Seven journalists in Turkey went on trial on Wednesday, accused of revealing state secrets over their reports on the funeral of an intelligence officer who was killed in Libya.
The journalists from OdaTV news website, the pro-Kurdish newspaper Yeni Yasam and the nationalist daily Yenicag were charged with breaking national intelligence laws and of revealing secret information.
If convicted, they face between eight and 19 years in prison.
OdaTV editor-in-chief Baris Pehlivan, editor Baris Terkoglu, reporter Hulya Kilinc, and Yeni Yasam editor-in-chief Ferhat Celik and news editor Aydin Keser were charged over their reports on the intelligence officer who died in February, and Turkey's military activity in Libya.
Murat Agirel, a columnist for Yenicag, and Erk Acarer, a columnist for the left-leaning BirGun newspaper, are accused of revealing the intelligence official's identity on social media.
Mr Acarer is abroad and will be tried in his absence.
Eren Ekinci, an employee of the municipality where the intelligence officer's funeral took place, is accused of providing information to OdaTV.
The prosecutors accused the defendants, who have been detained since March, of acting “in a systematic and co-ordinated manner”.
Critics say the intelligence officer was identified during discussions in Turkey’s Parliament and that his name was no longer a secret.
Dozens of people gathered outside the courthouse in Istanbul to show solidarity with the journalists.
The Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Turkish authorities to drop the charges.
“Turkey should stop attempting to control independent journalism with intimidation, immediately free the arrested journalists and drop this case,” said the group’s Europe and Central Asia co-ordinator, Gulnoza Said.
The committee ranks Turkey among the top jailers of journalists worldwide.
About 80 journalists and other media workers are in jail under Turkey’s broad anti-terrorism laws, says the Turkish Journalists' Syndicate, many members of which were detained in a crackdown after a 2016 coup attempt.
Turkey maintains that the journalists are being prosecuted for criminal acts and not their work.
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
Plastic tipping point
The burning issue
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Could%20We%20Be%20More
Company%C2%A0profile
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The%20specs
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Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
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Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
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Celta Vigo 2
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Barcelona 2
Dembele (36'), Alcacer (64')
Red card: Sergi Roberto (Barcelona)
The five pillars of Islam
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4.
5.
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