campaign spokesman Ricky Diaz questioned the timing of the band's "political statement." McCrory is up for re-election in November. "At this point, the only people they are hurting by hypocritically targeting North Carolina for selective outrage are their fans and the hardworking men and women servicing these shows while they keep tour dates overseas – even in Russia," Diaz said in a statement.

Maroon 5 cancels shows in North Carolina in protest against transgender bathroom law

Four people died and several more were injured in southern Germany after violent storms with torrential rains caused severe flooding, authorities said on Monday. 
 
One of those killed was a 13-year-old girl who was hit by a train Sunday while seeking shelter from the rains under a railway bridge. 
A boy, 12, who was with her was not physically injured but had to receive trauma counselling, said police in the southern city of Aalen.&nbsp; 
 
In Schwaebisch Gmuend near the city of Stuttgart, a volunteer firefighter died on Sunday trying to rescue a man trapped in a shaft of a flooded railway station, municipal authorities said. 
The man who was trapped was also presumed dead although neither body has been recovered, according to local police. 
 
In Weissbach, just to the north, a 60-year-old man died in a flooded underground garage on the same day.&nbsp; 
 
The regional authorities in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg put the number of injured at around 10. 
 
A number of people had to be rescued from cars trapped in the floods. 
 
National news agency DPA said a river broke its banks in Braunsbach, destroying one house and damaging several others. 
Eyewitnesses posted videos on social network sites showing cars being carried away by the floods and crashing into shop windows. 
&nbsp; 
The head of one rural district in Schwaebisch Hall, Michael Knaus, said that more rain fell in the space of a few hours than normally falls over several months.&nbsp; 
 
State authorities said that as many as 7,000 firefighters, police and rescue workers were called out in some 2,200 incidents.&nbsp;

Four people died and several more were injured in southern Germany after violent storms with torrential rains caused severe flooding, authorities said on Monday.

Four people died and several more were injured in southern Germany after violent storms with torrential rains caused severe flooding, authorities said on Monday. One of those killed was a 13-year-old girl who was hit by a train Sunday while seeking shelter from the rains under a railway bridge. A boy, 12, who was with her was not physically injured but had to receive trauma counselling, said police in the southern city of Aalen. In Schwaebisch Gmuend near the city of Stuttgart, a volunteer firefighter died on Sunday trying to rescue a man trapped in a shaft of a flooded railway station, municipal authorities said. The man who was trapped was also presumed dead although neither body has been recovered, according to local police. In Weissbach, just to the north, a 60-year-old man died in a flooded underground garage on the same day. The regional authorities in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg put the number of injured at around 10. A number of people had to be rescued from cars trapped in the floods. National news agency DPA said a river broke its banks in Braunsbach, destroying one house and damaging several others. Eyewitnesses posted videos on social network sites showing cars being carried away by the floods and crashing into shop windows. The head of one rural district in Schwaebisch Hall, Michael Knaus, said that more rain fell in the space of a few hours than normally falls over several months. State authorities said that as many as 7,000 firefighters, police and rescue workers were called out in some 2,200 incidents.

Four dead in Germany floods

Prime Minister Najib Razak&#39;s government threw its support in parliament this week behind an Islamic penal code that includes amputations and stoning, shocking some of his allies and stoking fears of further strains in the multi-ethnic country.

Critics believe the scandal-tainted prime minister is using &#39;hudud&#39;, the Islamic law, to shore up the backing of Muslim Malay voters and fend off attacks on his leadership ahead of critical by-elections next month and a general election in 2018.

The government on Thursday unexpectedly submitted to parliament a hudud bill that had been proposed by the Islamist group Parti Islam se-Malaysia&#39;s (PAS).

Although debate on the law was deferred to October by PAS leader Abdul Hadi Awang, its submission to parliament brought criticism from leaders across the political spectrum, including allies of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, who represent the ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.

Najib sought to ease tensions with his allies on Friday, saying the bill was &quot;misunderstood&quot;.

&quot;It&#39;s not hudud, but what we refer to as enhanced punishment,&quot; he told a news conference after meeting leaders of his ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party.

&quot;It applies only to certain offences and this comes under the jurisdiction of the Syariah court and is only applicable to the Muslims. It has nothing to do with non-Muslims.&quot; 
&nbsp;

<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Many fear such a move would open doors for other states to bring in the Islamic penal code. Hudud stipulates ancient religious punishments for Muslims who violate the law.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Many fear such a move would open doors for other states to bring in the Islamic penal code. Hudud stipulates ancient religious punishments for Muslims who violate the law.">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

He added that the punishments would be limited and canings meted out under the law would not injure or draw blood.

Earlier in the day, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a key party in the BN coalition, called the submission of the hudud bill to parliament &quot;unconstitutional&quot;.

&quot;As we repeatedly pointed out, the implementation of Hudud law is against the spirit of the Federal Constitution, and would ruin the inter-ethnic relationship in the country,&quot; MCA President Liow Tiong Lai said.

Arguments for and against the introduction of hudud have divided Malaysia for years. Most of the Southeast Asian country&#39;s states implement sharia, the Islamic legal system, but its reach is restricted by federal law.

Still, the hudud bill appears doomed as the UMNO-led coalition lacks the two-thirds majority needed to pass it into law.

The Islamist party PAS is pushing for a constitutional amendment that would allow hudud to be implemented in Kelantan, a northern state where nightclubs are banned and there are separate public benches for men and women. 
 
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all. David Lynch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/amwriting?src=hash">#amwriting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/writing?src=hash">#writing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/writingtip?src=hash">#writingtip</a> <a href="https://t.co/ho15a54eLB">pic.twitter.com/ho15a54eLB</a>
&mdash; The UnNovelist (@TheUnNovelist) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheUnNovelist/status/736501099331489792">May 28, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

Many fear such a move would open doors for other states to bring in the Islamic penal code. Hudud stipulates ancient religious punishments for Muslims who violate the law.

&nbsp;

EYEING POLLS

Critics say that Najib, with an eye on by-elections for two parliamentary seats on June 18, is seeking to appease the majority Muslim votebank with his stand on hudud and to deflect attention from a multi-billion-dollar scandal at the state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

They allege Najib was a beneficiary of 1MDB&#39;s funds, after about $680 million was deposited in his bank account before a 2013 election. Najib has denied any wrongdoing.

Some political heavyweights in Najib&#39;s party have questioned whether he can lead them to victory in the 2018 general election. However, he has consolidated power by sacking dissenters within UMNO, which has ruled Malaysia since 1957, and using a controversial and repressive colonial-era sedition law to silence other critics.

Najib seized on the resounding victory of a coalition partner in a Borneo state election earlier month as evidence that he and his government remain popular. The by-elections in peninsula Malaysia are likely to be a closer contest.

&quot;Najib did not want the 1MDB global scandal to become the issue in both by-elections,&quot; said Lim Kit Siang, parliamentary leader of the Democratic Action Party, adding that Najib has ensured the focus will now be on hudud.

People freak out as government decides to base legal code on religion instead of independent moral and intellectual principles

Prime Minister Najib Razak's government threw its support in parliament this week behind an Islamic penal code that includes amputations and stoning, shocking some of his allies and stoking fears of further strains in the multi-ethnic country. Critics believe the scandal-tainted prime minister is using 'hudud', the Islamic law, to shore up the backing of Muslim Malay voters and fend off attacks on his leadership ahead of critical by-elections next month and a general election in 2018. The government on Thursday unexpectedly submitted to parliament a hudud bill that had been proposed by the Islamist group Parti Islam se-Malaysia's (PAS). Although debate on the law was deferred to October by PAS leader Abdul Hadi Awang, its submission to parliament brought criticism from leaders across the political spectrum, including allies of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, who represent the ethnic Chinese and Indian communities. Najib sought to ease tensions with his allies on Friday, saying the bill was "misunderstood". "It's not hudud, but what we refer to as enhanced punishment," he told a news conference after meeting leaders of his ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party. "It applies only to certain offences and this comes under the jurisdiction of the Syariah court and is only applicable to the Muslims. It has nothing to do with non-Muslims." Many fear such a move would open doors for other states to bring in the Islamic penal code. Hudud stipulates ancient religious punishments for Muslims who violate the law. He added that the punishments would be limited and canings meted out under the law would not injure or draw blood. Earlier in the day, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a key party in the BN coalition, called the submission of the hudud bill to parliament "unconstitutional". "As we repeatedly pointed out, the implementation of Hudud law is against the spirit of the Federal Constitution, and would ruin the inter-ethnic relationship in the country," MCA President Liow Tiong Lai said. Arguments for and against the introduction of hudud have divided Malaysia for years. Most of the Southeast Asian country's states implement sharia, the Islamic legal system, but its reach is restricted by federal law. Still, the hudud bill appears doomed as the UMNO-led coalition lacks the two-thirds majority needed to pass it into law. The Islamist party PAS is pushing for a constitutional amendment that would allow hudud to be implemented in Kelantan, a northern state where nightclubs are banned and there are separate public benches for men and women. Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all. David Lynch #amwriting #writing #writingtip pic.twitter.com/ho15a54eLB — The UnNovelist (@TheUnNovelist) May 28, 2016 Many fear such a move would open doors for other states to bring in the Islamic penal code. Hudud stipulates ancient religious punishments for Muslims who violate the law. EYEING POLLS Critics say that Najib, with an eye on by-elections for two parliamentary seats on June 18, is seeking to appease the majority Muslim votebank with his stand on hudud and to deflect attention from a multi-billion-dollar scandal at the state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). They allege Najib was a beneficiary of 1MDB's funds, after about $680 million was deposited in his bank account before a 2013 election. Najib has denied any wrongdoing. Some political heavyweights in Najib's party have questioned whether he can lead them to victory in the 2018 general election. However, he has consolidated power by sacking dissenters within UMNO, which has ruled Malaysia since 1957, and using a controversial and repressive colonial-era sedition law to silence other critics. Najib seized on the resounding victory of a coalition partner in a Borneo state election earlier month as evidence that he and his government remain popular. The by-elections in peninsula Malaysia are likely to be a closer contest. "Najib did not want the 1MDB global scandal to become the issue in both by-elections," said Lim Kit Siang, parliamentary leader of the Democratic Action Party, adding that Najib has ensured the focus will now be on hudud.

Outrage in multi-ethnic Malaysia as government backs Islamic law

people

People, News on People, stories on People, articles on People, People stories at Wion, People news, People latest news