Bangladesh's ex-premier and opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia on Sunday filed a petition in the High Court seeking bail on medical grounds in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case in which she was jailed for seven years.
In the petition, Zia said she has was suffering from several diseases, including diabetes and dental problem, the Daily Star reported.
The 73-year-old three-time former prime minister also argued that since she has already served two-and-a-half years in jail in the case, she deserves the bail.
A high court bench of Justices Obaidul Hassan and SM Kuddus Zaman will hear her bail petition on Tuesday, the report said.
A Dhaka court on October 29 last year sentenced Zia to seven years of imprisonment in the corruption case.
She is also undergoing a 10-year jail term in a corruption case in connection with the embezzlement of 21 million taka (about USD 250,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband Ziaur Rahman, a military ...

Khaleda Zia seeks bail in graft case on health grounds

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Gunfire at a large, outdoor event in Brooklyn killed one man and injured at least 11 others late Saturday night, police said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted early Sunday morning that the shooting in the east Brooklyn neighbourhood of Brownsville "shattered a peaceful neighbourhood event."
A New York City police spokesman said around 3:30 a.m. Sunday that 12 people had been shot, including a 38-year-old man who was dead on arrival at a local hospital. Police said the man was shot once in the head.
The spokesman did not know the man's identity and did not provide updates about the conditions of the others.
No arrests have been made, and police did not offer any details about possible suspects.
At least six people had been transported to local hospitals by just after midnight, with some in serious condition, a New York City fire department spokesman said earlier. He described the scene at the time as "fluid."
De Blasio's tweet didn't include details about the community event, but a notice .

Police: 1 dead, 11 others shot near Brooklyn playground

At least 13 jade mine workers and security guards in northern Myanmar were killed in a landslide Sunday, authorities said, as rescuers frantically searched for more victims.
Dozens die each year in landslides caused by jade mining, a dangerous and poorly regulated industry in Kachin state between the country's borders with China and India.
Myanmar's fire services department said in a Facebook post the accident happened in the early morning in Hpakant township.
"We have sent two injured men and the dead bodies of 13 men" to a local hospital, the department said.
A police officer on the scene told AFP that the upper part of a mine collapsed and fell around 200 metres (700 feet) onto those sleeping below.
Though new regulations suspend mining during the wet season peak from July through September, some workers stay on site.
Heavy rains pounded the area over the last week, according to the officer, who said the search for those missing is ongoing.
The deadly landslide is the latest to hit 

At least 13 killed in Myanmar jade mine landslide

"Mad Max: Fury Road" director George Miller has revealed that he has ideas for two more movies in the franchise.
In an interview with IndieWire, the Australian filmmaker said he is pretty sure that the films will make it to the big screen in future.
"There are two stories, both involving Mad Max, and also a Furiosa story. We're still solving, we've got to play out the Warners (Bros) thing, it seems to be pretty clear that it's going to happen," Miller said.
"I think we're still waiting on being given the opportunity and the greenlight to go ahead on the next one. But when I engaged on that there was a plethora of material on it," he added.
Referring to legal wrangling with Warner Bros. over unpaid earnings, Miller said, "It all started because of the chaos at Warner Bros. and not Kevin Tsujihara (former chairman and CEO of Warner Bros Entertainment)."
"He wasn't the antagonist. A lot of people didn't know what was going on and were not prepared to make a definitive stand; everybody ...

George Miller teases two more 'Mad Max' movies

Fifty-five pieces of rhino horn were found encased in plaster at an airport in the Vietnamese capital, authorities said Sunday, as the country tries to crack down on sophisticated wildlife smuggling routes.
The communist state is both a consumption hub and popular transit point for the multibillion dollar trade in animal parts.
The 125 kilogram (275 pound) haul of rhino horn discovered at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport on Thursday was found after the carefully disguised shipment aroused suspicion.
Images of the bust show large rhino horns and smaller pieces sitting on a table and police using rods to break the casts apart.
"It took half a day to break them open," a security source told AFP.  It was not immediately clear which African country the shipment originated from.
The parts were found the same day police arrested a key wildlife trafficking suspect and two other men after seven frozen tiger carcasses were discovered in their vehicle in a parking lot.
The busts follow a record seizure ..

Vietnam seizes 125 kilos of rhino horn hidden in plaster

Hollywood diva Blake Lively has signed a deal with Amazon and the actor will be developing two projects for the streaming platform.
Head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke made the announcement on Saturday at Television Critics Association summer press tour, reported The Wrap.
"It took a long time but we just closed our deal with Blake. We closed a first-look deal and we're talking and developing a show. It's not ready..." Salke said.
Reports of a partnership between Lively and Amazon started doing the rounds in October, stating that they would team for a scripted series set in the fashion world.
Salke confirmed that the series is in the works.
"It'll be set in New York City and there will be a 'fashion component', though don't call it strictly a fashion-centric series," she added.
She also revealed that there is another project in the making, but did not share additional information about it.
Lively is currently expecting her third child with husband Ryan Reynolds.

Blake Lively closes Amazon deal, will develop two projects

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack that killed six soldiers in Syria's southern province of Daraa, the cradle of the 2011 uprising against the government.
The jihadist group said it was responsible for a "suicide operation" Saturday during which one of its fighters sprayed soldiers with machine-gun fire before detonating an "explosive vest".
The claim, posted late Saturday on the Telegram messaging app, was the second by the group this week for an attack in Syria, from which it was largely expelled last year.
IS on Monday said it was responsible for a deadly car bombing in Damascus, where a civilian was killed when a vehicle exploded in the southern suburb of Qadam.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said six soldiers were killed and several other people wounded in Saturday's attack in Daraa, where peaceful anti-government protests erupted in March 2011.
It said a bomber riding a motorcycle blew himself up at a military .

IS claims deadly attack on Syrian government troops

North Korea has released a Russian fishing boat with a crew of 15 Russians and two South Koreans after it was detained for violating entry regulations, the Russian embassy in Pyongyang said Sunday.
The release comes nearly two weeks after North Korean border guards took control of the ship belonging to the Russian North-Eastern Fishing Company on July 17.
The vessel, named Xiang Hai Lin 8, left the North Korean port of Wonsan late Saturday, the embassy said in a Facebook post.
"At 19:30, the vessel left the Wonsan port's pier and headed to Sokcho (South Korea), where two South Korean crewmembers will come ashore," it said.
The embassy added it will continue to investigate the "circumstances" of the ship's detention.
South Korea's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, welcomed the boat's "safe return", calling the release "positive from a humanitarian perspective".
The boat arrived in Sokcho on Sunday afternoon, the ministry said in a statement.
The boat was ...

North Korea releases Russian fishing boat: Moscow

An Afghan official says the government will hold its first-ever direct talks with the Taliban, with the meeting expected within the next two weeks.
The Taliban have been holding peace talks with the United States for nearly a year but have refused to meet with the government, viewing it as an American puppet.
Abdul Salam Rahimi, Afghanistan's state minister for peace affairs, said Sunday that a 15-member government delegation will meet with the Taliban in Europe, without elaborating.
US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who is currently visiting Kabul, tweeted that another round of "intra-Afghan" talks will occur "after we conclude our own agreements."
He said it would include the Taliban and "an inclusive and effective national negotiating team consisting of senior government officials, key political party representatives, civil society and women.

Afghan official says government will hold talks with Taliban

Actor-comedienne Amy Schumer has locked a first-look deal with streaming service Hulu and will start the partnership with her new comedy series, "Love, Beth".
According to Deadline, Schumer, 38, will create, direct, write, executive produce and star in the scripted comedy that has been given straight to series order at the Disney-owned streamer.
The announcement was a part of Hulu's presentation at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills.
Details are being kept under wraps for the 10-episode series, but it is expected to premiere on Hulu in late 2020.
"Love, Beth" marks Schumer's return to scripted television, following her breakout success on Comedy Central's "Inside Amy Schumer", which aired its most recent season in 2016.

Amy Schumer to star in Hulu comedy series 'Love, Beth'

The remaining signatories to the Iran nuclear deal will meet in Vienna on Sunday to try again to find a way of saving the accord after the US pulled out, amid mounting tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Envoys from Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and Iran will take part in the meeting which comes a month after a similar gathering failed to achieve a breakthrough.
Tensions between Tehran and Washington have escalated since last year when US President Donald Trump pulled out of the accord that was aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear programme, and imposed punishing sanctions.
In retaliation, Iran said in May it would disregard certain limits the deal set on its nuclear programme and threatened to take further measures if remaining parties to the deal, especially European nations, did not help it circumvent the US sanctions.
Pressure has continued to mount in the region with a string of incidents involving tankers and drones.
The US has said it brought down one and possibly two .

Iran to meet nuclear deal members

Veteran actor Russi Taylor, who voiced Disney's Minnie Mouse for more than 30 years, has passed away at the age of 75.
The Walt Disney Company shared the news of Taylor's demise on Twitter.
"Minnie Mouse lost her voice with the passing of Russi Taylor. For more than 30 years, Minnie and Russi worked together to entertain millions around the world  a partnership that made Minnie a global icon and Russi a Disney Legend beloved by fans everywhere. We're so grateful for Russi's talent as well as the tremendous spirit and great joy she brought to everything she did.
"It was a privilege to have known her and an honour to have worked with her, and we take comfort in the knowledge that her work will continue to entertain and inspire for generations to come. Russi will be sorely missed and our hearts go out to her family and friends, along with our deepest condolence," Disney Chairman/CEO Bob Iger said in a statement posted on Walt Disney Company's official account on the microblogging ...

Russi Taylor, voice of Minnie Mouse, dies at 75

US President Donald Trump's offer of mediation on Kashmir during Prime Minister Imran Khan's first visit to Washington was "more than Pakistan's expectations", Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said.
Talking to a private news channel, Qureshi also said that Prime Minister Khan "made the US realised that Kashmir is a flashpoint", which requires an early resolution, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
Trump last week offered to be the "mediator" between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue during his first meeting with Prime Minister Khan at the White House.
India firmly rejected Trump's offer, saying that New Delhi's consistent position has been that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally.
The offer of mediation by President Trump during Prime Minister Khan's visit to Washington was "more than Pakistan's expectations," Qureshi said.
He said that India's "adamant attitude on Kashmir issue can cost it heavy" and claimed that the situation in the ...

Trump's offer of mediation on Kashmir more than Pak's expectations: Qureshi

Taiwan's upcoming elections will be a "heart-pounding, soul-stirring battle" for the island's future, Beijing-friendly candidate Han Kuo-yu said Sunday in his first speech since becoming the opposition party's presidential candidate.
Han described January's vote as a choice between "peace or crisis" with China in a speech to a packed stadium at the Kuomintang (KMT) party's national congress.
Taiwan has been a de facto sovereign nation since the end of a civil war in 1949 but China still views the island as its territory and has vowed to seize it, by force if necessary.
Han is looking to unseat President Tsai Ing-wen of the Beijing-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in a contest that will be dominated by relations with China.
"This won't be a polite gentleman's race, it will be a heart-pounding, soul-stirring battle for the survival of the Republic of China (ROC) and
Taiwan's next generations," he told the crowd, using Taiwan's formal name.
"The people will make a sacred choice 

Beijing-friendly candidate says elections a 'battle' for Taiwan

Iran has strongly condemned the execution in Bahrain of two Shiite men convicted of terrorism, saying the Gulf state's crackdown on dissent was bound to fail.
The two were executed by firing squad on Saturday, said officials in the kingdom which has been gripped by bouts of unrest since 2011 when it crushed Shiite-led protests demanding political reform.
The foreign ministry in Iran issued a statement late on Saturday in which spokesman Abbas Mousavi "strongly condemned Bahrain's execution of political dissidents".
Mousavi pointed to "reports of forced confessions under torture and unfair trials for those executed and the international calls for Bahrain to stop the executions".
Bahrain was wrong to suppress protesters "instead of... trying to solve the self-made crisis through making peace with the people," he said in the statement released on the ministry's Telegram channel.
Mousavi accused Bahrain of "undertaking the policy of removing dissidents" by itself this time instead of ...

Iran strongly condemns Bahrain executions

Spin legend Abdul Qadir doesn't want South African Mickey Arthur to continue as Pakistan's head coach, saying it's time others should be given a chance to take the national team forward.
Qadir said he differs with former captain Wasim Akram's view that Arthur should be given a fresh contract by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
"I know Wasim Akram has told the Board (PCB) that they should give another contract to Arthur but to me this is like doing injustice with others. Others too need to be given a chance to take the national team forward," Qadir said in an interview.
The former chief selector said if Akram had so much concern about Pakistan cricket than he should become the bowling coach of the national team.
Akram is one of the members of the PCB's cricket committee which will meet on August 2 to review the national team's performance in the last three years and prepare recommendations for future.
"To me Mickey Arthur has contributed nothing to the Pakistan team. In fact, he has ..

Arthur should make way for others to take Pakistan cricket forward: Qadir

Left-arm Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir, who quit Test cricket recently, is planning to obtain a British passport and settle down in the United Kingdom, a source said.
Amir has been married to a British national, Nargis Malik since September, 2016 and is eligible for a spouse visa, which allows him to stay in England for 30 months.
"He is clearly planning to obtain a British passport and permanently settle down in England in future," a well-informed source said.
"With a spouse visa he can work freely and enjoy other benefits as a permanent resident of UK which is why he is planning to also purchase a house in England," the source added.
Amir, 27, has plenty of cricket left and the news about his plans to settle down in the UK came as a surprise for his fans.
The source said Amir is eligible for the spouse visa despite spending some time in a juvenile jail for a few months during the spot-fixing scandal in 2010-2011.
"He travels to England regularly and also plays county cricket since ...

Amir planning to settle down in UK: Source

A controversial US plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace could spell the demise of Jordan and turn it into a "Palestinian state", Jordanians and analysts warn.
The initiative launched by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner at a June conference in Bahrain dangles the prospect of USD 50 billion of investment into a stagnant Palestinian economy.
But it fails to address key issues such as an independent Palestinian state, Israeli occupation and the Palestinians' right to return to homes from which they fled or were expelled after Israel's creation in 1948.
The Palestinian Authority boycotted the Bahrain forum, accusing the unabashedly pro-Israel Trump of using the prospect of cash to try to impose political solutions, and of ignoring the fundamental issue of occupation.
Trump has taken the landmark step of recognising disputed Jerusalem as Israel's capital and Kushner has suggested the peace plan would not mention a Palestinian state.
Kushner is returning to the Middle East .

US peace plan rings alarm bells in Jordan: analysts

Rory McIlroy birdied the last three holes, closing with a dramatic 27-foot putt, to seize a one-stroke lead over top-ranked Brooks Koepka after Saturday's third round of the WGC St Jude Invitational.
The four-time major winner from Northern Ireland fired an eight-under par 62 to stand on 12-under 198 after 54 holes at par-70 TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
"To birdie the last three holes and take the lead puts me in a really great position going into tomorrow," McIlroy said on Saturday.
"I've holed a lot of putts this week, which is nice."
Third-ranked McIlroy's second-lowest round of the season, eclipsed only by a 61 in the final round of his Canadian Open triumph last month, comes a week after a disappointing missed cut at the British Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
It also booked the 30-year-old a first-ever Sunday pairing with four-time major winner Koepka in the last group for the final round of the elite World Golf Championship event.
"Rory is playing with some .

McIlroy leads after sizzling 62 at WGC St Jude event

Abortion could soon be decriminalised across Australia, with the last holdout state set to consider a new law this week that would remove terminations from the criminal code.
Under legislation dating back to 1900, women in New South Wales who have abortions and their doctors can be sentenced to up to 10 years' imprisonment. The procedure is only considered legal if the doctor believes the woman's physical or mental health is in danger.
A new bill that would overturn the "archaic" law will come before the state's parliament this week and has support from across the political spectrum, including the health minister, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Alex Greenwich, the independent MP for Sydney who will introduce the bill, said Sunday on Twitter it was an "overdue reform" that follows "decades of advocacy and hard work" by campaigners.
Prosecutions are rare in New South Wales but a woman was convicted in 2017 for attempting an abortion after taking pills she bought online.
The new ...

Last Australian state poised to decriminalise abortion

Beaten but unbowed, Allyson Felix said Saturday she is determined to bring the curtain down on her glittering track and field career on her own terms.
The 33-year-old American superstar failed to clinch a 400m berth for the World Championships after only finishing sixth at Drake Stadium, but could still travel to Doha as a member of the USA relay squad.
It means that for the first time, Felix will not enter an individual event at a major championship, an astonishing 16-year streak that encompasses four Olympic Games and eight world championships.
Yet Felix, who was racing this week for the first time in more than a year after taking time out of the sport for the birth of her daughter, is determined to book a spot in Tokyo at what would be her fifth Olympics.
"I want to be back in the Olympics," Felix told reporters.
"I want that more than anything. I want to go out on my terms. A little sacrifice here and there and it will be worth it."
Felix's time on Saturday of 51.94 sec was well ..

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