France deploys 45000 police to quell 'unacceptable' riots - CNA

"VERY YOUNG" RIOTERS

Macron urged parents to take responsibility for underage rioters, one-third of whom were "young or very young".

And he vowed to work with social networks to curb "copycat violence" spread via services such as TikTok and Snapchat.

France has been rocked by successive nights of protests since Nahel was shot at point-blank range during a traffic stop captured on video.

In her first media interview since the shooting, Nahel's mother, Mounia, told France 5 television: "I don't blame the police, I blame one person: the one who took the life of my son."

She said the 38-year-old officer responsible, who was detained and charged with voluntary manslaughter on Thursday, "saw an Arab face, a little kid, and wanted to take his life".

The government is desperate to avoid a repeat of 2005's weeks-long urban riots, sparked by the death of two boys of African origin in a police chase, during which 6,000 people were arrested.

The UN rights office said Friday that the killing of the teen of North African descent was "a moment for the country to seriously address the deep issues of racism and racial discrimination in law enforcement".

A foreign ministry statement dismissed that charge as "totally unfounded".

On Thursday, two major police unions said they were "at war" with rioters, who they likened to "vermin".

Prosecutors in Marseille opened an investigation into attempted murder after two police officers in civilian clothes were attacked by a gang of 20 people in the southern city overnight.

"BULLET IN THE HEAD"

The Paris region's bus and tram lines remained "severely disrupted" on Friday, the RATP transport operator said, after a dozen vehicles were torched overnight in a depot and some routes were blocked or damaged.

There was daylight looting Friday in the eastern city of Strasbourg, where rioters targeted an Apple Store and other shops.

Police used teargas in the southern city of Marseille on Friday evening after youths threw stones at police vehicles in the Vieux-Port district, which is popular with tourists.

A curfew was installed in at least three towns in the Paris region and several others elsewhere in the country.

Nahel was killed as he pulled away from police who had stopped him for a traffic infraction.

A video, authenticated by AFP, showed two police officers standing by the side of the stationary car, with one pointing a weapon at the driver.

A voice is heard saying: "You are going to get a bullet in the head."

The police officer then appears to fire as the car abruptly drives off. The officer has been charged with voluntary homicide and remanded in custody.

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2023-06-30 23:16:00Z
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Ice cream shaped like tiles at Thailand's famous Temple of Dawn captures imagination - CNA

Its creator hopes this process would encourage people to appreciate the aesthetic value of the Temple of Dawn more deeply.

“Everything on the ice cream can be found in the temple. So, visitors can do something like a treasure hunt and seek where exactly these patterns came from,” said Namtan.

Since May, tourists and locals have flocked to the temple’s coffee shop – Arun Cafe. This is the only venue where they can buy the ice cream, whose massive popularity means it is often sold out in one day.

“I really like it. It’s delicious,” said a tourist from Brazil, Carol Young.

“The design is really interesting. It looks like the tiles of the temple. I think it’s clever in the way they do it. The colour is great and the flavour is tasteful,” she added.

Her friend Clara Kim told CNA the design made her want to look more closely at the tiles. She was also happily surprised to find a hidden message on the stick after finishing the ice cream. It reads “You look amazing today.”.

“I really like it. I think it’s something that will attract more people to the temple – to try the ice cream,” she said.

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2023-06-30 22:01:18Z
CBMicmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS90aGFpbGFuZC1pY2UtY3JlYW0tdGlsZXMtZmFtb3VzLWxhbmRtYXJrLXdhdC1hcnVuLXRlbXBsZS1kYXduLWJhbmdrb2stMzU5NzI2NtIBAA

Putin and Modi discuss Ukraine, armed mutiny in phone call - CNA

India has not condemned its old ally Russia over the invasion of Ukraine and have urged both sides to resolve their differences through diplomacy. Modi told Putin last year that "today's era is not an era of war".

"While discussing the situation in Ukraine, PM (Modi) reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy," New Delhi said in a statement.

The boss of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, shocked the world by leading Saturday's armed revolt, only to abruptly call it off as his fighters approached Moscow.

India's national security adviser, Ajit Doval, also spoke to his counterpart Nikolai Patrushev on Wednesday on the failed mutiny, an Indian security establishment source said.

India remains dependent on Moscow for its defense needs and has sharply increased its imports of cheap Russian oil, frustrating the West.

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2023-06-30 16:10:06Z
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Singapore ranked 6th most peaceful country in the world: Global Peace Index - CNA

Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. 

Other countries that made the top 10 include Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Japan and Switzerland. 

Afghanistan is the least peaceful country in the world for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

According to the report, the world has become less peaceful over the last decade.

In the past year, 84 countries recorded an improvement, while 79 countries recorded a deterioration in peacefulness.

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2023-06-30 08:43:03Z
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Policeman who killed French teen says 'sorry' to the family: Lawyer - CNA

NANTERRE, France: The policeman who killed a French teenager in a Paris suburb on Tuesday (Jun 27), sparking violent protests across the country, has apologised to the family while in custody, his lawyer said.

"The first words he pronounced were to say sorry and the last words he said were to say sorry to the family," Laurent-Franck Lienard told BFMTV late Thursday.

"He is devastated, he doesn't get up in the morning to kill people," Lienard said. "He didn't want to kill him."

France has been hit by protests after 17-year-old Nahel was shot point-blank in Nanterre during a traffic stop captured on video that has unleashed rage and reignited debate about police tactics.

Lienard said the policeman was "extremely shocked by the violence of this video".

The officer has been charged with voluntary homicide and remanded in custody.

Lienard said he would on Friday appeal his client being placed in custody.
 

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2023-06-29 23:40:00Z
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Vietnam's coffee sector braces for compliance challenges under new EU deforestation laws - CNA

"The regulation will directly affect stakeholders in the supply chains and impact the livelihoods of farmers, especially the smallholders, who make up the majority of Vietnam’s coffee production," said Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Le Minh Hoan.

"They will face many challenges, particularly in terms of location data, traceability, monitoring systems, and deforestation-free supply chain management," he told a news conference on Thursday (Jun 29) in Hanoi.

Industry players said that most of Vietnam’s coffee production does not flout the new EU rule, as a majority of its plantations were established decades ago.

“Deforestation is no longer a concern in Vietnam's coffee industry,” said Mr Nguyen Xuan Loi, chief executive officer of An Thai Group, a company that supplies instant coffee. 

“Vietnam's coffee plantations are grown on lands that are stable. It is extremely rare for coffee trees to be grown on deforested land,” he added. 

The main challenge, industry sources said, is the process of providing evidence that their goods are in compliance with the new law.

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2023-06-30 05:16:31Z
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Knee-length skirt not long enough? Penang security guard stops woman from entering govt building - AsiaOne

Is a knee-length skirt not suitable attire for entering a government office?

It is not, according to a security guard at Social Security Organisation (Socso) in Penang, Malaysia.

Lawyer Ajit Singh Jessy told New Straits Times that his female colleague, known as May, was stopped from entering the building on Wednesday (June 28) because of her knee-length skirt.

The security guard said that it was the office's rule that her skirt should reach her feet.

"After we persisted to know what was wrong with her skirt, he replied in Malay: 'This time is ok, don't do the same in future'."

The pair entered the premises and Ajit noted that no one raised an issue about his colleague's outfit or asked any questions.

"In fact, the staff were very helpful and polite," he said.

Following the incident, the lawyer posed a question, asking: "Since when have security guards been given the authority to enforce dress code? I always thought their job was to guard the building."

"Please put a stop to this harassment of the public at government departments," he added.

In response, Socso's state director, Mustafa Deraman told NST that they do not set a specific dress code for customers.

However, he explained that there is signage put up advising customers to dress appropriately. Singlets, mini pants or short skirts, for example, are not allowed in the building.

"Looking at the picture given, the customer's clothes was appropriate. Maybe the guard on duty was wrong about this, and I apologise for that," Deraman said.

ALSO READ: Oversized T-shirt and shorts: Malaysian woman fined for wearing 'indecent' attire

ashwini.balan@asiaone.com

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.

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2023-06-30 03:25:00Z
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