Explosion Hits Urumqi, Capital of China's Restive Xinjiang Region

Policemen from the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team practice during a drill in Urumqi, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, in this file photo.Reuters

A blast in the restive Chinese province of Xinjiang has injured an unknown number of people, the country's official news agency has said.

Explosives were thrown from two vehicles on a busy street in the provincial capital Urumqi early on Thursday and smoke and flames engulfed market stalls, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Tensions in the western province of Xinjiang have been on the rise since the 2009 clashes between ethnic Uighurs and the majority Han Chinese.

More than 200 people had been killed in the riots. Beijing, which accuses the Uighurs of terrorism and separatists plans, tightened security measures in the remote, resource-rich region.

More details of the blast are awaited. Beijing tightly controls information from the violence-hit far western region, and the official news agency has just said "an unknown amount of people" have been injured in the blast.

However, Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter) users posted messages and pictures of the blast through their accounts.

"There were multiple strong explosions in the morning market at the Cultural Palace in Urumqi ... I saw flames and heavy smoke as vehicles and goods were on fire while vendors escaped leaving their goods behind," a Weibo user posted.

In April, Urumqi witnessed a deadly knife attack that coincided with the visit of President Xi Jinping to the region. Before that, a bomb attack at the railway station killed three people and injured dozens. Beijing blamed Uighur militants for the attacks.

In March, suspected Uighur militants stabbed to death 29 people and wounded 143 at a railway station in the south-western city of Kunming.

Japanese Researchers Invent a New Safer Lithium Battery That Uses Parasitic Conduction

A lithium ion battery installed in a Toyota Prius Hybrid electrical carAFP

Researchers at the Tohoku University in Japan have created a new type of lithium ion conductor that could greatly decrease the fire risks associated with lithium batteries.

Due to its long life, Lithium ion is currently the preferred choice of rechargeable battery for everything from air planes and electrical cars to wearable tech, smartphones, tablets and implantable medical devices.

However, the compound relies on liquid chemistries, whereby lithium salts dissolve into organic liquid electrolyte solvents that are highly flammable, so in order to remove fire risks, the cells in batteries would need to be completely solid-state.

To achieve this, the researchers used rock salt Lithium Borohydride (LiBH4). This compound has previously been considered for use in lithium batteries, but has so far only been able to work if it is at a high temperature or pressure.

Their research, entitled "Synthesis of rock-salt type lithium borohydride and its peculiar Li+ ion conduction properties", is published in the open access journal APL Materials.

Synthesis of cubic LiBH4 at ambient pressure and Parasitic Conduction Mechanism exhibited in KI - LiBH4 solid solutionHitoshi Takamura, Tohoku University

By applying LiBH4 to a cubic lattice of KI molecules (a process called "doping"), the researchers were able to stabilise the high-pressure form of Lithium Borohydride, which formed a solid solution at normal atmospheric pressure that was also stable at room temperature.

Usually, doping is performed by adding a small amount of stabilising element to an ionic conductor that is abundant in Lithium. However, in this case, the Li+ ions acted as if they were pure Li+ ion conductors, even though they were only meant to be doping the KI lattices.

"In other words, LiBH4 is a sort of 'parasite' but not a host material," said Hitoshi Takamura, who led the research at Tohoku University.

The researchers are calling this behaviour "parasitic conduction" and believe that this method could be used for other new batteries. For example, small amounts of Li+ ions could be used to dope an oxide, sulphide, halide or nitride host material.

"This work suggests the potential of this mechanism in the ongoing search for the perfect material for use in solid state batteries. The urgency of this quest has been abundantly clear after the grounding of so many aircraft in recent months," said Takamura.

India Reforms Drive: PM-Elect Narendra Modi Mulls Breakup of Behemoth Coal India

Modi government may consider breakup of behemoth Coal India.Reuters

India's prime minister-designate, Narendra Modi is considering breaking up the state-run Coal India, the world's largest miner of the fuel, a move that can attract foreign investments into the sector, increase coal output and slash imports.

Any reform in the country will begin with Coal India, as it accounts for 80% of the nation's coal output, a source at Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) told Reuters.

Modi's government could convert the various Coal India units into independent firms, and bring on board the respective state governments as equity holders to expedite land acquisition and other processes, a top Coal India official told the news agency.

The new government could also take to auctioning coal blocks through open tenders, as New Delhi already does for oil and gas deposits.

The plan to set right the coal sector will guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply across Asia's third-largest economy. Coal-fired power plants generate more than half of India's electricity and remain the cheapest source of energy.

Coal India's stock has surged 27.48% this year on hopes that the new government will reform the sector, boosting the firm's prospects.

By comparison, India's main stock index, the S&P BSE Sensex, has jumped 17.28% this year.

Coal India Struggling

Coal India has not been able to meet output targets for years.

Bureaucracy, strikes, protests against land acquisition and delays in securing environmental approvals have left coal output far below demand – India is now the world's third-largest importer even as it sits on the fifth-largest reserves.

Credit Suisse analysts Neelkanth Mishra and Ravi Shankar wrote in a 19 May note that a dismal domestic coal output is one of the main reasons for the slowdown in India's investment cycle.

Boosting coal volumes could be a top priority for the incoming government, they added.

"The only meaningful solution, though much harder to implement, is to either break Coal India up, and divide ownership of its subsidiaries among the states where they operate, or in some way introduce an incentive structure so that the respective state governments participate in the growth of coal mining in their states," the Credit Suisse analysts said in the note.

Barclays analyst Chirag Shah wrote in a 16 May note that a decisive election victory has offered the incoming government an opportunity to effect a complete image makeover of the mining sector and that mining sector growth, particularly coal, will tackle several economic and social issues

"We think it is time that India put its mining sector house in order. The sector's GDP contribution has dropped from 4% in 1994 to 2% in FY14E and the sector's current account deficit has increased to $26bn [£15.4bn, €19bn]....

"We estimate the Indian mining sector needs investment of $20bn, and policymakers should draw on global best practices in a way that attracts large private sector participation," the Barclays analyst said in the note.

Output and Imports

India's coal production in the 11 months to February 2014 was 497.2 million tonnes, according to data from the Ministry of Mines. Output stood at 557.8 million in the financial year 2012-13.

India imported 158.8 million tonnes of coal in the financial year 2013-14, according to data from research firm OreTeam.

Government data released in February showed the nation imported 145.8 million tonnes of coal in the financial year 2012-13. Indonesia was the top supplier that year.

Fukushima Operator Tepco Begins Pumping Groundwater into Pacific Ocean

US Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy looks around the central control room for the unit one and unit two reactors of the tsunami-crippled Tepco.Reuters

The operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant has started pumping groundwater that is considered to be within legal radiation safety limits, into the Pacific Ocean.

Tepco said it has started diverting groundwater into the ocean in a bid to reduce the volume of contaminated water.

Officials said the diversion plan is an attempt to prevent unpolluted groundwater from flowing under the plant and mixing with water contaminated with radioactive isotopes.

Fukushima operators have been struggling with water contamination since the plant meltdown in 2011, caused by the earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan.

According to AFP, coping with the huge amounts of contaminated water has been the biggest challenges for Tepco. It is estimated up to 400 tonnes of groundwater is contaminated beneath the site every day.

Water well unit haul from subsurface water is seen near No.3 (L) and No.4 reactor buildings at Fukushima nuclear plant.Reuters

After passing safety tests and following an agreement with fishermen, engineers started releasing water into the Pacific.

A spokesman said: "With the bypass system, we are able to reduce by up to 80 tons per day."

Kazue Suzuki, a campaigner for Greenpeace Japan, said the decision for the fishermen to agree to the pumping "must have been agonising", but that they had no other option.

At present there is no solution for dealing with the thousands of gallons of contaminated water stored at the site, although many experts suggest it will eventually have to be released into the sea.

The announcement comes as one of the decontamination systems at Fukushima had been shut down following a fault.

Tepco said its Advanced Liquid Processing System was placed on standby after processed water was found to be cloudy instead of clear, Japan Today reports.

Higher levels of calcium were thought to be the cause, but why the levels were raised is unknown.

Syrian Refugee Families Marrying off Underage Teenagers for Food

Syrian refugee childrenReuters

An increasing number of Syrian refugees in Jordan are marrying off their underage children despite aid workers' efforts to curb the practice, Unicef officials have said.

"A preliminary analysis of 2013 data suggests that the number of early marriages has gone up," Michele Servadei, Unicef deputy representative in Jordan, told IBTimes UK. He was unable to provide an exact figure.

Servadei said that continued displacement of Syrian families and economic hardship caused by the civil war meant that some parents saw dowry money as a possible source of livelihood.

"[Hardship] may lead families to marry off their girls to lessen the economic stress on the family," added Maaike Van Adrichem, Unicef child protection specialist in Jordan.

According to Unicef, in 2012 18% of all marriages between Syrian refugees registered in sharia courts in Jordan involved an underage girl or boy. The number went up in 2013, partly because of a rise in refugee numbers.

Sham marriages, where girls are sold off to elderly foreigners who often abandon them a few weeks later, have also been reported.

Many unions go unregistered due to the differences between the Jordanian and Syrian legal and social framework, and aid workers are struggling to monitor the more than 400,000 refugees living in Jordan's urban areas outside the camps.

Jordanian law allows girls and boys aged between 15 and 18 to marry, but only under exceptional circumstances. In Syria girls are allowed to marry as early as 13.

Early marriage was a common practice before the war, especially in conservative, rural areas. A 2011 Unicef report found that 13% of girls in Syria were married before turning 18.

Conflict, poor safety and precarious living conditions experienced by refugees have resulted in an increase in parents' desire to marry off their children, especially daughters, at a young age as the marital status is perceived as a form of protection.

"A lot of people consider that in a situation of insecurity marriage will provide some kind of safety for her," said Lakshmi Sundaram, global coordinator for NGO Girls Not Brides.

"What they don't necessarily realise is that a marriage can be an incredibly unsafe environment for a girl as she is at much greater risk of domestic violence and sexual violence.

"Data shows that girls who marry young are much more likely to experience violence within the marriage and their first sexual experiences are often forced.

"They can also face difficult health consequences as they often have children long before their bodies are ready," she explained.

Education is one weapon in the fight to reduced underage marriages, Sundaram said. Children who have been educated are six times less likely to marry at a young age. One additional year of secondary schooling increases a girl's earning potential by15-25%, she added.

Unicef said it was working closely with the Jordanian government and civil society partners to develop strategies to reduce the number of early marriages.

Truphone to Eliminate Roaming Charges Across 66 Countries

Truphone World ends roaming charges for customers across 66 countries, including US, Russia, China and all of Europe.

Mobile network operator Truphone has launched a new service that allows users to avoid roaming charges across 66 countries, pre-empting the forthcoming EU regulations that aim to end costly roaming bills.

MEPs in the European Parliament voted last month to end roaming charges across all 28 EU member states, with the new regulations due to come into play in December 2015.

Truphone, however, has claimed that such regulations are "limited" and do not address the urgent need for businesses and travellers to have international roaming charges scrapped.

"Waiting 18 months for limited EU roaming regulations to come into force isn't enough for businesses competing in the global economy," said Steve Robertson, chief executive officer of Truphone.

"Last year data usage increased five-fold in some places and the Internet has added a new dimension to international trade. Our unique global mobile network connects people across international borders in a way which no one else can match."

Truphone World, the service launched by the network today, comes with a plan that allows the transfer of half a terabyte's worth of data across the 66 countries, which include the USA, Brazil, Russia and China, as well as all of Europe.

Truphone World SIM cards work by storing up to eight international numbers that allow users to communicate with contacts at local rates.

"This tiny piece of technology [The Truphone SIM], smaller than my thumbnail, is at the heart of a unique high performance network that covers half the world," said James Tagg, chief technology officer and founder of Truphone.

"Mobile phones should work in the same way as the internet; without regard for international borders. Truphone World will fundamentally change the way businesses behave internationally."

South Africa Lifts Ban on Gay Men Donating Blood

South Africa's previous policy on blood donation was perceived as discriminatory against gay men

Gay South African men are now allowed to donate blood as a new non-discriminatory policy has been implemented by the government, mambaonline.com reports.

Prior to the new policy, gay men were seen as having a high risk of being infected with HIV and could only donate blood to the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) if they had been celibate for six months or longer.

The old policy was perceived to unfairly target gay men, as it allowed heterosexual people who engaged in equally risky or casual sex to donate.

"It took us a while because we didn't have local facts that warranted changing our policy, although we knew South Africa was different from other countries in terms of risk of HIV," said Vanessa Raju, SANBS Communications Manager.

"The policy wasn't meant to be discriminatory, but it was seen as such," she admitted. "We then worked closely with the Department of Health and other organisations to reassess the situation."

Following the implementation of the new regulation, anyone who has a new sexual partner will not be allowed to donate blood for six months, and anyone who has multiple partners will not be allowed to donate blood. Both criteria are irrespective of a person's sexual orientation.

"This policy would apply to me, for example, who's just started dating someone new," Raju explained. "But people who are in monogamous male same-sex relationships [for more than six months] can now donate."

Johan Meyer, Health Manager at OUT Well-being in Pretoria, welcomed the news.

"This change in the SANBS policy is wonderful and a breakthrough for the LGBTI sector. The previous policy was seen as discriminatory, although it was not meant to be" Meyer said.

"Now everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, is treated the same. It shows the value of good research, which can provide evidence for the basis of policy change."

Blood donation policies perceived as discriminatory against gay men are in place in many countries.

In England, Scotland and Wales, men are not permitted to give blood for 12 months after having sex with another man. In Northern Ireland, men who have sex with men are permanently banned from donating blood.

Similar bans are in place in the US and France.

Taliban 'Behead Eight Policemen in Afghanistan'

Afghan security forces arrive at the scene after Taliban fighters stormed a government building in Jalalabad province.Reuters

Armed militants believed to be Taliban fighters have beheaded eight policemen and killed at least eight others in Afghanistan, just days before the climax of a landmark presidential election.

Villagers found the headless bodies of eight officers who were taken hostage two weeks ago in the southern province of Zabul, deputy provincial governor Mohammad Jan Rassoulyar told AFP.

"Their bodies were discovered in Nawbahar district and we have sent elders to bring them to Qalat [the provincial capital]," he added.

Eight further policemen were killed during attacks on several checkpoints in the northeast province of Badakhshan.

Regional police chief General Fazeluddin Ayar said the attackers were Taliban, and reported that the checkpoint assaults took place in the district of Yamgan.

Fighting in the Yamgan area began on Tuesday evening, but is ongoing. Police have sent reinforcements to combat the militants.

The Taliban are believed to have targeted Afghan security forces as the country continues to hold the milestone presidential election, the second round run-off of which begins this week.

Over 350,000 Afghan police and military have taken the reins from Nato forces to provide security for the election.

Taliban representatives were not available for comment.

Pakistan's Surprise Air Strikes Kill 32 Suspected Militants in North Waziristan

Pakistan's surprise air strikes kill 32 suspected militants in north WaziristanReuters file photo

Surprise aerial strikes by Pakistani fighter jets and helicopters on militant hideouts have killed at least 32 suspected Islamist insurgents in the north Waziristan region.

The coordinated onslaught has also injured 80 people, many critically, and the number of casualties is likely to increase.

"There were confirmed reports that militants involved in recent attacks including a blast at an internally displaced persons [IDP] camp in Peshawar, bomb attacks in Mohmand and Bajaur tribal regions ... and attacks on security forces convoys in NWA [North Waziristan], were hiding in these hideout," a senior security official told the AFP.

The "precise aerial strikes" are said to have killed some senior militant commanders and foreign militants although the authorities are tight-lipped about revealing their identities.

Insurgent bases in Mosaki, Zara Mela, Esorti as well the Miranshah, the main town of north Waziristan, have been targeted in the attack.

Local reports point to women and children being among the civilian casualties, although security officials remain silent on the topic.

There has been no independent confirmation of the specifics of the strikes as journalists are not allowed to enter the area and an indefinite curfew has been clamped on the place.

The decision to press ahead with the aerial operation is believed to have taken place during the high-level security meeting, headed by Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the eve of the attack. Scores of top Islamabad officials took part in the meeting as the PM vowed to fight terror attacks.

North Waziristan, a mountainous region in Pakistan borders Afghanistan and has long been a stronghold of Taliban and al-Qaida extremists.

Russia Signs Landmark Gas Agreement With China

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping shake hands at a summit in Shanghai(Reuters)

Russian energy giant Gazprom has signed a long-term agreement to supply China with natural gas.

Following more than a decade of negotiations between the two parties over pricing, the two sides sealed an agreement in Shanghai on Wednesday.

Russian state broadcaster RT reported that the deal will see Gazprom providing 38bn cubic metres of natural gas to China each year for 30 years, starting in 2018.

There were no official pricing details on the deal, which is believed to involve the construction of a new pipeline linking the countries.

RT quoted Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller as saying the price details are a "commercial secret".

The deal represents a diplomatic boost for the Kremlin, following widespread international condemnation of Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Gazprom shares rose almost 2% after the deal was announced on Wednesday.

More to follow...

Ex-Head of JPMorgan China Investment Banking Arrested by Hong Kong Anti-Graft Agency

A sign stands in front of the JPMorgan Chase

The former head of JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s investment banking operations in China was arrested by Hong Kong's anti-graft agency allegedly over the bank's hiring practices.

Beijing-based news outlet Caixi, citing unidentified sources, reported that Fang Fang was arrested by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in Hong Kong. He was released on bail later, but was restricted from leaving Hong Kong, the magazine said.

The arrest is suspected to have links with the bank's scandalous hiring practices in Asia. The US banking giant is facing a number of investigations over the matter.

The arrest comes after the ICAC searched a JPMorgan office in Hong Kong in March and seized computer records and documents from Fang's office, according to Bloomberg's sources.

In the same month, Fang had resigned from JPMorgan, according to an internal memo.

He joined JPMorgan in August 2001 from Beijing Enterprises Holdings Ltd, where he served as a vice president. He became head of JPMorgan's China investment-banking business in 2007 and was made vice chairman for Asia investment banking in 2009.

In 2013, JPMorgan was accused of hiring the daughter of Wen Jiabao, the former Chinese prime minister.

Wen Ruchun, or "Lily Chang" as she was known, was paid $75,000 a month by JPMorgan through her firm Fullmark Consultants, which only had two employees, according to the New York Times.

US regulators are examining JPMorgan's habit of hiring the children of well-connected politicians in the Asia-Pacific region to allegedly help acquire business. The bank is yet to be charged with any wrongdoing.

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had questioned at least five top banks based in the US or Europe, including Goldman Sachs, as the regulator is looking to expand investigation into their hiring practices in Asia.

The SEC sent letters to a group of companies including Credit Suisse Group AG, Goldman Sachs Group, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup Inc and UBS AG, seeking more information about their hiring in Asia, according to the media report.

The SEC is examining whether the banks violated anti-bribery laws by hiring relatives of powerful government officials in Asia.

According to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), a US law dating back to the 1970s and intended to curb bribes to foreign government officials, companies would be guilty if they hire employees at the direction of an official at a state-run company who is able to grant business to the hiring company.

Chinese Father Kills Daughter, 11, over Copied Homework

Chinese parents often put heavy pressure on their children over educationReuters

A Chinese father has beaten his 11-year-old daughter to death for copying her homework.

Police in Hangzhou, a metropolis in the eastern Zhejiang province, said the man, identified as Zhang, went berserk after he found out the girl had cheated numerous times at school, copying her home assignments from a classmate.

He tied her hands, ordered her to kneel down and started beating her up, Xhinua state news agency reported.

As the girl stopped breathing, he took her to a local hospital where she died a few hours later.

According to the Xiandai Jinbao newspaper, apart from widespread bruises and injuries on the girl's back and neck, doctors also found signs she had been strangled for up to five minutes.

Corporal punishment as an educational method is still widely used by parents and teachers in China, particularly in the rural south.

Children also face huge parental pressure over their school results, as competition is fierce in the country of 1.3 billion people.

A 13-year-old boy in Jiangsu province recently hanged himself because he was not able to complete his homework, the China Daily reported.

Mystery of African Fairy Circles Reignited After Termite Theory Quashed

Aerial photo of the fairy circles in Marienfluss Valley.Dr. Stephan Getzin/UFZ

A long-standing mystery about the formation of "fairy circles" in Africa's Namibian grasslands has been reignited after a scientist quashed the only plausible theory put forward.

The fairy circles are barren patches of land that are frequently found in certain grassland regions in Africa. Size-wise, some of the fairy circles are just a few metres in diameter, but others can reach up to 20m.

It was previously thought the circles were formed by termites, with the insects nibbling away the grassroots, causing dieback of vegetation.

Another theory suggested that hydrocarbons from the depths of the earth were responsible - the gasses were thought to rise to the surface resulting in the disappearance of vegetation. Some scientists also believe the self-regulating grass growth is the cause, as the fairy circles are found in transition areas between grasslands and desert regions.

Stephan Getzin from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, said: "Although scientists have been trying to answer this question for decades their mystery remains as yet unresolved."

Published in the journal Ecography, researchers carried out a detailed analysis of the spatial distribution of the fairy circles and found a remarkably distribution pattern.

Close-up view of a fairy circle.Dr. Stephan Getzin/UFZ

Getzin looked into which hypothesis was most likely. With aerial images, the researchers looked at the exact distribution of the fairy circles: "The occurrence of such patterning in nature is rather unusual. There must be particularly strong regulating forces at work".

Discrediting the termite theory, the authors said no one has observed these creatures creating the holes, let alone making such consistent patterns. Getzin said: "There is, up to now, not one single piece of evidence demonstrating that social insects are capable of creating homogenously distributed structures, on such a large scale."

In terms of abiotic gas emissions, the team say this is unlikely to lead to such evenly dispersed fairy circles.

They said the most likely cause was the resource competition among plants and vegetation, which could potentially result in regular circles. Offering an example, they said a mature tree needs sufficient space and nutrition, so can only survive an appropriate distance from its neighbour.

"We consider this at present being the most convincing explanation," Getzin said.

Nigeria Boko Haram Insurgency: 17 Killed in Borno State Village Day after Jos Bombs

Policemen stand near damaged vehicles in Sabon Gari, Kano, after a car bomb killed five.Reuters

At least 17 people have reportedly been killed in a Boko Haram attack on the Borno state village of Alagarno.

The BBC reports that many homes were burnt in the assault on the village.

Borno state is currently under a state of emergency after the Nigerian parliament approved an extension following a spate of Boko Haram attacks in the north of Nigeria.

The incident comes just a day after twin bomb blasts rocked the central Nigerian city of Jos, killing 118 people.

More to follow...

Egypt: Hosni Mubarak Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak waves to his supporters inside a cage in a courtroom at the police academy in Cairo.Reuters

An Egyptian court has sentenced former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to three years in prison for embezzlement of public funds.

His two sons, Gamal and Alaa, were both sentenced to four years each in prison on corruption charges.

It is unclear whether the former Egyptian leader, 86, will be kept in hospital or sent back to the Tora prison complex.

Mubarak ruled Egypt for almost 30 years before being ousted from power when mass protests rose against his regime in February 2011 as part of the burgeoning Arab Spring.

More to follow..

Hot Shots Photos of the Day: Ukip Carnival, Air Show, Lion Dentistry

Lucifer, a 30-stone male Asian lion, is examined by London Zoo's team of vets and keepers as they carry out a health check ahead of him moving home. Lucifer, named after his studbook number of 666, has been given a clean bill of health and is due to move later this week.London Zoo

A veterinarian puts a rope around a pig's head to help it out of water during heavy floods in the village of Prud, BosniaReuters

Fata Kovacevic sits near her flood-damaged house after landslides in Topcic Polje, BosniaReuters

Yekaterina Len, 61, cries outside her destroyed house following what locals say was overnight shelling by Ukrainian forces on the outskirts of the eastern Ukrainian town of SlovyanskReuters

Men search for survivors under the rubble of collapsed houses at a site hit by what activists said was a Scud missile from forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in the town of Mareh in the countryside north of AleppoReuters

German soldiers fire mortars during an exercise at an army training area in BergenReuters

Northrop F-5E Tiger II aircraft of the Swiss Air Force perform during the opening of the ILA Berlin Air ShowReuters

Afghan President Hamid Karzai walks away after shaking hands with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping before the opening ceremony of a summit in ShanghaiReuters

Kim Kardashian holds her daughter North in her arms as she shops in ParisReuters

Model Petra Nemcova takes a selfie with a mobile phone as she poses on the red carpet for the screening of the film "Deux jours, une nuit" (Two Days, One Night) at the Cannes Film FestivalReuters

Marion Cotillard's dress is pictured as she poses during a photocall for the film "Deux jours, une nuit" (Two Days, One Night) in competition at the 67th Cannes Film FestivalReuters

Cast member Rachid Youcef jumps during a photocall for the film "Geronimo" at the Cannes Film FestivalReuters

Sarah Jessica Parker performs with children during a talent show at the East Room of the White HouseGetty

Winston Mckenzie, Ukip candidate for Croydon North, takes a call regarding the whereabouts of party leader Nigel Farage. He was due to attend the Ukip carnival on Croydon High Street in an attempt to counter accusations his party was racist, but pulled out at the last minute - reportedly because of fears for his safetyGetty

Protesters hold placards during the shambolic Ukip carnival in CroydonGetty

Student protesters gather outside of the state library in Melbourne to protest against education funding cutsGetty

Delma and Peg Welch, who have been together for more than two decades, join gay rights supporters at a rally on the Pennsylvania State Capitol steps after a ruling struck down a ban on same-sex marriageReuters

General Motors Recalls Another 2.4 Million Vehicles

GM recalls another 2.4 million vehicles.Reuters

Troubled automaker General Motors has recalled another 2.4 million vehicles globally, to deal with potentially faulty air bags, fire issues, seat belts and transmissions.

The latest batch of recalls include the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia medium crossovers from the 2009-2014 model years and Saturn Outlooks from 2009-2010; Chevrolet Malibu from the 2004-2008 model years and Pontiac G6 from the 2005-2008 model years; Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs from the 2015 model year; and Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD full-size pickups also from the 2015 model year.

There have been no fatalities associated with the recalls, the Detroit automaker said in a statement on 20 May. The recalls mostly affect vehicles sold in the US.

GM on Tuesday also doubled the charge it expects to assume in the second-quarter, to about $400m (£237m, €292m), mostly covering the cost of recall-related repairs.

The latest batch of recalls brings GM's total for the year the world over to almost 15.4 million.

GM's stock finished 3.45% lower on 20 May in New York.

GM Fined $35m

Last week, GM agreed to pay a record fine to settle an investigation that alleged it delayed recalling cars with faulty ignition switches.

GM reached an agreement with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and will pay $35m – the maximum fine allowed by US law.

"We have learned a great deal from this recall. We will now focus on the goal of becoming an industry leader in safety," GM CEO Mary Barra said in a statement.

Mounting Recalls

On 15 May, GM recalled 2.7 million vehicles globally, to deal with tail lamp malfunctions, adding to the 2.6 million cars recalled earlier for faulty ignition switches.

Earlier in the month General Motors was ranked the worst large car maker to deal with by suppliers, according to a survey by automotive consultant group Planning Perspectives.

Over half of the suppliers (55%) surveyed described their relationship with GM as "poor to very poor" – up from 48% last year. GM wins the dubious claim of least popular car maker from Chrysler, which has held it since 2008.

Toyota came on top of the list, with Honda second, while Nissan took third place pushing Ford down to fourth. Chrysler was elevated to fifth courtesy of GM's dismal last placing.

Downbeat Results

Last month, GM reported its worst quarterly performance in over four years.

The firm on 24 April said first-quarter profit had plunged 88% in the wake of the ignition-switch recalls.

However, results still beat expectations on improving sales of higher-priced and redesigned pickup trucks in North America.

The January-March quarter included the previously revealed charge of $1.3bn for the ignition-switch recall, and Chief Financial Officer Chuck Stevens said it was too early to foretell whether GM would have to factor in more charges.

Firms Invest £7bn in Social Programs but Impact 'Unclear'

A report has found that the impact of social investments is unclear, despite huge investmentReuters

A report has found that despite one hundred of the top companies worldwide investing over £7.3bn in social programs in 2013, the actual impact is unclear.

The KPMG International report, titled Unlocking the Value of Social Investment, shows that despite the large investments in the aim of helping communities, very few companies are reporting the impact.

Only 19% of the firms have given any quantified metrics for the impact of the programs that they fund, which are intended to tackle issues such as access to education, healthcare, and disaster relief, whilst slightly under a third reported a detailed investment strategy.

Head of sustainability at KPMG, Vincent Neate, said: "Our clients invest in communities outside their front doors and as far afield as Africa, South America and Mongolia. The question they are asking us today is how to make sure this investment has lasting sustainable impact.

"For communities' sake it is time to recognise that properly invested philanthropic dollars are the most effective way to drive prosperity and take people out of poverty.

"Measuring the impact of these investments on the ground can be challenging, but it is important to understand how effective these programs are, how they can be improved and where the money is best spent to deliver the biggest benefits. A clear strategy for social investment is essential to this process."

The investments came from the 10 largest firms in the 10 largest sectors, pumping, on average, 2.5% of their pre-tax profits into social programs.

KPMG is a global network of professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services.