Syria chemical attack: US and Russia fail to reach UN agreement as tensions rise
Russia and western allies vote against each other’s proposals at UN
An attempt to stave off a military confrontation in Syria failed in the UN security council on Tuesday evening, with Russia and western allies unable to compromise on a concerted international response to the use of chemical weapons.
Each side voted against the other’s proposals for setting up a body dedicated to investigating repeated poison gas use in Syria. The US delegation said it had done “everything possible” to accommodate Russian views and that the abortive council session marked a “decisive moment”. Russia said the issue was being used by the US and its allies as a “pretext” to attack Syria.
Madagascar lynching video shows abuses of ‘traditional justice’
A video was published on social media showing a gory instance of popular justice in Madagascar has stirred debate over the self-defense groups that operate in many different villages. The video, which was posted on Facebook in mid-March, shows a man accused of stealing cows being tortured and lynched by men armed with machetes and axes.
In Madagascar of old, young men used to prove themselves by stealing cattle. However, in the past few years, this ancient tradition has been replaced by an organised crime network, whose thefts often spark bloody conflicts.
WARNING: READERS MAY FIND THE FOLLOWING IMAGES SHOCKING
WARNING: READERS MAY FIND THE FOLLOWING IMAGES SHOCKING
In Sofia, a region in northern Madagascar, mounting insecurity and an increase in cattle rustling has led villagers to start self-defense groups known locally as "Bisabôha". According to several Observers from the region, these groups have been gaining in numbers and power over the past two or three years. They claim to enact the laws of the “Dina,” a traditional justice system.
India's top court upholds marriage in 'love jihad' case
Updated 0817 GMT (1617 HKT) April 11, 2018
India's highest court has moved to strike down a ruling from a lower court that prevented a Hindu woman who had converted to Islam from living with her Muslim husband, in a landmark decision that upholds the right of inter-religious marriage.
The case had gained notoriety in India owing to allegations from the woman's family that she had been brainwashed by her husband as part of a broader Muslim plot, dubbed by right-wing Hindu nationalists as "love jihad."
Throughout the lengthy two-year court battle, 26-year-old Hadiya, who goes by one name only, consistently maintained that she acted on her own free will, despite claims from her father, Asokan K.M, that she was forced to convert to Islam by her husband.
Russian football hooligans face a crackdown ahead of World Cup
Russian football ultras complain of pressure and harassment by security agencies ahead of Russia 2018.by Mariya Petkova
On a Saturday evening, thousands of football fans in red and white scarves streamed to the Otkritie Arena stadium in Moscow amid heavy police presence. FC Spartak Moskva was to play its first match after a two-week break in March.
Spartak, which is vying for the Russian Premier League trophy, was to host Tosno, a small football club from the Leningrad region. At kickoff time, sector B of the stadium, where Spartak's notorious ultras traditionally stand, was unusually quiet.
"We've decided the first half to be quiet in memory of the Kemerovo victims," said one fan in sector B, who did not give his name. A week earlier, a shopping centre had burned down in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, killing 64 people, including more than 40 children.
TOO MUCH DOUBT
TWO WEEKS BEFORE he was scheduled to die for a crime he swore he did not commit, 52-year-old William T. Montgomery was granted a reprieve by Ohio Gov. John Kasich. “Too much doubt” was the rallying cry by Ohioans to Stop Executions as they flooded the governor’s office with petitions. The Ohio Parole Board agreed, recommending clemency by a vote of six to four. Ten days later, on March 26, Kasich stopped the April 11 execution and commuted Montgomery’s sentence to life without parole.
Montgomery has insisted on his innocence for more than 30 years. In early March, forensic experts flew on their own dime to speak at his clemency hearing in Columbus. “As a forensic scientist, I normally do not get involved in petitions and politics,” Richard Eikelenboom, of the Colorado-based Independent Forensic Services, wrote on his website, linking to a Change.org page created by Montgomery’s supporters. “But in this case there is so much at stake.”
New Zealand PM says her country 'undeniably' racist
Today 02:50 pm JSTBy Andy WHARTON
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted her South Pacific nation was "undeniably" racist but said she is proud of efforts to stamp out the problem.
The center-left leader was responding to comments from Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi that his homeland is "racist."
Thor Ragnarok director Waititi, who is Maori, outlined the prejudice he had experienced in an interview with British magazine Dazed & Confused last week.
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