• Tiffany Trump is heading to Georgetown Law

    Washington (CNN)Tiffany Trump, President Donald Trump's youngest daughter, has been accepted to Georgetown Law's class of 2020, a representative for the Trump family confirmed to CNN. The first daughter, a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, will attend classes beginning in the fall. Georgetown's law program is one of the top in the country, ranked 15th among law schools, according to US News and World Report's annual rankings. A spokesperson for Georgetown Law declined comment, and several of her fellow incoming students contacted by CNN were not aware of their new classmate. Orientation begins Monday, August 21, with classes beginning the following week, according to the school's
    CNN q
  • Prince Harry kissed his girlfriend and ...

    (CNN)Royal watchers were not horsing around when Prince Harry's girlfriend showed up to watch him compete in a charity polo match. It was the first public outing for Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales and American actress Meghan Markle. Every detail about what she wore (reportedly a sleeveless, navy Antonia Berardi dress with an asymmetrical hem and a white Aritzia blazer), and how the "Suits" star reacted to her beau's performance ("Today" said she looked "proud') is being analyzed. But it was their brief display of affection that garnered the most attention. Several publications ran images appearing to show the prince smooching and embracing his lady love. The Sun's headline read "Your
    CNN q
  • French election 2017: Meet Brigitte Macron, the new first lady

    "Brigitte! Brigitte! Brigitte!" chanted the crowd as she took the stage with her husband, newly elected President Emmanuel Macron. Who is she? First things first: theirs is not a common relationship. That is paraphrased from words Mr Macron himself said on the couple's wedding day: that they were "not quite common, a couple not quite normal - not that I like this adjective very much - but a couple that exists". There is an age gap of 24 years between the pair - the same as that between Donald and Melania Trump. The couple, he now 39 and she now 64, met when she was his drama teacher. The 15-year-old Emmanuel was, by all accounts, intellectually precocious. He was a pupil at a private Jesuit school
    BBC News q
  • Husband slept in same room as wife's body for six days

    A man has revealed how he slept in the same room as his wife's body for six days after she died. Wendy Davison, 50, died at home in Derby last month after a 10-year battle with cervical cancer. Russell Davison, who has been left "heartbroken", said he did not want her body to go to a mortuary and he wanted to challenge attitudes towards dying. It is legal to keep a body at home and Derbyshire Coroner's Court confirmed Mrs Davison's GP reported her death. Mr Davison said: "Death seems to be such a taboo subject in our society, no-one seems to want to talk about it. "I did not want her in the mortuary or handed over to a funeral director, I wanted us to take care of her ourselves at our family
    BBC News q
  • On Iranian religious democracy

    Iran’s agents (mercenaries) in Arab countries, particularly the Lebanese ones, say that Iran is a model of a real democratic country since candidates compete freely and fairly for the presidency every four years. I don’t need to say that these are lies as the Iranians’ elections have nothing to do with the well-known rules of democracy and they’re rather a funny and fabricated charade that hides pure dictatorship behind it. Sunni Islamic terrorism would not have emerged and solidified if it hadn’t been for the sahwa (awakening) phenomenon which emerged after the success of the Khomeini revolution in Tehran The illusion of Democracy The Shiite ‘Pope’ Last Update: Monday, 8 May 2017 KSA 11:29 -
    english.alarabiya.net q
  • Nine-month stretch: The rise of prenatal exercise classes

    As a growing number of pregnant women are joining prenatal exercises classes, the BBC's Sarah Porter - 34 weeks into her pregnancy - attends a boot camp in Singapore. It's 8.45am on a Saturday and Singapore's Botanic Gardens are alive with people and activity. Local walking groups chat furiously in Mandarin, while gaggles of women push prams, coffees in hand. No-one seems particularly deterred by the rising heat. I'm here to join a brand new exercise group called Mom In Balance. It's a franchise business founded in the Netherlands that specialises in outdoor exercise programmes for pregnant women and new mothers. As I sit and wait for others to arrive, a group of five or six women run by me,
    BBC News q
  • Why are TV singing contests still popular?

    Pitch Battle will become the latest singing contest set to hit our TV screens this summer but, 16 years on from ITV's Popstars, why is the format still so strong? Putting Kelis, Gareth Malone, Chaka Khan and Mel Giedroyc together in the same room is, quite simply, a magnificent idea. Having clearly recognised this, BBC One has duly recruited this dream team to appear in its upcoming singing contest Pitch Battle. Judges Kelis and Malone will be joined by a different guest judge each week, with Chaka Khan, Will Young, Bebe Rexha and Seal lined up to critique the contestants. Choirs and a capella groups will be pitted against each other in a format you just might recognise from the many, many other
    BBC News q
  • Why did an Indian Muslim become a cow protector?

    In the narrow lanes of old Delhi, I struggled to keep pace with a middle-aged Muslim man who was clearly in a hurry. It was Tuesday - a day considered holy by many Hindus - and we approached a popular temple in blistering heat. We headed towards a huge cow shelter in the basement of the temple. Dildar Hussain Beg told me he visited the temple every Tuesday after offering prayers in the nearby mosque to look after more than two dozen cows. "I have been coming here for more than 10 years and these cows are my family. I also visit several other cow shelters regularly," he said. But Mr Beg does not just visit cows, he also protects them. Along with a few of his neighbours, Mr Beg has formed a small
    BBC News q
  • No surprises in India’s Champions Trophy squad

    NEW DELHI — India recalled fit-again opener Rohit Sharma and spin trump card Ravichandran Ashwin as the holders finally named their squad for next month’s Champions Trophy in England and Wales on Monday. Unhappy with cricket’s new revenue model, which considerably slashes their share from global events in the 2015-23 cycle, India failed to submit a squad by an April 25 deadline, triggering panic among advertisers. Several members of the Indian board (BCCI) favored withdrawing from the tournament in protest but court-appointed administrators, who are currently supervising BCCI operations, rallied against such a drastic move. The 15-member squad unveiled by chief selector MSK Prasad contained no
    Saudi Gazette q
  • Trump’s chance for eternal legacy centers on Iran

    A historical legacy is something that can be remembered for centuries and millennia. Any leader whose name has remained in people’s memories for years was someone who helped usher in fundamental and deep socioeconomic, sociopolitical, military, or territorial changes. An everlasting and unforgettable legacy does not emerge from the day-to-day or short-term-orientated policies that some leaders pursue. Sealing a business deal with another country or signing a flimsy nuclear agreement (which is already falling apart) are not legacies that remain. They will soon disappear from history and the memory of people, because they are trivial when compared to the larger picture. Few leaders in the world
    Arab News q
  • Bilkis Bano: How a Gujarat riot victim stood up to her rapists

    Bilkis Bano was gang-raped and saw 14 members of her family being murdered by a Hindu mob during the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in the western Indian state of Gujarat. Her 15-year battle for justice finally bore fruit last week, when the Bombay high court confirmed the life sentences of 11 men found guilty of rape and murder. The court also convicted five policemen and two doctors, who were earlier cleared by the trial court, of destroying evidence. The landmark ruling, Bilkis Bano told the BBC in Delhi on Sunday, had finally given her hope of peace. "I always had full faith in the judiciary and I'm grateful to the Bombay high court for the order. It's a very good judgement and I'm very happy with
    BBC News q
  • Egypt Named Among World's 32 Most Powerful Economies From Now Until 2050 by PricewaterhouseCoopers

    Business Insider UK has named Egypt among the 32 most powerful economies by 2030, citing a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report titled ‘The Long View: How Will the Global Economic Order Change by 2050?’ The predictions are based on these countries’ projected GDP by purchasing power parity (PPP) by 2030. China leads the pack with a projected GDP by PPP of $38 trillion, with the US coming as a distant second at $23 trillion, and Egypt ranks 19th with a projected GDP by PPP of $2 trillion.According to the PwC report, Egypt’s economy will grow at an average rate of 5% between 2016 and 2020. The country’s GDP by PPP is projected to reach $4.3 trillion, and its population is estimated to grow to 151.1
    cairoscene.com q
  • Zayn Malik defends Gigi Hadid after 'racist' Snapchat video

    Zayn Malik has defended his girlfriend Gigi Hadid in a single tweet after her sister Bella posted a Snapchat video of her. In it, Gigi holds up a Buddha-shaped cookie, squints her eyes and smiles. Bella has since deleted it after fans called the model racist against Asians. But it's still been widely shared online. Critics were keen to highlight Zayn's Asian heritage, prompting him to defend her. After being questioned by fans about the video, Zayn replied to one saying: "Trust me.. she likes asians ;)". Gigi Hadid was named international model of the year at the 2016 Fashion Awards last December. But this isn't the first time she's been criticised. She had to apologise after co-hosting the American
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Oil prices rise in expectation of Aramco supply cut to Asia

    Oil futures rose on Wednesday after Reuters reported Saudi Arabia would cut supplies to the region as OPEC tries to counter rising US output that is threatening to derail its attempts to end a sustained global crude glut. Oil was also supported by a larger than expected fall in US crude inventories last week, down 5.8 million barrels compared with analysts' expectations for a 1.8 million barrels decline, according to industry group the American Petroleum Institute. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 was up 23 cents, or 0.5 percent, at $46.11 a barrel. State-owned Saudi Aramco will reduce oil supplies to Asian customers by about 7 million barrels in June, a source told Reuters, as part of OPEC's agreement to reduce production and as it trims exports to meet rising domestic power demand over summer.
    Egypt Independent: Business q
  • New Biopic About Egyptian-Born Superstar Dalida Set to Premiere This Month

    The French production was released in France today, opening to critical acclaim.Dalida rose to fame after she won the Miss Egypt pageant in 1954 when she was spotted by the French director Marc de Gastyne, who persuaded her to move to Paris to pursue a career in motion pictures. The move was a kick-start to Dalida's three decade long career, in which she performed and recorded countless international hits in more than 10 languages, including Arabic, French, English, and Italian, selling more than 130 million copies worldwide, before her tragic death in 1987. In a press statement by Bernard Regnauld-Fabre, the French Ambassador to Bahrain, he said, “We welcome the news that the world premiere of Dalida will take place here in Bahrain during So French Week.” So French Week is an annual week-long celebration of French culture, held by the French Embassy in Bahrain, a tradition which started in 2013.
    cairoscene.com q
  • Students in Florida are warned after posting a photo of a dead alligator

    A group of students in America has been told off after they posted a photo of an alligator in their dorm room on social media. Three people from Florida Gulf Coast University apparently found the alligator dead on a nearby road and decided to give it a new home. They were given warnings for possessing an alligator without the necessary permits. Ashley Wells, who saw the photo, described the prank as a "sick joke". "I thought it wasn't real. I thought it was photoshopped, even if you didn't know it was dead," he told News-Press.com. "Still, to approach a gator, it's not Crocodile Hunters," said another student Brian Gabriel. "You can't do this. We're not trained to do something like that." Campus
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Kingdom’s retail sector to intensify Saudization

    JEDDAH — The Kingdom’s retail sector currently has one of the highest Saudization rates, industry leaders and mall CEOs said at the first annual RECon forum here that ended on Monday. Nonetheless, malls continue to be pressed by the government to achieve 100% nationalization by the end of 2018, according to a recent announcement by the labor ministry. This aims to create 35,000 job opportunities for Saudis. “The Saudization process in malls has started five or six years ago already,” CEO of Red Sea Mall Mohammed Alawi told Saudi Gazette. “Malls have the highest Saudization rates.” Red Sea Mall has a Saudization rate of 60%, where 700 employees are women. Asked how malls will implement this goal
    Saudi Gazette q
  • The Engagement of 2 Children Aged 7 and 4 in Qaliubiyya Prompts Anger on Social Media

    Photos of an engagement ceremony held in Qaliubiya for a 7-year-old boy named Ziad and his 4-year-old cousin, Farida, went viral, sparking outrage on social media. Talking to Youm 7, Farida's father said that "everyone in the family was completely happy with the engagement." The father was also reported to have said that he had promised Ziad, who happens to be his nephew, that upon passing his second year of primary education, he can get engaged to Farida. EGP 18,000 worth of jewellery (shabka) was reportedly bought to Farida. According to a UNICEF 2016 report, 17% of Egyptians are already married before they turn 18.  Here's a sample of people's comments on the story: "I really can't understand
    cairoscene.com q
  • Could your fingerprints be stolen from your peace sign?

    A Japanese researcher says doing the peace sign in a photo could lead to your fingerprints being stolen. They might be easy to recreate if your digits are "in focus with strong lighting". That claim is from Isao Echizen, from the National Institute of Informatics (NIII), who says prints could then be made "widely available". With fingerprint log-ins on phones and things like banking apps now common, the potential risks are clear. Echuzen also says advanced technology is not needed and that anyone could easily copy fingerprints. Researchers have come up with solution... it's interesting The NII says it has developed a transparent film that can be attached to your fingers, before you go waving
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Scarlett Moffatt to host Streetmate dating show reboot on Channel 4

    Scarlett Moffatt will host a reboot of Streetmate for Channel 4. Originally presented by Davina McCall back in the 1990s, the programme helps single people to find a date with someone they see on the streets. "I can't believe Channel 4 have asked me to present this iconic dating show," said Scarlett. Channel 4 have signed the 26-year-old to co-host an entertainment show alongside Alan Carr, although further details have yet to be revealed. "I remember watching Davina on Streetmate when I was younger and thinking females can present entertainment shows too, I want to do that when I'm older," said Scarlett. "It's such a fun show and it's two of my favourite things to do, chat to randomers and a
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Mel B's ex strongly denies 'years of abuse'

    Mel B's estranged husband is "vehemently" denying claims he physically and emotionally abused her for years. Lawyers for Stephen Belafonte released a statement after the ex-Spice Girl was given a temporary restraining order. She claims she was the victim of "multiple physical beatings" and that her ex threatened to destroy her career by releasing a sex tape. Stephen Belafonte's legal team calls the claims "outrageous and unfounded". They say: "When the degree to which Ms Brown has gone to create a false depiction of her marriage to Mr Belafonte is uncovered, real victims and survivors of domestic violence will be understandably offended, angry and upset." What the court papers say... In detailed
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Putin visits former KGB boss on eve of Victory Day

    (CNN)Vladimir Putin's former KGB boss received a special surprise on the eve of Victory Day. It was a personal visit by the Russian President, who also took the opportunity to congratulate Lazar Matveyev on his 90th birthday. "The President conveyed heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Matveyev on his birthday and the upcoming Victory Day and offered a toast to his health," reads a statement by the Kremlin. Putin presented Matveyev a presidential watch and a copy of Pravda newspaper published on the date of his birth in 1927. Matveyev was Putin's supervisor in East Germany in the second half of the 1980s, says the Kremlin. East Germany was a communist country aligned with the Soviet Union. East and
    CNN q
  • Why were 101 Uzbeks killed in the Netherlands in 1942?

    They left their homes in Central Asia to fight against the German army. Then, dressed in rags, they were taken as prisoners to a concentration camp in the Netherlands. Few now alive remember the 101 mostly Uzbek men who were killed in a forest near Amersfoort in 1942 - and they may well have been forgotten entirely if it had not been for a curious Dutch journalist. Every spring hundreds of Dutch men and women, young and old, gather in a forest near the town of Amersfoort, near Utrecht. Here they light candles to commemorate 101 unknown Soviet soldiers who were shot dead by the Nazis at this very spot - and then forgotten for more than half a century. The story was rediscovered 18 years ago, when
    BBC News q
  • IranAir signs contract with ATR to buy 20 planes

    IranAir has signed a contract to buy 20 planes from turboprop maker ATR, Iranian deputy transport minister was quoted as saying on Monday. The deal comes after Iran, which had not directly purchased a Western-built plane in nearly 40 years, signed contracts with Europe's Airbus and US rival Boeing last year to purchase about 180 jets. That became possible after an agreement between Iran and six major powers lifted most international sanctions imposed on Tehran, in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear program. ATR is joint-owned by France-based Airbus and Leonardo of Italy. "The contract between IranAir and ATR to buy 20 ATR 72-600 aircrafts has been signed by the officials of both countries,"
    Egypt Independent: Business q
  • Women's protest hits Dutch website with ad boycott

    A Dutch shock blog has been hit by an advertising boycott, after a campaign launched by more than 140 women. TV journalists, columnists, politicians and a leading economist signed an open letter accusing GeenStijl of denigrating women and online intimidation, as well as racism and homophobia. They accused big brands such as Rabobank and the Efteling theme park as well as the Dutch ministry of defence of "paying the salaries of the most influential trolls on the internet". Now several advertisers have responded by pulling their ads, including the brewer Grolsch, the furniture store Ikea and the Dutch tax office. GeenStijl has been shock-blogging for 14 years and describes its stance as "tendentious,
    BBC News q
  • India finding it hard to end love affair with cash

    Fat wads of bank notes move across counters in Old Delhi's gold and diamond district in one of many challenges to six months of Indian government efforts to suffocate the black market. Cash has been king in the musty narrow streets of Chandni Chowk since the jewellery market was set up by Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century. The owners now largely shrug off "demonetisation" by modern day ruler Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a shock move on November 8 last year, Modi cancelled all 1,000 ($15) and 500 rupee notes in circulation, rendering about 86 percent of India's currency void. Amid street protests, the decision triggered massive queues outside banks as the authorities struggled to print
    Egypt Independent: Business q
  • Nutella maker fights back over claims palm oil in the spread can cause cancer

    The makers of Nutella have defended their use of palm oil after a report claimed it can cause cancer. Ferrero says it is not carcinogenic and that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) never specifically referred to the product. It follows an EFSA report which said palm oil contains high levels of contaminants at very high temperatures. It stopped short of telling people to stop eating the oil, insisting more research was needed. Ferrero said switching ingredients would result in an inferior spread which wouldn't be as smooth. The news hit Nutella fans hard. Palm oil is found in hundreds of foods and products - from peanut butter to noodles to soap and detergents. But the spread's been getting
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • ISIS Calls Supporters to Increase Mowing down of Pedestrians in London

    London – ISIS called on its supporters in Britain target pedestrians by driving them over in congested central areas in the capital London, using trucks liked the one used in last year’s Berlin attack. Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus are singled out as “ideal targets” in the latest edition of the terror group’s online magazine, “Dabiq.” An article on “terror tactics” advises on the best type of vehicle to use — “large in size and heavy in weight” with a “slightly raised chassis and bumper”. The magazine praised the “heroic” perpetrators of 2016’s Nice and Berlin lorry attacks, as well as Khalid Masood, who ran down four people in his car on Westminster Bridge in March and stabbed a policeman
    ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English q
  • Why Scotland matters to billionaire Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

    India's "biotech queen" Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw joined the billionaire's club this week after being named as one of the wealthiest people in Scotland on the 2017 Sunday Times Rich List. So what links does the boss of a Bangalore-based biopharmaceutical company have with Scotland? It came as something of a surprise when Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw popped up in the Sunday Times Rich List for Scotland this week. As chairwoman and managing director of Indian biopharmaceutical company, Biocon, there seemed at first glance to be little to connect her to Scotland. But appearances can be deceiving. Ms Mazumdar-Shaw's name appeared on the rich list with her husband John Shaw, a Glaswegian who helps run her biotech
    BBC News q
  • Philippines to UN: Reports of extrajudicial killings based on 'alternative facts'

    Police patrol a shanty community at night during curfew on June 8, 2016 in Manila. Some 1,000 people whom authorities accused of being drug users and dealers take an oath before local authorities after turning themselves in in Tanauan, the Philippines, on July 18, 2016. A man authorities accused of being a drug user is fingerprinted during the mass surrender of some 1,000 alleged drug users and pushers in the Philippine town of Tanauan, located about 37 miles (60 kilometers) south of Manila on July 18, 2016. A social worker gives counseling to those who have turned themselves in for drug-related crimes in the Philippines on July 18, 2016. A woman cradles her husband, next to a placard which reads
    CNN q
  • Kylie Jenner accepts invite to be California teenager's high school prom date

    Kylie Jenner has surprised teenagers at a high school in California by turning up at their prom. The reality star was invited by student Albert Ochoa after his date turned him down. Videos posted on social media show the 19-year-old walking through crowds of people at Rio Americano High School on Saturday night. Kylie snapchatted a photo of herself in a prom dress with friend Jordyn Woods. "TELL ME WHY MY BROTHER TOOK KYLIE JENNER TO PROM 2NIGHT !!!!!!!", she wrote on Twitter. Albert retweeted videos showing him entering the prom with Kylie. Kylie attended high school until the end of ninth grade before being home schooled, and missed out on her own high school prom. She has previously talked
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Teen's 'treasure' buried in Welwyn in 1981 found

    A box of "treasure" has been dug up in a garden, 36 years after it was buried by a 13-year-old boy. A letter alongside the collection of stamps, an empty lemonade bottle and some coins says it was buried in 1981 by Paul Levallois. It was discovered at a house in Welwyn, Hertfordshire. Maja Sobieska, whose sister made the discovery, is appealing for help on Facebook to find the person who buried the box. "We believe the little boy is called Paul Levallois and might be around the age of 49 today," she said. "Please can you all share this post so we may find Paul and return his treasure." The box also contains "typical 1981 electronic components", empty jars and bottles, stamps and a cassette containing
    BBC News q
  • Another US citizen detained in North Korea

    The English version of the state-run Korean Central News Agency identified the detained citizen as Jin Xue Song, a Chinese version of the name Kim Hak-song. Currently held: • Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in 2016 for removing a political sign. • Kim Sang Duk, also known as Tony Kim, a university professor, was detained in Pyongyang in 2017 and accused of attempting to overthrow the government. • Kim Dong Chul, the president of a company involved in international trade and hotel services, was arrested in 2015 and is serving 10 years on espionage charges. Americans released in 2014: • Kenneth Bae served nearly two years of hard labor after
    CNN q
  • The Iraqi Interpreter's New Home

    1/1 Iraqis who risked their lives helping the British during the Iraq war were offered the chance to live in the UK. Yet few of them knew what awaited them and their families when they took up the opportunity to escape from Iraq and start afresh. Many were told that they would be going to Glasgow, a city they knew almost nothing about. On arrival they found themselves treated as asylum seekers, faced with the most difficult of housing conditions. The shock of finding damp and cold rooms for those with families led to a sense of betrayal. If they had risked their lives for the British, why were they being treated like that?
    BBC q
  • Pepsi and Nivea: Whose fault is it when ad campaigns go wrong?

    Marketing teams at some of the world's biggest brands haven't had the best of weeks. Pepsi faced criticism after being accused of appropriating Black Lives Matter with its Kendall Jenner ad. Nivea was also in trouble after using the slogan "white is purity" to advertise deodorant in the Middle East. We asked Lillian Sor, an executive at UK advertising agency Grey London, to explain how big marketing campaigns like these get made. Her clients include some of the country's biggest food and drink brands, along with high street shops. "We get commissioned to work by marketing directors at big brands," she explains. "They come to us with a business problem and we find a creative way to solve it."
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Russia puts military on display for Victory Day parade

    (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin showed off ballistic missiles, armored tanks and new aircraft systems at a World War II commemorative parade in Moscow on Tuesday. More than 10,000 troops marched in formation through Red Square to mark Victory Day, an annual event to celebrate the Soviet Union's triumph over Nazi Germany in a series of battles that ended on May 9, 1945. Among more than 100 pieces of equipment put on display was an apparently new air defense division for operation in sub-zero Arctic conditions, state-run news agency Sputnik said. Moscow has been conducting military activities in the Arctic, in a race with the United States, Canada and Norway to control the resource-rich area.
    CNN q
  • Nigeria's President Buhari travels to London for treatment

    Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is seeking fresh treatment in London for an undisclosed illness. His health has been a major cause of concern in a country where there are fears that a power vacuum could affect its recovery from recession. In a brief message, the president said "there is no cause for worry". Mr Buhari, 74, has left Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in charge, just as he did when he left for London in January for seven weeks of medical leave. Mr Osinbajo was widely praised at the time for his performance as acting president. The exact length of the president's stay in London "will be determined by the doctors", a statement from the presidency said. But, it added, "government will
    BBC News q
  • Joko Widodo: Islam in Indonesia is moderate

    Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, was elected president of Indonesia, one of Asia's leading economies - and the country with the largest Muslim population in the world - in October 2014. He rose to power promising to be "the people's president" and with an initial approval rating of 70 percent, expectations were high.  His dreams of further improving the country's economy - especially for the poor - and to fight corruption and bureaucracy, however, were very ambitious. He promised to transform Indonesia's infrastructure to interconnect its most remote regions, a project at an estimated cost of over $1 trillion.  But only in 2015, Indonesia's economy, South Asia's largest, was growing at
    Al Jazeera q
  • Living with Harry Potter

    In a rare recorded conversation, Harry Potter's creator, J K Rowling, and the voice of the Harry Potter audiobooks Stephen Fry, discuss the process of bringing the stories to life on and off the page. In the course of this half-hour conversation, J K Rowling reveals her own favourite children's writer and her concerns about "sanitising" children's literature. She tells Stephen Fry about the process of writing a new book and asks him about the way he reads the stories.
    BBC q
  • Dubai innovations, sky is the limit...

    ONE may ask what makes the city of Dubai so special for many, especially for Saudi families, and a favorite destination for shopping and tourism — regional and worldwide. What made me write this opinion this week was the fact that I was on a short visit to Dubai and arrived last Saturday (the day before yesterday) and during my stay in the emirate I met with many Saudis who are frequent visitors to this great city. Whenever there is a vacation, even if it is a short one, Dubai is most likely to be the destination of choice for the majority of vacationers. The lifestyle of Dubai, variety in restaurants, abundance of movie theaters and other public attractions is what has made this city so special to them.
    Saudi Gazette q
  • Cairo Has The World's Cheapest Breakfast, Bloomberg Says

    We finally have an excuse to eat foul and ta3meya for every meal of the day because, according to Bloomberg Indicator, Cairenes are blessed with having the cheapest cost for breakfast in the world. We pretty much just handed you the perfect excuse the next time someone hits you with the you-spend-too-much-on-food line! Perhaps you’re thinking that being the cheapest breakfast in the world doesn’t necessarily equate to affordability. However, according to the index, the cost of a breakfast meal sits at around $0.35 (or around EGP 6), which only makes up about 4.4 percent of our daily incomes – affordable for much of the population. On the other hand, while the Venezuelan capital of Caracas ranked
    cairoscene.com q
  • Colossal Statue of Famous Egyptian Pharaoh Found in Cairo's Matareya

    Archaeologists have just come across an eight-metre statue, submerged in a muddy ditch, in Cairo’s Matareya neighbourhood, according to Sky News.Discovered near the ruins of Ramses II’s temple in the ancient city of Heliopolis, the Antiquities Ministry is calling the find one of the most important discoveries ever "Last Tuesday they called me to announce the big discovery of a colossus of a king, most probably Ramses II, made out of quartzite," said Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani while he posed for pictures. Ramses the Great was the third of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt and ruled in 1279 BC. His palace was in what is modern day Heliopolis. "The sun god created the world in Heliopolis,
    cairoscene.com q
  • Nike Unveils the Pro Hijab for Female Muslim Athletes

    Today, there are more women in sports than ever before. A movement that progressed slowly in the Muslim World because of the many social and religious barriers that women face when pursuing careers as athletes. In the London Olympics 2012, several hijabi women made it pretty far in several sport events, denoting a cultural shift in the region, one that would have more Arab and Muslim women going into (and onto) fields they had never previously gone. Earlier this year, Nike released a brilliant short film titled, “What Will They Say About You?” featuring several female Arab athletes. The film’s core themes were centered around the societal reactions to them choosing careers in sports. Aiming to
    cairoscene.com q
  • The One Show, 07/03/2017

    Joan Collins and Pauline Collins join Matt Baker and Michelle Ackerley to talk about their new film The Time of their Lives, and Matt Allwright investigates ticket resale sites. Joan Collins and Pauline Collins join Matt and Michelle to talk about their new film The Time of their Lives. Matt Allwright investigates ticket resale sites, One Show viewers quiz David Davis about Brexit, and George McGavin discovers glow worms in Somerset.
    BBC iPlayer q
  • Lightening up the lives of Saudi women

    One of the pleasures of public company status is to watch your share price react to macroeconomic news — events that are outside the control of the chief executive. And so it was for Selim Chidiac last month when, in a surprise move, the government of Saudi Arabia decided to resume benefits to public sector workers. The payments had been cut last year, as part of a policy of fiscal tightening brought on by the fall in oil prices. Those same government employees affected are also big customers of Chidiac’s company L’azurde, which is the biggest jeweler in the Kingdom. As the shares ticked upward on the Tadawul exchange, he could reflect: “The return of benefits for the Saudi government employees
    Arab News q
  • Echoes of Gaza in Kashmir

    However, India for all its flaws is not Israel. But the fact that the young women are picking up stones and are fighting pitched battles with the security forces suggests that Kashmir has crossed a new dangerous, milestone. When women take up arms — in this case, stones — and stand with men to confront injustice, it’s a sign that society has traversed a point of no return. The whole of Kashmiri society is now up in arms — men and women, the young and old. As Essar Batool, author of Do You Remember Konan-Poshpura, chronicling mass rapes at the hands of troops, puts it, “these images of young women with their cute bunny bags or football in hand are extremely powerful. They shatter many myths and
    Saudi Gazette q
  • Four feared dead in British Columbia and Quebec floods

    Four people are missing after some of the worst flooding in decades in parts of Canada. In the eastern province of Quebec, police are searching for a man and a toddler who were swept away after their car swerved into a river. In British Columbia (BC), on the other side of the country, rescue crews are searching for two men, including a fire chief who went missing late Friday. Flooding has also affected the provinces of Ontario and New Brunswick. Quebec's deluge has been caused by a combination of melting snow and much heavier than average spring rainfall in April and May. The inundation has affected 146 Quebec communities and created more than 1,500 evacuees. In eastern Quebec, police say a man
    BBC News q
  • Warren Buffett says India has 'incredible' potential

    India just got a ringing endorsement from the world's most famous investor. "I think the potential for India is incredible," Warren Buffett said in an interview with Indian news channel ET Now on Monday, describing the South Asian nation as a "huge, enormous market." The Berkshire Hathaway chairman, also known as the Oracle of Omaha, said he'd immediately "hop on a plane" to India if the right investment opportunity came up. "If you tell me a wonderful company in India that might be available for sale, I'll be there tomorrow," he said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to smooth the way for foreign investors such as Buffett, but there are still many hurdles standing in their way.
    CNN Money q
  • The countries where people still eat cats and dogs for dinner

    The new Animal Protection Act will see anyone selling, eating or buying the animals for consumption facing fines of up to £6,500. Those found guilty of animal cruelty could also receive a huge fine of £52,000 and two years in prison. Taiwan is the first Asian country to crack down on the practice. The new law tackles long-standing cultural beliefs about the benefits of eating dogs - for example, eating black dogs in winter is supposed to help you stay warm. It was pushed through by President Tsai Ing-wen, who adopted three retired guide dogs last year and also has two cats, named Cookie and A-Tsai. So what about the rest of the continent? The practice of eating cats and dogs has become less common
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Russia parades military power in Moscow

    Russia displayed its military might in Moscow's Red Square in an event commemorating victory over the Nazis in WWII.
    CNN q
  • Elton fatal crash: Search teams hunt for missing man

    Police and specialist search teams have been scouring verges and fields for a man they think fled the scene of a fatal crash. Two people died and two were injured in the two-car collision on the A605 at Elton, near Peterborough at about 02:00 GMT on Sunday. Police believe a fourth person was in one of the cars, and left on foot. "We are concerned that he may be seriously injured and will need urgent medical assistance," an officer said. Two occupants from one car, both men, died, and a woman from the same car remains in Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge with serious but not life-threatening injuries. The driver of the second vehicle, a man in his 50s, suffered minor injuries. Following the
    BBC News q
  • MTV Movie and TV awards go gender neutral

    MTV's scrapped the male and female categories for its movie and TV awards show. The network has announced separate awards for best actor and actress will be replaced by "non-gendered" prizes. It means Emma Watson competes with Hugh Jackman and James McAvoy for best actor in a movie. Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown and Emilia Clarke from Game Of Thrones go against The Walking Dead's Jeffrey Dean Morgan for best actor in a show. Most of the big award ceremonies, like the Oscars and Baftas, still have separate categories for men and women. But some have already changed their rules - or, like the Grammys, never had separate awards in the first place. The National Television Awards changed
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Ukrainian woman's disappearance 'genuine mystery'

    The disappearance "without a trace" of a mother from Leeds is "a genuine mystery", police have said. Svitlana Krasnoselska, originally from Ukraine, was last seen near her home in the village of Micklefield near Leeds, at 05:00 BST on 3 April. West Yorkshire Police said her bank accounts had not been touched and it was completely out of character for the 40-year-old to go missing. Ms Krasnoselska has lived in the UK for 12 years and has a daughter. Det Insp James Entwistle said: "We deal with missing people on a daily basis and there's always something to go on. "With Lana, it's a genuine mystery. We have no idea where she's gone to." Ms Krasnoselska, who is married with a grown-up daughter,
    BBC News q
  • Google Street View used to discover 'lost' cycle ways

    A vast network of forgotten cycle ways across the UK has been rediscovered with the help of Google Street View. Historian and cycling enthusiast Carlton Reid found the routes, which were created between 1934 and 1940, after scanning for evidence of them online. They were originally put in place by the Ministry of Transport, but many fell out of use after World War Two. Mr Reid is now part of a campaign to reinstate some of the routes. "We might see them every single day and not realise what they are - they're very much hidden in plain sight," he said. By carefully looking at images on Google Street View, Mr Reid was able to discern residual evidence of the cycle ways - sometimes appearing like
    BBC News q
  • The Japanese manga comic helping Syrian refugee children dream

    "The situation in Syria is terrible - so terrible that I think it stops kids from dreaming. But it's their dreams that one day will make Syria good again," says Obada Kassoumah. "I wish I could just give them a little bit of hope and make them believe that yes, they can have dreams." Obada is a Syrian student in Tokyo who, by a mixture of chance and determination, has become the translator of Japanese manga comics into Arabic. And by another twist of fate, many of these Arab editions of football saga Captain Tsubasa have been donated to aid agencies and are being handed out to Syrian refugee children across Europe and the Middle East. For Obada, the project started as an unexpected translation
    BBC News q
  • Israel’s Netanyahu says Palestinians don’t educate to peace

    JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Palestinians are not educating their children toward peace. Netanyahu spoke Sunday at his weekly Cabinet meeting ahead of US President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to Israel. Netanyahu says Trump’s first overseas trip as president reflects the strong bond between the nations. He welcomed Trump’s push to resume peace talks, but criticized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for “praising terrorists and paying them” — and lying about preaching peace to children. The Palestinian “martyrs’ fund” pays about 35,000 families of Palestinians killed and wounded in the long-running conflict with Israel, and says the money amounts to welfare
    Arab News q
  • India to take part in Champions Trophy

    BCCI unhappy with revenue share from ICC NEW DELHI: India confirmed their participation in next month’s Champions Trophy in England and Wales yesterday after initially delaying the announcement of their squad over a revenue sharing disagreement with cricket’s governing body. The dispute intensified when India failed to submit a squad for the one-day international tournament by an April 25 deadline after its cricket board (BCCI) was unable to stall a new income model being adopted by the International Cricket Council (ICC). “The Board unanimously authorized the acting honorary secretary of the BCCI to continue negotiations with the ICC in the best interest of the BCCI while keeping its legal options
    Kuwait Times q
  • Sadiq Khan's first 12 months as London's mayor

    Sadiq Khan's win last year was the biggest of any London mayor to date and the greatest personal mandate of any politician in British history. More than 1.3m Londoners voted for him - that's almost 57% of those voting - and he quit as Tooting MP straight away to become in his words a "full-time mayor". Weeks later events overshadowed his win as the EU referendum result went against the wishes of almost 60% of Londoners and Mr Khan became a cheerleader for an "open" London. And in March, he was faced with the news all London mayors dread, yet expect - a terrorist attack in the capital. A year on and Sadiq Khan remains a popular figure in the capital. A YouGov poll commissioned by the Mile End
    BBC News q
  • Graphic Photo: Woman Attacked by Citystar's Security Dog Demands a Million EGP in Compensation

    An Egyptian woman, who was severely wounded after a security dog at Citystars bit her arm, was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. She is now asking the eastern Cairo mall for a million EGP in compensation for the incident that caused her "major physical and psychological damage", Youm7 reports. The incident took place last Saturday at the famous mall in Nasr City, as the woman was passing a nearby garage security unit in which the dog was stationed to check for explosives. The mall's administration assured that liability of such incidents lies with the private security firm handling the mall's security. Al Salam Hospital's medical report recommended a 21-day bed rest and treatment cost
    cairoscene.com q
  • Who is the Berlin truck driver behind the carnage?

    The lorry that ploughed into a busy Berlin Christmas market, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more, was steered into the crowd "intentionally", Berlin police said early Tuesday. "Our investigators assume that the truck was intentionally steered into the crowd at the Christmas market," police said in a Twitter message about the suspected attack late Monday. "All police measures related to the suspected terrorist attack at Breitscheidplatz are progressing at full steam and with the necessary diligence," police said. German media cited local security sources as saying that there was evidence suggesting the arrested suspect was from Afghanistan or Pakistan and had entered Germany in February as a refugee.
    News q
  • Little Mix win best global act at Kids' Choice Awards

    Little Mix gave a shout out to their fans after their win at the Kids' Choice Awards (KCA). The British girl group won the favourite global music star award in Los Angeles. They performed their hit single Shout Out To My Ex and a version of their song Touch during the ceremony. Collecting their award, Perrie Edwards said: "You're the best fans in the world. We love you more than anything." Other winners of the night included Fifth Harmony, who picked up an award for favourite music group and Shawn Mendes, who won favourite male singer. Selena Gomez took home the award for favourite female singer. The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice awards are famous for soaking celebrities in green slime - and this
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • 'I was forced to carry my baby, knowing she would die'

    Ashleigh Topley was four-and-a-half months pregnant when she found out her baby wouldn't survive outside the womb. "At that point, my whole world came crashing down," she tells Newsbeat. At her scan, on Valentine's Day 2013, a consultant was called in and delivered the bad news: the baby's limbs weren't growing properly and it was going to die. But because Ashleigh, then 27, lives in Northern Ireland, she was told there was nothing to be done. In the rest of the UK, women whose babies have what doctors call a "foetal abnormality" have the option of a termination. The condition is defined by NI's government as: "where death will occur before or during birth or, if a live birth should occur, there
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Grandma accidently prays to Elrond from Lord of the Rings

    A Brazilian grandmother has been praying to a figurine from Lord of the Rings for years without realising. The woman thought she was praying to Saint Anthony but it turns out the figure was Elmond, Lord of Rivendell. Her relative Gabriela Brandao made the discovery and posted it on Facebook with the caption: "The funniest discovery of 2016." The post reads: "My daughter's great-grandmother prays to Saint Anthony every day." On closer inspection, she said Saint Anthony wasn't what he seemed. The pointy ears may have given the game away. Gabriela's post has been shared thousands of times around the world. Elrond, Lord of Rivendell In the books, JRR Tolkien describes Elrond as "noble and fair as
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • This rescue dog in America hugs stuffed toys after losing her litter of puppies

    Twinkle the dog lost her puppies during her pregnancy and her owner replaced them with toys. Pictures of Twinkle with her stuffed animal friends have gone viral on Twitter. Her owner, 18-year-old Xavier Hernandez, told Newsbeat that he discovered she was pregnant after rescuing her. She gave birth last weekend, but all her puppies were stillborn and Xavier says she seems heartbroken. Xavier, who lives in California, rescued Twinkle from Mexico with his mum, where they found her living in poor conditions. He told Newsbeat that he's had lots of kind comments on Twitter since posting the photos. "To be honest going viral is not for me, it's for my dog," he said. "I've got a lot of support from people
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Liverpool: Is Brendan Rodgers better than Jurgen Klopp?

    Do Norwegian players have the upper hand over Brazilians in the Premier League? Where does Ryan Shawcross rank in the own-goals table? And is Brendan Rodgers actually better than Jurgen Klopp? We try to answer those questions and take a look at some of the other interesting stats from the weekend. Norway? No way! Argentine Premier League players past and present had something to chirp about when Nicolas Otamendi scored for Manchester City in Saturday's 5-0 win over Crystal Palace. The 29-year-old scored the 400th goal by an Argentine in the competition. By contrast, Brazilians have only supplied 322. If only Diego Costa had not chosen Spain, eh? But where do Argentina rank in the 'Table of nations
    BBC Sport q
  • Cheating partners: Did you get your revenge?, Jenny Kendall-Tobias

    Have you let rip with revenge on a cheating partner and is it the best way to deal with a betrayal? Jenny hears your stories which involve a car, a diary and liver and onions.
    BBC q
  • Pakistan and Afghanistan dispute toll after clashes

    Pakistan's military said its forces killed more than 50 Afghan soldiers and destroyed five checkpoints in heavy fighting along their disputed border, a claim quickly rejected by Kabul. The clashes took place on Friday at the Chaman border that divides Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province and Afghanistan's southern Kandahar, as Pakistani officials were carrying out a census count.  At least eight civilians were killed, according to previously stated death tolls by officials - seven on the Pakistani side and one Afghan.  On Sunday, Pakistan elevated its rhetoric by saying Afghan forces had suffered much more dramatic losses. "We are not pleased to tell you that five Afghan check posts were
    Al Jazeera q
  • Cloned cars sold in Greater Manchester eBay scam

    Criminals are using eBay to sell stolen and cloned cars, a BBC investigation has revealed. The vehicles were being sold in Greater Manchester via at least three accounts after having their details switched with legitimate cars. Among the victims was a retired police officer who lost £17,000 buying a Mercedes from a seller in Rochdale. He said he reported the incident to the police, but no action was taken. Police said the decision is being reviewed. Former police officer Graham Murray lost his money after buying a Mercedes C-class in Rochdale two months ago, leaving him "devastated". He said he reported the case to police and has questioned why the fraudulent eBay sellers have not yet been caught.
    BBC News q
  • Cairo Named Most Stylish Destination by Chinese Travel Agency

    Al Masry Al Youm reports that Chinese travel company, Ctrip, have rated Cairo as their most stylish destination, which could explain the rise in Chinese travellers. China’s top public travel agency, China International Travel Service, reported a 58 percent increase in tourists flying to Egypt and spending the night compared with 2015. Chinese tourists’ favourite spots in Egypt are the historical sites, with an increase of Chinese visitors noted in Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan as opposed to Mubarak’s time when Sinai and the Red Sea were the popular destinations for tourists. There has been a noted increase in the number of Chinese, Japanese, and Ukrainian tourists coming to Egypt, with more of them
    cairoscene.com q
  • China South Korea: Tunnel coach crash kills 11 children

    Eleven young children, mostly South Korean, were killed when a coach crashed in a tunnel in China's eastern Shandong province. The driver of the coach was also killed and a teacher was seriously injured. The children, aged between three and seven, were being driven to their kindergarten in the city of Weihai. Pictures from the scene show the coach in flames and smoke pouring from the tunnel. The cause of the accident on Tuesday is being investigated. The children all attended a kindergarten at the Zhongshi International School in Weihai, local authorities say. Ten of the children were South Korean although five of them were dual Chinese nationals, South Korean consular officials say. The other
    BBC News q
  • South African town hit by riots after white farmers get bail

    Riots have hit a small town in South Africa after a magistrate granted bail to two white farmers accused of murdering a 16-year-old black boy. Anger erupted in the maize producing town of Coligny, after residents learned that the two suspects had been freed on Monday. Three houses were torched and white-owned shops looted. The violence over the death highlights prevailing racial tensions in parts of post-apartheid South Africa. Apartheid was a legal system of discrimination that existed in South Africa until the country's first democratic elections in 1994. Pieter Doorewaad and Phillip Schutte allegedly assaulted Matlhomola Moshoeu and then threw him out of a moving car. Local media report that
    BBC News q
  • An Ontario home filled with clowns is up for sale

    A "charming" bungalow in south-western Ontario filled with hundreds of clown pictures, statues and knick-knacks is expected to sell over asking price. But the "cozy" property is not making headlines for its affordable price tag, which is a reasonable C$239,900 ($174,800; £135,200). Instead, it is for the online photos of its clown-heavy interior decor. Realtor Kyle Jansink says there has been lots of interest in the single family home despite the ornamentation. "We've got multiple offers lined up," he said of the property, which is the stuff of nightmares for coulrophobes. "It was going to sell above asking price despite all this publicity, but now maybe we're getting some extra out-of-town buyers
    BBC News q
  • CIB Launches their Groundbreaking Women-Only Credit Card with a Classy Bash this Weekend

    The newly launched card – with vintage custom designs featuring Queen Farida and silver screen star Madiha Yosri – offers unique perks targeted at women, including discounts up to 45 percent, reward points, unlimited access to airport lounges across the Middle East, automatic enrollment in life insurance, up to four free supplementary cards, and access to events and bazaars. First launched in 2003, the credit card is making a glamorous comeback on Saturday 14th at the Nile Ritz Carlton, with a bash where live music, motivational speeches, and fashion shows will celebrate the all-women relaunch. The event will feature Iron Woman’s champion Amani Khalil, who will give a motivational speech, as well as fashion power women Aya and Mounaz Abdelraouf, founders of Okhtein, and 'The Square' film director Jehane Nojaim.
    cairoscene.com q
  • Mike Tyson will train Chris Brown in his fight against rapper Soulja Boy

    Mike Tyson has confirmed that he'll be training Chris Brown in his grudge fight against rapper Soulja Boy. The former heavyweight champion was asked to help out by 50 Cent after some major beef between the pair over the last few weeks. "I'm gonna teach him how to bite somebody's ear. Yeah, that's right," he said in a video on Instagram. "I'm gonna teach him every dirty trick in the book to knock you out. Because I'm not going to teach him how to run." Soulja Boy is going to be trained by another former boxing champ, Floyd Mayweather, who announced the bout on Instagram. The three-round fight will take place in Las Vegas but a date hasn't been announced. The grudge started after Soulja Boy liked
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Trump administration defends travel ban in appeals court

    The controversial plan was removed from Trump's campaign website Monday, shortly after White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that he was unaware that the plan was still online. The plan has been used against the administration's attempt to suspend travel to seven -- then six -- Muslim-majority countries and halt the admission of Syrian refugees into the United States. Chuang said in March that despite the Trump administration's assertion that the order was a travel ban, not a Muslim ban, "the history of public statements continues to provide a convincing case that the purpose of the second executive order remains the realization of the long-envisioned Muslim ban." On Monday,
    CNN q
  • Islamic State's leader in Afghanistan killed

    KABUL: The head of Islamic State in Afghanistan-described as the mastermind behind high-profile attacks including an assault on a military hospital that claimed at least 50 lives-has been killed, US and Afghan officials said. Abdul Hasib, whose group is affiliated with IS in Iraq and Syria, was killed last month in a targeted raid by special forces in the eastern province of Nangarhar, the presidential palace in Kabul said in a statement. Analysts described him as “obscure”, but authorities ascribed responsibility to him for assaults in Kabul, including the savage attack on a military hospital in March when assailants stabbed bedridden patients and threw grenades into crowded wards. “He had ordered the attack” on the hospital, the presidential statement said, adding that Kabul will fight IS and other extremist groups “until they are annihilated”.
    Kuwait Times q
  • India court orders ex-minister stand trial for graft again

    NEW DELHI: India’s top court Monday ordered that a key opposition leader and influential former minister stand trial on historic corruption charges that saw him disqualified from Parliament. Lalu Prasad Yadav was banished from India’s lower house in 2013 after he was convicted of defrauding a scheme to help farmers, but other charges stemming from the same “fodder scam” were put on hold. Yadav — a former Bihar chief minister whose party now rules the eastern state in an alliance — and 44 others were found to have ripped off the rural assistance program to the tune of 380 million rupees ($6 million). The 68-year-old politician was convicted in one case but proceedings were stayed in three others “on the grounds that a person convicted in one case could not be tried in similar cases based on same witnesses and evidences,” the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
    Arab News q
  • Marvel to discipline X-Men artist who referenced Indonesian protests in cartoons

    Marvel is disciplining an artist who added references about protests in Indonesia into a new X-Men story. Ardian Syaf, currently the artist for X-Men Gold, has been criticised for including the images. Marvel fans pointed out that Colossus's shirt contained the words "QS 5:51" and, in another scene with new X-Men leader Kitty Pryde, a building had 212 written on it. The references go against the company's inclusiveness policies, Marvel said. It is also removing some artwork from the online edition of the comic. QS 5:51 is a reference to a verse in the Koran, while 212 marks a protest on 2 December in Jakarta. "The mentioned artwork in X-Men Gold #1 was inserted without knowledge behind its reported
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Strictly fans pay £26 for a photo with a judge but what do other celebrities charge?

    Fans of Strictly Come Dancing will pay more than £25 for a photo with judges on the upcoming theatre show. It'll cost £26.80 including fees to get a snap with either Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel Horwood, or presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. That's in addition to the £70 for an adult to go to the Strictly Spectacular at London's Excel Centre in June. But how does it compare to the cost of meeting other celebrities? The Incredible Hulk It'll cost £40 for a photo with the green superhero at London Comic Con in May. Well, not the actual Hulk but actor Lou Ferrigno, who played him in the 1970s TV series. Sam L Jones, who played Flash Gordon in the 1980 film, and Star Trek's
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Police shut down 'rave' being held on London Underground train carriage

    London commuters were treated to a rave on their Tube home from work this week, complete with an MC and disco lights. MC Harry Shotta played an illegal DJ set on the Bakerloo Line in a stunt on Monday arranged by a group of online pranksters. Video footage shows passengers dancing to drum and bass while filming the party on their phones. Other people in the carriage looked confused and a little uncomfortable while people danced on the train. A video of the party was first shared online by YouTube user Svenskier. Responsibility for the underground party was claimed by Lee Marshall, who calls himself DiscoBoy on Twitter. DiscoBoy is part of a group which calls itself Trollstation and which is responsible
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Saudi Energy Minister Says OPEC Deal May Be Extended Beyond 2017

    Oil prices rose on Monday after Saudi Arabia’s energy minister Khalid Al-Falih said he still expected an OPEC-led deal to cut output during the first half of the year to be extended to all of 2017. “Based on the consultation I have had with participating members, I am rather confident that the agreement will be extended into the second half of the year and possibly beyond and that includes consultations I have had this morning with the Malaysian prime minister,” Falih said during the opening address at the 19th ASIA Oil and Gas Conference in Kuala Lumpur. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), of which Saudi Arabia is the de-facto leader, and other producers including Russia, pledged to cut output by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) during the first half of the year to support the market.
    ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English q
  • Banks planning to move 9,000 jobs from Britain

    LONDON: The largest global banks in London plan to move about 9,000 jobs to the continent in the next two years, public statements and information from sources shows, as the exodus of finance jobs starts to take shape. Last week Standard Chartered and JPMorgan were the latest global banks to outline plans for their European operations after Brexit. They are among a growing number of lenders pushing ahead with plans to move operations from London. Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein said in an interview on Friday that London’s growth as a financial centre could “stall” as a result of the upheaval caused by Brexit. Thirteen major banks including Goldman Sachs, UBS, and Citigroup have
    Kuwait Times q
  • Iran says $55 oil price suitable

    DUBAI/ BAGHDAD: Iran sees $55 per barrel as a suitable price for crude oil and believes that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers are likely to extend output curbs to support prices, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted as saying on Saturday. “The price range of $55 per barrel would be suitable for oil,” Zanganeh said, according to the Oil Ministry’s news website SHANA. Oil prices closed higher on Friday, rebounding from five-month lows, following positive US jobs data and assurances by Saudi Arabia that Russia is ready to join OPEC in extending supply cuts to reduce a persistent glut. Zanganeh said OPEC members have signaled that they
    Arab News q
  • Syria's 'de-escalation zones' explained

    A new deal aimed at reducing violence in Syria is now in effect, but questions remain as to its implementation and its consequences. The agreement signed on Thursday by Iran , Russia and Turkey in the Kazakh capital, Astana, is the latest in a series of ceasefire proposals aimed at ending Syria's war, now in its seventh year. The plan calls for the cessation of hostilities between rebel groups and forces fighting on behalf of Bashar al-Assad 's government in four so-called de-escalation zones in mainly opposition-held areas of the country. Russia , Turkey and Iran are to act as guarantors.  The deal covers four areas: - Zone 1 : Idlib province, as well as northeastern areas of Latakia province,
    Al Jazeera q
  • Colnbrook immigration centre death: Man admits killing

    A man has admitted beating to death a fellow detainee at an immigration centre in west London. Iraqi Zana Yusif killed 64-year-old Bangladeshi national Tarek Chowdhury in a cell at Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre on 1 December. At the Old Bailey, the 32-year-old admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility but denied murder. The prosecution accepted the plea because he had an "abnormality of the mind" when the attack happened. Prosecutor Jake Hallam QC said two psychiatric reports had been carried out on Yusif. He also had a "psychiatric history" which was noted at different times when he had served "shortish sentences" in custody. Both men were at the centre in West Drayton awaiting
    BBC News q
  • Natalie Portman was paid 'three times less' for film role than her male co-star

    Natalie Portman has revealed that Ashton Kutcher was paid substantially more than she was for appearing in the 2011 romcom, No Strings Attached. The actress said the gap was down to film bosses paying what they thought her male co-star was worth. "I knew and I went along with it because there's this thing with 'quotes' in Hollywood. "His was three times higher than mine so they said he should get three times more," she told Marie Claire UK. "I wasn't as pissed as I should have been. I mean, we get paid a lot, so it's hard to complain, but the disparity is crazy. "Compared to men, in most professions, women make 80 cents to the dollar. In Hollywood, we are making 30 cents to the dollar. "I failed
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Man, 80, hurt as car plunges over cliff in Cornwall

    An elderly driver has plunged over the side of a 50ft cliff in north Cornwall. Emergency services were called to the beach near Atlantic Terrace, New Polzeath, at about 15:55 BST. The driver, thought to be an 80-year-old man, is understood to have reversed the car off the cliff according to police. He was initially trapped in his blue Hyundai I20, but has now been freed and treated by paramedics. He is being taken by lifeboat to Cornwall Air Ambulance, and will be flown to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, although the extent of his injuries is not yet clear. The driver, who is from Bodmin, was the only occupant of the vehicle. Police, fire and Falmouth coastguard are also on the scene. Sgt Steve
    BBC News q
  • The wristband that tells you how drunk you are

    This "wearable alcohol sensor" tells users how much they have consumed and how drunk they might be later. It's called Proof and it's being showcased at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas. A bit like a fitness tracker, it uses data straight from your body rather than the information you type into your phone. The wristband works by reading the alcohol molecules in your skin. Evan Strenk, founder of Milo Sensors, the firm behind Proof, is now trying to get it funded. He says it's been through a number of tests already and compares it to consumer breathalysers already on the market. The difference is apps like Blood Alcohol Calculator and R-U-Buzzed? rely on a formula which gives an
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Signs of Regional and Local Conflicts in Iraq's Tal Afar

    Baghdad– The Iraqi government has received a message from the US embassy concerning the liberation of Tal Afar, Iranian news agency, IRNA, reported, but Nineveh MP Sajida al-Afandi said the move has political motives aiming to pressure the government to allow the participation of Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the liberation of the city. Afandi said it seems that Iran received a message from their “friends” the PMF stating that the Iraqi government wouldn’t allow their forces to enter Tal Afar, west of Mosul. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Afandi said that most agreements before and after the operations began in Nineveh generally state that PMF factions are not allowed into the
    ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English q
  • VIDEO: This Oud Version of Sia's 'Cheap Thrills' is All You Need to Hear Today

    A video of aspiring Yemeni-American oudist Ahmed Alshaiba mastering Sia's Cheap Thrills on his oud is going viral on Facebook, reaping over 110,000 views as the Arab musician crafts a masterpiece out of the hit song using the oriental instrument. For those who have never stumbled upon one of Ahmed Alshaiba's astounding videos, he's a young musician who makes amazing covers with his goosebump-inducing oud, from Western pop to traditional eastern genres.  This time Alshaiba took on Cheap Thrills, a tune one would never envisage being played with a traditional oud sound, but as is the case with each of his covers, he made it utter magic. Give it a listen, it will give you the thrills. Pun intended.
    cairoscene.com q
  • Women of the World event drops rape victim and her attacker

    The Women of the World (WOW) Festival has removed an event featuring a rape victim confronting her attacker. South of Forgiveness was due to take place on Saturday 11 March at London's Southbank Centre. But the event has now been moved to a later date, after complaints from women's rights campaigners. A petition against it, raising concerns about how the event would impact other survivors, reached more than 2,000 signatures. Thordis Elva was due to appear on stage with Tom Stranger, the man who raped her at the age of 16. The Icelandic writer contacted him many years after the attack, which happened while they were in a relationship. The pair have co-authored a book and delivered a Ted talk about
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • China to further tighten its Internet controls

    BEIJING: China will further tighten its Internet regulations with a pledge on Sunday to strengthen controls over search engines and online news portals, the latest step in President Xi Jinping’s push to maintain strict Communist Party control over content. Xi has made China’s “cyber sovereignty” a top priority in his sweeping campaign to bolster security. He has also reasserted the ruling Communist Party’s role in limiting and guiding online discussion. The five-year cultural development and reform plan released by the party and State Council, or Cabinet, calls for a “perfecting” of laws and rules related to the Internet. That includes a qualification system for people working in online news,
    Arab News q
  • King receives a message from Tunisia’s president

    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman received a message from Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi. The message was delivered to the King by Lazhar Karoui Chebbi, minister and personal representative of the Tunisian president, during a meeting at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Monday. — SPA
    Saudi Gazette q
  • First evacuations from Damascus district

    DAMASCUS: Syrian rebels and their families began evacuating from a district of Damascus for the first time yesterday, bringing the government closer to recapturing all of the capital. The evacuation began days after regime backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey signed a deal to implement “de-escalation zones” where the government and opposition will halt hostilities. Foreign Minister Walid Muallem yesterday rejected any role for the United Nations or international forces in monitoring the zones. The deal to evacuate Barzeh district mirrors similar agreements for opposition-held territory elsewhere, allowing fighters safe passage in exchange for surrender. State television cited the
    Kuwait Times q
  • War hero Albert Ball: Family marks centenary of death

    The centenary of the death of a famous British wartime flying ace has been marked by relatives visiting the French cemetery where he is buried. Capt Albert Ball, from Nottingham, was 20 when his fighter plane crashed in a French field on 7 May 1917. He already had the Military Cross and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. He was considered one of the great British pilots of World War One. Two of his relatives visited the cemetery in Annoeullin. He was buried there by the Germans with full military honours. Relative Yvonne Neville said before her visit: "It will be very interesting and very touching to see (the French memorial). "His father insisted his body should remain in that cemetery
    BBC News q
  • Star Wars: The Last Jedi teaser shown (to a lucky few)

    The first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi has been shown - to a very select few. Disney screened footage from the upcoming movie at its fun-sounding shareholders meeting in Denver, US. But it wasn't just Hollywood investors who were present at the event, there were journalists in the room too. And Daniel Miller from the LA Times has told the BBC what was shown at the screening. "What we saw was a short clip of the character Rey handing a lightsaber to Luke Skywalker," he told Radio 5 Live. "We see Luke asking Rey 'Who are you?' "If you follow the film series that's a very weighty question that he's posed there." Previous Star Wars movie The Force Awakens introduced Rey, a character
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Is Tony Blair back?

    Since Blair’s intervention in the ongoing Brexit debate in the interview in the Mirror on 1st May, many in the liberal centre of British politics have been hailing his announced return as some kind of providential deliverance from the craziness of our current political landscape. ‘Cool Britannia’ Theresa May dances perfectly to the tune of modern Britain. Tony Blair’s return, on the other hand, is just as likely to cheer up the audience. Dr. Azeem Ibrahim Last Update: Monday, 8 May 2017 KSA 09:38 - GMT 06:38 Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not reflect Al Arabiya English's point-of-view.
    english.alarabiya.net q
  • Basuki Tjahaja Purnama: Jakarta's governor

    Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known by his Chinese nickname "Ahok", became Jakarta's first non-Muslim governor for 50 years when he took over from Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in 2014. He was the first ethnic Chinese Indonesian in the post, a significant development given the violent anti-Chinese riots that occurred in the city in 1998. Ahok had previously served as Jokowi's deputy. But in April 2017, he lost an election amid a blasphemy scandal, and in May he was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison for blasphemy and inciting violence. 'Mocking Islam' Mr Purnama was accused of mocking a verse in the Koran, Al-Maidah 51, that has been used by his opponents in the world's most-populous Muslim
    BBC News q
  • Tributes are paid to MTV reality star Clay Adler, who's died aged 27

    US reality star Clay Adler has died aged 27. Clay was a cast member on the MTV series Newport Harbour: The Real Orange County, and was also an actor in the TV series Make It or Break It. MTV has paid tribute to the star, who is thought to have taken his own life. "We are saddened by the news of Clay Adler's passing," it said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time." Jennifer Lawrence, who was a good friend of the star, is apparently heartbroken after hearing the news, according to Hollywood Life. According to reports, Clay shot himself while in the desert with friends on Saturday 25 March. His dad, Frank, told People magazine that his son had died
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Queen's Club: Andy Murray leads field for Aegon Championships in June

    Media playback is not supported on this device World number one Andy Murray will defend his title at next month's Aegon Championships as six of the world's top 10 men descend on Queen's Club. The Briton has won the London event that precedes Wimbledon five times. The tournament will also feature last year's beaten finalist Milos Raonic, 2012 champion Marin Cilic and 2008 winner Rafael Nadal. Stan Wawrinka and David Goffin are also scheduled to play in the event which takes place from 19-25 June. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tomas Berdych, Nick Kyrgios and Juan Martin del Potro will also take part. Tournament director Stephen Farrow said: "The player entry list for the Aegon Championships is strong every
    BBC Sport q
  • Sisi Announces the Construction of Egypt's Largest Church and Mosque in the New Capital

    During his visit to the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo on Friday for Christmas celebrations, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced the building of what will be the largest church and the largest mosque in Egypt, reported Ahram Online. Both will be built in the new capital and are expected to be completed by next year. El-Sisi also announced that he will be the first to donate money for the project. Moreover, the president apologised for the delay in the reconstruction of all the churches that were set to flames following the 2013 ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi. He assured, however, that all the attacked churches, except for one church in Upper Egypt and another in Sinai, have been rebuilt.
    cairoscene.com q
  • The illegal drugs with legal medical uses

    Although it can be medically prescribed as an anaesthetic, it's widely used as an illegal party drug. This kind of unregulated use can lead to harmful side effects, including serious liver and kidney damage. But if it could be used to treat depression in the future, what other illegal drugs would it join for legitimate use as medical treatments? Sultan Sid Dajani is a pharmacist in Bishopstoke near Southampton, who also speaks on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. He talked Newsbeat through some of the drugs which have perfectly legal uses, but can also be abused and used illegally. Codeine This painkiller is available without a prescription to buy over the counter in chemists and pharmacies.
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Comey firing draws comparisons to Nixon

    "President Trump's firing of Director Comey sets a deeply alarming precedent as multiple investigations into possible Trump campaign or administration collusion with Russia remain ongoing, including an FBI investigation," Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts said. "This episode is disturbingly reminiscent of the Saturday Night Massacre during the Watergate scandal and the national turmoil that it caused," he said. "We are careening ever closer to a Constitutional crisis, and this development only underscores why we must appoint a special prosecutor to fully investigate any dealings the Trump campaign or administration had with Russia." John Podesta, former chairman of the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential
    CNN q
  • Tyrone moor on fire is habitat for hen harriers

    A large moor on fire in County Tyrone is a key habitat for a protected and vulnerable bird of prey. The area close to Mullaghfad Forest, near Fivemiletown, has special status due to its population of hen harriers. It forms part of a Special Area of Protection which affords its conservation status under EU rules. The fire service said there had been 511 gorse fires in Northern Ireland since the start of May - 302 gorse fires at the weekend. At least 80% of the weekend fires were started deliberately, the fire service said. Mullaghfad is part of a large forest area which includes Crocknagrally, Jenkin and Fardross forests. It is home to about 10 breeding pairs of hen harrier, a quarter of the Northern
    BBC News q
  • WeChat: Russia blocks China's biggest messaging app

    China's most popular messaging app has been blocked in Russia. Moscow's communications regulator has added WeChat to its list of prohibited websites, according to Russian state news agency TASS. The messaging app ran afoul of laws requiring companies that distribute information online to register with government authorities in Russia. Operated by tech giant Tencent (TCEHY), WeChat has about 900 million monthly active users, the vast majority of whom are in China. Tencent said in a statement Monday that it's "in discussions with relevant authorities regarding the situation" in Russia. WeChat has been blacklisted since at least Friday, according to the TASS report. Russian authorities are increasingly
    CNN Money q
  • Sunrisers stay alive for IPL playoffs, beat Mumbai Indians

    HYDERABAD — Defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad moved closer to the Indian Premier League playoffs after defeating leaders Mumbai Indians by seven wickets on Monday. Sunrisers cruised to 140-3 with 10 balls to spare after Mumbai Indians were restricted to 138-7 on a slow pitch at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. “Everything went to plan,” Sunrisers captain David Warner said. “Credit to the bowlers, they gave us a small total to chase.” Sunrisers were tentatively hanging on to the fourth and last playoff place with only one round-robin match left, on Saturday against the eliminated Gujarat Lions. Mumbai Indians have already qualified for the playoffs, and have still two matches left. “It’s
    Saudi Gazette q
  • Large plastics fire at South Yorkshire recycling centre

    A huge blaze has broken out at a recycling centre near Rotherham. South Yorkshire Fire Service said up to 500 tonnes of plastic could be on fire at Universal Recycling, on Wharf Road near Kilnhurst. Seven fire engines are attending the blaze and there has been disruption to local transport services. People have been told to avoid the area, stay indoors and close windows and doors, and get children inside as soon as possible after school. The fire service, police and ambulance service are in attendance, and a cordon is in place. Incident Commander Andy Hayter, from South Yorkshire Fire Service, said the fire mostly involves plastics, but some metal is on fire. No oil or vehicles are ablaze and
    BBC News q
  • Lough Neagh rescue: Couple found clinging to boat

    Two people have been rescued after they were found clinging to the side of a sinking speedboat in Lough Neagh. The incident happened about 19:30 BST on Sunday. The couple, understood to be a young man and woman, were found by the Ardboe lifeboat crew. Both casualties were retrieved from the water and taken on board the lifeboat. They were treated on shore for hypothermia before being taken to hospital for observation. Lifeboat crew were able to attach a tow line, re-float and "cautiously" bring the vessel safely to shore. On their Facebook page, Lough Neagh Rescue said: "We have since learned that the casualties have been released from hospital and we wish them a speedy recovery. "We would also
    BBC News q
  • UKIP MEP Jane Collins 'facing bankruptcy' over damages

    A UKIP MEP could face bankruptcy after she failed to pay damages to three MPs over remarks she made about the Rotherham child abuse scandal. Jane Collins was told to pay £358,000 in damages and costs in February after being sued for libel and slander. But, she appeared in court in Hull earlier on Monday after failing to pay. A spokeswoman for Ms Collins said after the hearing that she will face bankruptcy proceedings if it is found that she cannot make the payments owed. Ms Collins claimed Rotherham MPs Sir Kevin Barron, John Healey and Sarah Champion knew about child exploitation in the town but did not intervene. She made the comments in a speech at a UKIP conference a month after a report
    BBC News q
  • Madonna granted permission to adopt two children from Malawi

    Madonna has been granted permission to adopt two more children from Malawi, a court spokesperson has announced. The country's High Court made the ruling today. The singer already has two children from the African country - David, adopted in 2006, and Mercy, adopted in 2009. Malawian judiciary spokesman Mlenga Mvula said the singer was inside the court in Lilongwe when the ruling was given. "In fact, at the time we were granting her the permission she was in the courtroom with her lawyers," Mr Mvula said. But less than two weeks ago Madonna denied reports she'd applied to adopt any more children, during a charity visit to Malawi. On 25 January, a Malawian government spokesperson told news outlets
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • The man who might determine your health care

    Washington (CNN)A few hours after the House finally passed a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Mitch McConnell walked silently and expressionless from his office to a waiting black SUV outside the Capitol. The solitary scene was a sharp contrast from the crowded and boisterous victory rally President Donald Trump threw for relieved House Republicans in the White House Rose Garden after the vote. All eyes now turn to McConnell and his fellow Senate Republicans to see if they can accomplish what the House GOP did through fits and starts: Pull together an ideologically diverse conference and secure enough votes to get rid of Obamacare, a promise they've made repeatedly but failed to keep since President Barack Obama's health care law passed in 2010.
    CNN q
  • No magic bullets for Hamilton issues

    There are no "magic bullets to understanding" Lewis Hamilton's car issues, says Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Three-time world champion Hamilton has won one of the season's four races and finished fourth at the Russian Grand Prix last time out. "Lewis had a difficult weekend in both qualifying and the race," said Wolff. "We've since been unpicking what happened to understand why we couldn't get the car in the right window so he could feel comfortable with it." Briton Hamilton said he was left mystified by his lack of pace as his team-mate Valtteri Bottas won in Russia, while Ferrari duo Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were second and third at the Sochi track. The result left Hamilton 13 points
    BBC Sport q
  • Egypt's First Televised Entrepreneurial Competition to Air on Lamis El Hadidi's TV Show

    Striving to showcase the flurry of ideas springing forth from Egyptian entrepreneurial youth, Egypt's first televised entrepreneurial competition is taking on one of the country’s most popular TV shows, Lamis El Hadidi’s Hona Al'Asema on CBC. The weekly segment, titled Hona Al Shabab, was powered by a partnership between three key players in the country’s ecosystem: RiseUp, Endeavour, and 138 Pyramids. Much like Silicon Valley’s famous reality show Shark Tank, where entrepreneurs pitch their startups to a board of five “sharks” – that is, industry titans who are themselves successful entrepreneurs –  the competition is going to feature a panel of prominent experts giving their feedback to the fierce entrepreneurs who take to the stage to pitch the startup.
    cairoscene.com q
  • Scotland Outdoors - Downloads

    Your free, weekly, pocket guide to the Scottish outdoors. A flavour of the countryside in 15 minutes! From BBC Radio Scotland
    BBC q
  • Seeing the light: How India is embracing solar power

    India unveiled the world's biggest solar farm earlier this year and has quadrupled its solar capacity in the last three years, bringing electricity to millions of off-grid households. But what are the innovations that could see solar replacing fossil fuels completely? Rameshwarlal Choudhary, a 45-year old farmer, and his wife Dakha, 40, live with their two children in a small shack near the village of Solawata in India's Rajasthan. Their home has thatched walls, a tin roof, and one side is completely open to the elements. Until six months ago, they were part of the 44% of India's rural households who lack electricity. Now, through a 40-watt solar panel perching on a tree branch outside the hut,
    BBC News q
  • BBC Breakfast mistake US political expert for heroic mountain climber

    BBC Breakfast had a bit of a hiccup this morning, when the man they thought was coming in to talk about mountain climbing was in fact an expert on Donald Trump. Jon Kay and Rachel Burden were expecting to have Leslie Binns on the red sofa. He helped save a woman who had collapsed on a trek up Mount Everest. Instead, when they cut to their guest, another man was seated. Dr Todd Landman was there to discuss US politics. "I think you have the wrong man," he said as they turned to him. "Do you know, it's ever so funny," said presenter Rachel Burden when she realised the wrong man was sitting down. "I looked at this man and thought, 'He doesn't necessarily look like a mountaineer.'" Dr Landman told
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • What Syria Means for Britain

    A Radio 4 special following the rejection by MPs of a military strike against Syria. John Kampfner considers what the decision, taken in the shadow of the war in Iraq, says about Britain and its place in the world.
    BBC q
  • How House Republicans won those final health care votes

    Promises of what political consultants call "air cover" helped House GOP leaders get to the finish line in last week's Obamacare repeal-and-replace vote. House members worried that a "yes" vote would be unpopular in their districts were told by Speaker Paul Ryan that they would get help with TV ads and other re-election support, CNN's Phil Mattingly reports. "They know that they will need [help] -- especially for the 14 Republicans who voted yes and come from Hillary Clinton districts," Mattingly said. "Where is that money going to come from? "You have outside groups -- American Action Network has launched a $2 million ad buy in 21 districts. I'm told they promised President Trump would be available
    CNN q
  • Winter is coming: The seventh series of Game of Thrones will air in July

    Game of Thrones bosses have confirmed the show will return to our screens in July. The seventh series will air in the UK on 17 July, a day behind American viewers, and it'll be the penultimate series. Fans watched an online video for more than an hour to see a huge block of ice being melted to reveal the air date. It's thought the post was nodding to the series title: A Song of Ice and Fire. A new trailer was released for the show too. In it, Jon Snow says: "There is only one war that matters. The Great War. And it is here." Warning: Third party content, may contain adverts According to broadcasters, the coming series promises a "brutal, bloody and wintry return to Westeros". Winter is coming.
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Cowbell campaigner denied Swiss passport by locals for being too annoying

    A Dutch woman has had her application for a Swiss passport denied after annoying local people with campaigns for animal rights. It is the second time Nancy Holten's request for Swiss citizenship has been rejected. This is despite the 42-year-old having lived there since she was eight. In Switzerland, locals can vote on whether someone can become a citizen and people of Gipf-Oberfric have had their say. Nancy, who was born in the Netherlands, has campaigned for a long time against traditional Swiss cowbells, which animals wear to scare away predators and help farmers locate their livestock. Tanja Suter, president of the local branch of the Swiss People's Party, explained the rejection, saying
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Cairo Named One of the Top 7 Cities to Launch a Startup in 2017

    A boundless pool of talented developers, ambitious entrepreneurs, and a booming startup market growth rate have catapulted Cairo as one of the top seven cities worldwide to launch a Startup, according to Starting Things Up. In addition to its central location between Africa, Europe, and Asia, one of Egypt's assets is its huge pool of youth, with a booming population of over 90 million, 37.6 percent of which are youth - that means, almost 28 million youngsters eager to create, to thrive, and trigger change. In fact, entrepreneurship was one of the most remarkable transformations that unfolded as a result of the uprising; a lot of ideas began to pop up; people were motivated to have a better life; and hope was spread all over the country.
    cairoscene.com q
  • Inquiry to look at police and cybercrime after drugs in the post investigation

    Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee Yvette Cooper wants the UK to learn from countries like New Zealand, where there are closer links between police and the postal service. She says "collaboration, changes in capacity and training" are all needed. "We need to know there's a proper approach to enforcement taking place." For several months Newsbeat followed drugs bought online and delivered unknowingly by UK postal workers. We heard that "millions of pounds of drugs are bought online every day" via the dark web, a hidden layer of the internet where dealers can sell drugs anonymously. And users buying drugs this way said they had widened their substance choices. Postal workers said they had
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Maldon Mud Race 2017: In pictures

    About 300 competitors slipped and slid their way through a gruelling course in an annual mud race in Essex. Participants from across Europe came to Maldon for the town's mud race, which has been held since 1973. Up to 30,000 people came to watch Sunday's event, which was raising money for a number of charities. The 500m course started on the banks of the River Blackwater, went out into the water and then back again to the promenade. The first race took place in 1973, as the result of a dare given to the landlord of a local pub by a resident, challenging him to serve a meal on the saltings of the River Blackwater dressed in a dinner jacket. The challenge evolved and led to a bar being opened on
    BBC News q
  • Paul McCartney, Desert Island Discs

    Roy Plomley's castaway is Beatle Paul McCartney. Favourite track: Beautiful Boy by John Lennon Book: Linda's pictures by Linda McCartney Luxury: Guitar
    BBC q
  • Israel-Germany row shines spotlight on anti-occupation group

    TEL AVIV — Former Israeli combat soldiers who were thrust into the center of a recent diplomatic row between Israel and Germany, say the sudden international spotlight has given them a bigger stage to speak out against Israel’s 50-year rule over millions of Palestinians. Breaking the Silence is a group of ex-soldiers-turned-whistleblowers who view Israel’s open-ended occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state as an existential threat to their country. Since 2004, the group has collected testimony from more than 1,100 fellow soldiers who describe the dark side of that rule, including seemingly routine mistreatment of Palestinian civilians stripped of basic rights. The veterans hope such
    Saudi Gazette q
  • Balmoral Show 2017: All you need to know

    With everything from tractors to texels, music to milking, fun-fairs to food, Northern Ireland's agricultural extravaganza is upon us again. The annual Balmoral Show draws tens of thousands of people - townies and country folk alike. And 2017 could see even more people through its gates because the event is running across four days, rather than the usual three. Here's our spectator's guide, offering you everything you need to know for a grand day out at the show! When and where The show begins on Wednesday morning and continues through until Saturday evening, starting at 09:30 BST each day and closing at 18:00 (20:00 on Thursday). Balmoral Park, near Lisburn in County Antrim, has been the venue
    BBC News q
  • Eurovision Song Contest: Australia through to final

    Australia will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest final for the third year running after making it through the first semi-final in Kiev. Isaiah Firebrace progressed despite failing to hit a high note during his performance of Don't Come Easy. Poland, Sweden and hotly tipped Portugal also made it through along with six other countries. But Montenegro's hair-twirling Slavko Kalezic exited the competition along with seven other acts. The fates of the 18 countries involved were decided by a combination of votes from national juries and viewers. Another 18 countries will take part in the second semi-final on Thursday ahead of the grand final on Saturday night. Successful semi-finalists Armenia:
    BBC News q
  • Tolkieni or Gryffindori? The geeky names scientists gave to new species

    A new species has been named the Skywalker hoolock gibbon - and, yes, the scientists behind it are Star Wars fans. The Chinese characters of its scientific name also mean "heaven's movement". But it's not the first time - and it won't be the last - that a nerdy fictional reference makes its way into the animal kingdom. We have a look at the best examples of nerdy naming... We started with Star Wars so let's continue with Star Wars Skywalker's mate Chewbacca has had a hairy weevil named after him. The Trigonopterus chewbacca is a flightless 3mm long beetle found off the coast of Papua New Guinea. No mistaking who the Darthvaderum mite is named after. But it doesn't come from the Darkside, it comes
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • 16 New Street Signs Egypt Desperately Needs

    Egyptian roads are notoriously dangerous due to terrible driving habits, the lack of effective enforcement of traffic laws, and a shortage of warning signs. There’s no argument that Egypt’s road casualties are unacceptably high, and although we can’t influence the enforcing of laws or amend the joke that is Egypt’s driving exam, we can provide some streets signs that will warn drivers of uniquely Egyptian road hazards. Now we've already created some Egyptian street signs, but we can’t help but feel that we missed some of the hazards we encounter daily. In an effort to save Egyptians time, money, and lives, we present 16 new streets signs Egypt desperately needs on its roads.Missing Sewer Covers 
    cairoscene.com q
  • England: Made in the Middle - Available now

    Helen Castor on why the action in Shakespeare's history plays takes place in the Midlands.
    BBC q
  • Housing crisis: Why not use empty properties?

    So why don't we use all those properties lying empty across the UK? People need affordable homes, hundreds of thousands of houses aren't being used, so let's fill them up and solve the problem, yes? Well, it turns out it's not as simple as that and here is why. There aren't enough empty properties According to the latest government figures there are around 600,000 empty properties in England. On paper that looks like a lot, but two-thirds of them are just temporarily vacant and are expected to be filled within six months. So that leaves around 200,000 long-term empty homes in England, 34,000 in Scotland and 26,500 in Wales. Simply put, that is not enough. The government estimates there needs
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Young Russians born this decade face complete smoking ban

    Russia's health ministry is considering a permanent ban on selling cigarettes to people born in 2014 or later. It's part of a tough anti-tobacco strategy the country's politicians are trying to make a reality. The ban on the sale of tobacco to this generation and younger would continue even after they reach adulthood. It's only being considered at the moment but it could mean smoking eventually becoming illegal for all Russians. Russian news site Izvestia says it has seen a policy document titled "concept for the state policy to counter tobacco consumption in the years 2017-2022 and beyond". It says the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation confirmed the document is being widely shared
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Win A Cyprus Trip for Two This Valentine's with John West

    Boy meets girl, girl experiences a surge in serotonin and adrenaline levels, boy is lovestruck, a week later, girl catches boy making out with her childhood friend in a bathroom stall at a seedy club. Finding someone you can really fall in love with, someone you can trust with your Costco card, someone your mom would call a 'real catch' takes a lifetime. Many people go their whole lives not knowing what true love feels like – of course they get to experience far less important things like independence, financial prosperity, freedom, a flourishing career, and not having to share bathrooms with another human being, but none of that means anything if you don’t have someone to love.And since no one knows more about catching living things at sea than John West, the brand wants the lucky few among you to rub it in the internet’s face this Valentine’s Day for a chance to win a trip to Cyprus with your significant other.
    cairoscene.com q
  • ITV News rapped for showing Alien 'chestburster' scene

    ITV News has been found in breach of Ofcom rules after it broadcast the famous "chestburster" scene from horror film Alien on a Saturday morning. The clip was shown on 28 January in an obituary for actor Sir John Hurt, who had died that week and starred in the film's most shocking scene. However the broadcast came at 09:25 GMT, immediately after a block of children's television programmes. Ofcom said the content broke its rules on the protection of minors. The Ridley Scott film famously sees Sir John's character, Kane, writhe on a table as a blood-soaked alien punches out of his stomach and kills him. The regulator received five complaints about the clip, which is often voted as one cinema's
    BBC News q
  • 05/01/2017, Today

    0650 How wealthy you are will, in future, depend more and more not on how well you do for yourself, but on how wealthy your parents were. That is the conclusion of a study into the growing importance of inheritance by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS). Paul Johnson is the director of the IFS. 0653 We are all living longer, but the number of years we are healthy is not improving at the same rate. That is according to a report from the Academy of Medical Sciences which points out that as a result there is an increasing burden on the NHS. Dr Angela Donkin is deputy director at the Institute of Health Equity. 0709 Britain has a new man in Brussels. Sir Tim Barrow is to be the UK's ambassador
    BBC q
  • Evacuation of Syrian rebels starts in Barzeh

    Hundreds of Syrian fighters have begun to leave the besieged Damascus suburb of Barzeh as part of an evacuation deal reached with the government, according to state television and a war monitor. State-run Ekhbariya television cited its reporter there as saying the evacuation of fighters from Barzeh for the rebel-held Idlib province had begun to be implemented on Monday, but without giving further details. Idlib, a mostly rural province in northwest Syria abutting the Turkish border, is a major opposition stronghold. "Armed men and some of their families have begun leaving Barzeh on 40 buses heading towards northern Syria," the channel said in a news alert. An AFP news agency photographer in Barzeh
    Al Jazeera q
  • The One Show, 08/02/2017

    Matt Baker and Angela Scanlon are joined by Let It Shine's Dannii Minogue, The Saturdays' Una Healy, Nashville star Sam Palladio and the Natural History Museum's Dippy the Diplodocus, a 150-million-year-old dinosaur that's about to go on its first UK tour.
    BBC iPlayer q
  • Famine and South Sudan, All Things Considered

    The haunting pictures have returned.  Every few years, it seems, we’re confronted with emaciated men and women, and skeletal children.   Now the United Nations has declared famine in South Sudan, with 100,000 people at risk of dying of starvation, and at least 5 million in need of assistance.  Several other African nations face the same threat. Roy Jenkins asks what constitutes famine.  Can it be prevented, or is there a certain inevitability about it?  And we look at just what’s happening in South Sudan, the world’s newest nation.  It’s a fertile land, with vast untapped natural resources; but it’s also racked by civil war and a collapsing economy. What help are its people getting?  And in a
    BBC q
  • Aswan to Host its First Ever Marathon to Benefit Magdi Yacoub Foundation

    "Come and join me in the first ever Aswan Marathon," says Sir Magdi Yacoub in a video promoting the extraordinary event, who are we to turn down an invitation by an actual real life Sir? It's time to bust out those running shoes again as Trifactory, Egypt's pioneer sports management company, joins forces with the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation to take us on a run through history and nature. Taking place on February 24th, along the banks of the world's longest rivers and home to its greatest civilization, is Aswan42, the city's first marathon ever. Over the past three years, TriFactory organized the famous Sahl Hasheesh Triathlon which has become a must-attend for countless sports enthusiasts from around the world, making it the biggest and most successful triathlon event to ever take place in Egypt.
    cairoscene.com q
  • Prime Minister's Questions, 11/01/2017

    Coverage of questions in the House of Commons to the prime minister Theresa May from Wednesday 11 January.
    BBC iPlayer q
  • Wanted: PA to the Duchess

    Fancy a new job? Because the Duchess of Cambridge is looking for a new private secretary. Her current assistant, 34-year-old Rebecca Deacon, is stepping down from the role in the Summer after 10 years of service to the Royal family. So what skills does it take to look after Kate's affairs? Newsbeat has put together a job spec for anyone looking to submit their CV. Very organised The successful candidate will be expected to manage Kate's diary. And as one of the most popular women in the world, she goes to hundreds of events. So, be prepared to have a lot on the go and be able to juggle it all. Time management So, you'll get to sit on some of the most sought-after seats (think Wimbledon, the Baftas,
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • How professor/dad Robert Kelly realised he'd gone viral. Very, very viral

    This TV interview being interrupted by a very cute toddler, a baby on wheels and a speeding mum is the funniest thing on the internet right now. But it probably isn't how Robert E Kelly imagined his appearance on the BBC World channel would turn out. The professor of political science managed to keep his composure and get through the interview about South Korea. We're guessing he was not so ready to deal with his new fame. "Is this the kinda thing that goes viral and gets weird?" he tweeted in response to a request to share the video clip online. It has since been viewed more than 30 million times on Facebook. And the BBC interview has been featured by other TV channels, including ABC in the
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • England v Ireland: Joe Root stars with bat and ball as hosts seal series at Lord's

    Joe Root starred as England sealed a series whitewash over Ireland in their two-match one-day international contest courtesy of an 85-run win at Lord's. Root scored 73 in a partnership of 140 with Eoin Morgan (76) before Jonny Bairstow's rapid 72 propelled England to 328-6 at the home of cricket. Paul Stirling struck 48 but Root's 3-52 swung the game the home side's way. Will Porterfield (82) gave Ireland a glimmer of hope but his dismissal spelt the end and they were all out for 241. Root's Yorkshire team-mate Liam Plunkett helped clean up the tail and ended up with figures of 3-21. However, it was a much-improved display from the tourists after Friday's seven-wicket defeat in Bristol in front
    BBC Sport q
  • SeaWorld San Diego hosts final One Ocean orca show on Sunday

    SeaWorld San Diego will put on a final orca performance on Sunday, after criticism of the shows as they stand. A new presentation is set to be introduced, bosses say, which will feature the natural behaviour of killer whales and focus on conservation. The One Ocean show, which has been running since the 1960s under a variety of names, has been condemned by animal rights activists. They say killer whales should not be kept in captivity. Their argument was brought to global attention with the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which told the story of Tillikum, an orca involved in the deaths of three people. Tillikum died earlier this week at the estimated age of 36. After the film was released, attendances
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Seven times Barack Obama cried during an emotional eight years

    It was mention of his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia that made him cry. "You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody," he said of the first lady. "And a new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model." During his time in office he introduced affordable healthcare to the US and legalised gay marriage, but said his daughters were his greatest achievement. "Of all that I've done in my life, I'm most proud to be your dad," he said. These are the some of the moments that moved Obama to tears across his presidency. The loss of his grandmother Barack Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, died from cancer on November 3 2008, the last day of his campaign
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • ‘Roads of Arabia’ exhibition inaugurated in Seoul

    SEOUL: The exhibition “Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia” was inaugurated on Monday at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. It is a joint initiative of Saudi Aramco’s King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH). It was inaugurated by SCTH President Prince Sultan bin Salman, Energy Minister and Aramco Chairman Khalid A. Al-Falih, South Korean Deputy Prime Minister Yoo Il-ho and Song Soo-keun, first vice minister of culture, sports and tourism. The exhibition was attended by diplomats, businesspeople and cultural dignitaries. It was previously on display for three months at the National Museum of China in Beijing,
    Arab News q
  • Iraq: ISIL suicide bombers target Kirkuk military base

    At least two people have been killed and six injured when multiple ISIL suicide bombers attacked a base in northern Iraq, security sources said. Two of the attackers died overnight when they detonated their vests at the entrance to the K1 base, a based where US advisers are also stationed. Three more were killed by Kurdish Peshmerga forces who control the Kirkuk area where it is situated. "They were wearing uniforms like the Kurdish peshmerga and had shaved their beards to look like us," one officer told Reuters news agency. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS, also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, saying it had killed and wounded dozens of "crusaders
    Al Jazeera q
  • How Sherlock, Homeland & Orwell predicted CIA spying

    Thousands of documents detailing the ways the CIA gets its intelligence have been published by Wikileaks. They include allegations that the US spy agency hacks into smartphones and smart TV microphones to get information. The CIA has not confirmed whether the documents are real. But what we do know, is that these techniques have been described on TV shows, films and books for decades. *WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS* Big Brother is watching you - through the telly Almost 70 years ago, George Orwell published the novel 1984 and it's pretty much been on the school syllabus ever since. The dystopian novel, published in 1949, describes an alternative future where the government - led by
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Five things we learned from the Sally Yates hearing

    "That created a compromised situation, a situation where the national security adviser essentially could be blackmailed by the Russians. Finally, we told them that we were giving them all of this information so that they could take action, the action that they deemed appropriate," she said. McGahn called Yates and asked her to return the next morning, January 27, when she testified that he asked her about four main concerns: Why did it matter to the Justice Department if Flynn lied to Vice President Mike Pence? What criminal statutes did Flynn potentially violate? Would taking action against Flynn immediately interfere with the FBI's investigation? Could he see the underlying evidence collected
    CNN q
  • Djokovic survives a scare

    Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Nicolas Almagro of Spain at rhe Madrid Open Tennis Tournament in Madrid Wednesday. MADRID — Novak Djokovic staved off a huge upset in his first match since splitting with his long-time coaching team to beat Nicolas Almagro 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in the second round of the Madrid Masters Wednesday. After a blistering start, Djokovic had to battle back from 3-0 down in the deciding set to book his place in the last 16 on Thursday against Feliciano Lopez or Gilles Simon. Djokovic is without a coach in the Spanish capital after bringing to an end a 10-year relationship with Marian Vajda in an attempt to reverse his dramatic slump in form over the past year.
    Saudi Gazette q
  • Syrian army advances despite deal to cut violence, monitor says

    BEIRUT: The Syrian army seized control of the village of Al-Zalakiyat north of Hama on Sunday amid a heavy bombardment, a war monitor reported, despite a deal brokered by Russia, Syria’s main foreign backer, to reduce fighting. Violence has raged in the countryside north of Hama for over a month, since rebels there launched an assault against government forces that was quickly reversed and has now turned into an army push into areas the insurgents gained last year. Fighting also took place in the Qaboun district of Damascus, said the Observatory, a Britain-based group that monitors the war in Syria via a network of contacts around the country. The deal was agreed during cease-fire talks in Astana in Kazakhstan between the Syrian government’s backers Russia and Iran, and the main rebel sponsor Turkey.
    Arab News q
  • Ed Sheeran releases two new tracks to mark his return to music

    Ed Sheeran has released two new songs, Castle on the Hill and Shape of You, to mark his return to music. The 25-year-old said the double release was "'cause I have been away for a bit". In December 2015, the singer announced he'd be taking a break from music so he could "travel the world and see everything I missed." The tracks are taken from his forthcoming album, which is called ÷ (Divide). He's clearly maintaining the maths symbol themed album names. His first was called + (Plus), while his second album was called x (Multiply). The songs, which were released at 5am GMT, also sparked #WelcomeBackEd. Speaking on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, Ed said: "Castle on the Hill is a love song for Suffolk
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • FA Cup Third Round - Everton v Leicester City, BBC Radio Leicester Sport: Commentary

    FA Cup commentary is available online in the UK, 104.9 FM, DAB and Freeview 721.
    BBC q
  • Kim Kardashian's ex Ray J quits Celebrity Big Brother

    Kim Kardashian's ex Ray J has quit Celebrity Big Brother. He left the house earlier this evening after less than a week. Channel 5 confirmed his departure at the end of Tuesday night's programme. It said more details about the 35 year-old's reasons would follow. Last week, it was reported that the American singer was the highest paid contestant to take part in the UK version of the show. Some newspapers claimed that he was receiving more than £800,000 for his appearance. That's much higher than co-stars including Calum Best, Coleen Nolan and Game Of Thrones' James Cosmo. In 2003, a sex tape featuring Ray J and Kim Kardashian was leaked online. He's also the brother of R&B star Brandy. When he
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Turkey assails US move to arm Syria Kurds against IS

    Issue risks stoking tensions between Ankara, Washington ISTANBUL: Turkey yesterday slammed as unacceptable a US plan to arm Syrian Kurdish fighters whom Ankara considers terrorists, but the militia applauded a “historic” move that would hasten the extremists’ defeat. The issue risks further stoking tensions between Ankara and Washington less than a week before President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heads to Washington to meet his US counterpart Donald Trump in their first face-to-face encounter as heads of state. The Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) is seen by Washington as the best ally against Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria and the prime attacking force in any assault on their stronghold
    Kuwait Times q
  • Egypt Nabs #1 Spot on FIFA's Africa Rankings for the First Time in 7 Years

    The Egyptian national football team just jumped 12 spots in the most recent FIFA world rankings. Ranked 23rd, Egypt tops the African rankings despite coming in second in the 2017 African Cup of Nations, after losing to Cameroon’s Les Lions Indomptables (The Indomitable Lions.) We were due for some good news after the nationwide mayhem caused by Egypt’s 2-1 loss last Sunday. Thanks to Argentine manager, Hector Cuper’s leadership, the Egyptian National team moved up from being ranked 35th when Cuper first started managing them in early 2015. Winning all their AFCON matches except for the final, the Egyptian national team’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup are looking better and better in spite of their loss against Cameroon.
    cairoscene.com q
  • Turkey hits back as Trump OKs arming Kurds

    (CNN)Turkey has lashed out at Washington's plan to send arms to Kurdish rebels fighting ISIS in Syria, calling for an end to a strategy that has long rattled officials in Ankara. The Pentagon announced Tuesday that President Donald Trump had authorized arming the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). A US official said that small arms, machine guns, construction equipment and armored vehicles were among the provisions. The group is part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition of rebel fighters that Washington has for years considered its main ally in Syria. But Ankara sees the YPG as part of a terrorist organization waging an insurgency in Turkey's southeast, near the Syrian border.
    CNN q
  • U.S. to arm Syrian Kurds battling Islamic State, despite Turkish ire - Region - World

    Despite fierce opposition from NATO ally Turkey, U.S. President Donald Trump has approved supplying arms to Kurdish YPG fighters to support an operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State (IS) militants, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia fighting within a larger U.S.-backed coalition as the Syrian extension of the Kurdish PKK militant group, which has fought an insurgency in Turkey's southeast since 1984. There was no immediate reaction from Turkey, whose president, Tayyip Erdogan, is expected to meet Trump later this month. The Pentagon immediately sought to stress that it saw arming the Kurdish forces "as necessary to ensure a clear victory"
    english.ahram.org.eg q
  • Harry Potter actor Jim Tavare in intensive care with broken neck and punctured lung

    Jim Tavare, who played Tom the Innkeeper in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, is in intensive care after a head-on car crash. The 54-year-old, who played the owner of the Leaky Cauldron in the film, suffered a broken neck and a punctured lung. He also has 15 broken ribs, breaks in his right leg and fractured breastbones. His wife Laura posted a picture of him in a hospital bed on Facebook. "This is Laura here," she wrote. "Now that his family have been informed, Jim has asked me to let you all know that he was involved in a serious car accident yesterday, a head-on collision. "He's currently in ICU intensive care. He's had 2 blood transfusions so far and is about to go in for his first
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Prime Minister's Questions, 08/02/2017

    Coverage of questions in the House of Commons to the prime minister Theresa May, from Wednesday 8 February.
    BBC iPlayer q
  • Syrian FM: No International Force to patrol 'Safe Zones'

    Syria's foreign minister says the government will not accept foreign forces patrolling any of the newly-established so-called 'safe zones'. It's part of a deal struck by Russia, Iran and Turkey to reduce violence in Syria, but it has gotten off to a shaky start. Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports from Gaziantep on the Turkey-Syria border.
    Al Jazeera q
  • Kurd issue deepens US-Turkey fault line in Syria

    ANKARA: Turkey’s recent airstrikes against Kurdish militias in Iraq and Syria despite US objections have complicated the fault line between the two major allies in the region. Following the airstrikes, US forces have started to patrol part of the Turkey-Syria border in order to de-escalate tensions between its two anti-Daesh partners. In recent weeks, Turkey sent tough messages to the US by bombing targets of the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) in Syria. By warning that “we can come unexpectedly in the night,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan implied more steps could be taken. “We are not going to tip off the terror groups, and the Turkish Armed Forces could come at any moment,”
    Arab News q
  • Saudi King Salman congratulates Emmanuel Macron on French presidential win

    Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has sent a cable of congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his election as president of France. On behalf of both the people and the government of Saudi Arabia, King Salman expressed his best wishes for the president and the people of the French Republic, according to a statement carried by Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
    News q
  • The boy who recreated La La Land to ask Emma Stone to prom

    If you want to ask Emma Stone to prom, you need to stand out from the crowd. So 17-year-old Jacob Staudenmaier from Arizona recreated the opening scene from her Oscar-winning La La Land - and it's gone viral. The teenager and friends sang along to "Another Day of Sun," swapping the original lyrics for new ones asking the 28-year-old to his school dance. Just like the film, it features cars stuck in traffic. Although in this version, they seem to be in the school car park rather than on a highway in LA. "I need a date to prom," he sings in the choreographed performance. "Jacob Staudenmaier is my name... Emma Stone if you came, I think I'd lose it, go insane." He also says people think he looks
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q
  • Thae Yong-ho: Interview with a North Korean defector

    Thae Yong-ho, the former North Korean deputy ambassador to the UK, defected to South Korea with his family in 2016. He remains the highest-ranking diplomat ever to defect from North Korea. In an interview with 101 East reporter Mary Ann Jolley in Seoul, he gives rare insights into the inner workings of the Kim Jong-un regime. Thae believes that a people's revolution will one day bring an end to the Kim family's dynastic rule. The family members of defectors are often targeted by the North Korean regime. Thae reveals that he does not know the fate of his siblings. "Even though I am physically and mentally free in South Korea, I still can't get rid of this nightmare of my family members," he says.
    Al Jazeera q
  • Gunfight between Indian police, rebels kills 5 in Kashmir

    SRINAGAR: Rebels attacked a police squad in the Indian portion of Kashmir, triggering a gunbattle that left three civilians, one officer and an assailant dead, police said Sunday. The unit came under fire Saturday night as it reached a road accident site on a key highway connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of India, said senior police officer S.P. Pani. He said the dead civilians were road construction officials of a private company. One civilian and one police officer also were injured in the shootout, he said. Police believe two insurgents escaped under the cover of darkness after the officers swiftly retaliated in Malpora , a village 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of Srinagar, the main
    Arab News q
  • Garth Crooks' team of the week: Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron Ramsey, Sam Vokes

    Arsenal ended Manchester United's 25-match league unbeaten run to keep alive their own hopes of Champions League qualification - as Arsene Wenger finally beat Jose Mourinho in a competitive match. On Friday, Tottenham slipped up at West Ham - meaning Chelsea can move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League with victory over Middlesbrough on Monday. At the bottom of the table, Hull slipped into the relegation zone as Swansea defeated Everton, while Boro will return to the Championship if they lose at Stamford Bridge. Do you agree with my selection or would you go for a different team? Why not pick your own team of the week from the shortlist selected by BBC Sport journalists and share
    BBC Sport q
  • Major Evacuation of Fighters, Civilians since Beginning of War in Syria

    During the years of the Syrian war that erupted in 2011 as many areas were besieged by all conflict parties, the country has witnessed several evacuations involving tens of thousands of civilians and fighters, especially from the strongholds of the opposition factions. The Syrian regime has always praised the reconciliation agreements, which usually come after a military escalation and end with the departure of the opposition fighters from areas they controlled before the regime’s forces took over. The United Nations has criticized these operations, which the Syrian opposition regards as “forced displacement” and accuses the regime of seeking “demographic change” in the country. -Syrian rebels and their families started to leave Barzeh district in Damascus on Monday in the first evacuation process of opposition factions from the Syrian capital since the eruption of the conflict more than six years ago.
    ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English q
  • 100 Days, Series 1: 08/02/2017

    As President Trump takes office, Katty Kay in Washington and Christian Fraser in London report on the events that are shaping the world.
    BBC iPlayer q
  • Michael Jackson's daughter Paris 'offended' by casting of white actor to play him

    Michael Jackson's daughter Paris says she's "incredibly offended" that a white actor has been chosen to play the part of her father in a new TV film. Joseph Fiennes, who's appeared in films like Shakespeare in Love and Elizabeth, said he was shocked to be given the part last year. But writing on Twitter, 18-year-old Paris said images showing what he looked like made her "want to vomit". A petition's been signed by more than 20,000 people to boycott the movie. Urban Myths is a collection of tales including one about Michael Jackson taking a road trip from New York to Los Angeles with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando after the 9/11 terror attacks. The pop singer died in 2009 aged 50. The stories
    BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat q

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