Mandela memorial interpreter 'faced murder charge'

The man accused of faking sign language interpretation at Nelson Mandela's memorial has previously faced a charge of murder, according to reports 

 Thamsanqa Jantjie, 34, was exposed as a fraud by experts after he signed "nonsense" during the four-hour ceremony as he stood next to a number of heads of state including US President Barack Obama.

Nelson Mandela memorial: empty seats embarrass South Africa

Empty seats at national stadium are blamed on rain, an unpopular president in Jacob Zuma and his failure to declare a national holiday 

 It was supposed to be standing room only, but the memorial service held to honour the life of Nelson Mandela was remarkable for the large number of South Africans who failed to turn up.

Nelson Mandela: Obituary

Nelson Mandela, who has died aged 95, was the architect of South Africa’s transformation from racial despotism to liberal democracy, saving his country from civil war and becoming its first black president 

1. One of the most inspiring figures of the 20th Century

Former President of South Africa, who guided the country from apartheid to democracy during a life filled with hardship and struggle

Nelson Mandela, who has died aged 95, was the architect of South Africa’s transformation from racial despotism to liberal democracy, saving his country from civil war and becoming its first black president


1. One of the most inspiring figures of the 20th Century

Former President of South Africa, who guided the country from apartheid to democracy during a life filled with hardship and struggle

2. Stirring up trouble

Son of a chief of the Thembu clan of the Xhosa people, young Rolihlahla Mandela attends a local Methodist mission school. Here a British teacher, finding his name difficult to pronounce, christens him 'Nelson' after the admiral

Nelson Mandela, who has died aged 95, was the architect of South Africa’s transformation from racial despotism to liberal democracy, saving his country from civil war and becoming its first black president

Nelson Mandela: in his own

The most memorable quotations from former South African president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, who has died aged 95

On facing the death penalty, Nelson Mandela spoke from the dock at the culmination of the Rivonia Trial in April 1964

Nelson Mandela, South Africa's anti-apartheid icon, dies aged 95

Nelson Mandela, the global statesman who delivered South Africa from the dark days of apartheid, has died aged 95.
 Mr Mandela had suffered from a series of lung infections over the past two years and died at home in the company of his family.

US lawsuit wants chimps to be treated as ‘legal persons’

Walking, talking chimpanzees may be TV comedy gold but now three courts in New York are being asked to recognize four chimps as "legal persons" with fundamental rights.

US President Barack Obama used a youth event to promote his signature healthcare plan while ruing that he is not allowed to keep an iPhone because of security reasons, unlike his two daughters who spend a lot of time on the popular Apple gadget.

"Now, I am not allowed, for security reasons, to have an iPhone. I don't know what your bills are. I have noticed that Sasha and Malia seem to spend a lot of time on it," Obama said in his remarks at a youth summit at the White House on Wednesday.

Germany to ban 'flat-rate' sex offers in brothels

Next German government plans to ban 'flat-rate sex' offers in brothels amid fears industry has got "out of hand" since 2002 legalisation

 Germany's biggest political parties have agreed to ban so-called flat-rate sex offered by some brothels in the country.

British ambassador backs 'mob free' guide to Italy

Christoper Prentice, the UK ambassador to Italy, backs the first English translation of a guide book that lists and promotes 1,000 Italian shops and businesses which are “mob free”

 Southern Italian shopkeepers struggling against violent demands from local mafia clans for protection money have found an unexpected ally in the British ambassador to Italy.

Canadian woman denied entry to US

 A Canadian woman has been refused entry into the US by border officials due to her past history of clinical depression despite the medical records detailing her condition being confidential, it is claimed.

Train derails in New York City; 4 dead, more than 60 injured

 A New York City commuter train rounding a riverside curve derailed and came to rest only inches from the water on Sunday, killing four people, injuring more than 60 and sending a chain of toppled cars shaped like a backward question mark trailing off the track, authorities said.

 Tony Blair has denied ever planning to intervene in Zimbabwe and topple Robert Mugabe after Thabo Mbeki, South Africa’s former president, claimed that he was asked to help such an operation.

The former Prime Minister took the unusual step of denying Mr Mbeki’s version of events, recounted in an interview with al-Jazeera.

World cup stadium collapse

At least two people have been killed in a partial collapse at the stadium due to host the World Cup opener in Brazil next year.

Part of the grandstand was destroyed when a metal structure buckled at the top of the Arena Corinthians venue in Sao Paulo.

Local media reported that the accident was caused by a crane collapse. Construction work has been halted at the site.

BRITISH and Portuguese police together as one team

BRITISH and Portuguese police should join together as one team in their investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner says.

Currently Scotland Yard is running its own inquiry into what happened to the little girl, who vanished while holidaying with her parents in Praia da Luz in 2007, while the Portuguese authorities have their own investigation.

court order US hot sauce factory must cut smell

A US judge has ordered a factory that produces the popular Sriracha chilli sauce to stop emitting annoying odours in a ruling that has left some nearby residents worried about a possible loss of jobs at the site.

Judge Robert H. O'Brien on Tuesday ruled in favour of the city of Irwindale, where Sriracha recently relocated, saying sauce maker Huy Fong Foods must stop any operations that could be causing the odours and make unspecified changes to mitigate them.

Madrid wins without CR7

Real Madrid overcame the sending off of Sergio Ramos to record an impressive 4-1 win over Galatasaray on a night Cristiano Ronaldo was forced to watch from the stands.

Goals from Gareth Bale, Alvaro Arbeloa, Angel Di Maria and Isco sealed an emphatic win for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, cancelling out Umut Bulut’s first half opener and the sending off of Ramos.

United demolish Leverkusen to cruise into round 16

Manchester United qualified for the knockout phase of the Champions League with a thumping 5-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen.

Despite being without Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick, the visitors put forth their best shift in the David Moyes era, although their opposition was as poor as they will face in Europe.

Bayern win 10th in a row

Bayern Munich shrugged off an injury crisis to beat CSKA Moscow 3-1 in Russia and extend their winning Champions League streak to a record 10 matches.

In horrible  conditions on a terrible pitch, Arjen Robben opened the scoring with a neat finish from Thomas Mueller’s cut-back.

Bayern – who had already qualified – were having more of the possession but fewer opportunities, with Keisuke Honda missing two gilt-edged chances in quick succession early in the second half.

IF I LOOSE I WILL QUIT...

The Portuguese  cheseal born coach jose mourinho this morning said in an interview with news alert express that this weekend will put his coaching career at test and online if he fail to win the match.

US Secretary of State John Kerry will fly to Geneva to join talks on Iran's nuclear program Friday, a sign that the negotiations might have made progress.

Royal surprise for a Dutch master plantsman

Piet Oudolf, creator of the High Line in New York and many other influential gardens, received the annual Prince Bernhard Cultural Foundation Award in Amsterdam last week.

Peter Okoye gushes over his beautiful wife, Lola Okoye; read his wedding vow to her

The just married ‘Alingo’ crooner posted this very lovely photo of his wife Lola Okoye nee Omotayo on his Instagram page….

“I am very excited today because I am getting married to a very wonderful woman. She is a very strong woman who has stuck by me through it all. I know she will make me a happy man”

US-Iran clinch interim nuclear deal: Blow to Israel and Saudi Arabia; relief for India

WASHINGTON: The United States plus five world powers reached a landmark deal with Iran on Sunday to curtail the Persian country's purported march towards nuclear weapons.

U.S., Japan slam China's 'destabilizing' move on East China Sea airspace

 Japan and ally the United States sharply criticized China's move to impose new rules on airspace over islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Tokyo, warning of an escalation into the "unexpected" if Beijing enforces the rules.
China's government-run Xinhua news agency published coordinates for a newly established "East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone," which covers most of that sea and includes the skies over the disputed islands.
Beijing warned that it would take "defensive emergency measures" against aircraft that failed to identify themselves properly in the airspace.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the move was unacceptable. "It could well lead to an unforeseen situation," he told reporters on Sunday.
Ties between the Asian powers, the world's second and third biggest economies, have been strained for months by the dispute over the islands in the East China Sea, called the Diaoyu by China and the Senkaku by Japan. The islands are currently under Japanese administrative control.
Saturday's announcement suggests that foreign aircraft merely passing through that zone would have to follow China's procedures - or face unknown, potentially dangerous consequences.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged China to exercise caution and restraint, saying freedom of overflight was essential to stability and security in the Pacific.
"We urge China not to implement its threat to take action against aircraft that do not identify themselves or obey orders from Beijing," he said in a statement.
"We remain steadfastly committed to our allies and partners, and hope to see a more collaborative and less confrontational future in the Pacific."
A U.S.-Japan security treaty commits Washington to intervene in defense of Japan if there is an attack on Japanese-administered territory. The United States has a hefty military presence in Japan, including on the southern island of Okinawa, which is close to the disputed isles.

Xinhua said in a commentary the "air zone could contribute to regional peace and security by curbing the increasing rampancy of Japan's right-wing forces, as well as the continuous and dangerous provocations of Japanese politicians, which even Washington should be vigilant against".

Tensions flared last year when the government bought three of the islands from a private landowner to fend off a potentially more inflammatory purchase by the Tokyo metropolitan government, at the time headed by nationalist governor Shintaro Ishihara.
Tokyo lodged a strong protest through the Chinese embassy, calling the action "totally unacceptable" and warning that the overlap of the air defense identification zone could lead to an "unexpected occurrence of accidents in the airspace".
A senior diplomat in China's Tokyo embassy, Han Zhiqiang, dismissed Tokyo's protests, saying in a statement that "Japan has no right to make irresponsible remarks".
Han said the Chinese government's aim was to defend its national sovereignty and territorial airspace and was not aimed at a specific country or target. He added it did not affect the freedom to pass through the airspace.
Xinhua said the latest rules came into force on Saturday and China's air force conducted its first patrol over the zone. The patrol included early warning aircraft and fighters, it said.
Japan, for its part, scrambled fighter jets on Saturday afternoon against two Chinese reconnaissance planes over the East China Sea, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.

HAGEL SAYS MOVE IS DESTABLIZING
In a strongly worded statement, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called Beijing's move a "destabilizing attempt to alter the status quo in the region".
"This unilateral action increases the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculations," he said.
One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Beijing's move was being interpreted as "a direct challenge" to Japan's operations in the area, believed to be surrounded by energy-rich seabed.
Security experts echoed the concerns about an escalation, saying that if China were to enforce the air defense identification zone, a non-military Chinese aircraft's flying into it could lead to a military face-off between the two sides.

"If two fighter aircraft - one from their side and one from our side - meet in the air, that would create a precarious situation," said Narushige Michishita, director at Japan's National Graduate

Institute for Policy Studies. "That's very dangerous."
Tensions in the region are expected to be a topic of discussion when Vice-President Joe Biden travels to China, Japan and South Korea in early December.
The United States has not taken a position on sovereignty issues in the regional maritime disputes, but has stressed the need for the free flow of commerce, a reduction in tensions, and peace and stability in the region.
China's move comes on the heels of a visit there last week by a delegation of Japanese business leaders in the hopes of improving economic ties. Trade between the two countries amounts to $250 billion annually, but Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping have yet to hold an official meeting.

ECB says bank health test to strengthen confidence

The European Central Bank vowed on Wednesday to submit the euro zone's top banks to a comprehensive batch of tests next year, staking its credibility on a review that is crucial to rebuilding confidence in the sector.
Setting out its plans to scrutinize 128 top euro zone lenders, the ECB said the exercise aimed to improve transparency in the sector, to identify and implement "corrective action" where needed and to build confidence in banks.
"A single comprehensive assessment, uniformly applied to all significant banks, accounting for about 85 percent of the euro area banking system, is an important step forward for Europe and for the future of the euro area economy," ECB President Mario Draghi said in a statement.
"Transparency will be its primary objective," he said. "We expect that this assessment will strengthen private sector confidence in the soundness of euro area banks and in the quality of their balance sheets."
The ECB said it would conclude its assessment in October 2014, before assuming its new supervisory tasks in November 2014. If capital shortfalls are identified, banks will be required to make up for them, the ECB said.
"For the success of the exercise, the ex ante availability of backstops is critical

Slain Boston Marathon bombing suspect linked to triple killings

Slain Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev took part in a 2011 triple homicide in a nearby town, according to a Chechen immigrant who was himself killed when approached by investigators for questioning, federal prosecutors said on Monday in newly filed court papers.
Ibragim Todashev, 27, who has been identified as an acquaintance of Tsarnaev from their days as mixed martial-arts fighters in Boston, told investigators Tsarnaev participated in the murders of three men found stabbed to death in September 2011 in an apartment in Waltham, Massachusetts, according to the filing.
U.S. media had previously reported that one of the victims was a close friend of Tsarnaev and authorities believe the killings were drug related.
The FBI has said Todashev was shot and killed by a federal agent about a month after the marathon bombings when he suddenly turned violent while being questioned about possible links to Tsarnaev.
The latest disclosure about Tsarnaev came in a 23-page brief arguing against a motion by lawyers for his younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is in custody on federal charges related to the marathon bombing that carry the death penalty.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's lawyers are seeking to force the government to share with defense attorneys investigative materials pertaining to his deceased older brother, Tamerlan.
The two siblings, both ethnic Chechens, are suspected of planting two pressure-cooker bombs that detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, killing three people and injuring 264 others.
After allegedly shooting a police officer to death in an ambush three days later, the pair went on to engage in a late-night gun battle with police in nearby Watertown that ended with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, dead, and 20-year-old brother, Dzhokhar, escaping.
Police later captured the younger Tsarnaev after a daylong manhunt in which most of the Boston area was placed on a security lockdown.
Dzhokhar has since pleaded not guilty to charges related to the bombing and the policeman's slaying.
Lawyers for the younger Tsarnaev have argued that information about the investigation of his older brother's possible role in the Waltham murders might be a mitigating factor in the government's case against Dzhokhar. But prosecutors said disclosure of the materials sought by his defense could jeopardize the continuing investigation into the triple homicide.

French investigation into Kurdish murders eyes Turkey connections

  French investigators trying to solve the murder of three Kurdish activists in Paris have collected evidence about the chief suspect's connections to Turkey, four sources with knowledge of the investigation told
Police sources told Reuters the magistrate in charge of the case was about to lodge a formal appeal for information to Turkey about Omer Guney, a Turkish immigrant placed under formal investigation for the triple murder eight months ago.
The move could mark a turning point in the case, which has become a rallying cry for Europe's large population of ethnic Kurds. It comes after disclosures that Guney took at least three trips to Turkey and made dozens of phone calls to contacts there in the months before the killings, lawyers with access to investigation files told Reuters.
The Turkish justice ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on cooperation with France in the case.
The murders of Sakine Cansiz, 55, a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK); Fidan Dogan, 32, a spokeswoman for the cause in France and Europe; and a trainee named Leyla Saylemez, 25, sent a shockwave through Europe's large Kurdish community. The women were shot as ceasefire talks to end 29 years of war between the PKK and Turkey were starting.
The key question asked by lawyers and victims' family members is who ordered the killing. Kurds who gather each week by the crime scene say it was a political assassination.
French police quickly arrested Guney, 30. Surveillance footage placed him at the scene, and partial DNA from one of the victims was found on a parka belonging to him, lawyers said.
Guney, who says he is innocent, has been awaiting trial for eight months in solitary confinement near Paris. His lawyer, Anne-Sophie Laguens, said she planned to apply to have him freed under court supervision because he was not receiving proper treatment for a brain tumor that induced seizures.
Laguens said she was also waiting for answers from Turkey regarding her client's trips. Guney told investigators he had travelled to Turkey to find a wife and had bought tickets with disability payments he received from the French state.
POLITICAL FALLOUT
Lawyers both for Guney and the victims' families in France and in Turkey say the investigation has dragged due to concern about political fallout from a case involving two NATO allies linked by a 2011 bilateral security accord.
"It's my impression that we (the French investigation) have received more information in this case through Turkish media than through international cooperation," said Antoine Comte, a lawyer for the Kurdish victims in France.
Police sources said Turkish authorities had earlier provided some biographical information about Guney, but the French magistrate was expected to seek responses to recent disclosures.
A spokesman for France's foreign ministry said the French state exerts no influence over judicial investigations. Paris' anti-terrorism court denied that political tension was slowing down the case.
New evidence could upset a ceasefire brokered between the PKK and Turkey: Kurdish rebels are disappointed with Turkish efforts to address their grievances and have said they are considering whether to maintain the deal.
Lawyers also questioned the efficiency of judicial cooperation after the Turkish pro-government newspaper Bugun wrote that the prosecutor in Ankara had accused French authorities in August of failing to respond to his requests for details in the case.
Turkish media wrote earlier this year that the Ankara prosecutor is conducting a separate probe under an article of penal law which says a person who commits a crime abroad while in the service of the Turkish state can be tried in Turkey, even if he is already found guilty abroad and/or has served time.
Turkish media said the Ankara prosecutor is seeking to establish whether Guney was in the service of the Turkish state. The prosecutor's office did not respond to requests for comment.
"We feel that since the crime was committed in France, the real interlocutors are the French authorities. They must respond to the Turkish requests for information," said Meral Danis Bestas, a lawyer in Turkey for the victims' families.
Two pieces of evidence in investigation files highlight Guney's alleged ties to people in Turkey: three trips in August, October and December of 2012, and phone records from one of five cell phones that police say belonged to Guney. The latter show "dozens" of calls to Turkish numbers in the same period.
PHONE RECORDS
Comte said records of Guney's phone activity with Turkey were placed in the investigations file in July, five months after his arrest. These contacts could be crucial to finding out whether Guney was involved in the killings and, if so, with or without foreign backing. However, the details cannot be checked without help from Turkey, Comte said.
"You need an order from a Turkish judge to identify the interlocutors," said another lawyer for the victims' families, Jean-Louis Malterre.
In France lawyers for victims can join criminal proceedings. They have access to investigation files and participate in trials. The Turkish system has similar provisions.
While the French magistrate prepares to seek information from Turkey, one of the lawyers with access to the investigation file pointed also to hold-ups on the French side.
A month after Guney's arrest, investigators from the French anti-terrorist unit, Sdat, checked the contents of a borrowed Peugeot car he used on the day of the killing; it was their second try. Dismantling the car, they found a passport behind the radio with stamps for three trips to Turkey, and a dry-cleaning bill dated a few days after the killings, Comte said.
"When Guney was brought in, they missed half the things in his car," the lawyer said. "The dry-cleaning bill didn't enter the investigation file until a month later. If you look at the transcripts of the first hours of questioning, all they are doing is trying to update their archives about PKK activities."
Police sources had no comment on allegations that evidence was missed in the first search of Guney's car. They said questioning had focused on his links to the PKK because he claimed to be a member. PKK officials have denied Guney was a member of the group.
The appeal to Turkey for judicial help, to be lodged by investigating magistrate Jeanne Duye, comes after similar requests were sent to Holland and Germany - where Guney lived for nine years - and received replies.
Other factors are also complicating the investigation. On September 25 Duye's computer containing judicial files was stolen from her home. Duye's office did not respond to a request for comment. Duye has not spoken publicly about the murder case.
(Additional reporting by Ayla Jean Yackley in Istanbul and Nicolas Bertin in Paris; Editing by Richard Woods and Giles Elgood)

Former Military dictator, Babangida advocates devolution of powers

ibrahim Babangida

The former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, who exercised maximum powers over the affairs of Nigeria for eight years, on Monday called for the devolution of powers between the federal, state and local governments in the spirit of true federalism. Babangida made the call when the Chairman of Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Chief Elias Mbam, paid him a visit at his residence in Minna. 
It is however pertinent to state that if General Babangida really believed in true federalism, he had all the powers to restructure the country along that line when he was a maximum ruler.
The former president said that besides proper devolution of powers, there was need for a review of revenue sharing formula in favour of the states and the local government councils.
He said that a greater percentage of revenue should go to the state and local governments because their of closeness to the masses.
The former military president also canvassed for diversification of the economy from the current mono-source - oil, to other revenue alternatives.
Babangida commended the commission for carrying out its assignment diligently in spite of the challenges.
Earlier, Mbam said the visit was part of extensive consultation with all stakeholders before drawing up a new revenue sharing formula.
He noted that the review of the revenue sharing formula was last held during the Babangida regime.
The chairman said that the new revenue sharing formula would be ready by December.

China, India sign deal aimed at soothing Himalayan tension

China and India signed a deal on Wednesday aimed at soothing tension on their contested border, as the two nuclear-armed giants try to break a decades-old stalemate on overlapping claims to long remote stretches of the Himalayas.
The agreement was signed in Beijing's Great Hall of the People following a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
China, a close ally of India's long-time foe, Pakistan, lays claim to more than 90,000 sq km (35,000 sq miles) disputed by New Delhi in the eastern sector of the Himalayas. India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometers (14,600 square miles) of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west.
The two countries fought a brief border war in 1962 and since then ties have been mired in distrust, with a series of alleged violations by Chinese military patrols earlier this year.
"I am sure it will help to maintain peace, tranquility and stability in our border areas," China's Li told reporters following talks with Singh.
The border defense cooperation agreement is built on existing confidence-building measures and is designed to ensure that patrolling along the Line of Actual Control, as the unsettled border is called, does not escalate into an unintended skirmish, an Indian official said last week.
Singh said the agreement "will add to the existing instruments to ensure peace, stability and predictability on our borders".
Under the new deal, the two sides will give notice of patrols along the ill-defined border to ensure that patrols do not "tail" each other to reduce the chance of confrontation and will exercise "maximum self-restraint" should the two sides come face to face in areas where the line of control is unclear.
The two armies, strung out along the 4,000-km (2,500-mile) border from the high-altitude Ladakh plateau in the west to the forests of Arunachal Pradesh in the east, have also agreed to look at setting up a hotline between top-ranking officers in addition to existing brigade-level contacts.
The border defense cooperation pact is a small step forward in a complicated relationship marked by booming economic ties and growing distrust.
In May, armies from the two countries ended a three-week standoff in the western Himalayas after Chinese troops set up a camp at least 10 km (six miles) inside territory claimed by India, triggering a public outcry and calls that India should stand up to its powerful neighbor.
China denied that troops had crossed into Indian territory.
A Chinese airline earlier this month blocked two Indian archers from disputed Arunachal Pradesh from travelling to China, souring the mood in India ahead of Singh's visit.
But Li sought to play down the differences.
"China and India are two old civilizations," he said. "Our two peoples have the wisdom and our two governments have the ability to manage our differences along the border so that it won't affect the overall interests of our bilateral relations."

China, India sign deal aimed at soothing Himalayan tension

China and India signed a deal on Wednesday aimed at soothing tension on their contested border, as the two nuclear-armed giants try to break a decades-old stalemate on overlapping claims to long remote stretches of the Himalayas.
The agreement was signed in Beijing's Great Hall of the People following a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
China, a close ally of India's long-time foe, Pakistan, lays claim to more than 90,000 sq km (35,000 sq miles) disputed by New Delhi in the eastern sector of the Himalayas. India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometers (14,600 square miles) of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west.
The two countries fought a brief border war in 1962 and since then ties have been mired in distrust, with a series of alleged violations by Chinese military patrols earlier this year.
"I am sure it will help to maintain peace, tranquility and stability in our border areas," China's Li told reporters following talks with Singh.
The border defense cooperation agreement is built on existing confidence-building measures and is designed to ensure that patrolling along the Line of Actual Control, as the unsettled border is called, does not escalate into an unintended skirmish, an Indian official said last week.
Singh said the agreement "will add to the existing instruments to ensure peace, stability and predictability on our borders".
Under the new deal, the two sides will give notice of patrols along the ill-defined border to ensure that patrols do not "tail" each other to reduce the chance of confrontation and will exercise "maximum self-restraint" should the two sides come face to face in areas where the line of control is unclear.
The two armies, strung out along the 4,000-km (2,500-mile) border from the high-altitude Ladakh plateau in the west to the forests of Arunachal Pradesh in the east, have also agreed to look at setting up a hotline between top-ranking officers in addition to existing brigade-level contacts.
The border defense cooperation pact is a small step forward in a complicated relationship marked by booming economic ties and growing distrust.
In May, armies from the two countries ended a three-week standoff in the western Himalayas after Chinese troops set up a camp at least 10 km (six miles) inside territory claimed by India, triggering a public outcry and calls that India should stand up to its powerful neighbor.
China denied that troops had crossed into Indian territory.
A Chinese airline earlier this month blocked two Indian archers from disputed Arunachal Pradesh from travelling to China, souring the mood in India ahead of Singh's visit.
But Li sought to play down the differences.
"China and India are two old civilizations," he said. "Our two peoples have the wisdom and our two governments have the ability to manage our differences along the border so that it won't affect the overall interests of our bilateral relations."

China, India sign deal aimed at soothing Himalayan tension

China and India signed a deal on Wednesday aimed at soothing tension on their contested border, as the two nuclear-armed giants try to break a decades-old stalemate on overlapping claims to long remote stretches of the Himalayas.
The agreement was signed in Beijing's Great Hall of the People following a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
China, a close ally of India's long-time foe, Pakistan, lays claim to more than 90,000 sq km (35,000 sq miles) disputed by New Delhi in the eastern sector of the Himalayas. India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometers (14,600 square miles) of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west.
The two countries fought a brief border war in 1962 and since then ties have been mired in distrust, with a series of alleged violations by Chinese military patrols earlier this year.
"I am sure it will help to maintain peace, tranquility and stability in our border areas," China's Li told reporters following talks with Singh.
The border defense cooperation agreement is built on existing confidence-building measures and is designed to ensure that patrolling along the Line of Actual Control, as the unsettled border is called, does not escalate into an unintended skirmish, an Indian official said last week.
Singh said the agreement "will add to the existing instruments to ensure peace, stability and predictability on our borders".
Under the new deal, the two sides will give notice of patrols along the ill-defined border to ensure that patrols do not "tail" each other to reduce the chance of confrontation and will exercise "maximum self-restraint" should the two sides come face to face in areas where the line of control is unclear.
The two armies, strung out along the 4,000-km (2,500-mile) border from the high-altitude Ladakh plateau in the west to the forests of Arunachal Pradesh in the east, have also agreed to look at setting up a hotline between top-ranking officers in addition to existing brigade-level contacts.
The border defense cooperation pact is a small step forward in a complicated relationship marked by booming economic ties and growing distrust.
In May, armies from the two countries ended a three-week standoff in the western Himalayas after Chinese troops set up a camp at least 10 km (six miles) inside territory claimed by India, triggering a public outcry and calls that India should stand up to its powerful neighbor.
China denied that troops had crossed into Indian territory.
A Chinese airline earlier this month blocked two Indian archers from disputed Arunachal Pradesh from travelling to China, souring the mood in India ahead of Singh's visit.
But Li sought to play down the differences.
"China and India are two old civilizations," he said. "Our two peoples have the wisdom and our two governments have the ability to manage our differences along the border so that it won't affect the overall interests of our bilateral relations."

Saudi Arabia, gulf countries celebrating Eid-ul-Azha today

RIYADH/DUBAI: Saudi Arabia and gulf countries are celebrating Eid-ul-Azha today (Tuesday).

The UAE's close proximity to the Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, makes the Eid all the more exciting in the country. It is during the Eid that the Muslims complete their Haj pilgrimage.

Dubai expects 65 million pilgrims from around the world this year. It will be a transit point before they travel to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the closest city to the Mecca.

During the Eid holidays, amusement parks such as Dubai's Global Village or the car-leisure complex Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi remain open for longer duration, while Dubai's major shopping malls will remain open round the clock.

The Dubai government is offering free parking Oct 13-18, and the Dubai Metro will run till 3 a.m.

All UAE government employees have been given a week's holiday, starting Sunday.

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan wished good health and happiness to people on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha

Uncertain path to 2014

 

Uncertain path to 2014

For some time it seemed that Afghanistan had slipped from Washington’s top priorities as the Obama administration became preoccupied by political gridlock at home, as well as fast moving developments in the Middle East and terrorist threats in Africa. But Secretary of State John Kerry’s weekend trip to Kabul signalled that the US still had important business to transact in Afghanistan. The visit was impelled by urgency to secure a security deal that would allow for a post-2014 US military presence in that country.

After a year of negotiations between Washington and Kabul, the continuing stalemate on a bilateral security agreement (BSA) made the US deadline of October to conclude the deal appear increasingly elusive. In recent months both countries also began to engage in a public game of brinkmanship. Each side threatened to walk away from talks if the other didn't yield on areas of disagreement.

As President Hamid Karzai’s public statements became more strident, leaks in the American media suggested that if no agreement were reached, the US would exercise the ‘zero option’ of complete withdrawal from Afghanistan. Last week President Barack Obama himself declared that without a BSA he would have to order a complete troop pullout.

Against this backdrop, Secretary Kerry’s unannounced visit to Kabul ended in agreement on most of the terms for a BSA. But a key sticking point remained unresolved: legal immunity for American forces from prosecution in Afghanistan. This meant that despite progress achieved in two days of lengthy talks no final accord emerged.

President Karzai announced that the immunity issue would be decided by a Loya Jirga, which he planned to convene next month. It will then be placed before Parliament. And Kerry made it clear that “If the issue of jurisdiction cannot be resolved, then there cannot be a bilateral security agreement.” In another indication that other matters remained to be finalised, Karzai said there were several “small issues” and “technical points” he had yet to review.

This left an air of uncertainty – and many unanswered questions. When would Karzai, who steps down in six months, call the Loya Jirga? He has already postponed this twice. Would the Jirga endorse the deal, especially in the middle of the country’s election season? Registration of presidential candidates ended earlier this month for elections due in April 2014. With the BSA still not signed, could it end up as an election issue? If Kerry’s trip was timed to avert this possibility it is unclear how any more delay – over remaining hurdles – will play into campaign politics and shape the outcome.

Although the exact terms of what has been described as a ‘partial deal’ have yet to be announced, an important and consequential question is how the BSA will affect future efforts to revive Afghan peace talks, given that the Taliban’s main demand is withdrawal of all foreign forces from their country. In his Eid message, Mullah Omar rejected the proposed agreement, saying that Afghans would never accept a “document of surrender” rubberstamped by a “fake” Loya Jirga.

There is also no regional consensus on a long-term US military presence. Most regional states, especially Iran, Russia and China, have misgivings even if there are also concerns in the region about a possible security vacuum after 2014. These regional concerns have yet to be addressed much less resolved, because there is no final security document or details for neighbouring countries to take firm positions on. Delay on this count will shrink the space for much needed regional diplomacy.

As no agreement has been concluded this leaves Karzai with room to manoeuvre and raises another possibility. What if President Karzai plays the BSA down to the wire to bargain for postponement of elections? However improbable, the possibility cannot be ruled out, especially as senior Afghan officials have privately been musing over a postponement, ostensibly by a “few months”, which they claim is constitutionally permitted.

Any postponement will however be unacceptable to all the Afghan opposition groups, provoke internal discord, and also jeapordise Nato’s exit strategy. American officials say Washington would oppose any postponement. They also argue that after Kerry’s visit, Karzai cannot long drag out the BSA issue by prevaricating on the Loya Jirga or manipulating it. But it is yet to be seen how the US will resolve the immunity issue without a trade off, if Karzai uses delaying tactics. What will that trade off be?

And what would be the implications, especially for Afghan reconciliation prospects, if all energies continue to be consumed by efforts to conclude the BSA, to the virtual exclusion of addressing other aspects of the transitions ahead? Uncertainty has already deepened about the political, economic and security transitions because the most important prerequisite for their achievement is nowhere in sight – peace talks for a political settlement to end the war.

Valuable time has been lost to prolonged wrangling between Washington and Kabul on the BSA. This has also exacted a heavy price – delaying if not derailing peace efforts. It was in June that Karzai suspended talks on the BSA in protest against the US for orchestrating the opening of a Taliban office in Qatar. A promising start to a possible peace process was stopped dead in its tracks by Karzai’s calculation that Washington needed a BSA more than anything else. He linked the two issues and insisted that unless he was at the centre of any dialogue with the Taliban he would not let it proceed.

Since June, there have been no serious efforts to revive Doha, even though Taliban representatives have not left Qatar and their spokesman have reiterated willingness to pick up the threads from where they were left off.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Washington not to abandon the Doha option. The US balked at Pakistan’s proposal, offered a few months ago, for “pre-talks” to resolve misunderstandings that led to the diplomatic debacle at Doha. But as securing the BSA became the overwhelming American priority, the peace process was pushed to the back burner. That is where it remains today. With the security deal taking precedence, the US has not wanted to risk annoying Karzai by taking any initiative to resuscitate the Doha process.

Meanwhile the modest improvement in Pakistan-Afghan relations after Karzai’s August visit to Islamabad has done little to move the reconciliation process forward. Given the Taliban’s refusal to talk to the Karzai regime, Pakistan’s release of a senior Taliban leader, Abdul Ghani Baradar, on Kabul’s request, is unlikely to change that dynamic. The indications are that any meaningful move towards political reconciliation may have to wait for the post-Karzai era.

If the presidential election is held on time then another question is whether this process itself can produce political engagement with the Taliban as various contenders seek to cut deals and build alliances. More importantly, can the Taliban be persuaded not to disrupt the election, in the absence of any peace process? So far Taliban representatives have rejected the election. Mullah Omar reiterated this in his Eid message and urged people not to participate in what he dubbed a “drama”. It is conceivable that if peace talks had taken off in June some kind of accommodation may have emerged to ensure the elections went off peacefully.

With none of this resolved, doubts have intensified about a smooth and orderly path to 2014 and beyond. Muddle through seems to mark the US-led coalition’s approach to the looming transitions. What throws all three milestones into uncertainty is the lack of serious efforts towards a negotiated political settlement to put an end to fighting ahead of 2014. This was supposed to serve as the foundation for a peaceful transition in 2014 and to help assure the country’s post-2014 stability.

With time running out for progress on this count, the danger looms of turmoil and instability in post-2014 Afghanistan. No one may want that outcome, least of all Pakistan, but Islamabad will have no choice but to prepare itself to deal with the fallout.

Obama summons leaders for debt ceiling crisis talks

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama called top congressional leaders to the White House on Monday to demand they stave off the threat of a "devastating" US debt default that would rock the global economy.

Obama will meet top Republican and Democratic Party chieftains at the White House at 1900 GMT to push for Congress to raise America's borrowing authority before a Thursday deadline and to reopen the US government -- now partially shuttered for two weeks.

The meeting comes as hopes rise for progress after Democratic Senate Majority leader Harry Reid predicted a deal was getting "closer" though time was fast running short.

Despite massive stakes for Washington and the world, there was still no clear indication whether a compromise could encompass competing power centers on either side of the deepest rift yet between Obama and his Republican rivals on Capitol Hill.

Obama was to meet with Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate minority boss Mitch McConnell, and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and the party's House minority leader Nancy Pelosi.

"If Republicans aren't willing to set aside their partisan concerns in order to do what's right for the country, we stand a good chance of defaulting and defaulting could have a potentially have a devastating affect on our economy," Obama said.

During a visit to an anti-poverty charity in Washington, Obama said he would tell the leaders to "open the government and urge them to make sure that the United States government is paying it's bills."

He said the impasse could be solved "today" if Republicans, whom he sees as the main obstacle to a deal, cooperate.

If Congress does not raise the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling by Thursday, the US government will begin to run out of money and could start defaulting on its obligations.

Initiatives in both the House of Representatives and the Senate stalled over the weekend. The Politico news organization however reported Monday, however, that Reid had offered a compromise plan to McConnell.

The initiative would raise the debt ceiling for six to nine months and the government would be reopened until mid-to-late December.

The proposal would launch long-term budget talks between Democrats and Republicans, and could include a delay of a medical device tax used to help pay for Obama's health care reform law.

Reid did not confirm the terms of a deal but told reporters "we're working on everything.

"We're getting closer," he said.

Should the Democratic-led Senate coalesce on a deal, the question would then become could Boehner secure sufficient support from his restive conservative coalition in the House to send it to Obama's desk?

The uncertainty was mirrored on Wall Street. Increasing concern over the fiscal showdown pulled the Dow Jones Industrial Average down early on, but amid talk of negotiations on Capitol Hill it had recouped most of its losses by midday trade.

Republican Senator Roger Wicker told MSNBC he was hopeful of seeing "something meaningful by the end of the day" from the Senate talks.

"There are sweet spots that Republicans and Democrats agree on," he said.

Around the world, however, signs of alarm were mounting.

China and Japan -- which between them hold more than $2.4 trillion of US debt -- have urged Washington to get its house in order.

China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying took a chance in Beijing to wag its finger at Washington.

"The United States is the largest economy in the world and we hope that it can show its responsibility," Hua told reporters.

Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer warned of dire consequences if there was no solution.

A default would be "a thunderbolt on the financial markets" that would set off "extremely violent and profound turbulence worldwide," he told the daily Le Figaro.

In Asia, markets in Sydney, Seoul and Singapore were down in part over the deadlocked talks. Tokyo, Hong Kong and Jakarta were closed for public holidays.

On Asian currency markets the dollar weakened, buying 98.25 yen against 98.59 yen in New York late Friday.

"So far, markets have not panicked because both parties have come out to reassure that they are working towards a compromise after every failed vote, keeping alive hopes for a last-minute deal," Singapore-based DBS Bank said in a note.

US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew earlier told the International Monetary Fund that Washington understood its reputations a safe harbor was at risk.

Facebook ends 'invisibility cloak' for users

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook is ending a feature that allowed users to hide from the billion-plus members of the social network.

The feature, akin to Harry Potter's invisibility cloak, will be removed, meaning that someone looking for another Facebook user can more easily find that person.

"The setting was created when Facebook was a simple directory of profiles and it was very limited," said Facebook's chief privacy officer, Michael Richter.

The setting made Facebook search "feel broken at times," Richter added in a company blog Thursday.

"For example, people told us that they found it confusing when they tried looking for someone who they knew personally and couldn't find them in search results, or when two people were in a Facebook Group and then couldn't find each other through search."

Facebook announced last year it was ending this feature for new users, but allowed a transition for a "small percentage" of users who had that feature enabled.

Richter said the change should not have an impact on overall privacy.

"Whether you've been using the setting or not, the best way to control what people can find about you on Facebook is to choose who can see the individual things you share," he said.

Facebook, which has been under scrutiny by privacy advocates, recently revamped its search functions to include so-called "graph search" that allows users to search through a wide range of posts on the world's biggest social network.

In a separate development, Google announced Friday it was following the lead of Facebook to allow users' pictures and endorsements to be used in product ads.

The change will take effect November 11, Google said in its updated terms of service.

"We want to give you -- and your friends and connections -- the most useful information," the document said.

"Recommendations from people you know can really help. So your friends, family and others may see your profile name and photo, and content like the reviews you share or the ads you (liked)."

Google said users can opt out of this feature, however, and added that it will not use endorsements from users under 18

Another underage girl sexually assaulted in Lahore

The reports of alleged molestation of underage girls continue to pour in from across the country with the latest being of another teenager who became the victim of a sexual assault here on Monday night, Geo News reported.

Reportedly, a 14-year old girl was found unconscious near Expo Center in near Jauhar Town where she was apparently left there by her alleged molesters.

The rescuers ambulanced her to Jinnah Hospital’s emergency room where an initial examination confirmed she was raped.

According to hospital sources, at the moment, the girl was too traumatized to record her statement.

"The police have kicked off an investigation and are waiting for the girl to speak so that they can take further action" the sources added.

It must be mentioned that a few weeks back a minor girl was also ravished in Lahore and dumped near a hospital.

 

Obama rejects Republican plan on debt ceiling: report

 

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama rejected a Republican plan that would postpone a possible US default because it would not also reopen the federal government, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The report came after a group of House Republican leaders met with Obama at the White House.

Space 'graveyard' reveals bits of an Earth-like planet

WASHINGTON: Astronomers have autopsied a distant, broken apart planet and revealed signs of water and a rocky surface together for the first time, delighting scientists on the hunt for alien life.

In a planetary system some 150 light years away, the right conditions for life appear to have once existed, and planets like Earth may have orbited a star known as GD 61, British astronomers reported in the journal Science.

"This planetary graveyard swirling around the embers of its parent star is a rich source of information about its former life," said co-author Boris Gansicke of the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick.

Around 200 million years ago, GD 61 lost its power and began sucking in the nearest planets with its extreme gravitational pull, devouring them to pieces.

Now that Sun is what is known as a white dwarf, or a dying star that is circled by planetary debris.

Victor Moses Is The Newest Globacom Ambassador , What a deal?

National Telecommunications operator and Africa’s biggest supporter of football, Globacom Tuesday in Lagos announced the appointment of Nigerian International and Liverpool Football Club player, Victor Moses, as its newest brand ambassador.

Moses was unveiled to the public at a press conference held at the Mike Adenuga Towers headquarters of the company in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Mary J Blige Get Paid $500,000 for just a Night Performance in Nigeria

 

 

Mary J.Blige got paid the sum of $500,000 just for a night to perform at the last Sisters With Soul concert held at Eko Hotel and Suites, an insider revealed. The cheapest fee for entrance for the Etisalat sponsored show was N15, 000.

Peter Okoye and Lola Omotola to Wed 17th of November

Peter Okoye will officially wed his baby mama and fiancée, Lola Omotayo on the 17th of November. According to Nigeriafilms, "Peter and Lola will be having their traditional marriage on November 17, 2013 at Arc Events Centre, Lagos while their white wedding will hold at a later date in 2014." The online portal also reported that "a representative of P-Square confirmed this to us when contacted...with this development, arrangements are already ongoing to make the day a memorable one."
You will recall that Peter Okoye only recently proposed to Lola Omotayo, with a brand new Range Rover SUV

The Girl with the Hottest Legs in Africa

                                                                        Sandra Ankobiah

 

Meet the Lady with the hottest Leg in Africa, People think she has the hottest legs in the entertainment seen, she used to be Brymo's girlfriend and a popular TV presenter in Ghana, what do you think?

Turkey lifts ban on Islamic headscarves in civil service

ANKARA: Turkey on Tuesday lifted a decades-old ban on headscarves in the civil service as part of a package of reforms by the Islamic-rooted government meant to improve democracy.

The measure was hailed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose wife wears a headscarf, as a "step toward normalisation" and came into effect after it was published in the Official Gazette.

"We have now abolished an archaic provision which was against the spirit of the republic. It's a step toward normalisation," Erdogan said in a parliamentary speech to his ruling party lawmakers.

"A dark time eventually comes to an end," he said. "Headscarf-wearing women are full members of the republic, as well as those who do not wear it."

But critics accuse Erdogan of lifting the ban to force his Islamic values on the majority Muslim but staunchly secular nation.

When plans to remove the ban were first announced last week, the main opposition party labelled it "a serious blow to the secular republic" created by modern Turkey's founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923.

Erdogan last week unveiled a package of democratic reforms mostly aimed at improving rights for minority Kurds, but he also used the opportunity to take on the highly controversial headscarf ban.

Female civil servants are now allowed to wear the veil while their male counterparts can sport beards, both symbols of Muslim piety.

However, the ban remains in place for judges, prosecutors, police and military personnel.

Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) pledged to remove the ban on the wearing of headscarves in all domains when it came to power in 2002. It has already relaxed the ban at universities.

The highly charged debate about headscarves lies at the heart of Turkey's divisions between religious conservatives, who form the bulk of Erdogan's AKP supporters, and more secular members of society.

In 1999, Turkish-American lawmaker Merve Kavakci arrived in parliament wearing a headscarf for her swearing-in ceremony. She was booed out of the house and had her Turkish citizenship revoked.

In stark contrast, a day after Erdogan's announcement of reforms, President Abdullah Gul's wife wore her headscarf to parliament