Outrage at death in rubbish truck
Moroccans are protesting after a fisherman was crushed to death in a garbage truck - an incident some are comparing to the death of a Tunisian vendor in 2010 that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings. According to Moroccan media, police in Hoceima confiscated and destroyed Mouhcine Fikri's swordfish, which isn't allowed to be fished during this time of the season. Footage circulating online appears to show Fikri jumping into a garbage truck to retrieve his fish, before being crushed to death. Fikri's death has drawn outrage on Moroccan social media and calls for protests in several cities.
Church group in crash
A van carrying a Virginia church group crashed into an SUV that crossed into its lane on a North Carolina highway, sending 17 people to hospitals, the State Highway Patrol said. The injured ranged in age from a 1 month to 90-years-old, and two had to be flown by emergency helicopter for hospital treatment, the State Highway Patrol said. Fifteen of those hurt were aboard a rented van carrying members of a Jehovah's Witness congregation from Martinsville, Virginia, to Salisbury, North Carolina.
Attack on man with disability
Two people have been arrested after a vicious attack on a vision impaired man that left him semi-conscious on a Sydney street. The 38-year-old woman and the 39-year-old man allegedly attacked the 45-year-old man when he confronted them as they tried to break into a boarded up home in Herbersham. The pair left the scene and neighbours discovered the victim semi-conscious on the street. The man is in hospital in an induced coma, while his two alleged attackers have been refused bail and will appear in court today.
Crackdown expanded
Turkey expanded its sweeping post-coup crackdown over the weekend, issuing two new governmental decrees that dismissed more than 10,000 civil servants and shutting down 15 mostly pro-Kurdish media outlets. Turkey declared a state of emergency soon after the July 15 coup attempt allowing the Government to rule by decree with limited parliamentary involvement. Such decrees have been used to suspend tens of thousands of people from the public sector over suspected links to what the government calls terror organisations.
More P use in rural areas
The number of people using drug P in rural Australia is more than double compared to those living in regional towns and cities, according to new research. A detailed examination of methamphetamine and crystal methamphetamine (called ice in Australia), to be presented at the APSAD Scientific Alcohol and Drugs Conference today, has confirmed concerns use of the illicit drugs is significantly higher among rural Australians.
Coalition talks
There was no Pirate takeover, but the upstart party managed to make waves in Iceland. The country's party leaders were beginning meetings today with Iceland's president to hammer out who will form the next government. The largest bloc of seats was won by the centre-right Independence Party but no party gained a parliamentary majority. The Independence Party took 29 per cent and 21 of 63 Parliament seats. The Pirates almost tripled their vote share from 5 per cent in 2013 to 14.5 per cent, and will get 10 seats. The Left-Green movement had 15.9 per cent and 10 seats.
- agencies