Africa: Over 100 Uncharted Volcanoes 'Could Pose Threat to Life and Landscape'

Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the dormant volcanoes on the East African Rift Valley(kipala/Creative Commons)

Over 100 volcanoes in the East African Rift Valley have the potential to cause a significant threat to life and landscape, scientists have said.

The volcanoes are largely uncharted and shrouded in mystery – the dates of their last eruptions are mostly unknown and very few are monitored to highlight signs of activity.

Scientists led by the Universities of Edinburgh and Bristol are set to launch a five-year £3.7m project known as RiftVolc to find answers about these volcanoes.

They will assess the volcanoes in the East African Rift Valley in a bid to understand past volcanic behaviour, signs of current activity and to create a long-range forecast for eruptions in the region.

The area the volcanoes are located is home to mammal migrations, mountain gorillas and fertile planes, meaning the human, wildlife and financial cost of an eruption would be huge if one located in a densely populated area were to erupt.

Nabro volcano erupting in 2011(NASA Earth Observatory image by Robert Simmon, using EO-1)

Researchers note that a recent report for the World Bank found 49 of Ethiopia's 65 volcanoes are ranked in the highest category of hazard uncertainty.

In 2011, an eruption of the Nabro volcano on the Ethiopian-Eritrea border served as a reminder of the threat volcanoes pose to the region. Despite being in a remote area with only a small population, 32 people were killed and 5,000 displaced. Experts had thought the volcano was dormant.

Over the next five years, the team will collect samples, map the geological record of prior eruptions and set up geophysical instruments. They will then use the data to create models of the volcanoes history, current status and likelihood of future eruptions.

Project co-leader Kathryn Whaler, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, said: "We look forward to tackling such a scientifically challenging and exciting problem. This is only possible because of excellent working relations with our Ethiopian colleagues who, with us, are committed to working on this societally relevant project."

Oscar Pistorius Ruined Whatever the Verdict of Reeva Steenkamp Murder Trial

Nike was one of many sponsors to back off Pistorius after he shot dead Reeva Steenkamp(Nike)

Tasteless as it is to point this out, but the toll upon Oscar Pistorius of shooting dead Reeva Steenkamp can be measured in cash.

That is in sharp contrast to the impact of the 29-year-old model's violent death upon her parents, relatives and friends, which is immeasurable.

Like Albert Einstein said: "Not everything which can be counted does count, and not everything that counts can be counted."

Next to the loss felt by Steenkamp's loved ones, the contents - or otherwise - of Pistorius' bank account mean very little.

Sure, he displayed endless regret during the murder trial while coming across as an emotional wreck - a husk of a man completely broken by circumstances.

But ultimately Pistorius has been the architect of this tragedy, while Steenkamp's family and friends are the abject victims.

The six-time Paralympic gold medallist has lost the $2m a year from lucrative sponsorship deals he earned before Steenkamp was killed.

Days after Steenkamp's death on Valentine's Day last year, Nike backed off Pistorius and probably regrets the ill-timed poster above. It froze its endorsement deal with the runner, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Fashion house Thierry Mugler was also quick to distance itself from Pistorius, pulling all adverts of him advertising its fragrance.

A raft of South African firms joined the stampede away from the runner in the aftermath of Steenkamp's death. They have not returned and it is difficult to see them doing so now.

Since the shooting, it is hard to see what sources of income Pistorius has had except for interest on previous earnings and any stocks and shares.

Fees for appearances? What appearances? The only place Pistorius has been appearing is North Gauteng High Court - unpaid and while out on 1m Rand bail.

There is also the matter of his legal team, led by Barry Roux. Some context here: Roux is a man who carries his legal papers around in a royal purple coloured bag which has his initials embroidered upon it in gold.

So it is no big leap to say that Roux and his team have not come cheap.

Paying for his legal team has cost Pistorius a reported £3,500 a day. Considering the trial has lasted six months - including a one-month break - the legal bill runs to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

A revealing insight into Pistorius' impecunious circumstances came from his family, who let slip during proceedings that they were willing to listen to offers of financial help.

He also recently took a big loss on the sale of the house in which Steenkamp was killed - to which he never returned after that fateful night.

Prior to shooting Steenkamp with expanding bullets in his luxury mansion in a gated community in Pretoria, Pistorius was reportedly on the verge of untold wealth.

All that is now gone for good. Ultimately, it means little. But the continual suffering of her family does.

Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp

India: Teen Cuts Off Uncle's Penis After Alleged Rape

Attack took place in Uttar Pradesh, the state where two teenage girls were gang raped and hanged from a mango treeReuters

An Indian teenager cut off a man's penis after he allegedly tried to rape her for a second time.

The 17-year-old girl from the northern state of Bihar was defending herself against the unwanted sexual advances of Mahendra Mehta, a local "tantric healer" who is also reportedly her uncle.

Her courage has been praised by police who are still hunting Mehta, 35, who was reportedly sent to the girl's home by her family to 'cure' her after she fell ill.

According to the Times of India, Mehta diagnosed her as being demon possessed before taking her to an isolated room where he tried to sexually assault her. When she protested he allegedly gagged and raped her on 1 July.

The following day, he asked her to come to his house but she was armed with a sharp knife and a mobile. She castrated him while recording his conversations before managing to escape, the paper reported.

Senior officer AK Singh said Mehta had not tried to heal the girl, but had instead abused his position as a member of the family and her trust.

The girl had complained to her local village council but was unable to deal with the incident.

Singh, who is superintendent at the Alam Nagar police station, located around 200 miles east of the state capital, Patna, told The Independent: "The incident happened 20 days ago. Initially the girl went to the [village council] but when that was unable to resolve the matter the case was brought to me. We then filed a case at the women's police station."

Latest figures reveal 478 reported rapes occurred in the first five months of this year in Bihar, with 130 rapes in May alone.

The offence comes just weeks after a seven-year-old girl allegedly was raped by her neighbour, also a tantric, in West Bengal.

Newcastle University Students Stabbed to Death in Malaysia Were Training to be Doctors

Neil Dalton (left) and Aidan Brunger have been stabbed to death in Borneo during a university work placement.Facebook

Two British students have been stabbed to death after being attacked by four men while on their way home from a bar in Borneo, Malaysia, the Foreign Office reports.

The victims are Newcastle University medical students Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, who had been on a six-week work placement in the region along with five other students from their course.

The two men, aged 22 and 23, had been training at a hospital in Borneo and were due to return to Britain on Friday.

They were attacked by local men as their made their way back from a night out at a bar in the city of Kuching in the early hours of the morning. They were reportedly found with stab wounds to the chest and back at 4.15am local time.

Sarawak deputy police commissioner Datuk Dr Chai Khin Chung told a local news agency the fight broke out after an argument in a bar over the students being too noisy.

A member of staff from Newcastle University is flying out to Kuching "as soon as possible" to support the other students and co-ordinate their return to the UK.

Professor Tony Stevenson, acting vice chancellor of Newcastle University, said: "We are all very shocked and extremely saddened by their deaths and our thoughts are with their families and friends at this very difficult time."

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the deaths of two British nationals in Malaysia on August 5. We are providing consular assistance to their families at this difficult time."

Local press, The Borneo Post, says three of the four alleged attacked have been arrested and a knife recovered by police.

A restaurant worker called police after witnessing the incident, the report added.

Iraqi Yazidis Starving in Sinjar: 30,000 Trapped by Islamic State Fighters Face Death

Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing the violence in the Iraqi town of Sinjar, west of MosulReuters

Thousands of displaced Iraqis belonging to an ancient and secretive religion have been trapped in the Sinjar mountains and left to starve to death after escaping a siege from Sunni militants of the Islamic State.

The humanitarian tragedy involving 30,000 fleeing Yadizis, whose religion is a syncretic combination of Zoroastrianism with Sufi Islam, dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, could turn into a genocide, according to humanitarian agencies.

"There are children dying on the mountain, on the roads," Marzio Babille, the Iraq representative for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), told the Washington Post. "There is no water, there is no vegetation, they are completely cut off and surrounded by Islamic State. It's a disaster, a total disaster."

Ten children and one elderly woman died on Tuesday, according to reports, while on Monday seven children had died.

There are around Yazidis 600,000 across Iraq and this minority sect have reportedly been persecuted for centuries. Combining Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Judaism, Nestorian Christianity and Islamic elements, the minority group considers itself different from the Kurds with whom they live.

The most important figure in the sect is Malak Taus (Peacock Angel), worshipped in the form of a peacock, who is considered to be one of the seven angels safeguarding the world.

According to Yazidi mythology, Malak Taus was thrown out from paradise for his refusal to bow down to Adam.

Muslims see this figure of a fallen angel as evil and consider Yazidi as devil-worshippers. Even moderate Muslims struggle to accept the group, given its belief in reincarnation and metempsychosis or transmigration of souls.

Jihadists in Iraq have already targeted Christians, expelling them from Mosul, and Shia Muslims.

The Islamic State took over Sinjar from the Kurdish forces, forcing 200,000 people fleeing. Most of them managed to arrive in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region. In an attempt to flee the jihadists' grip 500 Yazidi men were killed by militants. The women were enslaved as "war booty", Vian Dakhil, a Yazidi lawmaker, said.

Dakhil broke down in tears during a parliament session in which she appealed to the government and the international community to save her community from destruction.

"Over the past 48 hours, 30,000 families have been besieged in the Sinjar mountains, with no water and no food," she said.

"Seventy children have already died of thirst and 30 elderly people have also died. We are being slaughtered, our entire religion is being wiped off the face of the earth."

The UN condemned attacks by jihadists saying that "widespread or systematic attacks directed against any civilian populations because of their ethnic background, religion or belief may constitute a crime against humanity, for which those responsible must be held accountable".

Rats on a Plane: Air India Flight Forced to Land to Avoid 'Catastrophe'

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An Air India Airbus A321.(MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/GettyImages)

An Air India flight was grounded due to rats on board.

An Indian airplane, carrying hundreds of passengers, was forced to land after rats ran amok.

Air India flight AI021 was travelling from Calcutta to New Delhi when members of the staff spotted the rodents running around the cabin, The Times of India reported.

The Airbus A-321 landed safely at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. As all passengers disembarked the aircraft was taken out of service to undergo pest control treatment in the form of fumigation.

"Rats on board an aircraft can lead to a catastrophe if they start chewing up electric wires of a fly by wire plane," a senior commander said.

"If that happens, pilots will have no control on any system on board leading to a disaster."

An Air India official said that rat infestation was a "common phenomenon" on planes around the world as rodents could "get in anywhere".

"They follow the catering vans into the plane when they smell the food," the official said speaking on condition of anonymity.

Sahara Group Boss Subrata Roy Holds Deal Talks From Delhi Jail

A file photograph of Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy.Reuters

Jailed Indian businessman Subrata Roy has met potential buyers eyeing his assets, including hotels in London and New York and land parcels in India, in a conference room within Delhi's Tihar prison, reports said.

A deal will help Roy, who heads troubled financial services group Sahara India Pariwar, raise funds to post a $1.7bn (£1bn, €1.3bn) bail in Delhi.

Roy, who has put London's Grosvenor House Hotel on sale in a bid to raise the $1.7bn needed to pay India's market regulator Sebi to get out of jail, has until 19 August to negotiate deals.

Roy's steno, secretarial assistants and Sahara directors Ashok Roy Choudhary and Ravi Shankar Dubey were allowed to use the conference room.

India's top court, on 1 August, said Roy could be moved to the jail's conference room for 10 working days for deal talks.

American real estate investor Madison Capital has tabled an $800m bid for Roy's US hotels – the Plaza Hotel and Dreams Downtown Hotel.

The Sultan of Brunei, an investment arm of the Qatari royal family and Indian pharma billionaire Cyrus Poonawalla have all offered to buy the British property, which is located in the Mayfair area and managed by J W Marriott.

Roy has been in jail since 4 March after two group companies - Sahara Housing and Sahara Real Estate - failed to comply with the Supreme Court's order to refund $3.9bn to 30 million investors.

Roy acquired the New York hotels for close to $800m in 2012 and had purchased the Grosvenor for $725m in 2010. The acquisitions were financed through borrowings from the Bank of China.

Chinese City Bans Islamic Dress, Beards and Headscarves on Public Transport

A Uighur group travel on the train to Xingjiang, in ShanghaiAly Song/Reuters file photo

China has clamped a temporary ban on people wearing Islamic clothing or having a Muslim-style beard while travelling on public transport in Xinjiang, according to a report in the Karamay Daily newspaper.

The ban includes wearing hijabs, niqabs, burqas and any clothing with the Islamic crescent moon and star symbol, infuriating rights groups around the world.

The temporary restrictions have been put in place as part of security measures for the XUAR 13th Sport Games happening in the city. When the Games end on 20 August, the ban also come to an end.

Also banned on public transport during this period are "large beards", the paper said, adding: "Those who do not co-operate with inspection teams will be handled by police.

"The security measures will ensure social stability and protect the lives, property and safety of citizens of all races."

In July, Chinese authorities banned students and government staff in the region from taking part in Ramadan fasting.

The resource-rich Xinjiang region is much closer to central Asia than to Beijing and it has witnessed some bloody violence in recent months, for which the government has blamed the Uighur separatists.

Chinese authorities have blamed several deadly attacks that have happened to civilians outside the region in recent months on "terrorists" seeking independence for the region.

Meanwhile, rights groups have said that ongoing restrictions on Uighurs' religious and cultural freedoms have served to stoke tensions.

This latest ban has enraged right groups who have condemned the "discriminatory" treatment to the minority group.

The chief of US-based Uighur American Association Alim Seytoff said in a statement: "Officials in Karamay city are endorsing an openly racist and discriminatory policy aimed at ordinary Uighur people."

clashes between locals and security forces that have killed hundreds in the past year.

Kagame Plans $1bn Bond But Human Rights Cloud Remains Over Rwanda

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame plans to issue $1 billion bond(Reuters)

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has said the country plans to sell its second bond on international markets next year, in a bid to raise finance for infrastructure projects.

The bond could be worth as much as $1bn, Kagame said, as Rwanda seeks to tap blooming investor confidence in the country.

The funds would be used to finance the construction of an airport and power plants in the East African nation.

Rwanda last issued a bond of $400m in 2013. It was oversubscribed by more than eight times, Kagame told reporters at the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington on Tuesday.

"We might go for double that or more, up to $1bn," Kagame said.

Rwanda's economy is growing rapidly. Its gross domestic product has raced to an average growth of 7% over the past five years, and it is expected to expand at 7.5% in 2014.

"People who want to see Africa develop come to Rwanda particularly because we have set up a very good environment that makes things work for us and for our partners who come invest with us," Kagame said.

Human Rights Record

Despite the optimism surrounding Rwanda's rapid boom, the economic miracle has at times been overshadowed by the international criticism of the country's human rights record.

Kagame stands accused of leading an increasingly authoritarian regime, stifling dissent through violence and subverting its neighbours.

The United States slashed its military aid to Rwanda in 2013 amid evidence Kagame supported the ultra-violent M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The M23 is notorious for its use of children on the frontline.

Kagame, however, brushed off criticism of his administration's attitude to human rights.

"The markets are never wrong," he said. "Look at the situation in Rwanda, where we have been 20 years ago and where we are now. It's short of miraculous. It can't be just because we are violating human rights. It's because actually we value and respect human rights."

Kagame was one of 40 African heads of state in Washington for the investment summit.

China Earthquake Photos: Woman's 'Miracle' Rescue, Injured Victims, Landslide Devastation

An elderly woman has been rescued after spending more than two days buried under a building that collapsed during an earthquake in China.

Xiong Zhengfen, 88, was pulled from the rubble at the end of a six-hour operation to save her in the village of Babao, in Yunnan province.

Rescue workers cut through two layers of concrete to get to her and then pulled her out with the help of a rope. A bandage was placed over her eyes protect them from sunlight after more than 50 hours in the dark.

Xiong Zhengfen, 88, is rescued after being buried underneath earthquake debris for more than 50 hours(Getty)

Xiong Zhengfen, 88, is cared for after being rescued from underneath debris in Zhaotong(Getty)

The death toll has jumped from 410 to 589 as search and rescue teams found more bodies while pushing into isolated mountain communities.

Some 10,000 troops and hundreds of volunteers have tried to clear roads and dig out survivors, but landslides and heavy rains have complicated efforts.

The quake struck an area of steep hills and narrow roads that are not well suited to all the traffic of the massive relief effort. Landslides have shorn shear rocky faces into the region's valleys and piled earth on roads.

A landslide occurs over a hydro-electric power station in the earthquake zone. The earthquake has triggered landslides that have blocked rivers and created rapidly growing bodies of water that could unleash more destruction on survivors of the disaster.(Reuters)

Rescue workers walk along a collapsed road at an earthquake-hit area in Ludian countyGetty

The epicentre of the quake was 12km deep in Longtoushan Township, 23km from Zhaotong City, the county seat of Ludian County.

More than 2,400 people were injured and some 12,000 homes and a school collapsed due to the tremor — the country's deadliest earthquake in four years.

Rescue workers unearth the body of a victim from the debris of collapsed houses in Longtoushan(Reuters)

A severely injured person is carried through a window onto a train heading to Kunming to receive better medical treatment(Reuters)

A woman cries over a photo album surrounded by the debris of her house(Reuters)

A rescue worker tries to help his colleague to get out from under the debris of a house(Reuters)

Rescue workers check for victims buried under debris in Ludian county(Reuters)

An injured woman is carried down a mountain on a ladder(Reuters)

An injured child wakes up at a hospital in Ludian county(Reuters)

A man walks past a crushed vehicle in Ludian county(Reuters)

Mao Changxue changes his son's clothes after the boy's body was dug out from the debris of their home after an earthquake in Longtoushan town, Ludian county, Yunnan province, China(Reuters)

A child cuddling a cat rests under a shelter at the earthquake zone in Ludian county, Zhaotong, Yunnan province, China(Reuters)

A tame rabbit searches for food in the ruins of a collapsed house in Longtoushan in China's southwest Yunnan province after an earthquake(AFP)

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Gaza Strip Crisis: War Costs Total $6bn For Palestine and $2bn for Israel

A Palestinian family stands on rubble inside their damaged home after returning to Beit HanounReuters

The conflict in the Gaza Strip is estimated to have cost Israel and Palestine significantly.

According to estimates, the two countries have so far lost a combined $8bn (£4.7bn, €6bn) due to the conflict, with 75% of it suffered by Gaza, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

Moshe Asher, head of the Israel Tax Authority, said the country's Operation Protective Edge has cost the economy about 7bn shekels ($2bn).

Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa told Reuters that it would cost $6bn for the country to rebuild the destroyed Gaza region.

Asher told Israel's Channel 10 in an interview that the country's economic output would decline by about 4.5bn shekels due to the war.

In addition, tax receipts are expected to decline by another 1.5bn shekels.

Besides, the government will compensate businesses located within 40km of the Gaza Strip that suffered direct war damage.

In 2013, the country's gross domestic product totalled $ 291.36bn.

"Our estimates put the damage at 750 million to 1 billion shekels, but I believe the figure will go above 1 billion shekels," Asher said.

"Both the number [of claims] may rise and the amount of compensation the government will be required to pay to likely to rise, but not by huge amounts."

Many Israeli businesses in the war-torn region were forced to shut down or reduce work during the conflict.

Israel's tourism sector was particularly hit by the fighting, as many tourists cancelled reservations and airlines temporarily suspended service.

Finance officials have put the government's war cost at 4bn shekels for defence and 2bn for civilian expenses. However, it expects to cover the costs by reallocating funds in the 2014 budget rather than carrying over costs into 2015.

Meanwhile, Gaza suffered severe direct damage due to the crisis, as it lost thousands of homes, business, public institutions and water and electrical infrastructure, in addition to about 1,800 people died during the conflict.

About 400,000 Gazans are estimated to have lost their homes, according to Mustafa.

The country relies largely on donor aids to meet its huge reconstruction costs. Palestine GDP was worth $6.8bn in 2012.

Ebola Outbreak: Nurse Becomes Second Victim of Deadly Virus in Nigeria

Volunteers lower a corpse, which is prepared with safe burial practices to ensure it does not pose a health risk to others and stop the chain of person-to-person transmission of Ebola, into a grave in KailahunHandout/Reuters

A second person has died from Ebola in Nigeria, the country's health minister has confirmed.

Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu said a nurse has died from the deadly virus. He told reporters five other cases were being treated in an isolation ward in Lagos.

Earlier this week, he said eight people were being monitored for Ebola in Lagos after coming into contact with Nigeria's first victim, who died last month.

Of the eight, one person was confirmed to have the disease – the doctor who had treated him.

Health Commissioner Jide Idris had said six more people who have had contact with the first victim, Patrick Sawyer, a Liberia and US citizen had been quarantined but did not show any symptoms of the virus.

So far the World Health Organisation has confirmed over 1,603 cases of Ebola, with 887 deaths.

Ebola Outbreak: Liberian Flogged for Resisting Victims' Burial in Monrovia Neighbourhood

Volunteers lower a corpse, which is prepared with safe burial practices to ensure it does not pose a health risk to others and stop the chain of person-to-person transmission of Ebola, into a grave in KailahunHandout/Reuters

A Liberian man was reportedly flogged for opposing the authorities' proposal to bury the bodies of Ebola victims in his neighbourhood in Monrovia.

The unidentified man showed bruises on his back after he was flogged by Liberian troops. He was also manhandled by government officials, who insisted that President Ellen Johnson has granted them full rights to carry out Ebola-related activities, according to Front Page Africa.

Despite the government's announcement that it was planning to burn all the bodies, dozens of corpses have been buried in wetlands in Kissi Camp, near Kpeh-kpeh Town Community in the city of Upper Johnsonville.

The bodies were transported by heavily armed soldiers in two trucks and dumped in a mass grave.

The locals have been protesting against the way the bodies have been disposed of in their area fearing the outbreak could spread further.

The villagers fear since the site is close to the Kpanwein River, which is used by scores of residents, it could contaminate the water.

The landlord of a private site where bodies were dumped has also threatened to take legal action against authorities for not seeking permission from him.

Joseph Dolo told the Daily Observer: "I'm not asking them to pay me [money] for my land. I'm going to take the authorities to task for illegally using my land to bury dead bodies."

Meanwhile, the Liberian government has called for a three-day national fast as the African nation struggles to cope with the Ebola crisis.

"I call on all Liberians to observe three days of National Fast and Prayer to seek God's face to have mercy on us and forgive our sins and heal our land, Liberia, as we continue the fight against the deadly Ebola virus," said the president, ordering a dawn-to-dusk fast from 6 August.

China Earthquake: 'Miracle' Woman, 88, Rescued from Rubble after 50 Hours

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Earthquake survivor Xiong Zhengfen, 88, is carried away on a stretcher(ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)

Xiong Zhengfen, 88, is rescued after being buried underneath debris from an earthquake more than 50 hours.(ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)

An elderly woman was rescued after spending more than two days buried under a building that collapsed during the massive earthquake that killed hundreds of people in China.

Xiong Zhengfen, 88, was pulled from the rubble at the end of a six-hour operation to save her in the Village of Babao, in the southern Yunnan province.

The event was described as a "miracle" by China's state television CCTV, that reported doctors said the woman was unhurt and her health fine.

Video footage showed rescue workers wearing orange jumpsuits, as they cut through two lawyers of concrete to get to Zhengfen.

She was then pulled out with the help of a rope and ferried away on a stretcher.

A bandage was placed on the woman's eyes to smoothen her return to sunlight after more than 50 hours.

Zhengfen's rescue came as a little comfort amid the devastation caused by the 6.1 magnitude earthquake that hit the area at the weekend.

Search and rescue workers clear debris from collapsed homes, found dozens more bodies, bringing the death toll up to 589.

The epicentre of the quake was 12km deep in Longtoushan Township, 23km from Zhaotong City, the county seat of Ludian County.

More than 2,400 people were injured and some 12,000 homes and a school collapsed due to the tremor — the country's deadliest earthquake in four years.

Emirates Airline Halts Flights to Kurdish Capital Arbil

Emirates Airline halts flights to Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region(Reuters)

Emirates airlines has announced it will halt flights to the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, after militants from the Islamic State seized more territory in northern Iraq.

The Middle East's biggest airliner said it will halt flights to Arbil from August 12, citing "operational reasons".

Ultra-violent jihadists recently seized territory that had long been held by Iraqs Kurds, overpowering Kurdish peshmerga security forces. The militants seized the town of Sinjar and a number of oilfields in the surrounding region.

The campaign marked a change of tactic for the Islamic State, which had previously refrained from attacking Kurds, instead targeting Iraq's central government security forces.

The Dubai-based airline said it will continue to operate flights to Baghdad and Basra as usual, while passengers with Arbil tickets would be rebooked on alternative airlines.

Arbil and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region has been something of a safe haven within Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion and subsequent occupation.

It has attracted significantly more investment than other parts of Iraq and not experienced the destructive fighting and terrorism that plagued the capital Baghdad and other cities.

The Islamic State has seized vast swathes of territory across northern Iraq since it launched its June offensive. It has also acquired military hardware including anti-aircraft weaponry, prompting some airlines to reroute flights around Iraqi airspace.

The precautionary measures were taken after a passenger airliner was downed over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July, leading to the deaths of all 298 people on board.

Islamic State Grabs More Oil FIelds to Fund Caliphate

A fighter from the Islamic State, mans an anti-aircraft gun mounted on the rear of a vehicle in Mosul(Reuters)

Militants from the Islamic State have captured seven oilfields and two refineries in northern Iraq since they invaded the region in June.

In a recent offensive into areas long held by Iraq's Kurds, the group seized the Ain Zalah oilfield, adding to a series of oilfields that they have taken in the oil-rich country.

The militants also control a vast stretch of an oil pipeline that connects the Kirkuk oilfields to Turkish port of Ceyhan, according to Bewar Khinsi of the Kurdistan Protection agency.

The pipeline has been used by Iraq's Kurds to export oil to international markets independently of Baghdad and its loss could be a severe economic blow for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG.)

The group is selling around 10,000 barrels per day from its Iraq oil facilities, Khinsi said, according to Kurdish media.

"The militants simply sell the existing oil in the pipelines at much lower prices," Khinsi said, as quoted by Rudaw. "They sell (the equivalent of) roughly 40 tankers, or 10,000 barrels of oil, with net revenues of $12,000. The customers are usually local Kurds and Arabs," he added.

"ISIS wants to broaden its attacks. And oil is a good source of income for their war machine. They use it also as fuel to run their military vehicles," he said.

In July, Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported the jihidists were raising up to $1 million per day from selling crude oil recovered from captured oilfields in Iraq.

The group also controls the Gayara refinery and oilfields, which can produce around 20,000 barrels of oil per day.

The group also operates in Syria, where it controls all the oilfields in the eastern Deir Ezzor province. The group are thought

Argentina to Move Against Court Order and Force Intermediary Banks for Payouts to Bondholders

Attorney Carmine Boccuzzi, lead lawyer representing Argentina in its ongoing debt talks, arrives at federal court for a hearing in New York August 1.Reuters

Argentina will formally demand that banks, with whom it deposited funds to pay its restructured bondholders, make the payment that were due in June despite US Judge Thomas Griesa's order blocking such a move.

On 5 August, Argentina's economy ministry issued a statement saying it will formally demand that Bank of New York Mellon and Citibank Argentina – the intermediaries between the country and bondholders – make the payouts despite Griesa's order.

"The money belongs to the holders of restructured Argentine bonds," the ministry said in the statement.

The move comes as the country accused the US judge and court-appointed mediator of being partial in its legal battle with the so-called vulture funds.

On 1 August, Argentina fell into its second default in 13 years after its attempt to make a settlement with holdout funds failed.

The country has been engaged in a long legal battle with hedge funds led by Elliott Management and Aurelius, which refused to take part in the country's debt restructuring. About 92% of the country's creditors agreed to swap debts and accept less money.

The holdout funds later sued the government for full payment.

In a major blow to the government, Griesa earlier gave a ruling that bars Argentina from paying the holders of its restructured debt unless it pays the hedge funds. He has also blocked Argentina's coupon payment to restructured bondholders through Bank of New York Mellon.

Despite the default, the country was firm on its holdouts stance, and sought counter measures to trouble them.

Argentina's market watchdog had earlier announced an investigation into alleged unlawful speculation by holdout funds. It asked US regulatory authorities for information regarding trades of Argentina's sovereign debt and credit default swaps (CDS) - derivatives used to insure against default, Reuters reported.

The country also asked Griesa to remove court-appointed mediator, Daniel Pollack, who the country labelled as a "spokesman of the vulture funds". However, Griesa declined the plea.

The default comes as a major blow for the Argentine economy, which is already in recession. It would damage its reputation further in the international capital market, as it looks to global financiers to repair its economy.

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Energy Absolute CEO Somphote Ahunai is Thailand's Newest Billionaire

Energy Absolute CEO is Thailand's newest billionaire.Energy Absolute

Somphote Ahunai, the founder of listed Thai renewables firm Energy Absolute, has become a billionaire as the company's stock has more than tripled this year to a historic high.

Energy Absolute's stock was trading 1.98% higher to 25.75 baht at 1534 hrs in Bangkok, extending 5 August's 3.5% gain, when it finished at a record high.

The stock has rallied some 236% so far this year.

Somphote, 46, owns about 40% of Energy Absolute, according to a 27 March filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). That stake is valued at $1.2bn (£711m, €898m), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Energy Absolute, a biodiesel producer and solar plant operator, accounts for over a third of the weighting on the SET index, according to Bloomberg data.

The Bangkok-based firm can produce over 800,000 litres (211,000 gallons) of biodiesel a day, according to its website. The firm also plans to develop 12 wind power sites with a combined capacity of 620 megawatts.

The company logged an over five-fold increase in its first-quarter profit to 459.9m baht ($14.3m) according to its exchange filing.

Somphote has an engineering degree from Thailand's Chulalongkorn University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, according to the American business school's website.

China Raids Microsoft Again and Expands Anti-Trust Probe to Include Partner Accenture

MicrosoftREUTERS

Chinese authorities have strengthened its anti-trust probe against technology giant Microsoft as they continued to conduct raids on the company and partner in China Accenture PLC.

China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) said on its website that the anti-trust regulator raided Microsoft offices in Beijing, Liaoning, Fujian and Hubei.

The SAIC also made surprise checks at IT consultancy Accenture's Dalian offices. Accenture is taking care of Microsoft's financial work under an outsourcing deal.

The regulator noted that the investigation is still in progress.

Microsoft Deputy General Counsel Mary Snapp arrived in Beijing to meet with the SAIC on 5 August.

Representatives from the SAIC made surprise visits to Microsoft offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu at the end of July. Microsoft later confirmed the development, but it did not give reasons for the investigation. The agency later said it is formally investigating the company for breach of anti-trust rules.

The SAIC also warned Microsoft against interfering with the ongoing anti-trust probe.

In May, China's central government offices were banned from using Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 8, after the US Justice Department charged five Chinese military members with hacking the systems of US companies to allegedly steal trade secrets.

The trade and political relations between the countries have recently been deteriorating over spying concerns, and both countries have targeted big companies especially in the technology sector.

China's antitrust regulator earlier said that US chipmaker Qualcomm enjoys a monopoly in the world's second largest economy. It is also probing Qualcomm's Chinese subsidiary for allegedly overcharging and abusing its market position in wireless communication standards.

On 4 August, China's procurement agency dropped antivirus software providers Symantec Corp and Kaspersky Lab - from the US and Russia, respectively - from a list of approved suppliers of security software.

Ebola Outbreak: Armed Liberian Men 'Poison' Wells to Kill Residents under Pretext of Epidemic

A UNICEF worker speaks with drivers of motorcycle taxis about the symptoms of Ebola virus disease (EVD) and best practices to help prevent its spread, in the city of Voinjama, in Lofa County, LiberiaWHO handout/Reuters

Armed men have allegedly poisoned wells and other water bodies in Liberia's New Georgia in order to kill the residents under the pretext of Ebola outbreak.

The water from the wells and pumps has been used by thousands of people in the area.

At least 16 people are suspected to be dead because of well-poisoning in the Margibi community.

It is still unclear what the exact motive of the culprits was. Witnesses have reported sighting armed men introducing suspected poisonous substances using syringes.

The villagers reported the incident to the police and investigators are said to be looking into the matter.

"Nobody is having exact information as to the diagnosis and everybody is confused. So the [well poisoning] incident that happened yesterday at the [New Georgia] junction is a wakeup call on the government, especially the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH&SW), to test the water in every well," Buston Kolliegbo, a resident, told the Daily Observer.

The incident has reportedly caused panic in the region and fears over Ebola outbreak have compounded their woes.

A few suspects are under police custody over the alleged poisoning. One of the accused is said to have confessed that 250 men have undergone training to poison wells across the country, but the claim is yet to be verified.