France today said it had closed its embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara and its consulate in Istanbul until further notice, after cancelling events to mark the July 14 Bastille Day holiday due to a "real and concrete" security threat.
	The sudden closures of the missions came with Turkey on edge after the triple suicide attack last month on Istanbul's main airport which was blamed on Islamic State (IS) jihadists.
	"The Embassy of France in Ankara, as well as the Consulate General in Istanbul will be closed from today July 13, 1.00 PM (1000 GMT), until further notice," the embassy said in a statement after scrapping the July 14 receptions at the missions on security grounds.
	The doors of its premises were shut with a sign in French and Turkish saying the mission was closed for security reasons. Armed police patrolled outside.
	France's consulate in Istanbul, its embassy in Ankara and its mission in the Aegean city of Izmir were all to have held celebrations marking the July 14 ...

France shuts missions in Turkey after security threat

PTI Automatic

Google said today its efforts to fight online piracy have yielded USD 2 billion paid out to copyright holders whose content is shown on its YouTube platform.
	The US online giant, updating its anti-piracy efforts, said its system has been generating income for copyright holders when content is posted to YouTube.
	At the same time, Google is also offering "more convenient, legitimate alternatives" that allow consumers to buy music, films and other content, according to a statement.
	"We take protecting creativity online seriously, and we're doing more to help battle copyright-infringing activity than ever before," said a blog post from senior policy counsel Katie Oyama.
	Google and YouTube have been using a system called Content ID, where a copyright holder can notify the company if its music or other content is being shown on YouTube.
	The copyright owners have an option to remove the content or leave it up and reap advertising revenue from it, and 95 perc ent of music owners choose ..

Google says anti-piracy effort has delivered $2 bn

Families and rights groups today expressed fears for two survivors of a deadly siege at a Bangladesh cafe who are missing after being grilled by police over the attack.
	Amnesty International has asked the authorities to establish "the fate and whereabouts" of Hasnat Karim who survived the attack and has been missing since being taken in for questioning 11 days ago.
	Family members of Tahmid Khan also told AFP that they were in the dark about the 22-year-old Toronto University student's whereabouts after he was taken into custody as part of a police probe into the attack.
	Suspected Islamist militants killed 20 diners and two police officers when they raided the upscale Holey Artisan restaurant on the night of July 1. Army commandoes stormed the cafe the next morning, killing all five attackers and rescuing 13 people, including Karim and Khan.
	Police have said both were initially interrogated as they tried to piece together what had happened during the siege.
	But police now say that 

Fears for two Bangladesh hostage survivors

A ceasefire in South Sudan's capital appeared to hold for a second straight day today after intense fighting that killed hundreds of people and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.
	No gunfire or artillery was heard in Juba and evacuation flights for foreign nationals were able to leave the international airport, although commercial flights were yet to resume.
	"No gunshots today. I have seen no tank, no helicopter," said a city resident who did not want to be named. "There are a lot of soldiers and policemen in the streets patrolling."
	More people emerged but many remain cautious after four days of heavy fighting that began in earnest on Friday evening, took a pause on Saturday - the young country's fifth independence anniversary - and resumed Sunday and Monday.
	The death toll from Sunday's and Monday's battles is not yet known but around 300 were killed in just a few hours on Friday.
	Adama Dieng, the UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, said some civilians ..

Ceasefire holds for second day in South Sudan capital

Embattled US ride-hailing service Uber announced today its first suspension in an EU country, saying its will halt operations in Hungary on July 24 because of new legislation making it "impossible" to operate.
	The same day, a new law comes into force that allows the Hungarian authorities to block "a provider of taxi services operating without a proper dispatch centre" for up to one year.
	A Uber statement said that the legislation passed by parliament last month "makes it impossible for Hungarian drivers, in spite of having licences and properly paying taxes, to use their own vehicles to make money".
	The US company has become one of the world's most valuable startups, worth some USD 50 billion (44 billion euros), as it has expanded to more than 50 countries including 21 EU member countries other than Hungary.
	Last month Saudi Arabia pumped USD 3.5 billion into the company to help it fund further growth. The firm says it is not a transport company like taxi firms, and that it simply 

In EU first, Uber suspends Hungary service

An attack killed an Iraqi journalist and wounded two others today in the Qayyarah area to the north of Baghdad, a journalist and an official said.
	A roadside bomb hit the vehicle carrying the journalists in Qayyarah, said Hisham al-Baidhani, a colleague of the two wounded journalists at Iraqiya state television.
	A heat-seeking missile also struck the Humvee armoured vehicle, said Muhannad al-Aqabi, the head of the media office for pro-government paramilitary forces.
	The attack comes only days after Iraq announced the recapture of a key airbase from the Islamic State group jihadists in the area of Qayyarah, about 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Iraq's jihadist-held second city Mosul.
	Aqabi named the slain journalist as Al-Ghadeer television cameraman Ali Mahmud.
	Those wounded were identified as Ali Jawad and Ali Muftin of Iraqiya state television.
	The latest death comes after a photographer was killed by a mortar round in June during the battle to reclaim Fallujah from the ...

Attack kills Iraqi journalist, wounds two

Fierce bombardment of two opposition-held Syrian towns killed at least 31 civilians including children today, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.
	Most were killed in air raids likely carried out by either President Bashar al-Assad's regime or its Russian ally, the Observatory said.
	The attacks come despite the army's extension of a nationwide truce until early Friday. The freeze in fighting has yet to produce any respite in violence.
	Bombing raids killed at least 16 civilians and wounded dozens more in the rebel-controlled town of Rastan in central Homs province the Observatory said.
	Another three civilians were killed in government shelling on the town earlier in the day.
	Rastan -- one of the last rebel strongholds in Homs province -- has suffered a devastating siege by government forces in 2012.
	In northwest Syria, 12 civilians including three children were killed in raids on the opposition-held town of Ariha.
	   The town is controlled by the Army of ...

31 civilians dead in bombing of rebel Syria towns: monitor

Higher-than-forecast demand should bolster oil prices throughout 2016, despite high stocks continuing to exert downward pressure on prices, the IEA said today.
	   Global demand for oil will grow by 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) this year to 96.1 million bpd, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its monthly oil market report, revising up last month's forecasts of a 1.3 million bpd rise.
	   While predicting a "return to balance" in overall "big picture" market direction, the IEA said "the existence of very high oil stocks is a threat to the recent stability of oil prices."
	   Last month the agency had warned significant price rises were unlikely given that "there is an enormous inventory overhang to clear."
	   The IEA noted crude prices had edged off an early June peak above USD 52 per barrel to trade in a USD 45-50 range -- a stark contrast to the nearly daily price falls earlier this year.
	   "Our underlying message that the market is heading to balance remains on ...

IEA sees oil stabilising on higher 2016 demand

Short on the sides and thinning on top, French President Francois Hollande's hair is kept perfectly groomed at a cost of almost 10,000 euros a month, the Canard Enchaine weekly reported today.
	The unpopular leader's hair has never been the topic of scrutiny, unlike other high-profile male politicians such as US presidential candidate Donald Trump or former London mayor Boris Johnson.
	However the publication of the contract of his hairdresser, identified only as Olivier B., by the investigative newspaper had the French bristling over such extravagant spending by a Socialist president.
	"I can understand the questions, I can understand that there are judgements," said government spokesman Stephane Le Foll, who confirmed the hairdresser's steep salary of 9,895 euros (USD 10,900) a month.
	"Everyone has their hair done, don't they?" said Le Foll, his trademark thick grey mane flopping over his forehead.
	A lawmaker with the far-right National Front (FN) referred to Hollande as "his ...

Hollande's hairdresser 'paid 10,000 euros a month'

Seoul said today an advanced US missile defence system will be deployed in a remote southern county and will have the capacity to protect two thirds of the country against feared attacks from the North.
	The plan to deploy the powerful system, which fires projectiles to smash into enemy missiles, came last week after the United States placed North Korea's "Supreme Leader" Kim Jong-Un on its sanctions blacklist for the first time.
	The move prompted objections from Russia and China, who accused Washington of flexing its military muscle in the region.
	Tensions have soared since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of missile launches that analysts say show the North is making progress toward being able to strike the US mainland.
	The Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, will be deployed in Seongju county about 200 kilometres southeast of Seoul, as agreed by US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter and his South Korean counterpart Han 

S Korea confirms anti-missile system site

Malaysia today cut interest rates for the first time in seven years in a shock move as the economy struggles with weak exports and an uncertain global outlook.
	The decision to slash borrowing costs by 25 basis points to 3.00 per cent follows similar moves by Singapore and Indonesia and comes as major central banks around the world look to ease monetary policy to kickstart growth.
	"Exports are projected to remain weak following more subdued demand from Malaysia's key trading partners," Bank Negara said in a statement.
	The benchmark rate has been kept steady since July 2014, when it was raised by 0.25 percentage points, but it is the first cut since 2009.
	"It is a pleasant surprise. The policy cut is in tandem with other regional economies. It would support much needed growth," Kenanga Research economist Wan Suhaimi Saidi told AFP.
	Malaysia's economy expanded 4.2 per cent in the first quarter, its slowest rate since a 1.1 per cent contraction in the third quarter of 2009 during the 

Malaysia cuts interest rates for first time in 7 years

The EU's top court faced a dilemma today after a top legal officer said it was discriminatory for a firm to tell an employee to remove a Muslim headscarf, contradicting an earlier opinion in a separate case.
	The latest case concerns a woman, Asma Bougnaoui, who was dismissed from her job as an IT consultant in France after clients complained about her wearing a headscarf.
	The European Court of Justice said one of its advocates general, Eleanor Sharpston, "considers that a company policy requiring an employee to remove her Islamic headscarf when in contact with clients constitutes unlawful direct discrimination."
	The senior lawyer, whose opinion must be considered by the court when it makes a final ruling at a later date, found "nothing to suggest that Ms. Bougnaoui was unable to perform her duties as a design engineer because she wore an Islamic headscarf."
	"Indeed, (her employer's) letter terminating her employment had expressly referred to her professional competence," it ...

EU court split on headscarf bans

Japan's Emperor Akihito plans to abdicate in favour of his eldest son within a few years, Japanese media reported today.
	The 82-year-old monarch has told those close to him that the role should be occupied by someone who can fulfil the emperor's duties as stipulated in the constitution, public broadcaster NHK reported, without citing a source for the information.
	Under Japan's current Imperial Household Law, which governs the status of the emperor, there is no legal mechanism for abdication.
	Any move to step down would therefore require a revision of that law.
	Kyodo News agency carried a similar report, citing an unnamed government source.
	No one was immediately available at the Imperial Household Agency for comment.
	Crown Prince Naruhito and the emperor's wife, Empress Michiko, support the wish, NHK said.
	Japan, which claims to have one of the world's oldest monarchies, has not seen an imperial abdication from the Chrysanthemum Throne in 200 years, NHK said.
	Akihito's role is 

Japan Emperor planning to abdicate: media

Germany issued a 10-year bond at a negative interest for the first time today, selling more than 4.0 billion euros (USD 4.5 billion) with a yield of minus 0.05 percent, the German central bank or Bundesbank said.
	The 10-year German government bond or "Bund" acts as a benchmark on the debt markets and regarded as one of the safest investments.
	It is the first time that investors have accepted negative returns in the first issue of a bond, meaning they will pay for the privilege of owning rock-solid German bonds amid fears about the consequences of the British vote to quit the European union and economic worries.
	While borrowers traditionally pay interest on the money they are loaned, in the face of heightened political and economic uncertainty, those interest rates have come down to record lows recently as investors flock to safe havens to park their cash.
	By accepting negative yields, investors are effectively ditching any hope of a return on their investment in what seems a ...

Germany issues 10-year bond at negative interest rate

China's growth slipped to a new seven-year low of 6.6 per cent in the second quarter, according to a new survey, despite government efforts to spur activity in the world's second-largest economy.
	The forecast for expansion in gross domestic product (GDP), based on a poll of 17 economists, represents an easing from 6.7 per cent in the first three months of the year.
	As the world's biggest trader in goods China is crucial to the global economy and its performance affects partners from Australia to Zambia. Investors worldwide have been worried by its slowing growth.
	"Momentum remains downward, so if the government would like to maintain a 6.5 per cent minimum growth rate in the next several years, more aggressive stimulus will be needed," Brian Jackson, Beijing-based economist at IHS Economics, told AFP.
	The slowdown comes as policymakers seek to retool the economy, embracing weaker growth as a trade-off for structural reforms to wean the country off cheap exports and massive ...

China's second-quarter growth slows to 6.6 pc: Poll

Suspects are to face trial in Saudi Arabia over a deadly crane accident that killed more than 100 people at Islam's holiest site, local media reported today.
	The Arab News and Saudi Gazette dailies said investigators have sent the case to the criminal court in Mecca after an eight-month probe.
	A trial is expected "soon", the Arab News said, but provided no details on potential charges or the number of suspects.
	The Saudi Gazette said those charged include engineers and two officials working for government agencies in Mecca.
	The tragedy led to government sanctions against one of the world's biggest construction companies, Saudi Binladin Group, contributing to the firm's financial troubles.
	It was not clear whether the company or any of its employees are among those who will be tried. A Saudi Binladin Group spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.
	The September 11 tragedy killed at least 108 people and injured about 400, including foreigners who had arrived ahead of 

Trials soon in deadly Saudi crane collapse: reports

The bodies of four migrants -- including two children -- were pulled from the Aegean Sea today after their boat sank off the Greek island of Lesbos, port police said.
	Coastguard rescuers saved six other migrants, while another person is still missing from the group of 11 that set off for Greece from the Turkish coast.
	The dead included "a four-year-old girl and boy of an unknown age, as well as a man and woman," a police official told AFP.
	Though some migrants continue to arrive by sea, a controversial deal between the European Union and Turkey that came into force in March has largely halted the influx of people fleeing war and poverty, mainly from the Middle East and Africa.
	Lesbos and other eastern Aegean islands last year were the gateway into Europe for a migration wave unseen since World War II.
	Some 2,900 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since the start of the year, compared with about 1,900 for the same period in 2015, according to International ...

2 children among 4 killed in Aegean boat sinking

A second candidate joined the race today to try to unseat Britain's embattled opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
	"I will stand in this election and I will do the decent thing and fight Jeremy Corbyn on the issues," Labour lawmaker Owen Smith told the BBC.
	He will join fellow MP Angela Eagle in trying to wrest the party leadership. The winner of the contest is expected to be announced in September.
	The campaign to try to oust Corbyn began in the wake of Britain's shock June 23 vote to leave the EU.
	Three-quarters of Labour lawmakers backed a vote of no confidence in Corbyn on June 28, accusing him of failing to persuade working-class voters to back EU membership.
	Late yesterday, Corbyn won a first victory over his critics after the party's executive committee ruled he would automatically be included on the leadership ballot.
	The decision means that -- unlike his challengers -- he does not need to garner nominations from Labour MPs or members of the European Parliament .

Second candidate challenges Corbyn for UK Labour leadership

An Indonesian child murderer has escaped from jail by putting on a woman's Muslim veil, make-up and sunglasses and walking out past unsuspecting guards, an official said today.
	Anwar bin Kim An, who raped and murdered a schoolgirl, made the bold breakout from a Jakarta prison by quietly changing into a woman's outfit allegedly smuggled in by his wife when she visited during the Muslim Eid holiday.
	"The wife gave him the woman's clothing and he just changed his clothes in the meeting room where all the inmates meet with their families," Jakarta police spokesman Awi Setiyono told AFP.
	"He put on some lipstick and later walked away as a woman accompanied by his wife and their two children."
	Prison CCTV footage obtained by local media showed the convict, in his 20s, walking out of the prison dressed as a woman and wearing sunglasses while holding one of his children.
	Setiyono said Kim An managed to quietly change in the visitor's room in the Salemba prison in central Jakarta as it ...

Indonesian child killer escapes jail in a Muslim veil

Ten inmates have escaped from a prison in Mexico's Caribbean beach resort of Cancun, including some "highly dangerous" convicts, an official said.
	"The escape took place at around 9:10 pm and the (prison) authorities counted 10 prisoners" who fled, a Quintana Roo state public security spokeswoman told AFP on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to give her name.

10 inmates escape from Mexican prison

The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Cairo yoday for the penultimate stop in the solar-powered plane's world tour, two days after setting off from Spain.
	The experimental plane had completed the first solo transatlantic flight to land in Spain last month, and will continue from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, where it began its marathon journey in March 2015.

AFP

AFP

Page 1580 - Afp