A Shanghai tech fair exhibit that allowed visitors to clobber a bobble-head likeness of Donald Trump has been shut down for encouraging the "violent disrespect" of a public figure, organisers said Thursday.
The kiosk at this week's Consumer Electronics Show Asia (CES Asia) was set up by Japanese tech firm Soliton Systems as a "stress-relief" station.
Visitors were given a hammer to smash a life-sized likeness of the US president, who has angered many Chinese by launching a tariff war with China.
The US Consumer Technology Association (CTA) -- which stages the show each year -- told AFP it issued a "warning" to Soliton Systems on Tuesday.
A curtain was seen drawn across the display site on Thursday, and the Trump likenesses had been removed.
The association told AFP that exhibitors sign contracts making clear that displays cannot be "offensive".
"We will not tolerate violent disrespect of any public figure." Soliton Systems officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The ...

Trump-bashing exhibit gets booted from China tech show

PTI Automatic

An unprecedented disease outbreak has pushed the critically endangered kakapo, the world's fattest parrot, closer to extinction, New Zealand scientists said Thursday.
One of the last kakapo populations on remote Codfish Island has been hit with a fungal respiratory disease called aspergillosis, the Department of Conservation (DOC) said.
It said 36 of the parrots were receiving treatment and seven had died, including two adults -- a huge loss for a species which has less than 150 fully grown birds left.
"Aspergillosis is having a devastating impact on kakapo," the DOC said in a statement Thursday.
The setback comes just weeks after scientists hailed a bumper breeding season for the flightless, nocturnal bird, which was once thought to be extinct.
An intense, decades-long conservation effort has seen kakapo numbers slowly rise from a low of about 50 in 1990, and earlier this year there was hope the species was turning the corner.
The breeding programme resulted in 249 eggs laid, ...

Parrot world's endangered heavyweight faces new threat

A Thai boat captain has been charged with smuggling 65 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, police said Thursday, after their vessel was shipwrecked off Thailand's southern coast.
The same area was the hub of multi-million-dollar trafficking route, which unravelled in 2015 after the discovery of mass graves of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants along the border with Malaysia.
Police said the boat, which was carrying the stateless Rohingya minority and was found on Tuesday on an island off the coast of Satun province, was captained by Sangkhom Paphan, a Thai from nearby Ranong province.
Police said he was hired to transport the Rohingya to Malaysia and has been "charged with smuggling in illegal immigrants", according to police general Suchart Theerasawat of the National Police Office.
"He was paid 100,000 baht (about US$3,200) by a Myanmar man," Suchart told AFP, adding that authorities were still interrogating him.
Junta chief-turned-prime minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha has instructed agencies .

Thai captain of shipwrecked Rohingya boat charged with smuggling

Cancer-hit badminton star Lee Chong Wei announced his retirement Thursday, ending a brilliant career in which he collected a swathe of honours but never won a world or Olympic title.
Lee, who spent a total of 348 weeks as world number one but lost six world and Olympic finals, wept as he called it quits months after suffering a cancer scare.
"My decision to retire is a heavy one. I really love this sport. But it is a demanding sport. I thank all Malaysians for the past 19 years," a tearful Lee, 36, told a news conference.
Lee, a father of two, was diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer last year and after intensive treatment in Taiwan, said he was keen to play again.
But he hasn't trained since April and after missing a series of self-imposed deadlines to return to competition, his hopes of being eligible for next year's Tokyo Olympics were remote.
The three-time Olympic silver medallist said he now wanted to rest and spend time with his family, and even take his wife on a ...

Tears as badminton star Lee quits after cancer battle

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would be willing to accept information from a foreign country on his opponent in the 2020 election race, after years of denying Moscow helped him win office.
Trump team contacts with Russians during the 2016 presidential race led to special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into possible collusion and obstruction of justice, as well as several similar and ongoing efforts in Congress.
The Russia issue has consumed the Trump presidency for the past two years, and his new remarks suggested he still sees nothing wrong with a US political candidate accepting help from a foreign power.
"I think you might want to listen... there's nothing wrong with listening," Trump said when asked by ABC News what he would do if a country such as Russia or China offered him such information.
He denied the suggestion that that would amount to foreign meddling in a US election.
"It's not an interference, they have information -- I think I'd take it," Trump said.
"If 

Trump says would take foreign info on 2020 presidential opponent

Donald Trump Jr wrapped up a return interview Wednesday with US lawmakers who questioned him about his contacts with Russians, with the president's eldest son dismissing concerns he may have perjured himself in his 2017 testimony.
The 41-year-old appeared relaxed as he emerged from a three-hour closed-door session with the Senate Intelligence Committee as part of the Republican-led panel's two-year investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
Trump Jr, who helms the Trump Organization collection of businesses that his real estate billionaire father ran for decades, earlier told reporters there was "nothing to correct" from his previous comments to the committee.
After his interview, he maintained he had been consistent.
"I don't think I changed anything of what I said because there was nothing to change," Trump Jr said. "I'm glad that this is finally over (and) we're able to put some final clarity on that." Asked if he was worried about perjury, Trump Jr 

Trump Jr grilled by US senators, says unconcerned about perjury

Israeli warplanes bombed bunkers at a Hamas base in Gaza early Thursday following the first rocket fire from the territory since early May, the military said.
Israeli aircraft targeted "underground infrastructure" at the base in the southern Gaza Strip, it said in a statement.
The strike came after Israeli air defences intercepted a rocket launched from the territory, the first since hundreds were fired in early May in a two-day flare-up which killed four Israelis and 25 Palestinians.
On Wednesday evening, Israel announced it had banned all fishing off Gaza in retaliation for the launch of more incendiary balloons from the enclave.
"Due to the continuous launching of incendiary balloons and kites from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, it has been decided tonight (Wednesday) not to allow access to Gaza's maritime space until further notice," the Israeli defence ministry department responsible for Palestinian civil affairs, COGAT, said.
The move came after COGAT said on Tuesday it had ...

Israel strikes Gaza after first rocket since early May

People in Japan operating drones under the influence could face up to a year in prison under new laws passed Thursday that aim to control the increasingly popular devices.
Drunkenly flying a drone weighing more than 200 grams (seven ounces) could also result in a fine of up to 300,000 yen (USD2,750), after the lower house of parliament passed the new legislation following a string of accidents.
Performing dangerous stunts with drones such as sharp plunges will also be subject to fines of up to 500,000 yen.
"We believe operating drones after consuming alcohol is as serious as (drink) driving," a transport ministry official told AFP.  The rules come as Japan sees a rising amount of drone usage as well as related accidents.
In 2017, an industrial-sized drone was deployed at a "robot festival" in Ogaki city in central Japan and was supposed to shower small children with sweets.
But the device, operated by a qualified individual, injured six people after plunging 10 metres (33 feet) to the 

'Don't drink and drone,' say Japanese MPs

Australia set out guidelines Thursday to make sport more inclusive for transgender and gender-diverse people as it works to change attitudes and limit discrimination.
The move, which follows widespread consultations, details how sports organisations can create more welcoming environments.
Australia's move comes as debate rages globally about whether transgender athletes or those with differences of sex development have an unfair competitive advantage.
The guidelines cover everything from victimisation, leadership and codes of conduct, to suitable facilities, privacy and the collection of personal information.
They are designed for boards, coaches, umpires and other officials and staff, while suggesting organisations encourage high-profile players to champion the initiative.
"Research tells us gender-diverse people, particularly young people, want to engage more in sport and physical activity but often face or fear peer rejection," said Sport Australia chief Kate Palmer.
"Let's ensure .

Australia seeks to bring more transgender people to sports

Cancer-hit badminton star Lee Chong Wei announced his retirement Thursday, ending a brilliant career in which he collected a swathe of honours but never won a world or Olympic title.
"My decision to retire is a heavy one. I really love this sport. But it is a demanding sport. I thank all Malaysians for the past 19 years," a teary-eyed Lee, 36, told a news conference.
Lee, a father of two, was diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer last year and after intensive treatment in Taiwan, said he was keen to play again.
But he hasn't trained since April and after missing a series of self-imposed deadlines to return to competition, his hopes of being eligible for next year's Tokyo Olympics were remote.
The three-time Olympic silver medallist said he would now like to rest and spend time with his family, and even take his wife on a "honeymoon", a trip that has been delayed since their marriage in 2012.

Badminton star Lee Chong Wei retires after cancer battle

An elderly driver drove her vehicle into a group of children in western Japan Thursday, police said, the latest in a string of similar, often fatal, car accidents caused by old drivers.
Two children were injured when 69-year-old Rieko Ueda ploughed her car into a group of kids from a local nursery facility in Nishinomiya city shortly before 10am, a police spokesman told AFP.
A six-year-old girl was conscious when she was taken to a hospital, but the scale of her injury was not immediately available, the spokesman said.  Local media said she had broken her shoulder bone.
A five-year-old girl was also taken to a hospital for a minor injury, the spokesman added.
"The cause of the accident is under investigation," he said, adding that police had arrested the driver.
The case is the latest in a string of accidents involving elderly drivers, as Japan continues to grapple with problems relating to its ageing society.
In April, an 87-year-old motorist drove into a pedestrian crossing at high .

Two injured as Japan driver ploughs into kids

The 10 candidates running to replace Britain's outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May face the first round of voting on Thursday -- when at least one will get the chop.
Conservative MPs hold their first secret ballot in the governing party's leadership contest as they begin whittling down the contenders.
All 313 lawmakers can vote and any candidate who does not garner the support of 16 colleagues will drop out. If they all clear that hurdle, the one with the lowest number of votes is knocked out.
May, who remains prime minister, stepped down as party leader on Friday, having failed to deliver her plan for taking Britain out of the European Union after nearly three years in the post.
Bookmakers have ex-foreign secretary Boris Johnson as their odds-on favourite to win the contest to replace her.
The former London mayor broke his silence to launch his campaign on Wednesday, saying he would only take Britain out of the EU without a deal as a "last resort" as he promised to unify a country ...

Candidates face first cull in battle to be British PM

Four-time winner Chris Froome is out of the Tour de France after fracturing his leg, hip, arm and ribs in a horrific high-speed crash on Wednesday.
Team Ineos confirmed the 34-year-old's dream of a fifth Tour de France title this year was over after a gust of wind hurtled him into a wall towards the end of a "recon" ahead of the Criterium du Dauphine's fourth stage time trial.
Froome suffered multiple fractures in his right femur, right elbow and ribs, and "will remain in hospital for at least two days in Saint-Etienne" before a decision on further treatment is taken, said his Ineos team principal Dave Brailsford.
It appeared Froome had taken his hand off the handlebars in order to blow his nose "and the wind's taken his front wheel and he's hit a wall," Brailsford told the BBC.
"It's a tough one, to be honest. He's not in great shape," he said, adding that Froome also  broke his hip in the crash.
Brailsford said that the four-time Tour de France winner had worked "incredibly hard to .

Froome out of Tour after breaking leg, hip, arm in horror crash

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did not knowingly violate an agreement with the regulator supervising the company's management of users' personal data, the social media giant said Wednesday as it addressed an issue that has been under federal investigation for the past year.
Facebook was required to provide the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with emails, some from 2012, suggesting that Zuckerberg was personally aware of but neglected to address the fact that external applications had access to massive amounts of personal data without Facebook users' knowledge, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The newspaper added that it did not have access to the documents but that anonymous sources had described their contents.
"We have fully cooperated with the FTC's investigation to date and provided tens of thousands of documents, emails and files," said a Facebook spokesperson.
"At no point did Mark or any other Facebook employee knowingly violate the company's obligations under the FTC consent ...

Facebook says CEO did not ignore personal data issues

Real Madrid continued their summer spending spree on Wednesday by completing the signing of left-back Ferland Mendy from Lyon.
Mendy has signed a six-year contract with Madrid, who have now added four new players for next season following the arrivals of Eder Militao, Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic.
Hazard was the most expensive of the quartet, joining in a deal that could reach up to 145 million euros, while Militao and Jovic each cost around 50 and 65 million euros respectively.
The fee for Mendy was reportedly set at around 50 million euros, which would mean Madrid's summer spending is already worth around 300 million euros in total.
"Real Madrid and Lyon have agreed the transfer of Ferland Mendy," an official club statement read.
"The player will be contracted to Real Madrid for the next six seasons, until June 30, 2025." Mendy will be presented at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, June 19, and the 24-year-old may have to compete with the experienced Marcelo and talented Sergio ...

Real Madrid sign Mendy to continue summer spree

It's been an annus horribilis and a half for Chile's iconic leader Alexis Sanchez, who is known as the "Nino Maravilla" -- wonder-kid -- in his homeland.
Chile's most capped player of all time and record goalscorer, Sanchez is so popular in the South American country that he even stars in a film about himself that was released in Chile last month.
Having helped Chile win the last two Copa America competitions -- including the one-off 100-year celebration Centenario in the United States in 2016 -- a statue of him has even been erected in his home town Tocopilla.
But it's been an otherwise dreadful last 18 months for the Manchester United winger on the pitch.
And Sanchez will be desperate to prove he has much more to offer than his recent club form suggests.
Since moving from Arsenal in January 2018, the vibrant and pacey forward has been a shadow of his former self.
He scored 60 goals in 123 league games for the Gunners, almost one in every two matches, but that ratio has dropped to ...

Copa offers Chile's Sanchez chance to banish United woes

Brazil should have been gearing up for another major home sporting spectacle with renewed optimism that star forward Neymar would help bring to an end a 12-year trophy drought.
But instead, the Selecao's golden boy is dominating the build-up to a tournament he will miss due to an ankle injury for all the wrong reasons.
Neymar is embroiled in a rape scandal in which he has been accused of forcing himself on a model he met through social media in a hotel room in the French capital, where he plys his club trade for Paris Saint-Germain.
It's tarnished the festive atmosphere of South America's footballing showpiece with an ugly affair that shows no sign of going away, despite Najila Trindade Mendes de Souza's rapidly unraveling case.
It all blew up on June 2 when Neymar published a seven-minute video on Instagram, where he had first been in contact with Trindade, revealing that he had been accused of rape.
The scandal quickly snowballed and three days later, after a senior Brazilian ...

Neymar rape accusations overshadow Copa America kick-off

Ecuador's highest court on Wednesday approved same-sex marriage in a landmark ruling in the traditionally Catholic and conservative South American country.
The Constitutional Court said same-sex marriage had been approved in a five-to-four vote of its nine judges in a closed hearing.
Ecuador, where the church is very influential, thus joins Argentina, Brazil and Colombia in recognizing same-sex marriage.
"It means that Ecuador is more egalitarian. It is more just than yesterday, that it recognizes that human rights must be for all people without discrimination," said lawyer Christian Paula of the Patka Foundation, which provides legal advice for around 10 same-sex couples seeking to marry in the country.
The four dissenting judges argued that in order to recognize same-sex marriage, constitutional reform would have to be debated in the National Assembly.
Gustavo Medina, a former Supreme Court president, told AFP that Ecuadoran authorities were obliged to abide by decisions of the ...

Ecuador's highest court approves same-sex marriage

Hong Kong was facing growing international pressure Thursday over a controversial extradition bill that has prompted violent street protests.
Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to break up crowds Wednesday after demonstrators -- angry over legislation they say would leave people vulnerable to China's politicised justice system -- blocked roads and brought the city to a standstill.
The European Union became the latest grouping to add its voice to a growing chorus of criticism over the bill.
The EU "shares many of the concerns raised by citizens of Hong Kong regarding the government's proposed extradition reforms", it said, calling for the rights of Hong Kongers to be respected.
The economic bloc said the proposed law had "potentially far-reaching consequences for Hong Kong and its people, for EU and foreign citizens, as well as for business confidence in Hong Kong." Demonstrators who surrounded the city's Legislative Council -- its government -- on Wednesday forced a postponement .

Pressure grows on Hong Kong over extradition bill

More than 3,200 workers at Chile's huge Chuquicamata copper mine are to go on strike after union-management talks broke down, state-run miner Codelco  the world's largest copper producer  said.
The company said in a statement on Wednesday it regretted the decision of the workers, who decided to reject an improved contract offer after talks aimed at averting the strike.
"The company regrets the decision of the assembly. The offer made by Codelco is serious, responsible and realistic," it said.
The breakdown follows two weeks of talks between management and three unions representing the workers at the giant mine.
The company's initial offer, which was rejected, included a 1.2 percent salary increase and a one-time benefits package worth almost USD 14,000.
Unions said it did not respond to workers' concerns over medical expenses and pensions.
An improved company offer on Wednesday was also rejected.
Codelco chief Nelson Pizarro had expressed optimism at the outset of the talks.
Located ..

More than 3,200 workers at Chile state-run miner Codelco to strike

US President Donald Trump has announced he will send 1,000 more troops to Poland to counter Russia, while criticising Germany for making itself a "hostage" to Moscow by over-relying on Russian energy supplies.
Details of the troop boost were thin but they fell far short of Poland's long-running hope for a permanent major US military base.
About 5,000 US soldiers already deploy along with NATO forces in Poland as part of a rotating pool, rather than a fixed garrison. At a joint press conference with his visiting Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, Trump said an additional 1,000 troops would be sent.
Trump said Wednesday the US troops would be moved to Poland from fellow NATO-member Germany and that Poland was building facilities to accommodate them.
The number was half the amount Trump had flagged less than three hours earlier while meeting in the Oval Office with Duda, where he said "they're talking about 2,000 troops."
Trump poured cold water on his Polish allies' hopes for a full-blown 

AFP

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