The parents of Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot and killed by Oscar Pistorius, reacted with disbelief at a judge's decision to acquit the star athlete of murder charges.
	   "I just don't feel that this is the right (verdict)," June Steenkamp told America's NBC News a little after Judge Thokozile Masipa found Pistorius not guilty of murder, but convicted him on a less serious charge of culpable homicide.
	   Steenkamp said her 29-year-old daughter had died a "horrible, painful, terrible death."
	   "And I can't believe that they believe that it was an accident," she said in her first reaction to the judgement.
	   Pistorius said he shot Reeva in the dead of the night after he mistook her for an intruder.
	   The father of the model and law graduate also said he found it difficult to believe the court's ruling.
	   "It was disbelief on everyone," said Barry Steenkamp in the same interview.
	   Asked what kind of sentence she would like to see imposed on Pistorius, the mother said: "I ...

Pistorius verdict 'not right:' Reeva Steenkamp parents

PTI Automatic

A Saudi and an Iraqi convicted of murder and a Saudi convicted of drugs trafficking were beheaded in Riyadh today, the interior ministry said.
	Fahd al-Said and Iraqi Abderrahman al-Muaissab were found guilty of causing the death of Hossa bin Abid by breaking into her home, attacking her and tying her up so they could rob her, a ministry statement reported by state news agency SPA said.
	In the other case, Saudi Saad al-Oteibi, a repeat offender, was executed for bringing "a large quantity of amphetamines" and hashish into the kingdom, the ministry said.
	Today's decapitations take to 53 the number of people executed by the sword in the ultra-conservative Gulf nation this year, according to an AFP count.
	Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under Saudi Arabia's strict version of Islamic sharia law.
	Human Rights Watch expressed alarm last month at a surge in executions, which saw 19 people beheaded between August 4 and 20 alone.
	HRW .

Saudi beheads three by the sword

Jubilant Fijians celebrated today as 45 UN peacekeepers from the South Pacific nation were released by their al-Qaeda linked kidnappers in Syria after a two-week ordeal.
	Fijian leader Voreqe Bainimarama said the prayers of the deeply religious South Pacific nation had been answered with confirmation that fighters from the Al-Nusra Front had released the Blue Helmets unharmed.
	"I know all Fijians join me in feeling a great sense of relief and joy," he told an early morning press conference to welcome the news, which broke in the middle of the night in the Pacific.
	The nation of 900,000, which has a long history of involvement in UN peacekeeping missions, had been on tenterhooks about the fate of the troops, who were taken prisoner on the Golan Heights on August 28.
	Some Fijians took to the government's information ministry's Facebook page to celebrate the news of the release. "Fiji prayed and God answered. We are coming home," Ahmad Khan said, while Leanne Brummell joked the men ...

Fijians sing for joy as Syrian rebels free peacekeepers

The mother of a Briton whose murder led to the downfall of high-flying Chinese politician Bo Xilai has hit out at Beijing for failing to pay compensation over his death, saying it left a "stain" on China's reputation.
	Neil Heywood was found dead in a hotel room in the southwestern Chinese mega-city of Chongqing in November 2011. Bo's wife Gu Kailai was convicted of the murder while the former political star's own trial ruled he acted to suppress a probe into the killing.
	Heywood had been close to Bo and his family, but Gu's 2012 trial heard that she and the businessman had fallen out after a deal went sour.
	Bo, once one of the Communist Party's elite 25-member Politburo, was convicted of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power and sentenced to life in prison last September after a trial that exposed murky machinations, high-living and homicide in his inner circle.
	In a statement to The Wall Street Journal yesterday, Heywood's mother Ann said she had been assured by Chinese ...

Mother of Briton murdered in China renews compensation call

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has approved a bill giving telecoms authorities more power to monitor online users and block websites, the latest move tightening state control over the Internet.
	The new measures, contained in a bill that was submitted to parliament by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), come after the introduction of a law in February making it easier for authorities to block access to web pages without a court order.
	This was limited to "attacks on privacy" but the new law, approved late yesterday, strengthens these powers and allows the telecoms authority TIB to block websites "to protect national security, public order and to prevent crime" without a court order.
	Service providers would then have to block the website or remove the content within four hours.
	It also allows the TIB to store online communications and traffic data for up to two years, including information on which websites were visited by Internet users and for how long.
	Until .

Erdogan passes law tightening Turkey's grip on Internet

Oscar Pistorius's family said in a statement today they "never had any doubt" about his version of events and thanked the judge who cleared the Paralympic champion of murdering his girlfriend.
	"On behalf of the family, we would really like to show how deeply grateful we are to Judge Masipa who has found Oscar not guilty of murder," said uncle Arnold Pistorius.
	Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide and his sentencing will begin on October 13.
	"We always knew the facts," he said, "and we never had any doubt in Oscar's version of this tragic incident."
	Pistorius has stayed with his uncle since unlawfully killing Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013.
	"It would be highly inappropriate for the family to make any further statements at this stage," about the case he added.
	"We respect the fact that the legal process is not over and must always be run in the course of justice."
	Arnold Pistorius also expressed sympathy for the family of Steenkamp.
	"It won't bring Reeva ...

Pistorius family thanks judge for verdict

Two US F/A-18 Hornet jets have crashed in the western Pacific and one of the pilots is missing, the Navy said today.
	The incident, which is under investigation, occurred at 5:40 pm local time, according to a statement from the US 7th Fleet.
	The Hornets -- both of which have not been recovered -- were from Carrier Air Wing 17 embarked on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
	While one pilot was rescued and is currently receiving medical care, a search is underway for the second airman.
	The US 7th Fleet said an initial report indicates the jets were assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 94 and Strike Fighter Squadron 113.
	It was unclear where exactly the incident happened.
	The navy said only that the Carl Vinson is "underway in the US 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Two US Navy jets crash in western Pacific

Chinese conglomerate Fosun struck back with a new offer to control high-profile French holiday firm Club Med today, in a last-minute attempt to outflank an Italian bidder.
	Club Med, once famous for thatched-roofed, free-wheeling holiday villages which inspired a popular comedy film in France, is coveted for its potential to appeal to new middle classes in emerging economies.
	In its early days, Club Med was associated very much with the French way of having fun, and was seen as a strong French brand. If the latest bid is successful, the company will come under strong Chinese influence, but will retain a listing on the Euronext market in Paris.
	Fosun, with its French ally Ardian and other partners, made a counter-bid valuing Club Med at 839 million euros (USD 1.08 billion), they said today.
	The latest offer, lodged just hours before a deadline ran out, outbid by 4.8 per cent an offer of 790 million euros by Italian businessman Andrea Bonomi and his associates.
	The new bidders said .

Chinese Fosun leads counter-bid for French Club Med

Poland today resumed gas deliveries to war-torn Ukraine, its state-owned pipeline operator said, following a brief interruption brought on by slashed supplies.
	Poland stopped sending the daily four million cubic metres of gas to Ukraine on Wednesday, accusing Russian's Gazprom of only delivering 45 per cent of its gas order that day.
	The allegations came as tensions run high between the two countries over the bloody conflict in Ukraine, where Warsaw has supported Kiev in its battle against pro-Russian separatists in the east.
	Today, Poland's Gaz-System said Gazprom had sent it more gas yesterday than in the previous 24 hours.
	"But the delivered amount remains lower than what Poland ordered and is at the level of volumes from early September," Gaz-System spokeswoman Malgorzata Polkowska told AFP.
	Another of Ukraine's supplies, Slovakia, meanwhile said today it continued to observe a 10-per cent cut in its gas deliveries from Russia.
	Poland's PGNiG gas utility first observed a cut 

Poland resumes gas deliveries to Ukraine

The worst-ever outbreak of Ebola fever has now killed more than 2,400 people, the UN said today, as Cuba pledged the largest foreign medical team deployed so far in the west African health crisis.
	The head of the World Health Organisation, Margaret Chan, warned the spiralling tropical epidemic demanded a stronger, faster response from the international community.
	"In the three hardest-hit countries, the number is moving faster than the capacity to manage them," she told a news conference in Geneva.
	The alarm call came as the UN vowed its peacekeeping force in Liberia -- one of the worst-affected countries along with Guinea and Sierra Leone -- would "stay the course" against Ebola.
	"As of 12 September, we are at 4,784 cases and more than 2,400 deaths," a jump of around 100 since the WHO's previous toll on Tuesday, the UN health chief said.
	She did not specify if the figures also included Nigeria, which has reported 18 cases, seven fatal, since the deadliest Ebola outbreak on ...

Ebola toll hits 2,400 as Cuba pledges medics

China today warned its nationals to avoid visiting the Philippines, citing a foiled bomb plot against the Chinese embassy in Manila and the danger of criminal gangs.
	"Given the worsened security situation in the Philippines, the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges Chinese citizens not to travel to the Philippines for the time being," a ministry statement said.
	The warning came after three men were arrested last week over an alleged plot to bomb the Chinese embassy, the international airport and the business premises of ethnic Chinese tycoons.
	In Beijing, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying today urged the Philippine government to do more to protect Chinese citizens.
	Aside from the alleged bomb plot, Hua cited "criminal gangs" who had targeted Chinese citizens and businesses.
	Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said last week that the bomb plot may be linked to a fringe politician who had been involved in a string of anti-Chinese ...

China warns citizens to avoid Philippines

Celebrity athlete Oscar Pistorius was found guilty today of culpable homicide in shooting dead his glamorous girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a conviction that could result in a lengthy jail term.
	A day after acquitting Pistorius of a more serious charge of murder, South African Judge Thokozile Masipa said that Pistorius had acted "negligently" when firing four hollow point rounds into a locked toilet door in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013.
	On the charge of murder, Masipa said: "the accused is found not guilty and is discharged, instead he is found guilty of culpable homicide."
	"A reasonable person," Masipa continued, "would have foreseen that possibility that whoever was behind the door might be killed by the shots and would have taken steps to avoid the consequences and the accused in this matter failed to take those consequences."
	The "Blade Runner" stared straight ahead as the conviction was read, showing little emotion.
	From the gallery there was a sound of sniffles and .

Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide

Forty-three reservists from Israel's elite army intelligence unit have announced their refusal to serve, accusing the military of "abuses" against Palestinians, in a letter published today.
	The letter, circulated to Hebrew-language media, referred to the army's intelligence work in the occupied Palestinian territories, including targeted assassinations and intrusive surveillance of civilians.
	The soldiers and officers from the elite Unit 8200, which works closely with Israel's security services, declared they no longer wanted to "continue to serve in this system, which harms the rights of millions of people," according to daily Yediot Aharonot.
	"We call all soldiers serving in the unit or who are going to serve, and all Israeli citizens to make their voices heard against these abuses and work to put a stop to it," the paper quoted the letter as saying.
	It was initially written before the July-August Gaza war, but the letter also slammed the lack of public discourse over the high ..

43 Israel reservists refuse to serve, protest 'abuses'

Celebrity athlete Oscar Pistorius arrived in court today to face judgement for culpable homicide, a verdict that will decide if the famed "Blade Runner" walks free after his shock murder acquittal.
     In a ruling followed live on TV screens worldwide, South African Judge Thokozile Masipa on Thursday declared the double amputee not guilty of deliberately shooting dead his 29-year-old lover, Reeva Steenkamp.
     "The state clearly has not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of premeditated murder," Masipa told the Pretoria High Court, before adjourning for the day.
     On Friday she is expected to conclude her ruling and, if necessary, set a date for sentencing.
     Flanked by bodyguards, the 27-year-old double amputee, who made fame and fortune from his sporting life before falling into scandal, pushed his way through the throng of media to get inside Pretoria's High Court.
     If the homicide charge sticks, the Paralypian could face more than a decade in ...

Cleared of murder, Pistorius faces homicide verdict

Thai junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha today said his regime would use legal, psychological and technological measures to protect the monarchy against defamation in his first official policy speech as premier.
	The warning came as Amnesty International said an "unprecedented" number of people have been charged with insulting the royals since the coup, with 14 Thais indicted under the controversial lese majeste law in less than four months.
	Revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 86, is already protected by one of the world's toughest royal defamation laws - anyone convicted of insulting the king, queen, heir or regent faces up to 15 years in prison on each count.
	"We will use appropriate legal measures, psychological measures and communication technology against ill-intentioned people," Prayut said in a televised speech to members of the National Legislative Assembly, without elaborating on the exact methods of scrutiny.
	Since seizing power on May 22, the army and junta chief - who was also .

Thai coup leader warns against insulting the monarchy

Judge finds Pistorius not guilty of firing gun through

Syrian government air raids on a rebel-held area near Damascus killed 42 people, including seven children, a monitoring group said today, giving an updated toll.
	Yesterday's air strikes were carried out in Douma, a satellite suburb northeast of the capital that has been under siege for more than a year.
	"The toll from regime air raids on Douma has risen to 42 dead, including seven children and two women," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which yesterday had given a death toll of 17.
	Among those killed were an unspecified number of rebels who have been fighting to oust the regime of President Bashar al-Assad for more than three years, said the Britain-based group.
	Activists posted videos on YouTube showing the destruction caused by the raids in Douma, a frequent target of deadly strikes.
	People could be seen carrying the charred remains of victims amid scenes of panic as firefighters battled to put out blazes in several buildings.
	The Observatory says more than ...

Regime air raids kill 42 near Syria capital: new toll

Japanese pop star Aska was convicted today of using illegal drugs in his apartment in Tokyo, and was handed a suspended jail sentence.
	Aska -- who is part of the popular music duo Chage and Aska -- was given a three year prison term, suspended for four years, after being found guilty of using stimulants and MDMA -- commonly known as ecstasy.
	He was also convicted of possessing synthetic narcotics.
	Aska, 56, whose real name is Shigeaki Miyazaki, had initially denied the allegations and rejected news reports that he was a drug addict.
	But later he admitted the charges and reportedly told investigators that he obtained the narcotics from gangsters.
	Chage and Aska made their musical debut in 1979 and remain hugely popular in Japan and other parts of Asia including Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
	Possession and use of drugs in Japan is heavily regulated and the police make much of high-profile arrests.
	Aska's conviction comes after the 2009 fall from grace of pop star Noriko Sakai, 

Japan singer Aska guilty of drug use

The number of people aged 100 or older in rapidly greying Japan has hit a record high for the 44th straight year, the government said today.
	The country's centenarian population jumped by 4,423 from a year earlier to a record 58,820 as of September 1, the health ministry said, adding that 87.1 per cent of them were women.
	On average, there are 46.21 centenarians per 100,000 people.
	The figures included the world's oldest woman and her male counterpart, as recognised by Guinness World Records -- Misao Okawa, a 116-year-old woman in Osaka, and Sakari Momoi, the oldest known man at 111.
	The number of centenarians stood at just 153 when the ministry started the survey in 1963. It topped 10,000 in 1998 and has increased by 3,000-4,000 each year recently.
	"Progress in medical technology and an improvement in the care-giving system may have contributed to the steady rise," said ministry official Yuji Umemoto.
	In 2013, life expectancy for women in Japan was 86.61, the longest in the ...

Japan's centenarian population swells

The Western Australia government today said it would abandon its controversial catch-and-kill shark policy after objections from the state's environmental agency, in a move welcomed by conservationists.
	Premier Colin Barnett ruled out further use of drum lines to hook sharks off the state's busiest beaches during the southern summer.
	He said his government would now focus on possibly removing "rogue" sharks that "stay in one area for repeated periods".
	"While the state government could challenge the (Environmental Protection Authority) decision, all we would find is endless court battles and injunctions," Barnett told ABC radio.
	Under the policy, 72 baited hooks attached to floating drums were to be put in place between November and April each year until 2017.
	Along with other measures, the aim was to protect swimmers, with captured sharks killed if considered a threatening size.
	But the Environmental Protection Authority said yesterday that "there remains a high degree of ...

West Australia scraps shark cull policy

Japan hope the appliance of science can trigger an Asian Games gold rush but admit they will struggle to steal hosts South Korea's thunder, insisting that building momentum for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is their top priority.
     It would take an astonishing effort for the Japanese to finish above their fierce rivals in the medals table for the first time since staging Asia's biggest sporting event 20 years ago in Hiroshima.
     Japan's delegation boss Tsuyoshi Aoki expects South Korea to come out guns blazing when the competition begins in the western port of Incheon on September 19, but said the quadrennial event offered the perfect opportunity for potential future Olympic medallists to shine.
     "The Asian Games are the first step for Japan on the road to the Tokyo Olympics," Aoki told AFP. "Winning medals is important of course but the key factor is the platform to produce stars for the future. It's a stepping stone for them.
    	"Our coaching staff conduct hi-tech research on .

AFP

AFP

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