UN human rights experts on a fact-finding mission to South Sudan warned today of an escalation in ethnic violence in the war-torn country.
	"Many expect intensified fighting now that the dry season is setting in," said Yasmin Sooka of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.
	Sooka was speaking to the press in the capital Juba at the end of a 10-day visit during which the three member team spoke with civilians in the battleground towns of Bentiu, Malakal and Wau, as well as government officials and members of civil society.
	"There are unprecedented levels of violence and ethnic tension all over South Sudan," Sooka said.
	"Any sense of national identity is crumbling and tribal or ethnic identity is taking over. I repeatedly heard of the desire for revenge," she added.
	South Sudan's current conflict began nearly three years ago when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy and political rival, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup. Since then the world's newest nation has ...

UN rights experts fear 'intensified' fighting in S Sudan

PTI Automatic

A Bahraini court has jailed a journalist for three months over a tweet deemed insulting to religion, Reporters Without Borders said today.
	Faisal Hayyat, a journalist and a blogger who hosts a satirical channel on YouTube, was convicted yesterday of insulting a "religious symbol and group," the watchdog said.
	He has been in detention since October 9, the last time he tweeted saying that he had been summoned by police for investigation.
	The content of the tweet that the charges refer to is not clear, but on October 8, Hayyat posted tweets denouncing Muawiyah, the first caliph of the 7th-century Umayyad Caliphate, who is despised by Shiite Muslims for a conflict with their revered Imam Ali.
	The Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom has been shaken by unrest since security forces crushed protests led by crowds of its Shiite majority demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister in 2011.
	Scores of Shiites have been jailed on charges of involvement in the unrest and others have 

Bahrain jails journalist over tweet: NGO

Amadou Sanogo, a former army captain who staged a military coup in Mali in 2012, went on trial today charged with the murder of several soldiers whose bodies were found in a mass grave.
	"I'm in fine spirits. I was waiting for this day," Sanogo said at the opening of the trial, held in a packed concert hall in Sikasso, 370 kilometres southeast of the capital, Bamako.
	Sanogo, who faces the death penalty, led the 2012 coup that toppled president Amadou Toumani Toure as the country grappled with a rebellion by Tuareg people that led the way to a jihadist takeover in its vast arid north.
	He proclaimed himself leader, blasting the former head of state for failing to restore order. But within days, the military lost control of the cities of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu, where jihadists razed ancient shrines.
	He is on trial for the deaths of troops who a month later in 2012 staged a failed counter-coup. Some 20 bodies were found in December 2013 in a mass grave near Sanogo's ...

Former Mali coup leader Sanogo on trial for murder

Finnish police says three girls have been detained suspected of planning an attack on a school.
	Police said in a brief statement today that two of them were kept in custody while the third one was placed with social authorities.
	They were detained in Riihimaki, a small town 65 kilometers north of Helsinki after authorities got a tip on an imminent attack. No firearms or explosives were found when police searched their homes.
	No other details were available.
	In recent years, Finland has seen deadly school shootings after which authorities applied several measures to improve safety at educational institutions.
	A 21-year-old woman currently faces trial for allegedly planning a deadly shooting rampage in her former school in central Finland.

In Finland, 3 girls held suspected of planning school attack

Myanmar's membership of ASEAN must be reviewed because of its "ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya Muslim minority, a senior Malaysian minister warned today.
	Khairy Jamaluddin said the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations' principle of non-interference in member states' domestic affairs was void in the context of such violence.
	Myanmar's army has carried out a bloody crackdown in the western state of Rakhine and thousands of Rohingya have flooded over the border into Bangladesh this month, making horrifying claims of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of security forces.
	"To ASEAN, we demand that Myanmar's membership in ASEAN be reviewed," Khairy, the youth and sports minister, told the annual gathering of the ruling party United Malays National Organisation.
	"The principle of non-interference is void when there is large scale ethnic cleansing in an ASEAN member state."
	A video highlighting the plight of the Rohingya was played during the minister's speech, ...

Review Myanmar's ASEAN membership, urges Malaysia minister

South Korea today revealed new cases of a deadly strain of bird flu as authorities said they had slaughtered two million chickens and ducks in a bid to control the outbreak.
	The H5N6 virus was first confirmed on November 18 at a farm in central South Korea and it has since spread to farms around the country, with the total number of cases now standing at 46.
	Authorities have stepped up quarantine measures, culling birds and restricting animal movements which are feared to spread the virus.
	"We've culled some two million birds and we will slaughter another one million", an agricultural ministry spokesman told AFP.
	Health authorities stressed there had been no cases of human infections from H5N6 in South Korea.
	However, between 2014 and April 2016, H5N6 killed six people in China, according to the South's Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
	The World Health Organization warned earlier this year that the strain "has caused severe infection in humans" but added "until now ...

S Korea confirms more cases of deadly bird flu

Finnish media claimed today that the prime minister pressured public television to stop investigating an alleged conflict of interest after a company owned by his family won a major order from a nationalised mine.
	The case centres on an order received by Katera Steel, an engineering company owned by Prime Minister Juha Sipila's family, from a nickel mine that had received a cash bailout from the state.
	On November 11, the government announced it would invest 100 million euros (USD 107 million) in Terrafame, the company operating the unprofitable mine that would likely have shut down without the intervention.
	Sipila allegedly contacted the editor of public television Yle, Atte Jaaskelainen, and a journalist, following the publication of its first article on the issue to discourage further coverage, according to the weekly Suomen Kuvalehti.
	The paper reported that the pressure allegedly led Yle to scale down coverage of the story.
	Jaaskelainen denied bowing to pressure from the ...

Finland PM accused of silencing media over mine deal

A dead body was found today in the wheel well of a Nigerian plane after it landed in South Africa, the airline said in a statement.
	The body was found on a plane operated by Arik Air, one of Nigeria's largest airlines, that had departed from the country's commercial hub of Lagos and landed at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport yesterday evening.
	"The lifeless body of a stowaway was on Wednesday, November 30, 2016 found in the main wheel well of one of Arik Air's A330-200 aircraft," Arik Air spokesman Adebanji Ola said in a statement.
	South African engineers "discovered the body of the stowaway during inspection," the statement said.
	"Investigations are ongoing to determine how the stowaway found his way into the aircraft's main wheel well."
	In the past five years there have been reports of dead Nigerian stowaways found in planes travelling from Lagos to Johannesburg and New York who have frozen to death or have been crushed by a wheel.
	Dire economic conditions force ..

Dead stowaway discovered on Nigerian plane in South Africa

Steven Mnuchin, a Wall Street veteran with ties to Hollywood, today said that President- elect Donald Trump has named him to be US Treasury secretary.
	Mnuchin and billionaire Wilbur Ross were asked in an interview with CNBC whether they could confirm that the had been named to head the Treasury and Commerce departments, respectively.
	"We can, indeed. We're thrilled to be here and we're thrilled to work for the president-elect and honored to have these positions," Mnuchin said.

Steven Mnuchin says he's been named US Treasury secretary

The EU unveiled ambitious plans today to boost joint defence spending including on shared assets like drones and helicopters, as concerns grow that President-elect Donald Trump may downgrade the US security commitment.
	Trump shocked longtime NATO allies in Europe when he suggested on the campaign trail be would think twice about coming to their aid if they had not paid their defence dues.
	That prospect, combined with the Ukraine and migrant crises plus nuclear-armed Britain's shock vote to quit the European Union, have moved security sharply up the bloc's agenda.
	"If Europe does not take care of its own security, nobody else will do it for us," European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said in a statement as the plans were announced.
	"A strong, competitive and innovative defence industrial base is what will give us strategic autonomy," said Juncker, who has long pushed for a more active EU military role and ultimately what he calls a "European Army".
	To stand on its own two ...

EU to boost joint defence spending

Kuwait's emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah today renamed the outgoing prime minister to form a new cabinet following polls in which the opposition made a strong showing.
	Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling Al-Sabah family, resigned on Monday as required by the constitution after Saturday's snap polls.
	He should form the cabinet before December 11, when the new parliament is due to hold its inaugural session.
	The Islamist-dominated opposition won nearly half the seats in the 50-member parliament and vowed to oppose the government's austerity measures in the face of low oil revenues.
	The reappointment of Sheikh Jaber, 73, came despite calls by a number of opposition lawmakers to select a new premier to reflect the election results.
	Under Kuwait's constitution, the emir has the sole power to appoint the premier regardless of the outcome of polls as it does not apply a full Western-style multi-party system.
	The official KUNA agency said the emir issued a ..

Kuwait emir renames premier to form cabinet

Steven Mnuchin says he's been named US Treasury secretary.

Philippine police have detained two men for an attempted bombing this week near the US embassy that has been blamed on Islamic State sympathisers, an official said today.
	Other alleged plotters are still being hunted over the powerful bomb found planted in a trash can near the US embassy in Manila on Monday, said the capital's head of police, Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde.
	"They were detained as persons of interest in the planting of the IED (improvised explosive device)," he told AFP of the arrested pair.
	"There is a real possibility that this is the handiwork of the Maute group," he said, referring to an armed Muslim extremist group that has previously pledged allegiance to the Islamic State movement in Syria and Iraq.
	He described one man, who was arrested in Bulacan province just outside the capital, as a Muslim convert and the other, detained in a Manila residential area, as a Muslim.
	Albayalde added they were hunting for "three to five other suspects," but declined ..

Philippines detains two for bomb attempt near US embassy

Pope Francis today issued a call for "responsible behaviour" to prevent the spread of AIDS without specifying whether that included wearing condoms.
	The pontiff also issued a fresh call for every sufferer, no matter how poor, to have access to treatment.
	In a message ahead of World AIDS Day today the Argentinian pontiff said millions were living with the disease and "only half of them have access to lifesaving treatment".
	He added: "I ask you to pray for them and their loved ones and promote solidarity so that even the poorest can benefit from diagnosis and adequate treatment.
	"And finally I call on everyone to adopt responsible behaviour to prevent the further spread of this disease."
	Francis's comments are likely to be interpreted as a fresh signal of the Church's easing of its opposition to the use of condoms in response to AIDS.
	His predecessor Benedict XVI said in 2010 that it was acceptable to use prophylactics if the sole intention was to reduce the risk of AIDS ...

Pope urges 'responsible behaviour' to stop AIDS spread

Up to 500,000 civilians in Mosul face a "catastrophic" drinking water shortage as Iraqi forces advance on the Islamic State group in the city, the United Nations warned today.
	"Nearly half a million civilians, already struggling to feed themselves day to day, are now without access to clean drinking water. The impact on children, women and families will be catastrophic," said Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq.
	Operations to retake Iraq's second city have damaged water pipes in recent days and residents in east Mosul say they have resorted to pumping water from wells.
	"We don't have water or electricity. We are drinking well water but that's not enough," said Mosul resident Mohamed Khalil, 25.
	Iraqi commanders said around 40 percent of the eastern half of Mosul has been retaken from the jihadists since a huge offensive began on October 17.
	The forces have told civilians to stay at home in order to avoid massive displacement from the city, which was believed to have .

500,000 Iraqis face 'catastrophic' Mosul water shortages: UN

Saudi Arabia's energy minister said today that an "optimistic" sentiment prevailed at an OPEC meeting meant to agree the cartel's first oil output cut in eight years.
	"We don't know (if a deal will be reached)," Khaled al-Falih told reporters in Vienna as the talks started. "We will find out during the meeting. I think the sentiment generally is optimistic and positive."
	Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that there was a "framework" for agreement that still needed to be finalised.
	The hoped-for cut by the 14-member Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is aimed at easing a global supply glut and therefore boosting the market price of oil.
	Oil prices rose around five per cent today as the meeting began, continuing their recent run of volatility. In recent days market expectations for an accord have been generally pessimistic.
	Iraq and in particular Iran, OPEC's next biggest producers after Saudi Arabia, are seen as being uneasy about agreeing to reduce ...

Saudi Arabia says sentiment 'optimistic' for OPEC deal

Human rights campaigners expressed shock and defiance today after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to kill them for hindering his bloody war on drugs.
	Duterte issued his warning on Monday as the death toll from his controversial crackdown climbed above 4,800, or roughly an average of 30 deaths a day since it began five months ago.
	"The human rights (defenders) say I kill. If I say: 'Okay, I'll stop'. They (drug users) will multiply," Duterte said.
	"When harvest time comes, there will be more of them who will die. Then I will include you among them because you let them multiply," he added.
	Amnesty International Philippines was among a range of groups to speak out against the comments, saying it was "appalled".
	"This pronouncement is... Inciting hate towards anyone who expresses dissent on his war against drugs," it said in a statement.
	The National Alliance against Killings Philippines, a newly formed coalition of rights groups, said it took the threat very ...

Philippines' Duterte's threats alarm rights groups

Two Israeli television news programmes were briefly hacked, with images promoting Islam and a message suggesting a recent wave of fires was divine retribution shown in their place, reports said today.
	Last night's incident came ahead of an expected vote in parliament on a bill to prevent the use of loudspeakers for early morning and late night calls to prayer at mosques.
	Programmes on privately owned Channels 2 and 10 were interrupted for around 30 seconds by images of Muslim sites, including Jerusalem's Haram al-Sharif, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount.
	A call to prayer was also played as well as a message that seemed to refer to divine retribution.
	Israel's parliament is expected to take an initial vote on the bill to prevent the use of loudspeakers at mosques today.
	Major fires fed by high winds and dry conditions hit parts of Israel and the occupied West Bank last week, destroying hundreds of homes and causing tens of thousands to evacuate.
	In July 2014, pirates hacked ...

Israeli TV hacked with 'divine retribution' message

Thailand's junta leader today urged a powerful monk accused of receiving embezzled funds to surrender to police and avoid a possible raid on the space-age Bangkok headquarters of his wealthy Buddhist sect.
	A stand-off between investigators and the powerful Wat Dhammakaya temple in northern Bangkok has rumbled on for months.
	The country's equivalent of the FBI has charged Phra Dhammachayo, the 72-year-old former abbot of the Dhammakaya temple, over allegations he accepted embezzled funds worth 1.2 billion baht (USD 33 million) from the owner of a cooperative bank who was jailed.
	The latest deadline for his surrender -- extended over the last year -- is set to pass tonight.
	Police are reluctant to raid the religious site where thousands of faithful are believed to be prepared to defend the monk, raising the unholy prospect of clashes in a devout Buddhist nation.
	The temple, famous for its main shrine that resembles a huge UFO and its choreographed mass meditation events, has denied 

Thai junta leader urges powerful monk to surrender

The Israeli air force fired two missiles at dawn today that hit near Damascus, without causing any casualties, Syrian state television said.
	"The air force of the Israeli enemy today launched two missiles from Lebanese air space," it said, adding that they hit the Sabbura area west of Damascus.
	Israel, which is technically still at war with Syria, has sought to limit its involvement in its neighbour's five-year conflict.
	But it has carried out sporadic sorties against Lebanon's Hezbollah inside Syria, which has forces fighting in support of the Damascus government.

Two Israeli missiles hit near Damascus: Syria state TV

More than 50,000 people have fled rebel-held east Aleppo in the last four days as government forces advance, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said today.
	The Britain-based monitor said more than 20,000 people had fled to western neighbourhoods of the city held by the government, with another 30,000 moving to areas held by Kurdish forces.
	Syrian troops have seized at least a third of eastern Aleppo since renewing their bid to recapture all of the battered second city just over two weeks ago.
	The former rebel stronghold has been under a government siege for more than four months, with international aid rations exhausted and other food stocks dwindling.
	The government has said passages are open for civilians or surrendering rebels to cross into the west of the city, and accuses opposition forces of trying to prevent residents from leaving.
	Many have chosen to go from the east to neighbourhoods held by Kurdish forces, which are officially aligned with neither the regime nor ...

AFP

AFP

Page 1287 - Afp