"Star Trek" actor George Takei is set to voice a panda in BBC's animated kids series "Love Monster".
According to Deadline, Takei will voice Elder Panda in the preschool series.
The show is co-produced by British public broacaster's kids' channel CBeebies, Boat Rocker Studios, and China's UYoung.
The 54-part series is based on Rachel Bright's "Love Monster" books.
It will air in January 2020.
The story follows lightly hairy Love Monster who is trying to be a part of the  Fluffytown -- a world of cute baby animals. But for a googly-eyed monster like him, it becomes hard to fit in the world of cuddly animals.
"Love Monster celebrates inclusive behaviour and collaboration and that's also very much my philosophy  we find strength, joy and vitality in diversity coming together.
"I never imagined myself being a panda but I've always enjoyed seeing them, especially the young cubs because they're so cute! Elder Panda is just an older version of them and is still whimsical, fun-loving and life 

'Star Trek' actor George Takei to voice panda in BBC's animated series

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A rare southern white rhino was born at a zoo in Belgium, boosting efforts to save the endangered species, the park said on Monday.
"An adorable little male was born in the early morning of Monday... Madiba, the mother, and her baby are doing well," Pairi Daiza zoo said in a statement.
There are roughly 18,000 southern white rhinos in the wild but the subspecies is being exterminated by poachers at a rate of one every eight hours.
Another species of rhino, the world's second-largest land mammal, the northern white, is in even more danger with only two left in existence.
The remaining northern white pair are both female, so they will die out unless their genes can be preserved or recovered and an artificial breeding programme begins.
In July, a southern white calf was born through artificial insemination in San Diego, in what the zoo hailed as a step toward perfecting the technique.
The Belgian zoo has another female, Elie, in gestation. Her birth is expected "by the end of this year". 

White rhino born in Belgian zoo

At least five civilians were killed and 10 wounded in overnight air strikes in a suburb of Libya's capital, the unity government's health ministry said on Monday.
"Violent air raids on the residential area of al-Swani killed five civilians and injured 10 others, some of them seriously," said spokesman Amin al-Hashemi.
Hashemi reported major damage after the strikes on al-Swani, some 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of central Tripoli. He said there was no military infrastructure in the area.
Tripoli has seen months of deadly fighting since eastern-based military strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an April offensive to seize the capital from armed groups backing the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).
The GNA said "Emirati drones" backing Haftar had carried out the overnight strikes, saying a woman and a child were among the dead.
Spokesman Mohammad Gnounou said unmanned Emirati aircraft had also carried out two raids on a bridge west of Tripoli.
The United ...

Air raids in Libyan capital kill five: ministry

Syrian opposition activists say an airstrike on a market in a rebel-held town in the country's northwest has killed at least 10 civilians.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday's airstrike on the market in Maaret al-Numan killed 10 and wounded others.
The Aleppo Media Center, an activist collective that covers rebel-held areas in northern Syria also said 10 civilians were killed and dozens were wounded.
The town is in Idlib province, the country's last opposition stronghold.
Syrian troops launched a four-month offensive earlier this year against Idlib, which is dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants.
The Syrian government offensive forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes.
A fragile cease-fire halted the advance at the end of August, but in recent weeks it has been repeatedly violated.

Airstrike on market in Syrian rebel-held town kills 10

Veteran actor Robert De Niro has weighed on the lack of screen space and dialogues to Anna Paquin's character in his film "The Irishman".
The Martin Scorsese-directed film, which has been receiving critical acclaim from all quarters, has raised questions as to the less screen time and dialogues Paquin got in the predominantly male-driven project.
The Oscar-winning actor portrays Peggy Sheeran, the daughter of De Niro's Frank Sheeran.
Talking to USA Today, De Niro said Paquin has a very powerful part in the movie.
"She was very powerful and that's what it was. Maybe in other scenes there could've been some interaction between Frank and her possibly, but that's how it was done. She's terrific and it resonates," the 76-year-old actor said.
Scorsese had previously rejected the argument that "The Irishman" does not have strong female characters.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the veteran filmmaker had shot down a query on the issue during a press conference at the Rome Film ...

Robert De Niro talks about Anna Paquin's less screen time in 'The Irishman'

An international relief group says another five years of fighting in Yemen will cost as much as USD 29 billion just to sustain the current level of humanitarian aid  more than the entire annual humanitarian budget globally.
Monday's report by the International Rescue Committee says that with the current rate of aid, it will take 20 years to return Yemen to pre-conflict levels of child hunger.
Yemen's war began with the 2014 takeover of the capital, Sanaa, by Iranian-backed rebels known as Houthis. A Saudi-led coalition allied with the internationally recognized government has been fighting the rebels since 2015.
The IRC says Yemen is the world's worst humanitarian crisis with 24 million Yemenis, or 80% of the population, needing humanitarian aid and 16 million living on the verge of famine.

Group says 5 more years of war in Yemen will cost USD29B aid

Two Indian students have been killed in a hit-and-run accident on the Thanksgiving night in the US state of Tennessee and the owner of the pickup truck involved in the incident has surrendered, authorities said.
Judy Stanley (23) and Vybhav Gopisetty (26), were graduate students of the Tennessee State University (TSU) and were pursuing food science degrees in the College of Agriculture, the university said.
According to the local police, Stanley and Gopisetty died in an apparent hit-and-run incident on the night of November 28 in South Nashville.
The TSU on Friday released a statement after the two students were killed in the crash. They also identified the female victim, according to newschannel9.com.
"The Tennessee State University family is mourning the loss of two TSU students killed in an auto accident Thanksgiving night. Judy Stanley, 23, and Vybhav Gopisetty, 26, were both graduate students from India pursuing food science degrees in the College of Agriculture. Stanley was ...

2 Indian students killed in US hit-and-run accident

Veteran filmmaker Martin Scorsese has one request to those planning to watch "The Irishman" on Netflix - just don't do it on a phone.
The three-and-a-half-hour long mob drama reunites Scorsese with his favourite star Robert DeNiro as the titular hitman. The movie became available on Netflix from November 28.
"I would suggest  if you ever want to see one of my pictures, or most films  please, please don't look at it on a phone, please. An iPad, a big iPad, maybe, Scorsese told critic Peter Travers on his YouTube show, Popcorn With Peter Travers.
The director, who had raked up a storm with his criticism of Marvel films during the promotions of "The Irishman", said despite its lengthy runtime, the movie is capable of attracting viewers and sustaining their attention.
"I'm not saying because, Oh, I made it. It was an interesting narrative structure, and it got me involved each time. In a funny way, I think I made it to cover all the bases in terms of how you could watch this ...

Martin Scorsese does not want people to watch 'The Irishman' on phone

In its biggest military funeral in decades, France is honouring 13 soldiers killed when their helicopters collided over Mali while on a mission fighting extremists affiliated with the Islamic State group.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita will preside over a somber ceremony Monday at the gold-domed Invalides monument in Paris. The French government invited citizens to pay respects along the route of the funeral cortege.
The 13 coffins, draped in the French tricolor, arrived in France over the weekend.  Tuesday's crash was France's highest military death toll since 1983. The French military says it was the result of complex coordination during a combat operation and has dismissed a claim of responsibility by an IS-linked group.
The crash drew global attention to an emerging front for groups affiliated with IS.

France pays homage to 13 soldiers killed in Mali air crash

Hong Kong on Monday deported an Indonesian domestic worker who had reported on the city's ongoing protests, her supporters said, accusing authorities of a politically motivated expulsion.
Award-winning writer Yuli Riswati was held for 28 days after failing to extend her visa and was put on a flight to Surabaya on Monday afternoon, a friend told AFP.
A statement from a support group for Riswati accused Hong Kong's Immigration Department of "suppressing her freedom of speech and her right to help Indonesian workers in Hong Kong".
"The immigration officials arrested Yuli after her coverage of the protests was reported by local media," group member Ah Fei told journalists.  "This is political suppression," she added.
The Immigration Department said it could not comment on individual cases, but that anyone violating the terms of their stay in Hong Kong could face arrest, detention, prosecution or removal.
Riswati's lawyer Chau Hang-tung said her client had forgotten to renew her visa after 

Hong Kong deports Indonesian worker who reported on protests

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday launched the first gas pipeline linking the two countries.
"Today is remarkable, a truly historic event not only for the global energy market, but first of all for you and us, Russia and China," Putin said during a televised ceremony featuring the two leaders.

Putin, Xi launch 'historic' Russia-China gas pipeline

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called on Sri Lanka's newly-elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa here on Monday and discussed issues including bilateral trade, investment and people to people contacts.
According to the Pakistan Foreign Office, Qureshi also handed over a letter from  President Arif Alvi to President Gotabaya and invited him to pay a visit to Islamabad at his earliest convenience.
"FM calls on the President of Sri Lanka. Bilateral issues, trade, investment and people to people contacts discussed. FM handed over a letter from the President to President of Sri Lanka and invited him to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Muhammad Faisal said in a tweet.
Earlier, Qureshi held talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena and apprised him about the "dire situation" in Kashmir.
The two leaders also discussed issues including trade, investment, tourism and people to people contacts and vowed to deepen and .

Pak FM Qureshi calls on Sri Lankan President Gotabaya, invites him to visit Islamabad

Spin king Nathan Lyon snared five wickets, including dangerous half-century makers Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq, as Australia wore down a stubborn Pakistan to clinch the second Test and wrap up the series 2-0 Monday.
Pakistan resumed day four of the day-night match on a precarious 39 for three with Masood not out 14 and Shafiq on eight after being bowled out for 302 in their first innings and forced to follow on.
It followed Australia's mammoth 589 for three declared, built around David Warner's exceptional 335 not out -- the 10th highest Test score of all time.
Needing another 248 to force Australia to bat again and avoid a second successive innings defeat, they had a decent crack but were eventually all out for 239 with the home team claiming victory by an innings and 48 runs.
It was Australia's sixth consecutive win in a pink ball Test -- four of them at Adelaide -- with every day-night Test played so far since the concept was introduced in 2015 producing a result.
"Really happy. ...

Lyon takes five as Australia thrash Pakistan with day to spare

Long-term treatment with opioids, such as morphine, prior to trauma may increase the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a study in mice.
The findings, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, suggest a possible mechanism underlying the frequent co-occurrence of PTSD and opioid dependence.
PTSD and substance use disorders (SUDs) often occur together, with nearly 40 per cent of individuals with PTSD also having a SUD, explained the researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles in the US.
Understanding the relation may help explain the mechanisms by which these conditions develop, they said.
Previous research has shown that PTSD increases the risk of opioid dependence, but whether opioid dependence may also increase PTSD risk remained unclear, the researchers noted.
Using an established model of fear learning in mice, they assessed the potential impact of chronic opioid treatment on subsequent development of PTSD-like behaviours.
They found .

Chronic opioid treatment may increase PTSD risk: Study

A 43-year-old Indian-origin man was charged on Monday with setting off fireworks in Singapore's Little India precinct during the festival of Diwali in October.
Sivasarvanan Suppiah Murugan faces a charge under the Dangerous Fireworks Act, which prohibits a person to possess or discharge any dangerous fireworks.
Under the Act, he could be jailed for up to two years and fined up to SGD10,000 (7,306 USD) or both.
According to court documents, Murugan allegedly set off a box of fireworks at around 12.35 am on October 27 at the junction of Campbell Lane and Madras Street in the Little India precinct, Today Online newspaper reported.
The police had earlier said that no injuries were reported.
It was the second time that day that fireworks were set off in Singapore.
In a separate incident, a 38-year-old man was arrested for allegedly setting off fireworks in Jurong West, the housing and industrial estates of Singapore.
Murugan told the court that he intends to plead guilty and will return to 

Indian-origin man in Singapore charged for setting off fireworks on Diwali

Sri Lankan authorities have told the Swiss Embassy in Colombo that they want to question an embassy worker who was allegedly forced into a car and threatened to establish the veracity of her claims.
The embassy has said the employee, who allegedly was ordered by her abductors to produce embassy information, is not able to speak with police due to a deteriorating health condition.
The Swiss foreign ministry called the November  25 incident a very serious and unacceptable attack and summoned Sri Lanka's ambassador to demand an investigation.
Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said Sunday that evidence collected by investigators did not support the sequence of events of the alleged incident given by the embassy, and that the employee needed to be interviewed by Sri Lankan police.

Sri Lanka wants to query Swiss Embassy worker over threat

Nathan Lyon had never taken a five-wicket haul against Pakistan. The veteran off-spinner hadn't taken a wicket in the day-night test until the fourth day.
Then they tumbled. He took two wickets in the first session Monday and three in the second before Australia finished off a victory by an innings and 48 runs under lights to complete a two-test series sweep with more than a day to spare.
The 32-year-old Lyon (5-69) now has 50 test wickets at the Adelaide Oval, where he'd worked as a curator before making the national team, his 16th five-wicket haul in tests and his first against Pakistan.
The pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood did most of the damage in the first test, which Australia won by an innings and five runs, and in Pakistan's first innings in Adelaide before the follow-on.
Pakistan resumed at 39-3 on day four and took the total to 123 before Lyon came into his own on familiar turf. Hazlewood picked up the penultime wicket soon after the dinner break ..

Australia wins by innings and 48 runs, sweeps Pakistan 2-0

As world leaders gather in Spain to discuss how to slow the warming of the planet, a spotlight falls on China  the top emitter of greenhouse gases.
China burns about half the coal used globally each year. Between 2000 and 2018, its annual carbon emissions nearly tripled, and it now accounts for about 30% of the world's total. Yet it's also the leading market for solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles, and it manufactures about two-thirds of solar cells installed worldwide.
We are witnessing many contradictions in China's energy development, said Kevin Tu, a Beijing-based fellow with the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. It's the largest coal market and the largest clean energy market in the world. That apparent paradox is possible because of the sheer scale of China's energy demands.
But as China's economy slows to the lowest level in a quarter century  around 6% growth, according to government statistics  policymakers are doubling down on support for ..

China plans new coal plants, trims support for clean energy

Japan said Monday it had agreed to buy an uninhabited island off its southwest coast for USD 146 million, eyeing it for US military drills.
Tokyo and Washington agreed in 2011 to relocate a training site for US fighter jets to Mageshima island, around 30 kilometres off the southwestern Japanese coast.
Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said an agreement to purchase Mageshima was reached on Friday "after discussions between the defence ministry and the developer who owns the majority of the island".
American flight training operations are currently conducted at Iwo Jima, some 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) south of Tokyo.
Washington had requested a move, saying Iwo Jima -- a key World War II battlefield --  was too far away from an American military base in the western Japanese city of Iwakuni, where their fighters are stationed.
Suga said a facility would be built on the island for landing practice "at an early date", adding that he could not reveal further details as the ...

Japan to buy USD 146 million island for US military drills

Thirteen Pakistanis including eight children died early Monday when a blaze tore through their corrugated metal home in a rural area of western Jordan, authorities said.
Rescue services said "13 people died and three others were injured when fire broke out in a corrugated metal house" on a farm in South Shona, around 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Amman.
The makeshift building was home to two Pakistani families working as agricultural labourers, they said in a statement.
Fire service spokesman Iyad al-Omari told state television channel Al-Mamlaka that eight children, four women and a man had died in the blaze at around 2:00 am, which was likely caused by an electrical fault.
Jordan is home to thousands of Pakistanis, many of them agricultural labourers.  House fires in Jordan are often caused by the use of cheap but dangerous forms of heating while the occupants are asleep.

Children among 13 Pakistanis killed in Jordan fire

India opened its medal account in the 13th South Asian Games (SAG) with one gold, two silver and a bronze in the triathlon event on the opening day of competitions here on Monday.
Adarsha M N Sinimol gave India the first gold by winning the men's individual triathlon event while compatriot Bishworjit Srikhom took the silver in a 1-2 finish for the country.
Thoudam Sorojini Devi and Mohan Pragnya added a silver and a bronze in the women's individual event.
The individual triathlon event consists of continuous three legs of 750m swim, 20km bike race and a 5km run. The first athlete to complete the course is declared the winner.
Sinimol clocked 01:02.51 secs to win the gold in men's event while Bishworjit was second with a time of 01:02:59. Basanta Tharu of Nepal took the bronze in 01:03:06.
In the women's individual event, Sorojini clocked 01:14:00 to finish second behind Sony Gurung of Nepal who took the gold in 01:13:45. Another Indian, Pragnya clocked 01:14:57 to win the ...

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