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No let-up in crackdown on dissidents in Baku

IN the final hours before a worldwide audience tuned in to the Eurovision Song Contest last night, the authorities in Azerbaijan sentenced three human-rights demonstrators to six days in jail.

Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng - I feel very good about the future

BLIND Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, who arrived in New York on Saturday, says China's handling of the local officials who harassed and abused him and his family will determine whether they take responsibility for the abuse.

Chinese activist's brother flees village for Beijing

By Malcolm Moore in Beijing

THE brother of the blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng has become the second member of the family to escape from a heavily guarded village in northern China.

Farmer held for murder as 17 teens disappear

By Malcolm Moore in Beijing

A farmer has been arrested for murder in a southern Chinese village where 17 people, almost all teenagers, have vanished in recent years.

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng's brother flees guarded village

By Malcolm Moore, Beijing

THE BROTHER of the blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng has become the second member of the family to escape from their heavily guarded village in northern China.

British teenagers died in Thai gap year bus crash 'after driver errors'

By Andrew Hough

THREE British teenagers died in a coach crash during their gap year in Thailand after the driver tried to perform a U-turn across a busy highway, an inquest has heard.

Heart in your mouth video: Toddler on tricycle navigates rush hour traffic

THIS is the heart stopping sequence showing a three-year-old boy navigating a multi lane junction in China on his tricycle.

Climbers killed on descent of Everest

By Dean Nelson in Nepal

Three climbers have been killed and one is missing, presumed dead, after scaling Everest, in the worst disaster on the world's highest mountain since 2004.

A least nine killed after gunmen open fire at Karachi political rally

GUNMEN have opened fire on a political rally in the Pakistani city of Karachi, killing at least nine people and sparking rioting, police said.

Three people have died while returning from the summit of Everest. Photo: PA

Three climbers die on Mount Everest

THREE climbers returning from the summit of Mount Everest have died and two others are missing, a Nepalese official said.

Inside Asia-Pacific

00:16 Half of female refugees 'raped'
00:16 Campbell's plea over racism fears

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Man shot in pub in Manchester

The victim, named by sources as 23-year-old Mark Short, was gunned down in the Cotton Tree pub in Market Street, Droylsden, Greater Manchester shortly before 11.50pm yesterday.Three other men, believed to be related to Mr Short, were also injured and are being treated in hospital.

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Giant royal family on Southbank

The largest ever photograph of the Royal Family has been displayed on a prominent South Bank building in celebration of the Queen?s Diamond Jubilee.Sea Containers, by Blackfriars Bridge, was enrobed in the giant picture measuring 100m by 70m and weighing in at nearly two tons. The image was erected by a team of eight people over 45 hours. It is due to remain in place until July.

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Oldest woman defeats Everest again

Watanabe reached the summit from the Tibetan side on 19 May, at the age of 73 years and 180 days. That day, more than 200 climbers were aiming for the summit on the busier southern route in Nepal. Four died, apparently from altitude sickness and exhaustion, on one of the deadliest days on the mountain.