Prayers for Orlando 'shallow' says bishop

The Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross has condemned people of faith who don't support the LGBT community, in the wake of the shootings at a gay nightclub in Orlando.

Dr Paul Colton says when many religious people do not "include LGBT people" in daily life, "prayers are shallow".

Omar Mateen, 29, killed 49 people and wounded 53 at the Pulse club before being shot dead by police.

It's the deadliest shooting in modern US history.

FBI officials Mateen appeared to "have leanings towards" radical Islamist ideology, although it was not clear whether the attack was a case of domestic or international terrorism.

"Our prayers are shallow, an affront even, as long as so much religion fails fully to affirm and include LGBT people #Orlando," Bishop Paul Colton tweeted.

In the wake of the shooting a number of phrases trended across social media, including #PrayForOrlando and #PrayForTheWorld.

Some Christian churches in the US and elsewhere accept openly gay clergy.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, some Christian leaders are firmly against homosexuality on Biblical grounds.

In many Islamic counties, including Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, homosexual activity carries the death penalty.

Leaders in both Pakistan and Qatar have condemned the shootings and expressed sympathy for those affected.

Homosexuality is a crime in both of these countries.

Meanwhile there are also many teachers of Islam who support the LGBT community.

Other major religions including Judaism and Hinduism have texts which teach against homosexuality but many people from these faiths support gay rights.

Bishop Colton tweeted: "Non religious people are important in holding religious people to account."

Ireland was the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage through a popular vote.

Bishop Colton has previously publicly supported the LGBT community.

He is thought to have been the first Church of Ireland bishop to speak out in favour of same-sex marriage, back in 2014.

"Whatever about my personal views and solidarity as an individual to gay and lesbian people, it is undeniable that I am part of a religion, and indeed institution, that all too often, over the centuries, has caused deep hurt and tangible damage to gay and lesbian people," he said in a speech he gave at Cork LGBT Awareness Week last year.

"There are many Christians, including myself, who believe that God's justice, God's love and the inclusiveness of God, must bear fruit in unqualified equality for gay and lesbian people too."

Qatar court convicts 'raped' Dutch woman

June 13, 2016 10:57

Sexual acts by non-married people are punishable under Qatar's penal code

A court in Qatar has convicted a Dutch woman of having sex outside marriage after she told police she was raped.

The 22-year-old was handed a suspended sentence and fined $824 (£580). She will also be deported.

Her lawyer said her drink had been spiked at a Doha hotel in March and she had woken up in a stranger's flat, where she realised she had been raped.

Her alleged attacker, who said the sex was consensual, was sentenced to 100 lashes for having sex outside marriage.

He will be given a further 40 lashes for consuming alcohol.

The woman has been detained since making the allegation three months ago, but her case only came to light over the weekend when her family decided to go public.

'Horror'

The Dutch ambassador to Qatar, Yvette Burghgraef-van Eechoud, said after Monday's court hearing that she expected the woman to leave Qatar within days.

"We will do everything to get her out of the country as soon as possible to where she wants to go," she told AFP news agency.

Court officials said she would be deported once the fine was paid.

The woman was arrested by Qatari police immediately after reporting that she had been raped on the night of 15 March, as was the alleged assailant.

During a holiday in the emirate, she went out with a friend for drinks at a hotel where the sale of alcohol was permitted, according to her lawyer Brian Lokollo.

"She went dancing but when she returned to the table after the first sip of her drink, she realised someone had added something to her glass," he said.

The woman did not feel very well and she later woke alone in an unfamiliar flat and "realised to her great horror that she had been raped", Mr Lokollo added.

Doha-based lawyer Najeeb al-Nuaimi, Qatar's former justice minister, told the Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera the woman's lawyers would have had to prove there had been "no voluntary actions" between her and the man for him to be charged with rape.

Even if they had been seen walking together, the authorities might have doubts any sexual activity was non-consensual and instead prosecute both for having sex outside marriage, which is known as "zina" under Islamic law, Mr Nuaimi said.

Article 281 of Qatar's penal code states: "Whoever copulates with a female over 16 without compulsion, duress or ruse shall be punished with imprisonment for a term up to seven years. The same penalty shall also be imposed on the female for her consent."

According to media reports, dozens of people convicted of zina have been given flogging sentences since 2004, including at least 45 between 2009 and 2011.

The case of the Dutch woman raises further questions about how the Qatari authorities will deal with the thousands of Western tourists expected to travel to the country for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, many of whom may be unfamiliar with its laws.

In 2013, a Norwegian woman in the United Arab Emirates was given a 16-month prison sentence for perjury, extramarital sex and drinking alcohol after she told police she had been raped. She was later pardoned and allowed to return to Norway.

Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26bn

Microsoft is buying the professional networking website LinkedIn for just over $26bn (£18bn) in cash.

The software giant will pay $196 a share - a premium of almost 50%.

Shares in LinkedIn, which floated in May 2011, have fallen by more than 40% this year.

The stock plunged by a quarter in February after the company issued a profit warning for the first quarter and reported an annual loss of $8m.

LinkedIn shares soared to $194.25 in pre-market trading in New York after the deal was announced.

Microsoft said that LinkedIn would retain its "distinct brand, culture and independence", with Jeff Weiner remaining as chief executive, reporting to Microsoft boss Satya Nadella.

LinkedIn chief executive Jeff Weiner will continue in his role

Mr Weiner and Reid Hoffman - the chairman, co-founder and controlling shareholder of LinkedIn - both backed the deal.

"Today is a re-founding moment for LinkedIn," said Mr Hoffman.

Mr Nadella said: "The LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centred on connecting the world's professionals. Together we can accelerate the growth of LinkedIn, as well as Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics."

It is by far the biggest acquisition made by Microsoft, which has completed eight takeovers worth more than $1bn.

It paid $8.5bn for Skype in 2011 and bought Nokia's mobile phone business for $7.2bn in 2013.

The LinkedIn acquisition also eclipses the $19bn that Facebook paid for WhatsApp in 2014.

Germans rally against US-EU trade deal

Thousands have gathered to protest against TTIP on the streets of Hannover

Thousands of people have marched in the German city of Hannover against a proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal.

They say the deal would drive down wages, and weaken environmental protection and labour rights.

US President Barack Obama - who is pushing hard for the agreement - says it would create millions of jobs and increase trade by lowering tariffs.

On Sunday, he will visit the northern city to open a huge trade fair.

'Trojan horse'

Protesters are angry over the secrecy of the ongoing TTIP negotiations

German police estimate that more than 30,000 took part in the peaceful protest rally in Hannover.

Many carried placards with slogans that read: "Stop TTIP!"

The demonstrators have also been voicing their anger over the secrecy surrounding the ongoing TTIP negotiations.

"The TTIP between the American continent and Europe is very dangerous for the democracy, for our nature and for the rights of the workers," protester Florian Rohrich told the BBC.

"The rights in America for workers are much lower. It's like the Trojan horse. They can't change our whole system. But they will - because TTIP is written by the groups, by the companies, not by the politicians," he added.

The negotiations were launched three years ago, and the next round is due to open on Monday in New York.

Defending the TTIP, President Obama has said that the agreement would mean "new growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic".

The TTIP aims to cut tariffs and regulatory barriers to trade between the US and EU countries, making it easier for companies on both sides of the Atlantic to access each other's markets.

Industries it would affect include pharmaceuticals, cars, energy, finance, chemicals, clothing and food and drink.

What is TTIP for?

The aim is to boost the economies of the EU and the US by removing or reducing barriers to trade and foreign investment.

How would TTIP work?

By eliminating almost all tariffs (taxes applied only to imported goods) on trade between the US and the EU.

Why is TTIP controversial?

Much of the concern is about the regulatory aspect: that it would lead to lower standards of consumer and environmental protection and safety at work.