AL- JAZEERA TWITTER ACCOUNT ‘ SUSPENDED’
Qatar- based broadcaster Al- Jazeera said the Twitter account for its main Arabic- language channel had been suspended on Saturday, in the latest “conspiracy” to hit the station. Yasser Abuhilalah, managing director of Al-Jazeera Arabic, confirmed the suspension on social media. The suspension comes at a time of diplomatic crisis in the Gulf after Qatar was cut off by neighboring countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Other Twitter accounts belonging to the channel were still working and one claimed that the suspension was due to “what seems to be an organized campaign.” The television channel has long been a target for criticism by other Middle East countries, with Al- Jazeera banned on several occasions.
DEADLOCKED COSBY JURY ASKS ABOUT ‘ REASONABLE DOUBT’
NORRISTOWN, United States: The deadlocked US jury battling to reach a verdict in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial asked the judge Friday to define “reasonable doubt” and again asked to hear from the fallen star’s testimony. The 79- year- old pioneering black actor could face spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault against 44- year- old Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia mansion in January 2004. The 12- member jury had told Judge Steven O’Neill on Thursday that they were deadlocked, but the Pennsylvania judge ordered them to continue with no cutoff point to stop trying to reach a unanimous agreement. The panel suspended its deliberations late Friday. They have now been deliberating more than 52 hours on whether or not Cosby should be convicted of drugging and molesting Constand. Under US law, any application of the term “reasonable doubt” would mean that the jury should acquit the defendant.
EU UNVEILS PLANS TO REGULATE DRONES BY 2019
BRUSSELS: The EU unveiled a blueprint to safely regulate drone traffic in Europe by 2019 in order to tap the growing commercial potential for unmanned aircraft technology. The blueprint from the European Commission, the EU executive, covers allowing drones to operate in high density under the supervision of fleet operators. “Drones mean innovation, new services for citizens, new business models and a huge potential for economic growth,” EU Transport Minister Violeta Bulc said. “The EU needs to take a leading role worldwide in developing the right framework for this market to flourish, by unleashing the benefits for key economic sectors.” The idea is to build a system similar to that of Air Traffic Management for manned aviation, that would supply information to allow drones to fly safely and avoid obstacles or collisions. The aim is to have the regulatory framework functioning by 2019, with basic services like registration and e-identification.The European Commission said it hopes negotiations involving the European Parliament and 28 member states will be completed by the end of the year as a key part of the process.