The UN's expert on torture was today beginning a week-long visit to Turkey following claims prisoners have been ill-treated in the wake of the July failed coup.
	Nils Melzer, special rapporteur on torture, arrived in Turkey yesterday and will speak with alleged victims and inspect detention facilities, the United Nations in Ankara said.
	His visit, the first by a UN torture expert to Turkey since 1998, comes a month after US-based watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Turkish police of torturing detainees.
	The government has vehemently denied the claims, saying all those held over the July 15 coup are being treated fully in line with the law.
	Since a rogue faction tried to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power on July 15, Turkey has arrested some 37,000 suspects, causing international alarm.
	It has also imposed a state of emergency which has already been extended once.
	The rapporteur will visit places of detention such as police stations, pre-trial facilities and ...

UN torture expert starts Turkey visit amid abuse claims

PTI Automatic

A militant group has claimed responsibility for the bombing of a state-owned pipeline in southern Nigeria, in what it said was a response to a military offensive against the oil rebels.
	The pipeline of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company in Delta state was blown up yesterday, in the latest attack on the country's key oil and gas infrastructure.
	The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate said it staged the attack "to register our presence" and protest "the calculated psychological attack recently initiated by the Nigerian security forces against our people."
	In a statement late yesterday, it vowed to continue the bombings despite a government truce offer.
	Nigeria has deployed troops since July to hunt down the militants while at the same time opening peace talks in a bid to end the violence.
	Since February, several militant groups have stepped up attacks on the nation's oil and gas facilities, hurting government revenues at a time of a global fall in crude prices.
	The ...

Oil rebels claim pipeline attack in Nigeria

At least three South African ministers have called for President Jacob Zuma to resign, local media reported today, in the most serious challenge to his leadership since he took power in 2009.
	The News24 news agency, citing sources in the ruling ANC party, said that Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi called on Zuma to step down.
	The clash came at a weekend National Executive Committee meeting of the African National Congress (ANC) party, which was extended to today amid heated debate over Zuma's fate.
	The president, who has faced mounting criticism of his leadership, came under further pressure this month when a corruption probe unearthed fresh allegations of misconduct.
	The probe by the country's top watchdog raised accusations of possible criminal activity in Zuma's relationship with the Guptas, a business family accused of wielding undue political influence.
	But Zuma, 74, retains strong loyalty among many ...

Three S African ministers call for Zuma to resign: report

The wife of President Vladimir Putin's spokesman faced a storm of criticism today for performing a Holocaust-themed ice-dancing routine with striped costumes based on concentration camp uniforms.
	Tatiana Navka, an Olympic ice dancing champion who is married to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, performed the pirouetting routine with actor Andrei Burkovsky on a prime-time celebrity skating show on Saturday.
	The dancers wore black-and-white striped outfits with numbers and yellow stars for the routine, which ends to the sound of gunfire.
	The routine was set to a song from 1997 Oscar-winning Italian film "Life is Beautiful," a tragicomedy about a father trying to hide the horrors of concentration camp life from his son.
	The pair won maximum points on the Ice Age show on state-controlled Channel One and praise from judges, while Navka wrote on Instagram that it was one of her "favourite routines", and "our children should know and remember this terrible time."
	The routine prompted a ...

Putin's aide wife shocks with Holocaust-themed skating routine

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye will not answer questions from prosecutors over a snowballing influence-peddling scandal rocking her presidency, her lawyer said today.
	Prosecutors describe Park and her secret confidante, Choi Soon-Sil, as co-culprits in the scandal. They are accused of coercing top Seoul firms to donate over $60 million to non-profit foundations which Choi then used for personal gain.
	Choi was charged last week with coercion and abuse of power.
	The scandal has sparked nationwide fury, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to call for Park's ousting.
	A parliamentary vote to impeach her could take place as early as this week as a growing number of ruling party politicians back the opposition-led campaign to oust the president.
	Park earlier vowed to cooperate "sincerely" with the legal probe but has rejected a series of requests in recent weeks by prosecutors to make herself available for questioning.
	"We regret that we can't cooperate with the ...

S Korea's Park refuses questioning by prosecutors: lawyer

Multiple boats packed with Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar were turned back by Bangladesh border guards today, despite appeals by the country's opposition to provide shelter to the persecuted Muslim minority.
	Thousands of desperate Rohingya from Myanmar's western Rakhine state have flooded over the border into Bangladesh in the last week, bringing with them horrifying claims of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar's security forces.
	Eight boats attempting to cross the Naf River separating Rakhine from southern Bangladesh were pushed back on Monday after six were refused entry on Sunday, head of the board guards in the Bangladeshi frontier town of Teknaf, Colonel Abuzar Al Zahid, told AFP.
	"There were 12 to 13 Rohingya in each of the boats," Zahid said.
	Dhaka says thousands more are massed on the border, but has refused urgent international appeals to let them in, instead calling on Myanmar to do more to stop people fleeing.
	In the past two weeks, ...

Rohingya fleeing Myanmar turned back by Bangladesh

Syrian rebels have lost all of the northern neighbourhoods of their stronghold in eastern Aleppo, a monitor said today, as the army pushed an offensive to retake the battered city.
	The army captured the Sakhur, Haydariya and Sheikh Khodr neighbourhoods on Monday, while Kurdish forces took the Sheikh Fares district from rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
	Kurdish forces in Aleppo are not officially allied with the regime, but the opposition regards them as cooperating with the government in a bid to recapture the city.
	"The rebels have lost control of all the neighbourhoods in the north of east Aleppo, and this is their worst defeat since they seized half the city in 2012," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.
	Syrian state media reported the capture of Haydariya and Sakhur as it looped footage showing some of the thousands of civilians who have fled east Aleppo in recent days as loyalist troops have advanced.
	The army renewed an operation to retake ...

Syria rebels lose all of northeast Aleppo: monitor

North Korea began three days of official mourning today for late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, remembering him as a "close friend" and heroic ally in a joint struggle against US aggression.
	Flags flew at half-mast at official buildings across the country as a mark of respect for the revolutionary icon, despite a relationship that was often warmer in rhetoric than reality.
	In the Pyongyang subway, commuters in one station crowded around a glass case containing a Castro obituary published by the ruling party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun.
	Alongside a picture framed with a black border and showing a head-and-shoulder shot of a bearded Castro in full military dress, the obit recalled his visit to North Korea in 1986 when he met founder-leader Kim Il-Sung.
	It noted that the Cuban leader was awarded the title of "DPRK (North Korea) Hero" for his efforts to strengthen relations between two countries "fighting in the outposts of the anti-US, anti-imperialist struggle."
	Kim Hong-Chol, 76, a ...

N Korea mourns Castro: A distant 'comrade'

Ross Taylor shrugged off his eye problems to score a superb unbeaten century as New Zealand set Pakistan a formidable 369-run target to win the second Test today.
     Taylor finished 102 not out despite only being cleared to play two days before the Test after scarring on his left eye grew bigger and threatened his vision. He is due to have surgery on Wednesday.
     New Zealand declared late on the fourth day in Hamilton at 313 for 5 and Pakistan were one without loss after facing three overs before stumps.
     The tourists will have to better the record fourth-innings succesful run chase at Seddon Park of 212 for 4 by Australia in 2000 to win on Tuesday's final day and save the two-Test series.
     The highest fourth-innings total on the ground is 344 for 6 by Sri Lanka in a drawn Test nearly 26 years ago.
     New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson called the innings to a close after a trademark cut to the boundary from Taylor took him to his century.
     Earlier Tom Latham laid ..

Ton-up Taylor keeps focus to set Pakistan big target

China could waste as much as half a trillion dollars on unnecessary new coal-fired power stations, a climate campaign group said today, arguing the world's top carbon polluter already has more than enough such facilities.
	The Asian giant's rise to become the world's second largest economy was largely powered by cheap, dirty coal.
	But as growth slows, the country has had a difficult time weaning itself off the fuel, even as the pollution it causes wreaks havoc on the environment and public health.
	Many of China's giant state-owned coal mining firms are unviable and plagued by overcapacity, but the ruling Communist Party is reluctant to turn off the financial taps and risk widespread unemployment, with its potential for anger and unrest.
	As of July, China already had 895 GW in coal-fired power stations - representing more than half its electricity generation - said the London-based Carbon Tracker Initiative, which argues for limiting carbon emissions using financial data.
	The ...

China risks wasting $490 bn on coal plants: campaigners

Throngs are set to pay tribute to Fidel Castro at Havana's iconic Revolution Square today, kicking off a week-long farewell to Cuba's divisive Cold War titan.
	After a subdued weekend following his death on Friday, hundreds of thousands are expected to flock to the plaza where Castro would often rail against the US "yankees" and "empire" during his legendary, marathon speeches.
	"You'll see how the people of Cuba really are. You'll see how they are suffering, how they feel about a person they love," said Jorge Guilarte, a 50-year-old bike-taxi driver.
	Castro, whose 1959 revolution toppled a dictatorship with the promise of bringing justice and equality to his Caribbean island, was a major 20th century figure.
	While some saw him as a socialist hero who brought education and free health care to this country, others labeled him a "dictator" who caused economic hardship and sparked an exodus of Cubans to Florida seeking a better life.
	In a sign of changing times, US President Barack ...

Throngs to pay homage to Cuba's Fidel Castro

Eight Indonesians were sentenced to between 15 and 18 years in prison by a Malaysian court for the hijacking of an oil tanker last year, an official said today.
	The tanker MT Orkim Harmony was carrying around 6,000 tonnes of petrol worth an estimated USD 5.6 million when it was commandeered by the eight men on June 11 last year.
	The tanker was en route from Malaysia's western coast to the port of Kuantan on the east coast.
	Six of the pirates were sentenced to 15 years in jail and five strokes of the cane, while the other two were handed 18-year jail sentences, a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency official told AFP.
	He said that the Indonesians pleaded guilty after they were charged yesterday in the southern state of Johor, neighbouring Singapore.
	Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's Kuala Lumpur-based Piracy Reporting Center, said the shipping community hailed the punishment.
	"We welcome the tough punishment. It will send a strong signal to potential ...

Eight Indonesians jailed for tanker hijack in Malaysia

A Japanese skating rink that froze 5,000 dead fish into the ice as an attraction for visitors has been forced to close after receiving a barrage of criticism.
	Amusement park Space World is now melting the rink -- which could take about a week -- and will hold a memorial service for the fish, the company said.
	The rink in southwestern Japan opened on November 12, after 5,000 fish were frozen under the surface of the ice as a decorative effect while customers skated above.
	But the concept was slammed as unethical and the rink in the city of Kitakyushu was forced to close on Sunday, Space World spokesman Koji Shibata said.
	"We received critical voices saying it is not good to use creatures as a toy, and that it is bad to let food go to waste," he told AFP today.
	Social media erupted, with one visitor to the park's Facebook page writing: "An event on an ice rink with frozen fish... How sinful."
	"This is not personal but a social issue. They made food into a toy where children go and 

Japan skating rink slammed for freezing 5,000 fish

Government forces have retaken a third of rebel-held territory in Aleppo, forcing nearly 10,000 civilians to flee as they pressed their offensive to retake Syria's second city.
	In a major breakthrough in the push to retake the whole city, regime forces captured six rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo over the weekend, including Masaken Hanano, the biggest of those in eastern Aleppo.
	Yesterday, the 13th day of the operation, they also took control of the adjacent neighbourhoods of Jabal Badra and Baadeeen and captured three others, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
	Inzarat, Al-Sakan al-Shaabi and Ain al-Tall have all returned to regime hands and government forces have made large forays into Sakhur and nearby Haidariya, the monitor said.
	It said government forces are "in control of most of the northern part" of Aleppo.
	"The rebels have lost at least 30 percent of the territory they once controlled in Aleppo," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.
	The regime ...

Syria forces take third of rebel-held Aleppo, civilians flee

Scoreboard at stumps on the fourth
day of the second Test between New Zealand and Pakistan at Seddon Park in Hamilton today:
     New Zealand first innings 271 (J. Raval 55, B. Watling 49 not out; Sohail Khan 4-99, Imran 3-52)
     Pakistan first innings 216 (Babar Azam 90 not out, Sarfraz Ahmed 41; Southee 6-80, Wagner 3-59)
     New Zealand second innings
     J Raval lbw b Amir                2
     T Latham c Ahmed b Riaz          80
     K Williamson c Ahmed b Imran     42
     R Taylor not out                102
     H Nicholls c Ahmed b Imran       26
     C de Grandhomme c Azhar b Imran  32
     B Watling not out                15
     Extras (LB-6, W-6, NB-2)         14
     Total (5 wkts dec in 85.3 overs) 313
     Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-107, 3-159, 4-219, 5-254.
     Bowling: Amir 22-4-86-1, Sohail 17-2-69-0, Imran 20.3-4-76-3, Riaz 19-3-53-1, Azhar 6-0-19-0, Shafiq 1-0-4-0
     Pakistan second innings
     Sami Aslam not out                 1
     Azhar Ali not out       

Hamilton, Nov 28 (AFP) Scoreboard at stumps on the fourth

The pilot of an Indonesian army helicopter has been rescued alive days after the aircraft crashed on Borneo island, an official said today, but four other crew members are still missing.
	The injured airman was discovered along with the wreckage of the Bell 412 helicopter Sunday, three days after the aircraft went down as it was transporting supplies to a remote army post near the Malaysian border.
	"The pilot had to be lifted with a rope because the crash location was difficult to reach," army spokesman Sabrar Fadhilah told AFP, adding he had been taken to hospital for treatment.
	But four other crew members on board at the time of the accident had not been found with the wreckage in mountainous terrain in North Kalimantan province, Fadhilah said, adding rescuers were still searching for them.
	It is just the latest crash for Indonesia's accident-prone military.
	Twelve people were killed in March when a military helicopter went down in bad weather on Sulawesi in central ...

Indonesian army chopper pilot saved days after crash

Zimbabwe today starts issuing "bond notes", its own currency equivalent to the US dollar in a bid to ease critical cash shortages amid widespread fears of a return to hyperinflation.
	The crisis-hit southern African country has used multiple foreign currencies, including the greenback since 2009 after a rate of inflation that peaked at 500 billion percent rendered the Zimbabwe dollar unusable.
	The introduction of USD 2 and USD 5 bond notes into circulation follows the issuing of bond coins over a year ago to ease shortages of change in smaller denominations.
	The country has experienced a severe shortage of US dollar banknotes in recent months which forced President Robert Mugabe's government to print what locals have dubbed "surrogate money".
	"Citizens are generally opposed to the introduction of bond notes because they are still smarting from the death of the Zimbabwe dollar, which was abandoned in 2009 due to hyperinflation," said an editorial in the weekly independent newspaper .

Zimbabwe rolls out 'surrogate' dollars amid unease

Federico Delbonis swept aside Croatia's Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the deciding rubber as Argentina clinched a first Davis Cup title with a stunning fightback in Zagreb.
     Juan Martin del Potro, cheered on by Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, staged an incredible comeback from two sets down to beat Marin Cilic in the opening reverse singles to level the tie at 2-2.
     Left-hander Delbonis then tamed the big-serving Karlovic as Argentina, runners-up on four previous occasions, became just the 15th country to lift the trophy in 116 years.
     "This is one of those dreams that has come true," said Delbonis.
     "I tried to keep focused to do what I had to do, that's all I could think because if I thought about anything else it would be a disaster."
     Argentina coach Daniel Orsanic added: "The guys were amazing today. Juan Martin won an incredible match and Federico played the match of his life."
     Delbonis was beaten by Cilic in five sets in Friday's first singles 

Delbonis seals Argentina's maiden Davis Cup title

Australia's Test hero Usman Khawaja said young opener Matt Renshaw can change gears and abandon his steadfast batting technique when required after guiding the team to an overdue victory over South Africa.
     The English-born debutant, one of five changes in the Australian team, finished unbeaten on 34 from 137 balls as they ended a run of five Test defeats with a seven-wicket victory in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide on Sunday.
     Despite displaying a resilience and determination previously missing from Australia's batsmen in the lost South Africa series, the 20-year-old received some sarcastic cheers from the crowd over his snail-paced scoring, including a stretch of 32 deliveries without a run.
     Renshaw's dour style was also in evidence during the first evening of the day-night Test when he survived 12 overs against a strong South African bowling attack with a new pink ball -- key at a time when it was sorely needed by his transitional side.
     But Khawaja, who was man of 

Snail-paced Aussie opener wins Khawaja support

Barcelona's winless streak at Real Sociedad stretched to eight games as the Spanish champions were outplayed in a 1-1 draw that leaves them six points adrift of La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
     A sumptuous finish from Lionel Messi spared Barca's blushes after Willian Jose had headed Sociedad into a deserved lead just after half-time.
     And Barca were fortunate to escape without a fifth consecutive league defeat in San Sebastian as Carlos Vela hit the woodwork twice and Juanmi's header was wrongly ruled out for offside.
     "It is almost a miracle that we took a point," Barca boss Luis Enrique told BeIN Sports Spain.
     "Real Sociedad were infinitely better than us with and without the ball. They won all the battles."
     A point is enough to move Barca up to second, but they now desperately need to beat Madrid in the first El Clasico of the season at the Camp Nou on Saturday.
     Earlier, Atletico Madrid got back to winning ways and moved back into the top four as goals from .

Barca fail to break Sociedad hoodoo, Atletico bounce back

The two candidates in Austria's longest ever presidential race clashed over the European Union, Donald Trump, and migrants as they faced off in a TV duel a week before the runoff.
	Greens-backed contender Alexander Van der Bellen accused his far-right rival Norbert Hofer of stirring insecurity by threatening to pull Austria out of the EU.
	Hofer of the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPOe) has said he would call a referendum on EU membership if Turkey joined the 28-member club or if Brussels tried to centralise power further.
	"The FPOe has been toying with Austria's exit for 20 years. Many politicians in Europe are worried that the mere speculation could trigger... An avalanche of right-wing populism," said 72-year-old Van der Bellen during the live debate broadcast on private channel ATV.
	"The most important thing is the solidarity between member states, otherwise we won't be able to assert ourselves in the face of Russia or the United States."
	But Hofer, 45, dismissed the ...

AFP

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