The Daily Populous

Saturday September 1st, 2018 morning edition

image for Ukraine crisis: Blast kills top Donetsk rebel Zakharchenko

A leader of Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, Alexander Zakharchenko, has been killed in an explosion at a cafe in Donetsk city.

"The head of the DNR [Donetsk People's Republic]... has died as the result of a terrorist attack," Zakharchenko's spokeswoman told AFP news agency.

Some observers have attributed previous deaths of rebel leaders in Donetsk to infighting among the rebels, or moves by Moscow to eliminate inconvenient separatist leaders.

Rebel and Russian news reports say the separatists' "finance minister" Alexander Timofeyev was wounded in the blast at the Separ cafe that killed Zakharchenko.

Ukrainians suspected of being behind the blast were arrested nearby, a security source was quoted as saying.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said "there is every reason to believe that the Kiev regime is behind the murder".

Moscow denies sending regular troops and heavy weapons to the separatists, but admits that Russian "volunteers" are helping the rebels. »

Intensive care nurse finds out new colleague is baby she treated 28 years ago

Authored by metro.co.uk

You never realise how the small world is until you find out that your new colleague is actually the baby you treated 28 years ago.

While most of us haven’t experienced that, that’s exactly what happened to intensive care nurse Vilma Wong.

The 54-year-old was shocked to learn that the new doctor on the block, Brandon Seminatore, was in fact a baby she nursed when he was born. »

Astronauts find hole in the International Space Station, plug it with thumb

Authored by cnet.com
image for

Spare a thought for the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Flight controllers had been monitoring the small drop in pressure overnight, deciding to let the crew sleep as the hole presented no danger.

Gerst's actions make one thing abundantly clear: If there's a hole in your spaceship, a good rule of thumb when fixing it is to... well, use your thumb. »

Logged off: meet the teens who refuse to use social media

Authored by theguardian.com
image for

One 2017 survey of British schoolchildren found that 63% would be happy if social media had never been invented.

When it comes to Gen Z’s relationship to social media, “significant cracks are beginning to show”, says the firm’s Lesley Bielby.

As the first generation to grow up online, Gen Z never had to learn social media, or at least not exactly. »

CEO who sexually assaulted son's classmate gets 14 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane

Authored by straitstimes.com
image for

SINGAPORE - A 48-year-old chief executive found guilty of sexually assaulting his son's nine-year-old classmate during a sleepover in 2015 was sentenced to 14 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane on Friday (Aug 31).

He detailed how his client had faced considerable physical hardship in prison because of his existing spinal condition.

A year after the offences, she thought things were fine when her son invited three friends over for a Halloween party. »