News, Jobs, Scholarship and Business Tips: Apr 20, 2018

Friday, April 20, 2018

WORLD NEWS: Italy ramps up search for Mafia godfather after dawn busts

source: AFP
Italy ramps up search for Mafia godfather after dawn busts

AFP / ALESSANDRO FUCARINI Cosa Nostra kingpin Matteo Messina Denaro's brother-in-law, Rosario Allegra, was arrested Thursday

Italian police arrested the closest aides of Cosa Nostra kingpin Matteo Messina Denaro on Thursday, clamping down on a tightknit, family-run clan which has kept the mobster safely hidden over a quarter of a century on the run.

Twenty-one people were arrested in towns near the Sicilian city of Trapani where Denaro's criminal empire is based, as part of the "Year Zero" police investigation that allowed authorities to uncover a system of paper notes, or "pizzini", that Denaro uses to give orders to his most faithful associates.

AFP / ALESSANDRO FUCARINI Twenty-one people were arrested near the Sicilian city of Trapani as part of "Anno Zero" (Year Zero) police investigation

Those include brothers-in-law Gaspare Como and Rosario Allegra, both in custody, who allegedly manage their boss's most important affairs.

"The Trapani Mafia is (securely) in the hands of fugitive Matteo Messina Denaro and we can say that because its most important members are his own family," said Pasquale Angelosanto, head of the Italian carabinieri's ROS special investigative unit.

Angelosanto was speaking at a press conference in Sicilian capital Palermo.

Palermo's assistant public prosecutor Paolo Guido said that six of the accused were local Mafia bosses.

- 'Active control' -

Denaro, now 55, vanished in 1993, with the police seeking his arrest on a range of crimes including dozens of murders, and authorities say he has evaded justice by being more "mobile" than others on the lam, who tend to hunker down in hideouts.

AFP / ALESSANDRO FUCARINI Prosecutor Franco Lo Voi tells a news conference that it would be "pointless to say we're closing in" on Denaro, describing him as a "different kind of fugitive"

"It would be pointless to say we're closing in on him. He's a different type of fugitive to the other big targets, who've all been arrested, and that means locating his whereabouts is particularly hard," said Palermo prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi.

Police also arrested a businessman involved in the online gambling industry, one of Denaro's suspected income sources.

Police told reporters that despite reports of Cosa Nostra's decline, the Trapani branch was "particularly lively and active in control of the area" and operating in the longstanding Mafia industries of extorsion, property fraud and clinching public works contracts.

Police told AFP that the gang used people apparently above suspicion to take part in judicial auctions to buy seized assets cheaply and sell them on at a profit.

Police also confirmed the existence of a wiretapped recording of one of those arrested on Thursday praising the notorious January 1996 murder and dissolving in acid of 14-year-old Giuseppe Di Matteo.

The son of Mafia turncoat Santino was kidnapped in 1993 in a vain attempt to stop his father from collaborating with the authorities.

"Did he not do the right thing? He did the right thing!" news agency AGI reported the suspect as saying in the recording, apparently referring to the perpetrators.

"It's right that we don't touch kids ... but why didn't you retract? You obviously didn't care about your kid."

- Trigger man -

In another recording, Denaro and his deceased father Francesco, once a local boss, are compared to Padre Pio, a friar who died in 1968 and was subsequently sainted and is revered in Italy.

One voice says the two mafiosi should have statues erected in their honour.

Denaro, a former trigger man who once reportedly boasted that he could "fill a cemetery" with his victims, is believed to have become the "boss of bosses" following the death of Salvatore "The Beast" Riina in November.

He is suspected to have been behind bombings in Rome, Milan and Florence in 1993 that killed 10 people just months after Cosa Nostra murdered anti-Mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in similar attacks.

In 2015, police discovered that he was communicating with his closest collaborators via the use of pizzini, which were being left under a rock at a farm in Sicily.

WORLD NEWS: Lance Armstrong to pay $5m settlement in US fraud case: lawyer

source: AFP
Lance Armstrong to pay $5m settlement in US fraud case: lawyer

WORLD NEWS: US, Russian nuclear shift as dangerous as NKorean threat: campaigners

source: AFP
US, Russian nuclear shift as dangerous as NKorean threat: campaigners

NTB Scanpix/AFP/File / Audun BRAASTAD Beatrice Fihn, who heads the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, hailed an upcoming summit between the United States and North Korean in what Washington hopes will persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions

A recent shift in nuclear weapons policies in the United States and Russia, involving upgrades, modernisation and growing arsenals is as dangerous as North Korea's nuclear threat, campaigners warned Thursday.

Beatrice Fihn, who heads the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), hailed an upcoming summit between the United States and North Korean in what Washington hopes will persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

But she said there needed to be more focus on the dangers posed by the United States and other traditional nuclear-armed states, which have recently engaged in "dangerous escalatory activities."

"The new nuclear policies from the United States and Russia that increase the arsenals and create new types of more usable nuclear weapons, these are very dangerous changes," she told journalists in Geneva.

"I think they are equally dangerous as North Korea's nuclear threats," she said.

Five of the world's nine nuclear-armed states -- Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States -- are parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which will be the subject of a preliminary review in Geneva next week.

But Fihn said they were clearly not respecting their commitments under the treaty, and were all engaged in modernising their arsenals and making nuclear weapons a more central part of their defence strategies.

- 'Weapons of mass-destruction' -

Washington for instance recently decided to upgrade its nuclear weapons arsenal and to complement massive "strategic" bombs with smaller "tactical" weapons, in a move Fihn said would make them easier to use.

She also decried the threatening rhetoric from US President Donald Trump and other leaders of nuclear-armed states.

"We are now seeing some of these states making explicit threats to use weapons of mass-destruction to indiscriminately kill innocent civilians."

Fihn said she welcomed the announcement that Trump would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong UN within the next two months.

"I think that it is encouraging to see diplomacy rather than threats," she said.

But she cautioned that it was unclear what kind of concessions North Korea would be willing to make.

"I am wondering what the United States will bring to the table in this sort of negotiation," she said, warning it would be "very hard" to convince Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons programme as Washington and others continue to ramp up their arsenals.

She also suggested that Trump's threats to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal could "send a very worrying message to a country like North Korea."

"Why would you make a deal with a country like the United States who doesn't seem to be interested in finding solutions that work for two parties?" she asked.

ICAN won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to negotiate a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons.

On Thursday, Fihn accused the nuclear weapons states of using "very serious threats" to pressure countries not to ratify the treaty, including threatening to cancel aid.

The treaty, which since it was voted through last July has been signed by 58 countries and ratified by seven, needs 50 ratifications before it can enter into force.

WORLD NEWS: Half a billion pounds: Report reveals record Premier League club profits

source: AFP
Half a billion pounds: Report reveals record Premier League club profits

AFP/File / Glyn KIRK Premier League wages rose across the league by nine percent to a new record of £2.5 billion last season, according to a report by Deloitte

English Premier League clubs enjoyed record profits last season, according to a report published Friday by financial consultants Deloitte.

The report said the Premier League made a collective pre-tax profit of £0.5 billion ($0.7 billion, 0.57 billion euros) almost three times the previous record of £0.2 billion in 2013/14.

With strong broadcast revenues and Financial Fair Play rules keeping wages in check to a degree, England's top-flight clubs also posted a record operating profit -- total revenues minus wages and other costs, apart from transfer fees, - of £1 billion, double the figure for the previous season.

Wages, however, did rise across the league by nine percent to a new record of £2.5 billion but overall revenue rose 25 percent.

Dan Jones, the head of Deloitte's Sports Business Group, said the revenue increase was a result of last season being the first of a three-year domestic broadcasting deal with BT and Sky worth more than £5.1 billion.

Jones added the increase in wages was "nowhere near the level of revenue growth" and this "reflects both the extent of (the Premier League's) financial advantage over other leagues and the impact of domestic and European cost control measures".

Although the league has had difficulties in selling the next set of domestic broadcast rights this year, Jones forecast that clubs, who have made collective pre-tax profits in three of the last four years, would continue to record impressive financial figures.

AFP / Paul DEFOSSEUX What could Manchester City have bought instead?

"Despite the lack of growth in domestic broadcast deals announced to date, we still expect to see overall revenue growth in the coming seasons, and if this is complemented with prudent cost control, we expect that pre-tax profits will be achieved for the foreseeable future," he explained.

The above figures do not include transfer costs, which for accounting purposes are spread over the length of a player's contract.

Transfer fees are continuing to rise worldwide but Deloitte are confident the Premier League is well-placed to continue to compete with the likes of Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga for leading players, with a number of top footballers likely to be looking for new clubs after the World Cup in Russia in June and July.

"We have already seen some clubs utilising their significant revenue increases, with a record £1.9 billion spent on transfers in the 2017/18 season," said Tim Bridge, a senior Deloitte consultant.

"We may again see similar levels of spending in the coming season, with the World Cup providing the perfect shop window for talent, but expenditure remains well within the means of clubs."

AT&T chief says merger would boost value of Time Warner

source: AFP
AT&T chief says merger would boost value of Time Warner

GETTY/AFP/File / SPENCER PLATT AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, who testified in an antitrust trial in Washington, maintained that merging with Time Warner would help ease pressure on pay TV subscription costs, contrary to the government's argument

AT&T chief Randall Stephenson on Thursday defended his company's planned mega-merger with Time Warner, arguing in court that the combination would enhance the value of the media-entertainment giant in a sector being roiled by Big Tech.

Stephenson is the final defense witness in the antitrust trial in which the US government is seeking to block the $85 billion tie-up.

He testified that the group which operates pay TV and wireless networks would boost the value of Time Warner's programming and other content by giving it wider distribution.

"It's not really that complicated," Stephenson said in US District Court in Washington, during the highest-profile antitrust trial in decades.

"The value of a content company is a function of how many people watch it."

The chief executive said Time Warner's content, which includes the Turner cable channels including CNN, Cartoon Network and the premium HBO channel are "underutilized" and would benefit from AT&T's broad networks that deliver programs over wired and wireless networks.

Stephenson said AT&T's strategy revolves around getting more people to watch video on mobile devices, and that to do that, "we concluded we needed to own content."

He echoed comments from Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, who testified a day earlier that the media group has difficulty competing with Silicon Valley giants which can use customer data to offer better programming as well as targeted advertising.

Stephenson said by some measures the Time Warner operations have already been overtaken by online platforms like Netflix and Amazon, each of which have more than 100 million video customers.

- 'Vertical integration' -

AFP/File / JIM WATSON Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes also testified this week in the antitrust trial in which the government is seeking to block the mega-deal in which AT&T would buy the media-entertainment giant

A combined AT&T and Time Warner would better compete by developing "vertical integration" -- controlling the production of content as well as its delivery, according to Stephenson.

"Netflix is investing billions of dollars in original content," he said.

Because internet services track people's viewing habits, he said, "they can use that data to formulate what content to deliver."

Similarly, he said a merged AT&T and Time Warner could better compete with Google and Facebook, which use mountains of data about users that help them formulate targeted messages.

He said television advertisers are shifting more to digital services and that "we would like to compete for their ad dollars."

With better ad revenues, Stephenson said AT&T could keep a lid on subscription prices, contrary to the government's argument that the tie-up would lead to higher prices.

"To the extent that you can generate higher yields in advertising, the less you have to charge subscribers," he testified under questioning from attorney Daniel Petrocelli.

- Price pressure 'absurd' -

Asked about the government's claim that the merger would cause a rise in prices for Turner content, Stephenson called the argument "absurd" because the channels have an interest in being on all platforms.

He maintained that if the merger goes ahead, AT&T would set up separate business units for the content and delivery systems, so that deals could be made with rival pay TV systems.

"We have a lot of experience serving customers that are also our competitors," he said.

Under cross-examination from Justice Department lawyer Craig Conrath, Stephenson acknowledged that AT&T has raised prices in recent years, but attributed that to higher content costs.

"As more competitive products enter the marketplace it's getting harder and harder to pass those costs on," he said.

He also conceded that Amazon and Netflix don't have the same vertical integration that AT&T would have because their content passes over "somebody else's broadband service."

The US Justice Department is seeking to block the deal announced in 2016 by AT&T, one of the largest pay TV and telecom operators, with the media-entertainment powerhouse Time Warner.

The trial -- which began last month in Washington before Judge Richard Leon and may end next week, with a decision several weeks later -- is seen as a test for the traditional media sector in the face of rising power of tech firms.

The government maintains that most Americans still watch traditional television through cable bundles, and presented an expert who claimed fees could rise by about $400 million a year if the merger goes ahead.

The case is the highest-profile antitrust battle to hit the courtroom since the Microsoft trial in the 1990s and the first involving a "vertical" merger of companies which are not direct competitors in an industry sector.

US school shootings rise rapidly in two decades: study

source: AFP NEWS
US school shootings rise rapidly in two decades: study

GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File / CHIP SOMODEVILLA Survivors of a school shooting in Florida organized the March for Our Lives rally against gun violence, in Washington in March, 2018

Mass shootings at US schools are rising rapidly, killing more people in the last 18 years than in the entire 20th century, said a study Thursday.

The report in the Journal of Child and Family Studies tallied mass shootings -- events when at least one shooter intentionally killed or injured at least four others -- and death tolls at US schools for children and teens aged five to 18, going back to 1940.

The study excluded gang shootings and any shootings that occurred at universities.

"The United States had no mass school shootings that fit our criteria until 1940, when a junior high school principal killed the superintendent, the high school principal, the district business manager, and two teachers, before attempting suicide, because he thought he was going to be fired at the end of the school year," said the report.

Researchers found no mass school shootings in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by "a steady increase beginning with a school shooting in 1979 orchestrated by a 16-year-old female with mental health issues who began shooting at an elementary school, killing two adults and injuring eight students and one adult," it said.

Since then, the 1990s were a peak period when 36 people were killed in 13 gun rampages, said the report.

From 2000-2018, researchers counted 66 deaths across 22 mass shootings at schools.

That's higher than the death toll of 55 in 22 mass school shootings spanning the six decades from 1940-1999, it said.

"In less than 18 years, we have already seen more deaths related to school shootings than in the whole 20th century," said lead author Antonis Katsiyannis of Clemson University.

"One alarming trend is that the overwhelming majority of 21st-century shooters were adolescents, suggesting that it is now easier for them to access guns, and that they more frequently suffer from mental health issues or limited conflict resolution skills."

Sixty percent of mass school shootings in the United States in the 20th century were perpetrated by adolescents, aged 11-18.

So far this century, 77 percent of the mass school shootings have been carried out by adolescents.

The study cautioned that the death tolls and number of shootings offered no clear link to "more adolescent problems or high-powered weapons as a causality," but said "the trends must be noted."

US gun violence is an "epidemic that must be addressed," concluded the study, urging expanded background checks, a ban on assault weapons, and expanded support for addressing mental health issues.

School shootings comprise just a fraction of the more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually in the United States.

US brands China and Russia 'forces of instability'

source: yahoo/afp news

The charge of China and Russia as being "forces of instability" was made by acting secretary of state John Sullivan as he launched Washington's annual global human rights report, which this year is focused on destabilizing abuses by state actors

The United States branded strategic rivals China and Russia "forces of instability" on Friday, grouping them with Iran and North Korea as countries whose rights abuses amount to a global threat.

The charge was made by acting secretary of state John Sullivan as he launched Washington's annual global human rights report, which this year is focused on destabilizing abuses by state actors.

Human rights groups were quick to criticize the report, saying President Donald Trump's Republican administration had stripped the document of reporting on assaults on sexual and reproductive rights to focus on state-driven abuses.

But Sullivan insisted the report must focus on threats to US and international security.

"The 2017 US National Security Strategy recognizes that corrupt and weak governance threatens global stability and US interests. Some governments are unable to maintain security and meet the basic needs of their people, while others are simply unwilling," Sullivan wrote, in the report's preface.

"States that restrict freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly; that allow and commit violence against members of religious, ethnic, and other minority groups; or that undermine the fundamental dignity of persons are morally reprehensible and undermine our interests," he wrote.

"The governments of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, for example, violate the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis and are forces of instability as a result."

Global watchdog Human Rights Watch was unconvinced.

"This year's US State Department human rights report guts the analysis of sexual and reproductive rights, reflecting the Trump administration's hostility toward these issues," the group's Washington director Andrea Prasow told AFP.

"In doing so, the administration is undermining a document that has long been relied upon by the Congress, foreign governments and activists alike to assess human rights conditions around the world.

"This is unfortunately only one facet of the administration's efforts to downplay human rights as an element of US foreign policy."

Last year's "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" was prepared from research conducted by US embassies around the world under the previous US administration of president Barack Obama.

Trump's first secretary of state Rex Tillerson was much criticized for refusing to publicly present the document himself, as his predecessors had traditionally done.

Tillerson has since been sacked -- despite championing Trump's "America First" agenda and warning that sometimes America's interests trump its values when dealing with foreign powers.

His nominated successor, CIA director and foreign policy hawk Mike Pompeo, has yet to be confirmed in office by the Senate.

AMP CEO resigns amid deepening banking scandal

source: AFP
AMP CEO resigns amid deepening banking scandal

POOL/AFP/File / Mark Metcalfe Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's government has unveiled plans to toughen criminal and financial penalties for bank misconduct

The CEO of Australian finance company AMP resigned suddenly on Friday after revelations of widespread abuses by the firm, including charging thousands of customers for services never received.

At the same time, the conservative government announced tougher criminal and civil punishments for corporate wrongdoing, with jail terms of up to 10 years for executives who cheat customers or lie to regulators.

Following several days of damaging testimony by AMP executives before a Royal Commission set up in February to investigate misconduct in the banking sector, AMP announced that CEO Craig Meller was stepping down "with immediate effect".

"AMP apologises unreservedly for the misconduct and failures in regulatory disclosures in the advice business," the company's chairman, Catherine Brenner, said in a statement released early Friday.

In addition to charging clients for non-existent services, AMP admitted to the commission this week that senior executives had intervened in the drafting of a supposedly independent report drawn up for the inquiry.

It also admitted misleading the stock market watchdog Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) about the scandal, which affected some 15,700 clients between 2009 and 2016.

In its statement, AMP said a non-executive member of the firm's board, Mike Wilkins, had been appointed acting CEO and that an independent expert would head "an immediate, comprehensive review of AMP's regulatory reporting and governance processes".

AMP is just one of several major Australian financial services companies under scrutiny by the Royal Commission.

Hearings this week also revealed that a subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), the country's biggest bank, had continued charging service fees to some customers years after they had died.

Amid the ongoing revelations, the conservative government of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, which had long resisted launching the Royal Commission, unveiled plans Friday to toughen criminal and financial penalties for bank misconduct and to expand ASIC's investigative powers.

Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer said these include increasing the maximum jail term for individuals convicted of serious offences from five to 10 years, and imposing fines on companies which could reach 10 percent of their annual revenue.

The country's major banks -- among the developed world's wealthiest -- had been under increasing scrutiny in recent years amid allegations of dodgy financial and life insurance advice and mortgage fraud.

There have also been claims of anti-money laundering laws being breached and benchmark interest rates rigged.

Mexico court blocks sales of Frida Kahlo Barbie

source: AFP
Mexico court blocks sales of Frida Kahlo Barbie

AFP / Alfredo ESTRELLA Barbie doll depicting late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, is exhibited -alongside other commercial products- at her sister's house in the neighborhood of Coyoacan, Mexico City,on April 19, 2018

A Mexican court has barred sales of a controversial Frida Kahlo Barbie doll in the painter's home country, ruling her family owned the sole rights to her image, lawyers said Thursday.

The Frida Kahlo doll, launched in March by US toy giant Mattel, has drawn criticism for putting a painter known for defying gender norms into the plastic body of Barbie.

It also drew a lawsuit from Kahlo's relatives, who claimed Mattel used the painter's image without their authorization and criticized the company for lightening her skin, feminizing her features and omitting her famous unibrow.

The court ruling bans sales of the Frida Barbie immediately in Mexico, or any use of the "brand, image and works of Frida Kahlo" by Mattel.

It can still be appealed.

The family said it would wait for the final outcome of the Mexican case, then launch a similar lawsuit in the United States.

"This litigation is in its first stage. We asked the judge to grant certain precautionary measures to protect our rights to Frida Kahlo's intellectual property," said the family's lawyer, Pablo Sangri.

Mattel's Mexico office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"I'm thrilled (with the decision), I think justice is finally being done," Kahlo's great-niece, Mara Romeo, told AFP.

She said the case is not just a dispute over rights, it is about who her aunt really was.

"It should have been a much more Mexican doll, with darker skin, a unibrow, not so thin because Frida was not that thin... dressed in more Mexican clothing, with Mexican jewelry."

Kahlo (1907-1954), who was married to the famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, is today considered one of the great painters of the 20th century, particularly for her self-portraits, often brimming with pain and isolation.

Her instantly recognizable look -- unibrow, thick black braids, flowery, hand-embroidered Mexican "tehuana" dresses -- and the boldness with which she wore it have made her a pop icon.

In recent years, her image has been stamped onto an explosion of consumer products: nail polish, bags, shoes, coffee mugs and more.

Cuba marks end of an era as Castro hands over to Diaz-Canel

source: AFP
Cuba marks end of an era as Castro hands over to Diaz-Canel

AFP / Adalberto ROQUE The National Assembly broke into applause as Cuba's new President Miguel Diaz-Canel walked to the front and embraced Raul Castro

Cuba's new president Miguel Diaz-Canel on Thursday became the country's first leader in nearly 60 years who is not named Castro, pledging continuity for the Caribbean island during the historic transition of power.

The silver-haired Diaz-Canel -- a top Communist Party figure who has served as first vice president since 2013 -- assumed power from Raul Castro, who himself took over from his elder brother Fidel, father of the 1959 revolution.

In his first speech as president, Diaz-Canel vowed to keep the country on the path of that "revolution", but also on the road to economic reform, a process begun by Castro which saw him opening the door to small private entrepreneurs.

"The mandate given by the people to this legislature is to continue the Cuban revolution at this crucial historic moment, which will be marked by what we must do to implement the economic model" put in place by Raul Castro, he said.

"I am here to work, not to make promises," said Diaz-Canel, who turns 58 on Friday.

But he will remain under the watchful eye of Castro, who confirmed that he will continue to serve as the head of Cuba's all-powerful Communist Party until its next congress in 2021.

Diaz-Canel said in his own speech that Castro "will still preside over decisions of major importance for the present and future of the nation."

- 'New ideas, new perspectives' -

As the historic handover played out live on state TV, Cubans across the island were glued to their screens, watching at home or at work as the former engineer took his seat at the table, becoming the island's first president born after the revolution.

AFP / Yamil LAGE Cuban women watch on television in Havana as Cuba's new President Miguel Diaz-Canel (on screen) takes over from Raul Castro

Diaz-Canel was voted in by the National Assembly on Wednesday, and the result was formalized on Thursday.

His appointment has many in the country of more than 11 million people -- where the average monthly salary is $30 -- hoping he will push through reforms that will improve their daily lives.

"The power is passing to a much younger person, with new ideas, new perspectives, so we hope that the reforms will move much faster," said Yani Pulido, a 27-year-old waitress working in a bar in Old Havana.

- 'Cease repression' -

Diaz-Canel received congratulations from the leaders of China, Russia, Britain, Spain and across Latin America, including from Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, a close ally of Cuba.

AFP / Anella RETA, Gustavo IZUS Miguel Diaz-Canel

But the United States, with whom Raul Castro launched a rapprochement and renewed diplomatic ties in 2015, was less welcoming.

"We are disappointed that the Cuban government opted to silence independent voices and maintain its repressive monopoly on power, rather than allow its people a meaningful choice through free, fair and competitive elections," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

"Cuba's new president should take concrete steps to improve the lives of the Cuban people, to respect human rights and to cease repression and allow greater political and economic freedoms."

The Organization of American States also took aim at the transition, saying: "The presidential succession we have witnessed in Cuba is an attempt to perpetuate a dynastic-familial autocratic regime. It is called a dictatorship."

- Applause, and Fidel's empty seat -

The National Assembly erupted into applause as the result was read out, with delegates smiling and shaking hands warmly with Castro and Diaz-Canel.

AFP / Anella RETA End of the Castro era in Cuba

As he walked to the front of the chamber, Diaz-Canel high-fived the front row of delegates and embraced Castro as he took the stage.

Then the 86-year-old raised his successor's left arm in the air in victory, prompting another wave of applause from the delegates -- some of whom were in civilian attire, while others wore military fatigues.

It was a historic, though understated, handover.

As Castro got up from the seat he has occupied for the past 12 years, it was immediately taken by Diaz-Canel, a man nearly 30 years his junior who has spent years climbing the party ranks.

Next to him was the empty seat once occupied by Fidel, who died in 2016.

Between them, the Castro brothers made Cuba a key player in the Cold War and helped keep communism afloat despite the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Raul has been in power since 2006, when he took over after illness sidelined Fidel.

Thursday's handover took place on the anniversary of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, when Fidel's forces defeated 1,400 US-backed rebels seeking to overthrow him.

- Man of the system -

Diaz-Canel, who some say bears a passing resemblance to American actor Richard Gere, is a fan of The Beatles whose penchant for wearing jeans has set him apart in Havana's corridors of power.

POOL/AFP / Desmond BOYLAN The appointment of Miguel Diaz-Canel as Cuba's new president was a historic if understated handover

Although he has advocated fewer restrictions on the press and a greater openness to the internet, he also has a ruthless streak, with harsh words for Cuba's dissidents and the United States.

His new right-hand man, the First Vice President, will be 72-year-old Salvador Valdes Mesa, a former union leader.

Diaz-Canel inherits a youthful population hungry for change, but analysts believe he will favor continuity over change in the early days -- and could hit some stumbling blocks.

"He comes from the system, but it is the rigidity of the system which is the biggest obstacle to pushing forward with the necessary political and economic changes," said Michael Shifter, head of Washington-based think tank Inter-American Dialogue.

"It will be a test of his political ability," he added. "And he could encounter resistance."

WORLD NEWS: Asian push to crack down on 'fake news' sparks alarm

source: AFP
Asian push to crack down on 'fake news' sparks alarm

AFP / Mohd RASFAN Critics say anti-fake news laws made by governments with an authoritarian streak are aimed more at stifling dissent

Inflammatory stories masquerading as real news pose a particularly toxic threat in Asian countries with long-standing religious and ethnic divides, but promises by some regional leaders to tackle the problem carry equal menace.

Borrowing from US President Donald Trump's political playbook, government heads with an authoritarian streak are using the mantra of "fake news" to shield themselves from negative media coverage, and push legislation that critics say is aimed more at stifling dissent than punishing fabrication.

The problem they profess to be addressing is a genuine one.

Internet penetration is now so extensive -- even in the poorest areas -- that fake stories dressed up as fact can go viral on social media overnight and reach massive audiences with often dire consequences.

In India last year, seven people were killed by a mob after a false story spread on WhatsApp that they were child-traffickers, while in Myanmar, doctored photos and bogus reports shared on Facebook have fuelled the persecution of Rohingya Muslims.

A number of Asian leaders have tapped into the resulting public concern and launched campaigns that claim to target malign rumour-mongers but, experts say, actually serve to turn the screws on critical media and political opponents.

"This vague notion of 'fake news', which has been used and abused by US President Donald Trump, is a boon for governments who want to muzzle overcurious independent voices," Daniel Bastard, head of the Asia-Pacific desk at Reporters Without Borders (RSF), told AFP.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte -- who once memorably warned media that "just because you're a journalist, you're not exempted from assassination" -- has regularly accused news outlets critical of his deadly war on drugs of peddling fake news.

He has openly attacked a top newspaper and broadcaster, while the biggest target of the media clampdown has been news website Rappler.

Philippine authorities have cancelled its corporate licence over claims the outlet violated foreign ownership laws and filed a criminal complaint over an alleged failure to pay taxes on bonds it issued.

- Pushing legislation -

In Cambodia, authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen has openly praised Trump's "Fake News Awards" -- handed out in January by the president to his usual targets, including CNN and The New York Times -- and lobbed the "fake news" charge at his own media critics.

AFP/File / TANG CHHIN Sothy Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has lobbed the "fake news" charge at his critics, providing ammunition for a crackdown on independent media

It has helped provide ammunition for his government's sweeping assault on independent media in recent months, with the widely-respected Cambodia Daily newspaper shuttered after being hit with a huge tax bill and dozens of independent radio stations closed.

Some countries are seeking to legislate against fake news, sparking concerns that the laws will be used to stifle dissent.

Malaysia enacted a law this month that punishes publishers of false reports with up to six years in jail, which observers say is a clear bid to stifle criticism of scandal-hit Prime Minister Najib Razak before elections next month.

Singapore has been holding parliamentary hearings to consider measures, including laws, against what the government terms "deliberate online falsehoods" while the Philippines is considering legislation that could see publishers of fake news punished with up to 20 years in jail.

Clarissa David, a media expert at University of the Philippines, warned that any such law in the Philippines may become "a tool for censorship" that could be used to "silence legitimate news organisations from covering stories that are unfavourable to groups in power".

Michael Vatikiotis, a Southeast Asia expert, said that legislating against fake news "puts journalists in deeper peril".

"Unlike normal justifications for curbing media freedom, fake news is a broad, catch-all definition that is wholly subjective," Vatikiotis, an author and former journalist, told AFP.

- Alarm in Europe -

Still, fake news is undoubtedly a real threat and has sparked particular alarm in Europe where governments are worried that Russia may try to meddle in elections, following allegations that Moscow sought to tilt the 2016 US poll in Trump's favour.

AFP/File / NORBERTO DUARTE The spread of fake news, especially through social media, has sparked fears that it could be used to meddle in elections

Germany has passed a law threatening social networks with fines if they do not remove bogus reports and hate speech while Brussels is working on a Europe-wide plan to tackle fake news online.

But media rights groups are against legislation, arguing instead for the press to follow a strict set of standards they set themselves, and for social media giants such as Facebook to come up with responsible policies to stem the flood of misleading information.

RSF's Bastard warned that the idea of social media companies policing themselves could pose as many problems as governments passing laws, however.

"Will (Facebook CEO) Mark Zuckerberg decide what is 'real' or 'fake'?" he said.

"Just as we have big reservations when states want to control the 'realness' of news through legislation, we don't want corporations to decide it without any transparency."

burs-sr/aph/qan/gle/qan

WORLD NEWS: Armstrong in $5m settlement for US fraud case

Armstrong in $5m settlement for US fraud case

AFP/File / STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN Settlement: Lance Armstrong has agreed to pay $5 million in order to settle his looming federal fraud case, his lawyer said Thursday

Lance Armstrong has agreed to pay $5 million in order to settle the looming federal fraud case stemming from his drug-fuelled reign as king of the Tour de France, it was confirmed on Thursday.

The former cycling superstar was due to face a trial next month over claims he defrauded the US government when he doped while racing for his United States Postal Service-sponsored team.

The Postal Service and former team-mate Floyd Landis had sought around $100 million in damages from Armstrong in the case, which was due to get under way on May 7.

However the prospect of a potentially ruinous judgement going against the cancer survivor was averted after Armstrong's lawyers and the US Justice Department brokered a settlement.

"No one is above the law," US Justice Department lawyer Chad Readler said in a statement announcing the deal. "This settlement demonstrates that those who cheat the government will be held accountable."

Armstrong's attorney Elliot Peters said in a statement the settlement "ends all litigation against Armstrong related to his 2013 admission that during his career as a professional cyclist he had used performance enhancing substances."

The Washington Post reported Armstrong will also pay $1.65 million to cover the legal costs of former team-mate and whistleblower Landis. A further $1.1 million of the $5 million amount will go to Landis.

"I am glad to resolve this case and move forward with my life," Armstrong, 46, said in a statement.

"I'm looking forward to devoting myself to the many great things in my life – my five kids, my wife, my podcast, several exciting writing and film projects, my work as a cancer survivor, and my passion for sports and competition. There is a lot to look forward to."

- 'Full responsibility' -

Although Armstrong maintained the US Postal case was "without merit and unfair" he said he was pleased to have settled.

"I have since 2013 tried to take full responsibility for my mistakes, and make amends wherever possible," he said, reflecting with pride on his performances in a US Postal jersey.

"I rode my heart out for the Postal cycling team, and was always especially proud to wear the red, white and blue eagle on my chest when competing in the Tour de France. Those memories are very real and mean a lot to me."

Landis meanwhile told ESPN he was relieved not to have to confront Armstrong in a courtroom battle.

"I really didn't want to relive it in a courtroom, and I don't think Lance did either, and I don't know that that would have really accomplished anything," Landis said.

"Rather than going through that humiliation again, we're better off. I mean, it was up to Lance, but I think he probably feels the same way."

However the settlement was greeted with dismay by Betsy Andreu, the wife of former Armstrong team-mate Frankie Andreu. The Andreus were among the first to go on the record about Armstrong's doping.

Betsy Andreu said the settlement amounted to Armstrong being let off the hook.

"My thought is a vengeful, unremorseful pathological liar was revealed and got a lifetime ban so all is not lost," Andreu wrote on Facebook. "in the end he is who he is and money can't buy class, respect or reputation."

Armstrong's personal fortune had been estimated at around $125 million in 2012.

But since his dramatic fall, he has lost lucrative sponsorship deals and in 2015 was ordered to pay back $10 million in bonus payments given to him by Dallas-based SCA Promotions relating to his Tour wins in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

The Washington Post reported he had recently listed his home in Austin, Texas for sale at $7.5 million.

The fallen US cycling star had battled back from cancer to win cycling's most prestigious race, the Tour de France, a record seven consecutive times between 1999 and 2005.

Although rumours of drug use swirled around Armstrong throughout his career, he never failed a test.

However his reputation imploded when the United States Anti-Doping Agency wrapped up an investigation which concluded he had been at the heart of a sophisticated doping program throughout his career.

Armstrong later confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs and was banned from all competitions for life and stripped of his seven Tour titles.

WORLD NEWS: Greyhound racing in Florida may be on its last legs

source: AFP
Greyhound racing in Florida may be on its last legs

AFP / RHONA WISE A greyhound waits with a handler in a preparation area before they are called to race at Club/52 Melbourne Greyhound Park in Florida

Six lean greyhounds in racing colors sprint wildly around a parched track in sun-baked central Florida.

The grandstand at the Melbourne Greyhound Park can hold 2,000 people, but on this day, there are barely a dozen.

"This is a little anti-climactic," admits John Niebler, the Melbourne park's operations director, motioning to the nearly deserted stands.

It is no secret that greyhound racing is a dying pastime in this southeastern state. In the 1990s, Niebler said, a single race could take in $500,000 in bets. Today, that figure might be closer to $15.

The races survive thanks to a 1931 law that legalized betting on dog and horse races.

Under subsequent legislation, passed since the 1980s, all the original dog tracks must continue to offer live racing if they wish to operate other, often more popular, forms of gambling.

"Doesn't make much sense, does it?" asked Christine Dorchak, president of GREY2K USA Worldwide, which calls itself the world's largest greyhound protection organization. Animal advocates consider the races cruel.

"If you're looking for logic," she added, "you're not going to find it in the racing law."

The Florida Greyhound Association (FGA), representing kennel operators, has so far managed to defend a law that is loved neither by animal lovers nor by some casinos, which must sustain the costly and controversial races if they want to keep their doors open.

Florida's law does make sense, however, to kennel operators. Their winning greyhounds earn four to five percent of overall casino proceeds, even if no one sees them win, said FGA spokesman Jack Cory.

But Dorchak, a lifetime animal lover who owns a greyhound, said the practice is cruel. "Thousands and thousands of dogs are basically being held hostage," she said.

This week, Florida lawmakers approved a proposed constitutional amendment that, if passed, would phase out greyhound racing by 2020.

It will be put to a referendum in November. The FGA vowed to go to court to block the measure.

- Canine 'hostages' -

Inside the Melbourne casino, clients play poker, try their luck at slot machines or bet on greyhound races broadcast on TV screens. But very few take the trouble to step outside to watch the real dogs tear around the track.

AFP / RHONA WISE Greyhound racing in Florida is a dying sport, kept alive by a nearly 100-year-old law, but now lawmakers have proposed phasing out the races

"It's just fun," said 74-year-old Joanne Garrison, one of the few spectators in the nearly deserted grandstand.

"It's a good way to spend an afternoon," said Garrison, who was planning to stay for eight races.

But for each dog, the action is fleeting.

The greyhounds, chomping excitedly at the bit when suited up to run, sprint around the track for 30 seconds -- then must return to their cages to wait two or three days for their next 30-second race.

GREY2K says many animals have suffered from overdoses of stimulants. In one case last year, a dog died in the middle of a race. A cocaine derivative was later found in its blood. And the fleet animals can sustain grave injuries when they collide at speeds of up to 40 miles (70 kilometers) an hour.

But Cory rejects the accusations of abuse, saying the kennel operators' livelihood depends on keeping their dogs healthy enough to win races.

"The owner," Cory told AFP, "will not receive any money if his animals are not cared for, well fed, well exercised and well medicated."

- Loss-maker for Florida -

The Melbourne park is one of 12 greyhound racing tracks in Florida and one of 150 in the world. There are six tracks in other states, but 40 states have banned dog racing.

AFP / RHONA WISE The greyhounds sprint around the track for 30 seconds -- then must return to their cages to wait two or three days for their next 30-second race

For Florida, dog racing is a losing proposition, according to a 2013 report by the Spectrum Gaming Group, a consultancy specializing in legal gambling. It calculated that Florida loses $3.3 million a year from the dog races, since the cost of regulating them exceeds the revenues they produce.

"People don't come out like they used to, despite our efforts," Melbourne park manager Jim O'Brien acknowledged to AFP. "We do all we can, but the consumers have lost interest."

It costs the Melbourne casino $200,000 a year to keep the races going. But that allows it to continue offering other games of chance that generate profits of $7.8 million.

That's why O'Brien favors a so-called "decoupling" move that would allow casinos to offer other forms of gambling without having to stage live competitions.

Until November's vote on the referendum, O'Brien said: "Whether we have 10 or 10,000 people in the grandstand, we will put on a good show."

'You make a mistake, you die': Daring but deadly world of freestyle motocross

source: AFP
'You make a mistake, you die': Daring but deadly world of freestyle motocross

AFP / Lionel BONAVENTURE Japanese rider Taka Higashino performs during a motocross freestyle show in Tours, on April 7, 2018

"It's crazy what we do, there's no limit. If you make a mistake, you can die."

They are the chilling words of Japan's Taka Higashino, one of the stars of freestyle motocross, the daring but not always death-defying sport which is gripping a worldwide audience.

After performing a series of high-risk jumps off ramps set up inside an arena in the French city of Tours, the 33-year-old Higashino, a veteran of the X Games culture, warned the sport is not for the faint-hearted.

In 2009, Jeremy Lutz, a 24-year-old Californian and an X Games gold medallist the previous year, was killed after a fall in competition.

Five years ago, Eigo Sato of Japan died after a training accident.

Sato's death almost pushed Higashino to the brink of quitting.

"But as soon as I got back on the bike, I felt great. I know only that this sport makes me smile," he said.

AFP / Lionel BONAVENTURE Australian rider Pat Bowden performs during a motocross freestyle show in Tours, on April 7, 2018

The more dazzling the tricks on their bikes, the better. And the packed house in Tours got their money's worth as riders flew more than 10 metres off the ground.

Once airborne, they take their hands and feet off their machines while allowing their bikes to somersault around them, twisting and turning at 180 degrees.

The dramatic shapes they make are reflected by their names -- 'Tsunami', 'Kiss of Death', 'Cliffhanger', 'Shaolin', 'Superman'.

French star Tom Pages, one of the leading exponents of the sport, admits it's a tough addiction to shake.

"Every time I go to the X Games or Madrid (where the high-profile RedBull X Fighters event takes place) I ask myself: 'What am I doing there? I tell myself that this will be the last time," he told AFP.

"It's too hard a life, the knot in your stomach, the urge to vomit."

AFP / Lionel BONAVENTURE The sport of freestyle motocross -- or FMX -- enjoys a global circuit, boasting bright lights and dancing girls, and is run under the supervision of the international motorcycling federation

The sport of freestyle motocross -- or FMX -- enjoys a global circuit, boasting bright lights and dancing girls, and is run under the supervision of the international motorcycling federation.

There are two major centrepieces -- the RedBull X Fighters in Madrid in front of 25,000 fans and the long-established X Games.

Other events run in parallel -- in Mexico, the freestyle stars pull in crowds of 45,000.

Not bad for a discipline which has only been in existence for two decades.

It all started in 1997 when riders headed out to the deserts of America, leaping over sand dunes.

"They were real freestylers, tattooed, real trashers, people who had a high level in motorcycle racing but who preferred to party and do anything in the dunes, people who lived their lives," said Charles Pages, the brother of Tom.

AFP / Lionel BONAVENTURE Australian rider Pat Bowden performs during a motocross freestyle show in Tours

Charles Pages is a former rider himself but after a serious injury, now acts as a judge.

He fell heavily competing at the Bercy arena in Paris in 2010, suffered a head injury and was in a coma for a number of days.

But he was still hooked and three years later he was back in the saddle before another accident in 2015 left him with a shattered ankle.

"I was depressed like never before, I couldn't see the point in getting up in the morning, to eat, breathe, to live," the 37-year-old recalled after realising his days of competing were over.

"Everything I did in my life was in relation to this sport. Today, things are better, but the adrenaline I had when I was riding, I know I'll never find it again.

"There has to be risk because that's where the adrenaline is."

world news: Comey memos show Trump obsessed with Russia probe

source: AFP
Comey memos show Trump obsessed with Russia probe

AFP/File / SAUL LOEB Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, June 8, 2017

US President Donald Trump repeatedly complained to FBI director James Comey in early 2017 that the Russia meddling investigation was a cloud over his young administration, weeks before firing him, leaked memorandums showed Thursday.

Trump "said he was trying to run the country and the cloud of this Russia business was making that difficult," Comey wrote in a memo on a conversation they had on March 30, 2017.

Eleven days later, Trump again pressed Comey about the issue. The president told Comey that "he is trying to do work for the country, visit with foreign leaders, and any cloud, even a little cloud, gets in the way of that," Comey wrote, referring to "the Russia thing."

AFP / MANDEL NGAN According to the memos of ex-FBI director James Comey, Donald Trump "said he was trying to run the country and the cloud of this Russia business was making that difficult"

The memos, which Comey wrote immediately after several meetings with Trump in the weeks after his inauguration on January 20, 2017, depict a president deeply worried about the impact of the probe into Russian meddling in the election the previous year.

Obtained by AFP Thursday after the Justice Department released them to Congress, the memos could become evidence in a criminal investigation into whether Trump consciously tried to obstruct the probe.

Comey makes clear in his memos that he was uncomfortable with the pressure and that it was not completely proper, though at the time he did not allege the president had broken any laws.

AFP / Jonathan STOREY The Trump-Russia probe

But Comey never committed to easing off the investigation, which continues to examine a number of suspicious contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Weeks after their last conversation, on May 9, Trump fired Comey, saying in an interview two days later that he decided to dismiss the FBI chief in part out of unhappiness over the Russia probe.

"In fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, you know, this thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story, an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election."

"In my opinion, it should've been over with a long time ago."

AFP/File / Mandel NGAN US President Donald Trump repeatedly complained to FBI director James Comey in early 2017 that the Russia meddling investigation was a cloud over his young administration

Much of what is in the memos, most notably Trump's demand that Comey pledge his loyalty, has been known for nearly a year.

Comey wrote that the president repeatedly raised the still-unconfirmed story that Russians have a video of him with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel.

"The president said 'this hookers thing' is nonsense," Comey wrote. However, Trump also said "that Putin had told him, 'We have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world,'" Comey noted.

China's ZTE vows to fight US supplier ban

SOURCE: afp
China's ZTE vows to fight US supplier ban

AFP / Lluis GENE ZTE said the seven-year ban on buying US technology 'seriously endangers' its survival and added 'we cannot accept it!'

Chinese telecom giant ZTE vowed on Friday to fight back against a US order banning it from purchasing and using US technology for seven years, a move that has angered Beijing.

The decision announced by Washington this week has clouded prospects for the telecom and phone maker, which depends on US technology such as chips and the Android operating system for its mobile phones.

The tough sanctions come as the battle over technology takes centre stage in a US spat with China that has fanned fears of a trade war.

Washington has taken particular grievance with Beijing's "Made in China 2025" policy to harbour national champions in technology fields the US sees as critical to its future. In Beijing the action against ZTE will likely heighten fears about the reliance on US technology for critical industries.

The order "seriously endangers the survival of ZTE", the company said in a statement Friday, adding "we cannot accept it!"

The firm said it would "not give up its efforts to resolve the problems through communication and dialogue, but would also resolutely protect its legitimate rights and interests through all legally permitted methods".

The company has one or two months of stored component supplies before the ban will start to impact its business, investment bank CICC estimated in a research report cited by Beijing Business Today. ZTE has halted trading of its shares in Hong Kong and Shenzhen since Tuesday.

Washington's control of the company's fate -- with roughly 80,000 employees mostly based in southern China -- has stirred ire and angst in China, where officials prize stability.

"China will pay close attention to the development of the situation and stands ready to take the necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said Thursday.

"The US's actions are ostensibly aimed at China, but they will ultimately hurt the US itself. It will not only lose tens of thousands of jobs but also affect tonnes of related US companies," Gao said.

The options left at the company's disposal are unclear.

When introducing the export ban in Washington, a commerce department official told reporters there was no "off ramp" for the company to seek a reversal of the blockade.

The export ban followed a five-year US government probe into ZTE's evasion of sanctions on Iran and North Korea, first revealed in March 2016.

From January 2010 to March 2016, the company shipped $32 million of US cellular network equipment to Iran, and made 283 shipments of cellphones to North Korea, with the full knowledge of the highest levels of management, officials said.

The company pleaded guilty in March 2017 to unlawful exports and was hit with $1.2 billion in fines, the largest criminal penalty in US history in an export control case.

On Monday, Washington said ZTE had failed to follow through on pledges to punish staff responsible for illegal exports to Iran and North Korea.

WORLD NEWS: Brick-throwing China zoo-goers kill kangaroo, injure another

source: afp
Brick-throwing China zoo-goers kill kangaroo, injure another

AFP/File / MARK RALSTON China's lightly regulated zoos often make news for the wrong reasons, typically involving abysmal conditions in which animals are kept or insensitive actions by visitors in a country where the notion of animal rights is not deeply ingrained

Visitors to a zoo in southeastern China killed one kangaroo and injured another by throwing bricks at them in an attempt to get a reaction from the big marsupials, state media reported.

A 12-year-old female kangaroo suffered a severely injured foot when it was struck by bricks and concrete chunks on February 28 at the Fuzhou Zoo in Fujian province, China Central Television reported.

The kangaroo died days later and an examination by a veterinarian revealed that the cause of death was likely a ruptured kidney caused by being struck by the projectiles.

A few weeks later, a five-year-old male kangaroo at the same zoo was slightly injured in a similar way, said the report posted on the network's website late on Thursday.

The report included pictures of the first kangaroo's smashed and nearly severed foot, and of the animal receiving treatment via intravenous drip before it died.

Visitors to the zoo were known to try to provoke the Australia marsupials to get them to display their signature hopping mode of locomotion using their powerful hind legs.

The report did not mention whether anyone was punished over the matter, but it said the dead female would be stuffed and put on display and the zoo would look to install security cameras to deter visitors from harming animals in future.

China's lightly regulated zoos and wildlife parks often make news for the wrong reasons, typically involving abysmal conditions in which animals are kept or insensitive actions by visitors in a country where the notion of animal rights is not deeply ingrained.

Among recent examples, horrified visitors to an animal park in eastern China's Jiangsu province last June watched as tigers killed a donkey that was released into their enclosure by investors angry over a business dispute related to the zoo, according to media reports.

A few months earlier, a zoo visitor died after he was mauled by tigers whose enclosure he entered in the city of Ningbo, south of Shanghai.

WORLD NEWS: Indian YouTube singer has tearful reunion after 40 years

source: AFP
Indian YouTube singer has tearful reunion after 40 years

AFP / DEEPAK SHIJAGURUMAYUM Khomdram Gambhir Singh was welcomed home to remote Manipur 40 years after he left, reunited with family when someone saw a YouTube video of him singing

An Indian man missing for 40 years has had an emotional reunion with his family after a YouTube video of him singing a popular Bollywood song went viral.

Khomdram Gambhir Singh embraced and hugged his family in Imphal, in the remote northeastern state of Manipur, which he left in 1978 after separating from his wife.

Family members burst into tears and garlanded Singh, 66, as he arrived in his hometown Thursday.

"I tried a lot to come back home but I didn't have many options," Singh told AFP.

For four decades after he left, his family heard nothing. Then a clip showing a grey-bearded man singing a Bollywood song on a Mumbai street 3,300 kilometres (2,050 miles) away appeared online.

In the video, Singh identified himself as from Manipur. A viewer showed the video to a local association in Imphal who informed Singh's family.

Now clean-shaven, Singh said he did odd jobs to survive in Mumbai, which is home to the prolific Bollywood film industry.

"I worked in the mills, in shops and big buildings there," he told AFP, refusing to explain why he never tried to contact his family since leaving as a 26-year-old.

Singh performed a small prayer before entering his modest thatched-roof house, swarmed by an army of well wishers.

"We can't express in words how happy we are because of this reunion," said his younger brother Kulachandra Singh.

"In fact I had a very nice dream a day before and the next day when I woke up this person came to our house to give us the good news (about my brother).

"It's really a dream come true for all of us," he said.

King renames Swaziland as 'eSwatini'

source: AFP
King renames Swaziland as 'eSwatini'

AFP/File / MUJAHID SAFODIEN King Mswati III of Swaziland (C) has announced that his country had changed its name to eSwatini to mark 50 years since independence from British rule

The king of Swaziland, one of the world's few absolute monarchs, announced on Thursday that his country had changed its name to eSwatini to mark 50 years since independence from British rule.

Meaning "place of the Swazi", eSwatini is the Swazi language name for the tiny nation landlocked between South Africa and Mozambique.

Unlike some countries, Swaziland did not change its name when it gained independence in 1968 after being a British protectorate for more than 60 years.

King Mswati III declared the name change during independence day celebrations at a packed sports stadium in the second city of Manzini.

"I would like to announce that Swaziland will now revert to its original name," he said, wearing red military uniform.

"African countries on getting independence reverted to their ancient names before they were colonised. So from now on the country will be officially be known as the Kingdom of eSwatini."

The name Swaziland angers some citizens as it is a mix of Swazi and English.

AFP / Gal ROMA Swaziland to eSwatini

The move has been mooted for several years, with lawmakers considering the issue in 2015. Mswati III has used the new name in previous official speeches.

The king, who was crowned in 1986 aged 18, rules by decree and has often been criticised for his lavish lifestyle despite the grinding poverty suffered by many of his citizens.

Political parties are banned from taking part in elections and only candidates approved by chiefs loyal to the king can stand for office.

The country, which has a population of about 1.3 million people, suffers the highest HIV rate in the world, with 27 percent of adults infected.

AFP/File / Jewel SAMAD Swaziland’s King Mswati III has been criticsed for his lavish lifestyle

North and South Korea open hotline between leaders: Seoul

AFP/File / Ed JONES Moon and Kim are due to meet on the southern side of the DMZ, in what will be only the third inter-Korean summit since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving them technically still in a state of conflict

The two Koreas opened a hotline between their leaders Friday, Seoul's presidential office said, a week before a summit between North Korea's Kim Jong Un and the South's President Moon Jae-in in the Demilitarized Zone.

The line links the presidential Blue House in Seoul with the Pyongyang office of the nuclear-armed North's State Affairs Commission, which Kim chairs - one of his most important titles.

"The historic connection of the hotline between the leaders of the two Koreas has just been established," said senior Blue House official Youn Kun-young, adding that a test conversation between officials lasted 4 minutes and 19 seconds.

It is the latest step in a whirlwind of diplomacy on and around the Korean peninsula, triggered by the Winter Olympics in the South.

Moon and Kim are due to meet on Friday on the southern side of the DMZ, in what will be only the third inter-Korean summit since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving them technically still in a state of conflict.

Seoul is pushing for a declaration that the war is over as a prelude to the signed of a treaty, with Moon declaring Thursday it was a goal that "must be pursued".

US President Donald Trump, who is expected to hold his own much-anticipated summit with Kim later, previously offered his "blessing" for the two Koreas to discuss a treaty.

WORLD NEWS: North and South Korea open hotline between leaders

SOURCE; AFP
North and South Korea open hotline between leaders

YONHAP/AFP / YONHAP The new hotline links the presidential Blue House in Seoul with the Pyongyang office of the nuclear-armed North's State Affairs Commission, which North Korea's Kim Jong Un chairs - one of his most important titles

The two Koreas opened a hotline between their leaders Friday, a week before a summit between North Korea's Kim Jong Un and the South's President Moon Jae-in in the Demilitarized Zone.

The line links the presidential Blue House in Seoul with the Pyongyang office of the nuclear-armed North's State Affairs Commission, which Kim chairs - one of his most important titles.

"The historic connection of the hotline between the leaders of the two Koreas has just been established," said senior Blue House official Youn Kun-young, adding that a test conversation between officials lasted 4 minutes and 19 seconds.

"The connection was smooth and the quality of connection was also very good," he said. "It felt like talking to a neighbour."

Geographically the two are next door to each other, but the peninsula has been divided for 70 years, with no post or telephone communications between them for ordinary civilians since the end of the Korean War in 1953.

The hotline, which enables direct communications between Kim and Moon, is the latest step in a whirlwind of diplomacy on and around the Korean peninsula, triggered by the Winter Olympics in the South.

POOL/AFP/File / KIM HONG-JI Seoul is pushing for a declaration that the war is over as a prelude to the signing of a treaty, with South Korean President Moon Jae-in declaring Thursday it was a goal that "must be pursued"

The two leaders are due to meet on Friday on the southern side of the DMZ, in what will be only the third inter-Korean summit since war ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving them technically still in a state of conflict.

Seoul is pushing for a declaration that the war is over as a prelude to the signing of a treaty, with Moon declaring Thursday it was a goal that "must be pursued".

US President Donald Trump, who is expected to hold his own much-anticipated summit with Kim later, previously offered his "blessing" for the two Koreas to discuss a treaty.

Everything hinges, though, on the question of the North's nuclear weapons.

Pyongyang - which last year carried out its most powerful nuclear test to date and launched intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States - has long insisted that it needs them to defend against a US invasion.

It has since offered to negotiate over them in exchange for security guarantees, but the phrase sometimes used, denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, has long been code for the withdrawal of US troops in the South and the end of its nuclear umbrella over its security ally -- something unthinkable in Washington.

The US, on the other hand, is adamant that it will accept nothing less than the North's complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation.

- 'New stage' -

Trump warned this week that his summit with Kim could still be called off, saying: "If I think that it's a meeting that is not going to be fruitful, we're not going to go.

"If the meeting, when I'm there, is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave the meeting."

KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/File / STR The hotline, which enables direct communications between North Korea's Kim Jong Un and the South's President Moon Jae-in, is the latest step in a whirlwind of diplomacy on and around the Korean peninsula, triggered by the Winter Olympics in the South

Moon said Thursday that the North had shown "a willingness for a complete denuclearisation", and had not demanded the withdrawal of US troops.

"They are only talking about a security guarantee of its own," he said, but added that "the devil is in the details" and it was "too early to guarantee the success of dialogue", which could only come "after a successful US-North Korea summit".

For its part the North has been reticent about the process, making its first official reference to contacts with the US only last week, when the official KCNA news agency said Kim discussed "the prospect of the DPRK-US dialogue".

But for more than a month KCNA has hardly mentioned the North's nuclear capabilities either.

WORLD NEWS: Amorous couples, sex workers whipped in Indonesia's Aceh

source: AFP

Amorous couples, sex workers whipped in Indonesia's Aceh

AFP / CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN More than a thousand people, including dozens of tourists from neighbouring Malaysia, jeered and screamed abuse at the group as they were flogged outside a mosque in the capital Banda Aceh

A group of amorous couples and accused sex workers were publicly whipped for breaking Islamic law in Indonesia's Aceh Friday, just a week after the province pledged to move the widely condemned practice indoors.

More than a thousand people, including dozens of tourists from neighbouring Malaysia, jeered and screamed abuse at the group of three men and five women as they were flogged on a stage outside a mosque in the capital Banda Aceh.

Some snapped pictures as a hooded figure rained down lashes from a rattan cane on their backs, with each getting between 11 and 22 strokes.

The couples were whipped for showing affection in public, while two of the women were suspected sex workers, officials said.

Aceh is the only province in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country that imposes Islamic law.

Flogging is a common punishment for a range of offences -- from gambling, to drinking alcohol to having gay sex or relations outside of marriage.

The conservative region on the northern tip of Sumatra island passed a regulation a week ago that would see criminals whipped only behind prison walls.

It was not clear when the new rule would come into effect.

The move was in response to a wave of international criticism over the practice, which has included flogging members of the vulnerable LGBT community and, in some cases, non-Muslims.

Non-Muslims can usually choose whether or not to be punished under religious law and sometimes opt for a painful flogging to avoid a long court process and jail term.

AFP / CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN Rights groups have derided it as cruel and last year President Joko Widodo called for an end to public whippings in Aceh

Rights groups have derided the punishment as cruel and last year Indonesia's President Joko Widodo called for an end to public whippings in Aceh.

Around 98 percent of the province's five million residents are Muslims, subject to religious law, including the public whippings which came into practice around 2005.

Under the new rules, caning cannot be recorded anymore and only journalists and adults can witness the punishment inside prisons. Children have often been present at public canings.

Some conservative groups are protesting against the end of public whippings, saying it has a strong deterrent effect on crime.

"Today's flogging is evidence that (the government) and our people are still committed to implementing Islamic law," said Banda Aceh's deputy mayor Zainal Arifin.

"This is not only about physical punishment for violators, but also to set an example for members of the public who witness the flogging directly or watch it on social media."

However, Arifin insisted the latest whippings were not an act of defiance against fresh rules set by the province.

"We understand that the regulation has not yet come into effect and the prison is not yet ready to (host floggings) so that is why we are still doing it (in public)," he said.

"Until the new regulation is officially in place we will carry on as usual."

Driving high: US cops prepare for crackdown on 'weed day'

source: AFP

Driving high: US cops prepare for crackdown on 'weed day'

GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File / Drew Angerer In places like California -- where recreational marijuana has been legal since January -- law enforcement officials and doctors are worried they will see an increase in people arrested for erratic driving and hospitalized with overdoses

Pot may be legal in eight US states and the capital, but tokers getting behind the wheel on a national weed appreciation day could be in for a downer as police forces crack down on intoxicated drivers.

In places like California, where recreational marijuana has been legal since January, law enforcement officials and doctors are worried about an increase in people arrested for erratic driving and hospitalized with overdoses.

The issue is particularly acute on April 20, or 4/20, a national day of celebration in cannabis culture -- especially after 4:20 pm when usage surges.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association which looked at 25 years of data on fatal crashes in the US found that the risk was 12 percent higher between 4:20 pm and midnight on April 20, compared to the same time frame a week earlier and a week later.

The penalty for driving under the influence (DUI) applies to both alcohol and other forms of drugs.

There is a serious "lack of knowledge on the users, so they still feel like 'I thought I can drive, it's all legal now,'" said John Hernandez, an eight-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department.

- 'We're all OK' -

AFP / Laurence CHU The US and cannabis

On a recent cool weeknight Hernandez pulled over a DUI suspect at a police checkpoint. The first thing he noticed was that the car reeked of pot.

The driver, a slim, well-dressed 20 year-old man with bloodshot eyes, told Hernandez that he smoked some pot at noon, nearly nine hours earlier.

His three friends in the vehicle, all about the same age, protested. "He's OK, we're all OK," said the sole woman in the group.

Hernandez was unconvinced, and put the suspect through a standard DUI roadside test: walk in a straight line, stand on one leg, touch your nose.

"I told him 'Put your hands on your side,' but he had his hands way out there, like an airplane," Hernandez told AFP. "It looked like he's trying to fly away or trying to keep his balance."

The suspect said he was nervous, and that was causing his legs to be shaky -- "but that's also a sign of someone who's under the influence of cannabis," Hernandez said.

The young man failed the test.

Hernandez slapped on the handcuffs and sent him to a nearby bench to join other suspects waiting for a ride to the police station.

At the station the suspects are placed behind bars until the marijuana effects wear off. Next will come a court date, the likely loss of their driver's license, and the stain of a criminal conviction.

- 'Like a gun' -

Aside from weed for smoking, marijuana dispensaries sell items like pot-based candy and chocolate.

Experts warn that children could seriously overdose if they mistake the weed sweets for regular candy.

Mark Morocco, a professor and emergency care physician in Los Angeles, said doctors have seen a "gradual but progressive increase" in pediatric marijuana overdose cases since January.

Children in a pot haze usually just seem "altered," Morocco told AFP.

Doctors first have to rule out an infection or a trauma, the two leading causes of death or injury of pre-teen children.

Then they have to consider "more rare and more insidious" possibilities, such as an overdose of prescription medicine.

A marijuana overdose is "the last thing we think about," he said.

Overdosing on pot is not lethal, and the treatment is rest until the effects wear out. In the case of a minor, a social worker must also be called in.

Morocco tells parents to treat marijuana the same as prescription medicine, or "like a gun -- you need to have positive control over it in your house."

world news: Wenger to end 22-year Arsenal stay

source: AFP
Wenger to end 22-year Arsenal stay

AFP/File / Ben STANSALL Arsene Wenger took charge of Arsenal in 1996 and is the club's longest serving manager

Arsene Wenger announced on Friday he is bringing down the curtain on 22 years at Arsenal that have been full of trophies but tarnished by struggles in recent years to challenge for the Premier League title.

The 68-year-old arrived at the London club in 1996 a relative unknown but leaves widely hailed as the greatest manager in Arsenal's history after three Premier League titles and a record-breaking seven FA Cup triumphs.

Wenger, who completed the Premier League and FA Cup double in his first full season in England, was hailed as an innovator in his early years and his spiky clashes with former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson became the stuff of legend.

Yet despite cup success in recent years, fans have become increasingly frustrated by the club's inability to challenge the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea for the Premier League title and a failure to reach the sharp end of the Champions League.

"After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season," Wenger said in a statement posted on the club's website.

"I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years."

AFP/File / Martin HAYHOW Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira (left) and manager Arsene Wenger celebrate the 2004 Premier League title

Wenger arrived at the Emirates with Ferguson's United at the peak of their powers but immediately threw down the gauntlet, winning the Premier League and FA Cup double in 1998, before repeating the feat four years later.

But perhaps the most remarkable achievement of his long reign was going through a full league season unbeaten in 2003-04, with his "Invincibles" playing a captivating brand of fluid football.

- Champions League -

But after an incredible 19 successive years in the Champions League, Arsenal, in sixth place in the Premier League, could miss out for the second consecutive year after a disappointing league campaign.

Their only realistic chance of qualifying for next season is by winning the second-tier Europa League -- the Gunners face Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals -- and Wenger has urged the fans to get behind the club.

"I urge our fans to stand behind the team to finish on a high," said Wenger. "To all the Arsenal lovers take care of the values of the club. My love and support for ever."

AFP/File / PAUL ELLIS Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had a stormy rivalry with Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson

Arsenal's majority shareholder Stan Kroenke paid tribute to a man of "unparalleled class".

"Everyone who loves Arsenal and everyone who loves football owes him a debt of gratitude," said Kroenke, who took a controlling stake in the club in 2011.

"One of the main reasons we got involved with Arsenal was because of what Arsene has brought to the club on and off the pitch. His longevity and consistency over such a sustained period at the highest level of the game will never be matched."

Arsenal added that a successor to Wenger will be found "as soon as possible".

- Frustration -

Wenger took charge with Arsenal in the doldrums in October 1996, but quickly set about a revolution in English football by overhauling players' diets and bringing an end to the drinking culture that had dogged the club.

Results soon arrived on the pitch as Wenger's men beat an all-conquering Manchester United side to the title in 1997-98 and won the league again four years later.

Despite their constant presence in the Champions League Wenger was never able to end Arsenal's quest to win the competition for a first time. They closest they came was in 2006 when a young side was edged out 2-1 in the final by Barcelona.

That season was also Arsenal's final campaign at Highbury but the promise that moving to the 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium would allow the club to compete financially with the biggest spenders in England and the continent failed to materialise.

Instead, Wenger was much criticised for his unwillingness to spend the money needed to keep up as booming TV revenues saw Premier League rivals splash the cash in an arms race.

Arsenal even sold a host of star players such as Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie.

And the fans' frustration continued to grow as, even after loosening the purse strings to buy Mesut Ozil in 2013 and Alexis Sanchez a year later, Arsenal still failed to compete for the title or the Champions League.

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