Locusts to 'sniff out explosives'

Scientists are researching technology they hope will allow locusts to detect explosives using their sense of smell.

They say heat-generating "tattoos" will enable them to be guided into dangerous or remote areas via remote control

Neural signals from the locust's brain will then be processed by an on-board low-power processing chip that will decode the information and send a wireless alert back to the authorities.

And the result will appear on a simple LED: red for present, green for absent.

Baranidharan Raman, associate professor of biomedical engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science Washington University, has studied the way locusts smell for several years.

And the Office of Naval Research in the US has now given him a $750,000 (£565,000) grant to continue his research.

Olfaction, better known as the ability to smell, is considered a primary sensory quality in insects whereas it is more of an aesthetic sense for humans, according to Prof Raman.

But locusts have a similar sense of smell to humans in that they can identify a particular smell even when it is mixed in with other odours.

Prof Raman said they had "robotic noses" that could be trained to pinpoint and recall a smell such as dangerous chemicals.

He told the BBC: "It took only a few hundred milliseconds for the locust's brain to begin tracking a novel odour introduced in its surroundings. The locusts are processing chemical cues in an extremely rapid fashion.

"Even the state-of-the-art miniaturised chemical-sensing devices have a handful of sensors. On the other hand, if you look at the insect antennae, where their chemical sensors are located, there are several hundreds of thousands of sensors and of a variety of types," he said.

Meanwhile, Srikanth Singamaneni, associate professor of materials science, who specialises in nanomaterials, will be creating a plasmonic "tattoo" made of a biocompatible silk that will be applied to the locusts' wings to generate mild heat and help steer them towards particular locations by remote control.

The tattoos will also be able to collect samples of volatile organic compounds in their proximity for other testing methods.

Prof Raman estimates the prototype will be ready for rigorous testing in a year and if successful the locusts could be ready in less than two years.

He also believes this new sensor technology could help to detect medical conditions in humans that are currently diagnosed by smell.

Israel angered by Facebook hatred rules

Government ministers in Israel have accused Facebook of failing to tackle "inciteful" posts against the country on the social network.

Public security minister Gilad Erdan said Facebook had set "a very high bar for removing inciteful content".

Justice minister Ayelet Shaked wants social media companies to pre-emptively remove content which Israel considers to be a security threat.

Facebook said it worked closely with Israel to tackle threatening content.

Mrs Shaked has complained that threatening content must be manually reported by the website's users before any action can be taken.

"We want the companies... to remove posts by terrorist groups and incitement to terrorism without us having to flag each individual post, in just the same manner, for example, that they today do not allow posts and pages with child pornography," she told Israel's Army Radio.

In a statement, Facebook said: "We have a set of community standards designed to help people understand what's allowed on Facebook.

"We call on people to use our report tool if they find content they believe violates these rules, so that we can examine each case and take quick action.

"We work regularly with safety organisations and policymakers around the world, including Israel, to ensure that people know how to make safe use of Facebook.

"There is no room for content that promotes violence, direct threats, terrorist or hate speeches on our platform."

Blocked

In 2015, Facebook complied with a Turkish court order demanding the blocking of a page it said offended the Prophet Muhammad.

The court had threatened to block the entire website if the social media platform had refused.

At the time, Facebook said its policy was to block access to content within a country if it breaks local law.

The same year, Facebook, Google and Twitter faced pressure in Germany to remove hate speech posted on their websites.

The three internet giants agreed to assess reported posts within 24 hours, evaluating them under German law rather than Facebook's own terms and conditions.

Facebook's latest government transparency report said the company blocked 236 posts in Israel that were alleged to violate local harassment laws, or were related to Holocaust denial.

Suicide bombing near Saudi holy site

The attack occurred soon after sundown during the holy month of Ramadan

A suicide bomber has killed four security officers and injured five others near one of Islam's holiest sites in the Saudi city of Medina, according to the interior ministry.

The bomber struck as the officers were breaking their Ramadan fast near the Prophet's Mosque, al-Arabiya TV says.

The mosque is the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad and Medina the second-holiest city in Islam after Mecca.

Blasts also struck two other Saudi cities on Monday.

That the attack happened in Medina at such a place is likely to leave Muslims around the world aghast.

Suspicion is likely to fall on so-called Islamic State (IS), he adds.

Images showed a blazing vehicle near the mosque in Medina

Social media footage from Medina showed a vehicle on fire in a car park, with two security officers lying nearby.

Other footage showed ambulances and police vehicles streaming to the area.

Some reports say the security officers were about to break their fast when a young man, said by the Okaz newspaper to be 18, approached them to share food. He then detonated explosives.

Qari Ziyaad Patel, 36, from South Africa, who was in the mosque, told the Associated Press news agency people had at first thought it was the sound of the cannon fire that marks the breaking of fast.

The ground shook, he said, adding: "The vibrations were very strong. It sounded like a building imploded."

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi mosque in Medina is one of Islam's holiest sites

Earlier, at least one explosion rocked Qatif, an eastern city which is home to many minority Shia Muslims.

The blast appeared to target a Shia mosque. The attacker was killed but no other casualties were reported.

A suspected suicide bomber also died after detonating a device near the US consulate in the city of Jeddah. Two security officers were slightly injured as they tackled the man, but no-one else was hurt.

No-one has yet said they were behind any of the attacks.

They come with the holy month of Ramadan drawing to a close and ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Saudi Arabia has been the target of attacks by IS over the past two years.

In June, the interior ministry said there had been 26 "terror attacks" in the kingdom in that time.

A series of deadly attacks worldwide were either claimed by, or blamed on, IS over the past week:

• A suicide gun and bomb attack targeted Istanbul airport on 28 June. The death toll rose to 45, with 240 injured.

• Attackers struck a cafe in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, last Friday night. Twenty hostages and two policemen were killed.

• And a massive truck bomb in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, on Sunday left at least 165 people dead.

WW2 Jewish escape tunnel uncovered

The tunnel was dug by prisoners in a pit in which they were kept

A tunnel dug out with spoons by Jewish prisoners escaping Nazi captors in World War Two has been uncovered in Lithuania's Ponar forest.

The prisoners were from the so-called Burning Brigade, who were forced to burn corpses to cover up Nazi atrocities as the Soviets advanced.

Knowing they too would be killed, they dug a tunnel in a pit where they were kept. Eleven escapees survived the war.

A research team used a ground-scanning system to map out the tunnel.

The exact location of the 34m (112ft) tunnel had been lost since the end of the war, but the international team, including the Israel Antiquities Authority and researchers from the US, Canada and Lithuania, have now located it.

The team employed the electrical resistivity tomography system, also used in oil exploration, so as not to disturb any human remains at the site.

'Yearning for life'

Ponar forest, known now as Paneriai, is outside the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, a hub of Jewish life before the outbreak of the war.

But under Nazi occupation, mass burial pits and graves were carved out of the forest to hold the bodies of up to 100,000 people, including 70,000 Jews, killed during the Holocaust.

As the Red Army closed in, the Nazis tried to cover up their atrocities. They forced about 80 prisoners from the Stutthof concentration camp, chained by the legs, to dig up bodies and burn them.

Ground scanning was used to pinpoint the tunnel

The scanning was used so as not to disturb any human remains at the site

They were called Leichenkommando (corpse unit), but later became known as the Burning Brigade.

According to one account, one brigade prisoner even identified his wife and two sisters among the bodies.

Kept overnight in one of the pits where the bodies had been buried, the prisoners began to dig a tunnel and on the night of 15 April 1944, 40 made their escape attempt through the 2 sq ft tunnel.

But guards were alerted by the noise and hunted them down. Many were shot but 12 escaped to reach partisans. Eleven survived the war to tell their story.

Jon Seligman, of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said he was reduced to tears on the discovery of the tunnel, calling it a "heart-warming witness to the victory of hope over desperation".

"The tunnel shows that even when the time was so black, there was yearning for life within that," he told Associated Press.

Archaeologist Richard Freund, also on the team, told the New York Times that Ponar was "ground zero for the Holocaust", evidence of systematic murder before the Nazis started using gas chambers.

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.

Obama formally endorses Hillary Clinton

Obama formally endorses Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton tweeted President Obama's endorsement video: "I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office"

President Barack Obama has officially endorsed Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party presidential nominee.

His endorsement came after meeting Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who has been battling Mrs Clinton for the nomination.

Speaking in a video tweeted out by Mrs Clinton, Mr Obama said she may be the most qualified person "ever" for the role of president.

Leading liberal politician Elizabeth Warren also endorsed Mrs Clinton.

"I am ready to get in this fight and work my heart out for Hillary Clinton to become the next president of the United States," the Massachusetts senator told MSNBC, "and to make sure that Donald Trump never gets any place close to the White House."

President Obama and Mrs Clinton are set to start campaigning together soon.

"I want those of you who've been with me from the beginning of this incredible journey to be the first to know that 'I'm with Her.' I am fired up and cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary," Mr Obama said in the video.

"Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders may have been rivals during this primary, but they're both patriots who love this country and they share a vision for the America that we all believe in."

The two ran against one another for the Democratic nomination in 2008 and Mr Obama later made Mrs Clinton secretary of state.

Speaking to Reuters following the endorsement, Mrs Clinton said Mr Obama's endorsement "means the world".

"It is absolutely a joy and an honour that President Obama and I, over the years, have gone from fierce competitors to true friends," she said.

Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump tweeted that Mr Obama's endorsement means he wants "four more years of Obama" and "nobody else does".

To which came a much-retweeted reply from Mrs Clinton: "Delete your account."

Analysis

Mr Obama has made his endorsement official

Barack Obama is now in the game. In a slickly produced video endorsement, the president has thrown his support behind Hillary Clinton's bid to keep the White House in Democratic hands.

Given the high production value of the video, the announcement had obviously been in the works for some time. In fact, astute observers have noted that Mr Obama is sporting the tie he wore on Tuesday.

Bernie Sanders has said he will continue to campaign in Washington DC, leading up to the capital city's primary next week - but expect most Democrats to close ranks quickly. The Vermont senator even struck a more conciliatory tone after a meeting at the White House, saying he looks forward to "working together" with the former secretary of state to defeat Donald Trump.

Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton will make their first joint appearance together in Wisconsin next week. Before that she's visiting Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The Democrats clearly view the general election battleground as the industrial Rust Belt states. And for the first time since 1988 there is a popular, scandal-free second-term incumbent president working hard on the campaign trail to preserve his legacy.

Attack on Istanbul police bus 'kills 11'

A car bomb attack targeting a police bus has killed at least 11 people in central Istanbul, officials say.

The explosives were remotely detonated as the vehicle passed through the busy Vezneciler district at the morning rush hour.

No group has said it carried out the attack.

Violence in Turkey has escalated recently as a result of tensions with Kurdish separatists and the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

Suspicion is likely to fall on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or one of its offshoots who have claimed other attacks on security targets in Turkey this year in Istanbul.

The explosion happened near the city's historic Beyazit Square neighbourhood, a major tourist attraction, and an Istanbul university building.

Four civilians and seven police officers were among the dead, Istanbul's governor, Vasip Sahin, said. Some 36 other people were injured, he added.

How dangerous is Turkey's unrest?

Turkey in midst of hideous vortex

The blast happened at the morning rush hour in central Istanbul

The explosion also damaged nearby buildings

"There was a loud bang. We thought it was lightning, but right at that second the windows of the shop came down. It was extremely scary," an unidentified eyewitness told Reuters news agency.

'Cold-hearted'

Turkey's Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said the attackers were "cold-heartedly" exploding bombs on the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which is in its second day.

In an interview with state-run TRT television, he also said Turkey was fighting on all fronts against "any form of terrorism."

Recent attacks in Turkey

• March 2016: 35 people killed by Kurdish militants in Ankara; 4 dead in a suicide attack in Istanbul

• February 2016: 28 killed in military convoy in Ankara

• January 2016: 12 German tourists are killed in a suspected IS suicide bombing in Istanbul

• October 2015: More than 100 people are killed in a double suicide bombing at a Kurdish peace rally in Ankara

Tears and destruction amid PKK crackdown

The country has been hit by bloody attacks in recent months by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group and Kurdish militants.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said militants are targeting civilians because they are losing their struggle against Turkish security forces.

Turkey is part of the US-led coalition against IS and allows coalition planes to use its air base at Incirlik for raids on Iraq and Syria.

Reports said a parked car packed with explosives was detonated by remote control

Special force officers were sent to the area of the blast

The country has also been waging an offensive against the PKK, which fights for autonomy in the majority-Kurdish areas in Turkey's south-east.

A two-year-old ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK broke down last summer. Since then, violence has killed hundreds of Turkish security forces, Kurdish fighters and civilians.

Turkey, the EU and US refer to the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

An offshoot of the group, the TAK, carried out two attacks on police vehicles in Ankara this year.

The government and western intelligence groups believe TAK is an alias of the PKK.