Abducted Jordanian Envoy to Libya Freed

A view of the front of the Jordanian embassy in TripoliReuters

Jordanian ambassador to Libya Fawaz al-Itan, who was kidnapped by Islamist militants last month, has been freed.

The envoy has already left Libya and is heading towards home.

"Ambassador al-Itan is on his way home and in good health," Jordan's foreign minister Nasser Joudeh said in a televised address on a state-run channel. The foreign minister gave no other details regarding the release.

The ambassador was kidnapped on 15 April in central Tripoli by masked men who opened fire at his car. His driver was injured during the kidnapping.

The captors demanded the release of the Libyan Islamist insurgent Mohamed Dersi in exchange for the Jordanian ambassador. However, it is still unclear whether the demand to release al-Itan had been met.

Fawaz al-Itan's abduction was one of the most high-profile incidents in the country since the 2011 Libyan revolution.

Nigeria Boko Haram Abduction: US Begins Aerial Hunt for Kidnapped School Girls

A woman takes part in a protest for the release of the abducted secondary school girls in the remote village of Chibok, during a sit-in protest at the Unity fountain AbujaReuters

The United States has deployed surveillance aircraft in the search for the Nigerian school girls abducted by Islamist militant group Boko Haram even as experts have begun examining the outfit's latest video for clues.

Washington is also sharing commercial satellite imagery with Abuja to intensify the ongoing operation to locate more than 200 girls who remain in captivity a month after they were abducted from their school dormitory.

"We have shared commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerians and are flying manned ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] assets over Nigeria with the government's permission," an unnamed senior Obama administration official said, according to several news outlets.

In addition to that, the US is reportedly considering the deployment of unmanned drones for the mission.

The US sent about 30 officials from several law enforcement agencies to aid the anti-Boko Haram operation last week.

Meanwhile, forensic experts are examining the new video released by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau in which he said all the captured teenagers have been converted to Islam. The video showed at least half of the missing girls in an undisclosed location.

"Our intelligence experts are combing through every detail of the video for clues that might help ongoing efforts to secure the release of the girls. We have no reason to question its authenticity," said US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki.

Local reports suggest the location resembles the Samisa forest reserve.

The girls, who were seen wearing full-length hijabs, could be exchanged if the Nigerian government releases imprisoned Boko Haram members, the militant leader said in the video.

However, it is still uncertain whether the Abuja administration is willing to accept such an offer.

East Africa Railway Good News for Kenya and Africa But What's in it for China?

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni and South Sudan's President Salva Kiir (L-R) pose after signing the Standard Gauge Railway agreement in Nairobi.Reuters

The sight of a high-ranking Chinese official standing alongside African leaders is becoming a familiar one. Pleasantries lead to talks lead to photocalls. These are usually followed by press conferences where a grateful African leader praises China's generosity, a Chinese leader will stress the mutual benefits of the partnership, and both sides will have a dig at old colonial powers' legacies in Africa.

The announcement that a Chinese bank will back a new railway venture in Kenya was one of these occasions. This particular project, to build a line connecting Kenyan cities Mombasa and Nairobi, will cost in the region of $3.8bn (£2.3bn, €2.8bn.) The line will link to Kampala in Uganda, Kigali in Rwanda, Bujumbura in Burundi and Juba South Sudan.

China's Eximbank will put up 90% of the costs, with Kenya covering the remainder. What's more, a subsidiary of the Chinese Communications Construction Co has been named as the main contractor.

The benefits for Kenya are obvious. Transportation costs are a crucial issue, weighing down growth across most of East Africa. The Nairobi government wants to bring those costs down.

Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta said it would be the biggest infrastructure project in post-colonial Kenya. There is no way that Kenya could fund this kind of project without outside investment. It simply does not have the cash flow.

As is the case with much of China's investments dealings across Africa, there was no obvious sign of what China would gain.

Premier Li Keqiang told reporters: "The project demonstrates that there is equal cooperation and mutual benefit between China and the east African countries, and the railway is a very important part of transport infrastructure development."

There is a naive assumption among some that China's African investments are mere gifts without political strings attached, a rich country sharing its considerable wealth with a less fortunate continent.

Undoubtedly, the Chinese leadership is happy for that view to rise to the surface but in reality, the Sino-African relationship is driven by economics.

In the aftermath of Angola's civil war in 2002, China eagerly provided vast amounts of finance to Africa's second largest crude producer. The loans were backed by that very commodity that China, an industrial powerhouse, desperately needed to grow its economy. The Chinese premier visited the oil-rich state last week where a number agreements were signed, but not disclosed.

While those deals have obvious benefits on both sides, the rail project is not as clear-cut. It's a long-term investment, with long-term returns. Like its dealings with Angola, China is most likely to be looking at resources but in this case, over a longer period.

The construction will undoubtedly foster goodwill. With its vast investment in media and now long-term infrastructure projects, China is committing itself to the risky continent for decades to come.

A line linking five east African countries would make it easier for China to gain access to resources across a vast area of the continent. The Kenyan government has offered the Chinese something. Although it is not clear exactly what that is at the moment, it will become clear as the long-term relationship unfolds in the coming years.

Iranian Copy of Captured US Drone 'Ready to Fly'

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei poses next to the drone Iran says it successfully copied from the USLeader.ir

Iran has claimed its engineers have successfully created a copy of a US drone captured in 2011.

Iran's state television broadcasted footage of what they said was the replica of a US RQ-170 Sentinel drone made by Lockheed Martin.

"Our engineers succeeded in breaking the drone's secrets and copying them," an officer on the footage reportedly said. "It will soon take a test flight."

The drone was unveiled at an exhibition organised by Iran's Revolutionary Guards attended by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Photos of the event were published on Khamenei's official website.

AFP news agency quoted Khamenei as saying that the drone was "very important for reconnaissance missions".

Iran said they captured the drone as it was flying through the country's airspace, possibly monitoring military and nuclear facilities in 2011.

Washington later confirmed they had lost an aircraft but US officials claimed that Iranians would have struggled to decipher the drone's secrets as they lacked the necessary technology.

In December 2011 US president Obama demanded Tehran give back the drone but the request was turned down.

"No nation welcomes other countries' spy drones in its territory, and no one sends back the spying equipment and its information back to the country of origin," Gen. Hossein Salami, deputy commander of Iran's military, said.

Last year Iran's claims that it had successfully test-flown a domestically produced fighter jet was ridiculed by aviation expert who said released photos of the aircraft soaring over Iranian mountains were doctored.

Missing Eritrean Footballers Turn up in Netherlands After Two Years

Eritrea players fled a tournament and made their way to the NetherlandsGetty

Many footballers probably wish they could vanish from public sight after a bad mistake or a heavy defeat – but few sportsmen went as far as a team from Eritrea, who all disappeared en-masse and have now resurfaced on a different continent.

The 17 footballers from the horn of Africa have turned up in the Netherlands, nearly a year and a half after they suddenly vanished during a tournament in Uganda.

They however did not make the dangerous voyage from Africa to Europe to flee from the ire of critics or fans – but because they were desperate for a better life, away from their home in the north-east of the continent.

Having arrived in the Netherlands via Romania, many of the squad are currently eking out a living in the Dutch town of Gorinchem and are familiar to the local food bank – which hands out parcels to people in need.

The life the players are living in their new home could not be further removed from the wealth and riches lavished upon the game's most famous performers. According to the head of the food bank, they lack even the basics for accommodation.

Arie van Hoven said: "They arrived with nothing. We've been looking for furniture and mattresses for them."

"They wanted to stay together as a group and that was possible here," he said.

"They are going to integrate and need an education. Then they will be able to build a new life."

Life in Eritrea obviously did not hold much attraction for the players, who were reportedly reluctant to reveal too much about their identities for fear of government reprisals back home.

Lilving standards in the country bordering the Red Sea are low, with 7% of people unable to feed themselves on their earnings, according to a 2011 UN report.

Eritrea is also blighted by recent wars with neighbouring Ethiopia, though a burgeoning industry in gold mining offers hope that wealth and living standards can rise.

Second Lampedusa Tragedy: 14 Dead, Hundreds Missing as Migrant Boat Sinks off Italian Island

The Italian navy said 4362 migrants have been saved as part of a large-scale rescue operation named Mare Nostrum last weekReuters

At least 14 people have been confirmed dead after a boat packed with migrants sunk between Libya and the Italian coast.

The figure was confirmed by the Italian navy, which said it scrambled two vessels and a helicopter to the scene, some 100 miles (160 km) south of Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa.

La Repubblica newspaper earlier reported that at least 15 migrants died when the boat capsized some 50 miles north of the Libyan coast.

The newspaper said that more than 200 of the 400 people on board have so far been rescued. The navy could not confirm the report at the time.

Due to its southern location, Lampedusa is a favourite target of migrant smugglers who usually set sail from Libya's loosely patrolled coast.

To avoid coastguard patrols human traffickers often allow overcrowded, rundown boats to run adrift miles from Lampedusa's shores.

The practice has caused many vessels, usually loaded with migrants fleeing wars or hardship in Syria, Eritrea and elsewhere, to founder.

More than 350 people drowned in another shipwreck near Lampedusa last year.

Italy has since launched a large-scale operation named Mare Nostrum - a Latin reference to the Mediterranean Sea - to better patrol its southern waters and boats running into trouble.

The navy said 4362 migrants were saved as part of the operation last week alone.

Rinorea Niccolifera: the Plant that Eats Metal to Survive

Images showing Rinorea niccoliferaEdwino S. Fernando.

A new species of plant that eats metal to survive has been discovered in the Philippines.

Rinorea niccolifera eats nickel and is able to consume up to 18,000ppm of the metal in its leaves without being poisoned.

While not the first metal-eating plant to have been discovered, Professor Edwino Fernando, from the University of the Philippines, said the discovery was a rare find.

Published in the open access journal PhytoKeys, the authors say the amount of nickel found in Rinorea niccolifera is up to 1,000 times higher than in most other plants.

Fernando, lead author of the study, said the phenomenon of nickel hyperaccumulation – where plants eat nickel – is so rare that only between 0.5% and 1% of plant species native to nickel-rich soils have this ability.

Rinorea niccolifera shown as a nickel hyperaccumulator by a field testEdwino S. Fernando.

Across the world, it is estimated that there are just 450 species that can digest nickel, a tiny proportion considering there are around 300,000 species of vascular plant. Rinorea niccolifera was discovered on the western part of Luzon Island, an area well-known for its soils being rich in heavy metals.

The plant grows in forests, normally along gullies or sloping areas with large boulders or rocks, and reaches between 1.5 and 1.8m tall. Its outer bark is smooth and its young leaves are white and grow in flushes.

Researchers say the species has the potential to lead to the development of environmentally-friendly technology: "Hyperacccumulator plants have great potentials for the development of green technologies, for example, 'phytoremediation' and 'phytomining'," Augustine Doronila, co-author of the study said.

Explaining the terms, the authors note that phytoremediation refers to plants that remove heavy metals from contaminated soils, while phytomining involves using hyperaccumulator plants to recover commercially valuable metals from sites such as Luzon Island.

Syria: Residents of Homs Return to City of Rubble

Thousands of Syrians who fled the wartorn city of Homs have returned to their homes and got their first glimpse of the horrendous devastation caused by two years of fighting.

Entire city blocks had been reduced to rubble. Streets were strewn with shattered concrete, toppled telephone poles and charred, crumpled carcasses of cars.

For more than a year, President Bashar Assad's troops blockaded these neighbourhoods, pounding the rebel bastions with his artillery and air force.

The staggering scale of destruction that two years of fighting inflicted on rebel-held parts of HomsReuters

Former residents of the city of Homs return to inspect their homesReuters

People try to make their way through the rubble-strewn streets in the Juret al-Shayah districtAFP

Assad's regime has assumed control of the old quarters, while in return some 2,000 rebel fighters were granted safe passage to opposition areas north of Homs.

The withdrawal was a major victory for the government in a conflict that has killed more than 150,000 people since March 2011. The deal handed Assad control of the city once known as "the capital of the revolution".

The staggering scale of destruction in the area spoke of the ferocity of the fighting.

Destroyed buildings are pictured after the cessation of fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-AssadReuters

Heavily damaged buildings in the Juret al-Shayah areaAFP

People look through the debris as they return to the Juret al-Shayah districtAFP

A man stands in an alley in the Juret al-Shayah district of HomsAFP

Residents from Homs' smashed ancient quarters scavenged what they could from their homes, mostly clothes, mattresses and gas canisters

"My house was completely destroyed and burnt, but I found some photos," said a resident of the old Hamidiyeh district. "They will remain a memory for me of the beautiful days we had here."

Some accused rebels of looting and burning their homes.

A woman carrying a suitcase picks her way through the rubble in the Juret al-Shayah districtAFP

People walk through the damaged souk in the old townAFP

Families make their way through debris in the Juret al-Shayah districtReuters

Syrians walk amid debris as they return to their homesAFP

Some 2,000 rebels — and civilians living there — were badly weakened by the nearly two-year blockade and heavy bombing of the area.

The surrender deal is widely seen as a victory for President Bashar Assad weeks ahead of a presidential election on 3 June he is expected to win, giving him a mandate to continue his crackdown on rebels in the Syrian civil war.

Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad supervise the evacuation process of rebel fighters from the old town of HomsReuters

Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad play football in the al-Hamdeya neighbourhoodReuters

Syrian government forces celebrate on the remains of an armoured vehicleAFP

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New Delhi Court: 'Forced Marital Intercourse is not Rape'

According to the current legal framework in India, marital rape is not considered an offence if the wife is older than 15Reuters

A man accused of raping his wife has been acquitted by a court in New Delhi, thanks to a national law which decrees that forced intercourse is not a crime if victim and perpetrator are married.

The plaintiff claimed she was sedated by her husband, known only as Vikash, before being taken to the Registrar of Marriages at Ghaziabad in an intoxicated state in March 2013. After she signed the marriage documents, he allegedly raped and abandoned her.

In finding for the defendant, the court cited Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, which stipulates that a man cannot be convicted of raping his wife unless she is under 15 years of age.

Judge Virender Bhat was quoted by apblive.in as saying: "The parties being husband and wife, the sexual intercourse between the two does not come within the ambit of the offence of rape, even if the same was against the will and consent of the victim.

"Thus [the plaintiff] and the accused being legally wedded husband and wife, [the plaintiff] being major [over 15 years old], the sexual intercourse between the two, even if forcible, is not rape and no culpability can be fastened upon the accused."

The court also said that "there is no clinching or convincing evidence on record to show that the accused had administered any stupefying substance to [the defendant] on March 4, 2013, before taking her to the Ghaziabad court."

Vikash had pleaded innocent, claiming their marriage was consummated in February 2011 at the woman's house. Upon the insistence of his wife, he decided to get their marriage registered and went to the Ghaziabad court.

Vikash alleged that his wife framed him in the rape case after he expressed his inability to get his sister's house transferred in his name.

Philippines Charges Chinese Fishermen with Poaching Hundreds of Endangered Turtles

Nine Chinese fishermen, who were arrested by Philippine officials off Half Moon Shoal in the Spratly Islands have been charged with poachingReuters

The Philippines has charged a crew of nine Chinese fishermen with poaching endangered turtles, after their boat was seized in disputed waters last week.

In defiance of China's demand for them to be immediately freed, Prosecutor Allen Ross Rodriguez told a special environmental court in the western Palawan province that the nine should face trial for illegally harvesting more than 500 endangered turtles.

The crew members have been charged with violating two provisions of the Philippine fisheries code and face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $2,300 each.

Rodriguez said that another two detained fishermen were minors and would be sent home.

The case has sparked the latest spat between Beijing and Manila over territories in the South China Sea.

The Chinese boat was seized by Filipino security forces as it sailed close to the Spratly islands, a potentially oil-rich archipelago which ownership is disputed by a number of nations including China, the Philippines, Taiwan and Malaysia.

Authorities said the boat was laden with 555 giant turtles, mostly dead, the crew had poached near the Half Moon Shoal, 60 miles off Palawan.

Manila maintains the shoal lies within the its exclusive economic zone, a 230 mile stretch of sea where the country has exclusive right to fish and exploit undersea resources.

China however claims that the arrest was illegally carried out in Chinese waters.

"We once more demand the Philippines immediately release them unconditionally. China reserves the right to take further action," Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

The turtles recovered alive have been returned to the sea.

Filipino authorities said they recovered more than 500 endangered turtles, mostly dead, which were allegedly illegally harvested by a Chinese fishing boat.Reuters

Africa's Poorest Nations Lose Billions to Complex Tax Avoidance Schemes

African countries are losing up to 12.7% of their GDP to misinvoicing.

African countries are losing up to 12.7% of their national GDP due to shady practices in international trade.

Global Financial Integrity, a Washington DC-based think-tank, reports that $542bn (£321bn) worth of capital was lost from Africa in illicit capital flows and estimates that almost 80% of this coming through "trade misinvoicing".

Misinvoicing is where companies and individuals involved in trade deliberately alter the prices of their exports or imports in order to move money in or out of a country. It can be used to avoid being charged import duties, or to shift taxable income out of a country, into a jurisdiction with a lower tax rate.

The report, entitled Hiding In Plain Sight, examined trade flows into and out of Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda between 2002 and 2011. Uganda lost 12.7% of its national revenue over the 10-year period, the highest of the five countries.

GFI cautioned that its methodology is very conservative and "that there are likely to be more illicit flows into and out of these countries that are not captured by the models".

The report made a series of recommendations for government's hoping to combat trade invoicing, including better training for customs staff, higher scrutiny for trade through tax haven jurisdictions and making financial transparency a top political priority.

Brian LeBlanc, one of the economists at GFI behind the report, wrote that while corruption and poor governance in developing countries is a factor, this narrative "fails to acknowledge the role the west plays in facilitating such transactions".

He continued: "The truth behind trade misinvoicing is that it is a two-way street. The global shadow financial system, propped up by tax havens and financial secrecy, is equally responsible for the propagation of trade misinvoicing in Africa. This system of offshore banks, anonymous accounts, and shell companies is largely created by developed countries in the west."

One of the main methods companies use to misinvoice trade is re-invoicing, whereby companies process the invoice offshore in a tax haven. This allows companies to sidestep bribery processes, since the price of the goods have already been manipulated by the time the goods enter the country.

The company will generally have to pay a fee to the company conducting the re-invoicing, generally around 2%.

Richard Murphy, director at Tax Research and a campaigner against tax avoidance, tells IBTimes UK that while international trade remains so steeped in opacity, practices such as this will continue to flourish.

He said: "The most basic rule of efficient markets is transparency. Opaque markets misallocate resources, result in inefficient decisions and can lead to corruption. That's what could well be going on here. While we continue to have substantial opacity in the world, these kinds of things will continue to happen and I have no doubt they are happening."

Murphy agreed with the GFI's findings that the issue of tax avoidance is driven by western companies, some acting legally, others illegally. He said that despite David Cameron's pledge at the G8 Summit in Enniskillen last year, the progress here is pitifully slow and is being hampered by a corporate led lobby movement.

"The big firms of lawyers and accountants are lining up, paid by large corporate clients, to say this transparency is going to be very dangerous to big businesses. Well, why is it dangerous is my question? If you've got nothing to hide, you should be fine. Otherwise, they must have something to hide," Murphy said.

In the UK alone, tax avoidance is estimated to cost the exchequer £35bn a year, according to HMRC. The issue hit the headlines again today when pop star Gary Barlow was found to have invested in a tax avoidance scheme.

Prime Minister David Cameron joined in on the criticism of Barlow, but said that calls to strip the singer of his OBE were not necessary. "I don't think that's necessary, frankly. Gary Barlow has done a huge amount for the country, he's raised money for charity, he's done very well for Children in Need so I'm not sure. The OBE was in respect of that work and what he's done. But clearly what this scheme was wrong and it's right that they're going to have to pay back the money," Cameron said.

Gazprom Near Closing Mammoth Gas Deal with China

Russia says Gazprom gas deal with China is almost ready.Reuters

A planned deal for Russian natural gas major Gazprom to supply gas to China is close to completion, according to Russian officials.

"We hope that the negotiations will be completed as scheduled," said Russian deputy energy minister Anatoly Yanovsky, ahead of President Vladimir Putin's visit to China.

"The contract is, I would say, 98% ready," Yanovsky said on 12 May.

Moscow Eyes Chinese Funds

Russia proposes to tap Chinese money as European and American sanctions over Ukraine threaten to push the world's largest energy producer into recession.

Moscow is looking to boost growth and funds from the world's second largest economy, which could find their way into a host of industries such as natural resources, housing and infrastructure construction, unnamed government officials told Bloomberg last week.

Two government meetings are scheduled this month to set rules for Chinese investors targeting Russia, the officials said.

However, Moscow could prevent the Chinese from investing in precious metals, diamond mining and in high-technology projects. Russia will also examine ways to curb a large influx of Chinese citizens into its territory to prevent ethnic tensions, according to officials.

Russia's relations with China are growing steadily, despite other issues, and no "special" government meetings are being planned on China, President Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Bloomberg.

Gas Exports

In April, Gazprom, Russia's leading natural gas producer, said it was aiming to finalise the gas deal with Beijing this month.

The firm could start supplying China with 38 billion cubic meters of gas a year -- around a quarter of Russia's exports to Europe -- in 2018.

The EU relies on Russia for around a third of its gas needs, while 40% of that is delivered via pipelines through crisis-hit Ukraine.

Gazprom and China began discussing gas supplies to the world's second-largest economy over a decade ago.

Nigeria Boko Haram Abduction: Escaped Girl Speaks about Chibok Ordeal

CNN

A teenage girl has described her escape from an Islamist Boko Haram night raid in the Nigerian village of Chibok as the search for over 200 schoolgirls continues.

The insurgents stormed a secondary school in northeastern Nigeria's Borno state and captured the schoolgirls during their exam period, sparking a worldwide rescue effort.

The girl, who refused to be identified for fear of repercussions, told CNN in an exclusive interview how the militants were loading the girls onto numerous lorries before escaping into the bush.

"He said go and enter this car - a big lorry," she said. "They say OK - enter this lorry, we go. I say I will drop down.

"We run in the bush. We ran and ran and we were gone. I feel afraid," she continued.

Responding to questions about the attackers' appearance, the girl refused to comment because of her fears of a reprisal against her family.

Another witness from the village told CNN that "it was like they were coming for a shopping trip."

The girls are still being held hostage and Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau says that the girls will be sold unless all Boko Haram prisoners are released.

"I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah," he said in a video message.

"Allah has instructed me to sell them. They are his property and I will carry out his instructions."

He then showed what he said were about 130 of the girls, wearing full-length hijabs and praying in an undisclosed rural location.

The kidnap of the girls has ignited an international reaction which has seen the US, UK and France offering technical and intelligence expertise to the Nigeria government as well as an Israeli counter-terrorism team being deployed in the rescue effort.

Boko Haram insurgents want to convert Nigeria into a strict sharia state and over 1,500 people have been killed in attacks perpetrated by the group this year alone.

Netanyahu Wants Dictatorship in Israel, Says President Peres

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) stands next to President Shimon PeresReuters

Israeli president Shimon Peres has hit out at prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu with claims that the latter's campaign to curb presidential powers was "an attempt to establish a dictatorship here".

Peres allegedly said Netanyahu, who has led a lobbying effort on his coalition partners to back his bid to reduce the president's powers, "won't be satisfied until there is an absolute ruler", according to the Jerusalem Post.

The Likud leader wants to introduce legislation that would automatically grant the leader of the largest party in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, the right to form a governing coalition.

The Israeli presidency is already a largely ceremonial position with little executive power.

Netanyahu, who is trying to gather support to postpone the presidential elections scheduled for June to review the president's duties, is believed to be backed by other coalition partners such as the centrist Hatnua party of justice minister Tzipi Livni and the hawkish foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Haaretz newspaper described Netanyahu as obsessive in his lobbying attempts.

Hong Kong: British Woman Stabs 5m Python With Pocket Knife to Save Dog's Life

The Burmese python is Hong Kong's biggest natural predator and can grow up to six metres longWikimedia Commons

A woman has fought off a five-metre-long Burmese python by using a pocket knife to free her pet dog from its grip, the South China Morning Post has reported.

Courtney Link, a British expatriate who lives in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, stabbed the snake several times until it released its hold on Dexter, her defenceless pooch.

The attack occurred in Sai Kung West Country Park where Link and her husband were walking their dog.

While they were strolling, Dexter ran out of sight.

The couple found the dog in the deadly grip of a huge python, coiled around its body.

"I immediately began to pummel the snake with my fists, but to no avail," said Link.

Her husband remembered he had packed his pocket knife and pulled it from his backpack.

"Dexter was starting to weaken and he eventually stopped struggling altogether. At that point we really thought we had lost him. So when I suddenly saw the snake's head, I just started stabbing furiously," Link said. "Apart from some nasty bite wounds to his chest and legs, Dexter has made a complete recovery and he is back to his exuberant and hyper self.

"I deeply regret I had to seriously injure a protected animal, but I acted only to save the life of my dog," Link concluded.

A spokeswoman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department confirmed Link had reported the python attack.

In general, pythons are unlikely to attack unless provoked, she said, but warned that people with pets should try to avoid areas where pythons tend to prowl for food and shelter, such as dense vegetation.

The Burmese python is Hong Kong's biggest natural predator and can grow up to six metres long.

The reptile is rarely sighted but Burmese python attacks on dogs are not unknown, China.org said.

In 2007, a woman rescued her pet dog following a fight with a 4.5-metre python and the previous year a 22-kilogramme husky was crushed to death by a snake.

India Elections 2014: Varanasi Centre of Action as Polling Reaches Final Day

BJP leader Narendra Modi flashes the v-sign while driving through the streets of VaranasiKevin Frayer/Getty Images

India's most hotly-contested election of all time reaches its climax today with the final day of polling, with over 90 million people due to cast their ballot.

The last remaining tranche of polls will decide the destiny of 41 seats across three separate states, and 600 candidates will be pinning their hopes on the outcome.

Much of the attention has been trained on Varanasi, where BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is facing off against one of his key rivals, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal. The 3,000-year old city in Uttar Pradesh has been heavily barricaded, with about 45,000 security personnel deployed to prevent clashes as thousands of people flocked to the polls.

Varanasi, which is home to 1.7 million registered voters, is one of India's most ethnically diverse cities. About 15% of the voters are Muslim - while Modi has been accused of being a Hindu nationalist.

Prior to the opening of the polls Varanasi witnessed a series of massive campaigns by each of the main candidates, featuring road shows, rallies and public meetings. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Modi focused on development and job creation, rather than religion, in his campaign.

Despite the obvious potential for tention, the only flashpoint in Varanasi came when one of the candidates, Ajay Rai, was rebuked for wearing a party symbol pinned to his suit when he arrived to vote.

Violence was reported in the state of Bengal, where alleged supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress attacked a group of people casting their vote, and at least four villagers sustained bullet injuries.

The marathon polls began 35 days ago on 7 April, and about 506 million have already cast their vote, across 502 constituencies and eight staggered voting phases.

Turnout so far has been unprecedented, and is expected to surpass the record 66.27% witnessed in the 1984 election, held after the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi.

The results will be declared on 16 May.

Hot Shots Photos of the Day: Sausage Skins, Tame Crocodiles, Sporting Celebrations

Maria de Barros, 55, blows into a bull's horn as a caiman named Ronaldinho eats leftover fat and meat at her home near Corumba, in the heart of Brazil's Pantanal. Barros claims to have domesticated a group of wild caimans. She has given them names of famous Brazilian football players such as Felipao, Ronaldinho, Dunga and TaffarelReuters

A woman cleans and inflates cow guts which will be used for sausages as her daughter stands behind her, in the "Cholojeros" zone next to railway lines in Guatemala CityReuters

Two Herens cows fight during the annual "Battle of the Queens" cow fight finals in Aproz in the Swiss AlpsAFP

A participant operates a home-made Flappy Bird flying machine, during the Red Bull Flugtag event in Hong Kong. Participants from 43 teams competed to fly the longest distance in their aircraftReuters

New priests lay on the carpet as Pope Francis leads their ordination ceremony during a solemn mass in Saint Peter's Basilica at the VaticanAFP

Serving and former members of the Cavalry and Yeomanry gather in Hyde Park in London prior to a parade to commemorate the fallen from the First World War and subsequent conflictsGetty

People walk along a flooded street after torrential rainfall in Shenzhen, Guangdong province,ChinaReuters

Trails of headlamps are seen in the night as runners and mountain bikers make their way to the finish line during the XVII 101km competition near Ronda, SpainReuters

Tom Daley brings the Commonwealth Games Baton back to British soil at St Aubins Harbour, JerseyGetty

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Worms Responsible for African Women's High Proneness to HIV

African women are more vulnerable to HIV because of a chronic disease caused by parasitic worms, suggests a new report.Reuters

A team of Norwegian specialists at a public health clinic in South Africa's Otimati province has explained the possible links of high rates of AIDS in African women.

The infectious disease specialists believe that African women are highly prone to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, because of a chronic disease caused by parasitic worms picked up in swamped river water, The New York Times reported.

The disease called genital schistosomiasis (or schisto), which often go undiagnosed, causes fragile sores in women's vaginal canal. These sores may serve as entry points for HIV, according to the team's leader Dr. Eyrun F. Kjetland.

Moreover, the worms and eggs in the sores attract CD4 cells, which guard the immune system and are the very cells that are attacked by HIV.

Kjetland said that the worms can be killed by a drug and that his team was trying to determine if it can heal the sores in African women.

Nearly 60% of African women are victims of AIDS, which, the report said, is a "glaring" exception as a majority of AIDS victims worldwide are men.

The Otimati team's schisto theory for high vulnerability of African women to HIV has some opposition with AIDS experts saying that urban women raised far from infested water also die of AIDS.

However, the report said the worms theory has bagged support from big agencies such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Nations and the National Institutes of Health, as well as from the Danish and Norwegian governments.

Schistosomiasis "is arguably the most important cofactor in Africa's AIDS epidemic. And it's a huge women's health issue: Everyone has heard of genital mutilation and obstetric fistulas. But mention this, and the headlights just go dim," Dr. Peter J. Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said in the report.