Singapore has deported a Hong Kong YouTube star after he organised a small gathering to discuss the protests convulsing his home city in violation of public assembly laws, police said Thursday.
The city-state's elite are increasingly nervous about the unrest in rival financial hub Hong Kong, observers say, as they fear it could inspire demonstrations in the tightly-controlled country where protests are rare.
Police launched a probe after Alex Yeung, a pro-Beijing restaurateur known for his anti-protest tirades on YouTube, organised the gathering last month in a bar with a handful of people, mostly Hong Kongers.
Organising a public assembly without a police permit in Singapore is punishable by a fine of up to Sg$5,000 ($3,700). Repeat offenders can be fined up to Sg$10,000 or jailed for a maximum of six months or both.
But after wrapping up their probe, police decided to give Yeung only a warning and sent him back to Hong Kong.
"Singapore has always been clear that foreigners should ...

Singapore deports Hong Konger over protest discussion

PTI Automatic

Prison authorities in Europe are not doing enough to monitor the health of inmates, meaning prisoners are more likely to suffer untreated conditions and are released without adequate support, the World Health Organization said Thursday.
The UN body warned that such failings will come at a "high cost" for society at large as they add to the public health burden.
The WHO collected the data of 39 European countries between 2016 and 2017 and recommended that prisons test for tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, mental health problems and addictions.
"A prison sentence takes away a person's liberty; it should not also take away their health and their right to health," said Dr Bente Mikkelsen of WHO's Europe branch, according to a statement from the body.
She said the prison population has a "disproportionate disease burden".
"To achieve universal health coverage and better health and well-being for all, as in WHO's vision, it is vital that prisons are seen as a window of ...

Europe's prisons failing to monitor inmates' health: WHO

A Sumatran elephant has been found dead from an apparent poisoning, an Indonesian conservation official said Thursday, in the second killing of the critically endangered subspecies this week.
The 25-year-old female elephant's corpse was discovered at a palm oil plantation in East Aceh regency Thursday, hundred of kilometres from where another pachyderm was found decapitated and with its tusks ripped off on Monday -- a suspected poaching case.
"Our initial findings found that the Sumatran elephant was allegedly killed by poison," said Rosa Rika, a doctor with Aceh's conservation agency.
The dead elephant's stomach contents would be analysed to confirm its cause of death, she added.
Last year, a Sumatran elephant was found dead from poisoning in another part of the region, after several similar cases in recent years.
Rampant deforestation to create plantations has reduced Sumatran elephants' natural habitat and brought them into conflict with humans, while their tusks are also prized in 

Poisoned Sumatran elephant found dead in Indonesia

Australia seized the advantage on the opening day of the first Test when they bowled Pakistan out for 240 just before stumps at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday.
After the visitors resisted stubbornly in the first session, reaching 57 for no wicket at lunch, pace trio Mitchell Starc (4-52), Josh Hazlewood (2-46) and Pat Cummins (3-60) tore through the Pakistan batting order to put the home side in charge at the close of play.
Australia seized the initiative after lunch when they reduced Pakistan from 75 for none to 78 for four, then 94 for five.
Pakistan were rescued from disaster by Asad Shafiq, who played a lone hand, scoring 76 well-made runs.
Shafiq came to the crease with his side 75 for two, then saw Haris Sohail (1) and Baba Azar (1) fall for the addition of only two runs.
But good partnerships of 49 between Shafiq and Mohammed Rizwan, who made 37, and then 84 with Yasir Shah (26) enabled the visitors to achieve a respectable score.
Rizwan, who was counter-attacking ...

Australia skittle Pakistan to seize control at the Gabba

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins led an Australian fightback as Pakistan lost five wickets for just 19 runs after lunch on the opening day of the first cricket Test at the Gabba on Thursday.
At tea, Pakistan were 125 for five, with Asad Shafiq not out on 18 and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan alongside him on 19.
The visitors had frustrated the Australian pace attack in the first session, going into lunch at 57-0 with openers Azhar Ali and Shan Masood unbeaten on 28 and 21 respectively.
The pair began to open up after the break with some sparkling attacking shots, but Hazlewood and fellow quick Cummins at last found their length and began to turn the screws.
The pressure began to tell and with the score on 75 Masood waved at a Cummins delivery outside off stump and got an edge to Steve Smith at second slip.
Azhar went the next ball when he edged Hazlewood to Joe Burns at first slip, before Haris Sohail (1) and Babar Azam (1) fell in quick succession to poor shots as the visitors crashed to 

Australia storm back as Pakistan wickets clatter

Scoreboard at stumps on day one of the first Test between New Zealand and England at Mount Maunganui on Thursday:
England
R Burns c Watling b de Grandhomme
52
D Sibley
c Taylor
b de Grandhomme
22
J Denly
c Watling b
Southee
74
J Root
c Southee b
Wagner
2
B Stokes
not out
67
O Pope
not out
18
Extras: (B-1, LB-4, NB-1)
6
Total: (four wickets, 90 overs)
241
Fall of wickets: 1-52, 2-113, 3-120, 4-203.
Bowling: Boult 22-6-61-0, Southee 21-6-46-1, de Grandhomme 19-5-28-2, Wagner 23-4-77-1, Santner 5-0-24-0.

Mount Maunganui, Nov 21 (AFP) Scoreboard at stumps on day one of the first Test between New Zealand and England at Mount Maunganui on Thursday:

New Zealand targeted the wicket of "freak" Ben Stokes on Thursday as they battle to get back into the first Test against England at Mount Maunganui.
The honours were even when the New Zealand-born Stokes went to the middle just before tea on day one with England 120 for three.
But by stumps, with Stokes in imperious form, the score had doubled and England will resume on Friday on 241 for four, with the 28-year-old all-rounder unbeaten on 67.
"He's a special talent. He's a bit of a freak at times," New Zealand short-ball specialist Neil Wagner said after Stokes clubbed his bouncers four times to the boundary.
"Everyone wants to get him out because you know what an important wicket it is... but that's my thing, we always try and strive to get the good players out."
Stokes has tormented New Zealand this year after he played a key role in England's nail-biting victory on boundary countback in the 50-over World Cup final in July.
As well as dispatching Wagner's short stuff, he also showed .

'He's a bit of a freak' - England's Stokes torments New Zealand once again

Pope Francis will visit one of Thailand's famed gilded temples Thursday to meet the supreme Buddhist patriarch, on the first full day of his Asian tour aimed at promoting religious harmony.
The 82-year-old pontiff is on his first visit to Buddhist majority Thailand, where he will spend four days before setting off to Japan.
His packed schedule a day after touching down in Bangkok includes a meeting with the king and the prime minister before leading an evening mass expected to draw tens of thousands of people from across Thailand, where just over 0.5 per cent of the population is Catholic.
He also has an appointment with the Buddhist Supreme Patriarch at the glittering gold Ratchabophit temple in Thailand's historic old quarter, built 150 years ago by Thailand's former king mixing traditional and gothic styles.
It is a highly symbolic visit for the head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, who carries a message of peace, religious tolerance and nuclear disarmament on his sweep ...

Pope Francis kicks off Asia tour with Buddhist temple visit

Australia's Prime Minister on Thursday denied his climate policies had caused unprecedented bushfires ravaging the country and insisted his government was doing enough to tackle global warming.
As blazes that have scorched swathes of countryside continued to spread and the country's largest city was cloaked in hazardous smoke, conservative leader Scott Morrison defended his climate record, saying Australia was "doing our bit".
His comments came after weeks spent refusing to speak about the link between climate change and deadly fires described by the emergency services as unprecedented in number and scale for the early bushfire season.
"The suggestion that any way shape or form that Australia -- accounting for 1.3 percent of the world's emissions... are impacting directly on specific fire events, whether it is here or anywhere else in the world, that doesn't bear up to credible scientific evidence," he told ABC radio.
As more people in the southeast of the country were told to ...

Australian PM denies climate link as smoke chokes Sydney

"Quid pro quo."
There's no escaping the Latin phrase in America right now. It's front and center of impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump and omnipresent across airwaves and social media.
The expression, literally meaning "something for something," made headlines again Wednesday when US ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland told lawmakers Trump had sought such a deal with Ukraine.
The Democratic-led investigation is probing whether Trump abused his position as president by withholding aid in the hope Ukraine would dig dirt on potential 2020 rival Joe Biden.
The Democrats allege that Trump wanted Ukraine to open a corruption probe into Biden and his son Hunter in exchange for a coveted White House summit and/or USD 391 million of military aid -- in other words a "quid pro quo".
If the House of Representatives, which has a Democratic majority, votes to impeach him, Trump will face trial in the Senate to decide whether he be removed from office.
Pushing back at the ...

Quid pro quo: Latin phrase dominates US impeachment process

The National Doping Control Centre in Bangkok has been suspended for up to six months for failing to conform to the International Standard for Laboratories, the World Anti-Doping Agency announced.
WADA said in a statement on Wednesday that the unspecified "non-conformities" had been identified during a site visit and subsequent follow-up of the laboratory's routine activities.
Under the suspension, which took effect on Monday, the lab is barred from carrying out any anti-doping analyses of urine and blood samples.
While the facility is suspended, relevant samples must be securely transported to another WADA-accredited laboratory for analysis.
The lab may appeal the suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and it may apply to WADA for reinstatement before the suspension expires once it has addressed the problems identified by the anti-doping body.
If WADA officials aren't satisfied that the issues have been resolved they can extend the suspension a further six months.

WADA hands Bangkok lab six-month suspension

The Davis Cup has a new format but Andy Murray's love of a comeback remains intact after the Scot battled from behind to beat Tallon Griekspoor as Great Britain edged past Holland.
Murray came from a set down and then trailed 4-1 in the decider in Madrid before beating the spirited Griekspoor, ranked 179 in the world, 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).
"I've found a way to win matches many times in my career when I've not been playing well," Murray said.
"You can draw on that a little bit."
A scrappy victory gave Great Britain the lead in their opening Group E tie and while Dan Evans lost the second singles rubber to Robin Haase, Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski finished the job in the doubles.
Rafael Nadal won his 26th consecutive Davis Cup singles match later on Wednesday as Spain booked their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-0 victory over defending champions Croatia.
Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, cruised past Yoshihito Nishioka to help Serbia beat Japan by the same scoreline.
Murray had ...

Murray leads Britain to opening Davis Cup win, Spain reach last eight

Burkina Faso authorities said 18 "terrorists" were killed when they attempted to attack a police base in the north of the country, where security services have been struggling to quell a rising jihadist revolt.
"The attackers were repulsed thanks to a prompt response," police said in a statement after Wednesday's assault in Arbinda, Soum Province.
One police officer was killed and seven officers were injured, the statement added.
Weapons, motorcycles and GPS equipment belonging to the jihadists were recovered from the scene.
It comes after the Burkina Faso army said it had killed 32 "terrorists" last week in two operations in the north of the impoverished and politically fragile Sahel country.
The country's badly equipped, poorly trained and underfunded security forces have been unable to stem jihadist violence, which has intensified throughout 2019 to become almost daily.
Attacks have been claimed by a range of jihadist groups, including Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The Sahel ...

18 jihadists killed by Burkina Faso police

Joe Root's misfiring year continued when he was out for two in an otherwise satisfactory start for England in the first Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui on Thursday.
Root, who on the Test eve denied captaincy was affecting his batting, faced 21 deliveries before finally getting off the mark at the batter-friendly Bay Oval pitch.
But with the next ball he nibbled at a wide Neil Wagner delivery and nicked the ball to Tim Southee in the slips.
At tea, England were 121 for three after Root had won the toss and repeated the team's intention to "bat long".
Rory Burns, albeit with a lot of luck, and Joe Denly played their part in forging the innings but the skipper, who now has three ducks and a two in his last eight innings, never looked comfortable.
Burns survived three chances on his way to 52 while Denly took the honours in an engaging bouncer battle with New Zealand short-ball specialist Wagner.
Opener Burns brought up his fifth Test 50 with a four but three balls later he ...

Root's dismal run continues as England falter

French 3,000 metre steeplechase specialist Ophelie Claude-Boxberger said she failed to understand how she tested positive for EPO.
Claude-Boxberger, 31, is under investigation by Paris' Public Prosecutor's Office into offences under anti-doping and poisonous substances legislation following a report from the French anti-doping agency (AFLD).
"I have asked for the B sample to be analysed before knowing if it confirms things and I am trying to understand how this product ended up being found in my body," she said on her Facebook page.
"The authorities are currently investigating the people around me, in particular during my training camp in Font-Romeu, to gain information around the only three people close to me who could be questioned."
Claude-Boxberger's home town of Montbelliard in eastern France announced earlier in the day it would suspend sponsoring the athlete as they wait for the results of the investigation.
The announcement of Claude-Boxberger's failed test came 24 hours ...

Claude-Boxberger bemused by positive EPO test

Robert Moreno admitted his departure as Spain coach leaves him with a "bitter-sweet feeling" but avoided criticising either Luis Enrique or the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in a statement released.
RFEF president Luis Rubiales announced on Tuesday Luis Enrique would replace Moreno for Euro 2020 and resume the role he left in June to take care of his daughter, who died in August of bone cancer.
But Moreno appeared upset with the way the change was handled as he refused to speak to the media after Spain's victory over Malta on Monday and reportedly left the dressing room in tears.
"If I went into my last few hours or even my last few days, I would only enter into a spiral of reproaches and recriminations. I'm not going to do it. I don't see any point," said Moreno on Wednesday.
"I have a clear conscience. It's impossible to thank everyone, but I want to say that I sincerely respect everyone and their opinions. I've always been a man of my word, that I wouldn't stand in Luis ...

Moreno admits Spain departure "bitter-sweet"

Rory Burns made the most of an early let-off to lead England through a patient opening session to be 61 for one at lunch on day one of the first Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui on Thursday.
Burns, who shared in an initial stand of 52 with debutant Dom Sibley, was not out 35 with Joe Denly on four.
With clear skies and an easy wicket, Joe Root had no hesitation in batting first when he won the toss and Surrey pair Burns and Sibley obliged with their half-century stand.
Burns was let off the hook on 10 when an appeal for caught behind was turned down and New Zealand decided not to seek a review only for replays to suggest there was a fine edge.
Sibley marked his maiden Test by stroking the first ball he received to the mid-wicket fence for four.
It was the first time an Englishman has hit a boundary off the first ball he faced in Test cricket since Chris Woakes against Australia six years ago But after seeing off the New Zealand bowling spearheads Trent Boult and Tim ...

Burns leads cautious start for England

Pakistan openers Azhar Ali and Shan Masood reached 57 without loss on the opening day of the first cricket Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat on a hot and humid morning in Brisbane, but skipper Azhar saw no demons in the notoriously lively Gabba wicket.
Azhar and Masood, on 28 and 21 respectively, began cautiously against the Australian pace duo of Mitchell Starc (0-19) and Josh Hazlewood (0-19), who bowled quickly but without ever really troubling the Pakistan openers.
The Australian fast men -- Starc, Hazlewood and Pat Cummins (0-5) -- struggled to find a good length and were often too short, with Azhar and Masood content to let many of the deliveries pass harmlessly through to the keeper.
The visitors crawled to 33 at the first drinks break and took almost two hours to reach 50, bringing up the half-century opening stand with a Masood boundary through square leg in the penultimate over before lunch.
Pakistan had ...

Pakistan frustrate Australia quicks as Test series starts

Google on Wednesday updated how it handles political ads as online platforms remain under pressure to avoid being used to spread misleading information intended to influence voters.
The internet company said its rules already ban any advertiser, including those with political messages, to lie. But it is making its policy more clear and adding examples of how that prohibits content such as doctored or manipulated images or video.
"It's against our policies for any advertiser to make a false claim -- whether it's a claim about the price of a chair or a claim that you can vote by text message, that election day is postponed, or that a candidate has died," Google ads product management vice president Scott Spencer said in an online post.
Examples of banned ad material included ads or links to information making demonstrably false claims that could undermine voter trust or participation in elections.
"Of course, we recognize that robust political dialogue is an important part of democracy, 

Google tightens political ads policy to thwart abuse

A shallow 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit northwestern Laos near the Thai border early Thursday, the United States Geological Survey reported.
There were no immediate reports of damage after the quake hit at 6:50 am local time.
But shaking could be felt more than 700 kilometres (435 miles) away in the Thai capital Bangkok, where Pope Francis is currently on a four-day visit.
"The shaking...was the main shock from a quake in Laos at 6:50 am and was felt in northern and northeastern Thailand and Bangkok and suburbs," said Sophon Chaila, an official at the Thai Meteorological Department.
"As of now there is no report of damage," Chaila added.
Residents in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi also felt buildings sway.
"The ceiling lights were shaking quite strongly. I felt dizzy and scared," said Hanoi resident Tran Hoa Phuong, who felt the earthquake in her 27-storey apartment building.
It hit about three hours after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the same region of Laos, near the site of the ...

Shallow 6.1-magnitude quake hits Thai-Lao border

The data-collection business model fuelling Facebook and Google represents a threat to human rights around the world, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday.
The organization argued that offering people free online services and then using information about them to target money-making ads imperils a gamut of rights including freedom of opinion and expression.
"Despite the real value of the services they provide, Google and Facebook's platforms come at a systemic cost," Amnesty said in its report, "Surveillance Giants."
"The companies' surveillance-based business model forces people to make a Faustian bargain, whereby they are only able to enjoy their human rights online by submitting to a system predicated on human rights abuse."
With ubiquitous surveillance, the two online giants are able to collect massive amounts of data which may be used against their customers, according to the London-based human rights group.
The business model is "inherently incompatible with the right 

AFP

AFP

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