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Showing posts from February, 2020

ABC raid: Australian public broadcaster loses legal challenge

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Australia's national broadcaster has lost its legal challenge to controversial police raids on its Sydney newsroom last year. In June, police searched the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the home of a newspaper journalist over articles which relied on leaks from government whistleblowers. The raids sparked a public outcry and protests across the nation's media. However, the Federal Court of Australia has ruled the searches were legal. ABC's managing director David Anderson said the decision was "disappointing". He said the raids had been a high-profile "attempt to intimidate journalists for doing their job". Why did police raid newsrooms? Australian Federal Police alleged the stories and reporters at the centre of its searches had breached national security laws. Australian newspapers black out front pages in 'secrecy' protest In the raid last year, they seized thousands of documents over a 2017 ABC investigation w

India Supreme Court makes landmark ruling on women in army

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Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Image caption India's armed forces began inducting women officers in 1992 India's top court has ruled that all women army officers are now eligible for permanent commissions, allowing them to be in commanding roles. The ruling means that all women officers will now be on par with men when it comes to promotions, ranks, benefits and pensions. The Supreme Court rejected the government's plea to overturn the Delhi high court's order on the same matter. The ruling has been hailed as a "great leap" towards equality in the army. Many serving and retired officers had been campaigning for this. Women at the moment are inducted into the army through the Short Service Commission (SSC) and don't qualify for a permanent commission - which allows an officer to serve a full tenure. So women are initially meant to serve for five years, but have the option of extending their tenure. However, they don't get the same benefits as

HQ Trivia: Quiz app ends with drunken broadcast after 'running out of money'

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It's 2018 and people are gathering around a phone to take part in  the day's round of HQ Trivia,  a real-time quiz app where players can win real cash. Two years later, and HQ Trivia has gone bankrupt and shut down, its presenters drinking and swearing during its last live broadcast. The final game's prize was just $5 (£3.83) - and that came out of the pocket of host Matt Richards. That prize was split by 523 viewers. It's a far cry from the app's heyday, when prizes could reach $300,000 (£214,000) and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was a guest presenter on the 15-minute show. HQ Trivia was free to download and free to play. A live presenter would ask 12 multiple choice questions and anyone who answered them all correctly would win part of the game's prize fund. A live chat ran during the game, and presenters read out messages from players during the live daily broadcasts. Image copyright HQ TRIVIA Image caption HQ Trivia had, at its peak, more

German firms Bayer and BASF fight $265m US fine over weedkiller

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Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Image caption Monsanto's controversial herbicides have been sprayed on fields for decades German chemical giant Bayer is to appeal against a Missouri court's award of $265m (£203m) to a US peach grower who blamed a herbicide for crop damage. Farmer Bill Bader sued Bayer and BASF, alleging that dicamba weedkiller drifted onto his orchard from nearby fields, destroying them. It is the first ruling in some 140 US cases against dicamba, a herbicide blamed for extensive crop damage. Bayer says its herbicides pose no unreasonable risk if used correctly. The US agrochemical giant Monsanto, bought by Bayer for $63bn in 2018, sells dicamba-based herbicide and a similar, much-criticised product, Roundup. US lawsuits against Monsanto's weedkillers may cost Bayer billions of dollars in damages. US jury awards $2bn weedkiller damages Monsanto told to pay $289m in cancer trial EU settles dispute over major weedkiller It is not yet clear how

Kizito Mihigo: Singer found dead in Rwandan police cell

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Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Image caption Police say Kizito Mihigo was found dead in a cell in Kigali on Monday morning Rwandan gospel music artist Kizito Mihigo has been found dead in a police cell, officers say. It comes three days after he was arrested near the border with Burundi. Police accused him of attempting to flee the country and join rebel groups fighting against Rwanda. He is banned from leaving Rwanda due to a previous conviction. Mihigo was best known for the songs Inuma (pigeon) and Igisobanuri cy'urupfu (the meaning of death). A statement shared on social media by police spokesman JB Kabeera said Mihigo's body was found during a routine check by officers at Remera police station on Monday morning. The spokesman gave no further details. Mihigo had been charged with corruption and illegal border crossing,  local media report . The Rwanda Investigation Bureau accused the singer of attempting to bribe people who had seen him. A resident in the south

Solis: Pakistan music festival halted as hundreds storm venue

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Image copyright FACEBOOK/SOLIS FESTIVAL Image caption A file photo released by Solis shows people attending a previous music festival A music festival in the Pakistani capital Islamabad had to be halted after hundreds of fake-ticket holders stormed the venue, organisers said. Solis Festival said people had broken through barricades after being denied entry to the event on Saturday. Many then climbed onto a VIP stage which collapsed as a result of overcrowding, causing injuries. Several women accused men of groping and harassing them in the chaos. Dozens accused Solis Festival of poor planning and security management, calling for "answers", but  organisers said they had taken the precautions they could. "We chose the venue and our security based on the number of tickets sold... however we underestimated the sheer volume of fake tickets sold illegally," said Solis in a statement on Instagram. "We are deeply sorry that this experience was ruined by ot

Nikita Pearl Waligwa: Queen of Katwe stars pay tribute

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Image caption Nikita Pearl Waligwa is being buried in Kampala Stars of the film Queen of Katwe have paid tribute to actress Nikita Pearl Waligwa who has died at the age of 15. Waligwa had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and died in hospital in Kampala on Saturday. She starred in the 2016 Disney film which was based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a chess prodigy from a Ugandan slum. Her co-star David Oyelowo wrote on Instagram: "She was a ball of light in Queen of Katwa and in life." He played the role of Phiona Mutesi's chess teacher while Lupita Nyong'o played her mother. Waligwa featured as the character Gloria, a friend of Phiona who explained the rules of chess to her. Ms Nyong'o said on Instagram: "She played Gloria with such vibrancy. In her real life she had the enormous challenge of battling brain cancer." Skip Instagram post by lupitanyongo Report End of Instagram post by lupitanyongo Gloria Nansubuga, the 19-y