Ten Things of Stop and Scrutiny

Lana Del Rey postpones Israel performance after backlash/BBC

1. Lana Del Rey has cancelled a scheduled performance in Israel following a backlash from fans and activists. She had initially defended her decision to perform, but activists had called on the star to abandon the show in protest at Israel's policies towards the Palestinians.
2. The United States is ending all funding for the UN's Palestinian refugee agency, the US State Department says. A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later said the move was an "assault" against his people.
3. The "sexualised" depiction of niqab hero X-Men character Dust has gotten a makeover from a fan after her costume criticism hit a nerve with many other comic book fans.
4. Suicide attempts and horrifying acts of self-harm are drawing fresh attention to the suffering of refugee children on Nauru, in what is being described as a "mental health crisis". The tiny island nation, site of Australia's controversial offshore processing centre, has long been plagued with allegations of human rights abuses.
5. Police in Myanmar are searching a large rusty container "ghost" ship for clues after it was spotted by fishermen mysteriously drifting near the region of Yangon.
6. Data compiled by various researchers suggest a rise in serial killings starting in the late 1960s, peaking in the 80s - when there were at least 200 such murderers operating in the United States alone - and a subsequent downward trend over the next two decades.
7. Sarah Palin, the ex-Alaska governor who served as John McCain's running mate when he ran for president in 2008, is reportedly banned from his funeral.
8. President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw the US from the World Trade Organization (WTO), claiming it treats the country unfairly.
9. One of Belgium's top football TV presenters has been charged with being an accomplice to an armed robbery, prosecutors have said.
10. The row over claims of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party in the UK often involve Israel and another term, anti-Zionism. Some say "Zionist" can be used as a coded attack on Jewish people, while others say the Israeli government and its supporters are deliberately confusing anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism to avoid criticism over its treatment of Palestinians.

Read more news >>