A male-dominated culture has meant that Samburu women rarely get a say in how their society handles big cats, but one project is trying to change that

<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Lionesses have a lot of power in lion society. The females typically work together to hunt down prey, and form crèches to look after their cubs. This cooperative behaviour brings in lots of food, and ensure that plenty of lion cubs survive to adulthood.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">The female lions' empowerment stands in stark contrast to the human societies that live alongside the lions in Kenya's Samburu National Reserve. There, as in many other cultures throughout history, women have been discouraged from taking control – in part due to a male-dominated culture.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><br /></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFHr-7nKCACpKb0p7VeppY_rs08ck09soKd0_qIFjNAmA5d8SYCmytn40C8D1GJfqlGXYOs8mLymKwPXN-lmghyx9zenV33Qeaa3JBYKQ6gB8mrJVE4qIaBA1uAGBAQOjAO_eNz3pkmfX/s1600/p043c143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFHr-7nKCACpKb0p7VeppY_rs08ck09soKd0_qIFjNAmA5d8SYCmytn40C8D1GJfqlGXYOs8mLymKwPXN-lmghyx9zenV33Qeaa3JBYKQ6gB8mrJVE4qIaBA1uAGBAQOjAO_eNz3pkmfX/s640/p043c143.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">As it happens, lions – despite the lionesses' efforts – are<b><span style="color: #008e9b;">vulnerable to extinction</span></b>. So what might happen if we took a leaf out of the lions' book and began to allow women to make more decisions?<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">One Kenyan lion conservation organisation,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #008e9b;">Ewaso Lions</span></b>, decided to find out.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Ewaso Lions helps local communities find ways to coexist with wildlife. This is crucial, because one of the greatest threats to lions is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #008e9b;">humans killing them</span></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">As some of Samburu's lions live outside formally protected areas, they often come into contact with the Samburu livestock. In retaliation for cattle killed by lions, the Samburu sometimes hunt the lions.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">The<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #008e9b;">Mama Simba</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>project began when local women went to Ewaso Lions asking to be educated. Mama Simba means "the Mother of Lions" in Maa, the local language.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">"The women had seen how warriors in their community were being engaged in conservation through<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #008e9b;">another</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>of Ewaso Lions's projects," says Heather Gurd, conservation manager at Ewaso Lions. "They were adamant that they could do just as good a job as the warriors if only they were given the chance."<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Samburu women actually spend a great deal of time in wildlife areas whilst they collect firewood, fetch water and look after livestock. This means they often come into contact with animals like lions.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Yet before this project, the women were rarely actively included in conservation activities.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Ewaso Lions is educating the Samburu women in basic literacy, numeracy, and wildlife conservation. They also train them in beaded art craft, so that they can diversify their income and not depend solely on livestock.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Since Mama Simba was launched in 2013, over 300 Samburu women have participated in the programme. There is a core group of 19 who spread the word.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">"Empowerment means that women are given a chance to lead, like men do," says Ntomuson Lelengeju, a Mama Simba participant.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">"Women and men are now getting equal opportunities in terms of resource sharing," says Noldonyo Letabare, who also takes part.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">As well as benefiting the women, the project should also help the lions.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; line-height: 115%;">To achieve this, the women are trained in how to better protect their livestock enclosures from predators. They also learn how to identify carnivore tracks, and tell Ewaso Lions about lion sightings and any conflicts that arise.</span><o:p></o:p></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">It is too soon to tell whether this new project has benefited the lion population. But there is evidence that people's attitudes towards lions are becoming more positive.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">"I have changed as a result of the Mama Simba programme," says Lelengeju. "I now cannot accept people to kill lions."<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">"Since joining the programme I have learned to love lions, unlike before," says Letabare.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">"We have seen a real change in the confidence and enthusiasm that the ladies have," says Shivani Bhalla, executive director of Ewaso Lions. "They were once very quiet and shy, never speaking up at any community meetings or talking about wildlife. Now they are vocal about conservation."<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Join over five million BBC Earth fans by liking us on</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> </span></i></span><em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><b><span style="color: #333333;">Facebook</span></b>, or follow us on</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> </span></i></span><em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><b><span style="color: #333333;">Twitter</span></b></span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> </span></i></span><em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">and</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> </span></i></span><em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><b><span style="color: #333333;">Instagram</span></b>.</span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">If you liked this story,</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> </span></i></span><em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><b><span style="color: #333333;">sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter</span></b></span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> </span></i></span><em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">called "If You Only Read 6 Things This Week". A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital, Travel and Autos, delivered to your inbox every Friday.</span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Source : <a href="http://www.bbc.com/">http://www.bbc.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div>

A male-dominated culture has meant that Samburu women rarely get a say in how their society handles big cats, but one project is trying to change that

Lionesses have a lot of power in lion society. The females typically work together to hunt down prey, and form crèches to look after their ...

Read more »

Teachers Group: The cult-like group linked to a charity that gets UK aid

<div class="story-body__introduction" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 28px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> A charity that has been paid millions by the UK government for its work in Africa is under the control of a cult-like organisation, an investigation by the BBC and US partners has revealed. The group's senior leaders - wanted by Interpol - are thought to be holed up in a luxury coastal compound in Mexico.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoJqBiBOa-6XLYSK1kuys9VRGXY2ZyZqUStYHd1eu14dXMYCDgncIWEHqamzxbLu4V7tLeA_xGdZWvRKIIn5FzQ7fesY_Fe8Ee_x2lHEYhrV6ddxmJ_5AYSujewdtcsbajlT2OZwEUjs2/s1600/_90579848_hq2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoJqBiBOa-6XLYSK1kuys9VRGXY2ZyZqUStYHd1eu14dXMYCDgncIWEHqamzxbLu4V7tLeA_xGdZWvRKIIn5FzQ7fesY_Fe8Ee_x2lHEYhrV6ddxmJ_5AYSujewdtcsbajlT2OZwEUjs2/s640/_90579848_hq2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.375; text-align: justify;">Patrick Goteka was working for a charity in Zimbabwe when, in 2006, his employer offered him a big break - the chance to transfer to the US.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Goteka, who would be working as a manager in the recycled clothes business, knew the move would mean sacrifices - separating him from his wife and three children. But he says he didn't bank on also having to join a cult-like organisation - the Teachers Group - and surrender a chunk of his monthly salary when he took on his new role.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Goteka thinks back to the conversation he had at the time.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "They said, 'We cannot send someone who is not in the Teachers Group.' So they said: 'You should join.'"</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> He also remembers being told he would be making a good living.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "We are going to support you when you are sick," they said. "We'll support your family. We'll give you good conditions."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> There was no big initiation ceremony. No documentation. They just shook hands and, with that, Goteka had been inducted into the Teachers Group.</div> <hr class="story-body__line" style="background-color: #dbdbdb; border: 0px; color: #dbdbdb; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 16px; text-align: justify; width: 591.563px;" /> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">UPDATE:</strong> The UK's Department for International Development (DfID) has issued a statement saying that <a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36953455" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">payments to Dapp Malawi have been suspended</a> while the allegations in this story are investigated.</div> <hr class="story-body__line" style="background-color: #dbdbdb; border: 0px; color: #dbdbdb; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 16px; text-align: justify; width: 591.563px;" /> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The organisation Goteka found himself joining had been set up in Denmark in the early 1970s by a man called Mogens Amdi Petersen.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> For years the Teachers Group has run a government-funded alternative school system, but in 2001 the Danish authorities raided its offices and charged Petersen with fraud. Found not guilty in 2006, he and some of his associates immediately left the country, but prosecutors appealed and the group are now wanted by Interpol. It's thought they may have taken refuge in a massive luxury compound, worth an estimated £20m ($26m), on the Pacific coast in Mexico.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> This is just one part of the Teachers Group global network, which includes offshore companies and commercial ventures. It is also behind Dapp Malawi - the Malawian branch of a charity, Development Aid from People to People - which employed Goteka after his return from the US.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Dapp runs education, health and agriculture projects in Malawi, and has received tens of millions of pounds in the last decade from Unicef, the EU and the UK's Department for International Development (DfID).</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Part of these funds will have been used to pay the charity's staff. But as the experience of Goteka and others reveals, a proportion of the money paid to some staff eventually finds its way to the Teachers Group.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Once in the US, Goteka was introduced to the next stage of the Teachers Group philosophy - the "common economy". This is a fund which all members are expected to contribute to. Goteka says he ended up paying 50% of his salary, much of which he would otherwise have sent back to his family in Zimbabwe.</div> <div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The organisation calls these payments "voluntary" but Goteka says employees are really left without a choice.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "If you write more money to your wife they will say, 'Cancel this and start again.' People were crying when they were making those budgets. It was just a shame."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Dapp Malawi didn't want to be interviewed and responded to our questions through a British law firm. It says there are Dapp Malawi staff who are members of the TG but says "this is a private matter for them, it has nothing to do with donors, whose funds are not applied to TG".</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> It's not just money that the Teachers Group demands of its members - but also their spare time.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Christopher Banda is a smiling but earnest young field officer for Dapp in Malawi. He is also a member of the Teachers Group, having joined in 2009 because, he says, "it was like my job security".</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "We call ourselves comrades... and we share the private life together," says Banda, referring to what is known in the group as "common time". This is personal time Teachers Group members are required to give up for the benefit of the organisation, for example to help maintaining buildings.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "In the common time we are always together," says Banda. "We only get a chance one weekend a month to visit our family."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> It was while running a Dapp project to improve sanitation in villages in Malawi, that Banda raised the alarm about the charity's links with the Teachers Group. The project was being jointly funded by DfID and Unicef - the UN children's charity.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Banned, he says, from talking to donors about the project, he was one of a group of field officers who wrote to Unicef in May this year about a number of concerns, including employees' contributions to the Teacher's Group.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> We introduced Banda to Patsy Nakell from Unicef. As she hears his tale she looks increasingly perturbed, before concluding: "I've never seen any such thing in my life before, and I don't understand the logic behind this, it just is bizarre."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> She adds that if it's true that some of Banda's Unicef-funded wage was deducted to be sent directly from Dapp to the Teachers Group "then it's unacceptable, it's abhorrent".</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The alarm bell sounded by Banda and others has already had an effect, with Unicef pulling all its funding from the Dapp project he was working on in Malawi at the end of June. Unicef is now conducting a full audit of the project and is reviewing other contracts with Dapp in Africa.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Dapp told us: "At no time has Unicef ever raised with Dapp Malawi concerns over deductions from salaries of TG members."</div> <hr class="story-body__line" style="background-color: #dbdbdb; border: 0px; color: #dbdbdb; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 16px; text-align: justify; width: 591.563px;" /> <h2 class="story-body__crosshead" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> What is Dapp?</h2> <ul class="story-body__unordered-list" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li class="story-body__list-item" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; list-style: square outside; margin: 18px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">Dapp Malawi is part of a global federation of charities called Humana People to People, which has its headquarters in Zimbabwe</li> <li class="story-body__list-item" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; list-style: square outside; margin: 18px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">The organisation has more than <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://www.humana.org/Members/members" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">30 different members around the world</a> - there is a Dapp UK, a Dapp Zambia, Humana People to People Brazil, and so on</li> <li class="story-body__list-item" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; list-style: square outside; margin: 18px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">Dapp is one of the major NGOs active in Malawi, providing a range of aid projects from farming to health and education</li> </ul> <hr class="story-body__line" style="background-color: #dbdbdb; border: 0px; color: #dbdbdb; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 16px; text-align: justify; width: 591.563px;" /> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Evidence uncovered by the BBC proves that these contributions are not confined to just a few people, such as Banda and Goteka.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> In his small office, Harrison Longwe, an accountant at Dapp in 2014 and 2015, pulls out a laptop and shows me a spreadsheet with the names of more than 700 Dapp employees in Malawi. For a quarter of them there's a column with additional deductions.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "This is what goes to TG [Teachers Group] direct," Longwe explains. "Some would be contributing as high as 30% to the TG."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Of those sending money to the Teachers Group, the average contribution was 25%.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> It's astounding when you consider that the average monthly salary in Malawi is just £60 ($80). Few of those employed by Dapp could have easily afforded to part with any of their salary, let alone a quarter of it.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiOfrcy_gMjM-IXnoFzSpsNVcUV7j_CR5a8DJIzuR8HndQFoEDeok06TpJFULVXyP7LYr856p3zyWuN8sAn9IE2ABd6gNBQA373Tn-QdmgbBQuhL6Rr-hjYS-0ojTB46_qhBkjxuOLVR1/s1600/_90584401_20060831-175430-4_max.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiOfrcy_gMjM-IXnoFzSpsNVcUV7j_CR5a8DJIzuR8HndQFoEDeok06TpJFULVXyP7LYr856p3zyWuN8sAn9IE2ABd6gNBQA373Tn-QdmgbBQuhL6Rr-hjYS-0ojTB46_qhBkjxuOLVR1/s640/_90584401_20060831-175430-4_max.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> In a statement Dapp denies "that it demands contributions from staff for membership of TG, that it pressurises employees to contribute to TG" or it makes any deduction from salaries other than "per instruction by the individual employee".</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> While the Teachers Group started in Denmark and is recruiting in Africa, the centre of its orbit now is the luxury coastal compound at San Juan de las Pulgas in Mexico, 150 miles south of Tijuana.</div> <hr class="story-body__line" style="background-color: #dbdbdb; border: 0px; color: #dbdbdb; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 16px; text-align: justify; width: 591.563px;" /> <h2 class="story-body__crosshead" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Teachers Group</h2> <ul class="story-body__unordered-list" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li class="story-body__list-item" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; list-style: square outside; margin: 18px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">The Teachers Group is the inner circle of a movement known as Tvind, founded by Mogens Amdi Petersen in the early 1970s</li> <li class="story-body__list-item" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; list-style: square outside; margin: 18px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">It is linked with schools and teacher training colleges, charities, and businesses - including plantations in South America</li> <li class="story-body__list-item" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; list-style: square outside; margin: 18px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">Some of the charities in the US and Europe collect second-hand clothes</li> <li class="story-body__list-item" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; list-style: square outside; margin: 18px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">The BBC reported in 2002 that Danish police had <a class="story-body__link" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/1885116.stm" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">estimated Petersen's wealth at £100m</a></li> </ul> <hr class="story-body__line" style="background-color: #dbdbdb; border: 0px; color: #dbdbdb; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 16px; text-align: justify; width: 591.563px;" /> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Banda was one of the chosen ones sent there. It is a stunning vision of polished stone and bright white cathedral-like buildings with a futuristic feel. Designed by a renowned Danish architect, it has been described as a combination of Disney World, Club Med and the Taj Mahal.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Banda was ostensibly there for a conference about agriculture, but he says it was nothing of the sort.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "Most of the times we were busy in the class discussing about how we can protect the Teachers Group," he says.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Goteka has also been to the Mexico compound.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "It's quite beautiful, most of the materials are imported, it's just a different type of furniture, beautiful and expensive," he says, recalling his visit.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Like Banda, Goteka met Petersen in Mexico. He knew him personally, because Petersen had hired him to search for his lost dog - for two years - when it went missing in Zimbabwe in 1998. It was afterwards that he started working with Dapp Zimbabwe, and later for Dapp Malawi.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> When we meet in Malawi, Goteka takes me to see one of Dapp's teaching colleges, called Amalika.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Like many of the Dapp sites it is remote, lying at the end of a single-track road bordered by towering bluegum trees and dense forest. Goteka was a campus manager at the college, which, he says, was a recruiting ground for the Teachers Group.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "When students are done here they are persuaded how nice TG is so they can join," he says.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> It's what happened to a teacher we meet later. He is nervous and will only chat inside our car, where he can't be seen. He joined the Teachers Group three years ago and voluntarily pays contributions out of his government salary.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "You feel a commitment to them, even though you don't know where the money is going," he says.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The TG philosophy is, he says, "Forget about your family - think about Teachers Group."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 24px -24.6406px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></figure><br /> <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.375; margin: 18px 0px 0px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"> He adds: "It's like you have sacrificed the whole of your life, 100% in Teachers Group."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Speaking to him one gets a sense of the cult-like nature of the group especially when it comes to dissent.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "It's automatic. You are in a private meeting… and they try to make you to agree to their side."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> There is no need for force, he says. "Those people are intelligent. They try to explain to you... so you agree to say, 'Ah, thank you very much. Now I'm agreeing. I didn't understand it.'"</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> We have discovered that he is one of 90 government teachers in Malawi who are also Teachers Group members - and that Teachers Group has a target to recruit 400 teachers from Dapp's teaching colleges in Malawi.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> One of the colleges used as recruiting grounds was built with £2m ($2.6m) from DfID.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> We left Patrick at the bus station for his long journey back to his home in Zimbabwe.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> He said he hoped the BBC's work would bring change to Dapp.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "I just feel embarrassed, I cannot imagine they [Teachers Group] still exist in our continent and all over the world."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> DfID told the BBC: "We will not hesitate to act in any situation if wrongdoing is proven. DfID welcomes any evidence and documentation that the BBC can send us in order to investigate these serious allegations."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> We are taking our evidence to DfID and other donors who have the power to investigate further and make sure aid money is all used for the benefit of the people who need it most in Malawi.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">UPDATE:</i></strong><i style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The UK's Department for International Development (DfID) has issued a statement saying that </i><a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36953455" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">payments to Dapp Malawi have been suspended</a><i style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> while the allegations in this story are investigated.</i></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <i style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </i></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Source : <a href="http://www.bbc.com/">http://www.bbc.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <i style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></i></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> </div>

Teachers Group: The cult-like group linked to a charity that gets UK aid

A charity that has been paid millions by the UK government for its work in Africa is under the control of a cult-like organisation, an inve...

Read more »

From Australia’s bubblegum-pink lake to a blood-red waterfall in Antarctica, these seven destinations are some of the world’s strangest sights.

<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Majestic mountains and sparkling seas always attract travellers – but sometimes nature has a bigger trick up her sleeve. To track down some of the world’s strangest sights, we turned to question-and-answer site Quora, asking: <b><span style="color: #589e50;">What are some of the best rare natural phenomena that occur on Earth?</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK46fXELgVbooKjVia_8X3zPWkCo96PmedylHGQYPXiuRM-328y6doLha4YeNwSvTk2BDqK4MC_4Jtmf84kMm9ZssWT7EA1OBoI6ZkRS7iNqZMuV2pSrLRVe2wcpKnKHLCZpR0dbZ4Ldy1/s1600/p042l6j9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK46fXELgVbooKjVia_8X3zPWkCo96PmedylHGQYPXiuRM-328y6doLha4YeNwSvTk2BDqK4MC_4Jtmf84kMm9ZssWT7EA1OBoI6ZkRS7iNqZMuV2pSrLRVe2wcpKnKHLCZpR0dbZ4Ldy1/s640/p042l6j9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><b><span style="color: #589e50;"><br /></span></b></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">From Australia’s bubblegum-pink lake and a blood-red waterfall in Antarctica to a secret beach-in-a-hole in Mexico and a US valley where stones eerily move, these seven spots are Mother Nature’s eyeball-popping sideshow.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Found in winter in high northern latitude lakes like Lake Abraham in Alberta, Canada, these gas bubbles are created when dead leaves, grass and animals fall into the water, sink and are eaten by bacteria that excrete methane. The gas is released as bubbles that transform into tens of thousands of icy white disks when they come into contact with frozen water, Quora user<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #589e50;">Mayur Kanaiya</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>explains.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">It’s a stunning, but potentially dangerous sight. This potent greenhouse gas not only warms the planet, but also is highly flammable. Come spring, when the ice melts, the methane bubbles pop and fizz in a spectacular release – but if anyone happens to light a match nearby, the masses of methane will ignite into a giant explosion.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Curious travellers can see these gassy hiccups in lakes across Canada’s Banff National Park, or in the Arctic Ocean off Siberia, where researchers have found gargantuan gas bubbles as large as 900m across.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Blood Falls, Antarctica</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">The name says it all. Blood Falls, in East Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys, looks like slowly pouring scarlet-red blood, staining snowy white Taylor Glacier and Lake Bonney below. It’s a surprising – and creepy – sight to behold.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">The trickling crimson liquid isn’t blood, however. Nor is it water dyed by red algae, as early Antarctica pioneers first speculated. In fact, the brilliant ochre tint comes from an extremely salty sub-glacial lake, explains Quora user<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #589e50;">Aditya Bhardwaj</span></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">About two million years ago, a hyper-saline body of water became trapped beneath Taylor Glacier, isolated from light, oxygen and heat. As the saltwater trickles through a fissure in the glacier, it reacts with the oxygen in the air to create this spectacular, rust-hued cascade.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">It’s a visual and scientific wonder, and Taylor Glacier – accessible only by helicopter from McMurdo Station or Scott Base, or cruise ship in the Ross Sea – is the only spot on Earth to see it.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Sailing Stones, US</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">When visitors stumbled upon scores of heavy stones that appeared to have moved across the dried lake bed of Racetrack Playa in California’s<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #589e50;">Death Valley National Park</span></b>, leaving a tell-tale trail in their wake, scientists were baffled. How had so many boulders, some weighing 300kg, moved as much as 250m across this remote part of the valley, asks Quora user<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #589e50;">Farhana Khanum</span></b>?<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Adding to the mystery, some trails were gracefully curved, while others were straight with sudden shifts to the left or right. Who, or what, had moved the stones? A slew of theories emerged, from magnetic fields to alien intervention to dust devils to pranksters.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">It took a NASA scientist to crack the case. In 2006, Ralph Lorenz developed a kitchen table model using a small rock frozen in an inch of water in a Tupperware container to demonstrate ice shove, the phenomenon behind the mysterious sailing stones.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">In winter, Racetrack Playa fills with water and the lakebed’s stones become encased in ice. Thanks to ice’s buoyancy, even a light breeze can send those frozen boulders sailing across the muddy bottom of the lakebed. Stones with rough bottoms leave straight tracks, while those with smooth bottoms drift and digress. Warmer months melt the ice and evaporate the water, leaving only the stones and their mysterious trails. <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Visitors can see these sailing stones in a few locations, including Little Bonne Claire Playa in Nevada and most famously, Death Valley’s Racetrack Playa.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Kawah Ijen Lake, Indonesia</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvq20Gm-WuIbPRjmPyCW1yPrzgcLfFg_tsVqu2ojIjD4rriuQI4u3OR58SWKBLVeer94_XVLIbv9CUdgpofE38KNtcI7QO2J1rzscJii_-ExvoHmnZKCD6oYozldMcQMaSv9dXnVMYf3D/s1600/p042l9n8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvq20Gm-WuIbPRjmPyCW1yPrzgcLfFg_tsVqu2ojIjD4rriuQI4u3OR58SWKBLVeer94_XVLIbv9CUdgpofE38KNtcI7QO2J1rzscJii_-ExvoHmnZKCD6oYozldMcQMaSv9dXnVMYf3D/s320/p042l9n8.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Travellers flock to the Indonesian island of Java to see the magnificent Kawah Ijen volcano – but what they don’t expect to find is the stunning turquoise-hued caldera lake at the volcano’s summit. To add to the drama, bright, citrine-coloured stones and billows of white gasses surround the 1km-wide aquamarine lake in a spectacular show.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">One element is responsible for the entire, striking scene: sulphur. The magma chamber below the volcano pours sulphuric gases into the lake. Combined with a high concentration of dissolved metals, the gases turn the water a brilliant shade of blue. They also render the Ijen crater-lake the world’s largest highly acidic lake with a pH of 0.5.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">That same chamber blasts a continuous stream of sulphuric gas from lakeside fumaroles that swirl around the lake. When the gas condenses and falls to the ground, it dyes the lake’s surrounding stones a shocking shade of electric yellow.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">“Hydrogen chloride released from Ijen volcano mixed with the lake and turned it into an acidic monstrosity that it is today,” writes Quora user<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #589e50;">Vinay Sisodia</span></b>. “What makes this place even more stunning, especially at night, is shots of sulphuric gases that combust into glints of bright blue upon contact with air.”<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Intrepid travellers can join three-hour hikes to the bank of the crater to experience the lake in person.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Hidden Beach, Mexico</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">It’s a vacationer’s dream: a secret beach tucked away from the masses, with shade, sun and pristine water. And this dream comes true at Playa Del Amor, more commonly known as Hidden Beach, on one of the Marieta Islands off the coast of Mexico.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">The unlikely source of this magical little secret: a bomb blast, according to Quora user<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #589e50;">Siddhartha Das</span></b>. Mexico began testing bombs in the uninhabited Marieta Islands in the early 1900s, resulting in a gaping hole in the surface of one of the islands. Over time, tides filled the hole with sand and water, creating a secluded watery Eden where determined beach bums can swim, sunbathe and kayak largely out of sight.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Playa Del Amor, literally Lover’s Beach, is invisible from the outside, but visitors can access it through a 24m-long tunnel that links the secluded beach to the ocean.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Pink Lake Hillier, Australia</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Fly over Western Australia for a rare visual treat: nestled among dense emerald-green woodlands surrounded by the deep blue of the Southern Ocean are a series of lakes in a shocking shade of bubblegum pink.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">One of the most well known is Lake Hillier, a 600m-long lake on the edge of Middle Island in the Recherche Archipelago off Western Australia’s south coast. Surrounded by a thin ring of sand and an expansive forest of paperbark and eucalyptus trees, the rosy pink lake punctuates a stunning landscape.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">But even more surprising than its Pepto-Bismol shade is that “nobody seems to be able to definitively explain its distinctive colour,” according to Quora user<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #589e50;">Garrick Saito</span></b>. Possible causes include the presence of green algae that can accumulate high levels of beta-carotene, a red-orange pigment; haloarchaea, a type of microorganism that appears reddish in large blooms; or a high concentration of pink brine prawn.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Most tourists admire the chromatic splendour of Lake Hillier from a helicopter or plane ride. For on-the-ground visitors, there’s an added treat: Lake Hillier is highly saline but the water isn't toxic, so pack your swimsuit and go for a swim. Thanks to its high salinity, you’ll bob like a cork.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Fairy Circles, Namibia</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Across the arid grasslands of the Namib Desert lies an eerie sight: millions of circular patches of land void of plants, each between 2m and 15m in diameter, arranged in a honeycomb-like pattern across 2,500km of land. These disks of bare soil, known as fairy circles, pockmark the landscape in Namibia, as if giant moths ate through the vast carpets of grassland.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Adding to the mystery, no one knows for certain what causes these otherworldly formations, writes Quora user<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="color: #589e50;">Prem Rathaur</span></b>. But there’s no shortage of theories.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Scientists have suggested radioactive soil, or that toxins released from plants kills the vegetation in circular patterns. Others believe the circles are the work of sand termites. To store water, they burrow in the soil in ring-like patterns and consume the roots of vegetation to allow underlying grains of sand to absorb falling rain.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Another hypothesis ascribes the circles to competition for resources. In harsh landscapes, plants compete for water and nutrients. As weaker plants die and stronger ones grow, vegetation “self-organizes” into unusual patterns. <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Considering the eerie beauty of these phenomena, perhaps the most fitting theory is that of local bushmen, who say fairy circles are nothing less than the footprints of gods.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 18.65pt 0in 0.0001pt;"> <em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">If you liked this story, </span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><em><b><span style="color: #589e50; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter</span></b></em><em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">, called “If You Only Read 6 Things This Week”. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital, Travel and Autos, delivered to your inbox every Friday.</span></em><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Source : <a href="http://www.bbc.com/">http://www.bbc.com/</a></span></b></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; letter-spacing: -0.1px; line-height: 1.55556em; margin-left: 82.6563px; margin-right: 20.6563px; margin-top: 1.55556em; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px;"> <br /></div>

From Australia’s bubblegum-pink lake to a blood-red waterfall in Antarctica, these seven destinations are some of the world’s strangest sights.

Majestic mountains and sparkling seas always attract travellers – but sometimes nature has a bigger trick up her sleeve. To track down some...

Read more »

FBI employee admits being 'agent of China' in US court

<div class="story-body__introduction" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 28px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> An FBI employee with top secret security clearance has pleaded guilty to acting as an "agent of the Chinese government", the US says.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 23px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Kun Shan Chun, a naturalised US citizen born in China and known as Joey, admitted in court to sending sensitive information to a Chinese official.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75QsQEo84GMSKrqmrYS1g6mk7V8rwvD6G6VcKuiARIXWtnr66rU0gxI7EAuULxsh5ObRii3kIobC0Zx-DK4wN4d7ki1Lh3t3ZuoJ7Dq6fhyphenhypheniG-KqEasdlKKUhbNJyLOmZDVo4zahroaB7/s1600/_90609616_gettyimages-545129774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75QsQEo84GMSKrqmrYS1g6mk7V8rwvD6G6VcKuiARIXWtnr66rU0gxI7EAuULxsh5ObRii3kIobC0Zx-DK4wN4d7ki1Lh3t3ZuoJ7Dq6fhyphenhypheniG-KqEasdlKKUhbNJyLOmZDVo4zahroaB7/s640/_90609616_gettyimages-545129774.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 23px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a class="story-body__link-external" href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/fbi-employee-pleads-guilty-acting-united-states-agent-chinese-government" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">US Attorney Preet Bharara said</a> he had threatened the country's security through a "duplicitous" betrayal.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Chun "deeply regrets" what he did and loves the US, his lawyer said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> While he could face a sentence of up 10 years in prison, the government and defence agreed a sentence of between 21 and 27 months "would be appropriate",the New York Times reports, citing the plea agreement.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The Chinese Embassy in Washington is yet to comment, the Associated Press reports.</div> <h2 class="story-body__crosshead" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> 'Financial rewards'</h2> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Chun, 46, worked for the FBI as an electronics technician from 1997 until his arrest in March.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> He was introduced to a Chinese government official during a trip to Italy and France in 2011, the Department of Justice says, and they continued to meet privately abroad.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> He is accused of having covered up his connections with at least one Chinese government official and a Chinese technology company, Zhuhai Kolion, in which he had an "indirect financial interest", according to the justice department.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Court papers in New York said in 2013 he sent an unnamed Chinese official a chart showing the FBI's organisational structure and two years later sent photos of restricted documents about surveillance technologies.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Chun also provided the identity and travel schedule of an FBI agent, Assistant US Attorney Emil Bove said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> He was rewarded financially and through perks such as holidays and hotel stays, according to authorities.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a class="story-body__link-external" href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/881161/download" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">According to the complaint</a>, he was caught after offering to help an undercover agent transmit sensitive government information to his Chinese associates.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"><br /></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Source : <a href="http://www.bbc.com/">http://www.bbc.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>

FBI employee admits being 'agent of China' in US court

An FBI employee with top secret security clearance has pleaded guilty to acting as an "agent of the Chinese government", the US s...

Read more »

Self-drive taxis to be tested in Singapore

<div class="story-body__introduction" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 28px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Singapore is gearing up to become the world's first "smart nation", with another deal to bring self-drive taxis to the city.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 23px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The city authorities signed a deal with start-up nuTonomy to test autonomous vehicles in March.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Now Delphi Automotive will also offer a small fleet of automated taxis to carry passengers around a business park.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNoHJYYtfoZdRCDwWmWsy8u52inLcss1nNJXTgFeaEyDhtb5S3-6QGaWlcURILCJJ8vaF7g5i2VZIxXdPKZYSGk_YUAmGBLYZZ4qfxIQK5K8Tu2FFq3KOsGSJg95MfatahZg7cYV3_f19I/s1600/_90610632_mediaitem90610631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNoHJYYtfoZdRCDwWmWsy8u52inLcss1nNJXTgFeaEyDhtb5S3-6QGaWlcURILCJJ8vaF7g5i2VZIxXdPKZYSGk_YUAmGBLYZZ4qfxIQK5K8Tu2FFq3KOsGSJg95MfatahZg7cYV3_f19I/s640/_90610632_mediaitem90610631.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The driverless cabs could reduce an average $3-a-mile ride to 90 cents, the firm said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Initially, the cars will have drivers, ready to take over if the system fails but the plan is to gradually phase the human out in 2019.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The small fleet of six Audi vehicles will travel along a 3.5 mile (5.6km) route in One North, a business district in the city.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> By 2019, the plan is to have fully autonomous cars without steering wheels but they will only be tested with a "controlled group of people," according to the firm.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The pilot ends in 2020 with a view to rolling out a wider deployment after that.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The cars will be fitted with software that will allow commuters to book them, in a similar way to ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Delphi Automotive is a vehicle electronics supplier and last year conducted a coast-to-coast demonstration of self-driving cars in the US.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> It plans to announce similar pilot programmes in the US and Europe, later this year, it said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "We are starting in a fairly small controlled manner but the expectation is we will continue to build. Starting with a small pilot and then moving to an operational fleet of 30, 40 or 50 vehicles with that continuing to expand," said Delphi's vice-president of services Glen De Vos.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> "It will get a lot of attention and that is good because it helps socialise the technology."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The Singapore authorities are looking to driverless vehicles to address the growing problems of congestion in the city.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Start-up nuTonomy, which is an offshoot of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, hopes to have a fleet of between five and 10 electric cars running in the same business district by 2018.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Source : <a href="http://www.bbc.com/">http://www.bbc.com/</a></span></b></div>

Self-drive taxis to be tested in Singapore

Singapore is gearing up to become the world's first "smart nation", with another deal to bring self-drive taxis to the city. ...

Read more »

Glass walkway opens in Tianmen mountain, China

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZfje1jVJ6KaLvPrRYzajHgbCo8uVxxegf7o-sZ_v1vO30G0KEutwA-eoqfqjrOh9cGvEizd0fCbrhtcb0yEdxvUK9b15lc300YuDhMTCf5_hhV8S2iJLZKNcmSFIQHtp32P6l1Qpa4Z7/s1600/_90619961_hi034331971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZfje1jVJ6KaLvPrRYzajHgbCo8uVxxegf7o-sZ_v1vO30G0KEutwA-eoqfqjrOh9cGvEizd0fCbrhtcb0yEdxvUK9b15lc300YuDhMTCf5_hhV8S2iJLZKNcmSFIQHtp32P6l1Qpa4Z7/s640/_90619961_hi034331971.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUdjp9hMsdS12eSoxHxXGftFySUiivPRe1dkcWI49IRmCYAdcMI3trahytDS6kd4zWFM9nKjQpUm_kvggyokdaEh-OF_-_j7rfrhbtglG_hdGwt53SCwRFEkDQ-3WTw87_mNCkZcFTE7L/s1600/_90619965_hi034324287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUdjp9hMsdS12eSoxHxXGftFySUiivPRe1dkcWI49IRmCYAdcMI3trahytDS6kd4zWFM9nKjQpUm_kvggyokdaEh-OF_-_j7rfrhbtglG_hdGwt53SCwRFEkDQ-3WTw87_mNCkZcFTE7L/s640/_90619965_hi034324287.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvgW8w1uK498BwMcsaogxnoxaJuDOsNJre2qU7ImBpy3Vr39YLN0_liqcZM-X7A4NB3YalFU2WZEAvZ7jAhTAy8LHPHhJRuODl9k5GfsLHnUzX_LpS7L9Nk_xlI7rd0Y63zIfYCG6NgOHJ/s1600/_90619967_hi034324284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvgW8w1uK498BwMcsaogxnoxaJuDOsNJre2qU7ImBpy3Vr39YLN0_liqcZM-X7A4NB3YalFU2WZEAvZ7jAhTAy8LHPHhJRuODl9k5GfsLHnUzX_LpS7L9Nk_xlI7rd0Y63zIfYCG6NgOHJ/s640/_90619967_hi034324284.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXldnNa555i31ecOsEgMnS-8I686mwiz3NSKn7jEZjgZvPmbENuo2-k5GFxTtQjCW0lgqQ82FxK7AkFpZ9ZaZmXtQOOCdOV_DOvgIV93aAjzq2_m1_yVWbJbiEBsApJHgyBoiyAfCl5fZ/s1600/_90620013_hi033706107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXldnNa555i31ecOsEgMnS-8I686mwiz3NSKn7jEZjgZvPmbENuo2-k5GFxTtQjCW0lgqQ82FxK7AkFpZ9ZaZmXtQOOCdOV_DOvgIV93aAjzq2_m1_yVWbJbiEBsApJHgyBoiyAfCl5fZ/s640/_90620013_hi033706107.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Source : <a href="http://www.bbc.com/">http://www.bbc.com/</a></span></b></div> <br />

Glass walkway opens in Tianmen mountain, China

Source :  http://www.bbc.com/

Read more »

India parliament to vote on key GST bill

<div class="story-body__introduction" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 28px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> India's parliament is due to vote on the much-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill on Wednesday.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 23px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The bill seeks to streamline India's fragmented tax system with a single levy.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Indian businesses have been lobbying for the single tax rate as it would reduce costs, particularly for shipping goods across state borders.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigu3zSlMUCNOK9YiTYQMOoIXnKBIEMHsPzRKOwYjN-6QTUOOfJuLtuLUWF0O0dU2QKkUaz08QxYTYPD32bN7OjiLMT_KyXijEc-4byk_XKKcUpEFT9PsSG88xPBmcJZN17ef-YsZW-P6qZ/s1600/_90427713_gettyimages-511816592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigu3zSlMUCNOK9YiTYQMOoIXnKBIEMHsPzRKOwYjN-6QTUOOfJuLtuLUWF0O0dU2QKkUaz08QxYTYPD32bN7OjiLMT_KyXijEc-4byk_XKKcUpEFT9PsSG88xPBmcJZN17ef-YsZW-P6qZ/s640/_90427713_gettyimages-511816592.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Analysts say the move could boost India's economic growth by up to 2 percentage points.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, last year, but it has been stuck in the upper house of parliament, or the Rajya Sabha, where PM Narendra Modi's BJP does not have a majority.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The bill is likely to clear the upper house on Wednesday after the opposition Congress party, which originally proposed the GST while in power, managed to secure some concessions from the ruling government.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The proposed tax reform, the biggest since India's independence from Britain in 1947, seeks to replace a slew of federal taxes and levies in 29 states.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> If the bill is passed in the parliament, India's states will have to pass further laws to determine the rate and scope of the tax.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"><br /></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Source : <a href="http://www.bbc.com/">http://www.bbc.com/</a></span></b></div>

India parliament to vote on key GST bill

India's parliament is due to vote on the much-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill on Wednesday. The bill seeks to streamline In...

Read more »

Nicaragua: Ortega names his wife as running mate

<div class="story-body__introduction" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 28px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has named his wife as his running mate and candidate for vice-president as he seeks re-election for a third term.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4Ae3izTzxxShy6RWh1QuU-FOs1nfmB5KMPeKAIGdPaw4yl6LBgoxNHfKarOwYXbilf8m1jwXHY3SgZDxdPnZ-Hp5_zBtY2mw49kwuqWoLUF-oUa1tZSOSZsvntUMtnzbb_KaTUL5vnoW/s1600/_90620305_mediaitem90620304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4Ae3izTzxxShy6RWh1QuU-FOs1nfmB5KMPeKAIGdPaw4yl6LBgoxNHfKarOwYXbilf8m1jwXHY3SgZDxdPnZ-Hp5_zBtY2mw49kwuqWoLUF-oUa1tZSOSZsvntUMtnzbb_KaTUL5vnoW/s640/_90620305_mediaitem90620304.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="story-body__introduction" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 28px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.375;">First Lady Rosario Murillo already has a prominent role as the chief government spokeswoman and is widely seen as sharing power with her husband.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> She appears on Nicaraguan television almost every day.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Critics accuse the first couple of running Nicaragua - which has elections in November - like a personal fiefdom.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> While President Ortega rarely speaks to the media, his wife is regularly seen on TV discussing policy and promoting her own brand of New Age spirituality.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Mother of the president's seven children, she is fluent in English and French in addition to being a renowned poet.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> She also has a reputation for wearing colourfully extravagant outfits and jewellery more commonly seen in the hippy 1960s.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Correspondents say many Nicaraguans see Ms Murillo as wielding the most power in her country because of her higher public profile.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Husband and wife officially submitted their candidacy papers in the capital Managua, accompanied by the legal adviser of their Sandinista party.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeLU6WW1ad0zRay80xdbXsriDwj2LA_E9wQtgztYeM9SE1iMOwkoC_k3y4Hf-HXDXay7bhnbJxEigBy7AcwAqMTbgqgIp68XdWxeiPg4-Yr98Uv7U6AoS9BFiuYHX1Rl-YuT7fsELH27l/s1600/_90620309_2b93cbe8-e391-4944-8ed5-34196b3f29c7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeLU6WW1ad0zRay80xdbXsriDwj2LA_E9wQtgztYeM9SE1iMOwkoC_k3y4Hf-HXDXay7bhnbJxEigBy7AcwAqMTbgqgIp68XdWxeiPg4-Yr98Uv7U6AoS9BFiuYHX1Rl-YuT7fsELH27l/s320/_90620309_2b93cbe8-e391-4944-8ed5-34196b3f29c7.jpg" width="320" /></a>Hundreds of Sandinista supporters cheered the couple when they left the building.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> But opposition supporters are concerned her promotion may herald the rise of a new family dynasty in the impoverished Central American nation.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Mr Ortega, 70, is a former left-wing guerrilla who led a successful revolution against the dictatorship of the Somoza family, who ruled Nicaragua for four decades.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The Cuban-inspired Sandinistas seized power in 1979.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> The party lost elections in the 1990s, but Mr Ortega returned to power in January 2007, after a successful election campaign.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Source : <a href="http://www.bbc.com/">http://www.bbc.com/</a></span></b></div>

Nicaragua: Ortega names his wife as running mate

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has named his wife as his running mate and candidate for vice-president as he seeks re-election for a th...

Read more »