Thousands of schoolchildren went on "strike" across Britain on Friday in a protest against climate change, with hundreds rallying in London's Parliament Square.
Children of all ages chanted "save our planet", cheered as flares were lit and clambered onto statues in the shadow of Big Ben to call for action, and to raise awareness.
"As humans, we got ourselves into this predicament, it's our responsiblity to get out of it," said 15-year-old Hal, who normally attends a shool in Hammersmith, west London.
"As well as being a message to the politicians, it's a way to spread awareness to everyone," added the teenager, who was wearing his school uniform "to accentuate the fact that I should be at school".
The protesters waved makeshift placards reading "Make Earth Cool Again," "Don't Mess With My Mother", "We Stand For What We Stand On" and
"I'm Getting Detention For This."
There were similar protests in dozens of towns and cities, including Brighton, Leeds, Manchester and Oxford
Many of the .

Thousands of UK kids skip school for climate protests

PTI Automatic

Hundreds of Chinese citizens staged a rare protest Friday at an office of Spain's BBVA bank in Madrid, angrily denouncing that their personal accounts had been frozen without prior warning.
Waving Chinese and Spanish flags, the protesters shouted "racist BBVA" and "we want justice," carrying banners reading "stop banking racism." Contacted by AFP, BBVA, the second biggest bank in Spain, was not able to detail how many clients had been affected.
In a statement, it said it had frozen accounts to comply with measures to fight money-laundering, adding it was working to resolve the problem.
Protesters said other banks had also frozen accounts of citizens of Chinese origin recently, but to a lesser extent than BBVA.
All banks are asking the customers documents detailing their tax situation and income before they re-open the accounts.
"BBVA bank is blocking all the accounts of Chinese citizens, and even Spanish citizens of Chinese origin," Ding Li, a Marid-based lawyer, told AFP.
He said the 

Chinese protest in Madrid against mass bank account freeze

A Pakistani-origin member of the House of Lords has embroiled in accusations that he used his position to exploit vulnerable women who came to him seeking help.
Lord Nazir Ahmed, who is at the forefront of anti-India campaigns including backing pro-Khalistan groups in the UK, is alleged to have conducted a sexual relationship with a woman after she asked him for help, according to a BBC report.
Another unnamed woman who had sought Ahmed's assistance also claims he suggested she should spend the night at his London home, it said.
"Lord Ahmed used my trust to repeatedly have intercourse with me," Tahira Zaman told Lords' Commissioner for Standards, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, in a complaint.
"I feel I have been preyed upon due to my vulnerability and used by Lord Ahmed," the 43-year-old said.
Zaman says she approached Ahmed in February 2017 through a mutual friend, hoping he would help get the police to investigate a Muslim faith healer who she felt was a danger to women.
He agreed to help ...

Pakistani-origin UK peer accused of exploiting women

Inmates of a UK jail used pages from a copy of 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire', a popular book authored by JK Rowling, which were sprayed with drugs to smoke up illegally behind bars.
It is believed the drugs had been sprayed on to the paper before the book was brought into HMP Nottingham jail in the East Midlands region of England.
At least 400 pages of the book were missing, which staff suspect had been torn into strips and smoked.
Prison officer Adam Donegani told the BBC that each strip containing a "spice-like substance" was worth about 50 pounds.
"The prices are inflated within the prison service (compared with) street value, so that can be whatever they want to charge for it," he said.
The banned spice-like drug, which mimics marijuana and leaves users in a zombie-like state, was discovered after tests using a new drug-testing machine at the prison, installed as part of a 1.4-million pounds investment to refurbish HMP (Her Majesty's Prison) Nottingham and bolster security 

Drugs smuggled into UK jail in 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'

Two radicalised Singaporeans, one of whom was based in Malaysia, have been detained by Singapore authorities for allegedly supporting ISIS fighters in Syria, officials said.
News of these detention came as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria's (ISIS) caliphate has been dismantled, with several hundred mostly foreign fighters making their last stand to defend an area under 1 sq km near Syria's border with Iraq, according to media reports.
Businessman Mohamed Kazali Salleh, 48, and his Singapore-based friend Hazim Syahmi Mahfoot, 28, a freelance car exporter, were detained in January  for their involvement in terrorism-related activities, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday.
Salleh, who was based in southern Peninsular Malaysian state of Johor, had funded and been in active contact with Syria-based ISIS militant Wan Mohd Aquil Wan Zainal Abidin, also known as Akel Zainal, of Malaysia, it said.
Akel, who was a member of 1990s Malaysian rock band Ukays, reportedly instructed 

2 radicalised Singaporeans detained for supporting ISIS fighters in Syria: Officials

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday expressed solidarity with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, saying the Jewish nation stood behind India after the "henious" terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed at least 40 CRPF soldiers.
In one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, at least 40 CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on Thursday when a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district.
Reacting to the terror attack, Netanyahu, who is expected to visit India in the coming weeks, said, "To my dear friend, Prime Minister of India @narendramodi, we stand with you, the security forces and the people of India following this heinous terrorist attack.
"We send our condolences to the families of the victims," the Israeli prime minister said in a tweet.

Israel is with India: PM Netanyahu assures PM Modi

Singer Katy Perry and actor Orlando Bloom got engaged on Valentine's Day.
Perry, 34, and Bloom, 42, shared the news on their Instagram.
Perry posted a close-up image of the pair surrounded by heart-shaped balloons as she showed off her flower-shaped diamond ring, which features a colourful pink jewel in the centre, reported People magazine.
"Full bloom," she captioned the picture in an apparent play on her fiance's last name.
Bloom shared the same image and captioned it, "Lifetimes".
It would be a second marriage for both Bloom and Perry, who started dating in 2016.
Bloom was previously married to supermodel Miranda Kerr and they share a son together while Perry was married to British comedian Russell Brand for two years.

Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom are engaged

The FBI has opened an inquiry into Ryan Adams' communication with an underage fan a day after the New York Times published an expose about the singer-songwriter, alleging that he exchanged explicit messages with the minor.
FBI agents from the Crime Against Children Squad in the bureau's New York office began the steps of opening a criminal investigation on Thursday, the Times reported.
Those steps include interviewing the woman that the Times reported on, who is no longer a minor, and gathering evidence of the correspondence.
The singer's lawyer, Andrew Brettler said Adams has not been contacted by any member of a law enforcement agency, including the FBI, as per the Hollywood Reporter.
Adams has been accused of sexual misconduct and emotional manipulation by more than half a dozen women, including ex-wife Mandy Moore.
The release of the singer's album 'Big Colors' has been put on hold in the wake of the allegations that accuse that Adams struck up a Twitter conversation with a ...

FBI opens inquiry into Ryan Adams' communication with underage fan after NYT expose

Four persons, including a cleric, have been arrested in Pakistan's Punjab province for allegedly using derogatory language and instigating people against Prime Minister Imran Khan over his plan to set up 1,100 cinema halls in the country, the police said on Friday.
The cleric, Maulana Abdul Rauf Yazdani and his three followers were arrested on Thursday from Multan, about 300 kms from here, they said.
Yazdani had delivered a speech in a mosque in Multan allegedly instigating people against Imran Khan for his "plan to establish 1,100 cinema halls" in the country, according to the FIR.
He also slammed Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry for defending "drinking", besides criticising a proposed bill on allocation of quota for the non-Muslims in the jobs of Islamic studies teachers.
Police said that his three followers were arrested for recording the cleric's speech on their mobile phones and uploaded it on their Facebook accounts.
On Sunday last, the Federal Investigation Agency had ...

Cleric, 3 others held for instigating people against Pak PM

The trade talks between China and the US will continue in Washington next week after both sides made "progress" but not enough to seal a final deal, ahead of a planned American tariff hike on USD 200 billion of Chinese imports from March 2.
Top officials from the world's two biggest economies wrapped up the two-days of talks here on Friday in a bid to at least create sufficient goodwill to stave off an escalation of their tariff war.
Both sides have agreed to continue talks in Washington next week after two days of negotiations in Beijing produced "progress" but not enough to seal a deal to end the trade war, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted officials as saying.
"Talks will continue next week among the same group of people, but at a different place," said a source, who declined to be identified.
"The last two days in Beijing made progress but not enough to seal a final deal," the source said, adding that the Chinese delegation may leave for Washington on ...

US-China to hold trade talks in Washington next week

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is serving a seven-year sentence in a corruption case, was on Friday shifted to a leading hospital here for cardiac treatment.
Sharif, 69, was brought to the Jinnah Hospital from the high security the Kot Lakhpat jai. The Punjab home department has declared the private ward of the hospital a "sub-jail" for the duration of Sharif's stay there, officials said.
The ousted premier was shifted back to jail on February 7 after undergoing treatment for six days at the Services Hospital where a multi-disciplinary medical board examined him and unanimously opined that he needs some kind of cardiac intervention.
Subsequently, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party supremo's personal physician Adnan Khan had requested the Punjab government to provide round-the-clock expert cardiac care to Sharif at a facility where cardiology intervention and multidisciplinary backup would be available.
Accepting the request, the Punjab Home Department ...

Jailed Nawaz Sharif shifted to hospital for cardiac treatment

India's SSP Chawrasia survived some anxious moments before making his first cut of the year at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth golf tournament here Friday.
Chawrasia, who was tied fifth after the first round, shot two-over 74 and was placed tied 37th after two rounds of the tournament, which is a mix of stroke play and match play.
It was Chawrasia's first cut in three starts in 2019.
Also making the 36-hole cut was another Indian, Shiv Kapur (73-70) who was placed tied 49th after the second round.
However, four other Indians, Ajeetesh Sandhu (71-73), S Chikkarangappa (73-71), Khalin Joshi (73-72) and Viraj Madappa (74-75) missed the cut.
Chawrasia had three birdies against five bogeys, while Kapur made five birdies and two bogeys.
Thailand's Panuphol Pittayarat is placed at the top of the leaderboard after firing seven birdies against one bogey to share the second round lead with New Zealand's Ryan Fox, Matthew Griffin of Australia and Belgium's Thomas Pieters.
Starting his round ..

Chawrasia, Kapur make cuts at Perth

A therapy that uses immersive virtual reality (VR) may provide lasting treatment for distressing fear and phobias in children with autism, a study claims.
The Blue Room therapy, developed by specialists at Newcastle University in the UK working alongside innovative technology firm Third Eye NeuroTech, allows the team to create a personalised 360 degree environment involving the fear which may debilitate the person with autism in real life.
Within this virtual environment, which requires no goggles, the child can comfortably investigate and navigate through various scenarios working with a therapist using tablet controls but remain in full control of the situation, according to the study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
"For many children and their families, anxiety can rule their lives as they try to avoid the situations which can trigger their child's fears or phobia," said Professor Jeremy Parr, who led the study.
Autism can affect a child's learning ..

'Immersive virtual reality may help treat autism phobias'

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is serving a seven-year imprisonment in a corruption case, has been shifted to a hospital in Lahore from the Kot Lakhpat jail here for cardiac treatment.
Sharif, 69, was brought to the Jinnah Hospital from the jail in high security. The Punjab home department has declared the private ward of Jinnah Hospital a "sub-jail" for the duration of Sharif's stay there.
The ousted premier was shifted back to jail on February 7 after having a six-day treatment at Services Hospital where a multi-disciplinary medical board examined him and unanimously opined that he needs some kind of cardiac intervention.
Subsequently, the PML-N supremo's personal physician Adnan Khan had requested the Punjab government to provide round-the-clock expert cardiac care to Sharif at a facility where cardiology intervention and multidisciplinary backup would be available.
Entertaining the request, the Punjab Home Department accorded sanction for "shifting of ...

Sharif shifted to hospital in Lahore from jail

Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock hit half-centuries as South Africa stretched their lead on the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Friday.
South Africa were 227 for five in their second innings at lunch, a lead of 271 runs.  Du Plessis was unbeaten on 72 while De Kock made 55 before being leg before wicket to debutant left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya at Kingsmead.
Resuming on 126 for four, South African captain Du Plessis and wicketkeeper De Kock were largely untroubled on an easy-paced pitch until De Kock went back to a ball from Embuldeniya which spun into the left-hander and kept low.
De Kock was the more aggressive partner in a stand of 96 which eased South African nerves after the hosts had been struggling at 95 for four. De Kock made his runs off 62 balls with six fours.
Du Plessis had faced 139 deliveries by lunch, hitting ten fours. Embuldeniya had figures of three for 51.

Du Plessis and De Kock stretch South Africa Test lead

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to spend an extra night in Warsaw after his plane was damaged following an airport mishap shortly before departure.
He departed around noon Friday, marking an inauspicious ending to a turbulent visit.
The prime minister and his entire entourage were on-board a chartered El Al plane the night before after a two-day visit to a high-profile security conference, when a vehicle towing the aircraft on the runway crashed into it.
A photo circulated to travelling journalists showed large scrapes in the underbelly of the aircraft.
Netanyahu and his wife were taken off the plane and ushered back to their hotel. Other aides, including Netanyahu's national security adviser and his military secretary, spent the night on the aircraft, saying they did not want to go through the hassle of pre-boarding security checks again.
A replacement plane was dispatched from Israel to urgently return the prime minster before the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath 

Netanyahu leaves Poland after plane mishap delayed departure

Nigeria made final preparations Friday on the eve of presidential elections, with candidates pitting continuity against reform in a battle between incumbent Muhammadu Buhari and his main rival Atiku Abubakar.
Buhari, the 76-year-old leader of Africa's most populous nation was elected in 2015 on a wave of hope he could defeat Boko Haram Islamists, tackle rampant corruption and boost the economy.
But he faces a stiff challenge from former vice-president Abubakar, 72, amid fears about widening insecurity, claims of creeping authoritarianism, and economic incompetence.
A total of 73 candidates are on the ballot for Saturday -- the sixth election in 20 years since Nigeria returned to democracy after decades of military rule.
Buhari, from the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Abubakar, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are considered the main contenders.
Campaigning ended Thursday with final rallies in Buhari's home state of Katsina, in the northwest, and Abubakar's native Adamawa, .

Crunch time as Nigeria goes to the polls

China has banned the entry of visitors who don't have climbing permits into the core zone of the Mount Everest National Nature reserve in Tibet to better conserve the environment of the world's highest mountain.
But for travellers, who have a climbing permit, the mountaineering activities will not be affected, according to the reserve, which was set up in 1988.
Covering an area of around 33,800 square km, including a 10,312-square km core zone, the reserve is home to one of the world's most vulnerable ecosystems.
Recently, a report went viral online claiming the Qomolangma base camp was "permanently closed due to heavy pollution."
But local authorities denied the claim.
In Tibet, the the 8,848-metre high Mount Everest is called as Mount Qomolangma.
The deputy director with the reserve's administration, Kelsang said ordinary tourists are banned from areas above Rongpo Monastery, around 5,000 metres above sea level.
A new tent camp will be set up nearly two-km away from the original ...

China bans ordinary tourists in core zone of Mt Everest

Chinese ride-hailing leader Didi Chuxing will streamline operations and make cuts to non-core business units as it doubles down on safety after the murders of two passengers clobbered its image, a source familiar with the plans told AFP.
Chief executive Cheng Wei told staff in an internal meeting on Friday that about 2,000 employees, or 15 percent of current staff, would be laid off as part of the reorganisation, primarily in business lines outside main ride-hailing operations, the source said.
However, Cheng said Didi would make around 2,500 "new hires" this year in the areas of safety technology, product engineering, driver management and international operations.
It was not clear which business lines would be affected, but Didi also provides food delivery and online financial services.
Didi's ride-hailing services are used by hundreds of millions of customers in China.
But the company came under intense criticism after two young female passengers were murdered last year by drivers .

China's Didi to restructure following passenger murders

With a March 2 deadline looming, US and Chinese negotiators will meet in Washington next week for more talks on a tariff war over Beijing's technology ambitions, China's government announced Friday.
The announcement came after US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told Chinese President Xi Jinping that negotiators had "made headway" on important issues in two days of talks that wrapped up Friday in Beijing.
Officials expressed optimism but gave no details of this week's negotiations, which had been the last scheduled before a planned American tariff hike on USD 200 billion of Chinese imports on March 2.
Economists said the talks were too brief to resolve the tariff fight that is dragging on global economic growth.
"I hope you will continue to work hard to promote a mutually beneficial and win-win agreement," Xi told Lighthizer in a meeting after the negotiations ended, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
The announcement of further talks suggested both sides believe they 

China says trade talks to continue in Washington next week

The Vatican's envoy to France is being investigated for sexual assault after he was accused of molesting a official at the Paris mayor's office during a ceremony last month, a judicial source told AFP.
The envoy, 74-year-old Luigi Ventura, has been based in Paris since 2009 and serves as a diplomat for Pope Francis.
He was accused of molesting a man at the Paris townhall on January 17 where mayor Anne Hidalgo gave a New Year's address to diplomats, religious leaders and civil society figures.
A complaint was filed by the mayor's office on January 24 which led to an investigation being opened the day after, the judicial source said.  Le Monde newspaper first reported the investigation and the allegations against Ventura on Friday.

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