British police holding a fellow officer on suspicion of kidnap and murder said Friday a body discovered in the woods is that of a missing woman at the centre of a high-profile case that has stoked national anger in the UK.

The woman, a 33-year-old marketing executive, vanished while walking home from a friend's flat in south London on the evening of March 3.
The case has sent shockwaves through the London force -- and the wider public -- and triggered a debate about women's safety.
The latest development came as detectives said they had been given more time to a question a serving member of the Metropolitan Police's elite diplomatic protection unit in connection with the case.
-The body has now been recovered and a formal identity procedure has taken place. I can now confirm that it is the body of Sarah Everard- Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Nick Ephgrave told reporters.
Ephgrave said hundreds of officers were "working around the clock to establish the full circumstances of Sarah's disappearance and her murder.
-A man remains in custody at a London police station on suspicion of committing those crimes- he added.
The case has sparked widespread anger in the UK, and on Thursday MP Jess Phillips read out the names in parliament of 118 women and girls killed in Britain in the last year.
-Dead women is a thing we've all just accepted as part of our daily lives- said Phillips, reading the names of victims whose killings involve a man charged or convicted. 
-Killed women are not vanishingly rare. Killed women are common- she added. 
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), a watchdog dealing with policing complaints, is probing the police over its handling of the case.
That includes probing how the suspect ended up requiring treatment in hospital Thursday for a head injury, which police have said he sustained while in custody alone in a cell.
The suspect, whose identity has not been released by officials but has been widely named in the media, was originally detained in Kent, southeast England, late Tuesday on suspicion of kidnapping.
He was arrested for murder the following day and is also being questioned on a separate allegation of indecent exposure.
The IOPC watchdog has said it will probe whether Met officers responded appropriately to the indecent exposure accusation, which occurred several days before Everard disappeared.

33-year-old marketing executive, vanished while walking home from a friend's flat in south London on the evening of March 3rd

The suspect, whose identity has not been released by officials but has been widely named in the media, was originally detained in Kent, southeast England, late Tuesday on suspicion of kidnapping

UK police identify human remains in missing woman case

Organisers of Pakistan's International Women's Day rallies have received death threats after a "vicious smear campaign" saw doctored images of the event circulate online.

Thousands took part in marches across the country on Monday calling for women's rights, but fake images of the events quickly went viral in deeply conservative Pakistan, appearing even on popular television shows.
In one clip, the sound was altered to suggest participants in Karachi were chanting blasphemous slogans against the Prophet Mohammed -- an act which carries the death penalty in Pakistan.
Another photo was shared by a politician and shown on television with the false claim that women were waving a French flag -- when it was actually the banner of a Pakistani feminist organisation.
Anti-France sentiments remain rife in Pakistan after French President Emmanuel Macron defended the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed -- a red line for many Muslims. 
-This is a way for the conservatives to push us back and the eventual goal here is for the Aurat March to not happen again- said Moneeza Ahmed, an organiser of the Karachi march, who described the threats as "traumatic".
Organisers in Karachi were threatened online, while more high-profile figures in Lahore said they had received "serious death threats" via email, telephone and in text messages.
They did not want to be named for fear of reprisal.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said the "deliberate, vicious campaign" amounted to "an incitement to violence".
The annual rallies calling for women's rights have received a fierce backlash since they first began in Karachi in 2018, including legal challenges to have them banned.
In a society where women have been shot, stabbed, stoned, set alight and strangled for damaging a family's "honour", supporters have been accused of promoting Western, liberal values and disrespecting religious and cultural sensitivities.
Last year, Islamist counter-protesters hurled stones at women as they marched through Islamabad. 
A statement signed by feminist journalists and supporters condemned the "malicious circulation" of misinformation against the march, and warned that “using religion and accusing people of blasphemy has serious consequences."
-We’ve seen in the past how such allegations have led to people taking the law into their own hands- feminist author Nighat Saeed Khan told AFP.
Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan and while nobody has been officially executed, vigilante mobs have killed people accused of it.
In 2011, a provincial governor was assassinated by his bodyguard for criticising Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and for supporting a local Christian woman who had been sentenced to death a year earlier for blasphemy.
The woman, Asia Bibi, was in jail until 2019 when she was released and allowed to leave for Canada.

Thousands took part in marches across the country on Monday calling for women's rights

In a society where women have been shot, stabbed, stoned, set alight and strangled for damaging a family's "honour", supporters have been accused of promoting Western, liberal values and disrespecting religious and cultural sensitivities

Pakistan women's day organisers receive death threats

Turkey on Friday said it had established its first diplomatic contacts with Egypt since 2013 and was ready to improve relations with other rivals as it seeks to break its isolation.

Ankara and Cairo had a dramatic falling out when Egyptian President Fattah al-Sisi ousted the Turkish-backed Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi.
The two regional powers have since sparred over a range of issues and found themselves on opposite sides of the war in Libya.
But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been extending olive branches to his rivals in the face of potential sanctions from the European Union and a tough new diplomatic line from US President Joe Biden.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu first signalled earlier this month that Ankara was prepared to negotiate a new maritime agreement for the eastern Mediterranean with Cairo.
He told Turkish state media on Friday that the two countries have now made "contacts both at the level of intelligence and foreign ministries with Egypt".
Erdogan later told reporters that he wanted these initial discussion to lay the groundwork for possible talks with Sisi.
-Our desire would be to extend this process and strengthen it much more- Erdogan said after attending Friday prayers in Istanbul.
-Therefore, after these intelligence, diplomatic and political contacts yield result, we will take this to much higher levels.-

Emerging markets economist Timothy Ash of BlueBay Asset Management said Turkey's shift on Egypt represented "an absolutely incredible turnaround for Erdogan".

-Shows the new world order under Biden, or a return to something more familiar- Ash said in a note.
Turkey and Egypt expelled each others' ambassadors and downgraded their relations in 2013.
Erdogan has repeatedly referred to Sisi as a "putchist president" he holds responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians.
But the strong-willed Turkish leader has said little about Sisi of late while toning down his language on a range of international affairs.
Turkey's resumption of talks with Egypt could potentially worry Greece.
Athens last year signed a maritime agreement with Cairo that laid claim to some eastern Mediterranean waters covered in a separate pact Turkey struck with Libya around the same time.
Turkey and Greece resumed the first direct talks over the dispute in nearly five years in Istanbul in January and are set to continue them next Tuesday in Athens.

Cavusoglu said on Friday that Turkey was also ready to improve relations with the United Arab Emirates -- one of its biggest rivals in the Arab world -- as well as Saudi Arabia.

-We have been seeing more positive messages lately from Abu Dhabi- he said.
-We have had no problems with them anyway, but they have had a problem with us. We are now seeing a more moderate approach from them.-Turkey's relations with Saudi Arabia deteriorated sharply after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Riyadh's Istanbul consulate in 2018.
But Cavusoglu said on Friday that Turkey was not treating the death as a "bilateral issue".
-They turned it into a bilateral issue, but we never accused the government of Saudi Arabia- he said.
A Turkish court trying 26 Saudi suspects in absentia for Khashoggi's murder this month refused to admit a US report blaming the kingdom's Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing.
The declassified US report said Washington had grounds to conclude that Prince Mohammed "approved" the operations since it fit a pattern of him "using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad".
Cavusoglu stressed: -We see no reason not to improve relations with Saudi Arabia.-

Ankara and Cairo had a dramatic falling out when Egyptian President Fattah al-Sisi ousted the Turkish-backed Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attends a joint press conference following a tripartite meeting with his Russian and Qatari counterparts, on March 11th, 2021, in Doha

Turkey, Egypt hold first diplomatic contacts since 2013

Nigerian gunmen raided a college in a northwestern state and at least 30 students are feared kidnapped, a senior government official said Friday, in the latest abduction targeting a school.

The suspected kidnap gang stormed the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Mando, Kaduna state, around 9:30pm (2030 GMT) on Thursday, shooting indiscriminately and taking students hostage.
The college was said to have some 300 male and female students -- mostly aged 17 and older -- at the time of the attack. 
Kaduna state commissioner for internal security Samuel Aruwan said 30 of the students were missing while the army was able to rescue 180 people after a fierce battle with the gunmen.
-The troops successfully rescued 180 citizens; 42 female students, eight staff and 130 male students- Aruwan said in a statement. 
-However, about 30 students, a mix of males and females, are yet to be accounted for.-The commissioner said some of the rescued students were injured during the operation and had been hospitalised in a military facility.
Heavily-armed gangs in northwest and central Nigeria have stepped up attacks in recent years, kidnapping for ransom, raping and pillaging.
The bandits are recently turning their attention on schools where they kidnap students or schoolchildren for ransom -- Thursday's was at least the fourth such attack since December.
The police and local residents had earlier confirmed Thursday's incident but could not disclose how many students were seized.&nbsp;

Residents also heard repeated gunshots in the area late on Thursday.

-We kept hearing gunshots which we ignored as shooting drills from the Nigeria Defence Academy which is a stone-throw from the forestry college- said Mustapha Aliyu, who lives in the area.
-It was only when we came out for the morning prayers in the mosque that we learnt it was gunmen who took away students from the college- he said.
The area is notorious for banditry and armed robbery, especially along the highway linking the city with the airport.
The gangs are largely driven by financial motives and have no known ideological leanings. Victims are often released shortly after negotiations though officials always deny any ransom payments.
On Saturday, criminal gangs known locally as bandits broke into the staff quarters of the nearby Kaduna airport, abducting 12 people, according to airport officials.
On February 27, gunmen abducted 279 schoolgirls in nearby Zamfara state.
A week earlier, gunmen seized 42 people, including 27 students from an all-boys boarding school in central Niger state.
In December, hundreds of schoolboys were seized in Katsina, President Muhammadu Buhari's home state while he was on a visit.
The US has condemned the recent attacks on schools.
-Frankly, we're disgusted by this pattern of mass abductions of school kids. I can think of nothing more abhorrent," Michael Gonzales, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs told a press briefing.
He said the US "is ready to provide appropriate support to the Nigerian government if requested to do so."&nbsp;

The college was said to have some 300 male and female students, mostly aged 17 and older, at the time of the attack

About 30 students, a mix of males and females, are yet to be accounted for

Nigeria gunmen raid college, dozens feared abducted

Turkey on Friday "strongly" condemned California Governor Gavin Newsom's decision not to try to halt the planned release of an Armenian man jailed for the 1982 murder of the Turkish consul in Los Angeles.

Hampig Sassounian, an Armenian immigrant who was living in the suburbs of Los Angeles, was jailed in 1984 for opening fire on consul Kemal Arikanwhen after he had stopped at a traffic light on January 28, 1982.
In 2002, Sassounian signed a declaration renouncing terrorism and was sentenced to life in prison, and to serve a minimum of 25 years.
His application for parole had been repeatedly denied until a Los Angeles judge granted it last month.
A spokeswoman for Newsom, who had previously opposed Sassounian's release, said Thursday he had decided not to challenge the ruling. 
-We strongly condemn this approach, that deeply hurts the conscience of the Turkish nation- the Turkish foreign ministry said in reference to Newsom's decision.
-This grave decision, that could not be reversed despite all attempts of the US administration, is in conflict with the universal principles of law and the understanding of justice.-The US State Department issued a statement Thursday saying it was "deeply disappointed" about the forthcoming release.

Hampig Sassounian, an Armenian immigrant  was jailed in 1984 for opening fire on consul Kemal Arikanwhen

In 2002, Sassounian signed a declaration renouncing terrorism and was sentenced to life in prison, and to serve a minimum of 25 years

Turkey condemns California's release of diplomat killer

In a controversial move, the Czech Republic on Thursday opened a diplomatic office in Jerusalem, affiliated to its embassy in Tel Aviv.

While stopping short of shifting the Czech Embassy to Jerusalem, the move got clear approval from Israel, with Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi attending the opening along with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis.
Ashkenazi welcomed the opening of the office, saying it was "further evidence of the depth of friendship with the people and government of the Czech Republic."
He added: -I would like to thank the Czech Republic for leading change in Europe towards the city of Jerusalem, and for the association with Israel.-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to take part in the opening, but he was absent due to his wife's illness, according to local media.
Palestinian leaders oppose the step and have called on the Czech Republic to reverse the decision.
European Union member states had refused to move their embassies to Jerusalem pending a final agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians on the issue of the holy city.
Among EU states, only Hungary also has diplomatic offices in Jerusalem.
With the exception of the US and Guatemala, countries worldwide have declined to shift their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

With exception of US and Guatemala, countries worldwide have declined to shift their embassies to Jerusalem

Czech Republic opens diplomatic office in Jerusalem

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for more humanitarian access in conflict-hit Syria to reach more people in need of assistance.

Speaking to reporters at UN headquarters to mark the 10th anniversary of the Syrian civil war, Guterres said Syria has fallen off the front pages after a decade of conflict and "yet, the situation remains a living nightmare."
-Some 60% of Syrians are at risk of hunger this year. It is imperative that we continue to reach all Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance- he said. -More humanitarian access is needed.-He said intensified cross-line and cross-border deliveries are essential to reach everyone in need everywhere.
The UN chief also pledged that the international body will continue its pursuit of a political settlement in line with Security Council resolution 2254, citing the first step on that path, which should be tangible progress in the Constitutional Committee.
He said the Syrian parties have the opportunity to demonstrate a willingness to find common grounds.
-This is the best, that will lead to a solution that meets the legitimate aspirations of all Syrians.-It is a process in which Syrian women and men must play their full part, he added.
Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.
According to UN estimates, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced.

'It is imperative that we continue to reach all Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance,' says Antonio Guterres

Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters

UN chief calls for more humanitarian access to Syria

A French judge charged two 15-year-olds on Thursday with the murder of a girl from their school whose beaten body was found dumped in the Seine River in a crime that has shocked the country, prosecutors said.

The 14-year-old girl, identified only as Alisha, had been the victim of online bullying in a dispute with the suspects, a boy and a girl, that had seen photos released on social media.
The judge charged the two with murder in the early hours of Thursday, and another judge then ordered them to be held in custody in the young offenders units of two different prisons pending trial, prosecutors said.
The two, identified as T. and J., as minors face up to 20 years in prison if convicted for the killing in Argenteuil in the northern outskirts of Paris.
The case has caused immense shock in France as the government seeks to deal with increasing crime blamed on youth gangs that has sparked violent clashes, especially in the Paris area.
Regional prosecutor Eric Corbaux, giving a chilling description of the events, told reporters that the two suspects met with the victim on Monday night.
"After having chatted a few minutes, the young man who, hidden, appears to have approached the victim, struck her by surprise, pulled her hair and kicked her legs out from beneath her. He then appears to have kicked her while she was on the ground, in the back and the head," he said.
He said the initial investigation indicated that Alisha had then been thrown into the Seine while still alive with the help of the girl, and then drowned. 
He said the three appeared to have been friends but then a "rivalry" developed that put the two young girls at odds with each other. The boy had initially been in a relationship with Alisha and then with the other girl.
Alisha's phone was hacked into, and pictures of her in her underwear circulated on the online messaging service Snapchat.

The school confirmed Wednesday that the two detained youths had already faced a disciplinary procedure over their behaviour towards the victim, and had been summoned to appear before a disciplinary committee on Tuesday.

There was "tension between these three students after the victim's phone was hacked and compromising photos were posted by her two classmates," the Cognacq-Jay high school said in a statement to AFP.
Corbaux said that during their initial detention the pair "had not shown immediate remorse."
But the boy's lawyer, Frank Berton, criticised the tone taken by the prosecutor during the press conference.
-It would be good not to convict them in a snap judgement at a press conference... my client has the right to a defence- he wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

The two, identified as T. and J., as minors face up to 20 years in prison if convicted for the killing

General view of the Seine river under the bridge of the A15 highway, in Argenteuil, on the outskirts of Paris, on March 10, 2021, two days after a 14-year-old schoolgirl body was found

France charges two teens with murdering girl bullied online

Russia's telecommunications watchdog said Thursday that Twitter had still not deleted more than 3,000 posts containing illegal content after Moscow began disrupting Twitter's services in the country.

On Wednesday, Roskomnadzor said it began slowing down the US social media giant's work in Russia, saying Twitter failed to comply with its requests to delete content related to child pornography, drug use and calls for minors to commit suicide.
-As of March 11, 2021, more than 3,100 publications containing banned information have not been deleted- Roskomnadzor said in a statement on Thursday.
-There has not been a response to a Roskomnadzor request to delete banned materials containing child pornography, pro-drug and suicide content.-The communications watchdog reiterated that the measures only affect posts with photo, video and graphics.
-The owners of the social media network should bring its work in Russia into compliance with our country's legislation- Roskomnadzor added.
Late Wednesday, Twitter denounced Russia's attempts to "block and throttle online public conversation".
The media giant said it had a "zero-tolerance" policy regarding "child sexual exploitation" and did not promote suicide and self-harm.
In recent months, the Kremlin has been clamping down on online platforms including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for hosting content that included calls for protests in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
President Vladimir Putin has warned against the increasing influence of large tech companies, saying they are "competing" with sovereign states.

The media giant said it had a "zero-tolerance" policy regarding "child sexual exploitation" and did not promote suicide and self-harm

Late Wednesday, Twitter denounced Russia's attempts to "block and throttle online public conversation"

Russia says Twitter not removing 'banned' information

Mali will hold presidential elections in March 2020, said the country’s foreign minister.

The announcement came at the end of the second meeting of the Transition Support Group in Mali held in Togo’s capital Lome on Monday. The meeting was co-chaired by the UN, African Union and Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS).  
The election will be held in line with the Transition Charter adopted in September 2020 in the West African country.
-The presidential election is what interests everyone. In principle, it will take place in March 2022- Zeini Moulaye, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, told media on the sidelines of the meeting.
Moulaye led the delegation of participating ministers from the Malian government at the meeting.
-Within the framework of the next elections, there will be a new CENI [Independent National Electoral Commission] which will include at the same time representatives of the administration, representatives of the political class, representatives of the civil society- Moulaye said.​​​​​​​

Announcement comes at end of 2nd meeting of Transition Support Group in Mali, co-chaired by UN, AU, ECOWAS

The announcement came at the end of the second meeting of the Transition Support Group in Mali held in Togo’s capital Lome on Monday

Mali to hold presidential elections in March 2022

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday called Turkey "extremely important," saying the alliance is a platform to address differences and disagreements. 

-I think that we need to understand that Turkey is an important ally. Because you can just look at the map and then you see that Turkey is extremely important- said Stoltenberg at an online event with California-based Stanford University.
His remarks came in response to a question on whether Turkey should be expelled from NATO over the relationship between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Stoltenberg said Turkey "has been of great importance," citing its geographical proximity to Iraq and Syria, the progress made in fighting the Daesh/ISIS terror group and bases and airports there.
The NATO chief said it is nothing new that the alliance has seen differences between allies, adding: -But when there are differences and disagreements, at least NATO is a platform for allies to raise these differences and disagreements.-The situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, migration and Ankara's decision to acquire the Russian S-400 air defense system are, according to Stoltenberg, among the concerning issues between Turkey and its NATO allies.
-I recognize that there are challenges, but I think the best thing is to address them as NATO allies inside NATO in an open way and have NATO as a platform for trying to find ways to reduce tensions and find positive steps in the right direction- he concluded.
In April 2017, when its protracted efforts to buy an air defense system from the US proved fruitless, Turkey signed a contract with Russia to acquire the S-400 system.
US officials have voiced opposition to its deployment, claiming it would be incompatible with NATO systems and would expose F-35 jets to possible Russian subterfuge.
Turkey, however, stressed that the S-400 would not be integrated into NATO systems and poses no threat to the alliance or its armaments.

'I recognize there are challenges, but I think the best thing is to address them as NATO allies,' says Jens Stoltenberg

Stoltenberg said Turkey "has been of great importance," citing its geographical proximity to Iraq and Syria, the progress made in fighting the Daesh/ISIS terror group and bases and airports there

NATO chief calls Turkey 'extremely important'

The US state of Hawaii declared an emergency on Tuesday amid heavy flooding which caused widespread damage in the state.
-I've just signed an emergency proclamation for the State of Hawaii after heavy rains and flooding caused extensive damage to both public and private property across the islands- Governor David Ige said on Twitter.
-The emergency proclamation makes state general funds available that can be used quickly and efficiently to help those impacted by the severe weather, which is expected to continue until Friday- he continued.
At least six homes on the island of Maui and two bridges were heavily damaged or destroyed, according to the office of Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino.
While some parts of the state are still under a flash flood emergency and evacuation order, the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management said the flash flood emergency for Haleiwa and Oahu was canceled.
Haleiwa is no longer under an evacuation order.
No deaths or injuries have been reported by authorities.

At least 6 homes, two bridges heavily damaged, destroyed

While some parts of the state are still under a flash flood emergency and evacuation order, the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management said the flash flood emergency for Haleiwa and Oahu was canceled

Hawaii declares emergency due to heavy flooding

Facebook said on Wednesday it was launching a “lite” version of Instagram in 170 countries that will enable people with poor internet to access the photo and video sharing social networking service.Instagram Lite will be available for Android-based phones and require less bandwidth than the traditional version.
The app itself requires just 2 megabytes (MB) - versus 30 MB for Instagram - and runs even on slower 2G networks, allowing customers in parts of India, Africa, Asia and Latin America with older internet infrastructure to access the service.
-These are the markets where there is the greatest need- said Tzach Hadar, director of product management at Facebook in Tel Aviv, where the app was largely developed.
-It uses a lot less data so if you have a small data package you are not going to run out when you use the service. But the aim is for us to give the same breadth of experience you get on Instagram- he told Reuters.
Hadar, who heads Facebook’s R&amp;D in Israel, said 170 countries did not represent a full global launch, but “it’s a step on the way.”
He noted that other than TV and reels - for creating and sharing short video clips - Instagram Lite retained most key features of Instagram.
A lite version of Facebook itself has been available globally for five years.
In addition to the lite versions, Facebook in Tel Aviv also developed the Express WiFi service to bring internet access to some 20 countries in Africa, Asia, and South America.
Hadar said his team was now working on a digital wallet for Facebook. “You have close to 2 billion people that have no access or limited access to banks and financial services and there are tens of billions of dollars being spent just for fees for migrants wanting to send money back to their families,” he said.
Another initiative, he said, was Facebook Shops for small businesses to sell products online.
Facebook’s R&amp;D centre in Tel Aviv opened in 2013 after it bought Israeli mobile app-maker Onavo for an estimated $150-$200 million.

This will enable people with poor internet to access the photo and video sharing social networking service

The app itself requires just 2 megabytes (MB) - versus 30 MB for Instagram - and runs even on slower 2G networks

Facebook launches Instagram Lite in 170 lower bandwidth countries

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will together visit Japan and South Korea next week as President Joe Biden shores up alliances in the face of China on his administration's first foreign travel.

The joint trip, confirmed Wednesday by the State Department after it was reported in the two countries, will start several days after Biden holds a virtual summit with the leaders of Japan, Australia and India.
Blinken said on Twitter that he looked forward to the trip "as we work to promote peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and around the world."
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the travel aimed to "reaffirm the United States' commitment to strengthening our alliances."
The Biden team has been deliberately hesitant to start the flurry of international trips that traditionally herald a new administration as it tries to set an example by discouraging travel in its bid to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
Blinken had his first foreign "trip" on February 25 as he met virtually with his counterparts from Mexico and Canada, complete even with a videotaped crossing of the border into Mexico.
Blinken and Austin will visit Tokyo on Tuesday and Wednesday next week for joint meetings with their Japanese counterparts.
The top US diplomat, appearing virtually even while in Tokyo, will also address Japanese business leaders and journalists and highlight "the role of a free press in promoting good governance and defending democracy" amid deteriorating conditions for media in parts of the world.
In Seoul, Blinken and Austin will again meet jointly with their counterparts and Blinken will similarly meet virtually with South Korean youth and journalists, Price said.
Blinken will also discuss an ongoing review of US policy toward North Korea in the wake of former president Donald Trump's splashy summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The joint trip will start several days after Biden holds a virtual summit with the leaders of Japan, Australia and India

The aim of the travel is to "reaffirm the United States' commitment to strengthening their alliances"

Blinken, Austin to visit Tokyo, Seoul together on first foreign trip

A Greek court has jailed two Afghan youths for five years for starting a fire that burnt down Europe's largest migrant camp last year on the island of Lesbos, lawyers said on Wednesday.

The Lesbos court handed down the sentences late on Tuesday after a six-hour session, the local bar association told AFP.
Two consecutive fires in September destroyed the Moria camp on Lesbos, where migrants had been held in squalid conditions for years.
Nearly 13,000 people including families with young children, pregnant women and older people were left sleeping on roadsides for days until another tent camp could be erected.
The two Afghans were 17 years old at the time of their arrest, said Legal Centre Lesvos, a civil organisation that offers legal support to asylum seekers and represented them at the trial.
The group said there had been a "lack of credible evidence" presented and that it would work to overturn the verdict on appeal.
-While we are disappointed with today’s result, things could have been much worse for the two young men- the group said in a statement.
-The arson conviction alone could have carried a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.-Four other youths detained in connection to the incident still await trial.
Fires have regularly broken out in Greek migrant camps and squats, usually by accident but occasionally set by residents in protest at living conditions and the rejection of their asylum claims.
Early on Wednesday, the bodies of three Algerian men were found in an abandoned building in the northern city of Thessaloniki. They are believed to have died from smoke inhalation after lighting a fire to warm themselves, local authorities said.

Two consecutive fires in September destroyed the Moria camp on Lesbos, where migrants had been held in squalid conditions for years

Nearly 13,000 people including families with young children, pregnant women and older people were left sleeping on roadsides for days until another tent camp could be erected

Afghan youths jailed over Greek migrant camp fire

The UN migration agency has urged rebels who control the Yemeni capital Sanaa to provide access to dozens of African migrants who were seriously injured in a weekend hostel fire.

The Sunday blaze at an overcrowed holding facility in Sanaa killed an unconfirmed number of migrants and injured more than 170, over half of them seriously, the International Organization for Migration said.
-As many migrants are in a critical condition, meeting their health needs must be an urgent priority- IOM Middle East and North Africa director Carmela Godeau said in a statement Tuesday. 
-We are facing challenges accessing the injured due to an increased security presence in the hospitals- she said. 
-Humanitarians and health workers must be given access to support the treatment of those affected by the fire.-There has still been no word from the Huthi rebel authorities on what caused Sunday's fire or how many people it killed.
The IOM said more than 350 migrants, most of them from Ethiopia, were in a hangar area where the fire broke out.
-While the cause of the fire is still unconfirmed, its impact is clearly horrific- said Godeau.
Despite more than six years of devastating conflict in Yemen that have created what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, the impoverished country is still a magnet for migrants from the nearby Horn to Africa seeking a better life in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
Restrictions on movement imposed during the coronavirus pandemic have led to a reduction in migrant arrivals from more than 138,000 in 2019 to just over 37,500 in 2020.
But they have also led to "thousands of migrants becoming stranded with little access to basic services or protection," the IOM said. 
It said it was working with Ethiopian authorities to restart a voluntary repatriation programme for stranded migrants.
More than 6,000 have registered to return home from Yemen's government-held second city Aden, of whom a first 1,100 are are expected to leave in the coming weeks, the IOM said.&nbsp;

The Sunday blaze at an overcrowed holding facility in Sanaa killed an unconfirmed number of migrants and injured more than 170

The IOM said more than 350 migrants, most of them from Ethiopia, were in a hangar area where the fire broke out

UK police identify human remains in missing woman case

Pakistan women's day organisers receive death threats

Turkey, Egypt hold first diplomatic contacts since 2013

Nigeria gunmen raid college, dozens feared abducted

Turkey condemns California's release of diplomat killer

Czech Republic opens diplomatic office in Jerusalem

UN chief calls for more humanitarian access to Syria

France charges two teens with murdering girl bullied online

Russia says Twitter not removing 'banned' information

Mali to hold presidential elections in March 2022

NATO chief calls Turkey 'extremely important'

Hawaii declares emergency due to heavy flooding

Facebook launches Instagram Lite in 170 lower bandwidth countries

Blinken, Austin to visit Tokyo, Seoul together on first foreign trip

Afghan youths jailed over Greek migrant camp fire

UN seeks access to migrants injured in Yemen blaze

World

UK police identify human remains in missing woman case

Pakistan women's day organisers receive death threats

Turkey, Egypt hold first diplomatic contacts since 2013

Nigeria gunmen raid college, dozens feared abducted

Turkey condemns California's release of diplomat killer

Czech Republic opens diplomatic office in Jerusalem

UN chief calls for more humanitarian access to Syria

France charges two teens with murdering girl bullied online

Russia says Twitter not removing 'banned' information

Mali to hold presidential elections in March 2022

NATO chief calls Turkey 'extremely important'

Hawaii declares emergency due to heavy flooding

Facebook launches Instagram Lite in 170 lower bandwidth countries

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Afghan youths jailed over Greek migrant camp fire

UN seeks access to migrants injured in Yemen blaze