Turkish child marriage religious document sparks anger

*Turkish child marriage religious document sparks anger 😡*

Turkey's main opposition party has called for a parliamentary inquiry after the directorate of religious affairs said that, under Islamic law, girls as young as nine could marry.

The comments by the Diyanet prompted an outpouring of anger on social media from Turkish women's groups.

The directorate insisted it was only defining points of Islamic law.

Turkey's legal age of marriage is 18 but the practice of underage weddings in religious ceremonies is widespread.

Turkish law also allows 17-year-olds to marry with the consent of their parents or guardian, or 16-year-olds in exceptional circumstances with court approval. The current outcry was started by a statement on adolescence posted online by the Diyanet, the state body which administers religious institutions and education.

It said that, according to Islamic law, the beginning of adolescence for boys was the age of 12 and for girls the age of nine. On the same website, it said that whoever reached the age of adolescence had the right to marry.

Thirty MPs of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) called on the government to launch an investigation into child marriage.

Murat Bakan, CHP's MP for Izmir, said on Twitter: "The Turkish Civil Code clearly states that adulthood begins at the age of 18."

Private company plans to resume plane search

Private company plans to resume plane search*

A private salvage company has moved a vessel towards a possible search area for flight MH370, hoping to find the plane that disappeared in 2014.

US firm Ocean Infinity says it hopes to be awarded the contract for resuming the search for the missing plane soon. The exploration firm will not get paid for the search itself but will receive millions of dollars if successful.

Flight MH370 fell off radar on 8 March 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239 people on board.

Its fate remains shrouded in mystery and the search operation for the plane was suspended in January last year.

Palestinians condemn Trump threat to cut aid as 'blackmail'

: *Palestinians condemn  Trump threat  to cut aid as 'blackmail'*

Palestinian officials have dismissed as "blackmail" Donald Trump's threat to cut US aid over what he called their unwillingness to negotiate with Israel.

A spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas insisted Jerusalem was "not for sale" - a reference to Mr Trump's recognition of the city as the capital of Israel.

Mr Abbas was not against negotiations, he said, but they had to be based on "international laws and resolutions".

The US provided $260m (£192m) of bilateral aid for Palestinians in 2016.

In addition, it is the largest single donor to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Unrwa), providing $368m in 2016.

Iran protests: General declares 'sedition' defeated

: *Iran protests: General declares  'sedition' defeated*

The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has declared the defeat of the "sedition" in the country, referring to a wave of anti-government protests.

The general blamed anti-revolutionary agents, pro-monarchists and forces which he said had been "announced by [US-ex Secretary of State Hillary] Clinton to create riot, anarchy, insecurity and intrigue in Iran".

But the general also blamed a "former official" for the protests, in a comment analysts believe referred to ex-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has been critical of government officials, in particular Judiciary Chief Sadegh Amoli Larijani, in recent weeks.

There were fewer reports of unrest overnight, although it has been difficult to confirm what has been happening on the streets of many cities, and social media were still carrying videos and other posts about the protests.

 

Police Parade 16 Suspected Armed Robbers, Kidnappers

Police Parade 16 Suspected Armed Robbers, Kidnappers*

The Nigeria Police has arrested and paraded 16 suspected armed robbers and kidnappers terrorizing Abuja-Kaduna and Abuja-Suleja-Minna Highways.

 

 

A statement from the Force Public Relations Officers, CSP Jimoh Moshood on Tuesday said the gang members were arrested in the act of laying ambush to kidnap people plying the road after the yuletide.

Storm Eleanor Northern Europe suffers 😢 power cuts and disruption*

Storm Eleanor  Northern Europe suffers 😢 power cuts and disruption*

Winter storm Eleanor has swept into most of northern Europe, including France and Germany after battering the UK, cutting power to tens of thousands of homes and affecting transport.

In northern France, the storm cut power to more than 200,000 households and Eleanor is set to move to other regions throughout the day, including Corsica, where gusts could reach 200km/h.

Switzerland - where it was reported that about 14,000 homes were without power - and Austria, where the avalanche risk was expected to be raised to four on a scale of five in several areas, have also been affected.

Belgium was put on "orange" alert, the third of four warning levels, with officials urging people to be cautious when going out because of tree branches and other flying objects.

The Met Office recorded gusts reaching 100mph (161km/h) overnight with a weather yellow warning still in place for Wales, England, most of Northern Ireland and parts of southern Scotland.