Nepal's last King Gyanendra Veer Vikram Singh on Sunday arrived in Uttarakhand's Haridwar to participate in the ongoing Kumbh festivities in the holy city.&nbsp;

Nepal's centuries-old monarchy was abolished in May 2008 by the parliament and replaced by a republic where the president was elected as the head of state. &nbsp;

During his visit, King Gyanendra met Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Kailashanand Giri Maharaj of Niranjani Akhara at Dakshin Kali Temple and took his blessings. He will offer prayers in the Kali temple and will also take blessings after visiting the seers.&nbsp;

King Gyanendra has arrived in Haridwar for the first time on the occasion of Kumbh. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat welcomed the arrival of King Gyanendra Veer Vikram Singh, according to Uttarakhand Chief Minister's Office (CMO).&nbsp;

In a message, CM said, "Welcome to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand and Haridwar Kumbh. You are blessed by the saints and the Ganges. Take the holy benefit of Aquarius by taking bath."&nbsp;

As a representative of CM Rawat, Director General of Information and Public Relations Department, Ranvir Singh Chauhan went to Haridwar and welcomed Gyanendra Veer Vikram Singh by offering flowers on behalf of the Chief Minister, The King thanked the Chief Minister for the gesture.&nbsp;

King Gyanendra is scheduled to join the royal procession of Niranjani Akhara tomorrow to take a bath in the Ganges and take the blessings of the saints.&nbsp;

"I would like to thank Acharya ji for inviting me here today, and I feel that this holy land is a peaceful place. And the relation between India and Nepal will grow stronger," King Gyanendra told ANI.&nbsp;

"I pray for the well-being of people at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic," he added. This year the Kumbh will be held from April 1 to 30 in Haridwar. In normal circumstances, Kumbh continues for nearly four months but this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the duration of the congregation has been curtailed to one month.&nbsp;

Nepal's last King Gyanendra Veer Vikram Singh on Sunday arrived in Uttarakhand's Haridwar to participate in the ongoing Kumbh festivities in the holy city. Nepal's centuries-old monarchy was abolished in May 2008 by the parliament and replaced by a republic where the president was elected as the head of state.

Nepal's last King Gyanendra Veer Vikram Singh on Sunday arrived in Uttarakhand's Haridwar to participate in the ongoing Kumbh festivities in the holy city. Nepal's centuries-old monarchy was abolished in May 2008 by the parliament and replaced by a republic where the president was elected as the head of state. During his visit, King Gyanendra met Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Kailashanand Giri Maharaj of Niranjani Akhara at Dakshin Kali Temple and took his blessings. He will offer prayers in the Kali temple and will also take blessings after visiting the seers. King Gyanendra has arrived in Haridwar for the first time on the occasion of Kumbh. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat welcomed the arrival of King Gyanendra Veer Vikram Singh, according to Uttarakhand Chief Minister's Office (CMO). In a message, CM said, "Welcome to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand and Haridwar Kumbh. You are blessed by the saints and the Ganges. Take the holy benefit of Aquarius by taking bath." As a representative of CM Rawat, Director General of Information and Public Relations Department, Ranvir Singh Chauhan went to Haridwar and welcomed Gyanendra Veer Vikram Singh by offering flowers on behalf of the Chief Minister, The King thanked the Chief Minister for the gesture. King Gyanendra is scheduled to join the royal procession of Niranjani Akhara tomorrow to take a bath in the Ganges and take the blessings of the saints. "I would like to thank Acharya ji for inviting me here today, and I feel that this holy land is a peaceful place. And the relation between India and Nepal will grow stronger," King Gyanendra told ANI. "I pray for the well-being of people at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic," he added. This year the Kumbh will be held from April 1 to 30 in Haridwar. In normal circumstances, Kumbh continues for nearly four months but this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the duration of the congregation has been curtailed to one month.

Nepal King reaches Haridwar to participate in Kumbh festival 

South Africa`s Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini died on Friday, the royal family said in a statement. He was 72.

The king was hospitalised in a KwaZulu-Natal hospital for diabetes treatment, local media reported.

"Tragically, while still in hospital, His Majesty`s health took a turn for the worse and he subsequently passed away in the early hours of this morning," read the statement, issued by Inkatha Freedom Party founder and traditional prime minister to the Zulu monarch Prince Mangosutho Buthelezi, on behalf of the royal family.

"On behalf of the Royal Family, we thank the nation for your continued prayers and support in this most difficult time."

South Africa`s Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini died on Friday, the royal family said in a statement. He was 72. The king was hospitalised in a KwaZulu-Natal hospital for diabetes treatment, local media reported.

South Africa`s Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini died on Friday, the royal family said in a statement. He was 72. The king was hospitalised in a KwaZulu-Natal hospital for diabetes treatment, local media reported. "Tragically, while still in hospital, His Majesty`s health took a turn for the worse and he subsequently passed away in the early hours of this morning," read the statement, issued by Inkatha Freedom Party founder and traditional prime minister to the Zulu monarch Prince Mangosutho Buthelezi, on behalf of the royal family. "On behalf of the Royal Family, we thank the nation for your continued prayers and support in this most difficult time."

South Africa's Zulu King Zwelithini dies, royal family says

The sisters of Spain's King Felipe were vaccinated against the coronavirus in Abu Dhabi last month while visiting their father, online newspaper El Confidencial reported on Wednesday, sparking outrage at home where most Spaniards are still awaiting shots.&nbsp;

Elena de Borbon and her sister Cristina visited former king Juan Carlos, who has been living in the United Arab Emirates since leaving Spain in August amid a cloud of scandal.&nbsp;

It was not clear how the two got their shots, as the UAE only provides free Covid-19 vaccinations to residents and citizens, and requires a valid identification card. According to statistics from World in Data, as many as 60% of the UAE's population have received a vaccine so far.&nbsp;

"It is very unpleasant, very ugly," Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz told Spanish state television TVE. "We, the people, who exercise some sort of representation, must lead by example."&nbsp;

She said it was not right for the royals to be vaccinated while in Spain many medics and vulnerable people are still waiting for immunisation against Covid-19.&nbsp;

Cristina's lawyer office did not answer a request for comment, while Fundacion Mapfre, the Madrid-based social and cultural branch of insurance company Mapfre where Elena de Borbon works, declined to comment.&nbsp;

Spain aims to have 70% of its 47 million population inoculated by summer, but only 1.3 million have been fully vaccinated so far, about 2.7% of the total.&nbsp;

Authorities are working through priority groups of the most vulnerable members of society, with over 80-year-olds and essential workers such as police officers and teachers currently receiving shots.&nbsp;

Elena de Borbon, 57, was supposed to wait a few weeks to get vaccinated in Spain, while her sister is officially a Swiss resident.&nbsp;

The outcry arose after many local politicians and high-ranking military officials were outed as having jumped the vaccination queue, triggering a wave of resignations.&nbsp;

A palace source said the king's sisters were not its concern as they were no longer technically part of the royal family since their father abdicated. The king, Queen Letizia and their daughters would get the shots when it was their turn.&nbsp;

The controversy will do nothing to defuse popular anger at Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014 amid several scandals. Supreme Court prosecutors have opened several investigations into his business dealings, including those linked to a multi-billion dollar, high-speed train contract in Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

The sisters of Spain's King Felipe were vaccinated against the coronavirus in Abu Dhabi last month while visiting their father, online newspaper El Confidencial reported on Wednesday, sparking outrage at home where most Spaniards are still awaiting shots.

The sisters of Spain's King Felipe were vaccinated against the coronavirus in Abu Dhabi last month while visiting their father, online newspaper El Confidencial reported on Wednesday, sparking outrage at home where most Spaniards are still awaiting shots. Elena de Borbon and her sister Cristina visited former king Juan Carlos, who has been living in the United Arab Emirates since leaving Spain in August amid a cloud of scandal. It was not clear how the two got their shots, as the UAE only provides free Covid-19 vaccinations to residents and citizens, and requires a valid identification card. According to statistics from World in Data, as many as 60% of the UAE's population have received a vaccine so far. "It is very unpleasant, very ugly," Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz told Spanish state television TVE. "We, the people, who exercise some sort of representation, must lead by example." She said it was not right for the royals to be vaccinated while in Spain many medics and vulnerable people are still waiting for immunisation against Covid-19. Cristina's lawyer office did not answer a request for comment, while Fundacion Mapfre, the Madrid-based social and cultural branch of insurance company Mapfre where Elena de Borbon works, declined to comment. Spain aims to have 70% of its 47 million population inoculated by summer, but only 1.3 million have been fully vaccinated so far, about 2.7% of the total. Authorities are working through priority groups of the most vulnerable members of society, with over 80-year-olds and essential workers such as police officers and teachers currently receiving shots. Elena de Borbon, 57, was supposed to wait a few weeks to get vaccinated in Spain, while her sister is officially a Swiss resident. The outcry arose after many local politicians and high-ranking military officials were outed as having jumped the vaccination queue, triggering a wave of resignations. A palace source said the king's sisters were not its concern as they were no longer technically part of the royal family since their father abdicated. The king, Queen Letizia and their daughters would get the shots when it was their turn. The controversy will do nothing to defuse popular anger at Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014 amid several scandals. Supreme Court prosecutors have opened several investigations into his business dealings, including those linked to a multi-billion dollar, high-speed train contract in Saudi Arabia.

Spanish king's sisters spark outcry after getting early vaccine in UAE 

Spain's former King Juan Carlos, who left the country in August amid a cloud of scandals, has settled a back tax bill worth more than four million euros ($4.9 million), El Pais and El Mundo reported on Friday.&nbsp;

It was the second such payment by the former monarch in recent months.&nbsp;

The tax settlement of 4 million euros was based on eight million euros worth of goods and services he received, the newspapers said. According to El Pais, the payment was to compensate for private flights from which he benefited.&nbsp;

In December, he paid the tax authorities more than 678,000 euros including interest and fines, which, according to El Pais, sought to settle alleged illegal credit card transactions with the revenue service to avoid being charged in an investigation and to be able to return to Spain.&nbsp;

Juan Carlos' lawyer was not immediately available for comment, while a palace spokesman declined to comment. Through his lawyers, he has over the past months repeatedly declined to comment on corruption allegations.&nbsp;

Prosecutors at Spain's Supreme Court have opened several investigations into Juan Carlos' business dealings, including those linked to a high-speed train contract in Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

His son, King Felipe, is the current head of state. Spanish monarchs have immunity during their reign but Juan Carlos' abdication in 2014 in favour of his son potentially leaves him vulnerable to prosecution.&nbsp;

Asked about Juan Carlos, Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo said the government cannot comment on any citizen relationship with the tax authorities, but added, "No one is allowed to break the law. This comment is even more relevant today."&nbsp;

Alberto Garzon, consumer rights minister and member of leftist party Unidas Podemos, was more blunt, saying on Twitter, "It is striking how many surprises we are faced with every month with the obscure - and also illegal - financial movements made by the institution that should be the most scrutinised in the whole of democracy, as it is the most protected and privileged: the monarchy."&nbsp;

Juan Carlos has been living in United Arab Emirates since he left Spain. He played a key role in guiding Spain to democracy when he came to the throne after the death of right-wing dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975, but his popularity waned amid a series of financial and family scandals, leading to him stepping down.&nbsp;

(With Agency inputs)&nbsp;

Spain's former King Juan Carlos, who left the country in August amid a cloud of scandals, has settled a back tax bill worth more than four million euros ($4.9 million), El Pais and El Mundo reported on Friday.

Spain's former King Juan Carlos, who left the country in August amid a cloud of scandals, has settled a back tax bill worth more than four million euros ($4.9 million), El Pais and El Mundo reported on Friday. It was the second such payment by the former monarch in recent months. The tax settlement of 4 million euros was based on eight million euros worth of goods and services he received, the newspapers said. According to El Pais, the payment was to compensate for private flights from which he benefited. In December, he paid the tax authorities more than 678,000 euros including interest and fines, which, according to El Pais, sought to settle alleged illegal credit card transactions with the revenue service to avoid being charged in an investigation and to be able to return to Spain. Juan Carlos' lawyer was not immediately available for comment, while a palace spokesman declined to comment. Through his lawyers, he has over the past months repeatedly declined to comment on corruption allegations. Prosecutors at Spain's Supreme Court have opened several investigations into Juan Carlos' business dealings, including those linked to a high-speed train contract in Saudi Arabia. His son, King Felipe, is the current head of state. Spanish monarchs have immunity during their reign but Juan Carlos' abdication in 2014 in favour of his son potentially leaves him vulnerable to prosecution. Asked about Juan Carlos, Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo said the government cannot comment on any citizen relationship with the tax authorities, but added, "No one is allowed to break the law. This comment is even more relevant today." Alberto Garzon, consumer rights minister and member of leftist party Unidas Podemos, was more blunt, saying on Twitter, "It is striking how many surprises we are faced with every month with the obscure - and also illegal - financial movements made by the institution that should be the most scrutinised in the whole of democracy, as it is the most protected and privileged: the monarchy." Juan Carlos has been living in United Arab Emirates since he left Spain. He played a key role in guiding Spain to democracy when he came to the throne after the death of right-wing dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975, but his popularity waned amid a series of financial and family scandals, leading to him stepping down. (With Agency inputs)

Former Spain king pays 4 million euros in back taxes amid scandals

To Black Americans in the 1960s who were targeted and harassed by the police, 21-year-old Fred Hampton was an empowering figure.

To the FBI and its director, J. Edgar Hoover, Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, was a radical threat.

Hampton was killed by Chicago police officers early on the morning of Dec. 4, 1969, during a raid on his West Side apartment, which was a block south of the Black Panther Party’s Chicago headquarters. The ambush, and the months of FBI surveillance of Hampton and the Panthers that preceded it, are dramatized in Shaka King’s film “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which began streaming Friday on HBO Max.

 
At the time of Hampton’s death, Chicago was the site of political protests and violent clashes with law enforcement. The infamous trial of the Chicago 7, a court battle that involved seven Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiring to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention (a saga chronicled in Aaron Sorkin’s recent film “The Trial of the Chicago 7”), had been underway for a little over two months.

King, who co-wrote the script with Will Berson, drew mostly from fact while taking viewers inside the Black Panther Party in the months leading up to Hampton’s death, though they took a few dramatic liberties. For instance, the film’s star, Daniel Kaluuya, is a decade older than the 21-year-old Hampton was when he was killed.

Here is a guide to the real-life people, groups and events that feature in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Be warned, there are spoilers, if such a thing is possible when speaking of history.

Who were the Black Panthers?

The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 in Oakland, California, by a pair of Black college students, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, to oppose police brutality and racism in local neighborhoods. The Panthers, who were known for their military-style black berets, leather jackets and raised-fist salute, believed in removing abusive officers from communities by any means necessary, including armed resistance.

The FBI viewed the Panthers as a radical group capable of galvanizing a militant Black nationalist movement. (Hoover, the bureau’s first director, called the Black Panther Party “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country”). But the Panthers also launched a number of social initiatives: Members ran medical clinics, provided free transportation to prisons for family members of inmates, and started a free breakfast program that fed thousands of schoolchildren.

Who was Fred Hampton?

The charismatic community organizer enjoyed a meteoric rise that took him from campaigning for an integrated community pool and recreational center in his hometown, Maywood, Illinois, to preaching to thousands as the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party.

In 1969, a few months after helping to found the party’s Illinois chapter, the 20-year-old Hampton brokered an alliance he called the Rainbow Coalition, which united the Black Panthers, the Young Patriots (Southern white leftists) and the Young Lords (a Puerto Rican civil and human rights organization) in an effort to combat poverty and racism in their Chicago communities.

Hampton’s rapid ascent through the ranks of the Black Panther Party landed him in the cross hairs of a secret FBI counterintelligence program, known as Cointelpro, that Hoover formed to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or otherwise neutralize the activities of Black nationalist, hate-type organizations.” Targets included both the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Ku Klux Klan. Hoover declared in an internal memo that he sought to prevent the “rise of a ‘messiah’ who could unify and electrify the militant Black nationalist movement.”

Under Cointelpro, the FBI tried a number of tactics to sow discord within the Black Panther Party at the national and local levels, including sending bogus letters to two of its leaders, Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton, which claimed that each sought to depose the other. Authorities also arrested Hampton and several other Panthers in an effort to publicly discredit the group.

In the months before the raid on Hampton’s apartment, the Panthers and the police also faced off in two gunbattles: One in July 1969 at the party’s West Side headquarters in which five police officers and three Panthers were injured, and a South Side fight that November that left two officers and one Panther dead.

 
Who was William O’Neal?

At 17, O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield in the movie) already had a criminal record when the FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) tracked him down after he stole a car in 1966. But O’Neal soon took on a new role: FBI informant. Given the choice between facing felony charges or agreeing to infiltrate the Panthers, he opted for the latter: as a security captain in the Illinois Black Panther Party, he infiltrated Hampton’s inner circle.

In 1969, O’Neal sketched a floor plan of Hampton’s West Side apartment, including where everyone slept, which the FBI then shared with the Chicago Police Department, the agency that conducted the fatal raid. But unlike the character in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” the real O’Neal did not see his actions as a betrayal of Hampton or the Panthers. “I had no allegiance to the Panthers,” he recalled in an interview for the PBS docuseries “Eyes on the Prize,” which chronicled the history of the civil rights movement in the United States.

What happened the morning Fred Hampton was killed?

Fourteen Chicago police officers showed up before dawn on Dec. 4, 1969, at Hampton’s apartment, acting on the orders of Edward V. Hanrahan, the Cook County state’s attorney. Over the course of about 10 minutes, more than 80 shots were fired. When the smoke cleared, Hampton, 21, and another party leader, Mark Clark, 22, were dead, and four other Panthers and two police officers were wounded.

At first, the police claimed they killed Hampton in self-defense after people in the apartment began firing shotguns at them as they tried to execute a search warrant for illegal weapons. But ballistics experts determined that only one of the bullets was probably discharged from a weapon belonging to an occupant of the apartment. A federal grand jury investigation also revealed that the “bullet holes” in the apartment’s front door, which officers had cited as evidence that the Panthers had shot at them, were in fact nail holes created by police.

Though the Chicago Police Department had led the raid, the grand jury concluded that it had been coordinated by the FBI as part of Hoover’s mission to cripple the Black Panther Party — and an FBI memo later revealed that the bureau had authorized a bonus payment to O’Neal.

The first federal grand jury declined to indict anyone involved in the raid, and though a subsequent grand jury indicted Hanrahan and the police officers who participated in the shootings, all the charges were dismissed. In 1982, without admitting any wrongdoing, the federal government, the city of Chicago and Cook County agreed to pay $1.85 million to the families of Hampton and Clark and to survivors of the raid.

Clarence M. Kelley, who succeeded Hoover as head of the FBI in 1973, issued a public apology three years later for the bureau’s abuse of power in the “twilight” of Hoover’s career. “Some of those activities were clearly wrong and quite indefensible,” Kelley said. “We most certainly must never allow them to be repeated.”

To Black Americans in the 1960s who were targeted and harassed by the police, 21-year-old Fred Hampton was an empowering figure. To the FBI and its director, J. Edgar Hoover, Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, was a radical threat.

To Black Americans in the 1960s who were targeted and harassed by the police, 21-year-old Fred Hampton was an empowering figure. To the FBI and its director, J. Edgar Hoover, Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, was a radical threat. Hampton was killed by Chicago police officers early on the morning of Dec. 4, 1969, during a raid on his West Side apartment, which was a block south of the Black Panther Party’s Chicago headquarters. The ambush, and the months of FBI surveillance of Hampton and the Panthers that preceded it, are dramatized in Shaka King’s film “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which began streaming Friday on HBO Max. At the time of Hampton’s death, Chicago was the site of political protests and violent clashes with law enforcement. The infamous trial of the Chicago 7, a court battle that involved seven Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiring to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention (a saga chronicled in Aaron Sorkin’s recent film “The Trial of the Chicago 7”), had been underway for a little over two months. King, who co-wrote the script with Will Berson, drew mostly from fact while taking viewers inside the Black Panther Party in the months leading up to Hampton’s death, though they took a few dramatic liberties. For instance, the film’s star, Daniel Kaluuya, is a decade older than the 21-year-old Hampton was when he was killed. Here is a guide to the real-life people, groups and events that feature in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Be warned, there are spoilers, if such a thing is possible when speaking of history. Who were the Black Panthers? The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 in Oakland, California, by a pair of Black college students, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, to oppose police brutality and racism in local neighborhoods. The Panthers, who were known for their military-style black berets, leather jackets and raised-fist salute, believed in removing abusive officers from communities by any means necessary, including armed resistance. The FBI viewed the Panthers as a radical group capable of galvanizing a militant Black nationalist movement. (Hoover, the bureau’s first director, called the Black Panther Party “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country”). But the Panthers also launched a number of social initiatives: Members ran medical clinics, provided free transportation to prisons for family members of inmates, and started a free breakfast program that fed thousands of schoolchildren. Who was Fred Hampton? The charismatic community organizer enjoyed a meteoric rise that took him from campaigning for an integrated community pool and recreational center in his hometown, Maywood, Illinois, to preaching to thousands as the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party. In 1969, a few months after helping to found the party’s Illinois chapter, the 20-year-old Hampton brokered an alliance he called the Rainbow Coalition, which united the Black Panthers, the Young Patriots (Southern white leftists) and the Young Lords (a Puerto Rican civil and human rights organization) in an effort to combat poverty and racism in their Chicago communities. Hampton’s rapid ascent through the ranks of the Black Panther Party landed him in the cross hairs of a secret FBI counterintelligence program, known as Cointelpro, that Hoover formed to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or otherwise neutralize the activities of Black nationalist, hate-type organizations.” Targets included both the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Ku Klux Klan. Hoover declared in an internal memo that he sought to prevent the “rise of a ‘messiah’ who could unify and electrify the militant Black nationalist movement.” Under Cointelpro, the FBI tried a number of tactics to sow discord within the Black Panther Party at the national and local levels, including sending bogus letters to two of its leaders, Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton, which claimed that each sought to depose the other. Authorities also arrested Hampton and several other Panthers in an effort to publicly discredit the group. In the months before the raid on Hampton’s apartment, the Panthers and the police also faced off in two gunbattles: One in July 1969 at the party’s West Side headquarters in which five police officers and three Panthers were injured, and a South Side fight that November that left two officers and one Panther dead. Who was William O’Neal? At 17, O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield in the movie) already had a criminal record when the FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) tracked him down after he stole a car in 1966. But O’Neal soon took on a new role: FBI informant. Given the choice between facing felony charges or agreeing to infiltrate the Panthers, he opted for the latter: as a security captain in the Illinois Black Panther Party, he infiltrated Hampton’s inner circle. In 1969, O’Neal sketched a floor plan of Hampton’s West Side apartment, including where everyone slept, which the FBI then shared with the Chicago Police Department, the agency that conducted the fatal raid. But unlike the character in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” the real O’Neal did not see his actions as a betrayal of Hampton or the Panthers. “I had no allegiance to the Panthers,” he recalled in an interview for the PBS docuseries “Eyes on the Prize,” which chronicled the history of the civil rights movement in the United States. What happened the morning Fred Hampton was killed? Fourteen Chicago police officers showed up before dawn on Dec. 4, 1969, at Hampton’s apartment, acting on the orders of Edward V. Hanrahan, the Cook County state’s attorney. Over the course of about 10 minutes, more than 80 shots were fired. When the smoke cleared, Hampton, 21, and another party leader, Mark Clark, 22, were dead, and four other Panthers and two police officers were wounded. At first, the police claimed they killed Hampton in self-defense after people in the apartment began firing shotguns at them as they tried to execute a search warrant for illegal weapons. But ballistics experts determined that only one of the bullets was probably discharged from a weapon belonging to an occupant of the apartment. A federal grand jury investigation also revealed that the “bullet holes” in the apartment’s front door, which officers had cited as evidence that the Panthers had shot at them, were in fact nail holes created by police. Though the Chicago Police Department had led the raid, the grand jury concluded that it had been coordinated by the FBI as part of Hoover’s mission to cripple the Black Panther Party — and an FBI memo later revealed that the bureau had authorized a bonus payment to O’Neal. The first federal grand jury declined to indict anyone involved in the raid, and though a subsequent grand jury indicted Hanrahan and the police officers who participated in the shootings, all the charges were dismissed. In 1982, without admitting any wrongdoing, the federal government, the city of Chicago and Cook County agreed to pay $1.85 million to the families of Hampton and Clark and to survivors of the raid. Clarence M. Kelley, who succeeded Hoover as head of the FBI in 1973, issued a public apology three years later for the bureau’s abuse of power in the “twilight” of Hoover’s career. “Some of those activities were clearly wrong and quite indefensible,” Kelley said. “We most certainly must never allow them to be repeated.”

'Judas and the Black Messiah': What to know about this much-talked about film

4 March in history: Charlie Chaplin knighted, rebellion at Castle Hill and more

US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-hillary-give-each-other-cold-shoulder-at-bush-funeral-181923">Donald Trump</a> has said he called President Xi Jinping "king" of China. And that while Xi said he was not, he did not seem too upset by the title.&nbsp;

Trump told his tale at the National Republican Congressional Committee spring dinner in Washington on Tuesday.&nbsp;

"He said, 'But I am not king, I am president.' I said 'No, you're president for life, and therefore you're king'," Trump told his audience, prompting laughter, CNN reported.

"He said, huh. He liked that. I get along with him great," it quoted the US President as saying.

Trump, 72, visited Beijing in November 2017, just months before China's rubber-stamp legislature, the National People's Congress, dropped the two-term limit on the Chinese presidency in March.

The controversial move cleared the way for Xi, 65, to serve indefinitely as China's head of state, strengthening his grip on power.&nbsp;

China abolished monarchical rule in 1912 when the last emperor of the Qing dynasty, Pu Yi, was overthrown to establish the Republic of China.

Xi is also serving as General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI) 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump has said he called President Xi Jinping "king" of China. And that while Xi said he was not, he did not seem too upset by the title. Trump told his tale at the National Republican Congressional Committee spring dinner in Washington on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump has said he called President Xi Jinping "king" of China. And that while Xi said he was not, he did not seem too upset by the title. Trump told his tale at the National Republican Congressional Committee spring dinner in Washington on Tuesday. "He said, 'But I am not king, I am president.' I said 'No, you're president for life, and therefore you're king'," Trump told his audience, prompting laughter, CNN reported. "He said, huh. He liked that. I get along with him great," it quoted the US President as saying. Trump, 72, visited Beijing in November 2017, just months before China's rubber-stamp legislature, the National People's Congress, dropped the two-term limit on the Chinese presidency in March. The controversial move cleared the way for Xi, 65, to serve indefinitely as China's head of state, strengthening his grip on power. China abolished monarchical rule in 1912 when the last emperor of the Qing dynasty, Pu Yi, was overthrown to establish the Republic of China. Xi is also serving as General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. (With inputs from PTI)

Trump says he called President Xi Jinping 'king' of China

Members of Malaysia's royal families on Thursday elected Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah as the new king, following the unexpected abdication of the previous monarch.

Sultan Abdullah, 59, ruler of the central state of Pahang, will formally take over the throne on January 31 for a five-year term, the keeper of the rulers' seal said in a statement.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with the king assuming a largely ceremonial role, including acting as custodian of Islam in the Muslim-majority country. The king's assent is needed for the appointment of a prime minister and various senior officials.

Malaysia's nine royal households take turns to provide a king, who is chosen through a vote in a Council of Rulers, made up of the nine households, most of which are led by a sultan.

The king is elected for a five-year term.

The head of the Pahang royal family was next in line in take over from the former king, Sultan Muhammad V, who is the head of the state of Kelantan.

Sultan Muhammad abdicated this month after just two years on the throne, the first time a monarch had stepped down before completing their tenure.

No reason was given for his decision, which came after images purporting to show him getting married in Russia appeared on social media in December. Posts identified his new wife as Oksana Voevodina, who won a Miss Moscow contest in 2015.

The new king, Sultan Abdullah, succeeded his ailing father as ruler of Pahang last week.

His ascent to the Pahang throne was seen as a sign that he would take over as the new monarch.

Sultan Abdullah is on the non-executive supervisory council of football governing body FIFA. He is also the president of the Asian Hockey Federation.

Members of Malaysia's royal families on Thursday elected Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah as the new king, following the unexpected abdication of the previous monarch.

Members of Malaysia's royal families on Thursday elected Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah as the new king, following the unexpected abdication of the previous monarch. Sultan Abdullah, 59, ruler of the central state of Pahang, will formally take over the throne on January 31 for a five-year term, the keeper of the rulers' seal said in a statement. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with the king assuming a largely ceremonial role, including acting as custodian of Islam in the Muslim-majority country. The king's assent is needed for the appointment of a prime minister and various senior officials. Malaysia's nine royal households take turns to provide a king, who is chosen through a vote in a Council of Rulers, made up of the nine households, most of which are led by a sultan. The king is elected for a five-year term. The head of the Pahang royal family was next in line in take over from the former king, Sultan Muhammad V, who is the head of the state of Kelantan. Sultan Muhammad abdicated this month after just two years on the throne, the first time a monarch had stepped down before completing their tenure. No reason was given for his decision, which came after images purporting to show him getting married in Russia appeared on social media in December. Posts identified his new wife as Oksana Voevodina, who won a Miss Moscow contest in 2015. The new king, Sultan Abdullah, succeeded his ailing father as ruler of Pahang last week. His ascent to the Pahang throne was seen as a sign that he would take over as the new monarch. Sultan Abdullah is on the non-executive supervisory council of football governing body FIFA. He is also the president of the Asian Hockey Federation.

Malaysian royals elect new king after surprise abdication

Malaysia's royal families will elect a king Thursday after the last monarch abdicated following his reported marriage to a Russian ex-beauty queen, with a sports-loving sultan in pole position for the role.

The previous king, Sultan Muhammad V, stepped aside this month following just two years on the throne after reports surfaced he had married the former Miss Moscow while on medical leave.

There was great shock across Malaysia at the first abdication of a monarch in the Muslim-majority country's history.

His likely replacement is Sultan Abdullah of Pahang state, a keen athlete who holds a string of positions on sporting bodies, including on the council of world football governing body FIFA.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, with a unique arrangement where the national throne changes hands every five years between rulers of the country's nine states headed by Islamic royalty.

The Islamic rulers will meet at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur in a gathering known as the Conference of Rulers to elect a king to a five-year term. Under the rotation system, Pahang is next in line to provide the monarch.

Sultan Abdullah, 59, was named the state's new ruler -- replacing his elderly, ailing father -- several days after Muhammad V's abdication, in a step viewed as paving the way for him to become the next national monarch.

As well as being a member of the FIFA council -- which lays out the vision for global football -- he is president of the Asian Hockey Association and a former head of the Football Association of Malaysia.

After attending school in Malaysia, the keen polo player went on to study in Britain, where he attended the Sandhurst military academy, according to a biography published on the official Bernama news agency.

If he does not become king -- he could refuse the post, or be deemed unsuitable -- then the next in line for the throne is the powerful sultan of wealthy Johor state.&nbsp;

The new king will be sworn in on January 31 in a lavish ceremony.

While their role is ceremonial, Malaysia's royalty command great respect, especially from the country's Muslim Malay majority, and criticising them is strictly forbidden.

Portraits of the king and queen adorn government buildings throughout the country. The king is also the symbolic head of Islam in the nation, as well as the nominal chief of the military.

Malaysia's sultans trace a lineage back to the Malay sultanates of the 15th century. The king is referred to as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or "He Who Is Made Lord".

Malaysia's royal families will elect a king Thursday after the last monarch abdicated following his reported marriage to a Russian ex-beauty queen, with a sports-loving sultan in pole position for the role.

Malaysia's royal families will elect a king Thursday after the last monarch abdicated following his reported marriage to a Russian ex-beauty queen, with a sports-loving sultan in pole position for the role. The previous king, Sultan Muhammad V, stepped aside this month following just two years on the throne after reports surfaced he had married the former Miss Moscow while on medical leave. There was great shock across Malaysia at the first abdication of a monarch in the Muslim-majority country's history. His likely replacement is Sultan Abdullah of Pahang state, a keen athlete who holds a string of positions on sporting bodies, including on the council of world football governing body FIFA. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, with a unique arrangement where the national throne changes hands every five years between rulers of the country's nine states headed by Islamic royalty. The Islamic rulers will meet at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur in a gathering known as the Conference of Rulers to elect a king to a five-year term. Under the rotation system, Pahang is next in line to provide the monarch. Sultan Abdullah, 59, was named the state's new ruler -- replacing his elderly, ailing father -- several days after Muhammad V's abdication, in a step viewed as paving the way for him to become the next national monarch. As well as being a member of the FIFA council -- which lays out the vision for global football -- he is president of the Asian Hockey Association and a former head of the Football Association of Malaysia. After attending school in Malaysia, the keen polo player went on to study in Britain, where he attended the Sandhurst military academy, according to a biography published on the official Bernama news agency. If he does not become king -- he could refuse the post, or be deemed unsuitable -- then the next in line for the throne is the powerful sultan of wealthy Johor state. The new king will be sworn in on January 31 in a lavish ceremony. While their role is ceremonial, Malaysia's royalty command great respect, especially from the country's Muslim Malay majority, and criticising them is strictly forbidden. Portraits of the king and queen adorn government buildings throughout the country. The king is also the symbolic head of Islam in the nation, as well as the nominal chief of the military. Malaysia's sultans trace a lineage back to the Malay sultanates of the 15th century. The king is referred to as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or "He Who Is Made Lord".

Malaysian royals to pick new king after historic abdication

King Emere Godwin Bebe Okpabi holds up a plastic bottle containing contaminated water from his community in Nigeria, proof of oil pollution that he blames on Royal Dutch Shell -- and on which he hopes a London court will deliver justice. 
 
&quot;My people are drinking this water,&quot; said the tribal king of the Ogale community in the oil-rich Niger Delta.&nbsp; 
 
Okpabi has flown to London for a High Court hearing on Tuesday in which lawyers for more than 40,000 Nigerians are demanding action from Shell to clean up oil spills that have devastated their communities for decades. 
 
&quot;There are strange diseases in my community -- skin diseases, people are dying sudden deaths, some people are impotent, low sperm count,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;I can afford to buy water. But can I afford to buy for everybody? No.&quot; 
 
The Anglo-Dutch oil giant argues that the case should be heard in Nigeria, pointing out that it involves its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC, which runs a joint venture with the government, and Nigerian plaintiffs. 
 
But Okpabi, wearing a traditional robe with a red necklace and black top hat, said the English justice system was his only hope to end the blight on his people&#39;s lives. 
 
&quot;Shell is Nigeria and Nigeria is Shell. You can never, never defeat Shell in a Nigerian court. The truth is that the Nigerian legal system is corrupt,&quot; he said. 
 
He wants the High Court to compel Shell to implement a 2011 landmark report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which warned of dangerously high levels of hydrocarbons in the water, bitumen-coated mangroves and poor air quality. 
 
It should order the company to &quot;go and clean-up Ogale, go and provide water for them; go and do medical history for them, and where medical attention is needed provide for them,&quot; he said. 
 
The king said no money would be enough to address the damage, which UNEP warned could take 25 to 30 years to resolve, but wants compensation, adding: &quot;We are dying.&quot; 
 
Sabotage 
 
Shell will challenge the jurisdiction of the English courts in the case during three days of hearings this week, while it also disputes the claims made by lawyers Leigh Day, who represent Ogale and the smaller Bille community. 
 
&quot;Both Bille and Ogale are areas heavily impacted by crude oil theft, pipeline sabotage and illegal refining which remain the main sources of pollution across the Niger Delta,&quot; a company spokeswoman said. 
 
She noted SPDC has not produced any oil or gas in Ogoniland, the region surrounding Ogale, since 1993.&nbsp; 
 
But Okpabi and his lawyers say the company&#39;s ageing, leaky pipelines still run through the region and it must take responsibility. 
 
SPDC says it has delivered water and healthcare to the community and is supporting the implementation of the UNEP process by the government, which in June launched a $1 billion (&pound;800 million, 940 million euros) oil pollution clean-up programme in the Niger Delta. 
 
Okpabi said he believed President Muhammadu Buhari is &quot;sincere&quot; in wanting to address the issue, but warned: &quot;If we wait for the system to roll on its own, I hate to say this, but it may be too late for the people of Ogale.&quot; 
 
Attacks on Nigerian pipelines have increased this year, cutting output and helping tip the country into recession, but Okpabi insists &quot;there is no vandalising&quot; in Ogale. 
 
The king condemned the saboteurs, warning that &quot;you cannot bomb your house to get attention&quot;. 
 
However, he added: &quot;I&#39;m also appealing to Shell and the Nigerian government to listen to those communities that are non-violent and do something.&quot; 
 
In January 2015, Shell agreed to pay more than $80 million to the Nigerian fishing community of Bodo for two oil spills in 2008, following a case brought by Leigh Day in London. 
 
In December, a Dutch court permitted four Nigerian farmers and fishermen to sue the company for environmental pollution, potentially opening the door to other cases to be brought in the Netherlands.

(AFP)

He has flown to London for a hearing in which lawyers for more than 40,000 Nigerians are demanding action from Shell to clean up oil spill

King Emere Godwin Bebe Okpabi holds up a plastic bottle containing contaminated water from his community in Nigeria, proof of oil pollution that he blames on Royal Dutch Shell -- and on which he hopes a London court will deliver justice. "My people are drinking this water," said the tribal king of the Ogale community in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Okpabi has flown to London for a High Court hearing on Tuesday in which lawyers for more than 40,000 Nigerians are demanding action from Shell to clean up oil spills that have devastated their communities for decades. "There are strange diseases in my community -- skin diseases, people are dying sudden deaths, some people are impotent, low sperm count," he told AFP. "I can afford to buy water. But can I afford to buy for everybody? No." The Anglo-Dutch oil giant argues that the case should be heard in Nigeria, pointing out that it involves its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC, which runs a joint venture with the government, and Nigerian plaintiffs. But Okpabi, wearing a traditional robe with a red necklace and black top hat, said the English justice system was his only hope to end the blight on his people's lives. "Shell is Nigeria and Nigeria is Shell. You can never, never defeat Shell in a Nigerian court. The truth is that the Nigerian legal system is corrupt," he said. He wants the High Court to compel Shell to implement a 2011 landmark report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which warned of dangerously high levels of hydrocarbons in the water, bitumen-coated mangroves and poor air quality. It should order the company to "go and clean-up Ogale, go and provide water for them; go and do medical history for them, and where medical attention is needed provide for them," he said. The king said no money would be enough to address the damage, which UNEP warned could take 25 to 30 years to resolve, but wants compensation, adding: "We are dying." Sabotage Shell will challenge the jurisdiction of the English courts in the case during three days of hearings this week, while it also disputes the claims made by lawyers Leigh Day, who represent Ogale and the smaller Bille community. "Both Bille and Ogale are areas heavily impacted by crude oil theft, pipeline sabotage and illegal refining which remain the main sources of pollution across the Niger Delta," a company spokeswoman said. She noted SPDC has not produced any oil or gas in Ogoniland, the region surrounding Ogale, since 1993. But Okpabi and his lawyers say the company's ageing, leaky pipelines still run through the region and it must take responsibility. SPDC says it has delivered water and healthcare to the community and is supporting the implementation of the UNEP process by the government, which in June launched a $1 billion (£800 million, 940 million euros) oil pollution clean-up programme in the Niger Delta. Okpabi said he believed President Muhammadu Buhari is "sincere" in wanting to address the issue, but warned: "If we wait for the system to roll on its own, I hate to say this, but it may be too late for the people of Ogale." Attacks on Nigerian pipelines have increased this year, cutting output and helping tip the country into recession, but Okpabi insists "there is no vandalising" in Ogale. The king condemned the saboteurs, warning that "you cannot bomb your house to get attention". However, he added: "I'm also appealing to Shell and the Nigerian government to listen to those communities that are non-violent and do something." In January 2015, Shell agreed to pay more than $80 million to the Nigerian fishing community of Bodo for two oil spills in 2008, following a case brought by Leigh Day in London. In December, a Dutch court permitted four Nigerian farmers and fishermen to sue the company for environmental pollution, potentially opening the door to other cases to be brought in the Netherlands. (AFP)

With polluted water in hand, Nigerian king takes Shell to court in London

Jordanian King Abdullah swore in a new government led by a business-friendly politician on Wednesday, and charged him with preparing for parliamentary elections by September and&nbsp;pushing&nbsp;legislation to spur sluggish growth.

Hani Mulki, 64, who has held a string of senior diplomatic and ministerial posts, is a former chief commissioner of Jordan&#39;s economic zone in the Red Sea port city of Aqaba.

He was appointed by the king on Sunday to replace Abdullah Ensour shortly after the monarch dissolved parliament as it neared the end of its four-year term. Elections must be held within four months under the constitution.

Official sources said the government is expected to maintain traditional support for U.S. policies in the region and continue with IMF-guided reforms.

They say the monarch chose Mulki to help spur investment, especially from main Gulf oil producer Saudi Arabia, which has shown interest in investing in the debt-laden kingdom.

Jordan&#39;s finances have been hit by a drop in Gulf aid which traditionally tops up its coffers and worsened investor confidence hit by regional uncertainty. The economy has also been strained by a flood of refugees from the five-year-old civil war in neighbouring Syria.

The new government is expected to maintain traditional support for US policies in the region and continue IMF-guided reforms.

Jordanian King Abdullah swore in a new government led by a business-friendly politician on Wednesday, and charged him with preparing for parliamentary elections by September and pushing legislation to spur sluggish growth. Hani Mulki, 64, who has held a string of senior diplomatic and ministerial posts, is a former chief commissioner of Jordan's economic zone in the Red Sea port city of Aqaba. He was appointed by the king on Sunday to replace Abdullah Ensour shortly after the monarch dissolved parliament as it neared the end of its four-year term. Elections must be held within four months under the constitution. Official sources said the government is expected to maintain traditional support for U.S. policies in the region and continue with IMF-guided reforms. They say the monarch chose Mulki to help spur investment, especially from main Gulf oil producer Saudi Arabia, which has shown interest in investing in the debt-laden kingdom. Jordan's finances have been hit by a drop in Gulf aid which traditionally tops up its coffers and worsened investor confidence hit by regional uncertainty. The economy has also been strained by a flood of refugees from the five-year-old civil war in neighbouring Syria.

Jordan king swears in new government to prepare for elections

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