Damaged cars are seen on a street after a blast in Diyarbakir, Turkey

A blast by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party in Turkey's main majority Kurdish city killed eight people including two police, and left over 100 wounded.

Turkey detains Kurdish leaders as deadly blast hits southeast

Press Trust of India

An inmate set to die by lethal injection in the southern US state of Alabama has been granted an 11th-hour reprieve, his latest stay of execution.
	The late-night order by the Supreme Court in Washington was the seventh time that Thomas Arthur, 74, has seen his scheduled execution called off.
	Arthur had been scheduled to die at 6 PM at the prison in Altmore, following decades-long imprisonment for his conviction in the 1982 murder of his mistress's husband.
	Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas issued an order about 10:30 PM yesterday temporarily halting the execution, which had been delayed so he could consider the issue, until he or other justices made another decision, a court document said.
	Just before midnight, the Supreme Court granted Arthur's request to stay the execution, the Washington Post reported. It would remain in place until the full court decides whether it will consider the case.
	If it decides not to take on the case, the stay would be terminated, the Washington .

US inmate dodges execution for seventh time

PTI Automatic

A court in northern Nigeria has freed five Muslim men accused of killing an elderly Christian woman for alleged blasphemy.
	The court in the city of Kano discharged the five men yesterday on the legal advise of the prosecution.
	"The legal advice presented to the court, dated June 24, states that there is no case to answer as the suspects are all innocent and orders the court to discharge all the suspects," the judge said in his ruling.
	The five men were accused, along with six others who are on the run, of killing 74-year-old Bridget Abahime on June 2 after she allegedly insulted Islam.
	The suspects had pleaded not guilty of the charge.
	The victim, an ethnic Igbo trader from the southeast and wife of a pastor, was beaten to death, sparking outrage across the country with President Muhammadu Buhari calling the killing "utterly condemnable".
	Northern Nigeria is predominantly Muslim while the south is largely Christian and Kano city has been plagued by religious violence in the ...

Nigeria frees Muslims accused of murder over blasphemy

Tens of thousands of Muslim hardliners called for Jakarta's Christian governor to be prosecuted for blasphemy in a massive demonstration in the Indonesian capital today, sparking fears of violence and putting authorities on alert.
	A sea of protesters wearing white Islamic robes swarmed the city's largest mosque for Friday prayers before taking to the streets in a huge show of force against governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who is accused of insulting Islam.
	The protest was triggered by accusations that Purnama, better known by his nickname Ahok, insulted Islam by criticising opponents who used Koranic references to attack him ahead of an election in February.
	Purnama apologised for the remarks, but his opponents have built a groundswell of support calling for his arrest and incarceration under Indonesia's tough blasphemy laws.
	"It's no wonder people arise. Why when it comes to Ahok is the law not upheld?" deputy house speaker Fahri Hamzah, a prominent politician from an Islamic ...

50,000 Muslim hardliners rally against blasphemy in Jakarta

South Africa overcame the loss of star paceman Dale Steyn to another shoulder injury to produce a stunning comeback on the second day of the opening Test against Australia in Perth today.
     In reply to South Africa's 242, Australia were cruising at 158 for none early on day two, but then lost all 10 wickets for just 86 runs to lead by only two after the first innings.
     At stumps on the second day, the visitors were 104 for two, an overall lead of 102 and arguably in the favoured position in the match, which seemed unthinkable 24 hours earlier.
     Dean Elgar was on 46 and JP Duminy was on 34.
     Tha pair had added 59 after the Proteas lost two early second innings wickets, but their remarkable fightback was soured by news that Steyn would miss the remainder of the series.
     Steyn left the field for scans on his troublesome right shoulder before lunch, just after claiming the wicket of Australian opener David Warner for 97, and did not return for the remainder of the ...

South Africa produces remarkable fightback

The death toll from a speedboat accident in Indonesia has climbed to 54, an official said today, after dozens of bodies were found floating in the ocean.
	Search teams today pulled another 36 corpses from the sea around Batam island, south of Singapore, near where the boat struck a reef and sunk more than two days ago, local police chief Sam Budi Gusdian told reporters.
	The overcrowded speedboat was carrying three crew and 98 passengers, mostly Indonesian migrant workers, from Malaysia to Batam at the time of the accident.
	Authorities managed to save 41 passengers and had hoped to find more alive before making the grisly discovery.
	"Forty-one people have been found alive while six remain missing. The rest died, Gusdian told reporters.
	Only 12 passengers have been formally identified, he added. Among the dead were two young girls.
	Police said the passengers were likely illegal Indonesian migrant workers returning from jobs in Malaysia, and the boat was over capacity at the time of 

Death toll from Indonesian boat accident climbs to 54:official

Former Australia captain Mark Taylor and other senior figures today insisted verbal abuse is not a big problem after a coroner examining Phillip Hughes's death called it cricket's "ugly underside".
     Hughes, who played 26 Tests, died from bleeding on the brain in November 2014 after being hit on the neck by a rising ball while batting in a domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
     During his inquest, concerns were raised by Hughes' family about on-field sledging, or abuse, which they felt may have unsettled him.
     On Friday, New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes said even if there had been attempts to intimidate players, Hughes did not appear to be affected and it "could not be implicated in his death".
     But Barnes called sledging an "unsavoury aspect" of cricket, adding: "An outsider is left to wonder why such a beautiful game would need such an ugly underside."
     The hearing heard claims that one bowler told him, "I am going to kill you", although players on ...

Aussies play down sledging problem after Hughes inquest

South Africa overcame the loss of star paceman Dale Steyn to produce a stunning comeback on the second day of the opening Test against Australia in Perth today.
     In reply to South Africa's 242, Australia were cruising at 158 for none, but then lost all 10 wickets for just 86 runs to lead by only two on the first innings.
     Steyn left the field for scans on his troublesome right shoulder before lunch, just after claiming the wicket of Australian opener David Warner for 97, and did not return for the remainder of the innings.
     In his absence, Vernon Philander (4-56), Kagiso Rabada (2-78) and debutant spinner Keshav Maharaj (3-56) exposed the home side's batting frailty.
     Australia were in total control before Warner fell as they lost four wickets for just 23 runs.
     Warner appeared certain to score his fourth Test century at the WACA Ground, but was caught at first slip by Hashim Amla and his dismissal sparked a remarkable period of play.
     Just eight runs later, ...

South Africa peg back Australia despite Steyn injury

The United States will deploy an advanced missile defense system in South Korea in eight to 10 months despite strong objections from China and Russia, a US military chief said today.
	Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in the South after North Korea conducted a series of missile launches in the wake of its fourth nuclear test in January.
	The decision was condemned by Pyongyang and also caused a damaging rift between Seoul and Beijing, which sees the deployment as a US bid to flex its military muscle in the region and undermine China's own missile capabilities.
	Speaking at a seminar, General Vincent Brooks, commander of the US Forces in Korea (USFK), said the THAAD battery would be deployed in eight to 10 months and would be bigger than the one currently in Guam, according to USFK Spokesman Kim Yong-Kyu.
	Brooks also that that recent calls for South Korea to have its own nuclear arsenal to deter the North would seriously ...

US missile system in S Korea in 8-10 months: General

A 10-hour Russian-declared ceasefire for rebel-held areas of Syria's second city Aleppo began today morning with the goal of encouraging civilians and surrendering rebels to leave.
	The so-called "humanitarian pause" is the second time Russia and its regime ally have said passages are open for evacuations, but their last unilateral ceasefire ended with almost no one leaving over three days.

Russian-declared ceasefire goes into effect in Aleppo

Scoreboard on the second day of the
first Test between Australia and South Africa at the WACA Ground today.
 Australia first innings
 D. Warner       c Amla b Steyn      97
 S. Marsh lbw           b Philander  63
 U. Khawaja             b Rabada      4
 S. Smith           lbw b Maharaj     0
 A. Voges         c and b Rabada     27
 M. Marsh           lbw b Philander   0
 P. Nevill       c Amla b Maharaj    23
 M. Starc  c du Plessis b Maharaj     0
 P. Siddle                not out    18
 J. Hazlewood  c Duminy b Philander   4
 N. Lyon        c Elgar b Philander   0
 Extras (LB-3, NB-5)                  8
 Total (all out, 70.2 overs)        244
 Fall of wickets: 1-158, 2-167, 3-168, 4-181, 5-181, 6-202, 7-203, 8-232, 9-243.
 Bowling: Steyn 12.4-3-51-1, Philander 19.2-2-56-4, Rabada 20-1-78-2, Maharaj 18.2-5-56-3.

Perth, Nov 4 (AFP) Scoreboard on the second day of the

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye today agreed to be questioned in a formal corruption probe, portraying herself as an over-trusting, "lonely" leader who dropped her guard with a close friend arrested for fraud.
	In a highly personal televised address to the nation, Park said the scandal involving her long-time confidante Choi Soon-Sil was "all my fault", but denied reports linking her and Choi to a religious cult.
	The scandal has shattered public trust in Park's presidency, and a new Gallup poll showed her approval rating had plummeted to just five percent -- an all-time low for a sitting South Korean president.
	"These latest developments are all my fault and were caused by my carelessness," Park said, adding that she had suffered "excruciating heartbreak" for being the cause of so much public concern and distress.
	A formal investigation is focused on allegations that Choi, 60, leveraged her close relationship with Park to coerce local firms into donating large sums to dubious .

S Korea president says scandal 'my fault', denies cult links

Around 20 people were wounded when a blast struck outside a police building early today in Turkey's southeastern city of Diyarbakir, the centre of the country's Kurdish minority, security officials said.
	The explosion occurred just hours after police detained the two co-leaders of the country's main pro-Kurdish party and several other MPs in a major escalation of a broader crackdown against leading Kurds.
	An AFP reporter said that several ambulances were dispatched to the scene of the blast, the cause of which was not immediately clear.
	The explosion could be heard several kilometres (miles) away and a thick column of white smoke was seen rising from the scene of the blast.
	Gunshots were heard after the initial explosion, which left around 20 people wounded, two of them seriously, security officials told AFP, asking not to be named.
	Earlier today, police detained Selahattin Demirtas of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) at his home in Diyarbakir while his co-chairperson Figen ...

20 wounded in blast near police building in Turkey

South Africa fought back strongly on the second day of the opening Test against Australia in Perth today, claiming four quick wickets before lunch despite losing paceman Dale Steyn to a shoulder injury.
     In reply to South Africa's 242, Australia were 181 for four with Adam Voges not out 10.
     Opener Shaun Marsh fell to the last ball before lunch, trapped lbw by Vernon Philander and unsuccessful with a decision review.
     Australia were in total control at 158 for none, but then they lost four wickets for just 23 runs.
     The game turned when left-hander David Warner fell for 97, caught at first slip by Hashim Amla from the bowling of Steyn.
     Warner appeared certain to score his fourth Test century at the WACA Ground, and his dismissal sparked a remarkable period of play.
     Just eight runs later, Steyn left the field mid-over, after appearing to reinjure his troublesome right shoulder in an around-the-wicket delivery to Usman Khawaja.
     One run later, Khawaja ...

South Africa strike back with four quick wickets

Scoreboard at lunch on the second day
of the first Test between Australia and South Africa at the WACA Ground today.
 Australia first innings
 D. Warner     c Amla b Steyn      97
 S. Marsh         lbw b Philander  63
 U. Khawaja           b Rabada      4
 S. Smith         lbw b Maharaj     0
 A. Voges               batting    10
 Extras (LB-3, NB-4)                7
 Total (four wickets, 46.5 overs) 181
 Fall of wickets: 1-158, 2-167, 3-168, 4-181.
 Bowling: Steyn 12.4-3-51-1, Philander 14.5-1-49-1, Rabada 13-1-51-1, Maharaj 6.2-1-27-1.

Perth, Nov 4 (AFP) Scoreboard at lunch on the second day

In the Yemeni coastal town of Al-Tuhayta, 19 months into a devastating civil war, Futayni Ali watches helplessly as his five children complain of hunger.
	"We couldn't even buy shrouds to bury those of us who have already died from hunger," says the fisherman in his 50s, referring to other town residents.
	Ali used to make USD 30 a day from fishing in the Red Sea before the war between Shiite rebels and loyalists escalated in March 2015 with the intervention of a Saudi-led coalition.
	But work stopped for Ali after the coalition started its military campaign including air strikes to push back the rebels, after they overran the capital Sanaa and advanced on other areas.
	"We're waiting for death to arrive. We can no longer do anything to feed our hungry children," says the desperate father, who lives in the rebel-held western province of Hodeidah.
	"We have sold all we had -- even the beds we slept on and the plates we ate from."
	Almost 7,000 people, many of them civilians, have been .

War-weary Yemenis face death from hunger and disease

A "minuscule misjudgement" by Australian batsman Phillip Hughes when facing a bouncer led to his death, a coroner ruled today, saying neither the bowler nor anyone else was to blame for the tragedy.
	Hughes, who played 26 Tests, died from bleeding on the brain in November 2014 after being hit on the neck by a rising ball from Sean Abbott while batting in a domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
	The death of the popular 25-year-old, who had risen through the ranks to play for his country, stunned Australia and the world cricket community, sparking an outpouring of grief.
	"A minuscule misjudgement or a slight error of execution caused him to miss the ball which crashed into his neck with fatal consequences," said New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes in long-awaited findings.
     "There was no suggestion the ball was bowled with malicious intent. Neither the bowler nor anyone else was to blame for the tragic outcome."
     Barnes added that his death would not have been ...

Coroner says no one to blame for Hughes' death

Fenerbahce compounded the woes of Manchester United and their manager Jose Mourinho with a 2-1 victory in the Europa League that ruthlessly exposed the shortcomings of the Premier League giants.
	Roared on by home fans in their 50,000 capacity stadium on the Asian side of Istanbul, Fenerbahce produced a stunning performance capped by a brilliant Moussa Sow bicycle-kick goal and a Jeremain Lens free-kick.
	Wayne Rooney managed to pull a goal back to create a tense final few minutes but it did nothing to brighten a miserable night for United.
	United now face a tense three-way battle for qualification from Group A with Fenerbahce and Feyenoord who they now trail by one point after four games played.
	Even more crucially, United must resurrect their form in the Premier League going into a crucial clash with relegation-threatened Swansea on Sunday after a bruising 4-0 defeat by Chelsea and a nervy 0-0 draw with Burnley.
	Mourinho said that the team had been caught "sleeping" and had ...

Fenerbahce compound Mourinho woes in Istanbul

Turkish police today detained the two co-leaders of the country's main pro-Kurdish party, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), as part of a major crackdown against the group.
	Selahattin Demirtas was detained at his home in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir while the co-chairperson Figen Yuksekdag was detained in Ankara within the framework of a terror investigation, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.
	Their detention appeared part of a large-scale operation against the HDP, which is the third largest party in the Turkish parliament.
	Anadolu did not give further details on the investigation but NTV television said the pair were accused of spreading propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
	According to the Hurriyet daily, several other HDP MPs were also being detained including the prominent lawmaker Sirri Surreya Onder.
	It listed the names of half a dozen other HDP lawmakers who had been detained so far in the operation.
	Their detention followed a previous 

Turkey police detain co-leaders of main pro-Kurdish party

Tensions fraying a fragile political truce in Venezuela has escalated, as President Nicolas Maduro warned his opponents not to issue ultimatums on holding elections and accused them of lying.
	Adding a nail to the coffin of a short-lived detente declared this week, the embattled leftist lashed out at political enemies trying to drive him from power and downplayed expectations for Vatican-mediated talks yesterday.
	He made the comments as thousands of his supporters rallied outside the presidential palace, in what the opposition called a violation of their mutual agreement to tone down their rhetoric and suspend protests and demos.
	Maduro took issue with opposition leaders' statements that their goal for the upcoming talks -- set for November 11 -- was an agreement to hold elections early next year, well ahead of the scheduled end of his term in 2019.
	"There can be no ultimatums. Nobody can issue an ultimatum. Everything in its time," Maduro said in a national address.
	"I want to ...

Maduro to opposition: 'Don't give me ultimatums'

Belgium risks alienating Muslim communities through its "sometimes abusive" response to the Brussels and Paris terror attacks, Human Rights Watch said in a report today.
	The rights group said that overly harsh Belgian counterterrorism laws and "heavy-handed" police operations in the past year were undermining efforts to prevent further attacks.
	Islamic State-linked suicide bombers killed 32 people at Brussels' airport and metro on March 22, while the same cell was responsible for the November 13, 2015 Paris attacks in which 130 people were killed.
	"Belgium has worked hard this past year to prevent further attacks, but its law and policy responses have been undermined by their overbroad and sometimes abusive nature," said Letta Tayler, senior terrorism researcher at Human Rights Watch, who wrote the report.
	"We share Belgium's and France's outrage and grief and want those responsible brought to justice. But heavy-handed police raids risk alienating communities whose cooperation can 

AFP

AFP

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