<p>Protesters took to Dhaka's streets on Wednesday to demand action on rising rape cases in Bangladesh, saying a new law that expanded the use of the death penalty was not enough to bring about real change.</p>

<p>Women's rights campaigners are demanding a root and branch reform of the legal system and more education to address what they say is a rising incidence of violence against women in Bangladesh.</p>

<p>Earlier this month, the government changed the law to make rape committed by a single person punishable by death following protests triggered by an online video showing a group of men sexually assaulting a woman.</p>

<p>Previously, the death penalty could only be applied to gang rape, or rape that resulted in the victim's death.</p>

<p>"We didn't protest to change the law or to look for punishments. We protested to change this culture where women and girls are treated unfairly," said Shireen Huq, founder of Naripokkho, a women's rights group.</p>

<p>"To change this, we need to attack the root. We need to include sex education in curriculums. We also need to educate families so that they stop blaming girls for this," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.</p>

<p>Government ministers could not immediately be reached for comment. Law Minister Anisul Huq told reporters last week that he was confident the change in the law would lead to a drop in rapes.</p>

<p>Bangladesh has seen a surge in reported sexual crimes in recent years, but convictions remain rare at just 3% of cases.</p>

<p>Nearly 1,000 sexual crimes were reported between January and September, including more than 200 gang rapes, according to human rights group Ain-o-Salish Kendra.</p>

<p>Women's rights campaigners say the true figure is likely much higher as such crimes often go unreported.</p>

<p>Among the proposals put forward by the Rape Law Reform Coalition of 17 human rights groups are more options for sentencing convicted rapists.</p>

<p>At the moment, the only options are life imprisonment or death, which campaigners said could make judges reluctant to convict.</p>

<p>It also wants the government to review the use of character evidence in rape cases, which it says provides scope for blaming the victim.</p>

<p>Campaigners have also urged the government to ensure rape trials are completed within 180 days.</p>

<p>"There are cases which have been running for 12 years. We need to improve on this," said Maleka Banu, a spokeswoman for Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, a women's rights group.</p>

<p>Activist Shrobona Shafique was among the about 150 protesters who turned out on Wednesday, following a larger demonstration over the weekend that was attacked by counter-demonstrators.</p>

<p>"We raised our voice against the attack of the anti-rape rally. We also reaffirmed that we don't think death sentence is the solution," she said. "We need systemic changes."</p>


Protesters took to Dhaka's streets on Wednesday to demand action on rising rape cases in Bangladesh, saying a new law that expanded the use of the death penalty was not enough to bring about real change.

Protesters took to Dhaka's streets on Wednesday to demand action on rising rape cases in Bangladesh, saying a new law that expanded the use of the death penalty was not enough to bring about real change. Women's rights campaigners are demanding a root and branch reform of the legal system and more education to address what they say is a rising incidence of violence against women in Bangladesh. Earlier this month, the government changed the law to make rape committed by a single person punishable by death following protests triggered by an online video showing a group of men sexually assaulting a woman. Previously, the death penalty could only be applied to gang rape, or rape that resulted in the victim's death. "We didn't protest to change the law or to look for punishments. We protested to change this culture where women and girls are treated unfairly," said Shireen Huq, founder of Naripokkho, a women's rights group. "To change this, we need to attack the root. We need to include sex education in curriculums. We also need to educate families so that they stop blaming girls for this," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Government ministers could not immediately be reached for comment. Law Minister Anisul Huq told reporters last week that he was confident the change in the law would lead to a drop in rapes. Bangladesh has seen a surge in reported sexual crimes in recent years, but convictions remain rare at just 3% of cases. Nearly 1,000 sexual crimes were reported between January and September, including more than 200 gang rapes, according to human rights group Ain-o-Salish Kendra. Women's rights campaigners say the true figure is likely much higher as such crimes often go unreported. Among the proposals put forward by the Rape Law Reform Coalition of 17 human rights groups are more options for sentencing convicted rapists. At the moment, the only options are life imprisonment or death, which campaigners said could make judges reluctant to convict. It also wants the government to review the use of character evidence in rape cases, which it says provides scope for blaming the victim. Campaigners have also urged the government to ensure rape trials are completed within 180 days. "There are cases which have been running for 12 years. We need to improve on this," said Maleka Banu, a spokeswoman for Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, a women's rights group. Activist Shrobona Shafique was among the about 150 protesters who turned out on Wednesday, following a larger demonstration over the weekend that was attacked by counter-demonstrators. "We raised our voice against the attack of the anti-rape rally. We also reaffirmed that we don't think death sentence is the solution," she said. "We need systemic changes."

Bangladeshi protestors say death penalty not the answer to rise in rape

<p>Evidence of a 'lost' river that ran through Thar Desert in India have been found. The river flowed though the desert 172 thousand years ago near present-day Bikaner. Researchers say that the river may have been a life-line to human population inhabiting the region.</p>

<p>The study was carried out by researchers from Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany along with Anna University in Tamil Nadu, and IISER Kolkata. The study indicates that Stone Age populations lived in Thar Desert landscape that was distinctly different than today.</p>

<p>The findings, published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, represent the oldest directly dated phase of river activity at Nal Quarry in the central Thar Desert.</p>

<p>The evidence indicates a river flowed with phases of activity dating to approximately up to 172 thousand years ago, nearby to Bikaner, Rajasthan, which is over 200 kilometres away from the nearest modern river.</p>

<p>These findings predate evidence for activity in modern river courses across the Thar Desert as well as dried up course of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, the researchers said.</p>

<p>The presence of a river running through the central Thar Desert would have offered a life-line to Paleolithic populations, and potentially an important corridor for migrations, they said.</p>

<p>The researchers noted that the potential importance of 'lost' rivers for earlier inhabitants of the Thar Desert have been overlooked.</p>

<p>"The Thar Desert has a rich prehistory, and we've been uncovering a wide range of evidence showing how Stone Age populations not only survived but thrived in these semi-arid landscapes," said Jimbob Blinkhorn from The Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.</p>

<p>"We know how important rivers can be to living in this region, but we have little detail on what river systems were like during key periods of prehistory," Blinkhorn said.</p>

<p>Studies of satellite imagery have shown a dense network of river channels crossing the Thar Desert, according to the researchers.</p>

<p>"These studies can indicate where rivers and streams have flowed in the past, but they can't tell us when," explained Professor Hema Achyuthan of Anna University.</p>

<p>"To demonstrate how old such channels are, we had to find evidence on the ground for river activity in the middle of the desert," Achyuthan said.</p>

<p>The team studied a deep deposit of river sands and gravels, which had been exposed by quarrying activity near the village of Nal.</p>

<p>The researchers were able to document different phases of river activity by studying the different deposits.</p>

<p>"We immediately saw evidence for a substantial and very active river system from the bottom of the fluvial deposits, which gradually decreased in power through time," Achyuthan said.</p>

<p>The researchers used a method called luminescence dating to understand when quartz grains in the river sands were buried.</p>

<p>The results indicated that the strongest river activity at Nal occurred at approximately 172 and 140 thousand years ago, at a time when the monsoon was much weaker than today in the region.</p>

<p>River activity continued at the site between 95 to 78 thousand years ago, after which only limited evidence for the presence of a river at the site, with evidence for a brief reactivation of the channel 26 thousand years ago, the study found.</p>

<p>The river was flowing at its strongest during a phase of weak monsoonal activity in the region, and may have been a life-line to human populations enabling them to inhabit the Thar Desert, the researchers said.</p>

<p>The timeframe over which this river was active also overlaps with significant changes in human behaviour in the region, which have been linked with the earliest expansions of Homo sapiens from Africa into India, they said.</p>

<p>"This river flowed at a critical timeframe for understanding human evolution in the Thar Desert, across South Asia and beyond," said Blinkhorn.</p>

<p>"This suggests a landscape in which the earliest members of our own species, Homo sapiens, first encountered the monsoons and crossed the Thar Desert may have been very different to the landscape we can see today," he added.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Evidence of a 'lost' river that ran through Thar Desert in India have been found. The river flowed though the desert 172 thousand years ago near present-day Bikaner.

Evidence of a 'lost' river that ran through Thar Desert in India have been found. The river flowed though the desert 172 thousand years ago near present-day Bikaner. Researchers say that the river may have been a life-line to human population inhabiting the region. The study was carried out by researchers from Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany along with Anna University in Tamil Nadu, and IISER Kolkata. The study indicates that Stone Age populations lived in Thar Desert landscape that was distinctly different than today. The findings, published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, represent the oldest directly dated phase of river activity at Nal Quarry in the central Thar Desert. The evidence indicates a river flowed with phases of activity dating to approximately up to 172 thousand years ago, nearby to Bikaner, Rajasthan, which is over 200 kilometres away from the nearest modern river. These findings predate evidence for activity in modern river courses across the Thar Desert as well as dried up course of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, the researchers said. The presence of a river running through the central Thar Desert would have offered a life-line to Paleolithic populations, and potentially an important corridor for migrations, they said. The researchers noted that the potential importance of 'lost' rivers for earlier inhabitants of the Thar Desert have been overlooked. "The Thar Desert has a rich prehistory, and we've been uncovering a wide range of evidence showing how Stone Age populations not only survived but thrived in these semi-arid landscapes," said Jimbob Blinkhorn from The Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. "We know how important rivers can be to living in this region, but we have little detail on what river systems were like during key periods of prehistory," Blinkhorn said. Studies of satellite imagery have shown a dense network of river channels crossing the Thar Desert, according to the researchers. "These studies can indicate where rivers and streams have flowed in the past, but they can't tell us when," explained Professor Hema Achyuthan of Anna University. "To demonstrate how old such channels are, we had to find evidence on the ground for river activity in the middle of the desert," Achyuthan said. The team studied a deep deposit of river sands and gravels, which had been exposed by quarrying activity near the village of Nal. The researchers were able to document different phases of river activity by studying the different deposits. "We immediately saw evidence for a substantial and very active river system from the bottom of the fluvial deposits, which gradually decreased in power through time," Achyuthan said. The researchers used a method called luminescence dating to understand when quartz grains in the river sands were buried. The results indicated that the strongest river activity at Nal occurred at approximately 172 and 140 thousand years ago, at a time when the monsoon was much weaker than today in the region. River activity continued at the site between 95 to 78 thousand years ago, after which only limited evidence for the presence of a river at the site, with evidence for a brief reactivation of the channel 26 thousand years ago, the study found. The river was flowing at its strongest during a phase of weak monsoonal activity in the region, and may have been a life-line to human populations enabling them to inhabit the Thar Desert, the researchers said. The timeframe over which this river was active also overlaps with significant changes in human behaviour in the region, which have been linked with the earliest expansions of Homo sapiens from Africa into India, they said. "This river flowed at a critical timeframe for understanding human evolution in the Thar Desert, across South Asia and beyond," said Blinkhorn. "This suggests a landscape in which the earliest members of our own species, Homo sapiens, first encountered the monsoons and crossed the Thar Desert may have been very different to the landscape we can see today," he added.

'Lost' river that flowed through Thar Desert 172k years ago found

<p>Instagram has refused to take down an image that has caused a stir and sparked heated reactions on the platform. The graphic has been posted by an account named 'supportblackart'. The image shows two apparently African-American women holding severed heads of white men.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The graphic has been made by an artist named 'sugarygarbage' and is named 'No Place I’d Rather Be Than Here With You'. The graphic was posted several days ago. It has got more than 13,000 likes.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CGaX7ZAhvNE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">“No Place I’d Rather Be Than Here With You” by @sugarygarbage 🔥 Alcohol marker, ink, and gouache on archival cotton. 22”x30” (2020) #SupportBlackArt #KeziaHarrell</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/supportblackart/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> SUPPORT BLACK ART</a> (@supportblackart) on <time datetime="2020-10-16T17:03:10+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Oct 16, 2020 at 10:03am PDT</time></p>
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<p>Given the sentiments&nbsp;stirred by death of George Floyd in US, a fierce debate has erupted over the Instagram graphic.</p>

<p>"This is giving the stereotype that black women are violent and the fact that they made the women look like a giant and holding white people's head is not okay. The women looks like she is not in the right head space and ripping them apart is very violent and that type of violence black women don’t have," commented one user.</p>

<p>The image found supporters too</p>

<p>"It’s art, bunch of snowflakes!" commented a user.</p>

<p>However, it appears that people reported this image to Instagram. But as per Instagram's response posted by writer Luke Rudkowski, the platform declined to take down the post.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It's really nice when extremely powerful multi-national corporations decide what is for the greater good for everyone to consume.<br />
<br />
And hold on..... doesn't Instagram institute a titty ban!? <a href="https://t.co/ooetmukxJd">pic.twitter.com/ooetmukxJd</a></p>
— Luke Rudkowski (@Lukewearechange) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lukewearechange/status/1318604824049520646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In its response, Instagram has said that "people may express differently" and that the photo "likely doesn't go against" Instagram's community guidelines.</p>


Instagram has refused to take down an image that has caused a stir and sparked heated reactions on the platform. The graphic has been posted by an account named 'supportblackart'.

Instagram has refused to take down an image that has caused a stir and sparked heated reactions on the platform. The graphic has been posted by an account named 'supportblackart'. The image shows two apparently African-American women holding severed heads of white men. The graphic has been made by an artist named 'sugarygarbage' and is named 'No Place I’d Rather Be Than Here With You'. The graphic was posted several days ago. It has got more than 13,000 likes. View this post on Instagram “No Place I’d Rather Be Than Here With You” by @sugarygarbage 🔥 Alcohol marker, ink, and gouache on archival cotton. 22”x30” (2020) #SupportBlackArt #KeziaHarrell A post shared by SUPPORT BLACK ART (@supportblackart) on Oct 16, 2020 at 10:03am PDT × Given the sentiments stirred by death of George Floyd in US, a fierce debate has erupted over the Instagram graphic. "This is giving the stereotype that black women are violent and the fact that they made the women look like a giant and holding white people's head is not okay. The women looks like she is not in the right head space and ripping them apart is very violent and that type of violence black women don’t have," commented one user. The image found supporters too "It’s art, bunch of snowflakes!" commented a user. However, it appears that people reported this image to Instagram. But as per Instagram's response posted by writer Luke Rudkowski, the platform declined to take down the post. It's really nice when extremely powerful multi-national corporations decide what is for the greater good for everyone to consume. And hold on..... doesn't Instagram institute a titty ban!? pic.twitter.com/ooetmukxJd — Luke Rudkowski (@Lukewearechange) October 20, 2020 × In its response, Instagram has said that "people may express differently" and that the photo "likely doesn't go against" Instagram's community guidelines.

Instagram refuses to remove 'black art' image that shows severed heads of whites

<p>England's Care Quality Commission said that a large number of people with learning disability or Autism were getting "inhumane care" in specialist hospitals. The report by England's independent health and social care eve said that it could not be confident that patients' human rights were upheld.</p>

<p>The report looked at the use of seclusion, segregation and restraint in specialist units on people with autism or learning disability.</p>

<p>The commission found that people were kept segregated for duration ranging from 3 days to 13 years.</p>

<p>The report has recommended increasing community support to ensure people were not admitted to hospitals and for 'ministerial ownership' to ensure the implementation of changes. The use of seclusion and restraint has only been recommended by the commission in extreme cases.</p>


England's Care Quality Commission said that a large number of people with learning disability or Autism were getting "inhumane care" in specialist hospitals. The report by England's independent health and social care eve said that it could not be confident that patients' human rights were upheld.

England's Care Quality Commission said that a large number of people with learning disability or Autism were getting "inhumane care" in specialist hospitals. The report by England's independent health and social care eve said that it could not be confident that patients' human rights were upheld. The report looked at the use of seclusion, segregation and restraint in specialist units on people with autism or learning disability. The commission found that people were kept segregated for duration ranging from 3 days to 13 years. The report has recommended increasing community support to ensure people were not admitted to hospitals and for 'ministerial ownership' to ensure the implementation of changes. The use of seclusion and restraint has only been recommended by the commission in extreme cases.

Patients with Autism get 'inhumane' treatment in hospitals: Report

<p>In a fresh step in its confrontation with China, US has designated operations of six China-based media companies as foreign missions. Such a designation requires the outlets to inform the US State Department of their personnel rosters and real-estate holdings. US Secretary of Stae Mike Pompeo said that the fresh step was taken to resist communist propoganda. Pompeo also said that the US is going to start a dialogue with European Union on China.</p>

<p>The State Department named the newly designated publications as the Yicai Global, Jiefang Daily, the Xinmin Evening News, Social Sciences in China Press, the Beijing Review, and the Economic Daily. It brought to 15 the number of Chinese media outlets so designated this year.</p>

<p>It was the latest U.S. step to curb Chinese activity in the United States in the run-up to the Nov. 3 presidential election, in which President Donald Trump has made a tough approach to China a key foreign policy theme.</p>

<p>Pompeo said the move was part of efforts to push back against "Chinese communist propaganda efforts" in the United States.</p>

<p>"They are also substantially owned, or effectively controlled by a foreign government," he said.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-what-to-expect-as-donald-trump-joe-biden-gear-up-for-final-presidential-debate-337034">What to expect as Donald Trump, Joe Biden gear up for final debate</a></strong></p>

<p>"We are not placing any restrictions on what these outlets can publish in the United States; we simply want to ensure that American people, consumers of information can differentiate between news written by a free press and propaganda distributed by the Chinese Communist Party itself. Not the same thing."</p>

<p>The editor-in-chief of Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper said in a tweet that the U.S. had "gone too far" and that China would retaliate.</p>

<p>"As long as Chinese media outlets suffer actual harm, Beijing will definitely retaliate, and US media outlets' operation in HK could be included in retaliation list," Hu Xijin said.</p>

<p>The State Department has required Chinese media outlets to register as foreign missions and announced in March it was cutting the number of journalists allowed to work at U.S. offices of major Chinese media outlets to 100 from 160.</p>

<p>In response, China expelled about a dozen American correspondents with the New York Times, News Corp's Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.</p>

<p>The United States also said last month it would require senior Chinese diplomats to get State Department approval before visiting U.S. university campuses or holding cultural events with more than 50 people outside mission grounds.</p>

<p>China's embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p>

<p>Washington designated four major Chinese media outlets as foreign embassies in June and five in February.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>(With Reuters inputs)</strong><br />
&nbsp;</p>


In a fresh step in its confrontation with China, US has designated operations of six China-based media companies as foreign missions. Such a designation requires the outlets to inform the US State Department of their personnel rosters and real-estate holdings.

In a fresh step in its confrontation with China, US has designated operations of six China-based media companies as foreign missions. Such a designation requires the outlets to inform the US State Department of their personnel rosters and real-estate holdings. US Secretary of Stae Mike Pompeo said that the fresh step was taken to resist communist propoganda. Pompeo also said that the US is going to start a dialogue with European Union on China. The State Department named the newly designated publications as the Yicai Global, Jiefang Daily, the Xinmin Evening News, Social Sciences in China Press, the Beijing Review, and the Economic Daily. It brought to 15 the number of Chinese media outlets so designated this year. It was the latest U.S. step to curb Chinese activity in the United States in the run-up to the Nov. 3 presidential election, in which President Donald Trump has made a tough approach to China a key foreign policy theme. Pompeo said the move was part of efforts to push back against "Chinese communist propaganda efforts" in the United States. "They are also substantially owned, or effectively controlled by a foreign government," he said. Also Read: What to expect as Donald Trump, Joe Biden gear up for final debate "We are not placing any restrictions on what these outlets can publish in the United States; we simply want to ensure that American people, consumers of information can differentiate between news written by a free press and propaganda distributed by the Chinese Communist Party itself. Not the same thing." The editor-in-chief of Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper said in a tweet that the U.S. had "gone too far" and that China would retaliate. "As long as Chinese media outlets suffer actual harm, Beijing will definitely retaliate, and US media outlets' operation in HK could be included in retaliation list," Hu Xijin said. The State Department has required Chinese media outlets to register as foreign missions and announced in March it was cutting the number of journalists allowed to work at U.S. offices of major Chinese media outlets to 100 from 160. In response, China expelled about a dozen American correspondents with the New York Times, News Corp's Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. The United States also said last month it would require senior Chinese diplomats to get State Department approval before visiting U.S. university campuses or holding cultural events with more than 50 people outside mission grounds. China's embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Washington designated four major Chinese media outlets as foreign embassies in June and five in February. (With Reuters inputs)

Days ahead of elections, US designates six Chinese firms as foreign missions

<p><strong>392 new festival special trains -&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>The festive season is just around the corner and number of people intending to travel to their hometowns and other places within the country is expected to rise. Keeping this massive demand in mind, Indian Railways has decided to run <strong>392 special trains </strong>during the festive season.</p>

<p>These special trains will be operated from October 20 to November 30.</p>

<p>"To clear the festive rush, Ministry of Railways has approved 196 pairs (392 trains) of “Festival Special” services over Indian Railways to be operated from 20th October 2020 and 30th November 2020. Zonal Railways will notify their schedule in advance," The railways announced on October 13.</p>

<p>Check out the full list of&nbsp;<strong>392 new festival special trains -&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/QdBjR3JufV">pic.twitter.com/QdBjR3JufV</a></p>
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/RailMinIndia/status/1316016414398898178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>392 new festival special trains list-&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The trains will mainly be run for destinations such as Kolkata, Patna, Lucknow among others to facilitate travel during festivals such as Durga Puja, Diwali, Chath Puja and more</p>

<p><strong>Ticket price for these trains </strong>will be at par with the special trains. These trains will mostly have third AC coaches.</p>


392 new festival special trains - The festive season is just around the corner and number of people intending to travel to their hometowns and other places within the country is expected to rise.

392 new festival special trains - The festive season is just around the corner and number of people intending to travel to their hometowns and other places within the country is expected to rise. Keeping this massive demand in mind, Indian Railways has decided to run 392 special trains during the festive season. These special trains will be operated from October 20 to November 30. "To clear the festive rush, Ministry of Railways has approved 196 pairs (392 trains) of “Festival Special” services over Indian Railways to be operated from 20th October 2020 and 30th November 2020. Zonal Railways will notify their schedule in advance," The railways announced on October 13. Check out the full list of 392 new festival special trains - pic.twitter.com/QdBjR3JufV — Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) October 13, 2020 × pic.twitter.com/QdBjR3JufV — Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) October 13, 2020 × 392 new festival special trains list- The trains will mainly be run for destinations such as Kolkata, Patna, Lucknow among others to facilitate travel during festivals such as Durga Puja, Diwali, Chath Puja and more Ticket price for these trains will be at par with the special trains. These trains will mostly have third AC coaches.

Indian Railways to run 392 special trains during festive season

<p><strong>Octopuses Predictions </strong>&nbsp;- Everybody loves predictions.&nbsp;The fact that there ARE&nbsp;predictions in itself proves that an outcome about something is eagerly anticipated. It shows that we are curious to know what'll happen, and the event in itself has a far-reaching effect.</p>

<p>We've had humans like Nostradamus predicting things before. Then as humans conquered new frontiers of scientific and intellectual frontiers, we outsourced this work to parrots, octopuses and whatnot</p>

<p>But they haven't disappointed us.</p>

<h2><strong>US Election 2020 -&nbsp;Octopuses Predictions </strong></h2>

<p>Octopuses in particular have greatly occupied popular perception in this regard. Remember Paul the Octopus? The guy was super-famous during 2010 FIFA World Cup. People wanted to kill the poor creature when he predicted that Germany would drub Argentina but to Messi's horror, Paul prevailed! Germany won.</p>

<p>Octopuses have also got their tentacles in the realm or politics and elections.</p>

<p>At the time of 2016 US Presidential Elections, the battle was on between Democratic Party's Hillary Clinton and Republican Party's Donald Trump. At the time when all sorts of predictions were being made, along came Anglesey Octopus.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-fumes-as-facebook-twitter-limit-reach-of-smoking-gun-article-on-biden-and-his-son-335344">Trump fumes as Facebook, Twitter limit reach of 'smoking gun' article on Biden and his son</a></strong></p>

<p>All eyes were on Ollie the Octopus who swam happily in Anglesey Zoo in the UK. He knocked down the jar with Hillary Clinton's photo on it. Hillary lost the election.</p>

<p>Other animals were not too far behind</p>

<p>Felix the polar bear from a Russian zoo had correctly predicted that <strong>Donald Trump would win US Election 2016</strong></p>

<p>A monkey in Hunan province of China had also given his verdict in favour of Trump in 2016.</p>

<p>Question is, where are all the fortune-tellers now? We are not asking directly for an Octopus, but a Panda would suffice too. As the election race between <strong>Joe Biden and Donald Trump</strong> enters last few weeks we are eager to know what the critters think.</p>

<h2><strong>US Election Octopuses Predictions ​​​​​​​</strong></h2>

<p>Where are they? Don't they want to predict? Or has the pandemic year become too unpredictable already?<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Octopuses Predictions - Everybody loves predictions. The fact that there ARE predictions in itself proves that an outcome about something is eagerly anticipated.

Octopuses Predictions - Everybody loves predictions. The fact that there ARE predictions in itself proves that an outcome about something is eagerly anticipated. It shows that we are curious to know what'll happen, and the event in itself has a far-reaching effect. We've had humans like Nostradamus predicting things before. Then as humans conquered new frontiers of scientific and intellectual frontiers, we outsourced this work to parrots, octopuses and whatnot But they haven't disappointed us. US Election 2020 - Octopuses Predictions Octopuses in particular have greatly occupied popular perception in this regard. Remember Paul the Octopus? The guy was super-famous during 2010 FIFA World Cup. People wanted to kill the poor creature when he predicted that Germany would drub Argentina but to Messi's horror, Paul prevailed! Germany won. Octopuses have also got their tentacles in the realm or politics and elections. At the time of 2016 US Presidential Elections, the battle was on between Democratic Party's Hillary Clinton and Republican Party's Donald Trump. At the time when all sorts of predictions were being made, along came Anglesey Octopus. Also Read | Trump fumes as Facebook, Twitter limit reach of 'smoking gun' article on Biden and his son All eyes were on Ollie the Octopus who swam happily in Anglesey Zoo in the UK. He knocked down the jar with Hillary Clinton's photo on it. Hillary lost the election. Other animals were not too far behind Felix the polar bear from a Russian zoo had correctly predicted that Donald Trump would win US Election 2016 A monkey in Hunan province of China had also given his verdict in favour of Trump in 2016. Question is, where are all the fortune-tellers now? We are not asking directly for an Octopus, but a Panda would suffice too. As the election race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump enters last few weeks we are eager to know what the critters think. US Election Octopuses Predictions Where are they? Don't they want to predict? Or has the pandemic year become too unpredictable already?

US Elections 2020: Where are the Octopuses?

<p>Soldiers opened fire on Nigerians protesting against police brutality in the Lekki district of the commercial capital Lagos on Tuesday, and at least two people were shot, four witnesses told Reuters.</p>

<p>Thousands of Nigerians have demonstrated nationwide every day for nearly two weeks against a police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), that rights groups had for years accused of extortion, harassment, torture and murders. The unit was disbanded on Oct. 11 but the protests have persisted with demonstrators calling for a raft of law enforcement reforms.</p>

<p>"They started firing ammunition toward the crowd. They were firing into the crowd," said Alfred Ononugbo, 55, a security officer after the soldiers opened fire. "I saw the bullet hit one or two persons," he said.</p>

<p>The condition of those two people was not immediately known. Amnesty International has said at least 15 people had been killed since the protests began.</p>

<p>In a Twitter post, the Nigerian Army said no soldiers were at the scene of the shooting on Tuesday night in Lekki, an upmarket district where the toll gate has been the site of daily protests in Lagos, Africa's biggest city.</p>

<p>Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu tweeted pictures of him visiting people in hospital who were victims of what he referred to as the "unfortunate shooting incident at Lekki".</p>

<p>He said 25 people were being treated for mild to moderate injuries, two were receiving intensive care and three had been discharged.</p>

<p>"As the Governor of our state, I recognise the buck stops at my table and I will work with the FG (federal government) to get to the root of this unfortunate incident and stabilise all security operations to protect the lives of our residents," said Sanwo-Olu, adding that he would give a state broadcast on Wednesday morning.</p>

<p>The Lagos state government earlier said it would open an investigation into the shooting, which witnesses said began at about 7 p.m. (1800 GMT).</p>

<p>A Nigerian army spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p>

<p>Inyene Akpan, 26, a photographer, said more than 20 soldiers arrived at the toll gate in Lekki and opened fire. He said he saw two people being shot.</p>

<p>Akinbosola Ogunsanya, a third witness, said he saw around 10 people being shot. Ogunsanya, who said lights went out shortly before the soldiers arrived, also said he saw soldiers remove bodies.</p>

<p>Another witness, Chika Dibia, said soldiers hemmed in people as they shot at them.</p>

<p>Video verified by Reuters showed men walking slowly in formation toward demonstrators, followed by trucks with flashing lights, and the sound of gunfire popping. Another video showed the toll gate itself, with a protester waving a Nigerian flag, as people ran amid the sounds of gunfire.</p>

<p>A Reuters witness heard sirens and gunfire.</p>

<p><strong>Defence meeting</strong></p>

<p>President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday held scheduled talks with the defence minister and the chief of defence staff around 6:15 p.m. (1715 GMT) to discuss national security, two presidency officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.</p>

<p>A spokesman for the president did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p>

<p>The Nigerian army was due to begin a two-month national exercise on Tuesday. When the move was announced on Saturday, it denied the move was part of a security response to the demonstrations. Days earlier, the military said it was prepared to help maintain law and order.</p>

<p>The weeks-long protests were sparked by a video that began circulating in early October purportedly showing officers shooting a man in southern Delta state. Police denied the shooting.</p>

<p>Authorities on Tuesday imposed a round-the-clock curfew on Lagos as the state governor said protests had turned violent.</p>

<p>It is one of five of Nigeria's 36 states to have announced such measures in the last two days. The national police chief also ordered the immediate deployment of anti-riot forces nationwide following increased attacks on police facilities, a police spokesman said.</p>


Soldiers opened fire on Nigerians protesting against police brutality in the Lekki district of the commercial capital Lagos on Tuesday, and at least two people were shot, four witnesses told Reuters.

Soldiers opened fire on Nigerians protesting against police brutality in the Lekki district of the commercial capital Lagos on Tuesday, and at least two people were shot, four witnesses told Reuters. Thousands of Nigerians have demonstrated nationwide every day for nearly two weeks against a police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), that rights groups had for years accused of extortion, harassment, torture and murders. The unit was disbanded on Oct. 11 but the protests have persisted with demonstrators calling for a raft of law enforcement reforms. "They started firing ammunition toward the crowd. They were firing into the crowd," said Alfred Ononugbo, 55, a security officer after the soldiers opened fire. "I saw the bullet hit one or two persons," he said. The condition of those two people was not immediately known. Amnesty International has said at least 15 people had been killed since the protests began. In a Twitter post, the Nigerian Army said no soldiers were at the scene of the shooting on Tuesday night in Lekki, an upmarket district where the toll gate has been the site of daily protests in Lagos, Africa's biggest city. Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu tweeted pictures of him visiting people in hospital who were victims of what he referred to as the "unfortunate shooting incident at Lekki". He said 25 people were being treated for mild to moderate injuries, two were receiving intensive care and three had been discharged. "As the Governor of our state, I recognise the buck stops at my table and I will work with the FG (federal government) to get to the root of this unfortunate incident and stabilise all security operations to protect the lives of our residents," said Sanwo-Olu, adding that he would give a state broadcast on Wednesday morning. The Lagos state government earlier said it would open an investigation into the shooting, which witnesses said began at about 7 p.m. (1800 GMT). A Nigerian army spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Inyene Akpan, 26, a photographer, said more than 20 soldiers arrived at the toll gate in Lekki and opened fire. He said he saw two people being shot. Akinbosola Ogunsanya, a third witness, said he saw around 10 people being shot. Ogunsanya, who said lights went out shortly before the soldiers arrived, also said he saw soldiers remove bodies. Another witness, Chika Dibia, said soldiers hemmed in people as they shot at them. Video verified by Reuters showed men walking slowly in formation toward demonstrators, followed by trucks with flashing lights, and the sound of gunfire popping. Another video showed the toll gate itself, with a protester waving a Nigerian flag, as people ran amid the sounds of gunfire. A Reuters witness heard sirens and gunfire. Defence meeting President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday held scheduled talks with the defence minister and the chief of defence staff around 6:15 p.m. (1715 GMT) to discuss national security, two presidency officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. A spokesman for the president did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Nigerian army was due to begin a two-month national exercise on Tuesday. When the move was announced on Saturday, it denied the move was part of a security response to the demonstrations. Days earlier, the military said it was prepared to help maintain law and order. The weeks-long protests were sparked by a video that began circulating in early October purportedly showing officers shooting a man in southern Delta state. Police denied the shooting. Authorities on Tuesday imposed a round-the-clock curfew on Lagos as the state governor said protests had turned violent. It is one of five of Nigeria's 36 states to have announced such measures in the last two days. The national police chief also ordered the immediate deployment of anti-riot forces nationwide following increased attacks on police facilities, a police spokesman said.

Nigerian soldiers fire at protesters, at least two hit - witnesses

<p>Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday alleged that there was a 'state above state' in Pakistan. Though he did not name Pakistani military openly, his dismay against it and Imran Khan government came to the fore once again in light of the developments surrounding his son-in-law Muhammad Safdar's brief arrest on Monday.</p>

<p>"This country (Pakistan) there are two governments running parallelly. There is a state above state. This is clear from what happened yesterday and today. I speak this out of experience and I do not speak without facts. My contentions have been proven from what has been happening," said Sharif.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A video of Nawaz Sharif speaking with reporters was retweeted by his daughter Maryam Nawaz.</p>

<p>It is not unknown that Pakistani military wields enormous power and hold influence over the civilian government is Pakistan but Nawaz Sharif has particularly been susceptible to this. Nawaz Sharif's government was toppled by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999 and Sharif was forced to go in exile.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nawaz Sharif's son-in-law Muhammad Safdar was briefly arrested from hotel room in Karachi on Monday. He was released on Monday itself. But there are allegations that Inspector General of Sindh was under pressure to file FIR against Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband, and that he was kidnapped when he attempted to resist the political pressure. There are allegations that Pakistani Army was involved in some way.<strong>Also Read | Pak </strong></p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-chief-orders-inquiry-into-incident-involving-arrest-of-sharifs-son-in-law-336755">Army chief orders inquiry into 'incident' involving arrest of Sharif's son-in-law</a></strong></p>

<p>Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa meanwhile has ordered inquiry into the arrest.</p>

<p>The Army chief directed the Karachi Corps Commander to "immediately inquire into the circumstances" to determine the facts and file a report as soon as possible, according to a statement issued by the military's media wing.</p>

<p>However, The statement did not specify which incident it was referring to.</p>


Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday alleged that there was a 'state above state' in Pakistan. Though he did not name Pakistani military openly, his dismay against it and Imran Khan government came to the fore once again in light of the developments surrounding his son-in-law Muhammad Safdar's brief arrest on Monday.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday alleged that there was a 'state above state' in Pakistan. Though he did not name Pakistani military openly, his dismay against it and Imran Khan government came to the fore once again in light of the developments surrounding his son-in-law Muhammad Safdar's brief arrest on Monday. "This country (Pakistan) there are two governments running parallelly. There is a state above state. This is clear from what happened yesterday and today. I speak this out of experience and I do not speak without facts. My contentions have been proven from what has been happening," said Sharif. A video of Nawaz Sharif speaking with reporters was retweeted by his daughter Maryam Nawaz. It is not unknown that Pakistani military wields enormous power and hold influence over the civilian government is Pakistan but Nawaz Sharif has particularly been susceptible to this. Nawaz Sharif's government was toppled by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999 and Sharif was forced to go in exile. Nawaz Sharif's son-in-law Muhammad Safdar was briefly arrested from hotel room in Karachi on Monday. He was released on Monday itself. But there are allegations that Inspector General of Sindh was under pressure to file FIR against Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband, and that he was kidnapped when he attempted to resist the political pressure. There are allegations that Pakistani Army was involved in some way.Also Read | Pak Also Read | Army chief orders inquiry into 'incident' involving arrest of Sharif's son-in-law Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa meanwhile has ordered inquiry into the arrest. The Army chief directed the Karachi Corps Commander to "immediately inquire into the circumstances" to determine the facts and file a report as soon as possible, according to a statement issued by the military's media wing. However, The statement did not specify which incident it was referring to.

There is a 'state above state' in Pakistan: Nawaz Sharif

<p>Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Tuesday said four sections of a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to consolidate all power in the hands of the president will require a public referendum for them top become a law. The court said that these four sections undermined the sovereignty of the people.</p>

<p>These section of the proposed amendment seek to relieve the president from being responsible to the parliament, give him immunity against lawsuits. These sections also seek to give power to the president to dissolve the parliament after one year in the office.</p>

<p>Sri Lankan Supreme Court said that if appropriate changes were not made, a referendum would be necessary.</p>

<p>20th amendment in Sri Lankan constitution has been a much-debated issue in Sri Lanks and beyond. There are fears in some quarters the too much centralisation of power in the hands of the president would make prime ministerial office and the parliament ceremonial institutions.</p>

<p>A per current laws, Sri Lankan president can be challenged in court. He cannot dissolve the parliament until last 6 months before his five-year term ends.</p>

<p>The amendments are due to be debated in the parliament on Wednesday (October 21).</p>


Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Tuesday said four sections of a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to consolidate all power in the hands of the president will require a public referendum for them top become a law.

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Tuesday said four sections of a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to consolidate all power in the hands of the president will require a public referendum for them top become a law. The court said that these four sections undermined the sovereignty of the people. These section of the proposed amendment seek to relieve the president from being responsible to the parliament, give him immunity against lawsuits. These sections also seek to give power to the president to dissolve the parliament after one year in the office. Sri Lankan Supreme Court said that if appropriate changes were not made, a referendum would be necessary. 20th amendment in Sri Lankan constitution has been a much-debated issue in Sri Lanks and beyond. There are fears in some quarters the too much centralisation of power in the hands of the president would make prime ministerial office and the parliament ceremonial institutions. A per current laws, Sri Lankan president can be challenged in court. He cannot dissolve the parliament until last 6 months before his five-year term ends. The amendments are due to be debated in the parliament on Wednesday (October 21).

Sri Lanka: Supreme Court says constitutional amendment need referendum

<p>Black holes are perhaps the most famous celestial bodies in popular culture. There are theories like black holes being portals of time travel, a passage to another universe etc. It's not surprising that the mysterious black holes hold great importance in popular perception.</p>

<p>Everyone knows that there is a supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. But that's too far away. There 'was' a black hole closer to home, about 1120 light-years away. Now, a study has said that there may not be a black hole here at all.</p>

<p><strong>Earlier hypothesis</strong></p>

<p>It was considered that a binary star system HR 6819 had a black hole in it. But now, scientists have discovered that there is no black hole there at all.</p>

<p>One of the two stars in the system is a Be spectral type and the other is B3 III star. Both the stars were considered to have equal mass.</p>

<p>In a binary system, when two stars have equal mass, they orbit around each other. However, in this star system, it was observed that the Be spectral star was almost spinning in one place while the B3 III star was in orbit.</p>

<p>This defied the science of binary star systems having stars of equal masses. Both of these stars should have been in orbit. But they weren't</p>

<p>It was hence concluded that a black hole was exerting its gravitational effect on the star system and was holding Be spectral star in its place</p>

<p><strong>The competing theory</strong></p>

<p>This theory suggested that there was mistake in calculating masses of the stars and that they were NOT equal.</p>

<p>In reality, the theory said, the Be spectral star (which spun in one place) was bigger than B3 III star. Not only that, the bigger star took away huge chunk of stellar material off the smaller star.</p>

<p>If this was true then there should have been variations in the disc of Hydrogen gas being emanated from the bigger star.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-osiris-rex-grabs-a-piece-of-asteroid-bennu-in-historic-mission-336773">NASA's Osiris-Rex grabs a piece of asteroid Bennu in historic mission</a></strong><br />
<br />
These variations have now been found</p>

<p>“This indicates that HR 6819 is a binary system consisting of a massive Be star and a low-mass companion that is the stripped-down remnant of a former mass donor star in a mass transfer binary,” wrote Douglas Gies and Luqian Wang, astronomers from Georgia State University.</p>

<p>They have hence concluded that there is no black hole in this binary star system. The title of nearest black hole from earth may hence be now changing hands.</p>


Black holes are perhaps the most famous celestial bodies in popular culture. There are theories like black holes being portals of time travel, a passage to another universe etc.

Black holes are perhaps the most famous celestial bodies in popular culture. There are theories like black holes being portals of time travel, a passage to another universe etc. It's not surprising that the mysterious black holes hold great importance in popular perception. Everyone knows that there is a supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. But that's too far away. There 'was' a black hole closer to home, about 1120 light-years away. Now, a study has said that there may not be a black hole here at all. Earlier hypothesis It was considered that a binary star system HR 6819 had a black hole in it. But now, scientists have discovered that there is no black hole there at all. One of the two stars in the system is a Be spectral type and the other is B3 III star. Both the stars were considered to have equal mass. In a binary system, when two stars have equal mass, they orbit around each other. However, in this star system, it was observed that the Be spectral star was almost spinning in one place while the B3 III star was in orbit. This defied the science of binary star systems having stars of equal masses. Both of these stars should have been in orbit. But they weren't It was hence concluded that a black hole was exerting its gravitational effect on the star system and was holding Be spectral star in its place The competing theory This theory suggested that there was mistake in calculating masses of the stars and that they were NOT equal. In reality, the theory said, the Be spectral star (which spun in one place) was bigger than B3 III star. Not only that, the bigger star took away huge chunk of stellar material off the smaller star. If this was true then there should have been variations in the disc of Hydrogen gas being emanated from the bigger star. Also Read | NASA's Osiris-Rex grabs a piece of asteroid Bennu in historic mission These variations have now been found “This indicates that HR 6819 is a binary system consisting of a massive Be star and a low-mass companion that is the stripped-down remnant of a former mass donor star in a mass transfer binary,” wrote Douglas Gies and Luqian Wang, astronomers from Georgia State University. They have hence concluded that there is no black hole in this binary star system. The title of nearest black hole from earth may hence be now changing hands.

Closest 'black hole' to earth has lost its status as one

<p>Arakan Army, the rebel group battling Myanmar Government troops on Monday, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of three ruling party candidates. The kidnapping had taken place last week. Arkan Army has demanded the release of detained student protesters for the release of the kidnapped candidates.</p>

<p>The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) said the three – two women and a man – were abducted on Wednesday while campaigning in Rakhine before a Nov. 8 election.</p>

<p>The western region, where most parliamentary seats are held by Rakhine nationalist opponents of Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has been beset by an insurgency that has intensified this year.</p>

<p>Arakan Army said in a statement posted online the three candidates would be "detained and investigated as required by circumstances till a certain time".</p>

<p>It accused the NLD of complicity with military "atrocities" against civilians but said it was willing to free the group in return for the release of students arrested while protesting the war and other "innocent people" detained by authorities.</p>

<p>"If they make demands in this way, it would difficult for us to comply," Myo Nyunt, a member of the NLD’s central executive committee, told Reuters by phone.</p>

<p>The country's election committee said on Saturday more than half the polling stations initially planned in Rakhine will no longer operate, as parts of the state are too unstable for voting.</p>

<p>The AA, which recruits from the mostly Buddhist ethnic majority in Rakhine, seeks greater autonomy for the region from the central government.</p>

<p>Tens of thousands of people have been displaced since fighting began in early 2019 and dozens killed.</p>

<p>The Arakan Student Union said four of its members had been detained on Monday after marching through the state capital of Sittwe holding banners criticising the government and military.</p>

<p>Several other students have been arrested after similar protests in recent weeks.</p>

<p><strong>(With Reuters inputs)</strong></p>


Arakan Army, the rebel group battling Myanmar Government troops on Monday, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of three ruling party candidates. The kidnapping had taken place last week.

Arakan Army, the rebel group battling Myanmar Government troops on Monday, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of three ruling party candidates. The kidnapping had taken place last week. Arkan Army has demanded the release of detained student protesters for the release of the kidnapped candidates. The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) said the three – two women and a man – were abducted on Wednesday while campaigning in Rakhine before a Nov. 8 election. The western region, where most parliamentary seats are held by Rakhine nationalist opponents of Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has been beset by an insurgency that has intensified this year. Arakan Army said in a statement posted online the three candidates would be "detained and investigated as required by circumstances till a certain time". It accused the NLD of complicity with military "atrocities" against civilians but said it was willing to free the group in return for the release of students arrested while protesting the war and other "innocent people" detained by authorities. "If they make demands in this way, it would difficult for us to comply," Myo Nyunt, a member of the NLD’s central executive committee, told Reuters by phone. The country's election committee said on Saturday more than half the polling stations initially planned in Rakhine will no longer operate, as parts of the state are too unstable for voting. The AA, which recruits from the mostly Buddhist ethnic majority in Rakhine, seeks greater autonomy for the region from the central government. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced since fighting began in early 2019 and dozens killed. The Arakan Student Union said four of its members had been detained on Monday after marching through the state capital of Sittwe holding banners criticising the government and military. Several other students have been arrested after similar protests in recent weeks. (With Reuters inputs)

Myanmar: Arakan Army claims responsibility for kidnapping ruling party candidates

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