Senin, 22 Mei 2017
WATCH: Hilarious, very low-budget ad for animal shelter goes viral
A hilarious (very) low-budget ad for pet adoptions at an Atlanta no-kill animal shelter has been seen by more than a million viewers after going viral online.
The ad shows Paul Preston outside the Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters in Atlanta, waving his arms wildly and imploring people to "Come on down!"
Inside, he shows off the black cats, the big cats, the hungry cats, the "self-cleaning" cats, and he even gets an on-the-spot high-five from one of the cats.
If cats are not your thing, he says, try "this thing called 'dogs!'" he says. At the end, he busts out into his own version of Sarah McLaughlin's "Angel," but with an entirely revamped track of his own.
His humor mixed with compassion and of course, the adorable animals, has apparently touched a nerve online and has been shared on the social media site Reddit, garnering more than a million views.
Preston is the brother of one of the volunteers at the shelter, Helen Preston, who helped dream up the commercial with the Adoption Team Manager, Nicole Neill, after a day of adoptions one late Saturday afternoon.
"Paul is naturally clever and his hilariousness has clearly resonated with people," said Samantha Shelton with Furkids. "We hope this will interest people to visit their local animal shelter and adopt!" she said.
According to the organization's website, Furkids is a nonprofit that operates the largest cage-free, no-kill shelter in the Southeast for rescued cats and Sadie’s Place, a no-kill shelter for dogs.
source : http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/227293751-story
Label: Story
Minggu, 21 Mei 2017
Syria conflict: Government regains full control of Homs
The Syrian government says its forces have regained total control of the central city of Homs after rebels left the last district under their control.
About 700 rebels and their families, a total of nearly 3,000 people, were evacuated on buses from al-Wair district, government officials say.
"The city of Homs is completely clear of weapons and militants," provincial governor Talal Barazi said.
Many fighters were going to the rebel-held Idlib province, in the north-west.
Some were heading to Jarablus, an area in northern Syria controlled by rebels backed by Turkey.
Most of the rebels had been driven out of Homs in 2014, after years under siege by government forces.
A Russia-brokered evacuation deal was agreed earlier this year.
Under the agreement, opposition fighters are granted safe passage with their weapons out of Homs to rebel-held areas in Syria.
The Syrian government says such "reconciliation" deals, which have been agreed in several rebel-held areas, are key to ending the six-year civil war.
Opposition fighters say that they have been coerced into such agreements by brutal sieges and bombardments.
Homs became a key battleground of the Syrian uprising after residents embraced the call to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad in 2011 and drove security forces out of much of the city the following year.
That prompted the government to begin a two-year siege that left whole areas destroyed and eventually forced the rebels to withdraw from the Old City to al-Wair.
More than 300,000 people have been killed across Syria since 2011.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39995689
About 700 rebels and their families, a total of nearly 3,000 people, were evacuated on buses from al-Wair district, government officials say.
"The city of Homs is completely clear of weapons and militants," provincial governor Talal Barazi said.
Many fighters were going to the rebel-held Idlib province, in the north-west.
Some were heading to Jarablus, an area in northern Syria controlled by rebels backed by Turkey.
Most of the rebels had been driven out of Homs in 2014, after years under siege by government forces.
A Russia-brokered evacuation deal was agreed earlier this year.
Under the agreement, opposition fighters are granted safe passage with their weapons out of Homs to rebel-held areas in Syria.
The Syrian government says such "reconciliation" deals, which have been agreed in several rebel-held areas, are key to ending the six-year civil war.
Opposition fighters say that they have been coerced into such agreements by brutal sieges and bombardments.
Homs became a key battleground of the Syrian uprising after residents embraced the call to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad in 2011 and drove security forces out of much of the city the following year.
That prompted the government to begin a two-year siege that left whole areas destroyed and eventually forced the rebels to withdraw from the Old City to al-Wair.
More than 300,000 people have been killed across Syria since 2011.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39995689
Label: crime, news, terror, war
Venezuela protests: Man set alight as death toll rises
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused opposition protesters of setting alight a government supporter in Caracas on the 50th day of protests.
Orlando José Figuera suffered burns to 80% of his body after he was engulfed in flames. Officials said he was also stabbed in Saturday's protests.
Witnesses said the crowd had accused the man of being a thief.
On the same day, an opposition activist was shot dead, bringing the total number killed in recent protests to 48.
The attorney general's office said gunmen allegedly opened fire on the demonstrators in the western city of Valera.
Edy Alejandro Teran Aguilar died from a gunshot wound to the chest, while two others were wounded.
Protesters demanding President Maduro step down and hold elections took to the streets across the country on Saturday to mark the 50th day of the increasingly violent demonstrations which have overwhelmed the country in recent weeks.
"A person was set on fire, beaten up, stabbed... They nearly lynched him, just because he shouted out that he was a 'Chavista'," President Maduro said, referring to the ruling Socialist movement set up by his predecessor Hugo Chavez.
Speaking on his weekly TV programme, Mr Maduro described it as "a hate crime and a crime against humanity".
It is thought 46 people were injured in the demonstration in eastern Caracas where Mr Figuera, 21, was hurt.
Journalist and politician Earle Herrera said the man had been accused of being a thief, according to AFP news agency.
Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas tweeted it was "growing insanity".
"A human being is set on fire at a 'peaceful demonstration' by the opposition in Caracas," he wrote, posting a video of the incident.
Protests have been taking place across Venezuela for seven weeks, as anger towards Mr Maduro and his government rises.
Seven in 10 people are said to oppose Mr Maduro, according to private surveys.
Despite having the world's largest known oil reserves, Venezuela is facing a shortage of many basic items, including food and medicines.
Its economy has collapsed, with inflation expected to top 700% this year, and crime is rampant.
The opposition is calling for early elections and the release of opposition politicians jailed in recent years, saying the socialist governments of Mr Maduro and his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, have mismanaged the economy since coming to power in 1999.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39994965
Orlando José Figuera suffered burns to 80% of his body after he was engulfed in flames. Officials said he was also stabbed in Saturday's protests.
Witnesses said the crowd had accused the man of being a thief.
On the same day, an opposition activist was shot dead, bringing the total number killed in recent protests to 48.
The attorney general's office said gunmen allegedly opened fire on the demonstrators in the western city of Valera.
Edy Alejandro Teran Aguilar died from a gunshot wound to the chest, while two others were wounded.
Protesters demanding President Maduro step down and hold elections took to the streets across the country on Saturday to mark the 50th day of the increasingly violent demonstrations which have overwhelmed the country in recent weeks.
"A person was set on fire, beaten up, stabbed... They nearly lynched him, just because he shouted out that he was a 'Chavista'," President Maduro said, referring to the ruling Socialist movement set up by his predecessor Hugo Chavez.
Speaking on his weekly TV programme, Mr Maduro described it as "a hate crime and a crime against humanity".
It is thought 46 people were injured in the demonstration in eastern Caracas where Mr Figuera, 21, was hurt.
Journalist and politician Earle Herrera said the man had been accused of being a thief, according to AFP news agency.
Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas tweeted it was "growing insanity".
"A human being is set on fire at a 'peaceful demonstration' by the opposition in Caracas," he wrote, posting a video of the incident.
Protests have been taking place across Venezuela for seven weeks, as anger towards Mr Maduro and his government rises.
Seven in 10 people are said to oppose Mr Maduro, according to private surveys.
Despite having the world's largest known oil reserves, Venezuela is facing a shortage of many basic items, including food and medicines.
Its economy has collapsed, with inflation expected to top 700% this year, and crime is rampant.
The opposition is calling for early elections and the release of opposition politicians jailed in recent years, saying the socialist governments of Mr Maduro and his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, have mismanaged the economy since coming to power in 1999.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39994965
Label: doctor, family, health, news, politic, protest
Sydney siege: Families criticise 'outrageous' police tactics
Relatives of two hostages who died in the Sydney siege have criticised police over their handling of the incident.
In December 2014, self-styled Islamist Man Haron Monis held 18 people hostage inside a Lindt cafe in the city centre.
Heavily armed police stormed the building 17 hours later after Monis shot cafe manager Tori Johnson.
A subsequent inquest was on Sunday labelled a "witch hunt" by the police union, but victims' families said police tactics had put lives in danger.
The relatives said they were shocked by revelations that police had planned to intervene only if the gunman killed or injured someone.
"I'll never be able understand how you can make a calculated decision that you wait for someone to die," Mr Johnson's mother, Rosie Connellan, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) in a programme to be broadcast on Monday.
New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes will hand down his findings into the 18-month inquest on Wednesday.
Monis was shot dead by police during the raid, while another hostage, Katrina Dawson, was killed by stray bullet fragments fired by police.
The inquest aimed to establish whether deaths were avoidable and if it should have been treated as a terrorist event.
How the Sydney siege unfolded
A gunman enters the cafe early on 15 December 2014 and has a coffee before holding a gun to manager Tori Johnson's head.
The gunman is identified as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian self-styled Muslim cleric given asylum in Australia.
Monis already faces a string of criminal charges, including sexual assault and being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
Several hostages manage to escape the cafe which is surrounded by hundreds of armed police.
Police commandos storm the cafe in the early hours of 16 December, after Monis shoots Mr Johnson dead.
Monis and cafe customer Katrina Dawson die in the police operation.
Relatives of Ms Dawson, a barrister and cafe customer, said the police tactics were "outrageous".
"The idea that we had to wait for somebody to be killed or seriously injured before the police would act was staggering," her brother, Angus Dawson, told the ABC.
The barrister's mother, Jane Dawson, said: "They should be saving them from death or serious injury."
Mr Johnson's partner, Thomas Zinn, said he had lost faith in police because of their "great level of incompetence" during the incident.
It is the first time the families have publicly criticised police, aside from when Mr Johnson's parents stormed out of the inquest during one testimony.
However, New South Wales Police Association acting chief Tony King said the inquest had scrutinised police officers "as if they were on trial".
"For some lawyers the focus appeared to be not just to attribute blame but moral culpability, twisting words to belittle experienced officers," he wrote in a long post on Medium.
Mr King said they should instead be thanked for putting their lives on the line.
Questions about why police snipers did not attempt to shoot Monis were heavily discussed during the inquest.
A police commander in charge of the operation had previously said the siege had the hallmarks of a domestic incident rather than terrorism, despite the fact that Monis asked to be given a flag of the so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group.
He said he had been advised by a psychiatrist that the siege was "final posturing" by Monis in order to gain some "street cred" before a likely jail sentence.
Monis had been facing dozens of sexual assault charges plus charges of being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-39971237
In December 2014, self-styled Islamist Man Haron Monis held 18 people hostage inside a Lindt cafe in the city centre.
Heavily armed police stormed the building 17 hours later after Monis shot cafe manager Tori Johnson.
A subsequent inquest was on Sunday labelled a "witch hunt" by the police union, but victims' families said police tactics had put lives in danger.
The relatives said they were shocked by revelations that police had planned to intervene only if the gunman killed or injured someone.
"I'll never be able understand how you can make a calculated decision that you wait for someone to die," Mr Johnson's mother, Rosie Connellan, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) in a programme to be broadcast on Monday.
New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes will hand down his findings into the 18-month inquest on Wednesday.
Monis was shot dead by police during the raid, while another hostage, Katrina Dawson, was killed by stray bullet fragments fired by police.
The inquest aimed to establish whether deaths were avoidable and if it should have been treated as a terrorist event.
How the Sydney siege unfolded
A gunman enters the cafe early on 15 December 2014 and has a coffee before holding a gun to manager Tori Johnson's head.
The gunman is identified as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian self-styled Muslim cleric given asylum in Australia.
Monis already faces a string of criminal charges, including sexual assault and being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
Several hostages manage to escape the cafe which is surrounded by hundreds of armed police.
Police commandos storm the cafe in the early hours of 16 December, after Monis shoots Mr Johnson dead.
Monis and cafe customer Katrina Dawson die in the police operation.
Relatives of Ms Dawson, a barrister and cafe customer, said the police tactics were "outrageous".
"The idea that we had to wait for somebody to be killed or seriously injured before the police would act was staggering," her brother, Angus Dawson, told the ABC.
The barrister's mother, Jane Dawson, said: "They should be saving them from death or serious injury."
Mr Johnson's partner, Thomas Zinn, said he had lost faith in police because of their "great level of incompetence" during the incident.
It is the first time the families have publicly criticised police, aside from when Mr Johnson's parents stormed out of the inquest during one testimony.
However, New South Wales Police Association acting chief Tony King said the inquest had scrutinised police officers "as if they were on trial".
"For some lawyers the focus appeared to be not just to attribute blame but moral culpability, twisting words to belittle experienced officers," he wrote in a long post on Medium.
Mr King said they should instead be thanked for putting their lives on the line.
Questions about why police snipers did not attempt to shoot Monis were heavily discussed during the inquest.
A police commander in charge of the operation had previously said the siege had the hallmarks of a domestic incident rather than terrorism, despite the fact that Monis asked to be given a flag of the so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group.
He said he had been advised by a psychiatrist that the siege was "final posturing" by Monis in order to gain some "street cred" before a likely jail sentence.
Monis had been facing dozens of sexual assault charges plus charges of being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-39971237
Label: crime, doctor, family, health, law, news
Billionaire makes 'biggest philanthropic gift' by living Australian
Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest and his wife, Nicola, have announced they will give A$400m (£229m; $298m) to charity.
PM Malcolm Turnbull said the donation was "the biggest single philanthropic gift" in the nation's history, and the largest by a living Australian.
The money will fund causes including cancer research, university education and ending indigenous disadvantage.
The Fortescue Metals chairman has a history of philanthropy.
"I have been very fortunate, with my wife, Nicola, to be able to accumulate capital, and then as soon as we can to commence giving it away," said Mr Forrest, who is estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of almost A$5.8bn.
"We had a slightly unsustainable business model previously, where we would actually borrow money to give it away. Fortunately, we don't have to do that now, thanks to the strength of the iron ore sector."
Who is Andrew Forrest?
A 55-year-old entrepreneur, Mr Forrest graduated from the University of Western Australia with an economics degree in 1983.
Known by his schoolboy nickname "Twiggy", he started his first mining business in 1994 and founded iron ore company Fortescue nine years later.
Mr Forrest was once Australia's richest man, with his wealth peaking in 2008 during the nation's mining boom.
In 2013, he pledged at least 50% of his wealth to charity after joining the Giving Pledge campaign launched by US billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
How will the donations be spent?
Mr Turnbull described the donation as an "extraordinary act", and said it would be spent in various ways:
PM Malcolm Turnbull said the donation was "the biggest single philanthropic gift" in the nation's history, and the largest by a living Australian.
The money will fund causes including cancer research, university education and ending indigenous disadvantage.
The Fortescue Metals chairman has a history of philanthropy.
"I have been very fortunate, with my wife, Nicola, to be able to accumulate capital, and then as soon as we can to commence giving it away," said Mr Forrest, who is estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of almost A$5.8bn.
"We had a slightly unsustainable business model previously, where we would actually borrow money to give it away. Fortunately, we don't have to do that now, thanks to the strength of the iron ore sector."
Who is Andrew Forrest?
A 55-year-old entrepreneur, Mr Forrest graduated from the University of Western Australia with an economics degree in 1983.
Known by his schoolboy nickname "Twiggy", he started his first mining business in 1994 and founded iron ore company Fortescue nine years later.
Mr Forrest was once Australia's richest man, with his wealth peaking in 2008 during the nation's mining boom.
In 2013, he pledged at least 50% of his wealth to charity after joining the Giving Pledge campaign launched by US billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
How will the donations be spent?
Mr Turnbull described the donation as an "extraordinary act", and said it would be spent in various ways:
- A$75m would go to international cancer institutes;
- A$75m to end modern slavery;
- A$75m to university education and research;
- A$75m to childhood education;
- A$50m to "create equal opportunities for all Australians";
- A$50m to "build stronger communities".
"It will change the lives of thousands of people here in Australia and around the world," Mr Turnbull said at a briefing in Canberra.
"All of us should seek to do as much as we can with what we have. So, this is real leadership and leading by example."
Others who have made large philanthropic offers include Indian tech billionaire Azim Premji, Irish-American businessman Chuck Feeney and Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-39971238
Ringling Brothers circus stages final show
After 146 years, America's most celebrated circus Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus has staged its final performance in New York.
Owners of the company said the tough decision had been made due to falling ticket sales and high operating costs.
"As far as this great American institution, it is a sad moment," ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson said.
For the performers, it also means the end of a tight-knit community that lived on a train in between shows.
Owners of the company said the tough decision had been made due to falling ticket sales and high operating costs.
"As far as this great American institution, it is a sad moment," ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson said.
For the performers, it also means the end of a tight-knit community that lived on a train in between shows.
The final performance of what the company described as "the greatest show on earth" was streamed live online.
Just before the show, David Vassallo, a clown at the travelling circus, told Reuters: "For every artist it's a dream to be part of this show, the greatest show on earth."
"I cannot even describe how happy it was for me to be part of that and I'm sad of course to wake up from this amazing dream."
Ringling Bros was the last American circus that travelled by rail.
Until Sunday, the company's train was the primary residence for most of the performers, who hail from 13 different countries.
"I learned to walk on the train, my parents were living on the train when I was born," Ivan Vargas, a sixth-generation circus performer, told the BBC earlier this month.
Vargas, 26, whose family is originally from Mexico, was born in between Sunday performances.
'You watched hundreds of people burst into tears' - by BBC's Jessica Lussenhop
The final blow was delivered on 14 January 2017, late one night after the last in a "six pack" of performances in Orlando, Florida.
Posters printed in English, Portuguese, Ukrainian and Mongolian had gone up earlier in the day announcing a mysterious, mandatory all-staff meeting.
So when Feld Entertainment executives delivered the news that the circus was shutting down completely, it landed hard.
"You watched hundreds of people burst into tears at the same time," recalls ringmaster Kristen Michelle Wilson, Ringling Bros' first female ringmaster.
She had just given up her job, apartment and car to join the circus four months earlier. But the show had to go on. "The next day, we came in and did two more shows."
The five months leading up to the final performances haven't been easy.
Feld set up career counsellors at each stop. One by one, performers who found new gigs dropped off the tour.
Foreign performers without new jobs will lose their work visas shortly after the final show, and the Felds are covering plane tickets and reimbursing mileage for road trips home.
Animal rights campaigners - who had been accusing the Ringling Bros of animal abuse - have welcomed the decision to shut the company.
They held a protest in New York, carrying placards "We shut you down!" and "Bye-bye animal abusers".
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39995384
Just before the show, David Vassallo, a clown at the travelling circus, told Reuters: "For every artist it's a dream to be part of this show, the greatest show on earth."
"I cannot even describe how happy it was for me to be part of that and I'm sad of course to wake up from this amazing dream."
Ringling Bros was the last American circus that travelled by rail.
Until Sunday, the company's train was the primary residence for most of the performers, who hail from 13 different countries.
"I learned to walk on the train, my parents were living on the train when I was born," Ivan Vargas, a sixth-generation circus performer, told the BBC earlier this month.
Vargas, 26, whose family is originally from Mexico, was born in between Sunday performances.
'You watched hundreds of people burst into tears' - by BBC's Jessica Lussenhop
The final blow was delivered on 14 January 2017, late one night after the last in a "six pack" of performances in Orlando, Florida.
Posters printed in English, Portuguese, Ukrainian and Mongolian had gone up earlier in the day announcing a mysterious, mandatory all-staff meeting.
So when Feld Entertainment executives delivered the news that the circus was shutting down completely, it landed hard.
"You watched hundreds of people burst into tears at the same time," recalls ringmaster Kristen Michelle Wilson, Ringling Bros' first female ringmaster.
She had just given up her job, apartment and car to join the circus four months earlier. But the show had to go on. "The next day, we came in and did two more shows."
The five months leading up to the final performances haven't been easy.
Feld set up career counsellors at each stop. One by one, performers who found new gigs dropped off the tour.
Foreign performers without new jobs will lose their work visas shortly after the final show, and the Felds are covering plane tickets and reimbursing mileage for road trips home.
Animal rights campaigners - who had been accusing the Ringling Bros of animal abuse - have welcomed the decision to shut the company.
They held a protest in New York, carrying placards "We shut you down!" and "Bye-bye animal abusers".
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39995384
Mount Everest's famous Hillary Step destroyed, mountaineers confirm
A famous feature of Mount Everest has collapsed, potentially making the world's highest peak even more dangerous to climbers.
Mountaineers said the Hillary Step may have fallen victim to Nepal's devastating 2015 earthquake.
The near-vertical 12m (39ft) rocky outcrop stood on the mountain's southeast ridge, and was the last great challenge before the top.
It was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first to scale it in 1953.
British mountaineer Tim Mosedale confirmed the news of the Step's demise on Facebook after reaching the summit on 16 May.
Speaking to the BBC, he said the loss of the Step was "the end of an era".
"It is associated with the history of Everest, and it is a great shame a piece of mountaineering folklore has disappeared," Mr Mosedale said.
Back in May 2016, pictures posted by the American Himalayan Foundation appeared to show that the Hillary Step had changed shape.
But thanks to the snowfall, it was hard to tell for sure. This year, with less snow, it was clear the Step had gone.
"It was reported last year, and indeed I climbed it last year, but we weren't sure for certain that 'The Step' had gone because the area was blasted with snow," Mr Mosedale wrote on Facebook.
He concluded: "This year, however, I can report that the chunk of rock named 'The Hillary Step' is definitely not there any more."
Mr Mosedale, who is due to go back up Everest later this month, said he believed the Step was most likely a victim of Nepal's 2015 earthquake.
"It could well just be gravity, but I would suspect the earthquake was the cause," he told the BBC.
Mountaineers claim the snow-covered slope will be much easier to climb than the notorious rock-face, but have warned that it could create a bottleneck.
It is a serious worry for those already battling low oxygen and frostbite conditions at the top of the world.
Speaking to the BBC in 2012, British mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington said getting stuck near the Step could be fatal.
"If it's a perfectly fine day, it doesn't really matter too much if you are delayed for say, an hour and a half, two hours on the Hillary Step, which is just short of the summit.
"If the weather is breaking up, that two-and-a-half hour wait can be a matter of life and death."
The routes up Everest from Nepal and Tibet are already very hazardous, the BBC's Richard Galpin reports. Four climbers were killed on Sunday, he says.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39989992
Mountaineers said the Hillary Step may have fallen victim to Nepal's devastating 2015 earthquake.
The near-vertical 12m (39ft) rocky outcrop stood on the mountain's southeast ridge, and was the last great challenge before the top.
It was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first to scale it in 1953.
British mountaineer Tim Mosedale confirmed the news of the Step's demise on Facebook after reaching the summit on 16 May.
Speaking to the BBC, he said the loss of the Step was "the end of an era".
"It is associated with the history of Everest, and it is a great shame a piece of mountaineering folklore has disappeared," Mr Mosedale said.
Back in May 2016, pictures posted by the American Himalayan Foundation appeared to show that the Hillary Step had changed shape.
But thanks to the snowfall, it was hard to tell for sure. This year, with less snow, it was clear the Step had gone.
"It was reported last year, and indeed I climbed it last year, but we weren't sure for certain that 'The Step' had gone because the area was blasted with snow," Mr Mosedale wrote on Facebook.
He concluded: "This year, however, I can report that the chunk of rock named 'The Hillary Step' is definitely not there any more."
Mr Mosedale, who is due to go back up Everest later this month, said he believed the Step was most likely a victim of Nepal's 2015 earthquake.
"It could well just be gravity, but I would suspect the earthquake was the cause," he told the BBC.
Mountaineers claim the snow-covered slope will be much easier to climb than the notorious rock-face, but have warned that it could create a bottleneck.
It is a serious worry for those already battling low oxygen and frostbite conditions at the top of the world.
Speaking to the BBC in 2012, British mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington said getting stuck near the Step could be fatal.
"If it's a perfectly fine day, it doesn't really matter too much if you are delayed for say, an hour and a half, two hours on the Hillary Step, which is just short of the summit.
"If the weather is breaking up, that two-and-a-half hour wait can be a matter of life and death."
The routes up Everest from Nepal and Tibet are already very hazardous, the BBC's Richard Galpin reports. Four climbers were killed on Sunday, he says.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39989992
Brazil police raid Sao Paulo 'Crackland' and make arrests
Brazilian police have arrested nearly 40 people for drug trafficking offences in central Sao Paulo where crack cocaine has been sold and consumed freely for years.
About 500 armed police officers were involved in the operation.
Dozens of addicts reacted in anger, vandalising cars and looting shops.
Sao Paulo's centre-right Mayor Joao Doria said the operation marked the end of impunity in the area, widely known as Cracolandia or Crackland.
Critics say the move will merely push the problem to other parts of the city.
Mr Doria promised to knock down many buildings and redevelop the streets near the Luz train station that have become an open-air drugs market over the past decade.
"Crackland doesn't exist any more and it won't come back. The government won't allow it," said Mr Doria during the operation.
He also announced that CCTV cameras would be installed in that part of the city.
But he later admitted in a press conference that "it will be difficult to put an end to a historical problem".
"Police will be deployed here permanently and the problem will be reduced," Mr Doria said.
The governor of Sao Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, said state rehab centres had 3,000 places available for addiction treatments.
The mayor and the governor recently announced a plan to combat drug trafficking in the region.
The previous left-wing mayor of Sao Paulo, Fernando Haddad, had a programme that tried to solve addiction through therapy and without the use of force by police.
But many were critical and felt that something had to be done about Crackland, which became a no-go area for most residents of Brazil's largest city.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39994177
About 500 armed police officers were involved in the operation.
Dozens of addicts reacted in anger, vandalising cars and looting shops.
Sao Paulo's centre-right Mayor Joao Doria said the operation marked the end of impunity in the area, widely known as Cracolandia or Crackland.
Critics say the move will merely push the problem to other parts of the city.
Mr Doria promised to knock down many buildings and redevelop the streets near the Luz train station that have become an open-air drugs market over the past decade.
"Crackland doesn't exist any more and it won't come back. The government won't allow it," said Mr Doria during the operation.
He also announced that CCTV cameras would be installed in that part of the city.
But he later admitted in a press conference that "it will be difficult to put an end to a historical problem".
"Police will be deployed here permanently and the problem will be reduced," Mr Doria said.
The governor of Sao Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, said state rehab centres had 3,000 places available for addiction treatments.
The mayor and the governor recently announced a plan to combat drug trafficking in the region.
The previous left-wing mayor of Sao Paulo, Fernando Haddad, had a programme that tried to solve addiction through therapy and without the use of force by police.
But many were critical and felt that something had to be done about Crackland, which became a no-go area for most residents of Brazil's largest city.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39994177
Label: child, crime, law, news, terror, war
IPL: Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant by one run to win title
Indian Premier League final, Hyderabad:
Mumbai Indians 129-8: K Pandya 47, Unadkat 2-19, Zampa 2-32, Christian 2-34
Rising Pune Supergiant 128-6: Smith 51, Rahane 44, Johnson 3-26, Bumrah 2-26
Mumbai Indians won by one run
Scorecard
A superb final over from Mitchell Johnson saw Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant by one run to win a thrilling Indian Premier League final.
With Pune needing 11 runs, Johnson conceded a four off his first ball but then removed Manoj Tiwary and Steve Smith with consecutive deliveries.
Captain Smith hit 51 to give Pune a chance after their chase had faltered.
But Johnson's 3-26 and Jasprit Bumrah's 2-26 helped Mumbai defend 129 to become the first side to win three IPL titles.
Mumbai's previous victories came in 2013 and 2015.
After electing to bat first in Hyderabad, Mumbai fell to 8-2 and then 79-7, before Krunal Pandya's 47 off 38 balls, supported by late-order hitting from Johnson (13 off 14) saw them post 129-8.
In reply, Ajinkya Rahane struck 44 off 38 balls before he was removed by Johnson to leave Pune on 71-2 after 12 overs.
They added just 29 runs in the next five overs thanks to expert bowling from Lasith Malinga and Bumrah, who had former India captain MS Dhoni caught behind for 10.
A straight six from Australia captain Smith off Bumrah's penultimate delivery in the 19th over seemed to steer the match back Pune's way, only for Johnson to hold his nerve as Dan Christian was run out attempting a desperate third run off the final ball.
Mumbai's total was the lowest score successfully defended in this year's tournament.
England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler scored 272 runs in the tournament for Mumbai, while all-rounder Ben Stokes starred for Pune with a maiden Twenty20 century and 12 wickets, but neither was playing in the final after being recalled for the upcoming one-day international series against South Africa.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/39993746
Mumbai Indians 129-8: K Pandya 47, Unadkat 2-19, Zampa 2-32, Christian 2-34
Rising Pune Supergiant 128-6: Smith 51, Rahane 44, Johnson 3-26, Bumrah 2-26
Mumbai Indians won by one run
Scorecard
A superb final over from Mitchell Johnson saw Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant by one run to win a thrilling Indian Premier League final.
With Pune needing 11 runs, Johnson conceded a four off his first ball but then removed Manoj Tiwary and Steve Smith with consecutive deliveries.
Captain Smith hit 51 to give Pune a chance after their chase had faltered.
But Johnson's 3-26 and Jasprit Bumrah's 2-26 helped Mumbai defend 129 to become the first side to win three IPL titles.
Mumbai's previous victories came in 2013 and 2015.
After electing to bat first in Hyderabad, Mumbai fell to 8-2 and then 79-7, before Krunal Pandya's 47 off 38 balls, supported by late-order hitting from Johnson (13 off 14) saw them post 129-8.
In reply, Ajinkya Rahane struck 44 off 38 balls before he was removed by Johnson to leave Pune on 71-2 after 12 overs.
They added just 29 runs in the next five overs thanks to expert bowling from Lasith Malinga and Bumrah, who had former India captain MS Dhoni caught behind for 10.
A straight six from Australia captain Smith off Bumrah's penultimate delivery in the 19th over seemed to steer the match back Pune's way, only for Johnson to hold his nerve as Dan Christian was run out attempting a desperate third run off the final ball.
Mumbai's total was the lowest score successfully defended in this year's tournament.
England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler scored 272 runs in the tournament for Mumbai, while all-rounder Ben Stokes starred for Pune with a maiden Twenty20 century and 12 wickets, but neither was playing in the final after being recalled for the upcoming one-day international series against South Africa.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/39993746
North Korea confirms 'successful' new ballistic missile test
North Korea has confirmed it "successfully" launched another medium-range ballistic missile on Sunday.
The state-run KCNA news agency said the weapon was now ready to be deployed for military action.
The White House said the missile had a shorter range than those used in North Korea's last three tests.
It comes a week after North Korea tested what it said was a new type of rocket capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead.
Last Monday, the UN Security Council again demanded that Pyongyang conduct no further such tests.
It stressed the importance of North Korea "immediately showing sincere commitment to denuclearisation through concrete action".
The Council is now scheduled to meet behind closed doors on Tuesday - a meeting requested by the US, South Korea and Japan.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of the Pukguksong-2 missile on Sunday, KCNA reports, adding that he had "approved the deployment of this weapon system for action."
South Korea's foreign ministry earlier said the launch was "reckless and irresponsible", while US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described it as "disappointing" and "disturbing".
The latest missile flew about 560km (350 miles) towards the Sea of Japan, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Last week's missile travelled about 700km.
Japanese news agencies said the missile probably fell into the sea outside Japanese waters.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference a protest had been lodged with North Korea.
North Korea is known to be developing both nuclear weapons - it has conducted five nuclear tests - and the missiles capable of delivering those weapons to their target. Both are in defiance of UN sanctions.
South Korea said the latest test was conducted in Pukchang, in the west of the country. A missile exploded soon after take-off from Pukchang last month.
Earlier on Sunday, the North's state-run media had said it would continue to launch more "weapons capable of striking" the US.
In early May, the US said a missile defence system it had installed in South Korea was now operational.
The Thaad system can intercept North Korean missiles, although full operational capability is still some months away. North Korea and its ally China have condemned the installation of the system.
However, there is no sign that Thaad was used against the missile tested on Sunday.
Newly-installed South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is seeking deeper engagement with the North, has convened an urgent meeting of his national security council in response.
Kim defies the pressure: Steve Evans, BBC News, Seoul
This would be the 10th detected missile launch by North Korea this year - outside experts agree that it's making progress in its stated aim of having the ability to strike the mainland US with nuclear weapons.
Though it's not there yet, the latest tests have been of missiles capable of reaching American bases in the Western Pacific, albeit with some failures.
There is intense pressure on Kim Jong-un from the US, which is seeking the help of China. Repeated and more frequent testing of missiles, despite prohibition by the United Nations, indicates the North Korean leader feels able to defy that pressure.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39990836
The state-run KCNA news agency said the weapon was now ready to be deployed for military action.
The White House said the missile had a shorter range than those used in North Korea's last three tests.
It comes a week after North Korea tested what it said was a new type of rocket capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead.
Last Monday, the UN Security Council again demanded that Pyongyang conduct no further such tests.
It stressed the importance of North Korea "immediately showing sincere commitment to denuclearisation through concrete action".
The Council is now scheduled to meet behind closed doors on Tuesday - a meeting requested by the US, South Korea and Japan.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of the Pukguksong-2 missile on Sunday, KCNA reports, adding that he had "approved the deployment of this weapon system for action."
South Korea's foreign ministry earlier said the launch was "reckless and irresponsible", while US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described it as "disappointing" and "disturbing".
The latest missile flew about 560km (350 miles) towards the Sea of Japan, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Last week's missile travelled about 700km.
Japanese news agencies said the missile probably fell into the sea outside Japanese waters.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference a protest had been lodged with North Korea.
North Korea is known to be developing both nuclear weapons - it has conducted five nuclear tests - and the missiles capable of delivering those weapons to their target. Both are in defiance of UN sanctions.
South Korea said the latest test was conducted in Pukchang, in the west of the country. A missile exploded soon after take-off from Pukchang last month.
Earlier on Sunday, the North's state-run media had said it would continue to launch more "weapons capable of striking" the US.
In early May, the US said a missile defence system it had installed in South Korea was now operational.
The Thaad system can intercept North Korean missiles, although full operational capability is still some months away. North Korea and its ally China have condemned the installation of the system.
However, there is no sign that Thaad was used against the missile tested on Sunday.
Newly-installed South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is seeking deeper engagement with the North, has convened an urgent meeting of his national security council in response.
Kim defies the pressure: Steve Evans, BBC News, Seoul
This would be the 10th detected missile launch by North Korea this year - outside experts agree that it's making progress in its stated aim of having the ability to strike the mainland US with nuclear weapons.
Though it's not there yet, the latest tests have been of missiles capable of reaching American bases in the Western Pacific, albeit with some failures.
There is intense pressure on Kim Jong-un from the US, which is seeking the help of China. Repeated and more frequent testing of missiles, despite prohibition by the United Nations, indicates the North Korean leader feels able to defy that pressure.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39990836
Trump visits Israel amid tight security
US President Donald Trump is visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories, as he continues his first foreign trip.
He flies in from Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, where he gave a speech to Arab and Muslim leaders at a summit.
Mr Trump will hold talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders during the course of his two-day stop.
The president has called an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement "the ultimate deal", but has been vague about what form it should take.
He has said he prefers to leave it to both sides to decide between them in direct talks.
At a summit in Riyadh on Sunday, Mr Trump called on Arab and Muslim leaders to take the lead in combating Islamist militants, urging them to "drive them out of this earth".
He singled out Iran, saying it had "fuelled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" in the region for decades.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later hit back on Twitter, suggesting the US was milking Saudi Arabia for billions of dollars in newly-signed arms deals.
In his speech, Mr Trump also stated again that he believed peace between Israelis and Palestinians was possible.
The US president has been widely seen as considerably more supportive of Israel than his predecessor, Barack Obama. He has taken a softer position on the contentious issue of Israeli settlements, suggesting that their expansion rather than their existence might hamper the search for peace.
More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, land Palestinians claim for a future state. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
The president has also sent mixed signals on the issue of Jerusalem, pledging to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, angering Palestinians and delighting Israelis.
However he has since stalled, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently telling NBC News that Mr Trump was weighing it up.
Israel regards the whole of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim the east as their capital. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.
There has been some consternation in Israel in the run-up to Mr Trump's trip over remarks made by administration officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Mr Tillerson's suggestion that moving the embassy might harm the peace process, while a US Consulate official caused outrage by saying the Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest sites, was "not in your [Israel's] territory but part of the West Bank".
The White House later said the official's comments "do not represent the position of the United States".
Mr Trump's trip also comes days after it was reported that the president had leaked to Russia's foreign minister classified intelligence information said to have come from an Israeli source. The incident has raised questions about the confidentiality of secret intelligence passed to the US by its closest Middle Eastern ally.
A huge security operation is under way for Mr Trump's visit, during which he will hold separate meetings with Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem the following day.
The agenda for the rest of Mr Trump's trip
Mr Trump's eight-day trip will also take in Brussels, the Vatican, and Sicily.
The president's visit has been overshadowed by his political difficulties at home, namely the fallout over his sacking of FBI chief James Comey.
He flies in from Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, where he gave a speech to Arab and Muslim leaders at a summit.
Mr Trump will hold talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders during the course of his two-day stop.
The president has called an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement "the ultimate deal", but has been vague about what form it should take.
He has said he prefers to leave it to both sides to decide between them in direct talks.
At a summit in Riyadh on Sunday, Mr Trump called on Arab and Muslim leaders to take the lead in combating Islamist militants, urging them to "drive them out of this earth".
He singled out Iran, saying it had "fuelled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" in the region for decades.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later hit back on Twitter, suggesting the US was milking Saudi Arabia for billions of dollars in newly-signed arms deals.
In his speech, Mr Trump also stated again that he believed peace between Israelis and Palestinians was possible.
The US president has been widely seen as considerably more supportive of Israel than his predecessor, Barack Obama. He has taken a softer position on the contentious issue of Israeli settlements, suggesting that their expansion rather than their existence might hamper the search for peace.
More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, land Palestinians claim for a future state. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
The president has also sent mixed signals on the issue of Jerusalem, pledging to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, angering Palestinians and delighting Israelis.
However he has since stalled, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently telling NBC News that Mr Trump was weighing it up.
Israel regards the whole of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim the east as their capital. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.
There has been some consternation in Israel in the run-up to Mr Trump's trip over remarks made by administration officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Mr Tillerson's suggestion that moving the embassy might harm the peace process, while a US Consulate official caused outrage by saying the Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest sites, was "not in your [Israel's] territory but part of the West Bank".
The White House later said the official's comments "do not represent the position of the United States".
Mr Trump's trip also comes days after it was reported that the president had leaked to Russia's foreign minister classified intelligence information said to have come from an Israeli source. The incident has raised questions about the confidentiality of secret intelligence passed to the US by its closest Middle Eastern ally.
A huge security operation is under way for Mr Trump's visit, during which he will hold separate meetings with Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem the following day.
The agenda for the rest of Mr Trump's trip
Mr Trump's eight-day trip will also take in Brussels, the Vatican, and Sicily.
The president's visit has been overshadowed by his political difficulties at home, namely the fallout over his sacking of FBI chief James Comey.
- Monday-Tuesday, 22-23 May: Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, before visiting the West Bank on Tuesday
- Wednesday 24 May: Rome and Brussels. Mr Trump will meet Pope Francis, then Belgian officials
- Thursday, 25 May: A Nato summit in Brussels
- Friday, 26 May: Sicily, for a meeting of G7 members
Source :http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39973197
Label: crime, freedom, news, sport, war
Sabtu, 20 Mei 2017
General election 2017: Two million apply to register to vote
More than two million people have applied to register to vote in the month since Theresa May announced plans for a snap general election on 8 June.
The highest number of applications so far was on 18 April, the day the prime minister made her announcement, when just over 150,000 people applied.
The number of young people registering is the highest of any age group.
The deadline to register online through the official website is 23.59 GMT on Monday 22 May.
The latest official figures published in March, before the election was called, showed that 45.7 million people were registered to vote in a general election as of 1 December 2016.
The Electoral Commission have warned that approximately seven million people across Britain who are eligible to vote are not registered, including 30% of under 34s while only 28% of home movers in the past year have registered.
Anyone wanting to vote on 8 June who is not already on the electoral register needs to sign up. It takes five minutes to register online if you live in England, Wales or Scotland. Alternatively, people can fill out and return a written form by post.
Spike expected
People are advised they may need their National Insurance number or their passport if they are a British citizen living abroad.
If you live in Northern Ireland you must fill in a form and take it to your local electoral office.
Since 18 April, 2.014 million people have signed up to vote although it has yet to be confirmed how many have been added to the electoral register.
Although the number of people applying has dropped off a little after an initial flurry in mid-April, there are still significant numbers of voters making sure they can have their say at the ballot box.
In six out of the past seven days, applications have exceeded 100,000. Of those applying to vote each day, nearly 40% have been under-25s, although people of all ages have been signing up.
The 150,364 people who applied to register on 18 April was the biggest total recorded for a single day since the EU referendum campaign in 2016.
There is expected to be a spike of applications in the run-up to Monday's deadline.
In 2015, 500,000 people applied to vote on deadline day while registration for the EU referendum in 2016 had to be extended by 48 hours after the website crashed in the final few hours.
Both Instagram and Snapchat will be carrying prominent reminders of the deadline on Monday in order to encourage their users to sign up.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/39987278
The highest number of applications so far was on 18 April, the day the prime minister made her announcement, when just over 150,000 people applied.
The number of young people registering is the highest of any age group.
The deadline to register online through the official website is 23.59 GMT on Monday 22 May.
The latest official figures published in March, before the election was called, showed that 45.7 million people were registered to vote in a general election as of 1 December 2016.
The Electoral Commission have warned that approximately seven million people across Britain who are eligible to vote are not registered, including 30% of under 34s while only 28% of home movers in the past year have registered.
Anyone wanting to vote on 8 June who is not already on the electoral register needs to sign up. It takes five minutes to register online if you live in England, Wales or Scotland. Alternatively, people can fill out and return a written form by post.
Spike expected
People are advised they may need their National Insurance number or their passport if they are a British citizen living abroad.
If you live in Northern Ireland you must fill in a form and take it to your local electoral office.
Since 18 April, 2.014 million people have signed up to vote although it has yet to be confirmed how many have been added to the electoral register.
Although the number of people applying has dropped off a little after an initial flurry in mid-April, there are still significant numbers of voters making sure they can have their say at the ballot box.
In six out of the past seven days, applications have exceeded 100,000. Of those applying to vote each day, nearly 40% have been under-25s, although people of all ages have been signing up.
The 150,364 people who applied to register on 18 April was the biggest total recorded for a single day since the EU referendum campaign in 2016.
There is expected to be a spike of applications in the run-up to Monday's deadline.
In 2015, 500,000 people applied to vote on deadline day while registration for the EU referendum in 2016 had to be extended by 48 hours after the website crashed in the final few hours.
Both Instagram and Snapchat will be carrying prominent reminders of the deadline on Monday in order to encourage their users to sign up.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/39987278
Label: family, health, law, news, politic
Paris police attack: Man charged over 'DNA link to gun'
French police have charged a man with terrorism offences after his DNA was found on the gun used to shoot dead a police officer in Paris last month, judicial sources say.
The 23-year-old, who was not named, was not previously known to investigators.
He is the first person to be charged in connection with the shooting on the iconic Champs Elysees.
Police shot dead the gunman, Karim Cheurfi, 39, who also wounded two other police officers and a German tourist.
A note was found beside his body praising the Islamic State (IS) group.
The suspect, who was arrested in the Paris region, has been charged with criminal terrorist conspiracy and using a weapon linked to terrorism, the sources said. His DNA was reportedly found on the butt of the Kalashnikov used in the attack.
He is being held in custody and is said to have told investigators he did not know Cheurfi.
Cheurfi drove up to a parked police bus in Champs Elysees and opened fire at the driver's window, killing the officer inside. He then went around the bus and fired on two other police officers.
IS announced soon after that one of its "fighters" had carried out the attack but it named him as "Abu Yousif al-Belgiki [the Belgian]". Cheurfi was from Paris's eastern suburbs.
Prosecutors say Cheurfi had spoken about wanting to kill police but had no apparent link to Islamist radicalism.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39986846
The 23-year-old, who was not named, was not previously known to investigators.
He is the first person to be charged in connection with the shooting on the iconic Champs Elysees.
Police shot dead the gunman, Karim Cheurfi, 39, who also wounded two other police officers and a German tourist.
A note was found beside his body praising the Islamic State (IS) group.
The suspect, who was arrested in the Paris region, has been charged with criminal terrorist conspiracy and using a weapon linked to terrorism, the sources said. His DNA was reportedly found on the butt of the Kalashnikov used in the attack.
He is being held in custody and is said to have told investigators he did not know Cheurfi.
Cheurfi drove up to a parked police bus in Champs Elysees and opened fire at the driver's window, killing the officer inside. He then went around the bus and fired on two other police officers.
IS announced soon after that one of its "fighters" had carried out the attack but it named him as "Abu Yousif al-Belgiki [the Belgian]". Cheurfi was from Paris's eastern suburbs.
Prosecutors say Cheurfi had spoken about wanting to kill police but had no apparent link to Islamist radicalism.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39986846
Rape in India: Kerala woman castrates 'rapist holy man'
A 23-year-old Indian woman has cut off the genitals of a Hindu religious teacher in the southern state of Kerala, claiming he raped her for years.
Police said the suspect, named as Gangeshananda Theerthapada, would come to the woman's house to perform prayer rituals for her father's health.
Her mother had hoped the self-styled holy man would ease the family's woes.
Instead, her daughter claims he assaulted her at every opportunity.
On Friday night, she grabbed a knife and attacked him when he allegedly tried to rape her, and then called the police herself.
The alleged rapist was rushed to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College for emergency surgery.
The hospital said in a statement: "A 54-year-old man from Kollam was admitted at 12.39am [19:09 GMT] to the hospital on Saturday. His penis had been cut (90%) and was hanging precariously. There was no way it could be stitched back.
"Plastic surgeons who are urology experts in the hospital did emergency surgery to stop the blood loss and to enable him to pass urine."
Deputy Commissioner of Police Arul B Krishna told The Times of India that the woman's father had been bed-ridden for years.
He said the victim had recounted her abuse to her mother, who may now face charges for failing to report it.
The young woman herself is not expected to face a criminal case.
Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has praised the victim's bravery, saying the castration was "a courageous and strong act".
Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus.
Protesters frequently call for rapists to be hanged - the harshest sentence available for the crime.
VIolent sexual attacks against women and children continue to be reported across the country.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39984640
Police said the suspect, named as Gangeshananda Theerthapada, would come to the woman's house to perform prayer rituals for her father's health.
Her mother had hoped the self-styled holy man would ease the family's woes.
Instead, her daughter claims he assaulted her at every opportunity.
On Friday night, she grabbed a knife and attacked him when he allegedly tried to rape her, and then called the police herself.
The alleged rapist was rushed to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College for emergency surgery.
The hospital said in a statement: "A 54-year-old man from Kollam was admitted at 12.39am [19:09 GMT] to the hospital on Saturday. His penis had been cut (90%) and was hanging precariously. There was no way it could be stitched back.
"Plastic surgeons who are urology experts in the hospital did emergency surgery to stop the blood loss and to enable him to pass urine."
Deputy Commissioner of Police Arul B Krishna told The Times of India that the woman's father had been bed-ridden for years.
He said the victim had recounted her abuse to her mother, who may now face charges for failing to report it.
The young woman herself is not expected to face a criminal case.
Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has praised the victim's bravery, saying the castration was "a courageous and strong act".
Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus.
Protesters frequently call for rapists to be hanged - the harshest sentence available for the crime.
VIolent sexual attacks against women and children continue to be reported across the country.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39984640
Label: child, crime, family, freedom, news
Brazil president seeks suspension of corruption investigation
Brazil's President Michel Temer says he will ask the Supreme Court to suspend an investigation against him, because vital evidence has been "manipulated".
In a defiant speech, Mr Temer said a secret audio recording, in which he allegedly discusses the payment of hush money to a jailed politician, needed to be validated.
Mr Temer is suspected of corruption and obstruction of justice which he denies.
Despite growing calls for him to go, Mr Temer repeated that he would not quit.
In the audio recording, made at a meeting with Joesley Batista, president of giant meat-packing firm JBS, Mr Temer appears to be discussing bribes to the former speaker of the lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, who is serving a prison sentence for corruption.
The money would be in exchange for Cunha's silence over Mr Temer's alleged implication in Brazil's wide-ranging corruption scandal known as Operation Car Wash.
The probe, launched in March 2014, centres on companies that were offered deals with state oil giant Petrobras in exchange for bribes, which were funnelled into politicians' pockets and political party slush funds.
The scandal has engulfed Brazilian politics, with a third of Mr Temer's cabinet under investigation for alleged corruption. Former president Lula is already facing five charges.
The man Mr Temer allegedly condoned the bribery to - Eduardo Cunha - is in prison for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.
Both men played a key role in the downfall of Ms Rousseff, who was removed from office accused of illegally manipulating government accounts. She denies all the charges.
"I have never bought anyone's silence, haven't obstructed justice and haven't done anything against the judiciary," Mr Temer said in the televised address at the presidential palace on Saturday.
Mr Temer is already deeply unpopular in Brazil but his centre-right party has been able to govern as part of a coalition. He took office a year ago, after President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment.
Opposition parties have demanded his resignation and snap elections.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39988223
In a defiant speech, Mr Temer said a secret audio recording, in which he allegedly discusses the payment of hush money to a jailed politician, needed to be validated.
Mr Temer is suspected of corruption and obstruction of justice which he denies.
Despite growing calls for him to go, Mr Temer repeated that he would not quit.
In the audio recording, made at a meeting with Joesley Batista, president of giant meat-packing firm JBS, Mr Temer appears to be discussing bribes to the former speaker of the lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, who is serving a prison sentence for corruption.
The money would be in exchange for Cunha's silence over Mr Temer's alleged implication in Brazil's wide-ranging corruption scandal known as Operation Car Wash.
The probe, launched in March 2014, centres on companies that were offered deals with state oil giant Petrobras in exchange for bribes, which were funnelled into politicians' pockets and political party slush funds.
The scandal has engulfed Brazilian politics, with a third of Mr Temer's cabinet under investigation for alleged corruption. Former president Lula is already facing five charges.
The man Mr Temer allegedly condoned the bribery to - Eduardo Cunha - is in prison for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.
Both men played a key role in the downfall of Ms Rousseff, who was removed from office accused of illegally manipulating government accounts. She denies all the charges.
"I have never bought anyone's silence, haven't obstructed justice and haven't done anything against the judiciary," Mr Temer said in the televised address at the presidential palace on Saturday.
Mr Temer is already deeply unpopular in Brazil but his centre-right party has been able to govern as part of a coalition. He took office a year ago, after President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment.
Opposition parties have demanded his resignation and snap elections.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39988223
Label: crime, politic, religion
NBA star Enes Kanter's passport cancelled by native Turkey
An NBA basketball player from Turkey, Enes Kanter, has been stopped at a Romanian airport, after Turkey cancelled his passport.
Kanter, an Oklahoma City Thunder star, posted a video on Twitter saying this was due to his political views.
He blamed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who he called "a bad, bad man", and a "dictator".
Kanter, who turned 25 on Saturday, was later allowed to fly to London. It is unclear what documents he was using.
"They've been holding us here for hours," Kanter said in his video. "The reason behind it is, of course, my political views."
He posted a similar message in Turkish.
Romanian border police confirmed facts related to Mr Kanter's story, but did not speculate over the reasons.
In a statement - accompanied on social media by a photo of the sports star with police - border officials said he was detained at around 13:00 (12:00 GMT) after arriving on a plane from Frankfurt.
His passport was not valid, having been cancelled by "the issuing state", it said, and they could not allow him to enter Romania. But he was not under arrest.
He left at around 17:00 on a flight bound for London, it said.
When mentioning President Erdogan, Kanter told his audience: "You guys know him by, you know, he has attacked the people in Washington."
He was referring to a controversial clash between protesters and men apparently linked to Mr Erdogan's security detail during the Turkish leader's recent trip to the US.
Kanter is a supporter of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric blamed by the Turkish president for inciting a failed coup in 2016.http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39987275
Turkey has demanded the preacher, who runs a network of schools in Turkey, be extradited, but the US has said it will only do on the basis of evidence.
In August 2016, Kanter cut ties with his family after his father publicly disowned him in the Turkish press.
Since the failed coup, suspected Gulenist supporters have been purged from jobs in Turkey. Many have been arrested.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39987275
Kanter, an Oklahoma City Thunder star, posted a video on Twitter saying this was due to his political views.
He blamed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who he called "a bad, bad man", and a "dictator".
Kanter, who turned 25 on Saturday, was later allowed to fly to London. It is unclear what documents he was using.
"They've been holding us here for hours," Kanter said in his video. "The reason behind it is, of course, my political views."
He posted a similar message in Turkish.
Romanian border police confirmed facts related to Mr Kanter's story, but did not speculate over the reasons.
In a statement - accompanied on social media by a photo of the sports star with police - border officials said he was detained at around 13:00 (12:00 GMT) after arriving on a plane from Frankfurt.
His passport was not valid, having been cancelled by "the issuing state", it said, and they could not allow him to enter Romania. But he was not under arrest.
He left at around 17:00 on a flight bound for London, it said.
When mentioning President Erdogan, Kanter told his audience: "You guys know him by, you know, he has attacked the people in Washington."
He was referring to a controversial clash between protesters and men apparently linked to Mr Erdogan's security detail during the Turkish leader's recent trip to the US.
Kanter is a supporter of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric blamed by the Turkish president for inciting a failed coup in 2016.http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39987275
Turkey has demanded the preacher, who runs a network of schools in Turkey, be extradited, but the US has said it will only do on the basis of evidence.
In August 2016, Kanter cut ties with his family after his father publicly disowned him in the Turkish press.
Since the failed coup, suspected Gulenist supporters have been purged from jobs in Turkey. Many have been arrested.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39987275
Iran election: Hassan Rouhani says voters rejected extremism
Moderate Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said his re-election shows voters reject extremism and want more links with the outside world.
After avoiding a run-off with a 57% outright victory over his main rival, Mr Rouhani said he respected the opponents' right to criticise him.
Mr Rouhani, 68, supports the landmark deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme.
The decisive victory gives him a strong mandate to seek reforms and revive the country's ailing economy, analysts say.
"The Iranian nation has chosen the path of interaction with the world, a path which is distant from extremism and violence," Mr Rouhani said in first speech after the victory, broadcast on state television.
"The election is now over. I am the president of the nation and need assistance from every single Iranian, even those who oppose me and my policies."
Mr Rouhani also thanked former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, apparently defying a media ban on citing the ex-leader's name.
What were the results?
Turnout in the election was unexpectedly high, at around 70%.
And this is thought to have helped Mr Rouhani, who received close to 23 million votes out of the 40 million that were cast.
His main challenger, former prosecutor Ebrahim Raisi received 38.5%, or 15.7 million votes, not enough to take the election to a second round.
On Twitter, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the election showed the "increasing progress" of the "Iranian nation".
Mr Khamenei said Iran would demonstrate "national dignity" and "wisdom" in relations with other countries.
There were celebrations in the capital, Tehran, with young people singing and dancing the central Vali Asr Square, despite efforts by police to move them, AFP news agency reported.
What are the challenges?
The economy seems to be the number one issue.
Average Iranians say they do not feel the economic benefits after international sanctions were lifted as a result of a nuclear deal signed between Iran, the US and other countries in 2015.
While oil exports have rebounded and inflation is back at single-digits, unemployment remains high, especially among the young people.
Mr Rouhani also promised a moderate vision and an outward-looking Iran and, at rallies, openly attacked the conservative-dominated judiciary and security services.
But Mr Rouhani's own powers are limited by those of Ayatollah Khamenei, who has the last say on many crucial and strategic issues.
Another challenge, experts say, comes from abroad, and the relations with the new US government under President Donald Trump.
Mr Trump opposes the nuclear deal which eased sanctions on the Middle Eastern country, and has called it "worst deal ever".
But, despite the objections, his White House renewed the agreement earlier this week.
'Revenge against hardliners': By Kasra Naji, BBC Persian
Iran's hardliners had pulled all the stops and mobilised all their resources to bring out as many people as possible to grab the last centre of power in Iran that was not under their control, namely the executive branch.
Sensing an effort by the hardliners, supporters of President Rouhani who back his promises to steer the country toward moderation came out in big numbers too. Turnout has been unprecedented. In Tehran, five million people turned out to vote - twice as many as in 2013.
This was a revenge of the people against the hardliners who intimidated them, jailed them, executed them, drove them to exile, pushed them out of their jobs, and discriminated against women.
President Rouhani will now have a bigger mandate to push through his reforms, to put an end to extremism, to build bridges with the outside world, to put the economy back on track.
Iranians have said a resounding Yes to President Rouhani who, in recent years and particularly during the last several weeks of campaigning, promised to expand individual and political freedoms and make all those centres of power, like the Revolutionary Guard, accountable.
What has been the reaction?
The results were announced as Mr Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia, Iran's biggest regional rival, for his first foreign trip as president.
In Riyadh, US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said he hoped Mr Rouhani would use his new term to "dismantle a network of terrorism and end ballistic missile programme".
The Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, described the election as a "domestic matter", and said Iran was meddling in Arab countries and providing support for the extremist group Al-Qaeda.
Meanwhile, the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, congratulated Mr Rouhani for the "strong mandate received" and that Europe was ready to work for better "engagement" and "regional peace".
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39987338
After avoiding a run-off with a 57% outright victory over his main rival, Mr Rouhani said he respected the opponents' right to criticise him.
Mr Rouhani, 68, supports the landmark deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme.
The decisive victory gives him a strong mandate to seek reforms and revive the country's ailing economy, analysts say.
"The Iranian nation has chosen the path of interaction with the world, a path which is distant from extremism and violence," Mr Rouhani said in first speech after the victory, broadcast on state television.
"The election is now over. I am the president of the nation and need assistance from every single Iranian, even those who oppose me and my policies."
Mr Rouhani also thanked former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, apparently defying a media ban on citing the ex-leader's name.
What were the results?
Turnout in the election was unexpectedly high, at around 70%.
And this is thought to have helped Mr Rouhani, who received close to 23 million votes out of the 40 million that were cast.
His main challenger, former prosecutor Ebrahim Raisi received 38.5%, or 15.7 million votes, not enough to take the election to a second round.
On Twitter, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the election showed the "increasing progress" of the "Iranian nation".
Mr Khamenei said Iran would demonstrate "national dignity" and "wisdom" in relations with other countries.
There were celebrations in the capital, Tehran, with young people singing and dancing the central Vali Asr Square, despite efforts by police to move them, AFP news agency reported.
What are the challenges?
The economy seems to be the number one issue.
Average Iranians say they do not feel the economic benefits after international sanctions were lifted as a result of a nuclear deal signed between Iran, the US and other countries in 2015.
While oil exports have rebounded and inflation is back at single-digits, unemployment remains high, especially among the young people.
Mr Rouhani also promised a moderate vision and an outward-looking Iran and, at rallies, openly attacked the conservative-dominated judiciary and security services.
But Mr Rouhani's own powers are limited by those of Ayatollah Khamenei, who has the last say on many crucial and strategic issues.
Another challenge, experts say, comes from abroad, and the relations with the new US government under President Donald Trump.
Mr Trump opposes the nuclear deal which eased sanctions on the Middle Eastern country, and has called it "worst deal ever".
But, despite the objections, his White House renewed the agreement earlier this week.
'Revenge against hardliners': By Kasra Naji, BBC Persian
Iran's hardliners had pulled all the stops and mobilised all their resources to bring out as many people as possible to grab the last centre of power in Iran that was not under their control, namely the executive branch.
Sensing an effort by the hardliners, supporters of President Rouhani who back his promises to steer the country toward moderation came out in big numbers too. Turnout has been unprecedented. In Tehran, five million people turned out to vote - twice as many as in 2013.
This was a revenge of the people against the hardliners who intimidated them, jailed them, executed them, drove them to exile, pushed them out of their jobs, and discriminated against women.
President Rouhani will now have a bigger mandate to push through his reforms, to put an end to extremism, to build bridges with the outside world, to put the economy back on track.
Iranians have said a resounding Yes to President Rouhani who, in recent years and particularly during the last several weeks of campaigning, promised to expand individual and political freedoms and make all those centres of power, like the Revolutionary Guard, accountable.
What has been the reaction?
The results were announced as Mr Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia, Iran's biggest regional rival, for his first foreign trip as president.
In Riyadh, US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said he hoped Mr Rouhani would use his new term to "dismantle a network of terrorism and end ballistic missile programme".
The Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, described the election as a "domestic matter", and said Iran was meddling in Arab countries and providing support for the extremist group Al-Qaeda.
Meanwhile, the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, congratulated Mr Rouhani for the "strong mandate received" and that Europe was ready to work for better "engagement" and "regional peace".
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39987338
Label: actor, family, news, politic, religion
Chibok girls: 82 reunited with families in Nigeria
A group of the "Chibok girls" freed from Nigeria's Boko Haram militants have been reunited with their families.
The 82 girls, who were part of a huge group kidnapped from their school in 2014, are in the care of security services in the capital, Abuja.
Their parents travelled by bus through the night to meet their daughters.
More than 100 of the 276 girls, taken from the town of Chibok, are still being held by the militant group. Their whereabouts are unknown.
The reunion in Abuja had a celebratory atmosphere, with music and dance.
The BBC's Alistair Leithead says the girls were already dancing when their parents got off the bus and raced towards them, in an emotional reunion.
The 82 young women were only freed two weeks earlier in exchange for five Boko Haram militants.
The most recent group freed was supposed to have 83 girls - but one refused to leave, saying she was happy and had found a husband, a Nigerian government spokesman said.
The freed girls remain in government care - under the eye of security services who are questioning them about their time spent as captives.
After the girls were abducted from their school in April 2014, a massive global awareness campaign began, using the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.
The Chibok girls represent a fraction of the women captured by the militant group, estimates for which number in the thousands.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39987271
Label: child, crime, family, health, news
Pippa Middleton wedding: Royals and celebrities at ceremony
Guests including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have attended the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews.
Miss Middleton, 33, who is the younger sister of the duchess, married 41-year-old Mr Matthews at St Mark's Church in Englefield, Berkshire.
The bride was accompanied by her father, Michael, as they arrived shortly after 11:15 BST for the 45-minute ceremony.
The church is a few miles from the Middleton family home in Bucklebury.
There was strict security in place on the estate, with villagers being asked to carry ID on the day, and asked not to speak to the press.
But the bride received a rousing cheer from around 100 royal fans and residents as she arrived.
Prince Harry, Princess Eugenie, and Roger Federer and his wife Mirka were among the guests at the church.
The heavy downpour that started minutes after the beginning of the service ended a few moments before the church doors opened.
Wedding bells rang out just before 12.30 BST as the new husband and wife walked hand in hand along the church path.
Guests filed out and walked to nearby Englefield House, where it is believed a champagne reception is being held.
Miss Middleton wore a bespoke Giles Deacon dress, said to be crafted to create the impression of being seamless.
The dress was teamed with a Stephen Jones veil, a Maidenhair Fern tiara, and Manolo Blahnik ivory satin shoes.
David Emanuel, who designed Princess Diana's wedding dress and hosts Say Yes to the Dress UK, called the gown "simple and pretty".
"I predicted it would be soft and pretty and very English, which it is," he said.
The bride's nephew and niece, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were page boy and flower girl.
Actress Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's girlfriend, is also reportedly in the UK but was not seen among the guests at the church.
The BBC's Adele Tobe in Englefield
Pippa Middleton was driven to St Mark's Church alongside her father in a vintage 1951 Jaguar car. They shared a few words and then walked up to the church door to be greeted by the very excited bridesmaids and pageboys which included Princess Charlotte and Prince George.
A group of local well-wishers were allowed to come close to the church and were able to see all the guests arrive - including tennis star, Roger Federer.
Less than an hour later, the pair left the church as husband and wife.
They posed for photographs before leading their guests - by foot - through the park back to Englefield House for a reception, before carrying on to their party at Pippa's parents' house in Bucklebury.
The best man was reality TV star Spencer Matthews, the groom's 28-year-old younger brother.
Miss Middleton's diamond engagement ring is reported to have cost £250,000 - nearly 10 times the budget for the average wedding day.
But details of the couple's wedding bands have not been revealed.
Englefield resident Elizabeth Mary Reeves sported a silver wristband with the wedding date 20.05.17 printed on, given exclusively to locals who were let into the private church grounds to get a better look.
She said of the bride: "She stood and waved and looked just lovely. As all brides do, they glow, no matter how expensive their dress is.
"She looked absolutely beautiful."
The 68-year-old, whose daughter and son married at the same church, said the bride and groom looked "very happy" as they waved to the small crowd gathered on the church green.
"(Prince) George was waving, (Princess) Charlotte was waving and Kate stooped next to them.
"I just love it. I think it's so good for the village, so good for the country, and it just gives it a happy mood and we need a happy mood."
After the ceremony, guests will celebrate the marriage in a large glass marquee, erected on the Middleton family's property.
Among the members of the public who gathered in the village was Meryl Elizabeth Evans, from south Wales.
"It's a nice atmosphere, everybody's friendly, it's just a nice country feel to it," she said.
"We've met people from around the world, and the camera crews are from everywhere. It is the wedding of the year, isn't it?"
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39984752
Miss Middleton, 33, who is the younger sister of the duchess, married 41-year-old Mr Matthews at St Mark's Church in Englefield, Berkshire.
The bride was accompanied by her father, Michael, as they arrived shortly after 11:15 BST for the 45-minute ceremony.
The church is a few miles from the Middleton family home in Bucklebury.
There was strict security in place on the estate, with villagers being asked to carry ID on the day, and asked not to speak to the press.
But the bride received a rousing cheer from around 100 royal fans and residents as she arrived.
Prince Harry, Princess Eugenie, and Roger Federer and his wife Mirka were among the guests at the church.
The heavy downpour that started minutes after the beginning of the service ended a few moments before the church doors opened.
Wedding bells rang out just before 12.30 BST as the new husband and wife walked hand in hand along the church path.
Guests filed out and walked to nearby Englefield House, where it is believed a champagne reception is being held.
Miss Middleton wore a bespoke Giles Deacon dress, said to be crafted to create the impression of being seamless.
The dress was teamed with a Stephen Jones veil, a Maidenhair Fern tiara, and Manolo Blahnik ivory satin shoes.
David Emanuel, who designed Princess Diana's wedding dress and hosts Say Yes to the Dress UK, called the gown "simple and pretty".
"I predicted it would be soft and pretty and very English, which it is," he said.
The bride's nephew and niece, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were page boy and flower girl.
Actress Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's girlfriend, is also reportedly in the UK but was not seen among the guests at the church.
The BBC's Adele Tobe in Englefield
Pippa Middleton was driven to St Mark's Church alongside her father in a vintage 1951 Jaguar car. They shared a few words and then walked up to the church door to be greeted by the very excited bridesmaids and pageboys which included Princess Charlotte and Prince George.
A group of local well-wishers were allowed to come close to the church and were able to see all the guests arrive - including tennis star, Roger Federer.
Less than an hour later, the pair left the church as husband and wife.
They posed for photographs before leading their guests - by foot - through the park back to Englefield House for a reception, before carrying on to their party at Pippa's parents' house in Bucklebury.
The best man was reality TV star Spencer Matthews, the groom's 28-year-old younger brother.
Miss Middleton's diamond engagement ring is reported to have cost £250,000 - nearly 10 times the budget for the average wedding day.
But details of the couple's wedding bands have not been revealed.
Englefield resident Elizabeth Mary Reeves sported a silver wristband with the wedding date 20.05.17 printed on, given exclusively to locals who were let into the private church grounds to get a better look.
She said of the bride: "She stood and waved and looked just lovely. As all brides do, they glow, no matter how expensive their dress is.
"She looked absolutely beautiful."
The 68-year-old, whose daughter and son married at the same church, said the bride and groom looked "very happy" as they waved to the small crowd gathered on the church green.
"(Prince) George was waving, (Princess) Charlotte was waving and Kate stooped next to them.
"I just love it. I think it's so good for the village, so good for the country, and it just gives it a happy mood and we need a happy mood."
After the ceremony, guests will celebrate the marriage in a large glass marquee, erected on the Middleton family's property.
Among the members of the public who gathered in the village was Meryl Elizabeth Evans, from south Wales.
"It's a nice atmosphere, everybody's friendly, it's just a nice country feel to it," she said.
"We've met people from around the world, and the camera crews are from everywhere. It is the wedding of the year, isn't it?"
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39984752
Norway to boost protection of Arctic seed vault from climate change
Norway is boosting the flood defences of its Global Seed Vault on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard after water entered the entrance tunnel last year.
The storage facility, deep inside a mountain, is designed to preserve the world's crops from future disasters.
Unseasonably high temperatures last year caused the permafrost to melt, sending water into the access tunnel.
No seeds were damaged but the facility is to have new waterproof walls in the tunnel and drainage ditches outside.
The vault stores seeds from 5,000 crop species from around the world. Dried and frozen, it is believed they can be preserved for hundreds of years.
Although most countries keep their own supplies of key varieties, the Global Seed Vault acts as a back-up.
If a nation's seeds are lost as a result of a natural disaster or a man-made catastrophe, the specimens stored in the Arctic could be used to regenerate them.
Scientists at the facility describe the vault as the most important room in the world.
Government spokeswoman Hege Njaa Aschim told the BBC that the reason the vault was built on Svalbard was because the permafrost was thought to be permanent.
She said the problems emerged last October when the temperatures, instead of being -10C or colder, were hovering around 0C.
"It was like a wet summer in Norway," she told the BBC.
"Inside the mountain it's safe but the problems we have experienced are just outside and in the front of the tunnel, which is the entrance. So Yes, maybe something has changed in the permafrost, but we don't know, and that is what the climate researchers are looking into. We have to follow them carefully."
The new measures announced include drainage ditches on the mountainside to stop water from accumulating around the access tunnel.
Waterproof walls inside the tunnel itself will provide extra protection for the vaults.
In addition, Statsbygg, the agency that administers the vault, is to carry out a research and development project to monitor the permafrost on Svalbard.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39987495
The storage facility, deep inside a mountain, is designed to preserve the world's crops from future disasters.
Unseasonably high temperatures last year caused the permafrost to melt, sending water into the access tunnel.
No seeds were damaged but the facility is to have new waterproof walls in the tunnel and drainage ditches outside.
The vault stores seeds from 5,000 crop species from around the world. Dried and frozen, it is believed they can be preserved for hundreds of years.
Although most countries keep their own supplies of key varieties, the Global Seed Vault acts as a back-up.
If a nation's seeds are lost as a result of a natural disaster or a man-made catastrophe, the specimens stored in the Arctic could be used to regenerate them.
Scientists at the facility describe the vault as the most important room in the world.
Government spokeswoman Hege Njaa Aschim told the BBC that the reason the vault was built on Svalbard was because the permafrost was thought to be permanent.
She said the problems emerged last October when the temperatures, instead of being -10C or colder, were hovering around 0C.
"It was like a wet summer in Norway," she told the BBC.
"Inside the mountain it's safe but the problems we have experienced are just outside and in the front of the tunnel, which is the entrance. So Yes, maybe something has changed in the permafrost, but we don't know, and that is what the climate researchers are looking into. We have to follow them carefully."
The new measures announced include drainage ditches on the mountainside to stop water from accumulating around the access tunnel.
Waterproof walls inside the tunnel itself will provide extra protection for the vaults.
In addition, Statsbygg, the agency that administers the vault, is to carry out a research and development project to monitor the permafrost on Svalbard.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39987495
Trump in Saudi Arabia: First foreign trip starts as home troubles mount
The US says it has signed deals worth more than $350bn (£270bn) with Saudi Arabia as Donald Trump begins his first foreign trip as president.
The agreements included an $110bn arms deal, which the White House described as the single biggest in US history.
Mr Trump and his wife Melania were greeted in the Saudi capital by King Salman on Saturday morning local time.
The eight-day trip comes as Mr Trump faces uproar at home following his sacking of FBI director James Comey.
It will also take in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Brussels, the Vatican, and Sicily.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the arms deal was aimed at countering the "malign" influence of Iran.
"The package of defence equipment and services supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the entire Gulf region," he told a news conference in Riyadh.
Mr Trump is accompanied on his visit by his daughter Ivanka, an unpaid White House adviser, and her husband Jared Kushner, a key member of the Trump administration.
Like British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on their recent visits to Saudi Arabia, Mrs Trump and Ivanka Trump did not wear headscarves.
In January 2015, Mr Trump criticised then-First Lady Michelle Obama for doing the same. In a tweet, Mr Trump said she had "insulted" her hosts.
On Sunday, Mr Trump will attend the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh and speak about his "hopes of a peaceful vision of Islam". Aides say the president hopes his speech will resonate worldwide and express "a common vision of peace, progress and prosperity".
Mr Trump caused controversy during his campaign by calling for Muslims to be temporarily banned from entering the US over security concerns. Legislation aimed at restricting travel from several Muslim-majority countries remains tied up in the US courts.
The summit agenda is expected to focus on combating Islamist militants and the growing regional influence of Iran.
Mr Trump has been a fierce critic of the international deal with Iran which eased sanctions in return for a curb on its nuclear activities.
Unlike his predecessor, Barack Obama, he is not expected to highlight human rights during his trip.
In a tweet, King Salman praised Mr Trump, adding that he hoped his visit would "strengthen our strategic co-operation". He later handed the US President Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour, the King Abdulaziz medal.
Saudi pride and perception of prejudice - Frank Gardner, BBC Security correspondent, in Riyadh
President Trump's Saudi royal hosts have pulled out all the stops for this visit. They are lavishing him with an extravagant welcome not shown to his predecessor, Barack Obama, whom they felt was soft on their rival, Iran.
Many Saudis are immensely proud that, despite his mounting troubles at home, the US president has chosen their country as the first stop on his inaugural overseas tour. But pressed further, a lot of ordinary Saudis will voice their dislike of US policies in the region and their conviction that the US, and by extension the West, is intrinsically anti-Islamic.
On Sunday President Trump will try to address these concerns in a speech to more than 40 leaders of Muslim nations in which he will call for a united stand against extremism and intolerance.
Some have already commentated that Donald Trump is an unusual choice to deliver such a message but for now, Saudi officials are giving him the benefit of the doubt.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that Saudi Arabia had signed a deal to buy just under $110bn (£84bn) of American-made arms, which he said was the biggest such deal in US history.
Reuters news agency reports the deal includes the assembly of 150 Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, worth about $6bn alone.
AFP quoted a White House official as saying the deal will bolster the kingdom's "ability to contribute to counter-terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the US military to conduct those operations".
Saudi Arabia has been fighting Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen since March 2015. The United Nations says about 10,000 people have been killed since the fighting began, with Yemen on the verge of famine.
Rex Tillerson said the arms deal and other investments would add up to more than $350bn.
US giant General Electric said it had signed agreements worth $15 billion, and Saudi oil giant Aramco, had been expected to sign $50bn (£38bn) of deals with 11 US companies.
The agenda for the rest of Mr Trump's trip
Monday-Tuesday, 22-23 May: Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, before visiting the West Bank on Tuesday
Wednesday 24 May: Rome and Brussels. Mr Trump will meet Pope Francis, then Belgian officials
Thursday, 25 May: A Nato summit in Brussels
Friday, 26 May: Sicily, for a meeting of G7 members
Find out which foreign leaders President Trump has met or called since taking office, as well as the countries he has mentioned in his tweets.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39984903
The agreements included an $110bn arms deal, which the White House described as the single biggest in US history.
Mr Trump and his wife Melania were greeted in the Saudi capital by King Salman on Saturday morning local time.
The eight-day trip comes as Mr Trump faces uproar at home following his sacking of FBI director James Comey.
It will also take in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Brussels, the Vatican, and Sicily.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the arms deal was aimed at countering the "malign" influence of Iran.
"The package of defence equipment and services supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the entire Gulf region," he told a news conference in Riyadh.
Mr Trump is accompanied on his visit by his daughter Ivanka, an unpaid White House adviser, and her husband Jared Kushner, a key member of the Trump administration.
Like British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on their recent visits to Saudi Arabia, Mrs Trump and Ivanka Trump did not wear headscarves.
In January 2015, Mr Trump criticised then-First Lady Michelle Obama for doing the same. In a tweet, Mr Trump said she had "insulted" her hosts.
On Sunday, Mr Trump will attend the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh and speak about his "hopes of a peaceful vision of Islam". Aides say the president hopes his speech will resonate worldwide and express "a common vision of peace, progress and prosperity".
Mr Trump caused controversy during his campaign by calling for Muslims to be temporarily banned from entering the US over security concerns. Legislation aimed at restricting travel from several Muslim-majority countries remains tied up in the US courts.
The summit agenda is expected to focus on combating Islamist militants and the growing regional influence of Iran.
Mr Trump has been a fierce critic of the international deal with Iran which eased sanctions in return for a curb on its nuclear activities.
Unlike his predecessor, Barack Obama, he is not expected to highlight human rights during his trip.
In a tweet, King Salman praised Mr Trump, adding that he hoped his visit would "strengthen our strategic co-operation". He later handed the US President Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour, the King Abdulaziz medal.
Saudi pride and perception of prejudice - Frank Gardner, BBC Security correspondent, in Riyadh
President Trump's Saudi royal hosts have pulled out all the stops for this visit. They are lavishing him with an extravagant welcome not shown to his predecessor, Barack Obama, whom they felt was soft on their rival, Iran.
Many Saudis are immensely proud that, despite his mounting troubles at home, the US president has chosen their country as the first stop on his inaugural overseas tour. But pressed further, a lot of ordinary Saudis will voice their dislike of US policies in the region and their conviction that the US, and by extension the West, is intrinsically anti-Islamic.
On Sunday President Trump will try to address these concerns in a speech to more than 40 leaders of Muslim nations in which he will call for a united stand against extremism and intolerance.
Some have already commentated that Donald Trump is an unusual choice to deliver such a message but for now, Saudi officials are giving him the benefit of the doubt.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that Saudi Arabia had signed a deal to buy just under $110bn (£84bn) of American-made arms, which he said was the biggest such deal in US history.
Reuters news agency reports the deal includes the assembly of 150 Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, worth about $6bn alone.
AFP quoted a White House official as saying the deal will bolster the kingdom's "ability to contribute to counter-terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the US military to conduct those operations".
Saudi Arabia has been fighting Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen since March 2015. The United Nations says about 10,000 people have been killed since the fighting began, with Yemen on the verge of famine.
Rex Tillerson said the arms deal and other investments would add up to more than $350bn.
US giant General Electric said it had signed agreements worth $15 billion, and Saudi oil giant Aramco, had been expected to sign $50bn (£38bn) of deals with 11 US companies.
The agenda for the rest of Mr Trump's trip
Monday-Tuesday, 22-23 May: Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, before visiting the West Bank on Tuesday
Wednesday 24 May: Rome and Brussels. Mr Trump will meet Pope Francis, then Belgian officials
Thursday, 25 May: A Nato summit in Brussels
Friday, 26 May: Sicily, for a meeting of G7 members
Find out which foreign leaders President Trump has met or called since taking office, as well as the countries he has mentioned in his tweets.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39984903
Jumat, 19 Mei 2017
Iran election: Polls closed after five-hour extension
Polling has ended in Iran's presidential elections after being extended three times and by five hours.
Long queues had formed outside polling stations throughout the country after an unexpectedly high turnout.
Counting begins shortly and results may come as early as Saturday afternoon.
Supporters of President Hassan Rouhani came out in big numbers after signs that the hard line backers of his main challenger, Ebrahim Raissi, had mobilised all their forces to vote.
Election officials said the extensions to voting hours were due to "requests" and the "enthusiastic participation of people".
Ballot papers also ran out for Iranians voting in Istanbul in neighbouring Turkey, and attempts were made to fly in more from Tehran.
This election is seen as a key choice between the existing leadership and a hard line challenger.
President Hassan Rouhani is seeking a second term, standing against three other candidates.
Mr Rouhani is a moderate cleric who negotiated a landmark nuclear deal with world powers in 2015. His main rival is seen as Ebrahim Raisi, 56, a hard line cleric and former prosecutor who is close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
If no-one wins more than 50% of votes cast, a run-off will be held next week.
Every incumbent president has been re-elected in Iran since 1985, when Ayatollah Khamenei himself won a second term.
He cast his ballot just minutes after polls opened at 8:00 local time.
"Everyone should vote in this important election," he said, urging citizens to get the polls early.
Mr Rouhani voted about an hour later.
More than 54 million people are eligible to vote in the presidential election.
Six candidates were approved by the Guardian Council, an influential clerical body controlled by conservatives, but two of them dropped out earlier this week.
The first was Tehran's hard-line mayor, Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf, who pledged his support for Mr Raisi on Monday.
He was followed on Tuesday by Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, a reformist, who pulled out to smooth the path for Mr Rouhani.
The two other candidates still in the race are Mostafa Hashemitaba, a reformist, and Mostafa Mirsalim, an ultra-conservative figure.
On the final day of campaigning on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei called for a massive turnout to demonstrate the popularity of the Islamic regime.
"American, European officials and those of the Zionist regime are watching our elections to see the level of participation," he said.
"The Iranian nation has enemies. Faced with the enemy, the people should show its determination and calm," he added.
The supreme leader also warned that "any attempt to undermine the security of the country will be met with immediate reaction".
In 2009, the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad triggered the biggest protests in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Millions of people claimed their votes had been stolen and demanded a re-run, but Ayatollah Khamenei insisted the result was valid and ordered a major crackdown on dissent that saw dozens of opposition supporters killed and thousands detained.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39936577
Long queues had formed outside polling stations throughout the country after an unexpectedly high turnout.
Counting begins shortly and results may come as early as Saturday afternoon.
Supporters of President Hassan Rouhani came out in big numbers after signs that the hard line backers of his main challenger, Ebrahim Raissi, had mobilised all their forces to vote.
Election officials said the extensions to voting hours were due to "requests" and the "enthusiastic participation of people".
Ballot papers also ran out for Iranians voting in Istanbul in neighbouring Turkey, and attempts were made to fly in more from Tehran.
This election is seen as a key choice between the existing leadership and a hard line challenger.
President Hassan Rouhani is seeking a second term, standing against three other candidates.
Mr Rouhani is a moderate cleric who negotiated a landmark nuclear deal with world powers in 2015. His main rival is seen as Ebrahim Raisi, 56, a hard line cleric and former prosecutor who is close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
If no-one wins more than 50% of votes cast, a run-off will be held next week.
Every incumbent president has been re-elected in Iran since 1985, when Ayatollah Khamenei himself won a second term.
He cast his ballot just minutes after polls opened at 8:00 local time.
"Everyone should vote in this important election," he said, urging citizens to get the polls early.
Mr Rouhani voted about an hour later.
More than 54 million people are eligible to vote in the presidential election.
Six candidates were approved by the Guardian Council, an influential clerical body controlled by conservatives, but two of them dropped out earlier this week.
The first was Tehran's hard-line mayor, Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf, who pledged his support for Mr Raisi on Monday.
He was followed on Tuesday by Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, a reformist, who pulled out to smooth the path for Mr Rouhani.
The two other candidates still in the race are Mostafa Hashemitaba, a reformist, and Mostafa Mirsalim, an ultra-conservative figure.
On the final day of campaigning on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei called for a massive turnout to demonstrate the popularity of the Islamic regime.
"American, European officials and those of the Zionist regime are watching our elections to see the level of participation," he said.
"The Iranian nation has enemies. Faced with the enemy, the people should show its determination and calm," he added.
The supreme leader also warned that "any attempt to undermine the security of the country will be met with immediate reaction".
In 2009, the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad triggered the biggest protests in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Millions of people claimed their votes had been stolen and demanded a re-run, but Ayatollah Khamenei insisted the result was valid and ordered a major crackdown on dissent that saw dozens of opposition supporters killed and thousands detained.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39936577
Label: family, news, politic, religion
Cannes: Netflix film Okja stopped after technical glitch
A screening at the Cannes Film Festival had to be stopped after technical problems during the first few minutes of the film.
Okja, starring Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal, had been booed by some in the audience after the Netflix logo appeared at the beginning.
But it then became clear the film was playing in the wrong aspect ratio.
The film has been controversial because producer Netflix has refused to screen it in French cinemas.
After the jeers, the movie was stopped and restarted without explanation.
Some film journalists in the screening uploaded videos of the heckling on social media.
The BBC's Lauren Turner, who was at the screening, said: "There was shouting from the upper seats and it became apparent the aspect ratio was wrong, so they restarted it after about 10 minutes.
"The second time around the audience booed the Netflix logo again. But there was also some cheering at the same time and a warm round of applause at the end."
A statement from the Cannes Film Festival said: "This incident was entirely the responsibility of the Festival's technical service, which offers its apologies to the director and his team, to the producers and the audience."
On Thursday, there was also some booing when the Amazon logo came up at the beginning of Wonderstruck, which stars Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams.
Earlier this week, Cannes jury chair Pedro Almodovar said he agreed that films should have to be screened in cinemas if producers want them to be considered.
Indiewire film critic David Ehrlich tweeted: "Okja starts, huge boos at Netflix logo. Then film plays in wrong aspect ratio and Grand Lumiere almost rioted. Movie stopped."
The Telegraph's Robbie Collin wrote: "Cannes making an A+ case for the primacy of the cinema experience by projecting the first ten mins of Okja in the wrong aspect ratio."
Blogger Elena Lazic said: "That didn't start well. Screen not open properly, significantly cropped at top... the boos at the Netflix logo were immediately followed by boos at the terrible projection."
The film is a South Korean-American adventure movie about a young girl named Mija who tries to prevent a multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend, a genetically engineered super-pig named Okja.
Speaking after the film, director Bong Joon Ho said he "loved working with Netflix", adding it was a luxury to be given such a huge budget for it.
Swinton said: "It's an enormous and really interesting conversation that's beginning. But I think, as in many matters, there's room for everybody."
Gyllenhaal added: "It's important to have artistic expression in whatever form we can.
"Debate is essential always. It's a useful thing to have this discussion about how art is perceived and distributed."
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39972987
Okja, starring Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal, had been booed by some in the audience after the Netflix logo appeared at the beginning.
But it then became clear the film was playing in the wrong aspect ratio.
The film has been controversial because producer Netflix has refused to screen it in French cinemas.
After the jeers, the movie was stopped and restarted without explanation.
Some film journalists in the screening uploaded videos of the heckling on social media.
The BBC's Lauren Turner, who was at the screening, said: "There was shouting from the upper seats and it became apparent the aspect ratio was wrong, so they restarted it after about 10 minutes.
"The second time around the audience booed the Netflix logo again. But there was also some cheering at the same time and a warm round of applause at the end."
A statement from the Cannes Film Festival said: "This incident was entirely the responsibility of the Festival's technical service, which offers its apologies to the director and his team, to the producers and the audience."
On Thursday, there was also some booing when the Amazon logo came up at the beginning of Wonderstruck, which stars Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams.
Earlier this week, Cannes jury chair Pedro Almodovar said he agreed that films should have to be screened in cinemas if producers want them to be considered.
Indiewire film critic David Ehrlich tweeted: "Okja starts, huge boos at Netflix logo. Then film plays in wrong aspect ratio and Grand Lumiere almost rioted. Movie stopped."
The Telegraph's Robbie Collin wrote: "Cannes making an A+ case for the primacy of the cinema experience by projecting the first ten mins of Okja in the wrong aspect ratio."
Blogger Elena Lazic said: "That didn't start well. Screen not open properly, significantly cropped at top... the boos at the Netflix logo were immediately followed by boos at the terrible projection."
The film is a South Korean-American adventure movie about a young girl named Mija who tries to prevent a multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend, a genetically engineered super-pig named Okja.
Speaking after the film, director Bong Joon Ho said he "loved working with Netflix", adding it was a luxury to be given such a huge budget for it.
Swinton said: "It's an enormous and really interesting conversation that's beginning. But I think, as in many matters, there's room for everybody."
Gyllenhaal added: "It's important to have artistic expression in whatever form we can.
"Debate is essential always. It's a useful thing to have this discussion about how art is perceived and distributed."
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39972987
Label: actor, artist, family, film, news
Trump heads for Saudi Arabia on first foreign tour
US President Donald Trump has left for Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip since becoming president.
His eight-day trip will also take in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Brussels, the Vatican and Sicily.
It comes as Mr Trump faces uproar at home following his sacking of FBI director James Comey.
He has strongly criticised the decision to appoint a special counsel to oversee an inquiry into alleged Russian influence on the US election.
The trip takes in the capitals of the three major monotheistic religions - Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
'Turning page on Obama' - by Lyse Doucet, Chief International Correspondent, BBC News
"We want you to be a superpower" is how a senior Saudi prince recently described to me the Kingdom's message to the United States. From day one, Saudi rulers hailed the arrival of President Trump, and what they believe will be greater US engagement in this region.
There's much talk of "turning the page," on what they saw as President Obama's infuriating retreat in Syria, and his focus on a nuclear deal with Riyadh's main rival, Iran.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir admitted to me it was "a diplomatic coup" to claim the first stop on the US President's first foreign visit. Other historic first steps may be taken here too.
Another senior official in the region disclosed that Arab states are now discussing moves to start "normalising" relations with their old arch enemy Israel.
This Riyadh summit will focus on new alliances to confront extremist groups. And Riyadh's overriding goal is to convince the US and others to exert far greater pressure on what it sees as the greatest threat, from Tehran.
Riyadh - Saturday-Sunday 20-21 May
Mr Trump will attend the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh and speak about his "hopes of a peaceful vision of Islam", in what aides say will be a speech the president hopes will resonate worldwide and express "a common vision of peace, progress and prosperity".
Mr Trump caused controversy during his campaign by calling for Muslims to be temporarily banned from entering the US over security concerns. Legislation aimed at restricting travel from several Muslim-majority countries remains tied up in the US courts.
The summit agenda is expected to focus on combating Islamist militants and the growing regional influence of Iran.
Mr Trump has been a fierce critic of the Iran deal which eased sanctions in return for a curb on its nuclear activities.
One leader who will not be attending the summit will be Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir. President Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges and the US was reported to be unhappy about his planned attendance.
Unlike his predecessor, Barack Obama, Mr Trump is not expected to highlight human rights during his trip.
And aside from the formal diplomacy, US country music star Toby Keith will perform a free concert in Riyadh on Saturday alongside Saudi singer Rabeh Sager.
Saudi Arabia, which enforces a strict interpretation of Islam including a total ban on alcohol, is perhaps an unusual venue for Keith - whose hits include I Love This Bar, Whiskey Girl, and Drunk Americans.
Saturday's concert is open only to men aged over 21 who are required to dress in traditional Saudi tunics.
Israel and the West Bank - Monday-Tuesday 22-23 May
On Monday, Mr Trump will fly to Tel Aviv and travel on to Jerusalem where he will meet President Reuven Rivlin.
He is due to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as well as the Western Wall before holding talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Observers will be watching to see if Mr Trump refers to his announcement during the election campaign, that he would break with decades of US policy and move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The status of Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive and complex issues within the Middle East conflict and no country in the world currently has its embassy there.
On Tuesday, Mr Trump will travel to Bethlehem in the West Bank for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Peace talks with Israel will top the agenda and Mr Trump is expected to express his support for Palestinian "self-determination".
Rome and Brussels - Wednesday 24 May
President Trump will arrive early in Rome and have an audience with Pope Francis at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.
The two men have appeared at odds on many subjects including climate change and the plight of refugees, but the Pope has said he will give the president an open-minded hearing.
Later, Mr Trump flies to Brussels where he will be greeted by King Philippe and Prime Minister Charles Michel.
Brussels - Thursday 25 May
After talks with EU leaders and France's new President Emmanuel Macron, Mr Trump will attend a meeting of Nato leaders.
This will be closely watched after Mr Trump's conflicting pronouncements on the alliance. During his campaign, he called Nato "obsolete" although in April he reversed his stance.
The US leader is expected to repeat his demand that other Nato members increase their contributions.
Sicily - Friday 26 May
The last stop on Mr Trump's tour will be the picturesque Sicilian town of Taormina where he will attend a G7 summit.
Correspondents say the other G7 leaders are eager to hear Mr Trump's thoughts on trade and other issues at first hand.
Mr McMaster has said that the president will "press America's economic agenda and call for greater security co-operation".
Find out which foreign leaders President Trump has met or called since taking office, as well as the countries he has mentioned in his tweets.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39979189
His eight-day trip will also take in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Brussels, the Vatican and Sicily.
It comes as Mr Trump faces uproar at home following his sacking of FBI director James Comey.
He has strongly criticised the decision to appoint a special counsel to oversee an inquiry into alleged Russian influence on the US election.
The trip takes in the capitals of the three major monotheistic religions - Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
'Turning page on Obama' - by Lyse Doucet, Chief International Correspondent, BBC News
"We want you to be a superpower" is how a senior Saudi prince recently described to me the Kingdom's message to the United States. From day one, Saudi rulers hailed the arrival of President Trump, and what they believe will be greater US engagement in this region.
There's much talk of "turning the page," on what they saw as President Obama's infuriating retreat in Syria, and his focus on a nuclear deal with Riyadh's main rival, Iran.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir admitted to me it was "a diplomatic coup" to claim the first stop on the US President's first foreign visit. Other historic first steps may be taken here too.
Another senior official in the region disclosed that Arab states are now discussing moves to start "normalising" relations with their old arch enemy Israel.
This Riyadh summit will focus on new alliances to confront extremist groups. And Riyadh's overriding goal is to convince the US and others to exert far greater pressure on what it sees as the greatest threat, from Tehran.
Riyadh - Saturday-Sunday 20-21 May
Mr Trump will attend the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh and speak about his "hopes of a peaceful vision of Islam", in what aides say will be a speech the president hopes will resonate worldwide and express "a common vision of peace, progress and prosperity".
Mr Trump caused controversy during his campaign by calling for Muslims to be temporarily banned from entering the US over security concerns. Legislation aimed at restricting travel from several Muslim-majority countries remains tied up in the US courts.
The summit agenda is expected to focus on combating Islamist militants and the growing regional influence of Iran.
Mr Trump has been a fierce critic of the Iran deal which eased sanctions in return for a curb on its nuclear activities.
One leader who will not be attending the summit will be Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir. President Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges and the US was reported to be unhappy about his planned attendance.
Unlike his predecessor, Barack Obama, Mr Trump is not expected to highlight human rights during his trip.
And aside from the formal diplomacy, US country music star Toby Keith will perform a free concert in Riyadh on Saturday alongside Saudi singer Rabeh Sager.
Saudi Arabia, which enforces a strict interpretation of Islam including a total ban on alcohol, is perhaps an unusual venue for Keith - whose hits include I Love This Bar, Whiskey Girl, and Drunk Americans.
Saturday's concert is open only to men aged over 21 who are required to dress in traditional Saudi tunics.
Israel and the West Bank - Monday-Tuesday 22-23 May
On Monday, Mr Trump will fly to Tel Aviv and travel on to Jerusalem where he will meet President Reuven Rivlin.
He is due to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as well as the Western Wall before holding talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Observers will be watching to see if Mr Trump refers to his announcement during the election campaign, that he would break with decades of US policy and move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The status of Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive and complex issues within the Middle East conflict and no country in the world currently has its embassy there.
On Tuesday, Mr Trump will travel to Bethlehem in the West Bank for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Peace talks with Israel will top the agenda and Mr Trump is expected to express his support for Palestinian "self-determination".
Rome and Brussels - Wednesday 24 May
President Trump will arrive early in Rome and have an audience with Pope Francis at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.
The two men have appeared at odds on many subjects including climate change and the plight of refugees, but the Pope has said he will give the president an open-minded hearing.
Later, Mr Trump flies to Brussels where he will be greeted by King Philippe and Prime Minister Charles Michel.
Brussels - Thursday 25 May
After talks with EU leaders and France's new President Emmanuel Macron, Mr Trump will attend a meeting of Nato leaders.
This will be closely watched after Mr Trump's conflicting pronouncements on the alliance. During his campaign, he called Nato "obsolete" although in April he reversed his stance.
The US leader is expected to repeat his demand that other Nato members increase their contributions.
Sicily - Friday 26 May
The last stop on Mr Trump's tour will be the picturesque Sicilian town of Taormina where he will attend a G7 summit.
Correspondents say the other G7 leaders are eager to hear Mr Trump's thoughts on trade and other issues at first hand.
Mr McMaster has said that the president will "press America's economic agenda and call for greater security co-operation".
Find out which foreign leaders President Trump has met or called since taking office, as well as the countries he has mentioned in his tweets.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39979189
