LATEST WORLD NEWS: Trump can fire Russia prosecutor Mueller, says White House

source: AFP
Trump can fire Russia prosecutor Mueller, says White House

AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM US President Donald Trump, shown attending a meeting with senior military leaders at the White House on Monday, will not go to Latin America later this week as planned

The White House insisted Tuesday that Donald Trump has the power to fire special prosecutor Robert Mueller, stoking fears that the president may try to kill an investigation inching ever-closer to the Oval Office.

After months of denying Mueller's removal is under consideration, the change in tone came as Trump reacted furiously to an FBI raid of his private lawyer's offices on Monday.

Special counsel Mueller was appointed in May to investigate Russian efforts to tip the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favor.

Over the last year, he has increasingly dug into evidence of alleged money laundering, fraud and obstruction of justice inside Trump's inner circle.

Four Trump aides -- including his 2016 campaign chair Paul Manafort and former national security advisor Michael Flynn -- have already been indicted or pleaded guilty.

Now, Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen -- who holds secrets about many of the president's personal and financial dealings -- is in the crosshairs.

"We have been advised that the president certainly has the power to make that decision," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said of the possibility to remove Mueller.

"I think that the president has been clear that he thinks that this has gone too far."

Trump hunkered down at the White House, canceling a first trip to Latin America that was due to start Friday and stewing on a move that could throw America into a constitutional crisis.

At the same time, Trump faced a momentous decision about whether to carry out military strikes in Syria.

- 'TOTAL WITCH HUNT' -

Trump has pledged to decide by the end of Tuesday how to respond to a suspected chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held suburbs of Damascus, blamed on the Syrian regime and its allies.


 AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM Trump met late Monday with senior military leaders and his national security team -- including new National Security Advisor John Bolton (R)-- at the White House


But while much of his national security team debated whether strikes would be effective in deterring future chemical attacks, and how to limit the risk of escalation, Trump met his lawyers Jay Sekulow and Ty Cobb to discuss the Cohen raid.

His anger showed no signs of abating.

"A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!" the president blasted on Twitter amid news that FBI agents had seized documents pertaining to his dealings with Cohen. "Attorney–client privilege is dead!"

In a phone call with CNN, Cohen admitted the raid was "upsetting to say the least."

Asked if he was worried, Cohen said: "I would be lying to you if I told that I am not. Do I need this in my life? No. Do I want to be involved in this? No."

On Capitol Hill, Republican and Democratic lawmakers urged Trump to allow Mueller to do his work.

Democrats wanted to go one step further and pass legislation protecting the Republican former FBI director.

"If the president is thinking of using this raid to fire Special Counsel Mueller or otherwise interfere with the chain of command in the Russia probe, we Democrats have one simple message for him: don't," top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said.


GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File / MANDEL NGAN, Ethan Miller The FBI raid on the offices of Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen come amid allegations that Cohen paid porn star Stormy Daniels (R) $130,000 shortly before the election to keep a tryst with Trump (L) quiet

"The investigation is critical to the health of our democracy, and must be allowed to continue."

Trump's fellow Republicans said that would not be necessary, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley stating it would be "suicide" for the president to fire Mueller.

The raid on Cohen's offices came amid allegations he paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 shortly before the election to keep a tryst with Trump quiet.

After months of silence, Trump last week offered a flat "no" when asked if he knew about the payment.

- Plans dashed -

Trump's decision to scrap his trip to Colombia and Peru surprised even some White House staff.

"The president will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world," Sanders said.

Trump had already cut the visit short -- from five days, to three and, finally, to none.

The combative US president had been expected in Peru for the Summit of the Americas, where he was likely to face protests and awkward meetings with leaders who have bristled at his repeated portrayal of Latino immigrants as rapists and thugs.

Vice President Mike Pence will represent the United States in Lima instead, his aide Jarrod Agen said, adding that he would also meet Venezuelan dissidents.

Trump is still expected to travel to his Mar-a-Lago holiday home in Florida on Monday, where a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will go ahead.

world news: US prosecution builds 'serial predator' case against Cosby

source: AFP
US prosecution builds 'serial predator' case against Cosby


POOL/AFP / DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photogra Disgraced pioneering black entertainer Bill Cosby arrives for the second day of his sexual assault retrial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania

US prosecutors sought to portray Bill Cosby as a serial predator Tuesday, bringing a music teacher to testify how the disgraced star assaulted her while posing as a mentor at a private estate in Nevada 34 years ago.

The now frail and isolated 80-year-old could spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted at his retrial for drugging and molesting Andrea Constand, 44, at his Philadelphia home in 2004.

The case has besmirched the legacy of the actor adored by millions as "America's Dad" for his role as lovable father and obstetrician Cliff Huxtable on the hit 1984-92 television series "The Cosby Show."

Since then, 60 women have accused the Emmy-winner of being a serial predator, alleging that he drugged and assaulted them over 40 years.

Cosby's first trial in Norristown, a Philadelphia suburb, ended in a hung jury in June last year, with a sequestered panel hopelessly deadlocked after six days of testimony and 52 hours of deliberations.

On Tuesday, Heidi Thomas, a mother of four from Colorado, took the stand on the second day of the retrial, the first of five additional accusers who have been allowed to testify a second time around.

Last time, Judge Steven O'Neill allowed just one additional accuser to speak for the prosecution and experts say his change of heart presents a much tougher challenge for the defense.

Thomas's testimony of being seemingly drugged -- a sole sip of alcohol that left her fuzzy, "feeling so, so sick" and unable to respond -- was striking for its similarities with Constand's allegations.

- 'Forcing himself' -


POOL/AFP / DAVID MAIALETTI Cosby's lawyer Tesereau branded accuser Andrea Constand a lying, money-obsessed "con artist" who falsely accused the star to bag a nearly $3.4 million civil settlement in 2006 to evade debts


At the time of her alleged assault in 1984, Thomas said she was an aspiring actress whose agent flew her out to Reno on an all-expenses paid trip after Cosby offered to mentor her.

But instead of a hotel, Thomas said she was driven to a private ranch out of town.

Cosby, she said, was initially "very kind and very personable," but seemed unimpressed with her acting, pressing her to sip a glass of wine and handing her a script about an intoxicated woman.

"I can tell you it was a sip," Thomas said. For the next four days, Thomas said she remembered only "little snapshots."

"I remember waking up on a bed," she added. "I had my clothes on. He did not. I was lying down and he was forcing himself in my mouth and I remember thinking I felt sick.

"He said 'your friend is going to come again' and I remember thinking 'how did I get here? This isn't what I'm here for,'" Thomas added.

She remembered nothing of the journey home and said there was no way she was going to tell her agency or her parents, asking herself instead whether she had been hallucinating and blaming herself.

Elegantly dressed with short gray hair, Thomas spoke clearly and confidently. Cosby turned his face away as she spoke, staring in the direction of the gallery at a 90-degree angle to the witness box.

- 'Con-artist' -

His celebrity defense attorney Tom Mesereau also removed himself from the lawyers' table, sitting to the side, entrusting cross-examination to female colleague Kathleen Bliss.

The three counts of aggravated indecent assault involving Constand are the only criminal charges to stick against Cosby, with most of the alleged abuse having occurred too long ago to prosecute.

His retrial is the most high-profile criminal case since the start of the #MeToo era, the US cultural watershed that has ruined the careers of a string of powerful men in Hollywood, politics and the media.

In his opening statement, Mesereau branded Constand a lying, money-obsessed "con artist" who falsely accused the star to bag a nearly $3.4 million civil settlement in 2006 to evade debts.

"What does she want from Bill Cosby?" asked Mesereau, best known for deploying a similar defense that got Michael Jackson acquitted of child molestation.

"You already know the answer: money, money and lots more money," he said. "She's now a multi-millionaire because she pulled it off."

At the time of the alleged assault, Constand was the director of women's basketball at Temple University, where the wealthy actor sat on the board of trustees.

Cosby said he gave the Canadian an over-the-counter antihistamine to relieve stress. He said their relations were consensual.

"He was foolish, he was ridiculous and lonely, and attracted to a young woman, but he didn't commit a crime. He's not a criminal and you will gladly declare him not guilty," Mesereau said.

LATEST WORLD NEWS: Brazil's Supreme Court delays debate that could see Lula released

source: AFP
Brazil's Supreme Court delays debate that could see Lula released

 FramePhoto/AFP/File / Thiago Bernardes Brazilian former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (C) leaves the Metallurgical Union on his way to Sao Paulo airport on Saturday to begin serving a 12-year sentence for corruption

A justice on Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a delay until next week of a debate on changing a law that could, if passed, lead to the imminent release of recently jailed ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The debate had been due to take place Wednesday, but Justice Marco Aurelio accepted a request by the tiny, right-wing PEN party, which originally petitioned the legal change, for a delay of five days.

PEN said it had just changed its lawyer and that the new lawyer needed time to review the case.

The postponement gives the Supreme Court breathing space ahead of what could be a momentous case.

Currently the law says that anyone convicted of a crime should serve their sentence after losing an initial appeal. Under the change petitioned by PEN, people would be allowed to remain at liberty until exhausting all appeals at higher courts.

This would apply to Lula, who was imprisoned on Saturday to start serving a 12-year sentence for corruption, having lost his first appeal in January. If the law were changed he would likely be released and allowed to stay free while pursuing further appeals.

The change would also apply to many others currently behind bars.

PEN filed the petition back in 2016. The hard-right party had a change of heart this week, even trying to withdraw its petition, when it became clear that if successful the petition would benefit Lula, the main leader of Brazil's left.

To supporters of the current law, prison after a first appeal is needed to prevent the rich and powerful from playing the courts and avoiding prison for months or even years.

Supporters of changing the law say that presumption of innocence doesn't end until the appeals process also ends.

The legal argument has become a central part of the political drama shaking Brazil six months before elections.

At least 21 killed in Brazil prison breakout bid: officials

At least 21 killed in Brazil prison breakout bid: officials



AFP / Laurence CHU Brazil prison break

At least 21 people died Tuesday in an attempted breakout from a prison in northern Brazil aided by an armed group on the outside trying to blow up a wall, officials said.

The Para state security service described the mass escape attempt at the Santa Izabel Penitentiary Complex, near the Amazon rainforest city of Belem in Para state, as a military style battle in which both prisoners inside and associates on the outside were armed.

"In the rescue attempt, explosives were used against one of the walls," the agency said in a statement.

"The attempt was supported by an extremely heavily armed group. According to preliminary reports, the prisoners also had weapons inside the prison," the statement said.

Prison guards fought back in "an intense exchange of gunfire," it said.

The confirmed dead so far included 20 prisoners and outside attackers, plus one guard. Another five guards were injured, including one seriously.

A headcount was underway to establish whether anyone escaped, while a police SWAT team was reinforcing security.

Police had recovered two rifles and five handguns at the scene, the statement said.

- Deadly reality -

Brazil is one of the world's deadliest countries, with around 60,000 homicides a year, and the prisons are notoriously overcrowded and violent.

There were 726,712 inmates as of June 2016 and capacity for only 368,000, according to the most recent official statistics.

Powerful drug gangs routinely take their turf wars from the streets of Rio de Janeiro and other big cities into penitentiary facilities.

In the worst cases, security staff are reduced to bystanders as criminal bosses run daily life.

In one of the bloodiest episodes, 56 people were killed in an uprising in a prison in the city of Manaus in Brazil's Amazon in 2017.

In January, fighting between gangs at a prison in northeastern Ceara state left 10 dead.

That bloodshed took place in the Itapaje Public Prison, about 78 miles (125 kilometers) from the state capital Fortaleza.

A few days earlier, at least 14 people had been gunned down at a nightclub in Fortaleza.

Local media reported that the massacre, conducted by armed men who arrived in three cars, was related to disputes between rival drug traffickers.

Adding to Brazil's security woes, the police force is regularly accused of breaking the law in carrying out extrajudicial killings, falsifying evidence and failing to investigate its own officers.

Human Rights Watch reported earlier this month that police had killed 4,224 people in 2016 -- the last available figures -- about 26 percent more than in 2015.

The streets are also deadly for police: 437 were killed in 2016, the report said.

Fox 'cooperating' with EU officials after bloc raids London offices

source: AFP
Fox 'cooperating' with EU officials after bloc raids London offices

AFP/File / Jewel SAMAD The London offices of Rupert Murdoch's Fox media empire have been searched by EU officials in a competition probe

Fox said it was cooperating with EU officials after an unannounced search of the US media company's London offices, one of several raids on media outlets by the bloc Tuesday in a probe into sports media rights.

The office of Fox Networks Group, which operates 21st Century Fox's global television network, in the Hammersmith area was raided by European Commission officials over competition concerns.

"Fox Networks Group (FNG) is cooperating fully with the EC inspection," a company spokesman told AFP.

The European Commission said it carried out inspections in several EU countries of companies working in media rights related to sports events and their broadcasting.

"The Commission has concerns that the companies involved may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices," the EU's executive branch said in a statement.

"Unannounced inspections are a preliminary step into suspected anticompetitive practices," the Commission added, noting raids did not mean companies were guilty of breaking competition rules.

The EU did not detail which firms or countries were involved, or the precise nature of the probe.

Inspectors are believed to have seized documents and computer records at the FNG office and are due to return on Wednesday and possibly Thursday, The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.

Sports broadcasting has become a multi-billion dollar business across the world, with big television networks vying for exclusive rights to show live games.

Football in particular attracts the big spenders. The bulk of rights to show English Premier League matches in February sold for £4.46 billion ($6.16 billion), with more games still up for grabs.

Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox is currently grappling with the UK's competition authority over plans to buy the 61 percent of British pay TV giant Sky that it does not already own.

Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regulator provisionally ruled earlier this year that Murdoch's planned takeover was not in the public interest and that a deal would hand him too much power in swaying public opinion.

Fox has responded by proposing the sale of TV channel Sky News to Disney, while also offering to ring-fence the 24-hour news channel instead.

The CMA is conducting a review and is due to submit a final report to the British government on May 1. Britain's Culture Secretary Matt Hancock will then issue his verdict.

The European Commission said there is "no legal deadline to complete inquiries into anticompetitive conduct", with the duration of the probes dependent on factors including the complexity of the case and cooperation from those involved.

WORLD NEWS: Asian markets flutter after Xi-inspired rally

source: AFP
Asian markets flutter after Xi-inspired rally

AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM US President Donald Trump welcomed Xi Jinping's 'kind words', which have soothed investor fears of a China-US trade war

Energy firms soared with oil prices in Asia on Wednesday but broader markets flitted between gains and losses after the previous day's rally, with hopes that a China-US trade war will be averted providing support.

Wall Street provided a strong lead with all three main indexes up around two percent but regional dealers took a breather, with attention turning to the corporate earnings season, which is about to get under way.

Chinese President Xi Jinping soothed world markets on Tuesday with a conciliatory speech pledging to further open up the world's number two economy, ease auto tariffs and take action on US intellectual property rights.

The measures address some of the key issues that have irked Donald Trump and came after the White House on Friday unveiled another round of levies on billions of dollars of Chinese goods.

His comments tempered worries about a potentially devastating trade war that could hammer the global economy just as it gets back on track after the financial crisis.

Trump tweeted that he was "Very thankful for President Xi of China's kind words", adding "We will make great progress together!"

The Xi speech also followed a series of tit-for-tat threats by the US and China to impose retaliatory tariffs on one another that have rattled markets in recent weeks.

Asian markets were mixed. Tokyo ended the morning 0.2 percent down, Hong Kong added 0.6 percent and Shanghai was up 0.7 percent. Singapore gained 0.4 percent, Seoul edged down marginally and Taipei put on 0.4 percent. Sydney fell 0.3 percent and Wellington also slipped.

- Word of warning -

"In a market starved of good news, Xi's dialled back trade war rhetoric was music to investor's ears," said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trading at OANDA.

However, he cautioned: "While investors are relishing this moment, trade war issues are not about to leave the political stage any time soon. In fact President Xi's remarks, while conciliatory to tariffs, were restatements of previous pledges with no new compromises to President Trump."

Energy firms were among the biggest gainers after a rally of more than three percent for both main oil contracts Tuesday.

The crude surge came on the back of easing trade worries as well as geopolitical concerns as Western governments consider their response to an alleged chemical attack in Syria, while the US is also toying with slapping Iran with sanctions.

Reports also said that oil kingpin and major OPEC member Saudi Arabia preferred to see prices at around $80 a barrel as it prepares for a gargantuan listing of its energy giant Aramco either this year or next.

Hong Kong-listed CNOOC and PetroChina were each around three percent higher and Sinopec was more than one percent up. Inpex surged three percent in Tokyo and Woodside Petroleum gained 1.4 percent in Sydney.

However, oil fell in Asia Wednesday ahead of the release of US stockpiles figures, with data suggesting there could have been a rise in the past week, indicating weak demand.

- Key figures around 0300 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.2 percent at 21,750.43 (break)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.6 percent at 30,904.13

Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.7 percent at 3,213.28

Euro/dollar: UP $1.2358 from $1.2354 at 2100 GMT

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 107.14 yen from 107.19

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.4177 from $1.4174

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 15 cents at $65.36 per barrel

Oil - Brent North Sea: DOWN 23 cents at $70.81 per barrel

New York - Dow: UP 1.8 percent at 24,408.00 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 1.0 percent at 7,266.75 (close)

Trouble in Paradise: Tourism surge lashes Southeast Asia's beaches

source: AFP
Trouble in Paradise: Tourism surge lashes Southeast Asia's beaches


AFP / Lillian SUWANRUMPHA Thailand received 35 million tourists last year, of whom nearly 10 million hailed from China, according to official data

Hordes of tourists clamber across the white sand with selfie sticks as Thai park rangers wade into turquoise waters to direct boats charging into the cliff-ringed cove.

Made famous by the 2000 movie "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Maya Bay on the western Thai island of Koh Phi Phi Ley is now a case study in the ruinous costs of runaway tourism, swamped by up to 4,000 daily visitors.

"There is too many people here, it's bad," lamented Saad Lazrak, a 61-year-old from Morocco, as crowds around him swallowed the stretch of sand encircled by an amphitheatre of limestone cliffs.

Across the region, Southeast Asia's once-pristine beaches are reeling from decades of unchecked tourism as governments scramble to confront trash-filled waters and environmental degradation without puncturing a key economic driver.

Thailand's Maya Bay will be off limits for four months from June to September, officials announced last month, in a bid to save its ravaged coral reefs.


AFP / Lillian SUWANRUMPHA Thailand's Maya Bay will be off limits for four months from June to September in a bid to save its ravaged coral reefs


In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered this month the Boracay beach resort closed to tourists for up to six months from April 26, describing the destination as a "cesspool" tainted by sewage dumped directly into the sea.

Indonesian officials, meanwhile, declared a "garbage emergency" last year swamping a six-kilometre stretch of coast along the island of Bali.

The island's grim coastal pollution was highlighted in March by British diver Rich Horner's viral video of swimming through a dystopia of trash swirling off shore.

"Plastic bags, more plastic bags, plastic, plastic, so much plastic!" Horner said in a Facebook post that has been viewed more than a million times.

- Breathing space -

Conservationists and governments are worried about the health of coral reefs, which are in a dire state globally due to climate change and rising sea temperatures.

When exposed to warmer waters, they shed the algae that dazzle the eye and are vital to marine eco-systems, leaving the corals diseased or bone-white in a process called bleaching.


AFP / Lillian SUWANRUMPHA Fire dancers perform for tourists on the southern Thai island of Koh Phi Phi, which is swamped by up to 4,000 daily visitors

Environmental stress, including pollution, human contact and exposure to plastics that comes with mass tourism are also major threats to reefs that are part of the draw for snorkellers and scuba-divers.

"Tourism has a series of detrimental effects on coral health," said Eike Schoenig, a Thailand-based marine biologist at the Center for Oceanic Research and Education.

Countries in Southeast Asia are looking to stem the threats without cutting off the cash flow of a regional tourism boom, led by China, the top source market for travellers to the region.

Thailand received 35 million tourists last year, of whom nearly 10 million hailed from China, according to official data.

But what is good for business can be bad for beaches.

Songtam Suksawang, Thailand's National Park Office Director, told AFP he personally inspected the beach at Maya Bay and said it "must definitely be (temporarily) closed" in order to rehabilitate it.

He said authorities are discussing new rules once the shut-down is lifted, such as restrictions on the number of daily visitors, better regulation of boats and a higher entrance fee.

- Tourism costs -

Thailand is also conducting studies on six other marine parks, while the Philippines is weighing action on other top destinations buckling under mass tourism.

But governments are wary of curtailing an industry that creates jobs and buoys economies.


AFP / Lillian SUWANRUMPHA Made famous by the 2000 movie 'The Beach' starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Maya Bay on the western Thai island of Koh Phi Phi Ley is now a case study in the ruinous costs of runaway tourism


Spending on travel and tourism contributed nearly $136 billion to the region's GDP in 2017, a figure forecast to rise to $144 billion this year, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

The cost of the closures is already being felt in the Philippines, where hundreds of Boracay hotels and tour companies are facing steep losses from cancelled rooms, flights and other bookings.

But some countries are not taking such dramatic steps.

In Indonesia, the tourism ministry said there were no plans to close Bali or any other holiday destination in the archipelago, although it acknowledged that pockets of the tropical paradise were under strain from heavy tourism.

"Shut down Bali? I don't think we will need to do that yet," said ministry spokesman Guntur Sakti. "Bali is the centre of Indonesian tourism."

In fact, Indonesia has identified 10 other destinations where it is trying to boost visitors and replicate Bali's success, including neighbouring island Lombok and Lake Toba in Sumatra.

Experts are also scetpical that short shut-downs will have lasting effects.

"Bottom line is that temporarily closing the beach is probably not the optimal solution to these problems. It only take a day for a bunch of incompetent snorkellers to trash a small reef," said Andrew Baird from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia.

In Thailand, the government hopes to draw people to lesser known beaches.

"We are working very hard to spread people out, not to go to one condensed area," said Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine expert working with the parks and tourism authorities.

Travellers to Maya Bay might like the idea.

"It's very touristy. There wasn't a patch of sand that didn't have people laying down on it, taking photos," Oliver Black, a 22-year-old tourist, said of his afternoon at the destination.

As for his thoughts on the looming closure?

"It would not really upset me if I wasn't able to go to (back to) Maya beach," he told AFP.

burs-joe/ssm/fa/aph

Military plane with 100 on board crashes in Algeria

source: AFP
Military plane with 100 on board crashes in Algeria

AFP/File / STR A Ilyushin Il-76 plane, believed to be the same type as the one that crashed in Algeria, is seen at Moscow airport in March 2004

An Algerian transport plane with around 100 army personnel on board crashed on Wednesday shortly after taking off from an airbase outside the capital.

There was no immediate word on casualties after the plane went down near the Boufarik airbase.

According to an AFP photographer at the scene, thick black smoke rose from the wreckage of the plane which crashed in a field near the base.

Hundreds of ambulances and dozens of fire trucks with their sirens wailing rushed to the scene.

Around 100 military personnel were on board the Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane, a military source told AFP, asking not to be named.

Algeria has suffered a string of military and civilian aviation disasters.

Two military planes collided mid-flight in December 2012 during a training exercise in Tlemcen, in the far west of the country, killing the pilots of both planes.

In February 2014, 77 people died when a military plane carrying army personnel and family members crashed between Tamanrasset in southern Algeria and the eastern city of Constantine.


AFP / Algeria plane crash


Only one person survived after the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft came down in the mountainous Oum El Bouaghi region.

The defence ministry blamed that crash on bad weather.

An Air Algerie passenger plane flying from Burkina Faso to Algiers crashed in northern Mali in July 2014, killing all 116 people on board including 54 French nationals.

In October the same year, a military plane crashed in the south of the country during a training exercise, killing the two men on board.

That came more than a decade after all but one of the 103 people on an Air Algerie Boeing 737-200 died in March 2003 when it crashed on takeoff in the country's south after an engine caught fire.

WORLD LATEST NEWS: Trump warns Russia on Syria, says missiles 'will be coming'

source: AFP
Trump warns Russia on Syria, says missiles 'will be coming'

AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM In a tweet, President Donald Trump warned Russia that US missiles "will be coming, nice and new and 'smart'"

President Donald Trump warned Russia Wednesday about supporting Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and said US missiles "will be coming" in retaliation for an alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Trump's message comes one day after Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution at the United Nations Security Council to set up a panel to identify the perpetrators of Saturdays' alleged toxic gas attacks in Douma.

Russia has said its military specialists found no evidence of a chemical attack, and suggested that rebels staged or spread rumors of an attack to pin the blame on Damascus.

In an earlier Wednesday tweet, Trump said that there was "So much Fake News about what is going on in the White House. Very calm and calculated with a big focus on open and fair trade with China, the coming North Korea meeting and, of course, the vicious gas attack in Syria."

Just before Trump's tweets, the Kremlin on Wednesday urged restraint in Syria, saying that countries should avoid taking action that could further destabilize the war-torn country.

WHO demands access to victims of alleged Syria chemical attack

source: AFP
WHO demands access to victims of alleged Syria chemical attack

AFP / HO An image grab from a video released by the Syrian Civil Defence shows hospital volunteers giving aid to children after an alleged chemical attack in Douma on Saturday

The World Health Organization on Wednesday demanded "immediate" access to the victims of an alleged chemical attack in Syria, voicing indignation at the strike that caused symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic substances.

"We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma" where Saturday's attack took place, said Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response.

"WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response," he added.

Citing information previously released by local health organisations, WHO said that "an estimated 500 patients presented to health facilities exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals".

"There were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed," the statement added.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Assad has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and UN-backed war crimes investigators.

WHO has delivered medicine capable of treating certain types of chemical agents to clinics through a series of humanitarian convoys deployed across the country in recent years.

UN officials have also accused Assad's troops of at times removing those treatments from humanitarian vehicles.

Contrite Zuckerberg says Facebook in 'arms race' with Russia

source: AFP
Contrite Zuckerberg says Facebook in 'arms race' with Russia

AFP / Brendan Smialowski Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during a US Senate hearing on data misuse by the social network

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg accepted personal responsibility Tuesday for the leak of data on tens of millions of its users, while warning of an "arms race" against Russian disinformation during a high-stakes hearing with US lawmakers.

In his first formal congressional appearance, the Facebook founder and chief executive answered questions for nearly five hours as he sought to quell the storm over privacy and security lapses at the social media giant that have angered lawmakers and the network's two billion users.

Under mounting pressure over the hijacking of its user data by a British political consultant, Zuckerberg reiterated his apology for the historic breach, before being grilled over how Facebook collects and protects people's personal information.

"It was my mistake, and I'm sorry," Zuckerberg said about the improper sharing of 87 million people's information by Cambridge Analytica, a firm working for Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

"I started Facebook, I run it and I'm responsible for what happens here."


AFP / John SAEKI Facebook worldwide


He added that Facebook fell short in protecting the platform, noting: "That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy."

The 33-year-old CEO spoke of a constant struggle to guard against Russian manipulation of the Facebook platform to influence elections in the US and elsewhere.

"There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well," he said.

"So this is an arms race. They're going to keep getting better and we need to invest in getting better at this too."

Zuckerberg has previously acknowledged the social network failed to do enough to prevent the spread of disinformation during the last US presidential race.

The Senate hearing, ahead of another appearance in the House on Wednesday, featured several tense and some friendly exchanges on Facebook's security, hate speech and other topics.

Of the hundreds of questions he faced, none appeared to flummox him more than Senator Dick Durbin's pointed query about where he slept the previous evening.

"Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night?" Durbin asked.

Zuckerberg paused for a full eight seconds, chuckled, grimaced and ultimately demurred.

"Um, uh, no," he said.

And "if you've messaged anybody this week, would you share with us the names of the people you've messaged?" the Illinois Democrat persisted.

Again, a similar unwillingness to answer.

Perhaps more than any other senator during five hours of questioning, Durbin's everyman tactic put a finger on the crux of the issue surrounding Facebook's handling of its users' private data.

- Open to regulation -

Zuckerberg said he was open to regulation, but cautioned against complex rules that might impact emerging social media firms.


AFP / JIM WATSON Zuckerberg sought to quell the storm over privacy and security lapses at the social network

"I think the internet is becoming increasingly important in people's lives and I think we need to have a full conversation about what is the right regulation," he told the hearing.

"You need to be careful (a new regulatory policy) doesn't cement in the current companies that are winning."

Zuckerberg also revealed that Facebook is cooperating with the US special prosecutor investigating Russian interference in the 2016 vote.

"Our work with the special counsel is confidential. I want to make sure in an open session I don't reveal something that's confidential," he said.

Zuckerberg said he had personally not been contacted, and that he was not specifically aware of any subpoena of Facebook data.

"I believe there may be (a subpoena), but I know we're working with them," he said.

Swapping his customary T-shirt for a business suit and tie, the Facebook chief appeared somber as he fielded tough questions over Cambridge Analytica's massive data breach.

"We've been working to understand exactly what happened with Cambridge Analytica and taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said in his prepared remarks.

But the show of contrition fell short for several lawmakers.

"We've seen the apology tours before," Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told Zuckerberg.

"And so, my reservation about your testimony today is that I don't see how you can change your business model unless there are specific rules of the road."

- Paid-for Facebook? -

Dozens of protesters gathered outside Congress before the hearing wearing Zuckerberg masks and #DeleteFacebook T-shirts.


AFP / SAUL LOEB Cardboard cutouts of Zuckerberg stand outside the US Capitol, placed by advocacy group Avaaz to call attention to what it says are fake accounts still spreading disinformation on Facebook


Inside the jammed hearing room, activists from the Code Pink group wore oversized glasses with the words "STOP SPYING" written on the lenses, and waved signs that read "Stop corporate lying."

Testifying was a new step for Zuckerberg, who started Facebook as a Harvard dropout in 2004, and built it into the world's largest social media company worth more than $450 billion.

During questioning, Zuckerberg rejected the suggestion that the social media giant, with over two billion users worldwide, has exclusive control over its market.

"The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people, ranging from texting apps to e-mail," he said.

Zuckerberg also said the company believed in an ad-supported business model, but appeared to leave open the possibility of a paid version.

"There will always be a version of Facebook that is free," Zuckerberg told the hearing.

LATEST WORLD NEWS: Defiant Trump warns missiles 'will be coming' over Syria attack

source: AFP
Defiant Trump warns missiles 'will be coming' over Syria attack


AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with senior military leaders at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 9, 2018

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that "missiles will be coming" in response to an alleged chemical attack in Syria, defying Russian warnings against a strike.

Upping the stakes in an escalating confrontation with Moscow, Trump took to Twitter in the strongest assertion yet that he plans to take military action in Syria.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump wrote.

Damascus, which has long accused Washington of supporting "terrorists" opposed to the regime, hit back at Trump's threats.

"We are not surprised by such a reckless escalation from a regime like the United States which has fostered and continues to foster terrorism in Syria," state news agency SANA quoted an official source at the foreign ministry as saying.

Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma.

Efforts to find a diplomatic solution at the UN Security Council on Tuesday failed, with Washington and Moscow opposing each other's rival motions to set up an international investigation into chemical weapons use.

Trump in another tweet said US-Russian relations are "worse now" than ever, "and that includes the Cold War".

Russia has meanwhile taken to stronger and stronger warnings.


AFP / Gal ROMA Syria chemical weapons attacks


"We would hope that all sides will avoid steps that in reality are not provoked by anything and that could destabilise the already fragile situation in the region," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"The situation is tense," Peskov said, adding that Russia is calling for an "unprejudiced and objective investigation before making judgements" on the suspected use of chemical weapons.

- Air traffic control alert -

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also insisted that "smart rockets should be aimed at terrorists, rather than the legitimate government" of Syria.

Trump has said he plans to make the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and perhaps his Russian and Iranian backers, pay a "big" price for the latest alleged toxic gas atrocity in the war-wracked country.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Both Trump and his defence secretary Jim Mattis abruptly cancelled upcoming travel plans Tuesday, as the USS Donald Cook -- a guided-missile destroyer -- moved to within striking range of Syria.


AFP / HO An image grab from a video released by the Syrian Civil Defence shows hospital volunteers giving aid to children after an alleged chemical attack in Douma on Saturday

The air traffic control agency Eurocontrol has also released an alert from the European Aviation Safety Agency to flight operators in nearby airspace of "the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours."

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been coordinating closely with Washington, said he would decide on a response "in the coming days."

"Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities," he said, insisting he did "not want an escalation."

As it looked to head off the threat of Western strikes, Syria said it had invited the OPCW to visit the site of the alleged attack in Douma, a town in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta that is on the verge of falling to the regime after a long and bloody siege.

- WHO demands access -

The OPCW said it would "shortly" deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but US officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday demanded "immediate" access to the victims of the alleged chemical attack.

"We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma," said Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response.

"WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response," he added.


 Douma City Coordination Committee/AFP/File / HO Unidentified volunteers spray a man with water at a makeshift hospital on April 7, 2018


In 2017, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the UN later pinned on Assad.

Syria's government has denied accusations of using banned weapons such as chlorine or sarin throughout the country's civil war.

Douma has been heavily bombed by the regime and Russia making it extremely difficult for media, including AFP, to independently verify the claims.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Tuesday the OPCW should be granted unfettered access to investigate.

The OPCW does not have a mandate to establish who is responsible for attacks, and the joint OPCW-UN taskforce that once did was shut down by Russia last year after it blamed the Syria regime.

Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal in 2013, narrowly avoiding American and French air strikes in retaliation for a suspected sarin attack.

That incident, which killed hundreds, also took place in Eastern Ghouta.

burs-mm/dr

Top US Republican Paul Ryan won't seek re-election: reports

source: AFP
Top US Republican Paul Ryan won't seek re-election: reports


AFP/File / SAUL LOEB US Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan has reportedly told friends and colleagues he has decided not to run in November's congressional race

The top Republican in the US Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan, will not seek re-election following this year's mid-term elections, reports said Wednesday.

Ryan has told friends and colleagues he has decided not to run in November's congressional race, and is poised to inform House Republicans of his plans, multiple US media reported.

Questioned by reporters in the corridors of Congress about his plans, as he headed to a weekly briefing scheduled for 1400 GMT, Ryan responded simply: "I'm not resigning."

The political website Axios first reported Ryan's decision not to stand again, citing sources with knowledge of the conversations between the speaker and several confidants.

Donald Trump's Republicans are bracing for a brutal re-election battle, whipsawed by the president's low approval ratings, his propensity to throw the party off message, and exceptional Democratic enthusiasm.

WORLD NEWS: S.Africa bids emotional farewell to 'Mama Winnie' Mandela

source: AFP
S.Africa bids emotional farewell to 'Mama Winnie' Mandela

AFP / MARCO LONGARI The ruling ANC's signature green, yellow and black adorned mourners' shirts and flags and women's head-wraps

Thousands of mourners flocked Wednesday to the heart of South Africa's sprawling Soweto township, a centre of anti-apartheid resistance, to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela's former wife and struggle hero Winnie Mandela.

Her grandson Bambatha Mandela described Winnie, who died on April 2 after a long illness, as "an extraordinary woman, a mother, a soldier, a fighter".

"Even at 81 (she) was one person I thought would live forever," he said in an emotional tribute. "I had the privilege of being the first grandchild they could raise after (Nelson Mandela) returned from prison."


AFP / GIANLUIGI GUERCIA The choice of Soweto's 37,000-capacity Orlando stadium was highly symbolic Winnie Mandela remained embedded in the community where she met Nelson Mandela at a bus stop in 1957


The choice of Soweto's 37,000-capacity Orlando stadium for both the memorial service and the full state funeral planned for Saturday was highly symbolic.

Unlike many struggle-era leaders who moved from townships like Soweto to formerly white suburbs after apartheid fell, Winnie Mandela remained embedded in the community where she met Nelson Mandela at a bus stop in 1957.

"I don't think I want to wake up alongside my enemies," Bambatha remembered his grandmother as saying.

Sunshine broke through a dense cloud cover over Soweto during multi-faith prayers, while outside the stadium a motorcycle club sporting African National Congress (ANC) colours arrived to pay their respects.

"I had seen her, I was here in 1974 when she came to the schools and said we were marching out. She was a hero for us, a fighter with us," said mourner Lilian Motgung from nearby Zakariyya Park.

- 'Fighting spirit' -

Inside, the Soweto Gospel Choir sang several rousing numbers which prompted mourners to stand and dance beside their plastic foldaway seats.

Deputy President David Mabuza said that many South Africans were left "weeping" after learning of her death.


AFP/File / Vincent LEFAI Winnie Madikizela-Mandela died on April 2 at the age of 81

"Though you are gone from our human eye, the black fortress of human dignity cannot be erased.

"You reminded our daughters and mothers that they are powerful beyond measure.

"You are a torch-bearer of our liberation."

The charismatic master of ceremonies cried "Long live the fighting spirit of Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela", and "Viva Soweto!" to spirited chanting from the crowd.

"Every time we met Mrs Mandela, she'd tell wonderful stories, she was like no other," church leader John Moletsane told AFP as he made his way to the ceremony.

"She would tell you about how to build the future and not look to the past. I don't know where South Africa would be without her -- no one can fill her space."

Rita Ndzanga, a frail former anti-apartheid fighter who was detained alongside Winnie Mandela, drew rapturous cheers from the crowd as she spoke about their experiences together.

"I remember when we were arrested in our fight against pass laws for women," she said, describing how they were both breastfeeding at the time.

As well as numerous ministers, religious leaders and family members, George Bizos, an anti-apartheid icon who was close friends with Nelson Mandela, also attended.


AFP/File / MARCO LONGARI Glamorous and tough, Winnie played a high-profile role in the battle to end repressive white-minority rule


He sat alongside at least 100 VIP delegates including Nelson Mandela's third wife Graca Machel on a black stage decorated with bright yellow and white flowers and flanked by two big screens.

Mananki Joyce Seipei, the mother of a boy whose kidnapping Winnie was convicted of in 1991, was reportedly encouraged by the ANC to attend Wednesday's event.

- 'The best we could have' -

She told local media she was "very sad to hear that Winnie is no more because she and I had made peace".

Winnie Mandela was found guilty of kidnapping Stompie Moeketsi, a 14-year-old boy who was then beaten to death by her bodyguards in her home in 1988.

She was also accused of running a mafia-style gang responsible for multiple murders and beatings in Soweto, and of endorsing "necklacing" -- killing suspected informers with burning tires put over their heads.

Her convictions for kidnapping and fraud, and her reputation for overseeing violence in black townships, were brushed aside with tributes to her bravery, independence and integrity.


AFP / GIANLUIGI GUERCIA Her convictions for kidnapping and fraud, and her reputation for overseeing violence in black townships, were brushed aside with tributes to her bravery, independence and integrity

ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte told critics of Winnie Mandela to "sit down and shut up" during her speech to the crowd.

Most of Winnie Mandela's 38-year marriage to Nelson was spent apart, with Nelson imprisoned for 27 years, leaving her to raise their two daughters alone as she kept his political dream alive.

Glamorous and tough, she played a high-profile role in the battle to end repressive white-minority rule.

In 1990 the world watched when Nelson Mandela finally walked free from prison -- hand-in-hand with Winnie.

The Mandelas separated in 1992 and divorced four years later, after a legal wrangle that revealed she had had an affair with a young bodyguard.

During her old age, she re-emerged as a respected elder who was feted as a living reminder of the late Mandela -- and of the long and celebrated struggle against apartheid.

"She was the best we could have," said one of her young great-granddaughters to an ecstatic crowd response.

LATEST WORLD NEWS: Azerbaijan autocrat set to win polls boycotted by opposition

source: AFP
Azerbaijan autocrat set to win polls boycotted by opposition

POOL/AFP/File / DENIS BALIBOUSE, DENIS BALIBOUSE Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev surprised the opposition by holding the vote six months early

Azerbaijanis voted on Wednesday in a snap presidential election boycotted by the main opposition parties and set to extend the autocratic rule of President Ilham Aliyev.

An Aliyev victory is widely seen as a foregone conclusion with the Caspian state's downtrodden opposition unable to mount a serious challenge to his authoritarian rule.

His position has also been boosted by the steady influx of petrodollars into his government's coffers.

Opposition parties in the tightly-controlled Caucasus nation have said the elections are a sham and accused the authorities of preparing to rig the vote.

They have also condemned Aliyev's surprise -- and unexplained -- decision to hold the election six months ahead of schedule, saying it was aimed at shortening the campaign period and hampering the opposition's efforts to prevent vote-rigging.

"All previous elections in Azerbaijan were falsified and held with blatant violations of the electoral law. These elections will be no exception," said the executive secretary of the opposition Republican Alternative Movement, Natig Jafarli.

In a statement released ahead of the vote, 11 leading Azerbaijani rights activists said the "election environment and electoral legislation did not provide guarantees for free and fair elections."

"The elections are completely non-competitive and without political alternative," they said, describing the media environment in the run-up to the election as "alarming".


AFP / Tofik BABAYEV People voting at a polling station in Baku. The result was in little doubt with the oppposition boycotting


The authorities rejected the opposition's criticism, insisting the vote will be free and fair.

The head of the Central Election Commission said turnout was 69.9% at 1300 GMT, nine hours after polls opened, but opposition and rights activists expressed doubts about the accuracy of the figures.

- 'Unprecedented' powers -

At a polling station in the capital Baku, 38-year-old schoolteacher Elmira Balayeva said she had voted for Aliyev because he was the only candidate capable of steering the country towards economic wellbeing and political stability.

"There is no alternative to Aliyev. Only thanks to him is Azerbaijan a stable country with a strong economy," she said after casting her ballot.

But for Natig Veliyev, a 27-year-old student who didn't bother to vote, "the elections are pure farce."

"We have never seen free elections in this country. Aliyev simply extends his reign again and again."

Poised to secure a fourth consecutive term, Aliyev, 56, was first elected in 2003, after the death of his father Heydar Aliyev.

A former KGB officer and communist-era leader, Aliyev senior had ruled Azerbaijan with an iron fist since 1993.

Ilham Aliyev was re-elected in 2008 and 2013 in polls that were denounced by opposition parties as fraudulent.

In 2009, he amended the country's constitution so he could run for an unlimited number of presidential terms, a move criticised by rights advocates.

In 2016, Azerbaijan adopted fresh controversial constitutional amendments, extending the president's term in office from five to seven years.

The changes drew criticism from Council of Europe constitutional law experts as "severely upsetting the balance of powers" and giving the president "unprecedented" authority.


AFP / TOFIK BABAYEV Aliyev has also seen his position boosted by the steady influx of petrodollars into his government's coffers

Cementing his family's decades-long grip on power, the president last year appointed his wife Mehriban Aliyeva as first vice president.

Apart from the incumbent president, seven candidates are running in the poll -- all low-profile figures who have barely carried out any campaigning.

- 'Hidden wealth' -

Supporters have praised the Aliyevs for turning a republic once thought of as an ex-Soviet backwater into a flourishing energy supplier to Europe.


AFP / JGD Azerbaijan


But critics argue they have crushed opposition and used their power to fund a lavish lifestyle for themselves and their family. Aliyev has denied accusations of rights abuses and corruption.

Monitored by international observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the polls were due to close at 1500 GMT.

Some 5.2 million people are registered to vote.

The Central Election Commission was to begin announcing results late Wednesday, following government-commissioned exit polls released shortly after the vote closes.

LATEST WORLD NEWS: UN war crimes judges quash radical Serb's acquittal

source; AFP
UN war crimes judges quash radical Serb's acquittal

AFP/File / ANDREJ ISAKOVIC Serbian radical opposition MP Vojislav Seselj was acquitted in March 2016 of nine war crimes and crimes against humanity charges

UN judges Wednesday found radical Serb Vojislav Seselj guilty on appeal of crimes against humanity, but the firebrand politician will remain a free man because of time already served behind bars.

Seselj told AFP after the ruling that he was "proud" of the crimes he was convicted of -- including inciting persecution -- and was willing to do the same again.

Presiding judge Theodor Meron sentenced the firebrand politician to 10 years behind bars, at a hearing in The Hague.

"The appeals chamber reverses Seselj's acquittals for instigating persecution, deportation and other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity," the judge said.

The judges however said that in line with the court's rules, "Seselj's sentence has been served" after he spent about 12 years in jail while facing trial at the former Yugoslav war crimes court.

Seselj snubbed the hearing and was not present when the verdict was read by judges at the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) in The Hague.

He had been acquitted in March 2016 of six war crimes and three crimes against humanity charges after a trial lasting more than eight years at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

A three-judge panel led by French judge Jean-Claude Antonetti said in 2016 that prosecutors had "failed to prove beyond all reasonable doubt" or provide sufficient evidence that Seselj was responsible for the crimes he had been charged with.

The verdict had been heavily criticised by law experts and historians who said it had rewritten the history of the Balkans conflicts.

-'Ignored the evidence' -

The five appeals judges agreed Wednesday, partially overturning the original trial's findings, finding him guilty of three counts of crimes against humanity, but upholding his acquittals on the six counts of war crimes.

Either the initial court had "ignored a substantial portion of highly relevant evidence and its own findings, or it erred in fact," Meron said.

"The appeals chamber finds that no reasonable trier of fact could have concluded that there was no widespread or systematic attack against the non-Serbian population in Croatia and in Bosnia-Herzegovina."

During his marathon trial, prosecutors alleged Seselj was behind the murders of scores of Croat, Muslim and other non-Serbs between 1991 and 1993 in the conflicts that tore Yugoslavia apart, after the fall of communism.

The prosecution had sought a 28-year-sentence for the man they referred to as the "chief propagandist of the Greater Serbia". They said he had warned that "rivers of blood" would flow in Bosnia if his vision for a Greater Serbia was opposed.

Seselj denied the allegations and in particular making two speeches highlighted by prosecutors. In the original trial, the judges found his speeches were not incitement to violence, but that he was merely "participating in the war effort by galvanising the Serb forces."

The appeals judges sharply condemned however what they called Seselj's "inflammatory words" which they said "substantially contributed" to the persecution and deportations of non-Serbs, including Croats and Bosnian Muslims.

In one speech in May 1992 in the village of Hrtkovci, in Serbia, he had declared "there was no room for Croats" adding "we will drive them to the border of the Serbian territory and they can walk from there," Meron said.

His speech "incited violence that denigrated and violated the right to security" of Croats in the village, Meron stressed.

- 'Never give up' -

The judgement neatly avoids a showdown between the court and Serbia, by finding that the opposition politician has already served his time, and does not face being sent back behind bars.

Seselj, who surrendered himself to the ICTY in 2003, told AFP earlier this month that it was all "lies" that he had made inflammatory speeches, adding that he did not regret his role in the conflict.

"We will never give up the idea of a Greater Serbia," Seselj insisted. He said his extreme right-wing Serbian Radical Party exists "to unite within the same state all the territories where the Serb people live".

LATEST WORLD NEWS: StopFake.org -- Ukrainian site fights fake news on the front line

source: AFP
StopFake.org -- Ukrainian site fights fake news on the front line

AFP / Glenn CHAPMAN StopFake.org co-founder Olga Yurkova poses for a photograph after speaking about fighting fake news in the Ukraine at the TED Conference in Vancouver, Canada, on April 10, 2018

Olga Yurkova has spent years fighting fake news on the front line.

The Ukrainian journalist and colleagues weighed into the battle with a StopFake.org website after Russian soldiers entered Crimea under cover and their country appeared to become a testing lab for using bogus stories to manipulate public opinion.

"We needed to do something to respond to fakes, to explain what is true and what is false," Yurkova told AFP on Tuesday at the prestigious TED Conference, where she is among the speakers.

"There is this huge propaganda machine on the other side with money, professionals and systems powering it, and volunteers on our side. But, we do what we can do."

Among stories debunked by StopFake.org was a hotly spreading one about a child of a Russia supporter being crucified in a Ukranian city.

Not only was the inflammatory tale a lie, the square mentioned did not exist.

On Tuesday, the website that Yurkova took part in launching four years ago displayed unmasked bogus tales including a lie about a US senator saying sanctions against Russia don't work.

StopFake.org boasted 53,400 fans on Facebook; 25,800 followers at Twitter, and more than 51,000 subscribers.

- 'Don't just believe' -

"Propaganda became a huge problem for Ukraine four years ago," Yurkova said.

"When we told the world about this, nobody listened to us. Now, the whole world faces this problem."

She believes fake news tactics refined in Ukraine have been aimed at the US, Europe and elsewhere.

A longtime journalist, Yurkova was keenly aware of the need to earn people's trust. With the spread of fake news, she saw people lose faith in media of all kinds, as well as in institutions.

The mission at StopFake.org was simple - take news and check it against the facts.

"With election meddling in the US and Russian troll farms, the world started to realize the scale of the problem," Yurkova said.

"Do your research, don't just believe, is the only way to stop this culture of fake news."

- Hope in the middle -

Yurkova conceded that it may be futile trying to get truth to people seeking stories that confirm their biases, but saw hope in reaching those without entrenched opinions.

"We fight for the people in the middle in a polarized world," Yurkova said.

"We spread the idea of checking facts."

Among simple lessons she shared was that, unfortunately, truth tends to be boring while fake news veers toward dramatic and outrageously emotional 'click-bait.'

Since fake news is manufactured, it can easily be packed with juicy details.

"The propaganda machine spreads trash; we try to wash it away."

"It is a really huge machine. It is not just Russian state media, it is private Russian media; useful idiots in different countries who spread misinformation, and a lot of politicians.

And, while Facebook is the website's main source of traffic, it could be time to find a new way for people to communicate given how the social network has been abused by purveyors of fake news, according to Yurkova.

"I can't fix human nature," she said. "The best advice I can give is that when you see something interesting, do something to check whether there is proof it is true. It takes just seconds to Google something."

StopFake.org has at its website tools that can be used for checking the authenticity of headlines, photos, videos and news.

Since starting as an all volunteer operations, StopFake.org has won grants to help support a team of about 30 people.

"I think every country needs their own StopFake," Yurkova said.

LATEST WORLD NEWS: 257 dead as military plane crashes in Algeria's worst air disaster

257 dead as military plane crashes in Algeria's worst air disaster

AFP / Ryad KRAMDI Rescuers are seen around the wreckage of an Algerian army plane which crashed near the Boufarik airbase killing 257 people, mostly army personnel and members of their families

Algeria suffered its deadliest ever air catastrophe Wednesday when a military plane crashed near the capital, killing 257 people on board, mostly army personnel and their family members, officials said.

An AFP photographer at the scene saw the charred wreckage of the plane after it caught fire in a field near the Boufarik airbase, 30 kilometres (30 miles) south of Algiers, from where it had taken off.

Hundreds of ambulances and dozens of fire trucks with sirens wailing rushed to the scene of the crash, in an uninhabited area where one person was injured on the ground by debris.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and security forces set up a cordon to prevent journalists and onlookers from approaching.


AFP / Algeria plane crash


The defence ministry said in a statement that 247 passengers and 10 crew were killed without mentioning any survivors. Most of those on board were army members and their families, it said.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash. Deputy Defence Minister General Ahmed Gaid Salah visited the site and ordered an investigation, the defence ministry said.

The Ilyushin IL-76 transport plane was bound for Tindouf in southwest Algeria near the borders with Morocco and Western Sahara.

The Tindouf region is home to refugees from Western Sahara and houses the administrative offices of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic declared in 1976 by the Algiers-backed Polisario Front which seeks independence for the region.

Rabat considers Western Sahara an integral part of Morocco and proposes autonomy for the resource-rich territory.

/

According to the plane manufacturer's website, the IL-76, a four-engine plane built in the Soviet Union and then Russia, can transport between 126 and 225 passengers depending on the model and configuration.

The North African country has suffered a string of military and civilian aviation disasters but Wednesday's was Algeria's deadliest ever plane crash and the world's fourth costliest in human lives in 20 years.

- History of disasters -

Two Algerian military planes collided mid-flight in December 2012 during a training exercise in Tlemcen, in the far west of the country, killing the pilots of both planes.

In February 2014, 77 people died when a military plane carrying army personnel and family members crashed between Tamanrasset in southern Algeria and the eastern city of Constantine.

Only one person survived after the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft came down in the mountainous Oum El Bouaghi region.

The defence ministry blamed that crash on bad weather.

An Air Algerie passenger plane flying from Burkina Faso to Algiers crashed in northern Mali in July 2014, killing all 116 people on board including 54 French nationals.

In October the same year, a military plane crashed in the south of the country during a training exercise, killing the two men on board.

That came more than a decade after all but one of the 103 people on an Air Algerie Boeing 737-200 died in March 2003 when it crashed on takeoff in the country's south after an engine caught fire.

WORLD NEWS: US House Speaker Ryan will not seek re-election: aide

source: AFP
US House Speaker Ryan will not seek re-election: aide


AFP/File / SAUL LOEB US Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan has told colleagues he has decided not to run in November's congressional race

The top Republican in the US House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, has decided to retire when his term ends, casting his party into a leadership fight ahead of crucial mid-term elections.

The bombshell was delivered by the speaker's counselor, Brendan Buck, who said Ryan would not seek re-election in November.

"This morning Speaker Ryan shared with his colleagues that this will be his last year as a member of the House.

"He will serve out his full term, run through the tape, and then retire in January," Buck said in a statement.

Ryan, who reluctantly assumed the House leadership in 2015 and never fully embraced President Donald Trump, has given no sign of his future political ambitions.

Trump paid tribute to Ryan as "a truly good man."

"While he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!" the president tweeted following the announcement.

Buck said the 48-year-old congressman from Wisconsin was looking forward to spending more time with his young family.

"After nearly twenty years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father," Buck said.

"While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him."

Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the US Senate, praised Ryan as "a good man who is always true to his word."

He expressed hope that in his remaining time in Congress, Ryan would "break free from the hard-right factions of his caucus that have kept Congress from getting real things done.

"If he's willing to reach across the aisle, he'll find Democrats willing and eager to work with him."

Ryan's decision sets up a fight for the Republican leadership in the House, with majority leader Kevin McCarthy and majority whip Steve Scalise seen as the top contenders for the speakership.

Latest Job Recruitment For LCS Segment Leader - Africa at GE Nigeria

GE is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. Through our people, leadership development, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for global customers by speaking the language of industry.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: LCS Segment Leader - Africa

Ref No: 3078505
Location: Nigeria
Job Function: Sales
Business Segment: Healthcare Sustainable Solutions

Role Summary

• The Segment Leader, LCS Order Management is responsible for providing direct management and “on the floor” support for the team.
• The Team Manager acts as the subject matter expert for order management policies, processes and customer escalations. The Team Manager may have an assigned territory or be responsible for providing backup coverage, as needed.

Essential Responsibilities

• Lead training for new and current Order Management team members and help maintain updated standard operating procedures
• Direct responsibility for a Team of Order Management Specialists
• Manage relationships between team members, leadership team, field teams and other functions
• Analyze metrics to ensure order quality and team efficiency
• Function as a subject matter expert on order management policies and procedures; ensure quotes and orders are compliant with contractual terms and conditions, controllership guidelines, and marketing promotions
• Ensure the progression of orders from order entry to transfer/revenue recognition
• Coach team members & perform management functions including performance evaluations
• Collaborate with peers on other P&L Order Management teams to execute multi-business deals
• Process requests, as needed (on a regular basis, during peak periods and/or absences as determined by the P&L)

Qualifications/Requirements

• Bachelors degree
• Minimum 2 years Order Management and/or Commercial Operations experience
• Ability to lead and set direction for a team, including demonstrated ability to motivate, influence, and solve problems
• Proven teamwork and collaboration skills
• Solid interpersonal and leadership skills
• Excellent strategic & tactical execution skill sets
• Ability to drive change and continuous improvement
• Aptitude and success in fostering solid, value-based relationships with internal and external customers
• Strong organization, time management and prioritization skills
• Strong Computer skills, e.g. Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Ability to work evenings and weekends during peak periods, travel up to 20%

Desired Characteristics:

• Lean or Six Sigma experience
• MBA
• 2 + years of order management experience
• Previous direct management experience
• Ability to act as a change agent; skilled in change management principles
• Can effectively communicate across multiple levels of the organization
• Ability to effectively resolve challenging customer escalations

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online now >>>>

Latest Job Vacancy For Ultrasound Sales Leader (WCA - LCT) at GE Nigeria

GE is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. Through our people, leadership development, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for global customers by speaking the language of industry.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Ultrasound Sales Leader (WCA - LCT)

Ref Id: 3087449
Location: Lagos
Job Function: Sales
Business Segment: Healthcare Sustainable Solutions

Role Summary

• The Ultrasound Sales Leader is accountable to grow sales revenue and margins for a Ultrasound product range/segment within the West Central Africa (WCA) LCT.
• The LCT Sales Leader drives a coherent product differentiation and commercial strategy for the assigned product/product range and optimizes the use of resources in conjunction with the Regional Sales Leader or LCT General Manager to cover market potential for his/her product/product range or segment in order to achieve the Operating plan.

Essential Responsibilities
Financial Performance:

• The ULS Sales Leader is accountable to achieve the quarterly and yearly Product/Solution/Service P&L Operating Plan targets (Orders, Sales, Contribution Margin, Base Costs and Operating Margin and Cash (where applicable) for assigned geographical area.
• Is accountable for timely and accurate forecasting of pipeline and sales per the normal reporting cycles within the Product Business unit and Geographical Region.
• Provide input to the formulation of the yearly business planning cycles for within their Product Business Unit and Geographical Region e.g. Growth Playbook and Session II.
• Identify target end user accounts and create account plans in conjunction with Channel Partner

Customer, Market and Product Expertise:

• Continuously develop deep clinical and technical knowledge including awareness of current and future trends in healthcare technology and healthcare funding mechanisms.
• Understand and analyze market dynamics and competition to develop business opportunities for the PSS/PS teams and account teams in the geography
• Provide ongoing feedback to management, Region and marketing.
• Know, interact and execute the strategy with Key Opinion Leaders in product relevant care areas; maintain professional relations with key customers, academia, government & administrative bodies in order to ensure understanding of needs and that GEHC product value proposition is differentiated in the minds of these key customer groups. Nurture relationships with professional society stakeholders.
• Ensure and validate up to date knowledge of product positioning and differentiation messages with in their PSS/PS teams as well as relevant account teams.

Sales Management:

• In conjunction with relevant Modality Leader, determine the market potential for their product/product range or segment and prioritize the opportunities.
• In conjunction with next level Regional Sales Leader, align territories to market potential and priorities and assign optimal sales resources.
• Attract, retain, educate and develop world-class commercial talents to realise product commercial strategy.
• Is responsible to ensure that all PSS/PS/AS have clear opportunity management activity and call plans to ensure efficient coverage of decision makers and influencers.
• Is responsible to ensure that all team members utilize the required sales systems to create pipeline visibility and assist accurate forecasting.
• Is responsible for driving optimal operating mechanisms to monitor and track progress of opportunities in the pipeline as well as forecasting performance against Operating Plan, with their teams.
• Is responsible to drive optimal operating mechanisms to deliver on fulfillment targets and order backlog commitments.
• Is responsible to communicate, execute and leverage the Variable Sales Incentive plans with their teams.

Team Coaching:

• Drives performance management within the team, providing a regular operating mechanism of feedback and coaching and managing the annual appraisal system.
• Is responsible to regularly have “infield coaching” sessions with each one of their team members on for example how to cover opportunities and territory, differentiating and presenting the value of product and managing opportunities. Provides regular, timely and productive development feedback.
• Create regular opportunities to involve the team to share best practices on opportunity management
• Regularly provides update to team on company, region product strategies and customer insights.

Channel Partner Effectiveness:

• Analyse territories and develop in conjunction with region leadership and marketing appropriate coverage models
• Apply methodology to evaluate Channel Partner effectiveness
• Share leads, manage opportunities and pipeline
• Optimise channel partner portfolio; leverage synergies across GEHC

Qualifications/Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or above/or equivalent
• At least 5-7 years’ experience in Healthcare related sales or marketing with a strong record of account management success
• Strong business finance knowledge
• Successful experience in multi-stakeholder environment
• High ethics and integrity
• Fluent English and local language speaking
• Strong contracts, legal, commercial & negotiation skills
• Proven coordination and influencing skills to set and drive an agenda with third parties
• Customer focused mindset with proven ability to respond quickly to internal and external customer needs
• Strong business coaching experience
• Ability to build rapport, energize and influence people
• Analytical with exceptional ability to assimilate complex data and simplify solutions
• Interpersonal flexibility and tolerance
• A valid NYSC discharge or exemption certificate will be required (please indicate clearly on your resume)
• Must have valid authorization to work full-time without any restriction in Nigeria

Desired Characteristics:

• Strong expertise in local Healthcare Legislation and regulations
• Proven success in managing sales channels of multiple products in Healthcare equipment sales and flow business sales
• Direct and/ or indirect leadership experience
• MBA desirable, ability to analyze business models.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online now >>>>

Job Vacancy For Project Document Controller at GE Nigeria

GE is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. Through our people, leadership development, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for global customers by speaking the language of industry.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Project Document Controller

Ref No: 3055196
Location: Lagos
Job Function: Project Management
Business Segment: Oil & Gas Oilfield Equipment

Role Summary

• The Project Document Controller shall provide proficient and effective Administrative support to the Project Teams to ensure project goals are met.
• Primarily, the job holder shall manage a Project’s Document Management System (DMS) in accordance with internal QMS procedures and specific Customer requirements.
• Precise duties, roles and responsibilities will be site specific.
• The roles and responsibilities outlined below are generic and will be subject to change/agreement.

Essential Responsibilities

• Support the Project Engineering Manager (PEM) in generating the Master Document Register (MDR) and entering into the DMS.
• Review client specifications for the particular project and identify any requirements that give rise to deviations from the standard document management process (QP-PRO-GLO-PRM-002) in the QMS, as described in the Projects Document Management Plan.
• Review status of the documentation, including overdue actions, non-conformities and customer communications and generate periodic reports as per agreed project routine.
• Support the PM and Team in the generation and submission of the periodic Customer reports as required by the Contract.
• Maintain Documentation Forecast dates.
• Arrange, attend and minute internal and external project meetings.
• On Receipt of Instruction from Engineering/Quality prepare documentation ready for Customer issue including final document quality checks and transmit to Customer in accordance with the contract specifications.
• Acting as the focal point for all Document Control matters relating to the customer. He or she shall ensure that all Document Controllers working at the various PLs are performing tasks according to this procedure and any relevant Customer Procedure.
• Should client specifications result in a deviation to this procedure, the DC shall modify the Document Management Plan to be applied for the particular project and provide the required training to the respective PL Document Controllers.
• Coordinate Document Controllers/Project Administrators for the approval process of the customer documentation for the particular project across the PLs
• Perform document control quality check before submission of documents to client.
• Ensuring the governance of the Project Document Management Plan within the GE O&G organisation. Any questions relating to the application of the plan shall be exclusively submitted to Projects Document Controller.
• Ensure Compliance with all DC Procedures, internal and external.
• Coordinate all documents received from Customer and sites involved in the Project.
• Internal/External distribution of engineering and supplier documentation.
• Chairing meetings with PL DCs to review status of the documentation on a weekly or other agreed periodic basis
• Coordinate the PL Document Controllers for the approval process of the customer documentation for the particular project.
• Configure the Document Management System (DMS) for the project and set up the MDR. This task will be completed with support from a DMS System Administrator, if required.
• Update MDR schedule based on information received from GE O&G Project Team or Customer.
• Internal/External distribution of engineering and supplier documentation.

Qualifications/Requirements

• Applicable experience of preferably 5 years from Document Control within Engineering and Supplier/Vendor documentation, preferably related to the Oil & Gas Industry.
• Need to be skilled in use of IT tools for document control and distribution, document scheduling etc.
• Working on a high accuracy level, able to manage heavy work load in periods and understand work methods and routines as outlined in DCC procedures and tools.
• Need to be a team worker and able to use English as a work language.
• A valid NYSC discharge or exemption certificate will be required (please indicate clearly on your resume).
• Must have valid authorization to work full-time without any restriction in Nigeria.

Desired Characteristics:

• PC Literate: Uses PC packages to ensure that administration required by contract.
• Document Control: Has a good understanding of and a thorough approach to setting up and maintaining document control systems.
• Contract Awareness: Can establish duties and responsibilities required of their role through reviewing the Contract. Sets up and maintains systems to deliver against these.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online now >>>>>

Latest Job Recruitment For Project Commercial Manager at GE Nigeria

GE is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. Through our people, leadership development, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for global customers by speaking the language of industry.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Project Commercial Manager

Ref No: 3055185
Location: Lagos
Job Function: Project Management
Business Segment: Oil & Gas Oilfield Equipment

Role Summary

• Reporting operationally to the Project Director and functionally supported by the Commercial Director, the job holder is responsible for providing commercial leadership and direction within a multi discipline subsea project, sharing responsibility with the PD for contractual and financial delivery of the project in accordance with execution and financial plan.

Essential Responsibilities

• The job holder provides key commercial interface between internal business units, functions (finance, planning, sourcing, legal, PLs), client and management team on all project commercial and contractual matters.
• Facilitate the bid handover and booking process and ensure that the necessary commercial information is understood and disseminated to the extended project team.
• Establish and maintain the project variation control system and managing negotiations in line with contract requirements.
• Ensure compliance with the project specific contractual administration requirements.
• Provide advice, assistance and guidance to management, PMs and functions on project specific contractual matters.
• Manage the invoicing process ensuring that the project maintains the best possible free cash flow.
• Ensure commercial risks are identified and managed across the project scopes of work by controlling the overall project risk and opportunity review and reporting process.
• Accurately manage the project cost status and reporting and advising on variances, risks and corrective actions affecting the overall project estimate to complete.
• Co-ordinate and support periodic client and internal reporting and performance presentations.
• Ensure a project sourcing plan and timeline is established with the support of Sourcing function and ensure that related commercial and contractual risks for key subcontracts and major purchases are being mitigated and opportunities are managed.
• Manage and support the formulation and negotiation of project contractual claims and counter claims.
• Support the handover process to the base organization at project completion.
• Deputize for the PD as required..

Qualifications/Requirements

• Bachelors degree in Business Administration, or, other relevant legal, commercial, energy related degree/or equivalent.
• Substantial contract management experience in an O&G capital construction project environment.
• Proven track record in contributing to the improvement of project profitability, cash flow and control of commercial risk in previous roles.
• Commercially, financially and contractually aware with good communication, inter-personal and negotiation skills.
• Strong commercial leadership skills with proven capability of working in a matrix environment and of leading by influence.
• Willing to work at a detail level.
• A valid NYSC discharge or exemption certificate will be required (please indicate clearly on your resume)
• Must have valid authorization to work full-time without any restriction in Nigeria

Desired Characteristics:

• Industry Legal Awareness: Full understanding and working knowledge of the key legal risk areas such as but not limited to contractual liability, insurance requirements, defective performance and warranty obligations for goods and services and application of same in the Oil and Gas (O&G) Industry.
• Commercial Awareness: Full understanding and working knowledge of all aspects of lump sum and reimbursable project related financial and contractual management clauses in areas such as but not limited to Application of Rates, Confidentiality, Completion Notices, Payment Profiles & Cashflow, Variation Control, Escalations, Cancellation, Hedging etc. required to make sound commercial decisions.
• Risk Assessment: Understanding of key commercial risks and areas for opportunity and able to lead project risk review process and assessments.
• Technical Product Knowledge: Understanding of subsea production systems
• Negotiating Skills: To secure favorable outcomes, having the flexibility to understand and negotiate alternative contractual and commercial positions with customers (subject to approval).

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online now >>>>>