Monday 22 April 2019

Prince Harry ad Meghan Markle could move to Africa for two to three years as part of new international role


Pic-Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (AP)
Royal correspondent(wp/es):::
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex could move to Africa for two to three years as part of a major international role after the birth of their first child, according to reports. 
Advisers to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to be working on a bespoke role for the pair combining Commonwealth and charity work as well as promoting Britain. 
The job would see the royal couple, who are expecting their first child in the next few days, utilising their "rock star" status abroad, likely in Africa, the Sunday Times reports. 
The newspaper said Sir David Manning, the former British ambassador to the US, and Lord Geidt, the Queen's former private secretary, have drawn up the international plans, although a decision on where they would be based is unlikely until 2020.
The period before a decision is made on the plans would give the couple the opportunity to settle into their new home at Frogmore Cottage after the birth of their baby, who is due any day now.
The Sunday Times quotes a palace insider as saying the role would last for two or three years, adding: “Discussions are at an early stage, but the plan is to find a new way of using their soft power abilities, most likely in Africa." 
“There are discussions in palace circles about: how do we harness Harry and Meghan? How do you harness this phenomenon that has emerged? You make it productive,” a second source told the newspaper. 
Prince Harry has close ties to several African countries, visiting the continent since his teens and spending a gap year in Lesotho, which he once described as a "second home". 
Open talks will reportedly be held between the Government and palace officials about how to pay for the international role and the security needed during their stay.
The news comes amid reports of a rift between the Sussexes and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in recent months, although officials have insisted there has been no falling out. 
A spokesman for the royal family told the Standard: "Any future plans for The Duke and Duchess are speculative at his stage. No decisions have been taken about future roles.
"The Duke will continue to fulfil his role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador."

May to be told to quit by top Conservative - Sunday Times

A top member of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party will tell her in the coming week that she must step down by the end of June or her lawmakers will try again to depose her, the Sunday Times reported, without citing sources.
Political reporter(wp/reuters):::
May survived a vote of no confidence in December and although party rules mean lawmakers cannot challenge her again until a year has passed, lawmaker Graham Brady will tell her the rules will be changed unless she quits, the newspaper said.
Brady, who chairs the Conservative Party’s influential 1922 Committee of backbench lawmakers, will tell her that 70 percent of her members of parliament want her to resign over her handling of Brexit, the Sunday Times said.
Britain was originally due to leave the European Union on March 29, but that deadline was pushed back to April 12 and then again to Oct. 31 as May failed to break an impasse in parliament on the terms of Brexit.

Swedish teen climate activist joins London protest as arrests top 830

Staff reporter(wp/reuters):::
Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg on Sunday urged hundreds of climate-change protesters in London to never give up their campaign to save the planet as police arrests over disruptions to the city’s landmarks rose above 830.
Climate group Extinction Rebellion has targeted sites such as Oxford Circus and Waterloo Bridge in a campaign of non-violent civil disobedience with the aim of stopping what it calls a global climate crisis.
Police said the number of arrests in connection with the protests rose to 831 on Sunday, and 40 people had been charged with offences such as obstructing a highway and obstructing the police.
Thunberg, a 16-year-old student, spoke to hundreds of activists at Marble Arch, one of a number of London landmarks that have been brought to a standstill over seven days of direct action. Police were allowing the protest to continue at the site.
“We are the ones making a difference - we the people in Extinction Rebellion and the children’s School Strike for the Climate - we are the ones making a difference,” she told cheering crowds.
“And we will never stop fighting, we will never stop fighting for this planet, for ourselves, our futures and for the futures of our children and grandchildren.”
Thunberg inspired a movement of children against global warming when she took a stand in front of Stockholm’s Parliament House last August with her “school strike for climate” sign.
Thousands of students around the world have since copied her, and the schoolgirl took her campaign to European leaders in Strasbourg on Tuesday and to the Vatican, where she met Pope Francis, on Wednesday. 
London police said they had moved protesters from roads around Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus and Parliament Square, and they were working to re-open Waterloo Bridge.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said on Saturday that the protests had caused “miserable disruption”. She said there were now 1,500 police officers, up from 1,000 previously, working to clear the roads. 

British woman killed by gunmen at Nigerian holiday resort

Faye Mooney
Pic-Faye Mooney had been working in Nigeria for a non-governmental organisation/wp
Crime watch(wp/bbc):::
A British woman was one of two people shot dead by gunmen who stormed a holiday resort in Nigeria.
The British High Commission confirmed the death of the woman, who was named by her employers as Faye Mooney.
A Mercy Corps statement said Ms Mooney, who was working in Nigeria, was "tragically killed" by gunmen while on holiday in the northern city of Kaduna.
Local police said a Nigerian man was also killed, and three others were kidnapped during the attack on Friday.
Kidnapping for ransom is common in Nigeria, with foreigners and high-profile Nigerians frequently targeted.
Ms Mooney was employed in Nigeria as a communication specialist for the non-governmental organisation Mercy Corps, which said it was "utterly heartbroken".
Neal Keny-Guyer, Mercy Corps chief executive, said she had worked with the company for almost two years "leading efforts to counter hate speech and violence" in Nigeria.
He said the graduate of University College London and the London School of Economics, who had previously worked in Iraq and Kosovo, was "an inspiration to us all".
Police said there had been no claim of responsibility for the incident and the kidnappers were yet to be identified.
A spokesman said a group armed with dangerous weapons had gained entry to Kajuru Castle and began shooting sporadically, killing two people and kidnapping three others.

Sri Lanka attacks: Five Britons killed in explosions

International report(wp/bbc):::
Five British citizens have been killed in explosions at hotels and churches in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.
Police say at least 290 people have been killed and 500 injured in eight blasts, six of which were in Colombo.
Three Britons and two with joint US and UK citizenship were among the dead, Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed British nationals were among those killed but has not confirmed the number of victims.
A spokesman said: "Our staff are supporting the relatives of the victims and are continuing to work with the relevant authorities to obtain further information."
Officials in Sri Lanka believe 36 foreign nationals are among the dead, with most still unidentified at a Colombo morgue.
Danish, Indian, Turkish and Dutch citizens are also among those known to have died.
The UK's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, James Dauris, said he had spoken with Britons in hospital "who have been affected by today's senseless attacks".
Mr Dauris urged those still in the country to contact relatives and to follow instructions from local authorities.
In the capital Colombo, St Anthony's Shrine and the Cinnamon Grand, Shangri-La and Kingsbury hotels were targeted.
There were also explosions at a hotel near Dehiwala zoo and in the residential district of Dematagoda.
Further blasts took place in St Sebastian's Church in Negombo, a town approximately 20 miles north of Colombo, and at Zion Church in Batticaloa, on the east coast.
Kieran Arasaratnam, a professor at Imperial College London, was on his way to the breakfast room in the Shangri-La hotel when he heard the blast.
He told the BBC he saw a young child, aged about eight or nine, being carried to an ambulance, and all around him, "everyone's just running in panic".
"The military was coming in. It's just total chaos. So I then just literally ran out and then I looked to the room on the right and there's blood everywhere."

'Lucky to be alive'

Tourist Marisa Keller, from London, was also staying at the Shangri-La but wasn't in the hotel when it was attacked. She said she felt "lucky to be alive".
"My cousin called to say a hotel had been bombed," she said. "We saw the ambulances at the Cinnamon Grand and said 'you're right'.
"Then we got back to the Shangri-La and saw everybody outside. The staff were trying to make sure who was safe and who was not.
"There were lots of bodies, blood, ambulances, police. Swat teams were sent in.
"One side of the hotel was blocked off. They were letting people back in because of the hot sun."
Julian Emmanuel and his family, from Surrey, were staying at the Cinnamon Grand when they were woken up by the explosion.
"There were ambulances, fire crews, police sirens," he told the BBC.
"I came out of the room to see what's happening, we were ushered downstairs.
"We were told there had been a bomb. Staff said some people were killed. One member of staff told me it was a suicide bomber."
Retired doctor Simon Whitmarsh, from Wales, is on holiday in Sri Lanka.
The 55-year-old was cycling near the city of Batticaloa when he heard a "big bang".
As a former consultant paediatrician, Mr Whitmarsh volunteered at the local hospital - but was told the situation was in hand.
"By that stage, they had activated emergency protocols," he said. "The hospital was heavily guarded by the army, who were stopping most people going in."
Eight people have been arrested in connection with the attacks, but it not yet clear who is responsible.
Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to the UK, Manisha Gunasekera, said the "magnitude and precision" of the attacks was "unprecedented".
She added that authorities were "doing everything that they can to bring the perpetrators to justice".
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has condemned the attacks as "utterly despicable destruction" during his Easter address at Canterbury Cathedral.
Prime Minister Theresa May said the killings were "truly appalling" and "no-one should ever have to practise their faith in fear."
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the "horrifying attacks".
He said there was "no hard knowledge" yet about the perpetrators of the atrocity, but added: "What we can say is there is a growing trend to attack Christians and these are not, on the whole, Christians in rich Western countries. These are some of the poorest people in the world, often people who are practising Christianity as a minority faith in the country that they are in."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "I stand with the victims, their families, the people of Sri Lanka and Christians around the world. We must defeat this hatred with unity, love and respect."

Sri Lanka attacks: Death toll soars to 290

The death toll in Sri Lanka has soared to 290 after a wave of blasts hit churches and luxury hotels across the country on Sunday.
Police said that 24 people have been arrested, but it is not yet known who carried out the attacks.
About 500 people are injured and dozens of foreigners are among the dead.
The country is in shock after the Easter Sunday bombings, the deadliest violence since the end of the civil war in 2009.
Late on Sunday Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said security services had been "aware of information" of possible attacks but that the information had not been acted upon.

How did the attacks unfold?

The first reports of explosions came at about 08:45 (03:15 GMT) local time - with six blasts reported within a small space of time.
Three churches in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo's Kochchikade district were targeted during Easter services and blasts also rocked the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand hotels in the country's capital.
As police hunted those responsible, two further explosions were reported.
One blast hit near the zoo in Dehiwala, southern Colombo, and an eighth was reported near the Colombo district of Dematagoda during a police raid, killing three officers.
Late on Sunday, the air force said an improvised explosive device had been found and disposed of close to the country's main airport in the capital, Colombo.
"A PVC pipe which was six feet [1.8m] in length containing explosives in it was discovered," spokesman Gihan Seneviratne told local media.

What's known about the attackers?

It remains unclear who was behind the attacks, but 24 arrests were made by police.
The government has said they believe suicide bombs were used at some of the sites.
The BBC's Azzam Ameen in Colombo says the attackers are thought to be part of a "radical extremist Islamist group" according to authorities.
During a news conference on Sunday evening, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed rumours that officials had had prior intelligence of forthcoming attacks.
"We must look into why adequate precautions were not taken. Neither I nor the Ministers were kept informed," he said.
"For now the priority is to apprehend the attackers," he added.
Government officials have called for the public to remain calm while investigations take place.
There was also a temporary restriction on some social media networks to try and stop misinformation spreading.

Who are the victims?

The vast majority of those killed are thought to be Sri Lankan nationals, including scores of Christians who died at Easter church services.
The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it believes 36 foreign nationals are among the dead, with most still unidentified at a Colombo morgue.
The international victims include:
  • At least five British citizens - including two with joint US citizenship
  • Three Danish citizens
  • One Portuguese citizen and three Indian nationals, according to Sri Lankan officials
  • Two engineers from Turkey, according to Turkish news outlet Anadolu
  • One person from the Netherlands
  • One person from Japan, according to Japanese media citing government sources

How has the world responded?

World leaders have been offering their shock and condolences to Sri Lanka over the deadly blasts.
Several prominent international monuments, including the Eiffel Tower, were dimmed or lit in Sri Lanka's colours in solidarity on Sunday night.
Pope Francis, in his traditional Urbi et Orbi speech at the Vatican, condemned the attacks as "such cruel violence" targeting Christians celebrating Easter.
A spokesperson for UN Secretary General António Guterres said he was "outraged" by the attacks, and expressed his hope the perpetrators would be "swiftly brought to justice".
India's Narendra Modi condemned the attacks as "barbaric" while Pakistan's leader Imran Khan also offered his "profound condolences" to Sri Lanka.
UK PM Theresa May wrote in a tweet that the "acts of violence against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka are truly appalling".
US President Donald Trump tweeted "heartfelt condolences" for the "horrible terrorist attacks".
The leader of New Zealand, where deadly mosque attacks killed 50 last month, labelled the bombings "devastating".
"Collectively we must find the will and the answers to end such violence," Jacinda Ardern said.

What is Sri Lanka's recent history?

Sunday's attacks are the deadliest seen in Sri Lanka since the end of the country's civil war in 2009.
The civil war ended with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, who had fought for 26 years for an independent homeland for the minority ethnic Tamils.
The war is thought to have killed between 70,000 and 80,000 people.
The nation has seen some sporadic violence since. In March 2018 a state of emergency was declared after members of the majority Buddhist Sinhala community attacked mosques and Muslim-owned properties.

Religion in Sri Lanka

Theravada Buddhism is Sri Lanka's biggest religious group, making up about 70.2% of the population, according to the most recent census.
It is the religion of Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority, is given primary place in the country's laws and is singled out in the constitution.
Hindus and Muslims make up 12.6% and 9.7% of the population respectively.
Sri Lanka is also home to about 1.5 million Christians, according to the 2012 census, the vast majority of them Roman Catholic.