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Showing posts from May, 2019

Tankers almost certainly damaged by Iranian naval mines, US says

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US National Security Adviser John Bolton has said "naval mines almost certainly from Iran" were to blame for the damage to oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman earlier this month. Mr Bolton provided no evidence to support the allegation, which Iran said was "laughable". The attacks off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates on 12 May left holes in the hulls of four ships. The incident came amid an escalation in tensions between Iran and the US. Last Friday, US Vice Admiral Michael Gilday said he believed "with a high degree of confidence that this [attack] stems back to the leadership of Iran at the highest levels". Mr Bolton, a long-standing advocate for regime change in Iran, echoed the admiral's words during a visit to the UAE on Wednesday, telling reporters it was "clear that Iran is behind" the attack. "There's no doubt in anybody's mind in Washington who's responsible for this," he said. "Who el
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Japan attack: Child among two killed in Kawasaki stabbing

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A knife-wielding man has attacked a group of schoolchildren waiting for a bus in the Japanese city of Kawasaki near Tokyo. At least 18 people were injured in a residential area. Two of them, an 11-year-old girl and a 39-year-old man, have died. The suspect, a man in his 50s, stabbed himself in the neck after his rampage and later died in hospital. Police have named him as Ryuichi Iwasaki. Violent crime is rare in Japan and the motive for the attack is unknown. The suspect was holding knives in both hands as he attacked the victims - 16 of whom were schoolgirls. Police later named the victims of the fatal attack as Hanako Kuribayashi, who was in the sixth grade, and foreign ministry official Satoshi Oyama, who is believed to be the parent of another child. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the attack, saying he felt "strong anger" against it. "It is a very harrowing case. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the victims and hope the injured recov
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Huawei: US blacklist will harm billions of consumers

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A US move to put Huawei on a trade blacklist "sets a dangerous precedent" that will harm billions of consumers, the firm's top legal officer said. Speaking at a press conference, Song Liuping said the trade ban would also "directly harm" American companies and affect jobs. Washington recently added Huawei to a list of companies that US firms cannot trade with unless they have a licence. The trade ban is part of a wider battle between the US and Huawei. Washington has moved to block the Chinese company, the world's largest maker of telecoms equipment, on national security concerns. Huawei has repeatedly denied claims the use of its products presents security risks, and says it is independent from the Chinese government. "Politicians in the US are using the strength of an entire nation to come after a private company," Mr Song said. What did Huawei say about the trade ban? Mr Song said the decision to put Huawei, which is also the worl
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Italian teen released after killing abusive father

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Prosecutors in Italy have released from house arrest a 19-year-old who killed her violent father at their home north of Rome. Deborah Sciacquatori acted in self-defence in an episode of domestic abuse, the local prosecutor decided. Initially accused of manslaughter, she now faces the lesser charge of culpable excess of legitimate self-defence, but that may also be dropped. The prosecutor said she had begged her father to stop the abuse. "It is possible in the next fortnight that the investigating judge may be asked to close the case because the young woman, according to what we currently know, acted in self-defence," said Tivoli prosecutor Francesco Menditto. The case has raised questions about domestic abuse in Italy, including the issue of when self-defence can legitimately be used. The man who died, 41-year-old ex-boxer Lorenzo Sciacquatori, was reportedly known as a violent man. He had served a jail term for assaulting a police officer in 2016 and his parents-i
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Man Booker International Prize: Jokha Alharthi is first Arabic winner

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Omani author Jokha Alharthi has won this year's Man Booker International Prize - the first Arabic writer to do so. Her novel Celestial Bodies centres on the lives of three sisters and their families coming to terms with social changes in Oman. Judges described it as "a richly imagined, engaging and poetic insight". Alharthi shares the award of £50,000 ($63,000) with her translator, the American academic Marilyn Booth. "I am thrilled that a window has been opened to the rich Arabic culture," Alharthi told journalists after the ceremony at the Roundhouse in London. Oman inspired me but I think international readers can relate to the human values in the book - freedom and love." Celestial Bodies is set in the village of al-Awafi and tells the stories of three sisters who witness Oman's cultural evolution from a traditional society in the post-colonial period. "It touches the subject of slavery. I think literature is the best platform to
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Indonesia post-election protests leave six dead - Jakarta governor

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Six people have been killed and 200 injured during mass rallies against the re-election of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, said Jakarta's governor. Police said they could not confirm the figure but said they had received information that "some [had] died", Protests in the capital Jakarta started peacefully on Tuesday but soon turned violent, with cars set on fire and firecrackers thrown at police. Police in riot gear fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. At a press conference on Wednesday, police did not confirm the figure given by Governor Anies Baswedan, but said they had received information "that some people [were] wounded and some died". It remains unclear what caused the deaths. National Police Spokesman M Iqbal added that 69 protestors had been arrested following the violence. "We're concluding from these events that [these] were not spontaneous masses. They want anarchy, creating riots," he said. The protests erupted after
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Christian Pulisic: New Chelsea signing wants to make same impact as Eden Hazard

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Chelsea's new £58m forward Christian Pulisic wants to reach the same level as Stamford Bridge favourite Eden Hazard - and hopes he gets a chance to play in the same side as the Belgian next season. Pulisic signed a five-and-a-half year contract with the Blues in January but was immediately loaned backed to Germany to finish the campaign at Borussia Dortmund. The 20-year-old United States international has just spent a couple of days in England getting to know his new surroundings and, in an interview with BBC Sport, made it clear the size of the expectations he places on himself. It is incredible to see what Eden can do," he said. "He is a guy to look up to and what I would love to become. "It is definitely a goal. Any player would be dumb not to want to be in the same team as him." Pulisic may not get his wish given Hazard's likely move to Real Madrid after Chelsea's Europa League final with Arsenal on 29 May USA's most expensive player
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Deontay Wilder scouts ... himself

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Heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder (40-0-1, 39 KOs), coming off his contested split draw against Tyson Fury in December, fights Dominic Breazeale May 18 on Showtime. So we had an anonymous trainer assess Wilder -- then let Wilder respond. TRAINER: Deontay Wilder is the rare fighter gifted with one-punch power. Unfortunately, it's only his right hand. WILDER: The right hand, of course, has the ultimate power. But it's the way I set it up. That's just the punch you see that takes them out. The left brings the damage too. It can knock you out just as well. Trust me. TRAINER: He's athletic and tall with good reach, but he tends to fight at his opponent's range instead of using his length. WILDER: I'm one of the few tall guys that'll come down to your height. I'm so athletic! I do that because I use different styles. I'm never one way. People think I'm doing it because that's just my style. No, no, no. I'm doing things for a reason. Th
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Porto goalkeeper Casillas suffers heart attack but is in stable condition

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Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas was rushed to hospital on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack during training but is now out of danger. The former Spain international felt discomfort in his chest at the end of the morning training session and was taken to CUF Porto hospital. Porto tweeted a message of support to Casillas followed by a statement confirming the goalkeeper is in a stable condition. "Iker Casillas suffered a heart attack during a training session on Wednesday morning, at the Porto training centre in Olival," a statement read. "The session was brought to a prompt end to attend to the Porto goalkeeper, who is now at the CUF Porto Hospital. "Casillas is well, stable and with the heart problem having been resolved." Former club Real Madrid have also released a statement, wishing their former captain a speedy recovery. "Real Madrid C. F. wishes to offer its full support to our beloved captain Iker Casillas," the statement read
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Japan's gripping manhunt ends in capture

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Japanese police have captured a fugitive who had eluded authorities for weeks in a bizarre drama that gripped the country. Tatsuma Hirao, 27, had made a run for it from an open prison in the town of Imabari. Police deployed more than 6,000 officers on the small island of Mukaishima, using everything from dogs to helicopters and drones. He was caught at a train station in Hiroshima, about 50km (30 miles) away. Hirao was not considered a dangerous criminal. Serving five and a half years for theft, he was being held at a facility where inmates are free to walk about without walls or fences. The system did not work in the case of Hirao. The first clues following his getaway were on Mukaishima. On the face of it, the 57 sq km (22 sq mile) island of 22,000 people should not have been an easy place to hide. Yet despite using helicopters, sniffer dogs and drones, Hirao kept eluding his pursuers. All the police found were small clues: fingerprints, items like socks or mobil
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Woman trapped in billionaire's New York lift all weekend

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A woman has been rescued after spending an entire weekend trapped in her billionaire employer's lift, authorities said. The woman, reported to be 53-year-old Marites Fortaliza, entered the elevator at the Manhattan townhouse owned by investment banker Warren Stephens on Friday evening. Firefighters responded to an emergency call at 10:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Monday and forced the lift open. Ms Fortaliza is recovering in hospital. According to a family statement reported by the Associated Press Ms Fortaliza was dehydrated but in a stable condition at Weill Cornell Medical Center. She has been "a valued member of the Stephens extended family for 18 years" and a family member accompanied her to the hospital, they are quoted as saying. Mr Stephens is the head of Stephens Inc, an investment bank based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Authorities said Ms Fortaliza was trapped between the second and third floors of the house, on the Upper East Side of the city nea
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Governor jailed for sexual assault

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A former South Korean governor and one-time presidential contender has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for rape, five months after he was controversially acquitted for the same crime. Ahn Hee-jung was jailed by an appeals court Friday for the rape and assault of Kim Ji-eun, his former assistant, Kim's lawyer Jung Hye-sun told CNN. Speaking after the verdict, Kim thanked her lawyers and witnesses who supported her case. "I can say goodbye to my torturous time when I was forced to live feeling like a witch to be burnt," she said. "I'd like to share all the help I received with other victims who still have to prove everything in their lonely fights. I'd like to send my solidarity to all the victims of sexual crimes whether they spoke about their cases but were ignored or couldn't speak about their issues and quietly watched my trial." Kim came forward with the allegations during an interview with South Korean
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