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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-shops-shutter-as-months-of-protest-darken-economic-gloom-258593">Hong Kong</a> is bracing for a rowdy and possibly hugely dangerous Halloween on Thursday, when thousands of pro-democracy protesters, many wearing banned face masks, plan to combine with fancy-dress clubbers in the party district of Lan Kwai Fong.

The protesters say they will march, without police permission, from a park in the Causeway Bay shopping district through the heaving bar streets of Wan Chai to the steep, narrow foothills of the Peak above Central.

Every weekend, the bars in Lan Kwai Fong spill on to the streets office goers, clubbers and expatriate families, even without the activists who have thrown petrol bombs at police, set fires and trashed buildings during five months of unrest.

A stampede at midnight on New Year's Eve in 1992, when thousands had gathered, killed at least 20 and wounded scores.

This month Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam banned protesters from wearing face masks under a resuscitated British colonial-era emergency law, but few have taken any notice.

And Halloween masks have not been banned, which will make it difficult for police to identify protesters.

"Based on past experience, such unauthorised assembly will impose a serious threat to public order and public safety," police said in a statement.

"Members of the public should avoid travelling to the concerned area when public disorder occurs."

Protesters are angry at what they see as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/hong-kong-enters-recession-as-protests-show-no-sign-of-relenting-258425">Beijing's increasing interference in Hong Kong</a>, which returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula intended to guarantee freedoms not seen on the mainland. Some are increasingly focusing their fury on mainland Chinese in the city.

China denies meddling and has accused foreign governments, including the United States and Britain, of stirring up trouble.

Lam said she expected negative economic growth in the Asian financial hub this year, in part as a result of the unrest.

"The increasingly violent reality since June is hurting Hong Kong's economy," Lam said in a speech on Wednesday. "...what started off as peaceful protests, a hallmark of Hong Kong's rights and freedoms, have turned into violent acts by rioters."

With visitors deterred by months of violence, many small firms across the city have already closed or are struggling to turn a profit.

Lam's gloomy forecast came two days after Financial Secretary Paul Chan said Hong Kong had slipped into a technical recession, meaning two successive quarters of contraction. That is expected to be confirmed by Thursday's third-quarter GDP data.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/protests-erupt-in-hong-kong-police-fire-tear-gas-to-clear-rally-258401">The protests, which started over a now-withdrawn extradition bill</a>, have plunged the city into its biggest crisis in decades and also pose the biggest populist challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012.

Hong Kong is bracing for a rowdy and possibly hugely dangerous Halloween on Thursday, when thousands of pro-democracy protesters, many wearing banned face masks, plan to combine with fancy-dress clubbers in the party district of Lan Kwai Fong.

Hong Kong is bracing for a rowdy and possibly hugely dangerous Halloween on Thursday, when thousands of pro-democracy protesters, many wearing banned face masks, plan to combine with fancy-dress clubbers in the party district of Lan Kwai Fong. The protesters say they will march, without police permission, from a park in the Causeway Bay shopping district through the heaving bar streets of Wan Chai to the steep, narrow foothills of the Peak above Central. Every weekend, the bars in Lan Kwai Fong spill on to the streets office goers, clubbers and expatriate families, even without the activists who have thrown petrol bombs at police, set fires and trashed buildings during five months of unrest. A stampede at midnight on New Year's Eve in 1992, when thousands had gathered, killed at least 20 and wounded scores. This month Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam banned protesters from wearing face masks under a resuscitated British colonial-era emergency law, but few have taken any notice. And Halloween masks have not been banned, which will make it difficult for police to identify protesters. "Based on past experience, such unauthorised assembly will impose a serious threat to public order and public safety," police said in a statement. "Members of the public should avoid travelling to the concerned area when public disorder occurs." Protesters are angry at what they see as Beijing's increasing interference in Hong Kong, which returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula intended to guarantee freedoms not seen on the mainland. Some are increasingly focusing their fury on mainland Chinese in the city. China denies meddling and has accused foreign governments, including the United States and Britain, of stirring up trouble. Lam said she expected negative economic growth in the Asian financial hub this year, in part as a result of the unrest. "The increasingly violent reality since June is hurting Hong Kong's economy," Lam said in a speech on Wednesday. "...what started off as peaceful protests, a hallmark of Hong Kong's rights and freedoms, have turned into violent acts by rioters." With visitors deterred by months of violence, many small firms across the city have already closed or are struggling to turn a profit. Lam's gloomy forecast came two days after Financial Secretary Paul Chan said Hong Kong had slipped into a technical recession, meaning two successive quarters of contraction. That is expected to be confirmed by Thursday's third-quarter GDP data. The protests, which started over a now-withdrawn extradition bill, have plunged the city into its biggest crisis in decades and also pose the biggest populist challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012.

Hong Kong protesters to target party district during Halloween

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-opposition-alliance-demands-action-over-election-attacks-185453">Bangladesh</a>'s main opposition website has been shut down, the party said Saturday, amid accusation the government is muzzling dissent ahead of next week's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/facebook-and-twitter-remove-pages-and-accounts-in-bangladesh-ahead-of-election-185612">general election.</a>

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said authorities had closed the site since last week when they shut 54 news portals and websites for what they claimed were security reasons.

"We've written to the Election Commission to open the website. But it has not been opened yet," BNP spokesman Nazrul Islam Khan told AFP.

The shutdown has hit the party's election campaign just days before the December 30 polls.

"We cannot communicate with our supporters," he said.

The BNP is part of the opposition National Unity Front alliance, which is contesting the polls after boycotting the 2014 election. It has emerged as the main challenger to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's bid for record fourth term in office.

Hasina's government has been accused by civil society and rights groups of drifting towards authoritarianism, silencing dissent and the press by using an onerous digital-security law.

At least six people have been killed in election campaign clashes between supporters of Hasina's ruling Awami League and the BNP, whose incarcerated veteran leader Khaleda Zia was last month handed another stiff jail term.

The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission could not confirm whether the BNP website was among the 54 sites it blocked last week.

But commission chairman Jahurul Haque accused the website of bad taste. "It is obscene and indecent," he said.

In an email to the Election Commission, the BTRC, however, said the website was closed following orders from two intelligence agencies for containing "outlawed" materials, according to a report by the online edition of the mass-circulation Bengali daily Jugantor.

BNP spokesman Khan rejected allegations that the website contained obscene materials.

Last week the government blocked more than 50 websites and news portals for what it said were security reasons, prompting an outcry from rights advocates.

BTRC spokesman Zakir Khan said the websites were "spreading propaganda" and "destabilising the state".&nbsp;

A BNP spokesman has said 18 of its online activists have been detained in recent months, including a former air force officer who was arrested on Thursday.

Human Rights Watch said the arrests and the crackdown on free speech including widespread surveillance contributed to "a widely described climate of fear" ahead of the election.

"The authorities have used a number of broadly worded laws arbitrarily to constrain journalists, restrict the free speech of ordinary citizens, and target the government's opponents and critics," the New York-based group said.

"The government has ordered several units and agencies to censor the internet, monitor online communications, and detain users accused of 'spreading rumours' or 'anti-state activity'," it said.

This week Facebook said it had suspended nine pages and six accounts it had linked to "individuals associated with the Bangladesh government" and which posted anti-opposition content while masquerading as independent news sources.

Bangladesh's main opposition website has been shut down, the party said Saturday, amid accusation the government is muzzling dissent ahead of next week's general election.

Bangladesh's main opposition website has been shut down, the party said Saturday, amid accusation the government is muzzling dissent ahead of next week's general election. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said authorities had closed the site since last week when they shut 54 news portals and websites for what they claimed were security reasons. "We've written to the Election Commission to open the website. But it has not been opened yet," BNP spokesman Nazrul Islam Khan told AFP. The shutdown has hit the party's election campaign just days before the December 30 polls. "We cannot communicate with our supporters," he said. The BNP is part of the opposition National Unity Front alliance, which is contesting the polls after boycotting the 2014 election. It has emerged as the main challenger to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's bid for record fourth term in office. Hasina's government has been accused by civil society and rights groups of drifting towards authoritarianism, silencing dissent and the press by using an onerous digital-security law. At least six people have been killed in election campaign clashes between supporters of Hasina's ruling Awami League and the BNP, whose incarcerated veteran leader Khaleda Zia was last month handed another stiff jail term. The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission could not confirm whether the BNP website was among the 54 sites it blocked last week. But commission chairman Jahurul Haque accused the website of bad taste. "It is obscene and indecent," he said. In an email to the Election Commission, the BTRC, however, said the website was closed following orders from two intelligence agencies for containing "outlawed" materials, according to a report by the online edition of the mass-circulation Bengali daily Jugantor. BNP spokesman Khan rejected allegations that the website contained obscene materials. Last week the government blocked more than 50 websites and news portals for what it said were security reasons, prompting an outcry from rights advocates. BTRC spokesman Zakir Khan said the websites were "spreading propaganda" and "destabilising the state". A BNP spokesman has said 18 of its online activists have been detained in recent months, including a former air force officer who was arrested on Thursday. Human Rights Watch said the arrests and the crackdown on free speech including widespread surveillance contributed to "a widely described climate of fear" ahead of the election. "The authorities have used a number of broadly worded laws arbitrarily to constrain journalists, restrict the free speech of ordinary citizens, and target the government's opponents and critics," the New York-based group said. "The government has ordered several units and agencies to censor the internet, monitor online communications, and detain users accused of 'spreading rumours' or 'anti-state activity'," it said. This week Facebook said it had suspended nine pages and six accounts it had linked to "individuals associated with the Bangladesh government" and which posted anti-opposition content while masquerading as independent news sources.

Bangladesh opposition website shut down ahead of polls: Report

Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s arrest in a money laundering case and subsequent incarceration was “fate’s revenge” against him for his bid, when he was minister, to put Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray behind bars, the Sena said on May 8. Law and power are used many a times to settle political scores, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party added.

Bhujbal, 70, in jail since March 2016, was granted bail on May 4 by the Bombay High Court after it took into consideration his old age and deteriorating health. Mocking him, the Sena claimed that he desperately wanted to arrest Bal Thackeray around two decades ago when he was Maharashtra’s home minister.

Cases were filed against the late Sena supremo for giving speeches and writing editorials in the name of Hindutva, it said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana.

“Bhujbal’s imprisonment was the revenge taken against him by fate. He wanted to arrest Balasaheb by any means. Our ally (BJP) was in power at the Centre then and it had sent additional police forces from other states to prevent any law and order problem,” the BJP’s bickering ally said. This proved that there has been a hidden alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) since then, claimed the Sena.

It said Bhujbal was in jail for two years on money laundering charges, while former Union finance minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram, facing similar charges, came out on bail within eight days of his arrest (in March this year). “Laws and power are often used to take political revenge,” the Marathi daily said.

Bhujbal, who handled the Public Works Department in the Congress-NCP government, was arrested in March 2016 after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) found in an inquiry that he allegedly misused his office in awarding contracts for PWD projects, causing a loss to the exchequer.

According to the ED, Bhujbal awarded contracts, including the one for the construction of a new Maharashtra Sadan — the state guest house — in Delhi to a private firm, allegedly in return for kickbacks for himself and his family. The former state deputy chief minister and his nephew Sameer Bhujbal channelled the ill-gotten money into shell companies, the agency alleged.

Bhujbal started his political career with the Shiv Sena and was in the party for over two decades. He left the Sena in 1991 and joined the Congress. Later, after Sharad Pawar decided to split from the Congress and form the NCP, the former PWD minister went along with him.

Bhujbal started his political career with the Shiv Sena and was in the party for over two decades. He left the Sena in 1991 and joined the Congress.

Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s arrest in a money laundering case and subsequent incarceration was “fate’s revenge” against him for his bid, when he was minister, to put Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray behind bars, the Sena said on May 8. Law and power are used many a times to settle political scores, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party added. Bhujbal, 70, in jail since March 2016, was granted bail on May 4 by the Bombay High Court after it took into consideration his old age and deteriorating health. Mocking him, the Sena claimed that he desperately wanted to arrest Bal Thackeray around two decades ago when he was Maharashtra’s home minister. Cases were filed against the late Sena supremo for giving speeches and writing editorials in the name of Hindutva, it said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana. “Bhujbal’s imprisonment was the revenge taken against him by fate. He wanted to arrest Balasaheb by any means. Our ally (BJP) was in power at the Centre then and it had sent additional police forces from other states to prevent any law and order problem,” the BJP’s bickering ally said. This proved that there has been a hidden alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) since then, claimed the Sena. It said Bhujbal was in jail for two years on money laundering charges, while former Union finance minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram, facing similar charges, came out on bail within eight days of his arrest (in March this year). “Laws and power are often used to take political revenge,” the Marathi daily said. Bhujbal, who handled the Public Works Department in the Congress-NCP government, was arrested in March 2016 after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) found in an inquiry that he allegedly misused his office in awarding contracts for PWD projects, causing a loss to the exchequer. According to the ED, Bhujbal awarded contracts, including the one for the construction of a new Maharashtra Sadan — the state guest house — in Delhi to a private firm, allegedly in return for kickbacks for himself and his family. The former state deputy chief minister and his nephew Sameer Bhujbal channelled the ill-gotten money into shell companies, the agency alleged. Bhujbal started his political career with the Shiv Sena and was in the party for over two decades. He left the Sena in 1991 and joined the Congress. Later, after Sharad Pawar decided to split from the Congress and form the NCP, the former PWD minister went along with him.

Fate avenged Chhagan Bhujbal’s attempt to jail Bal Thackeray: Shiv Sena

Sri Lanka's main party in the ruling unity government United National Party today unanimously decided to back its leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in the no-confidence motion submitted against him by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa-backed Joint Opposition.

The motion scheduled for April 4 was handed over to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya by the Joint Opposition (JO) last week against Wickremesinghe, accusing him of financial mismanagement and failing to tackle anti-Muslim riots early this month in the central Kandy district.

"At the policy-making working committee meeting this morning, it was unanimously decided to back the Prime Minister in the no-confidence motion," Education Minister Akila Viraj said.

He said the party will meet for three days to deliberate on the reforms needed to implement them within two months.

Wickremesinghe, 68, had resisted a call from President Maithripala Sirisena to resign following a crushing defeat to Rajapaksa's new party Sri Lanka People's Front in the February 10 local election.

According to analysts, the no-confidence motion against Wickremesinghe is being secretly backed by Sirisena against the man who sponsored him to be the President after Rajapaksa's defeat in 2015.

The motion calls for the removal of Wickremesinghe for appointing a non-Sri Lankan as the governor of the Central Bank, allegedly protecting those responsible for the bank Bond issues scam and failing in his duty as the law and order minister to tackle anti-Muslim riots early this month.

Wickremesinghe was recently replaced as law and order minister after clashes erupted in the central Kandy district.

Anti-Muslim violence in Kandy and Ampara districts left three people dead.

Sirisena last night removed key institutions from the control of Wickremesinghe, including the Central Bank.

He had appointed a committee to probe the bank's bond issues scam under Wickremesinghe's friend and former Governor Arjuna Mahendran.

The party will meet for three days to deliberate on the reforms needed to implement them within two months

Sri Lanka's main party in the ruling unity government United National Party today unanimously decided to back its leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in the no-confidence motion submitted against him by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa-backed Joint Opposition. The motion scheduled for April 4 was handed over to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya by the Joint Opposition (JO) last week against Wickremesinghe, accusing him of financial mismanagement and failing to tackle anti-Muslim riots early this month in the central Kandy district. "At the policy-making working committee meeting this morning, it was unanimously decided to back the Prime Minister in the no-confidence motion," Education Minister Akila Viraj said. He said the party will meet for three days to deliberate on the reforms needed to implement them within two months. Wickremesinghe, 68, had resisted a call from President Maithripala Sirisena to resign following a crushing defeat to Rajapaksa's new party Sri Lanka People's Front in the February 10 local election. According to analysts, the no-confidence motion against Wickremesinghe is being secretly backed by Sirisena against the man who sponsored him to be the President after Rajapaksa's defeat in 2015. The motion calls for the removal of Wickremesinghe for appointing a non-Sri Lankan as the governor of the Central Bank, allegedly protecting those responsible for the bank Bond issues scam and failing in his duty as the law and order minister to tackle anti-Muslim riots early this month. Wickremesinghe was recently replaced as law and order minister after clashes erupted in the central Kandy district. Anti-Muslim violence in Kandy and Ampara districts left three people dead. Sirisena last night removed key institutions from the control of Wickremesinghe, including the Central Bank. He had appointed a committee to probe the bank's bond issues scam under Wickremesinghe's friend and former Governor Arjuna Mahendran.

Sri Lanka's UNP backs its leader in no-confidence motion

Hollywood actor Billy Baldwin responded to&nbsp;Donald Trump Jr.&#39;s sexual assault&nbsp;allegations against&nbsp;Senator Al Franken on Thursday with the Tweet targetting senior Trump.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Talk amongst yourselves: Two more women accuse Sen Al Franken of inappropriate touching <a href="https://t.co/rM17xQdbz6">https://t.co/rM17xQdbz6</a> # via <a href="https://twitter.com/HuffPostPol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HuffPostPol</a>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/933492047738052609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The actor took to Twitter to respond to the president&#39;s son allegations against&nbsp;Al Franken,&nbsp;by calling&nbsp;the President Donald Trump&nbsp;a&nbsp;&#39;5th-degree black belt in sexual impropriety allegations&#39; and added that his wife had then &#39;shown his fat ass&#39; to out of the party.&nbsp;

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Your Dad is a 5th degree black belt when it comes to sexual impropriety allegations. 
In fact&hellip; I once had a party at the Plaza Hotel&hellip; your father showed up uninvited &amp; hit on my wife&hellip; invited her on his helicopter to Atlantic City. 
 
She showed his fat ass the door.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrumpRussia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TrumpRussia</a> <a href="https://t.co/A8BInetbbZ">https://t.co/A8BInetbbZ</a>
&mdash; Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillyBaldwin/status/933577244273811456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump had previously been accused of sexually harassing around 12 women, forcing himself on them without their consent.

However, the United States president had denied these allegations and&nbsp;threatened to sue the women.&nbsp;

Billy Baldwin has accused Trump of sexually harassing his wife two decades ago.

Hollywood actor Billy Baldwin responded to Donald Trump Jr.'s sexual assault allegations against Senator Al Franken on Thursday with the Tweet targetting senior Trump. Talk amongst yourselves: Two more women accuse Sen Al Franken of inappropriate touching https://t.co/rM17xQdbz6 # via @HuffPostPol — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 23, 2017 × The actor took to Twitter to respond to the president's son allegations against Al Franken, by calling the President Donald Trump a '5th-degree black belt in sexual impropriety allegations' and added that his wife had then 'shown his fat ass' to out of the party. Your Dad is a 5th degree black belt when it comes to sexual impropriety allegations. In fact… I once had a party at the Plaza Hotel… your father showed up uninvited & hit on my wife… invited her on his helicopter to Atlantic City. She showed his fat ass the door.#TrumpRussia https://t.co/A8BInetbbZ — Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin) November 23, 2017 × Trump had previously been accused of sexually harassing around 12 women, forcing himself on them without their consent. However, the United States president had denied these allegations and threatened to sue the women.

Billy Baldwin claims Donald Trump hit on his wife

Any event organiser, if using copyrighted music or songs in a party, would have to inform the copyright societies which will issue an invoice for payment of royalty along with proof of their rights as per an interim arrangement arrived at in the Delhi High Court between a firm and three such societies.

Under the arrangement, anyone who is going to hold an event will inform the three societies -- Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS), Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) and Novex Communications Pvt Ltd -- about the copyrighted work to be used and one of these three, which holds the rights, shall issue an invoice for royalty along with proof of ownership of the copyright.

The event organiser would have to pay the royalty prior to holding the event, Justice Najmi Waziri noted in his order in which he also directed the respondent societies to &quot;upload on their respective websites the (copyright) assignment deeds along with the list of songs pertaining to such assignment deed&quot;.

The order came after the societies claimed that they &quot;are legitimate assignees of copyrighted works or are otherwise duly authorised agents of copyright owners&quot; and sought to enforce their rights under section 18 (assignment of copyright) and 30 (licences by owners of copyright) of the Copyright Act.

They argued before the court that as long as the owner of a copyright exercises its rights under section 18 and section 30 read with section 19 (mode of assignment of copyright) of the Act, &quot;there is no bar on the copyright owner or his agent or an assignee from monetising the copyrighted works&quot;.

The court was hearing an application moved by the three societies against its December 23, 2016, decision restraining them from granting any licence, as a copyright society under section 33 of the Act, to play music and songs of various artists in public.

The December 23, 2016&nbsp;order had come on a plea by Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) which has claimed that registration of IPRS and PPL expired in 2013 and Novex was never registered&nbsp;and only registered societies can issue licences for playing music in public.&nbsp;

(PTI)

The court had earlier decided of restraining the groups from granting any licence as a copyright society to play music and songs in publi

Any event organiser, if using copyrighted music or songs in a party, would have to inform the copyright societies which will issue an invoice for payment of royalty along with proof of their rights as per an interim arrangement arrived at in the Delhi High Court between a firm and three such societies. Under the arrangement, anyone who is going to hold an event will inform the three societies -- Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS), Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) and Novex Communications Pvt Ltd -- about the copyrighted work to be used and one of these three, which holds the rights, shall issue an invoice for royalty along with proof of ownership of the copyright. The event organiser would have to pay the royalty prior to holding the event, Justice Najmi Waziri noted in his order in which he also directed the respondent societies to "upload on their respective websites the (copyright) assignment deeds along with the list of songs pertaining to such assignment deed". The order came after the societies claimed that they "are legitimate assignees of copyrighted works or are otherwise duly authorised agents of copyright owners" and sought to enforce their rights under section 18 (assignment of copyright) and 30 (licences by owners of copyright) of the Copyright Act. They argued before the court that as long as the owner of a copyright exercises its rights under section 18 and section 30 read with section 19 (mode of assignment of copyright) of the Act, "there is no bar on the copyright owner or his agent or an assignee from monetising the copyrighted works". The court was hearing an application moved by the three societies against its December 23, 2016, decision restraining them from granting any licence, as a copyright society under section 33 of the Act, to play music and songs of various artists in public. The December 23, 2016 order had come on a plea by Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) which has claimed that registration of IPRS and PPL expired in 2013 and Novex was never registered and only registered societies can issue licences for playing music in public. (PTI)

Event organisers can use copyrighted songs if they pay, says Delhi HC

If your idea of a club is a huge dance floor flooded with hundreds of dancing figurines, you might want to check out the smallest discotheque in the middle of the street that accommodates no more than five people. 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NvftX05CVrU?list=PLmWa9ZZLlCjt0Jlg7kN3JBNX4LH1sRsGh" width="970"></iframe> 
 
Your personal party space unimaginably lies inside a small telephone booth that has been converted into a disco. The classic phone booths have been gradually disappearing however, more innovative uses are now giving phone booths a second life. They serve as mini libraries, decorative pieces and now as coin-operated mini-discos. 
 
The phonebooth disco is a complete package in itself with smoke machines, disco-balls, light effects, dry ice and a touchscreen that lets you play your favourite music. The booth also comes with a built-in camera to capture your crazy moments! Unlike what one would imagine, the cramped space doesn&rsquo;t act as a dampener to the party spirit.

Shake a leg at the world?s smallest disco

If your idea of a club is a huge dance floor flooded with hundreds of dancing figurines, you might want to check out the smallest discotheque in the middle of the street that accommodates no more than five people. Your personal party space unimaginably lies inside a small telephone booth that has been converted into a disco. The classic phone booths have been gradually disappearing however, more innovative uses are now giving phone booths a second life. They serve as mini libraries, decorative pieces and now as coin-operated mini-discos. The phonebooth disco is a complete package in itself with smoke machines, disco-balls, light effects, dry ice and a touchscreen that lets you play your favourite music. The booth also comes with a built-in camera to capture your crazy moments! Unlike what one would imagine, the cramped space doesn’t act as a dampener to the party spirit.

Video: A club inside a telephone booth?

After a week of protests following the public beating of four Dalits (also known as &quot;untouchables) for skinning a dead cow, which Hindus revere as holy, the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat has resigned. 
 
Anandiben Patel, who took over as CM after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vacated the position, posted her letter of resignation on Facebook.&nbsp;In it, she asked the BJP top brass to relieve her of her post as she was soon going to turn 75. 
 
Patel had come in for critcism for her handling of the fallout from the public beating of the Dalits. And under her leadership, the BJP has for the first time in the post-Narendra Modi era had to put up with a tough challenge from its opponents in the state. 
 
Patel, who will turn 75 on November 21 and who been a minister in the BJP government since 1998 and CM since 2014, said in her post-cum-resignation letter that the BJP needed a fresh face in the state before the elections next year. 
 
&quot;For the last some time there has been a tradition in the party that those who attain the age of 75, voluntarily retires from the post. I will attain the age of 75 in November,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;Two months ago I had requested the party to relieve me from the post and today also through this letter, I request the party to relieve me of the post,&quot; she added. 
 
&quot;I am asking the party to relieve me two months in advance as the new chief minister will require the time to work, when the state is going to face elections in 2017 and an important event like Vibrant Gujarat Summit to be held in January,&quot; Patel said.&nbsp;&quot;It (the rule of 75) is a good thing and it will give a chance to young leaders to come up,&quot; she added. 
 
Elections in the state are due in the second half of 2017.&nbsp;The unwritten convention in the party in recent times, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been that people quit their posts when they turn 75. 
 
Patel has had to deal a number of recent upsets. The BJP fared badly in the rural civic bodies poll of December 2015 and the opposition Congress made gains at the cost of the ruling party. 
 
She also had to deal with the fierce Patel community quota agitation, one of the factors which contributed to the BJP losing in the rural local bodies poll. The BJP though retained its hold over the urban areas. 
 
The Dalit uprising after the Una public beating incident also dented the image of the party.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI)

Anandiben Patel's government had come in for criticism for its handling of the furore caused by the public beating of four low-caste Dalits

After a week of protests following the public beating of four Dalits (also known as "untouchables) for skinning a dead cow, which Hindus revere as holy, the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat has resigned. Anandiben Patel, who took over as CM after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vacated the position, posted her letter of resignation on Facebook. In it, she asked the BJP top brass to relieve her of her post as she was soon going to turn 75. Patel had come in for critcism for her handling of the fallout from the public beating of the Dalits. And under her leadership, the BJP has for the first time in the post-Narendra Modi era had to put up with a tough challenge from its opponents in the state. Patel, who will turn 75 on November 21 and who been a minister in the BJP government since 1998 and CM since 2014, said in her post-cum-resignation letter that the BJP needed a fresh face in the state before the elections next year. "For the last some time there has been a tradition in the party that those who attain the age of 75, voluntarily retires from the post. I will attain the age of 75 in November," she said. "Two months ago I had requested the party to relieve me from the post and today also through this letter, I request the party to relieve me of the post," she added. "I am asking the party to relieve me two months in advance as the new chief minister will require the time to work, when the state is going to face elections in 2017 and an important event like Vibrant Gujarat Summit to be held in January," Patel said. "It (the rule of 75) is a good thing and it will give a chance to young leaders to come up," she added. Elections in the state are due in the second half of 2017. The unwritten convention in the party in recent times, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been that people quit their posts when they turn 75. Patel has had to deal a number of recent upsets. The BJP fared badly in the rural civic bodies poll of December 2015 and the opposition Congress made gains at the cost of the ruling party. She also had to deal with the fierce Patel community quota agitation, one of the factors which contributed to the BJP losing in the rural local bodies poll. The BJP though retained its hold over the urban areas. The Dalit uprising after the Una public beating incident also dented the image of the party. (WION with inputs from PTI)

After week of protests, Gujarat chief minister posts her resignation on Facebook

The head of the Democratic Party, Deborah Wasserman Schultz, on Sunday announced her intention to resign after this week&#39;s Democratic convention amid a furor over embarrassing leaked emails, as the Clinton team hopes to head off a growing rebellion by Bernie Sanders supporters on the eve of the convention to nominate Hillary Clinton for the White House. 
 
Lingering bitterness from their heated primary campaign erupted after more than 19,000 Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails, leaked on Friday, seemed to confirm Sanders&#39; frequent charge that the party played favourites in the race. 
 
The cache of emails leaked by the WikiLeaks website revealed DNC officials explored ways to undermine Sanders&#39; insurgent presidential campaign. This included raising questions about whether Sanders, who is Jewish, was really an atheist, so as to undermine him and his campaign in highly religious states. 
 
Wasserman Schultz will be replaced by interim chair Donna Brazile, a Democratic stategist and television commentator who has openly criticised the Sanders campaign. 
 
In a statement, DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the best way for the party to accomplish its goal of putting Clinton in the White House was for her to step down. Sanders had demanded earlier in the day that Wasserman Schultz resign.&nbsp;Shortly after Wasserman Schultz did indeed make this announcement, Clinton named her honorary chair of the Clinton campaign team. 
 
The furor was a blow to a party keen on projecting stability in contrast to the volatility of Republican candidate Donald Trump, who was formally nominated at a raucous convention last week, and overshadowed preparations in Philadelphia for Clinton&#39;s coronation as the nominee to face Trump in the November 8, US presidential election. 
 
Sanders said Wasserman Schultz, a member of Congress from Florida, had made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party. &quot;The party leadership must also always remain impartial in the presidential nominating process, something which did not occur in the 2016 race,&quot; he said. 
 
The emails angered many Sanders supporters who were already dismayed by Clinton&#39;s choice on Friday of low-key US Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her vice presidential running mate. Kaine, who could appeal to independents and moderates, has never been aligned with party liberals. Kaine is a vocal proponent of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an enormous free trade deal involving 12 countries, including those from South America, Asia and North America. 
 
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of downtown Philadelphia, livid over the treatment Bernie Sanders received from the DNC and were happy to hear Wasserman Schultz had resigned from her post. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m exited that Debbie Wasserman Shultz has resigned, I think there&#39;s hope for Bernie, it&#39;s not over yet,&quot; Bruce Eichbauer told Reuters. 
 
A Sanders campaign worker said Wasserman Shultz needs to apologise. 
 
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign manager Robby Mook blamed Moscow for hacking into the party&#39;s email, then sending the stolen messages to Wikileaks so as to advance the Trump campaign. As he said live on CNN: 
 
&quot;What is disturbing to us is that experts are telling us that Russians broke into the DNC, stole these emails and other experts are now saying that the Russians are now releasing these emails for the purpose of actually helping Donald Trump. I don&#39;t think it&#39;s coincidental that these emails were released on the eve of our convention here and that&#39;s disturbing.&quot; 
 
Sanders, who has endorsed Clinton and will speak on her behalf to the convention on Monday, waged a heated months-long battle for the nomination. Branding himself a democratic socialist, Sanders galvanised young and liberal voters with his calls to rein in Wall Street and eradicate income inequality. 
 
Earlier Sunday the hashtag #BernieMustDisavow was trending, as Sanders supporters were urging him to pull away from the Democratic party altogether, believing the Democratic party is too rigged against Sanders and that it&#39;s best for him to join Dr Jill Stein, the leader of the Green Party.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
There&#39;s still time for <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders">@BernieSanders</a> to do the right thing - not for the DNC, but for America. <a href="https://t.co/P7MHWurKQJ">https://t.co/P7MHWurKQJ</a>
&mdash; Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrJillStein/status/757315692907655169">July 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
 
For good measure, Donald Trump posted a tweet about Wasserman Schultz, who is Jewish, which was seen by many as anti-Semitic: 
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The highly neurotic Debbie Wasserman Schultz is angry that, after stealing and cheating her way to a Crooked Hillary victory, she&#39;s out!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/757343025983057922">July 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
 
The four-day Democratic convention will open on Monday. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Shortly after resignation speech, Clinton appointed her honorary chair of her campaign

The head of the Democratic Party, Deborah Wasserman Schultz, on Sunday announced her intention to resign after this week's Democratic convention amid a furor over embarrassing leaked emails, as the Clinton team hopes to head off a growing rebellion by Bernie Sanders supporters on the eve of the convention to nominate Hillary Clinton for the White House. Lingering bitterness from their heated primary campaign erupted after more than 19,000 Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails, leaked on Friday, seemed to confirm Sanders' frequent charge that the party played favourites in the race. The cache of emails leaked by the WikiLeaks website revealed DNC officials explored ways to undermine Sanders' insurgent presidential campaign. This included raising questions about whether Sanders, who is Jewish, was really an atheist, so as to undermine him and his campaign in highly religious states. Wasserman Schultz will be replaced by interim chair Donna Brazile, a Democratic stategist and television commentator who has openly criticised the Sanders campaign. In a statement, DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the best way for the party to accomplish its goal of putting Clinton in the White House was for her to step down. Sanders had demanded earlier in the day that Wasserman Schultz resign. Shortly after Wasserman Schultz did indeed make this announcement, Clinton named her honorary chair of the Clinton campaign team. The furor was a blow to a party keen on projecting stability in contrast to the volatility of Republican candidate Donald Trump, who was formally nominated at a raucous convention last week, and overshadowed preparations in Philadelphia for Clinton's coronation as the nominee to face Trump in the November 8, US presidential election. Sanders said Wasserman Schultz, a member of Congress from Florida, had made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party. "The party leadership must also always remain impartial in the presidential nominating process, something which did not occur in the 2016 race," he said. The emails angered many Sanders supporters who were already dismayed by Clinton's choice on Friday of low-key US Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her vice presidential running mate. Kaine, who could appeal to independents and moderates, has never been aligned with party liberals. Kaine is a vocal proponent of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an enormous free trade deal involving 12 countries, including those from South America, Asia and North America. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of downtown Philadelphia, livid over the treatment Bernie Sanders received from the DNC and were happy to hear Wasserman Schultz had resigned from her post. "I'm exited that Debbie Wasserman Shultz has resigned, I think there's hope for Bernie, it's not over yet," Bruce Eichbauer told Reuters. A Sanders campaign worker said Wasserman Shultz needs to apologise. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton's campaign manager Robby Mook blamed Moscow for hacking into the party's email, then sending the stolen messages to Wikileaks so as to advance the Trump campaign. As he said live on CNN: "What is disturbing to us is that experts are telling us that Russians broke into the DNC, stole these emails and other experts are now saying that the Russians are now releasing these emails for the purpose of actually helping Donald Trump. I don't think it's coincidental that these emails were released on the eve of our convention here and that's disturbing." Sanders, who has endorsed Clinton and will speak on her behalf to the convention on Monday, waged a heated months-long battle for the nomination. Branding himself a democratic socialist, Sanders galvanised young and liberal voters with his calls to rein in Wall Street and eradicate income inequality. Earlier Sunday the hashtag #BernieMustDisavow was trending, as Sanders supporters were urging him to pull away from the Democratic party altogether, believing the Democratic party is too rigged against Sanders and that it's best for him to join Dr Jill Stein, the leader of the Green Party. There's still time for @BernieSanders to do the right thing - not for the DNC, but for America. https://t.co/P7MHWurKQJ — Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) July 24, 2016 For good measure, Donald Trump posted a tweet about Wasserman Schultz, who is Jewish, which was seen by many as anti-Semitic: The highly neurotic Debbie Wasserman Schultz is angry that, after stealing and cheating her way to a Crooked Hillary victory, she's out! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2016 The four-day Democratic convention will open on Monday. (WION with inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Head of Democratic Party to resign amid email leak indicating anti-Sanders bias

US President Barack Obama urged Americans on Tuesday to shed despair and rise above racial divides to honour five police officers slain in Dallas in a racially motivated attack, even as he admitted that bias remains a persistent national problem. 
 
Obama&#39;s address to a memorial service for the officers killed last Thursday also followed a series of high-profile police killings of black men in the past two years, including two last week, that have sparked the most intense debate on race and justice the country has seen since the 1960s civil rights movement. 
 
&quot;I understand how Americans are feeling. But Dallas, I&#39;m here to say we must reject such despair. I&#39;m here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem. And I know that because I know America. I know how far we&#39;ve come against impossible odds,&quot; Obama said at the service that was also attended by Vice President Joe Biden and former president George W Bush. 
 
The five Dallas officers were gunned down by military veteran Micah Johnson, who told police he was angered by police killings of black people. Johnson was killed by an explosive-laden robot sent in by police. 
 
Obama noted that the attack in Dallas came during a protest against racial bias in policing that followed the fatal police shootings of black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and outside St Paul, Minnesota. Obama said no institution was immune from prejudice. 
 
&quot;Perhaps we&#39;ve heard prejudice in our own heads and felt it in our own hearts. We know that. And while some suffer far more under racism&#39;s burden, some feel to a far greater extent discrimination&#39;s stain. Although most of us do our best to guard against it and teach our children better, none of us is entirely innocent. No institution is entirely immune, and that includes our police departments. We know this,&quot; Obama said. 
 
Obama also praised the police in Dallas and around the country.&nbsp;&quot;When anyone, no matter how good their intentions may be, paints all police as biased or bigoted, we undermine those officers we depend on for our safety,&quot; said Obama. 
 
Bush also addressed the packed hall, where five chairs were empty of people, holding folded American flags, in memory of the slain officers. He also sought to strike a note of unity. 
 
&quot;At times it feels like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. Argument turns too easily into animosity,&quot; Bush said. &quot;Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our intentions.&quot; 
 
After a week when Americans saw video images of angry crowds protesting the police killings of black men and heard the screams of 
Thursday&#39;s sniper attack on police in Dallas, the memorial ended with Obama, Bush and Dallas&#39; police chief and mayor joining hands in a gathering that crossed racial and party lines as a choir sung a hymn.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Obama, Bush and Dallas' police chief and mayor crossed racial and party lines to join hands as a choir sang a hymn

US President Barack Obama urged Americans on Tuesday to shed despair and rise above racial divides to honour five police officers slain in Dallas in a racially motivated attack, even as he admitted that bias remains a persistent national problem. Obama's address to a memorial service for the officers killed last Thursday also followed a series of high-profile police killings of black men in the past two years, including two last week, that have sparked the most intense debate on race and justice the country has seen since the 1960s civil rights movement. "I understand how Americans are feeling. But Dallas, I'm here to say we must reject such despair. I'm here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem. And I know that because I know America. I know how far we've come against impossible odds," Obama said at the service that was also attended by Vice President Joe Biden and former president George W Bush. The five Dallas officers were gunned down by military veteran Micah Johnson, who told police he was angered by police killings of black people. Johnson was killed by an explosive-laden robot sent in by police. Obama noted that the attack in Dallas came during a protest against racial bias in policing that followed the fatal police shootings of black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and outside St Paul, Minnesota. Obama said no institution was immune from prejudice. "Perhaps we've heard prejudice in our own heads and felt it in our own hearts. We know that. And while some suffer far more under racism's burden, some feel to a far greater extent discrimination's stain. Although most of us do our best to guard against it and teach our children better, none of us is entirely innocent. No institution is entirely immune, and that includes our police departments. We know this," Obama said. Obama also praised the police in Dallas and around the country. "When anyone, no matter how good their intentions may be, paints all police as biased or bigoted, we undermine those officers we depend on for our safety," said Obama. Bush also addressed the packed hall, where five chairs were empty of people, holding folded American flags, in memory of the slain officers. He also sought to strike a note of unity. "At times it feels like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. Argument turns too easily into animosity," Bush said. "Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our intentions." After a week when Americans saw video images of angry crowds protesting the police killings of black men and heard the screams of Thursday's sniper attack on police in Dallas, the memorial ended with Obama, Bush and Dallas' police chief and mayor joining hands in a gathering that crossed racial and party lines as a choir sung a hymn. (Reuters)

Obama, George W Bush address memorial for slain Dallas policemen

London: Stock markets traded within sight of their highest levels this year on Wednesday as the prospect of stimulative economic policy across the developed world eased immediate concern over Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union. 
 
The swift moves by the Conservative Party that see Theresa May replacing David Cameron as prime minister on Wednesday have helped fund a recovery that, aside from sterling itself, has wiped out the negative reaction to the June 23 vote. 
 
Asian markets outside Japan gained another third of a percent to come within a hair&#39;s breadth of the year&#39;s highs from April, while European shares rose 0.2 percent, on course for their fifth straight day of gains. 
 
Traders say that concerns over the economic and political impact of what promise to be torturous exit talks between London and Brussels have not gone away, but they are certainly on the back burner for a moment. 
 
U.S. stock futures showed Wall Street set to build further on record highs hit on Tuesday. Expectations that sterling&#39;s fall will help British companies has London&#39;s FTSE index at its highest since last August. 
 
&quot;This is a short term relief rally thanks to some certainty around the swift handover to a new PM,&quot; said Tobias Davis, Head of Corporate Treasury Sales at Western Union in London. 
 
&quot;The path ahead still looks incredibly challenging. Equities are only rallying thanks to negative yields across most of the curve in Swiss, German and Japanese markets. In reality, the economic landscape is deteriorating.&quot; 
 
Sterling, whose 14 percent fall made it one of the main victims of last month&#39;s referendum, hit its highest in more than a week at $1.3340. 
 
But for every blip higher for the pound at the moment there are more sellers ready to bet it will fall further in the months ahead and it quickly fell back to stand just 0.2 percent stronger on the day at $1.3280. 
 
The yen, investors&#39; go-to currency in times of market stress was also up half a percent against the euro and dollar after falling sharply on the back of Japan&#39;s move into another round of stimulative policy. 
 
The debate among currency traders around Thursday&#39;s Bank of England meeting is also now not whether it will cut interest rates but by how much -- some measure of the concern over the economy&#39;s fate for the rest of the year. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m struck at the enthusiasm of all and sundry to tell us that European and U.S. growth rates will hardly be affected by the UK post-referendum slowdown,&quot; Societe Generale&#39;s Kit Juckes said in a note to clients. 
 
&quot;That flies in the face of the increased correlation of major economies&#39; growth rates in an ever more connected world.&quot; 
 
Stimulus 
In commodities, oil prices dropped after industry group American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a surprise build of 2.2 million barrels in US crude stockpiles last week. [O/R] 
 
Brent crude futures fell 1.6 percent to $47.71 after surging roughly 5 percent on Tuesday on broad improvement in risk sentiment. 
 
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered a new round of fiscal stimulus spending, as expected, after an election victory on Sunday. His meeting with former U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke, a proponent of &quot;helicopter money&quot; policies - printing money and directly handing it to the private sector to stimulate the economy - fuelled speculation that some of the stimulus plan could be funded by Bank of Japan easing. 
 
The European Central Bank is also widely expected to take a dovish stance when it holds its policy review a week later. 
 
&quot;After being faced with the prospect of a major slowdown in global activity in the wake of the Brexit vote, governments and central banks worldwide are now expected to do their utmost to reassure markets and provide stimulus,&quot; wrote Angus Nicholson, market analyst at IG in Melbourne. 
 
(Reuters)

Swift moves by the Conservative Party that see Theresa May replacing David Cameron as prime minister have helped fund a recovery

London: Stock markets traded within sight of their highest levels this year on Wednesday as the prospect of stimulative economic policy across the developed world eased immediate concern over Britain's vote to leave the European Union. The swift moves by the Conservative Party that see Theresa May replacing David Cameron as prime minister on Wednesday have helped fund a recovery that, aside from sterling itself, has wiped out the negative reaction to the June 23 vote. Asian markets outside Japan gained another third of a percent to come within a hair's breadth of the year's highs from April, while European shares rose 0.2 percent, on course for their fifth straight day of gains. Traders say that concerns over the economic and political impact of what promise to be torturous exit talks between London and Brussels have not gone away, but they are certainly on the back burner for a moment. U.S. stock futures showed Wall Street set to build further on record highs hit on Tuesday. Expectations that sterling's fall will help British companies has London's FTSE index at its highest since last August. "This is a short term relief rally thanks to some certainty around the swift handover to a new PM," said Tobias Davis, Head of Corporate Treasury Sales at Western Union in London. "The path ahead still looks incredibly challenging. Equities are only rallying thanks to negative yields across most of the curve in Swiss, German and Japanese markets. In reality, the economic landscape is deteriorating." Sterling, whose 14 percent fall made it one of the main victims of last month's referendum, hit its highest in more than a week at $1.3340. But for every blip higher for the pound at the moment there are more sellers ready to bet it will fall further in the months ahead and it quickly fell back to stand just 0.2 percent stronger on the day at $1.3280. The yen, investors' go-to currency in times of market stress was also up half a percent against the euro and dollar after falling sharply on the back of Japan's move into another round of stimulative policy. The debate among currency traders around Thursday's Bank of England meeting is also now not whether it will cut interest rates but by how much -- some measure of the concern over the economy's fate for the rest of the year. "I'm struck at the enthusiasm of all and sundry to tell us that European and U.S. growth rates will hardly be affected by the UK post-referendum slowdown," Societe Generale's Kit Juckes said in a note to clients. "That flies in the face of the increased correlation of major economies' growth rates in an ever more connected world." Stimulus In commodities, oil prices dropped after industry group American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a surprise build of 2.2 million barrels in US crude stockpiles last week. [O/R] Brent crude futures fell 1.6 percent to $47.71 after surging roughly 5 percent on Tuesday on broad improvement in risk sentiment. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered a new round of fiscal stimulus spending, as expected, after an election victory on Sunday. His meeting with former U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke, a proponent of "helicopter money" policies - printing money and directly handing it to the private sector to stimulate the economy - fuelled speculation that some of the stimulus plan could be funded by Bank of Japan easing. The European Central Bank is also widely expected to take a dovish stance when it holds its policy review a week later. "After being faced with the prospect of a major slowdown in global activity in the wake of the Brexit vote, governments and central banks worldwide are now expected to do their utmost to reassure markets and provide stimulus," wrote Angus Nicholson, market analyst at IG in Melbourne. (Reuters)

Brexit, what Brexit? Global shares near 2016 highs

British Labour Party lawmakers voted massively against their leader on Tuesday amid political turmoil in Britain after a vote to leave the European Union, as candidates to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron vied for power behind the scenes. 
 
Labour&#39;s Jeremy Corbyn lost a non-binding confidence motion, with 172 Labour MPs voting against him and only 40 in favour out of a total of 229 Labour lawmakers in the House of Commons lower house. But the veteran socialist insisted he would not stand down. 
 
&quot;I was democratically elected leader of our party for a new kind of politics by 60 per cent of Labour members and supporters, and I will not betray them by resigning. Todays vote by MPs has no constitutional legitimacy,&quot; he said in a statement. 
 
Five days after the shock referendum vote, the two parties that have dominated Westminster for nearly a century were in almost complete disarray. 
 
Pro-EU finance minister George Osborne, long tipped to succeed Cameron, ruled himself out on Tuesday while British media reported that Work and Pensions Minister Stephen Crabb, a virtual unknown to the British public, would put his name forward. 
 
Former London mayor and &quot;Leave&quot; figurehead Boris Johnson -- now a bogeyman for many in the &quot;Remain&quot; camp -- is tipped as one of the favourites. 
 
The other is interior minister Theresa May who is reportedly seeking support for a rival bid that British media tipped as the &quot;Stop Boris&quot; campaign. 
 
The Conservatives have set a Thursday deadline for nominations, and the party said the winner would be announced on September 9. 
 
Cameron has said he would leave it to his successor to invoke Article 50 -- the formal procedure for exiting the European Union.On the opposition side, over half of Corbyns shadow cabinet -- the leadership of his party -- have now resigned since Sunday in a coordinated series of resignations against the 67-year-old, who only became leader in September. 
 
Corbyn, a veteran socialist and eurosceptic who voted against EU membership in a 1975 referendum, has come under heavy criticism from pro-EU lawmakers for his lukewarm campaigning in favour of Britain staying in. Many experts have blamed the strong anti-EU vote in Labour heartlands in northern England on Corbyn. 
 
But Corbyn himself has blamed Conservative austerity measures for creating disenchantment in many working-class areas, and said the media had not covered Labours referendum campaign, focussing instead on rifts within the ruling Conservatives. 
 
The Conservatives are meanwhile scrambling to choose a successor to Cameron, who announced his resignation within hours of the Brexit result last Friday. 
 
A new poll Tuesday put May in the lead with 31 per cent, against 24 per cent for Johnson. 
 
Nominations for the party leadership open Wednesday, and close Thursday. 
 
If more than two candidates stand, Tory MPs will vote next week to whittle down the field to two nominees, before the new leader is chosen by a postal ballot of party members, who currently number around 150,000. 
 
The new Tory leader is expected to be announced on September 9, the party announced Tuesday. 
 
Critics have questioned whether the &quot;Leave&quot; camp -- and Johnson in particular -- has any idea how to manage the unprecedented situation left by last week&#39;s vote. 
 
&quot;He has still to offer anything like a concrete plan on how he would negotiate the post-Brexit future,&quot; wrote former BBC political editor Nick Robinson. 
 
He added: &quot;The fallout from the biggest exercise in popular democracy has already been dramatic... It has, though, only just begun.&nbsp;The old order has been smashed. It may be a very long time -- not weeks, not months but years -- before the shape of the new order and the answers to all those questions become clear.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Actually, both major British parties are in disarray after last week's decision to leave the EU

British Labour Party lawmakers voted massively against their leader on Tuesday amid political turmoil in Britain after a vote to leave the European Union, as candidates to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron vied for power behind the scenes. Labour's Jeremy Corbyn lost a non-binding confidence motion, with 172 Labour MPs voting against him and only 40 in favour out of a total of 229 Labour lawmakers in the House of Commons lower house. But the veteran socialist insisted he would not stand down. "I was democratically elected leader of our party for a new kind of politics by 60 per cent of Labour members and supporters, and I will not betray them by resigning. Todays vote by MPs has no constitutional legitimacy," he said in a statement. Five days after the shock referendum vote, the two parties that have dominated Westminster for nearly a century were in almost complete disarray. Pro-EU finance minister George Osborne, long tipped to succeed Cameron, ruled himself out on Tuesday while British media reported that Work and Pensions Minister Stephen Crabb, a virtual unknown to the British public, would put his name forward. Former London mayor and "Leave" figurehead Boris Johnson -- now a bogeyman for many in the "Remain" camp -- is tipped as one of the favourites. The other is interior minister Theresa May who is reportedly seeking support for a rival bid that British media tipped as the "Stop Boris" campaign. The Conservatives have set a Thursday deadline for nominations, and the party said the winner would be announced on September 9. Cameron has said he would leave it to his successor to invoke Article 50 -- the formal procedure for exiting the European Union.On the opposition side, over half of Corbyns shadow cabinet -- the leadership of his party -- have now resigned since Sunday in a coordinated series of resignations against the 67-year-old, who only became leader in September. Corbyn, a veteran socialist and eurosceptic who voted against EU membership in a 1975 referendum, has come under heavy criticism from pro-EU lawmakers for his lukewarm campaigning in favour of Britain staying in. Many experts have blamed the strong anti-EU vote in Labour heartlands in northern England on Corbyn. But Corbyn himself has blamed Conservative austerity measures for creating disenchantment in many working-class areas, and said the media had not covered Labours referendum campaign, focussing instead on rifts within the ruling Conservatives. The Conservatives are meanwhile scrambling to choose a successor to Cameron, who announced his resignation within hours of the Brexit result last Friday. A new poll Tuesday put May in the lead with 31 per cent, against 24 per cent for Johnson. Nominations for the party leadership open Wednesday, and close Thursday. If more than two candidates stand, Tory MPs will vote next week to whittle down the field to two nominees, before the new leader is chosen by a postal ballot of party members, who currently number around 150,000. The new Tory leader is expected to be announced on September 9, the party announced Tuesday. Critics have questioned whether the "Leave" camp -- and Johnson in particular -- has any idea how to manage the unprecedented situation left by last week's vote. "He has still to offer anything like a concrete plan on how he would negotiate the post-Brexit future," wrote former BBC political editor Nick Robinson. He added: "The fallout from the biggest exercise in popular democracy has already been dramatic... It has, though, only just begun. The old order has been smashed. It may be a very long time -- not weeks, not months but years -- before the shape of the new order and the answers to all those questions become clear." (AFP)

Corbyn fights to maintain grip on Labour party after Brexit vote

Protesters burnt vehicles and set tires on fire to barricade roads in South Africa&#39;s capital on Tuesday, June 21, after the ANC named a mayoral candidate not nominated by the ruling party&#39;s regional branches. 
 
The violence spread overnight from the townships and started after a member of the African National Congress (ANC) was shot dead on Sunday, June 19, as factions clashed at a meeting in Pretoria to decide on the candidates for mayor of Tshwane municipality, where Pretoria is located. 
 
The ANC then named senior party member and former cabinet minister, Thoko Didiza, as its candidate for Tshwane, saying that it made the decision after wrangling between members at the party&#39;s headquarters over who should lead the municipality. 
 
According to local media, residents want the incumbent mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa to be allowed to run on the ANC ticket but Ramokgopa has publicly backed Didiza&#39;s selection and called for calm. 
 
The ANC said its members were not to blame for the violence. 
 
Local elections in August pose a major test for the ANC as it gears up for a 2019 presidential vote in the face of a slowing economy and a strong challenge from the opposition 
 
(Reuters)

The violence spread overnight, starting after a member of the African National Congress was shot dead on Sunday

Protesters burnt vehicles and set tires on fire to barricade roads in South Africa's capital on Tuesday, June 21, after the ANC named a mayoral candidate not nominated by the ruling party's regional branches. The violence spread overnight from the townships and started after a member of the African National Congress (ANC) was shot dead on Sunday, June 19, as factions clashed at a meeting in Pretoria to decide on the candidates for mayor of Tshwane municipality, where Pretoria is located. The ANC then named senior party member and former cabinet minister, Thoko Didiza, as its candidate for Tshwane, saying that it made the decision after wrangling between members at the party's headquarters over who should lead the municipality. According to local media, residents want the incumbent mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa to be allowed to run on the ANC ticket but Ramokgopa has publicly backed Didiza's selection and called for calm. The ANC said its members were not to blame for the violence. Local elections in August pose a major test for the ANC as it gears up for a 2019 presidential vote in the face of a slowing economy and a strong challenge from the opposition (Reuters)

Protesters in Pretoria burn cars, tires after unnominated man becomes mayoral candidate

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