Six In The Morning Tuesday July 28

Thailand dismisses US criticism over human trafficking and slavery 

Bangkok dismayed as report maintains lowest tier 3 status, with US pointing to lack of progress in tackling modern-day slavery and corruption

Oliver Holmes in Bangkok

Tuesday 28 July 2015 07.37 BST

Thailand has hit back after being blacklisted in a US report for the second consecutive year for not combatting modern-day slavery, arguing it has made serious steps to tackle human trafficking.

The ministry of foreign affairs said the US state department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report, released on Monday, “does not accurately reflect the significant efforts undertaken by the government”, which had made “tangible progress”.

Bangkok has been lobbying for an upgrade from the lowest tier 3 rank in the report. Under US law, countries on tier 3 could trigger non-trade-related sanctions such as access to the World Bank and bars on US foreign assistance.

Jehovah's Witnesses Church 'did not report more than 1,000 allegations of child sex abuse'

Angus Stewart, counsel for The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, told the inquiry that Jehovah's Witnesses' rules were designed to prevent the reporting of sexual abuse 

HARDEEP MATHARU

 

 

Tuesday 28 July 2015

The Jehovah's Witnesses Church failed to report more than 1,000 allegations of child sex abuse to police dating back more than 60 years, an Australian inquiry has heard.

A national inquiry was set up into child abuse in the country in 2013 after reports emerged of serial child abuse inside the country’s Catholic Church.

Members of Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which has a mandate to examine religious and secular organisations, has heard how the Jehovah’s Witnesses were an insular sect with rules designed to prevent reporting sexual abuse.

Greece's Varoufakis defends covert plan to hack tax codes

Latest update : 2015-07-28

The start of new bailout talks between the Greek government and its international creditors has been overshadowed by revelations that Greece's maverick ex-finance minister Yanis Varoufakis was secretly planning for a parallel system of liquidity.

The European Commission confirmed on Monday that technical talks on Greece's third bailout had started in Athens, where the embattled leftist government has been forced to implement a further slew of austerity measures in return for much-needed bailout cash.

But the return of the reviled “troika” of creditors – EU, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund – was eclipsed by news Varoufakis had "hacked" into his own ministry weeks earlier to create duplicate files for millions of Greek taxpayers.

In a telephone conversation with a group of London-based investors after he resigned his post on July 6, Varoufakis claimed that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had "given the green light" for a Plan B before coming to power in January, according to a recording released Monday.

Malaysian PM Najib Razak sacks deputy after 1MDB graft scandal remarks

July 28, 2015 - 5:13PM

Trinna Leong

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has dumped his deputy and four others in a cabinet reshuffle, with the attorney-general also replaced amid the fallout from a graft scandal at state investment fund 1MDB.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had called on his leader to explain a growing graft scandal at debt-laden state investment fund 1MDB.

Mr Muhyiddin had said on the weekend the ruling coalition could lose the next election if Mr Najib and others did not better manage issues stemming from the scandal.

Mr Najib named Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to replace Mr Muhyiddin.

Why did 'Jihadi John' flee Islamic State? (+video)

British terrorist 'Jihadi John,' one of the most well-known members of ISIS, has reportedly fled the terrorist group, fearing for his life.

By Shontee Pant, Staff JULY 27, 2015

British terrorist “Jihadi John” has reportedly left the Islamic State (aka ISIS) group, fearing for his life after being identified six months earlier as a Kuwaiti-born Londoner from a well-to-do family.

Jihadi John left because the terrorist organization might drop him "like a stone or worse if they feel he is no longer of any use to them," according to a source for the British news outlet, the Daily Express.

The Daily Express report has not been confirmed by government sources or other news outlets.

Born Mohammed Emwazi, he initially gained international notoriety both personally, and for the terrorist organization, after a video was released by Islamic State in August 2014, showing him beheading American journalistJames Foley.

Killer robots: Tech experts warn against AI arms race

• 4 hours ago
 
• From the sectionTechnology

More than 1,000 tech experts, scientists and researchers have written a letter warning about the dangers of autonomous weapons.

In the latest outcry over "killer robots", the letter warns that "a military AI [artificial intelligence] arms race is a bad idea".

Among the signatories are scientist Stephen Hawking, entrepreneur Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

The letter will be presented at an international AI conference today.

"Killer robots" are currently the subject of much debate and have recently been discussed by committees at the United Nations, which is considering the potential for a ban on certain types of autonomous weapons.

Now, the experts have called for a specific ban on the use of artificial intelligence to manage weapons that would be "beyond meaningful human control".