Saturday, June 4, 2016

Six In The Morning Saturday June 4


Boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies at 74


The former world heavyweight boxing champion, one of the world's best-known sportsmen, died at a hospital in the US city of Phoenix, Arizona, after being admitted on Thursday.
He was suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson's disease.
The funeral will take place in Ali's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, his family said in a statement.






The battle for Falluja: 'If they lose it, Isis is finished'



Tens of thousands of lives – and the future of Iraq – are at stake as the country’s forces and Shia militias fight Isis for the city
by in Sijar

On a narrow dirt road in the village of Sijar, a column of green Toyota pick-up trucks carrying Shia paramilitaries and rocket launchers jostled for space with the Humvees of the Iraqi police. A platoon of exhausted snipers stood at the side of the road waving their guns in the air and taking selfies. A truck carrying a flag-draped coffin attempted to push through. 
What was, until late last month, a quiet stretch of track twisting between fields and palm groves in territory held by Islamic State is now one of Iraq’s busiest military arteries, ferrying men and equipment to the frontline of the battle for Falluja.


Refugee clashes in Samos: “When you lock people up, you can expect violence”


Clashes broke out between two groups of refugees in the “hotspot” on the Greek island of Samos on the night of June 2. According to medical charity MSF, it’s not surprising that tensions boiled over between refugees of different nationalities considering the stress, overcrowding and poor conditions that over a thousand people are facing there. 

When clashes broke out between two different groups of asylum seekers, things quickly turned chaotic. 

By the time the situation came under control several hours later after the intervention of security forces, one shipping container had been burned down, two others had been damaged and many tents were also levelled. About five people were taken to nearby Samos hospital, according to MSF (Doctors Without Borders). 

Rio Olympics: UN asking expert panel to assess Zika risk

June 4, 2016 - 4:27PM

Maria Cheng


London: The World Health Organisation's chief says she will convene an expert committee to consider whether the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics should proceed as planned, following concerns raised about the threat of the Zika virus.
It comes after the WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan rejected such a call by more than 200 other experts last month saying "cancelling or changing the location of the 2016 Olympics [would] not significantly alter the international spread of Zika".
But now, acting on a request by US Senator Jeanne Shaheen to evaluate whether the Rio games – which start on August 5 – should be delayed or postponed, Ms Chan said in a letter released by the senator on Friday that WHO has sent senior scientists to Brazil four times to assess the risk of Zika to the approximately 500,000 athletes and visitors expected to attend the games.


These children were confined to a voodoo convent. These are their stories



By Thomas Page and Daisy Carrington, CNN

In Benin, when children fall sick, their parents often turn to voodoo. The West African nation is, after all, its spiritual home. Officially a state religion since 1996, Voodooism is practiced by 17% of the population, with many outside of the religion professing a cultural link to some of its rituals.
But what happens inside the hundreds of facilities dotting the country is a mystery to most outsiders. Now advocates are raising the alarm saying the facilities may harm the children they aim to help.
Djofin Assou Gilbert is an advocate for children in Benin. He first became concerned about the practices inside the convents in early 2015, when he noticed a group of children standing outside a convent.

FIFA: Sepp Blatter and allies 'awarded' themselves $80m

Internal report says ex-FIFA boss and two other top officials were involved in coordinated effort to enrich themselves.

Former top FIFA chief Sepp Blatter and two other leading officials unilaterally awarded themselves undisclosed bonuses and contracts totalling $80m over their last five years in office, the world football's governing body has said. 
An internal investigation found that Blatter, along with Jerome Valcke, his number two as secretary general, and finance director Markus Kattner were involved in a "coordinated" attempt to enrich themselves through "massive payouts".
"The evidence appears to reveal a coordinated effort by three former top officials of FIFA to enrich themselves through annual salary increases, World Cup bonuses and other incentives totalling more than 79m Swiss francs [$80m] - in just the last five years," Bill Burck, a partner with the Quinn Emanuel audit firm, said on Friday. 

Japan Praises Boy Who Survived Alone, Wonders About Parents


  • The remarkable survival of a 7-year-old Japanese boy, abandoned in a forest by his parents who wanted to teach him a lesson, prompted nationwide joy and relief Friday. But Japanese also wondered whether the father and mother themselves might need a stern lesson, in parenting.
    Yamato Tanooka (Tah-noh-oh-kah) survived alone for nearly a week by finding shelter in a military hut and drinking water from a nearby faucet until he was discovered by chance by a soldier on Friday. He looked a bit worn out but was "genki," the military said, using a Japanese word describing healthy children. A doctor who examined him said he was dehydrated but basically fine.
    But some have reacted with outrage, slamming what the parents did as inexcusable — punishing a child for misbehaving by leaving him in a forest reputedly occupied by bears, on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island. The parents said they returned a few minutes after leaving the boy but couldn't find him.




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