BY CNN

Three men have been jailed for life for the rape, torture and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Three police officers were found guilty of destroying evidence and sentenced to five years in prison.

The victim, who belonged to a Muslim nomadic tribe, was found in a forest near Kathua city in January 2018.

The case sparked widespread anger and made headlines when Hindu right-wing groups protested over the men’s arrest.

Eight people, including a former government official, four policemen and a minor, were charged in connection with the crime. One of them has been acquitted and the minor is set to be tried separately.

All of them had pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

The case became one among many high-profile ones that prompted India to pass a new law which introduced death penalty for anyone convicted of raping a child under 12.

But it is still left to the judge’s discretion to decide whether or not to hand out a death sentence.

What happened?

The eight-year-old girl went missing in the new year of 2018 and her battered body was discovered almost three weeks later.

According to investigators, the child was confined to a local temple for several days and given sedatives that kept her unconscious. The charge sheet alleged that she was “raped for days, tortured and then finally murdered”.

They added that the child was targeted because the men wished to terrorise the tribe – known as Gujjars – into leaving.

A child is sexually abused every 15 minutes in India, according to government crime figures up to 2016, and there has been a steady rise in offences against children.

The BBC’s Geeta Pandey in Delhi says India is home to the largest number of sexually abused children in the world, but there is a reluctance to talk about the topic so the real number of cases could be much higher.

Who are the convicted men?

Seven men were tried in a specially convened fast-track court on Monday and six were found guilty.

Investigators said that Sanjhi Ram, a 60-year-old retired government officer, allegedly planned the crime with the help of police officers Surinder Verma, Anand Dutta, Tilak Raj and Deepak Khajuria.

Ram’s son, Vishal, his nephew, a juvenile, and his friend, Parvesh Kumar, were also accused over the rape and murder.

While Vishal was acquitted, Ram, Khajuria and Kumar have been sentenced for life. The remaining three have been handed five-year sentences.

After the verdict, the lawyer representing the child’s family told BBC Punjabi that it was a “victory of constitutional spirit”. He added that “the whole country fought this case, irrespective of religious affiliations”.

The lawyer representing the accused said that despite the conviction, the case was based on “circumstantial evidence” and has pleaded for minimum punishment for the six men. He added that there were mitigating circumstances, including the fact that the men were the sole breadwinners in their families.

‘We will get justice for our daughter’

Divya Arya, BBC News, Anantnag

When I met the girl’s mother, she was on a hilltop alongside her elder daughter and several other members of the family.

They were surrounded by their sheep and goats, which were grazing, and they did not know that this verdict had come out.

When I informed the girl’s mother that six of the accused had been convicted, she began to cry and blessed me for being the bearer of good news.

She said the family could not afford to travel to Pathankot to hear the verdict because selling livestock was their only source of income.

“I have always believed in justice and God gave me strength to fight for it,” she said.

She added that if the two main accused were not sentenced to death, she and her husband would challenge the sentence. “We will not eat or drink but we will get justice for our daughter,” she said.

The girl’s elder sister, who is 15, says she and other girls her age now live in “constant fear of Hindu men” and never leave the house unless they are accompanied by an older family member.

What was the response to the case?

Although promptly reported in Indian-administered Kashmir, it only made headlines in the rest of the country in April after Hindu groups marched in support of the accused.

But as details of the injuries inflicted on the child became public, horrified Indians protested across the country.

Outrage grew after two ministers from India’s governing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attended a rally in support of the accused men, whose community was involved in a land dispute with the nomadic tribe the girl belonged to.

The child’s mother has demanded capital punishment for two of those convicted – retired government officer Sanji Ram and police officer Deepak Khajuria – claiming that they were the “masterminds” behind the crime.

“My daughter’s face still haunts me and that pain will never leave me. When I see other children of her age playing around me, it breaks my heart,” she told the BBC.

Despite the outrage, the victim’s parents said they felt threatened in Kathua, where the community is predominantly Hindu.

The sentiment around the case prompted the top court to move the trial out of Jammu and Kashmir to a court in Pathankot in the northern state of Punjab and start the trial afresh.

BY BBC

Poor infrastructure is currently holding back the growth of Africa’s logistics markets.

Industries can make a variety of goods, but they struggle to transport them safely and quickly to customers without established networks.

According to global property consultancy Knight Frank, the cost of transport takes up 50-75% of the retail price of goods.

But there is hope, from both foreign investment and home-grown solutions.

For example, in Nigeria, digital start-up Kobo360 developed an app that revolutionises cargo delivery by making sure that everyone in the supply chain is connected to ensure the safety and accountability of cargo in transit.

A call centre of staff is able to monitor truck deliveries enroute in real-time and communicate directly with drivers, manufacturers and distributors, aided by GPS satellite positioning.

Kobo360 has only existed for three years, but such is the problem of getting goods safely delivered to distributors that many of the continent’s conglomerates are now signed up as clients.

Logistics expert Olufemi Ransome-Kuti says that solutions like Kobo360 have a knock-on effect of benefiting other industries as well, such as agriculture.

At the moment, farmers in Nigeria only expect about 50% of their produce to be delivered to distributors or buyers in a sellable condition.

“When they are able to get similar spoilage from source to destination, it will encourage them for the next season to build more capacity into their farm,” Mr Ransome-Kuti told the BBC.

In the Senegalese capital, Dakar, more and more people are shopping online, and getting goods delivered to your front door is a growing trend amongst shoppers.

Quicarry is a service that delivers packages in Senegal from international ecommerce websites, particularly targeting young adults.

“We were looking to start a classic logistics company but then we realised after a few months that there were a lot of people looking to buy products from [countries like] the US and France,” Quicarry’s co-founder Olabissi Ojohui told the BBC.

“Online shopping is available here, but these big websites – they don’t ship to Africa often.”

There are other start-ups in Senegal also trying to offer new solutions, such as delivery app Paps, which aims to deliver anything you want to your front door in half an hour.

But technology isn’t enough to fix Africa’s logistics problems – more support is also needed to help new businesses get off the ground.

Start-ups say they struggle to raise the money they need, no matter where they are on the continent – according to the African Development Bank, business loans are granted at interest rates of between 12-20%.

This means that one in four businesses are likely to fail in their first year.

However, people still want to try.

In Nigeria, three-wheeled motortaxis called Kekes are popular with customers.

When Samuel Ogundare completed his education and went out into the world of work, he couldn’t find a job.

Eventually he decided to go into business for himself, running a Keke taxi firm called Corporate Keke Guy, where all the drivers are dressed smartly.

He told the BBC: “I want people to see me and not believe I am a tricycle rider.

“I want to change the look of transportation. Some people think they can’t be successful – I want people to see me and know you can start something.

“You can start small and go places.”

BY BBC

Sudanese workers are refusing to go to work in an attempt to pressurise the ruling military government to make way for civilian rule.

The opposition called for a campaign of civil disobedience including a national strike, which began on Sunday.

Four people were killed after security forces fired tear gas and live ammunitions.

Monday remained quiet in Khartoum although some businesses started to reopen and a few buses were running.

Most shops, markets and banks in the capital, as well as in several other cities, remained closed as staff followed instructions from the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the pro-democracy opposition, to not attend work.

The SPA called the strike after more than 100 peaceful protesters were killed by a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), on 3 June.

“The civil disobedience movement will begin Sunday and end only when a civilian government announces itself in power on state television,” the SPA said in a statement.

“Disobedience is a peaceful act capable of bringing to its knees the most powerful weapons arsenal in the world.”

Protesters have set up roadblocks across the capital. Social media users with access to a connection reported that the country’s internet was blocked by the ruling military government.

What’s the background?

The military took over Sudan after persistent protests led to the ousting of long-time President Omar al-Bashir in April. A military council promised a transition to civilian rule.

But pro-democracy campaigners say the military council cannot be trusted after Monday’s crackdown against a sit-in demonstration in Khartoum – and they have rejected an offer of talks.

In a separate development, three prominent opposition figures involved in mediation efforts were arrested after they met the Ethiopian prime minister, who was in Khartoum to try to restart peace talks.

BY BBC

Nearly 100 people have been killed in attack in a village in central Mali inhabited by the Dogon ethnic group, reports say.

The attack happened in Sobane-Kou, close to Sanga town, according to French-language news outlet RFI.

The bodies of the dead have been burned, says a local official, and the search for more bodies is ongoing.

There have been numerous attacks in Mali in recent months, some ethnic, some carried out by jihadist groups.

Clashes between Dogon hunters and semi-nomadic Fulani herders are frequent.

The mayor of nearby Bankass, Moulaye Guindo, told Reuters news agency that Fulanis from that district had attacked Sobane-Kou after nightfall.

A local official in the Koundou area, where the village is located, told the AFP agency: “Right now we have 95 dead civilians. The bodies are burned, we are continuing to look for others.”

In the same region in March, more than 130 Fulani villagers were killed by armed men wearing traditional Dogon hunters’ clothing.

Clashes between the two groups have increased since a militant Islamist uprising in northern Mali in 2012.

The Dogon people have lived in central Mali for centuries, and live a largely traditional way of life as settled farmers. The Fulani, on the other hand, are semi-nomadic herders who move across large distances in West Africa.

Friction between farmers and the roaming herders over resources is long-standing.

Previously, disagreements between the Fulani and Dogon had often been settled through negotiation, but the uprising – which spread to the centre of Mali by 2015 – decreased government control and increased the availability of weapons.

Both sides accuse the other of carrying out attacks amid the unrest.

The Fulani, a largely Muslim ethnic group, have been accused of having links with the Islamist uprising. But for their part, the Fulani accuse a Dogon self-defence association, Dan Na Ambassagou, of attacks on their villages.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s ruling Conservative Party will decide the country’s next prime minister in late July – a contest that will bring in a new leader who could pursue a cleaner break with the European Union.

Theresa May resigns as the party’s leader on Friday, having failed to deliver Brexit on schedule or find a way to get parliament to approve her exit plan.

May’s announcement does not trigger a parliamentary election. So far, 11 candidates are running to replace her. The winner of the contest will become party leader and prime minister.

Here is how that process, which is overseen by an internal party group known as the 1922 Committee, is expected to work:

Candidates putting themselves forward for the leadership must be backed by eight other Conservative lawmakers. This is higher than in previous contests, after the committee made rule changes designed to cull weaker candidates.

A call for candidates will be made on Friday. Nominations will be received from 0900 GMT on June 10 and until 1600 GMT on the same day.

BALLOT OF LAWMAKERS: From June 13

Conservatives lawmakers then hold several rounds of votes to whittle down the number of candidates. Each time, they vote in a secret ballot. They are allowed to vote by proxy if they are not available to vote in person.

Voting will take place in a room in parliament, which will be set up with voting booths. The colour of the ballot paper is chosen the day before and will be different for each round. Completed papers will be placed in a metal ballot box.

The first round of voting will take place between 0900 GMT and 1100 GMT on June 13, with the result expected to be announced around 1200 GMT. Any candidate with 16 votes or fewer is eliminated. If all candidates have more than 16 votes, the one with the fewest votes is eliminated.

The second round will take place on June 18, between 1400 GMT and 1600 GMT, with the result due around 1700 GMT. Any candidate with 32 votes or fewer is eliminated. If all candidates have more than 32 votes, the one with the fewest is eliminated.

Further ballots are scheduled on June 19, between 1400 GMT and 1600 GMT and on June 20, between 0900 GMT and 1100 GMT. Voting continues until two candidates remain, so further rounds will be held if necessary.

The 1922 Committee will host two rounds of hustings in parliament for candidates, the first on June 11 and 12, ahead of the first vote, and the second on June 17.

MEMBERSHIP VOTE: Concludes in week beginning July 22

The final two candidates are put to a postal ballot of the wider Conservative Party membership, with the winner named the new leader.

The party said it wanted to complete this stage in the week beginning July 22.

The party has around 160,000 members. It said the first membership hustings event would take place on June 22.

In her resignation speech, May said she would serve as prime minister until the leadership contest was concluded. She will also remain acting Conservative Party leader during that time.

FOR decades those courageous enough among us have been shouting themselves hoarse about corruption in this country.

NewsDay Comment

Some, such as Chimurenga music guru, Thomas Mapfumo, were hounded into self-imposed exile for sounding the alarm, rather loudly, against corruption. As far back as 1988 Mapfumo prophetically first raised the red flag about the scourge with his chart-busting album Corruption at a time when many people hardly knew what the scourge was all about.

And for some it has taken 31 years for the corruption scourge to dawn on them as the chickens finally come home to roost. That is apparently true for some in the ruling Zanu PF, a party that has been at the country’s steering wheel for the past 39 uninterrupted years.

“It is time we start seeing people going to jail for corruption. This will ensure investors take us seriously as a country. The number of those arrested suggests that we are doing well, but the convictions are really worrying. It seems as if the system is corrupt and we must deal with that. We have been wailing for too long and we must start to deal with issues and not focus on tissues,” Zanu PF spokesperson, Simon Khaya Moyo was quoted as having mourned.
We must admit that this is quite refreshing, especially coming from Zanu PF which has been controlling the country’s socio-economic and political levers since independence in 1980. Had the party acted sooner Khaya Moyo and colleagues would not be mourning as much as they are doing now.

Instead of listening to wise counsel from the Press and courageous musicians such as Mapfumo, Zanu PF has seen enemies in those warning them of the dangers of letting things such as corruption to manifest themselves in society and the governance systems.

Today corruption in the country is now so deep-rooted that all we can do is to wish Khaya Moyo and colleagues the best of luck because, we are afraid to say, the monster seems to have already completely captured the whole nation.
While many would like to conveniently lay all the blame on former President Robert Mugabe for the sorry state the southern African now finds itself in, we are of the conviction that Mugabe was only a product of a system which allowed him to let things fall apart.

All we can say to Khaya Moyo and Zanu PF is charity begins at home. They can start by finding out what happened to their so many companies. What pulled them under? Is it not corruption? What happened to the holding companies, ZIDCO and M&S Syndicate which administered those companies? Although some of the Zanu PF companies, which we shall not mention at the moment, are still running, are they operating optimally or they are being hamstrung by corruption within their midst? Corruption is a very grave issue that Zanu PF and its leaders really need to sit down over and do some serious soul searching, otherwise the mourning will continue for decades to come.

CHURCHES and the civic society say Zimbabwe risks falling into anarchy if the leaders of major political parties fail to dialogue and address pressing issues without resorting to violence.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

The Civil Society and Church Joint Forum (CSCJF) issued the warning while addressing journalists in Mutare recently, noting that the economic situation was becoming untenable.

CSCJF national co-ordinator Abigail Mupambi said if politicians fail to sober up, the country could soon become ungovernable and take the route of Sudan, which is now under military lock-down after popular uprising toppled former leader Omar al-Bashir two months ago.

She called for genuine dialogue, saying demonstrations should be the last resort for political parties and civic organisations.

“Demonstrations have not given us any result because people end up being killed during peaceful protests,” Mupambi said.

“Go and ask Sudan, the country is now ungovernable. It is no longer a country. If our politicians don’t sober up, then Zimbabwe will follow the same path.”

The warning comes at a time government is facing the possibility of a fresh round of protests over the deteriorating economic situation in the country.

Earlier protests in January over a 150% fuel price hike saw security agents kill 17 protesters according to human rights groups, while hundreds sustained gunshots wounds.

According to a report by our sister publication, The Standard, health workers including doctors and nurses plan to go on strike in two weeks, saying they have had enough of government’s austerity measures that have left them living in penury.

The opposition MDC has also warned that it plans street protests to force the Mnangagwa administration to the negotiating table.

Government has since beefed up police and military presence in suburbs and on highways across the country.

Our sister paper, the Zimbabwe Independent, reported last Friday that the police have purchased an assortment of weapons that include more than 4 000 AK-47 assault rifles in preparation for possible protests.

But the churches and civic organisations insist that only dialogue could serve the country from taking a turn for the worst, saying demonstrations have failed to resolve the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.

“We are here to call for peace. All the people in the country need to be responsible. We don’t need to repeat the same formula of conducting demonstrations.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa last month launched a dialogue process with losing fringe presidential candidates in last year’s elections which observers say was pointless without the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC party.

The Zimbabwe Council of Churches has tried to bring the two parties together for talks, but says political gamesmanship and inflated egos have stood in the way.

MDC last week accused Mnangagwa of trying to bring a state of emergency through the back door.

A pastor, Edmore Nyatoti, urged political players, particularly the MDC and Zanu PF, to set aside their egos.

“For Zimbabweans, we are Christians and let’s get united. Let’s show the world that we are capable of building our country. We need to think about one another. Zanu PF and the MDC should shun their egos,” he said

“There should be no more bloodshed in the country. We no longer need bloodshed in our country if we are to move away from the poverty we are facing.“

Warriors coach, Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambga is a very happy man following his team’s goalless draw against the Super Eagles of Nigeria in an international friendly match at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba on Saturday.

BY Kevin Mapasure

Chidzambga admitted that he had learnt a lot from the match ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals. The Warriors gets the tournament rolling with the game against the hosts on Friday.

Mhofu gave hints on how he wants to shape is starting lineup and after creating some good chances, the Warriors impressed their supporters with the draw in a match that could have gone either way.
The friendly was marred by unrelenting showers that pounded throughout the entire 90 minutes, but both teams would have been pleased with the run out.

After avoiding defeat against the former African champions, Chidzambga told the media that he was very pleased with both the performance and the outcome.

“I am very proud of my boys because they played to my instruction,” Chidzambga told reporters in Asaba during a post-match interview.

“You don’t stop a good team like Nigeria from scoring if you are not good yourself. This shows that we are going to the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt with high hopes and expectations.”

Before making their fourth Afcon appearance in Egypt, Zimbabwe have one more friendly match against the Tanzania on June 16.
Zimbabwe are in Group A of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals where they will also play Uganda and the Democratic republic of Congo.
“Super Eagles are a strong team, not only in Africa, but the world,” Chidzambga said.

“And it is always important to play such teams going into a big tournament like the Nations Cup.

“They have won the Nations Cup many (three) times and it is important we use this game to learn from them.”
He admitted his side are going into their fourth Afcon finals as underdogs, but refused to set a particular target.
“I don’t believe in setting targets. What if you target a quarter-final and you (eventually) go ahead to win the cup?” Chidzambga asked rhetorically.

After the Nigeria match he said he is looking forward to leading his team through to the knockout stages.
“On our part we will try to get past the group stages. Ever since we started this Afcon campaign we haven’t gone past the group stages, but we are going to try to get past the group stages.

“I think the Super Eagles are in an easier group, they are seeded too and with their play they will be able to go past the group stages.”

Chidzambwa shared three lessons he learned from the Super Eagles in their goalless draw against the Warriors.
“I have learnt a lot of things from the Super Eagles, the best thing I learned was the way they support the ball carrier and the way they fall behind the ball, keeping possession. They were very good, I learnt something.”
Zimbabwe 2019 Afcon squad:
Goalkeepers: George Chigova, Edmore Sibanda, Elvis Chipezeze.

Defenders: Tendayi Darikwa, Jimmy Dzingai, Divine Lunga, Teenage Hadebe, Alec Mudimu, Ronald Pfumbidzai.
Midfielders: Marshall Munetsi, Marvelous Nakamba, Danny Phiri, Ovidy Karuru, Kuda Mahachi, Talent Chawapihwa, Khama Billiat, Knowledge Musona, Tafadzwa Kutinyu, Thabani Kamusoko.
Strikers: Nyasha Mushekwi, Tino Kadewere, Evans Rusike, Knox Mutizwa.

ORGANISERS of Shoko Festival, Magamba Network, have begun preparations for the ninth edition of the fiesta slated for September 27 to 29 and are calling for interested artists to submit applications by July 5.

BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO

Organisers are looking for poets, singers, comedians, dancers and DJs.

Festival director Samm Farai Monro, popularly known as Comrade Fatso, told NewsDay Life & Style that they were looking forward to some interesting collaborations for their Mash Up Nights.

“We intend to have a very vibrant line up including artists from different genres. Hip hop to dancehall, comedy and poetry. We are calling interested local artists to apply now before the deadline. We are encouraging a lot of new collaborations, especially for our Marshall Night event. Last year we had brand new powerful collaborations such as ZCC Mbungo Stars with T Shock and Vabati VaJehovha with Black Zion,” he said.

“So this year we look forward to promoting some our best urban artists presenting new collaborations.”

He said they would, in due course, announce an international musician and comedians to grace the festival.

Comrade Fatso said the theme for Zimbabwe’s premier urban culture fiesta, is meant to create an inspirational artistic space at a time the country’s citizens are suffering from an enduring economic crisis.

“We chose the theme Good Vibes Only because we know Zimbabweans are going through such a difficult period of uncertainty and pain. So we want to create a space with art and creativity that represents serious good vibes and that motivates all our festival goers to keep believing that their dreams are valid. Shoko will be a good vibes only zone where it’s all about free expression, thrilling performances and positive energy,” he said.

The multi-faceted festival is retaining the diverse programming including the Hub Unconference, the Shoko Comedy Night featuring top local and international comedians and Peace in the Hood concert to be held in Chitungwiza.