ATHENS, GREECE (AP) – A police officer accused of fatally shooting a Roma teenager in the head during a car chase over an alleged unpaid gas station bill appeared in court on Thursday in northern Greece to provide further testimony after the charges against him were elevated to mans laughter with possible intent.
The 34-year-old officer remains free pending trial, with a bail condition banning him from leaving the country.
He had originally been charged with a felony count of attempted manslaughter with possible intent over the December 5 shooting of 16-year-old Kostas Frangoulis but the charge was upgraded after the teenager died more than a week later. He has also been charged with a misdemeanor count of illegally firing his weapon.
The youth’s shooting led to days of protests, which often turned violent, by members of Greece’s Roma community and others, despite calls for calm from the teenager’s family and Roma community leaders. The case has put a spotlight on Greece’s Roma community, who face widespread discrimination.
DHAKA (AFP) – Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer hit aggressive half-centuries yesterday to come within breathing distance of Bangladesh’s first innings total after pulling their side out of trouble at the second Test in Dhaka.
Pant hit an unbeaten 86 off 89 balls and Iyer was batting on 58 as India reached 226-4 at tea on the second day, trailing Bangladesh’s first innings total by only one run.
Taijul Islam claimed three early wickets in the second morning before Taskin Ahmed had Virat Kohli caught behind for 24 in the post-lunch session, leaving India in serious trouble after resuming on 19-0.
But Pant and Iyer launched a counterattack to add 132 runs in their unbroken fifth wicket stand to put the pressure back on their opponents.
Pant has been at his level best, hitting five sixes and six fours so far and completing his 11th Test fifty off 49 balls in the process.
India’s Shreyas Iyerand Rishabh Pant run between the wickets to score. PHOTO: AP
Bangladesh missed some key opportunities to take control of the Match.
Mehidy Hasan dropped Iyer on 19 off Taskin before wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan missed a simple stumping chance off Shakib soon after.
The first session of the day belonged to Bangladesh as Taijul had KL Rahul (10) and Shubman Gill (20) out leg-before in successive overs before he dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara for 24.
Rahul was initially declared not out but the decision was overturned on review.
Gill walked off after he was struck plumb in front by Taijul in the next over.
The left-arm spinner then broke the fledging 34-run partnership between Pujara and Kohli just as the duo looked set.
Pujara, who completed 7,000 Test runs during the innings, was caught by Mominul Haque at forward short leg.
Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin claimed four wickets apiece on day one as India bowled out Bangladesh for a modest total in the first innings.
India won the first Test of the two-match series by 188 runs in Chittagong.
“I want to create some future years,” said Jotaro Saito, whose theme in his runway is ‘Memories of the Future’.
The brand’s signature pattern, ‘Striped Buttons’, are scattered all over the place. A modern pattern that combines the classical pattern ‘Stripe Pattern’ and the ‘Peony’ with large blooming flowers creates a unique design with a fresh mood. For example, striped buttons with elegant oriental flowers are layered with plaid for a casual look. A kimono made of only striped buttons is paired with a ribbon in a trendy polka dot pattern for a fresh look.
The exterior is dominated by dark pink with an emotional floral pattern for a more dramatic impression. A seemingly simple black and grey kimono, with bright mustard accents on the lining, creates a gorgeous mood.
In addition, casual kimonos using clothing materials such as knitted materials with block stripe patterns and denim with zebra patterns on the lining are also available. In each case, modern elements such as clutches and hats are incorporated into the styling for a light look.
BEIRUT (AP) – Youssef Safouri wandered through a noisy jam-packed Beirut market, where the hundreds of families who flocked to stands selling gifts by Lebanese designers belied a severe economic crisis that has sapped the savings of millions.
Safouri is among thousands of Lebanese who left the country when its economy started to tumble in late 2019. They have now become a lifeline for families back home who receive remittances from abroad and cash brought in suitcases during holiday visits. Three-quarters of the population is now plunged into poverty.
From his new home in Canada, Safouri, an accountant, sends part of his monthly salary back to his family to help cover skyrocketing monthly expenses, from private generator and water bills to surging food prices.
“Everyone is having a hard time getting their money out of the bank and trying to cover their basic expense at home,” he said. “I was forced to leave the country and my family to make money abroad and send it back.”
Lebanon will receive roughly USD6.8 billion in remittances this year, up from almost USD6.4 billion in 2021, as they continue to be a core component of the country’s shrinking and battered economy. The World Bank estimates they are worth almost 38 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.
People buy gifts from a booth at a market in Beirut, Lebanon. PHOTOS: APPeople walk past holiday decorations at the Beirut Souks, Lebanon
Apart from the remittances sent from abroad, many of the diaspora return during the holiday season, bringing with them much-needed cash dollars.
Caretaker Tourism Minister Walid Nassar said last month that the crisis-hit country is expecting some 700,000 people to come into the country during the holiday season, most of them of Lebanese descent. He estimated they will bring some USD1.5 billion between December and mid-January.
Beirut international airport is expected to receive USD6.1 million tourists this year, about 400,000 more than in 2021, with daily arrivals doubling during the holiday season.
Since Lebanon’s financial meltdown over three years ago, banks have essentially locked out depositors from their own savings as they suffered losses worth tens of billions of dollars. The country’s mismanaged economy for decades has been mired in corruption and wasteful spending.
Before its fragile economy collapsed, Lebanon had a sizeable middle class that was able to spend money to celebrate holidays with family.
The crisis has forced a drastic lifestyle change for most of the country, unable to afford skyrocketing costs for gifts and celebrations.
Farah Jurdi, a mother of two, said her husband’s job in Saudi Arabia over the past decade has been crucial for her to avoid having to compromise on her children’s quality of life.
With the economic crisis, it has become even more critical, as he helps his parents and his siblings with their expenses as well.
“I always worry that he would have to come back to Lebanon one day, because life will not be the same,” she said.
Remittances have become necessary not only for celebrating the holidays but for many families in Lebanon they cover the most basic household expenses, said assistant professor of Finance at the American University of Beirut Mohamad Faour.
“Prices are steadily reverting back to pre-crisis levels, but salary increases are nowhere near these levels,” he said. “Someone earning a salary of LBP5 million (about USD113) cannot afford a generator bill unless some relative sends them US dollars.”
At the market, which was filled with hundreds of families strolling past the maze of decorated stands and enjoying live music, most refused to talk about the remittances they receive from relatives abroad and the lifestyle changes they’ve had to endure.
But the planner behind the event admitted they have had to go the extra mile to make their market more affordable this year. They have included more affordable pop-up gift shops and cut entry fees for children.
“People who live in Lebanon need a breath of fresh air or a change of scenery,” organiser Cynthia Wardi said.
BANGKOK (AP) – Three Cabinet ministers from Myanmar attended an informal regional meeting in Thailand’s capital on Thursday to discuss efforts to restore peace in the military-run country, Thai officials said.
“The open-ended informal consultation was meaningful, with ministers engaging in free-flow and proactive discussions,” Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kanchana Patarachoke said. Representatives from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam also attended the meeting.
There was no indication that the talks made any progress toward resolving Myanmar’s crisis or in facilitating more engagement with its generals. Myanmar’s military government is shunned by many nations for seizing power and violently suppressing opposition to its rule, but neighbouring Thailand has remained on good terms with the generals and refrained from serious criticism.
The meeting came a day after the United Nations (UN) Security Council approved a resolution demanding an immediate end to violence in Myanmar and urging its military rulers to restore democratic institutions and release all “arbitrarily detained” prisoners, including ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The council voted 12-0 on Wednesday’s resolution, with China, India and Russia abstaining.
Kanchana said in Thursday’s informal meeting held in Bangkok on the sidelines of Thai-Myanmar bilateral talks.
Those attending from Myanmar included Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Kan Zaw, and Minister for International Cooperation Ko Ko Hlaing.
Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that its delegation “cordially exchanged views on the matters of Myanmar’s cooperation with ASEAN for the implementation of the ASEAN five-point consensus” and other matters. It also reiterated its defence of the military government’s actions.
Former Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi. PHOTO: AP
AP – The United States (US) government’s highway safety agency said on Thursday it will send teams to investigate two November crashes in California and Ohio involving Teslas that may have been operating on automated driving systems.
The probes bring to 35 the number of crashes investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since 2016 in which either Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” or “Autopilot” systems likely were in use. Nineteen people were killed in the crashes.
The California crash occurred on Thanksgiving Day involving eight vehicles on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The driver told authorities that the Tesla Model S was using the company’s “Full Self-Driving” software, according to Highway Patrol report obtained by CNN.
The Ohio crash happened on November 18 near Toledo, when a Tesla Model 3 crashed into an Ohio Highway Patrol SUV stopped on a roadway with its emergency lights flashing.
A message was left Thursday seeking comment from Tesla on the latest NHTSA action. The company based in Austin, Texas, has disbanded its media relations department.
The agency said on Thursday that it sent the team to the California crash after gathering information from law enforcement officers and Tesla.
The eight-vehicle crash happened about noon, closing two lanes and clogging traffic on the holiday. Nine people were treated for minor injuries including a child who was hospitalised, according to CNN, which got a copy of the crash report through a public records request.
I would like to offer a parent’s perspective on the letter, ‘Call for more teaching, less testing’, published in the Opinion page on December 17.
I have two children currently juggling between regular school and religious education. The trouble is: both schools have adopted the same method of assessing students – regular testing. As a result, when they come home, they barely have any enthusiasm left for homework, often opting to either stare into space for hours or play computer games in their rooms.
If the national vision is to have an educated populace, is it not going in the wrong direction? It is understandable to test students from time to time to chart their progress, but regular testing is taking up the time of the teacher that could have been spent checking up on the students, to see where they are at and if they need help in certain areas.
What’s more concerning is that some parents send their children to night classes to counter the perceived incompetence of public school teachers. As a result, especially those who are already filling up most of their waking hours with regular school and religious education, students often arrive home with very little interest in anything but sleep.
If the objective of regular testing is to make sure the right students get to progress to the next stage, it is negated by the no-fail policy. So, the question is: what are these tests and exams meant to achieve?
I believe that the authorities need to rethink their strategies. Ultimately, the aim is to educate the next generation. But if the learning itself plays second fiddle to data collection, then perhaps a new approach to education is in order.
Heavy rain caused flash flooding at several areas in the Brunei-Muara District yesterday evening.
Photo shows a flooded area in Kampong Kilanas.
The Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department has upgraded the weather advisory to red, calling for residents in affected areas to take precautionary measures.
