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The UK is basking in balmy weather for this time of year but some hopeful punters are still dreaming of a white Christmas with a spike in bets placed on snow to fall today. Bookmakers have reported a surge in customers having a flutter on a flurry of snow in 13 of the UK s biggest cities. Aberdeen has the shortest odds at 2-1 for snowfall while Birmingham and Manchester are both on 6-1 with London trailing on 8-1. The warm weather brought out brave swimmers who took part in festive dips in the North Sea at Tynemouth as well as in the Serpentine Lido Hyde Park. A Met Office spokesman confirmed it was unseasonably warm - but could not rule out snow. This swimmer made the most of the balmy 12C weather today and took part in the Christmas day swim at Porthcrawl south Wales. Bookies have taken a flurry of bets on it being a white Christmas despite the mild conditions White Christmas: Twin sisters Caroline and Stephanie Adams 28 dressed up as angels as they took the plunge for the annual Christmas dip in South Wales Wearing little more than a Father Christmas jacket this swimmer braved the cold for the festive dip in south Wales One Christmas reveller was dressed as Father Christmas as she frolicked in the sea in Brighton. She was there for the annual festive swim in the Channel The UK is enjoying unseasonably warm weather this Christmas - but that has not stopped hopeful punters placing bets on a white Christmas. This sunrise was pictured this morning in Tynemouth Bookmakers have reported a surge in customers having a flutter on a flurry of snow in 13 of the UK s biggest cities. Pictured: The sun rising over St Mary s Lighthouse in Tynemouth on Christmas morning The warm weather enticed out hundreds of brave swimmers to take part in the annual Christmas swim at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park These were some of the swimmers who braved the North Sea s icy waters on Christmas morning as they took part in the annual dip at King Edward s Bay in Tynemouth These hardy swimmers gathered at the crack of dawn at King Edward s Bay in Tynemouth to take part in the annual Christmas Day Dip Swimmers basked in the 12C heat as they took a dip in the icy waters at the Serpentine Lido Hyde Park. Despite the warm weather the Met Office could not rule out a white Christmas Optimistic punters have rushed to back a white Christmas - despite the warm weather. Temperatures of 12C lured the swimmers to the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park this morning This swimmer stopped to catch a breath at the annual Christmas swim at the Serpentine Lido in London s Hyde Park Bookmakers have recorded a spike in betting on a white Christmas. Britain is currently experiencing unseasonably warm weather. These swimmers made the most of it at the annual dip at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Theresa May looks full of Christmas cheer as she arrives at... Meghan and Kate stroll side-by-side to church as thrilled... Euston station throws open its doors to give hundreds of... Share this article Share They said: For most places it will be fairly mild. Across England and Wales it should stay around 12C. That s quite mild as the average for this time of year is 7 or 8C. Throughout the day a cold front will move inwards bringing heavy rain to Northern Ireland and northern England. How do the Met Office decide what is a White Christmas? The definition that the Met Office uses to define a white Christmas is for one snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December somewhere in the UK.Traditionally they used to use a single location in the country to define a white Christmas which was the Met Office building in London. However with the increase in betting on where will see a white Christmas the number of locations have increased and can now include sites such as Buckingham Palace Belfast (Aldergrove Airport) Aberdeen (Pittodrie - Aberdeen FC) Edinburgh (Castle) Coronation Street in Manchester and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.They also analyse the data from their observing stations around the UK to provide a complete picture of where snow has fallen or was lying on Christmas Day.Source: Met Office It will also be fairly windy with gusts of 70mph for the most exposed areas such as Cumbria. Then as the night comes in temperatures will drop quite quickly as that band of heavy rain passes through. It could be a white Christmas for hills and higher grounds. The Met Office said parts of north Wales will probably see some snow and the north of England and Scotland may also enjoy a white Christmas.Boxing Day is expected to have a bright dry start but a weather system will push through southern England bringing with it heavy rain.Temperatures will plunge in the evening and the rain could turn to sleet or snow across the country.The Met Office spokesman added: It s difficult to predict for Boxing Day it s on the verge of sleet and snow. It probably won t stick because there will be a lot of rain around. The rest of the week is expected to be dry and bright. Coral spokesman Harry Aitkenhead said: It may be punters betting with their hearts rather than their heads but over the last few months we have taken a record number of bets on this year being a white Christmas. We will be paying out long into Boxing Day if snow does fall. The definition that the Met Office uses to define a white Christmas is for one snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December somewhere in the UK.Traditionally they used to use a single location in the country to define a white Christmas which was the Met Office building in London. However with the increase in betting on where will see a white Christmas the number of locations have increased and can now include sites such as Buckingham Palace Belfast (Aldergrove Airport) Aberdeen (Pittodrie - Aberdeen FC) Edinburgh (Castle) Coronation Street in Manchester and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.They also analyse the data from their observing stations around the UK to provide a complete picture of where snow has fallen or was lying on Christmas Day. In at the deep end: Swimmers dived into the water at Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park this morning A spokesman for bookmakers Coral said the surge of bets on a white Christmas could be punters acting with their hearts rather than their minds. Temperatures at Hyde Park for the annual Christmas swim reached a balmy 12C Ready set... The festive swimmers prepared to dive into the Serpentine this morning as the country bathed in unseasonably warm weather Confirming it was unseasonably warm the Met Office said it still could not rule out snow falling in some parts of the UK. Swimmers gathered at Tynemouth beach (pictured) this morning for the annual Christmas dip The definition that the Met Office uses to define a white Christmas is for one snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December somewhere in the UK. Pictured: Swimmers at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park this morning Wearing Santa swimming shorts and a Santa hat this brave swimmer made the most of the balmy weather to take part in the annual Christmas swim at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park London Swimmers Malcom Fidler 60 and Mallory Smith 65 spent their Christmas morning wading through the waves at King Edward s Bay in Tynemouth Many people spent the morning opening presents around the Christmas tree - but these brave swimmers took a dip in the North Sea at Tynemouth One swimmer gave the thumbs up to the camera as he climbed out of the Serpentine Lido in London s Hyde Park Festive swimmers prepared to take the plunge at King Edward s Bay in Tynemouth this morning Hands up if you re having fun: Kerri Elston Doherty (centre) and Estelle Zauner Maughan (centre left) looked to be enjoying themselves in Tynemouth this morning more videos 1 2 3 Watch video Centre stage: Little girl brings down house at Xmas concert Watch video Suicidal man falls from building during rescue attempt in Lima Watch video Adorable NZ penguin hops across road to greet man Watch video Shocking moment antisemitic driver calls Hitler a great man Watch video Time-lapse shows the many sleep positions of man woman and dog Watch video Heartwarming moment school kids give classmate Nintendo 3DS Watch video Half-naked brawlers exchanged punches in Walsall town centre Watch video Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall play Scrabble on Christmas Eve Watch video GRAPHIC CONTENT: Pet dog is attacked by an alligator Watch video Charlie Wright explains why he refuses to leave his home Watch video Young couple suffer severe injuries after rope jump goes wrong Watch video Touching moment parents get engaged again after divorce The Queen went out of her way to welcome Meghan Markle to the Royal Family in her Christmas message as she said she looked forward to welcoming new members into the family in the New Year.A framed photograph of the bride-to-be with her beau Prince Harry was displayed with other family pictures as the monarch spoke and the couple also featured in video footage aired at the end of the festive broadcast. She will also have been talking about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge s new child which is due to be born in April 2018.The Queen did not however mention the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge by name. A framed photograph of the bride-to-be with her beau Prince Harry was displayed with other family pictures as the monarch spoke The Queen will pay tribute to the Royal Family during her 60th Christmas speech as she poses next to photos of her and Prince Philip her great-grandchildren Charlotte and George Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Prince Charles and CamillaThe monarch gave the speech in the 1844 room alongside portraits of her and Prince Philip and her great-grandchildren Prince George and Princess Charlotte.Also visible on another table were the official engagement portrait of Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle as well as Prince Charles and his wife Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall taken earlier this year by Mario Testino.The Queen and her husband featured in a black and white image from their 1947 wedding and in a colour photo released to mark their 70th wedding anniversary celebrated in November.Taken by photographer Chris Jackson the portrait of Prince George was issued by Kensington Palace on July 22nd to mark the youngster s fourth birthday.The photo of Charlotte was taken by her mother the Duchess of Cambridge to mark her second birthday on May 2nd. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next BREAKING NEWS: At least four people are killed and 15 hurt... I was so crazy in love with this woman : Salim Mehajer s... I want peace for the country : Trump shares his Christmas... Theresa May looks full of Christmas cheer as she arrives at... Share this article Share 6.5k shares Pictured left to right: The Queen and Prince Philip on their wedding day in 1947; the royal couple on their 70th wedding anniversary this year; Princess Charlotte s official second birthday portrait; Prince George s official fourth birthday portrait The Queen and Prince Philip feature in a black and white image from their 1947 wedding Photographs of the Queen s great-grandchildren Prince George (left) and Princess Charlotte (right) will also be on displayThe portrait of Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall was taken earlier this year as a 70th birthday present from Camilla to Charles. Prince Harry and Ms Markle were photographed outside Kensington Palace to mark their engagement announcement in late November. Ms Markle 36 who is spending Christmas at Sandringham with Harry and other senior royals is likely to have watched the Queen s message with members of the monarchy.Her appearance in the Queen s end of year address to the nation is another sign of how quickly she has been accepted into Britain s most prominent family. Earlier today Meghan stunned the crowds as she attended a Christmas church service with the Royal Family. The photograph of the prince and his fiancee and their video footage were from the day of their engagement announcement in NovemberThe actress stepped out in an eye-catching brown beret and wrapped up warm against the chilly winter temperatures in a beige 986 Sentaler coat which she tied up at the front. Meghan clutched on to her Royal beau Prince Harry 33 and proudly displayed the engagement ring that he himself designed before their engagement in November. As well as her beret and beige combination Meghan wore a pair of Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots and carried a 1 550 leather handbag by Chloe.She is also wearing a pair of Birks snowflakes earrings - which she donned at the Queen s Christmas lunch. This year it is understood that Prince Harry and his fiancee will stay with Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge Kate at Anmer Hall their home in the Sandringham grounds rather than in the main house.Markle will have to adjust to the royal family s idiosyncratic ways and customs ingrained in centuries of tradition. Earlier today Meghan stunned the crowds as she attended a Christmas church service in Sandringham with the Royal Family The Queen s speech in full Sixty years ago today a young woman spoke about the speed of technological change as she presented the first television broadcast of its kind. She described the moment as a landmark.Six decades on the presenter has evolved somewhat as has the technology she described. Back then who could have imagined that people would one day be watching this on laptops and mobile phones as some of you are today. But I m also struck by something that hasn t changed. That whatever the technology many of you will be watching this at home.We think of our homes as places of warmth familiarity and love; of shared stories and memories which is perhaps why at this time of year so many return to where they grew up. There is a timeless simplicity to the pull of home. For many the idea of home reaches beyond a physical building to a home town or city. This Christmas I think of London and Manchester whose powerful identities shone through over the past twelve months in the face of appalling attacks. In Manchester those targeted included children who had gone to see their favourite singer. A few days after the bombing I had the privilege of meeting some of the young survivors and their parents. I describe that hospital visit as a privilege because the patients I met were an example to us all showing extraordinary bravery and resilience. Indeed many of those who survived the attack came together just days later for a benefit concert. It was a powerful reclaiming of the ground and of the city those young people call home.We expect our homes to be a place of safety sanctuary even which makes it all the more shocking when the comfort they provide is shattered. A few weeks ago The Prince of Wales visited the Caribbean in the aftermath of hurricanes that destroyed entire communities. And here in London who can forget the sheer awfulness of the Grenfell Tower fire? Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who died and those who lost so much; and we are indebted to members of the emergency services who risked their own lives this past year saving others. Many of them of course will not be at home today because they are working to protect us.Reflecting on these events makes me grateful for the blessings of home and family and in particular for 70 years of marriage. I don t know that anyone had invented the term platinum for a 70th wedding anniversary when I was born. You weren t expected to be around that long. Even Prince Philip has decided it s time to slow down a little having as he economically put it done his bit . But I know his support and unique sense of humour will remain as strong as ever as we enjoy spending time this Christmas with our family and look forward to welcoming new members into it next year. In 2018 I will open my home to a different type of family: the leaders of the fifty-two nations of the Commonwealth as they gather in the UK for a summit. The Commonwealth has an inspiring way of bringing people together be it through the Commonwealth Games which begin in a few months time on Australia s Gold Coast or through bodies like the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra & Choir: a reminder of how truly vibrant this international family is. Today we celebrate Christmas which itself is sometimes described as a festival of the home. Families travel long distances to be together. Volunteers and charities as well as many churches arrange meals for the homeless and those who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day. We remember the birth of Jesus Christ whose only sanctuary was a stable in Bethlehem. He knew rejection hardship and persecution; and yet it is Jesus Christ s generous love and example which has inspired me through good times and bad.Whatever your own experiences this year; wherever and however you are watching I wish you a peaceful and very happy Christmas. European officials have warned that Britain s new blue passports could spell travel delays and extra paperwork rather than the enhanced freedom promised by the government. Theresa May sought to end a difficult political year on a high note on Friday by confirming the return of navy travel documents after Brexit. She said that abandoning the EU-style burgundy design introduced in 1988 was an expression of independence and sovereignty that reflected citizenship of a proud great nation . But as the announcement divided domestic opinion along increasingly entrenched cultural battle lines sources in Brussels pointed out that holders of any colour of British passport could see diminished travel rights after Brexit unless there were further negotiating concessions. One senior official said that depending on how negotiations go on all free movement issues after Brexit there was a significant risk that British passport holders would lose the right to use a fast-track citizens lane when travelling on the continent and may also be obliged to use a new visa waiver scheme. The EU travel information and authorisation system (Etias) is modeled on the US Esta scheme and could require British travellers to Europe to register in advance and make a small administrative payment. Although a chance remains for Britain to retain fast-track privileges if there is further shift in the prime minister s red lines on immigration British experts said this looked unlikely. At the moment it looks absolutely certain that we won t be able to go through the European citizens lane because the legal code in the Schengen borders code says it is only for citizens or people with free movement rights said Steve Peers a professor of law at Essex University. Brussels sources pointed out that the tendering process for printing the new passports was likely to take place under existing EU procurement rules something that the current British contractor De La Rue recently warned could mean they were produced abroad. Despite this the announcement was loudly cheered by Brexit supporters on Friday after a string of recent concessions from the government. The Home Office minister Brandon Lewis told the Sun that one of the most iconic things about being British is having a British passport . You can t be a nation unless you have this symbol added a jubilant Nigel Farage. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The old blue British passport and the burgundy European Union design introduced in 1988. Composite: PR Under a system first agreed by Margaret Thatcher s government in 1981 Britain is not legally obliged to use the same burgundy design as most other members but agreed to do so in a joint resolution of member states in the European council. The agreement to harmonise certain design features followed a backlash over more ambitious plans for a community-wide passport but it also included rules to put the words European Community in front of the name of the member state. Council members including Britain s then ambassador to the EU Michael Butler signed a resolution aiming to strengthen the feeling among nationals of the member states that they belong to the same community but left an opt-out clause that is still used today by some members such as Croatia which also has a blue passport. May said Britain was choosing to return to its iconic blue design even though the shade proposed would be significantly lighter than the near-black navy used in previous larger UK passports. The majority of changes since this period have been mandated by other international aviation and security agreements outside the EU and will continue to dictate the size and content of UK travel documents. Experts stressed that the balance between national sovereignty and harmonising travel rules was more complex than changing the appearance of a passport. The reality is that the new passports will symbolise having fewer free movement rights said Peers. We will also still have to go through the slow lane even if we have non-expired burgundy passports. It may not be vastly more difficult but it will be somewhat more difficult. It does seem odd to make a big patriotic noise about something that makes it harder for you to travel. Fabian Zuleeg chief executive of the European Policy Centre agreed that it would depend on the final EU/UK settlement as to whether it would be harder for British passport holders to travel in Europe in future. If UK citizens were treated as nationals of the European Economic Area the EU plus Norway Iceland and Liechtenstein then there would be no problem. Otherwise they could face longer queues though he stressed nothing was definite. In Britain opposition politicians rejected the prime minister s claim that changing the colour was a victory for sovereignty. What utter nonsense this belittles our country and your office said the Labour MP Chuka Umunna. We ve always been a great nation proud to be British and of our standing in the world. The former Labour leader Ed Miliband added: It is an expression of how mendacious absurd and parochial we look to the world. David Lammy the MP for Tottenham said Brexit was turning us into a laughing stock . We re swapping the right to live and work in 27 countries for new passports he said. But don t worry when we re all stood in the airport for four hours we can stand in the queue and look at just how blue they are. Academic experts on Brexit urged remain supporters not to underestimate the power of symbolism for leave supporters. It s a sign of the times that the mirror image of it appealing to a certain segment of the British population is that it will be a total turn-off to the other said Anand Menon at King s College London. It s a reflection of how divided our society is: some people just cannot compute and other people are celebrating. The former British diplomat Sir Simon Wall suggested it was a measure carefully targeted at a demographic group most in need of buoying up after recent concessions. It s aimed at the Brexit generation. Anyone under the age of 50 will hardly remember any other passport than we have now he said. It seems from her recent performance that Theresa May has belatedly grasped the fact that we need to make some pretty dramatic compromises and she needs a bit of smoke as well this is part of that. European officials distanced themselves from the original decision to adopt burgundy passports stressing it was voluntarily agreed to by member state governments. This has nothing to do with the European commission nothing at all said the spokesman Mark English. Claude Moraes the British Labour MEP who chairs the European parliament s civil liberties justice and home affairs committee warned that the new passports could become a symbol of what British nationals stand to lose from Brexit. What is being lost with the burgundy passport are the freedoms to move in the EU27 and other related freedoms he said. There is every risk now that with the UK passport you will be subject to greater queus greater checks and more inconvenience. The MEP who is one of the lead negotiators for the parliament on Etias said he was deeply sceptical that the EU27 would offer the UK a special deal. He said the UK would be on the other side of policies aimed at strengthening the EU s external border including Etias and a stronger border and coastguard agency. That is something people will have to get used to and the new passport will symbolise that. The United Kingdom s post-Brexit trade deal with the EU will be along the same lines as the ones signed between the union and countries like South Korea Japan and Canada the European Commission s chief negotiator has said. Michel Barnier said Theresa May s red lines to take Britain out of the customs union and single market and to reject the jurisdiction of European courts meant a close relationship similar to the ones the EU has with other non-EU European countries was off the table. The statement is an explicit knock-back for Downing Street which said only the day before that it wanted a bespoke deal with the EU that was significantly more ambitious deal than the EU s agreement with Canada . Read more EU says Brexit transition will end no later than 31 December 2020 Logically for the economic side of our partnership we ll be working on the basis of a free-trade agreement along the same lines of what we negotiated and signed with Canada South Korea and Japan Mr Barnier told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday. There are of course differences between these different models because each of these trade models is of course tailor-made and specific to these countries when we sign these agreements. But it s the same approach and logic underpinning these agreements. That ll be the situation with the United Kingdom in light of what they said their position is themselves. Crucially Mr Barnier said no other EU free-trade agreement had yet covered financial services suggesting the City of London could be left out in the cold. Financial services were potentially to be a part of the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) agreement with the United States but talks on this agreement have now collapsed. A slide drawn up by the chief negotiator and widely circulated in Brussels shows that the UK could not have a Norwegian or Icelandic-style deal because of the PM refusing jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) free movement regulatory alignment and making a financial contribution to the EU budget. Read more The DUP will not have to name the source of a 425 000 Brexit donation UK Government s Nissan letter is too sensitive says business ministry EU unlikely to back UK over Falklands after Brexit says ex-diplomat Chief EU negotiator says the City will have no place in Brexit deal A Swiss-style deal is also off the table because of the UK s rejection of free movement regulatory alignment and financial payments. Britain would also be unable to have a relationship with the EU similar to the one enjoyed by Ukraine which would require some regulatory alignment and recognition of the ECJ. The model followed by Turkey is also ruled out because of the UK s desire to sign trade agreements with other countries leaving a looser deal such as the one with non-European countries like South Korea as the only option. Also speaking at the same press conference Mr Barnier confirmed that the commission wanted any Brexit transition deal to end on 31 December 2020 just under two years. This recommendation which is broadly in line with the request made by Theresa May in her Florence speech coincides with the end of the EU s multi-annual financial framework effectively its budget period. Theresa May has ruled out single market and customs union membership putting a close economic relationship off the table (PA) The transition period is useful and it will enable the public administration in Britain to prepare themselves for the kind of challenges that they will have to face at their borders which are also our borders and to prepare for the new relationship he told reporters in Brussels. It should be of a short and specific duration: at Florence Theresa May in her speech referred to a maximum of two years. Our position the European Commission s position is that this would run logically to 31 December 2020 because that s also the duration of the current multi-annual financial framework. Brexit: the deciders 8 show all Brexit: the deciders 1/8 European Union s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks to the media as he arrives at the Council of the European Union ahead of an EU Council meeting on April 29 2017 in Brussels Belgium. The 27 members of the European Union will meet in Brussels for a special European Council meeting to discuss the continuing Brexit negotiation Getty 2/8 French President Emmanuel Macron (R) at the Elysee Palace in Paris Getty 3/8 German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters 4/8 Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA 5/8 The European Parliament s chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt gestures as he addresses a press conference with the European Parliament president after Britain initiated the process to leave the EU Getty 6/8 Britain s Prime Minister Theresa May stands on the flight deck and speaks to crew members of the 65 000-tonne British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth after it arrived at Portsmouth Naval base its new home port on August 16 2017 in Portsmouth England. The HMS Queen Elizabeth is the lead ship in the new Queen Elizabeth class of supercarriers. Weighing in at 65 000 tonnes she is the largest war ship deployed by the British Royal Navy. She is planned to be in service by 2020 and with a second ship HMS Prince of Wales to follow Getty Images 7/8 Brexit Secretary David Davis in central London Getty 8/8 Britain s Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond leaves 11 Downing Street in central London PA But he warned that if negotiations collapsed there would still be no transition period arguing that an orderly withdrawal and transition go hand-in-hand . The UK and EU are expected to move onto talks about the Brexit transition period swiftly in the new year but talks about of the framework for the future trade relationship have been put back until March to give both sides more time to prepare. More about: Brexit Japan EU South Korea Canada Trade Michel Barnier Reuse content This stunning set of Second World War portraits show some of the earliest incarnations of a technique that would inject the photography industry with colour and rule supreme for nearly three-quarters of a century.The photographs were taken by John Cyril Redhead who headed up Kodak s Photo Finishing department in Harrow north-west London using the then-revolutionary Kodachrome.They highlight both famous faces and unsung heroes of the wartime in stunning detail far beyond the limitations typical technology of its time that produced inferior black-and-white results.From ordinary nurses and volunteers all the way to the royalty of Princess Margaret Redhead was fascinated in creating portraits of a wide range of people using his privileged access to the company s hi-tech equipment.Kodachrome is regarded as the first modern colour photographic process by using a subtractive process of red-orange and blue-greens to add in colours as the photo was being taken all of its predecessors for colour pictures used additives to transform black-and-white images.Images such as these are so rare because Kodachrome was imported into Britain from the USA and was in very short supply during World War Two.Kodachrome remained the most popular material for photography for 75 years following its invention in the mid-1930s but was gradually discontinued after the turn of the century as digital photography came to the fore. Popular singer and actress Pat Kirkwood (1921-2007) photographed in a glamorous pose lying on a sofa with a bearskin. She appeared in films with George Formby and Arthur Askey in the 1930s and 1940s. Although her ambitions for a Hollywood film career faltered after World War Two she continued to work in theatre and television until the 1990s. She was the first woman to have her own television show on the BBC and once continued to perform at the London Palladium in the midst of an air raid A Kodachrome colour photograph of a Miss B Hall probably a Kodak employee who would have been one of Redhead s employees while he was head of the company s Photo Finishing department in Harrow north-west London. Lieutenant Doyle of the United States Army taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. A veteran soldier wears the scarlet dress uniform of an officer in The Queen s Royal West Surrey Regiment the senior line regiment of the British Army. The medals on his chest show that he is a veteran of World War One. He also proudly wears the Distinguished Service Order medal. Civil Defence volunteer Miss Carter who wears the uniform of a Civil Defence ambulance driver and poses next to a Civil Defence flag. Volunteers often women were trained in civil defence duties including fire-fighting first aid and ambulance driving. This Kodachrome image shows a woman named Mrs Bateman. She is wears the uniform of the United States Navy. A young woman dressed as a Pearly Queen taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. Pearly Kings and Queens are a London tradition dating back to the 1870s. It grew out of the flashy costumes worn by street-sellers also known as costermongers. Kings and Queens dress in costumes decorated with pearl buttons. A young bride taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. A woman named Miss Kamp dressed in British Naval uniform taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. Although not allowed to fight during World War Two many women volunteered for support roles in the Armed Forces working as nurses or in staff administration Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971) a pioneering female photographer and photojournalist wearing United States Army Airforce uniform. Bourke-White was the first female war correspondent and the first to be allowed to work in combat zones during World War Two. She survived the sinking of a ship flew on American bombing raids and was one of the first photographers to enter and document the Nazi death camps. American film producer Ben Goetz (1891-1979). Goetz was a Metro Goldwyn Mayer film producer and executive and was in charge of MGM s British studios during the 1940s. Before finding success in production he had also directed two films The Inevitable and In The Hands Of The Law as well as acting in a number of shorts during the First World War. George Hill(1887-1952). The wine cellar clerk is photographed in the wine cellar of the Reform Club on Pall Mall London a gentleman s club dating back to the 1830s. The club was used as the headquarters of the Liberal Party in the 19th Century but is now simply used as a social venue with no association to any political organisations A Kodachrome colour photograph of Brigadier General Swinton taken while he was in active service during World War Two. Brigadier General Swinton is wearing British army battle dress. His shoulder patch shows he is a Scots Guard An American war correspondent named Mr Porter an American war correspondent. Although not soldiers American war correspondents were required to wear army uniform. The Allies recognised the importance of war correspondents to the war effort. By late 1944 the public relations headquarters in Paris had enough staff and facilities to deal with the output of nearly 1 000 war correspondents. In addtion it could handle 35 000 photographs and 100 000 feet of film footage each week Major-General Lejeune of the US Marine Corps. A veteran of the Spanish-American War he was promoted to the rank of Major-General towards the end of the First World War having commanded the US Army 2nd Division during the victorious action at the battle of St Mihiel. By the time this photograph was taken he was an elderly man and died midway through the Second World War in 1942. Colonel Seibert of the American Army taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. Colonel Nordlie aide-de-camp to King Haakon VII (1872-1957) of Norway. Colonel Nordlie is photographed wearing Norwegian army uniform. King Haakon fled Norway when the Germans invaded in 1940 setting up a government in exile in London. An uncle of British monarch George VI he returned to cheering crowds in Norway in July 1945 and continued to reign until his death 12 years after the war s completion A nurse Mrs Cooke. Nurses worked closer to the front lines than they ever had before. Within the chain of evacuation established by the Army Medical Department during the war nurses served under fire in field hospitals and evacuation hospitals on hospital trains and hospital ships and as flight nurses on medical transport planes. The skill and dedication of these nurses contributed to the extremely low post-injury mortality rate among American military forces in every theatre of the war. Mrs Claude Elliott dressed in the uniform of a Women s Voluntary Service (WVS) nurse. While many members of the WVS mucked in on pretty much all tasks the idea of an organisation without a hierarchy would not have worked and so while there were no ranks there were titles. Women were recruited for specific tasks whether that was to drive ambulances to be a member of a knitting work party or collect National Savings. Inevitably those women who signed up for one thing often ended up being co-opted for other work especially if they showed aptitude. Princess Margaret (1930-2002) the Queen s younger sister aged about 12. Unlike other members of the royal family Margaret was not expected to undertake any public or official duties during the war. She developed her skills at singing and playing the piano. Viscount Halisham had written to Winston Churchill encouraging the young princesses be evacuated to Canada but the Queen Mother famously replied: The children won t go without me. I won t leave without the King. And the King will never leave. Sir Mordant Snagge in his judges wig and robes taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. Eager shoppers splashed out a record 1bn on Christmas Day in an online shopping splurge as retailers braced for a further spending flurry on Boxing Day.Shoppers across the country hit the high street for Christmas Eve s Super Saturday in a frenzy of panic buying but that did not stop another major outlay today as sales smashed the billion pound barrier for the first time.And the chance of snagging a huge bargain on Boxing Day is expected to see 1million spent a minute amid 88 per cent discounts.A record 895million is expected to be spent online - up 11 per cent on last year - as sales started yesterday or today online according to a Centre for Retail Research study for VoucherCodes based on interviews with 80 major UK retailers and 1 000 shoppers. Frustrated shoppers took to social media to show their anger at the store Some shoppers tweeted screenshots similar to those that are used by tickets venders at rock concerts showing the waiting timeHowever some websites are struggling with the numbers of bargain shoppers with shoppers complaining about Boots website crashing.Frustrated shoppers took to social media to air their grievances with the pharmaceutical chain.One tweeted: I ve waited over 40 minutes to get on your website. Another said: Mother in law has just waited 45 minutes to get onto boots website for it only to say we re really busy now come back later . Disgusting! Waited all that time and can t get on! Others tweeted screenshots of their computers showing the waiting time to get on the site. Speaking to the MailOnline a Boots spokesman said they had experienced unprecedented demand to the site .They added: Due to a technical issue with the sale we are intermittently closing the site for short periods of time while we resolve this. We re sorry for any inconvenience this is causing our customers and our stores will be open tomorrow with the same great deals. Some tweeted GIFs and memes from popular TV shows to show their frustration at the pharmacy Shoppers tweeted their frustration at the lack of stock and long waiting times on the Boots website The chance of snagging a huge bargain on Boxing Day is expected to see 1million spent a minute amid 88 per cent discounts Signs for Boxing Day sales were already going up across the country on Christmas Eve. Pictured: Shoppers search for a bargain outside a Next Store in central London Boxing Day is due even bigger bargains as sales start early online today and from 6am Tuesday in stores Online sales started with AO.com at 12noon Christmas Eve with Next joining from 3pm John Lewis and M&S from 5pm and Debenhams also due to start. Argos online sale was starting at 6am on Christmas Day Seventeen million shoppers splashed out on Super Saturday on Saturday - capping Britain s 7billion busiest ever week before Christmas as price cuts hit 88 per cent. Pictured: Boxing Day sale signs in One New Chance in central London on Christmas Eve Last minute shoppers flock to London s West End yesterday in search of 11th-hour gifts for friends and family Customer queues in some shops in the West End which stayed open until late last night Left: Crowds mill around Oxford Circus underground station as night descended on the capital. Right: Hundreds of customers created queue of over 50 yards in each direction on Regent Street as they wait for Hamley s Toy Store to open yesterday Shoppers fuelled by caffeine grab last minute bargains in Central London last night Crowds grow in London s west end on Christmas Eve as last minute shoppers hunt for gifts Seventeen million shoppers splashed out on Super Saturday yesterday - capping Britain s 7billion busiest ever week before Christmas as price cuts hit 88 per centIt works out at 932 000-a-minute over the 16 hours most are awake on Christmas Day.Store spending today is set to pass 105million as 1.5million shoppers spend at a record number of convenience stores and garages also opening up.Christmas Day online spending peaked at 10am as cash gifts and vouchers were opened and another spike is expected at 6pm before big evening TV shows experts say.Consumer electronics will be popular purchases while Amazon expects movies and music downloads to be big sellers. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 2 Next Tis the season to be JOLLY grateful for Prince Albert!... Theresa May uses festive Christmas message to praise Armed... Sealed with a kiss: How Kate Maltby continued to send Damian... Jeremy Corbyn supporter calls for female MP to be HANGED... Share this article Share Professor Joshua Bamfield director of the Centre for Retail Research said: It looks like the first ever 1billion Christmas Day. The day is getting stronger every year for online spending. Shoppers want the bargains retailers make available when post-Christmas sales start early online. Post-Christmas sales started online on Christmas Eve.Online sales started with AO.com at 12noon Christmas Eve with Next joining from 3pm John Lewis and M&S from 5pm and Debenhams also due to start. Argos online sale was starting at 6am on Christmas Day.Seventeen million shoppers splashed out on Super Saturday on Saturday - capping Britain s 7billion busiest ever week before Christmas as price cuts hit 88 per cent.And Boxing Day is due even bigger bargains as sales start early online today and from 6am Tuesday in stores. Last minute Christmas shoppers throng the city centre in Leeds West Yorkshire Last minute Christmas shoppers throng the city centre in Leeds West Yorkshire Shoppers get some last minute presents for Christmas in Bristol on Christmas Eve Shoppers get some last minute presents for Christmas in Bristol on SundaySaturday had even more shoppers than are due on Boxing Day with one in three adults shopping yesterday as 1.7billion was spent. Fourteen million jammed high streets and shopping centres to spend 1.45billion with 3.4m shopping online spending an additional 220million.Bluewater Kent was expected to have seen 110 000 shoppers yesterday with 100 000 at Lakeside Essex. Best Christmas bargains Bourjois Une Skin Matt Foundation was cut 88 per cent from 12.49 to 1.49 by FragranceDirect.co.uk.A women s Reebok CrossFit Tank Top was cut 84 per cent from to 2.99 by mandmdirect.comBig chains including Next and Oasis have cut up to 70 per cent off prices with Top Shop River Island and Argos at up to 50 per cent off and some Currys deals at close to half-price. St David s Cardiff was due 250 000 shoppers with 220 000 at Birmingham s Bullring 180 000 at Manchester s Trafford Centre and 90 000 at Bristol s Cabot Circus.Scottish malls were anticipated to appraoched 100 000 at the Braehead Centre near Glasgow 80 000 at Glasgow s Silverburn and 70 000 at Aberdeen s Union Square.The splurge capped a record 7billion spree for the last shopping week before December 25 the spending data showed with around 5.5billion spent in stores this week and another 1.5billion online.The mega spree was due to a late rush after shopper totals were down 10 per cent on last year over the first three weeks of December. Professor Joshua Bamfield director of the Centre for Retail Research said: This may well be the busiest ever week before Christmas in terms of shopper numbers and the biggest spending week before Christmas ever. Saturday has the highest ever number of shoppers before Christmas forecast as it falls right before Christmas Eve. There is a trend of spending late. And prices are falling so shoppers can expect bargains. Mintel director of retail research Richard Perks added: More and more shoppers are leaving it until the last minute. Travel disruption Many of Britain s mainline train routes were partially shut as Network Rail carries out its biggest ever Christmas investment programme.Great Western Railway urged passengers to complete journeys by Saturday at the latest as London Paddington were closed between Christmas Eve and December 27.The West Coast main line will be halted between Preston and Lancaster from Christmas Eve to December 27 with buses replacing trains.Passengers travelling between London and Glasgow during this time are advised to go via Edinburgh adding around an hour to journeys. Coach operator National Express is running its largest ever Christmas schedule to meet increased demand from key locations such as Bournemouth Cardiff Leeds Edinburgh Portsmouth Bristol Glasgow and Manchester.Members of the Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) were due to stage a series of walkouts on Virgin Trains West Coast starting on Friday but they were called off after a deal to end a row over pay. A busy High Street in Canterbury Kent as shoppers purchase last minute presents on Christmas Eve A busy High Street in Canterbury Kent as shoppers purchase last minute presents on Christmas Eve Shoppers get some last minute presents for Christmas in Bristol on Christmas Eve People may have been leaving their shopping to the last minute but traffic was unexpectedly light on the M5 south near Birmingham as people appear to have made their journeys for the festive holidays Very light Christmas Eve traffic on the M5 south near Birmingham West Midlands New Delhi: Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) has invited application from eligible candidates for 2018 Commonwealth Scholarship in the United Kingdom. The scholarship is for students in Master s and doctoral degree programme. The study will commence in September/ October 2018. There is a provision for maximum 65 nominations for the scholarship out of which 26 have to be for PhD. Candidates wishing to apply for the scholarship can do so in the online mode. The last date to apply for the scholarship on the MHRD website is February 7 2018 and the last date to apply for the scholarship on the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission s Electronic Application System (EAS) is February 22 2018. It is compulsory for candidates to apply at both the portals before the last date in order to be eligible for the scholarship. The Master s course will be of one year duration and doctoral programme will be up to three/four year duration. Scholarship would be offered under following development themes and all candidates must apply under one of the themes:Science and technology for developmentStrengthening health systems and capacityPromoting global prosperityStrengthening global peace security and governanceStrengthening resilience and response to crisesAccess inclusion and opportunityEligibilityThe candidate must not be older than 40 years as on February 7 2018.Candidates applying for the Master s course should have completed or expected to complete the Bachelor degree by October 2018. The candidate must have 60% or above marks in Social Science subjects and 65% or above marks in Science subjects.Candidates applying for the Doctoral degree should have completed or expected to complete the Master degree/qualifying examination by October 2018. The candidate must have 60% or above marks in Social Science subjects and 65% or above marks in Science subjects.While MHRD does not want students to take IELTS tests as a further condition of the award the university may ask student to provide evidence of a particular level of English language proficiency. The students who are applying for Master s programme will have to submit a plan of studying and those who are applying for the Doctoral degree will have to submit a research proposal. Click here for more Education News

'Britain will never be intimidated': Royal Navy frigate intercepts Russian warship in the North Sea on Christmas Day

Defence secretary Gavin Williamson the day gone by stated he would not hesitate to protect Britain following an upsurge within the wide variety of Russian warships in our waters.Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans was the day prior to this monitoring the Russian vessel Admiral Gorshkov because it made its manner across the North Sea menacingly close to Britain. Although such crossings are fairly ordinary there has been a rise within the number of Russian ships passing near British territorial waters in current days.On Christmas Eve HMS Tyne become dispatched to escort a Russian intelligence-accumulating deliver via the North Sea and the England Channel.A Wildcat helicopter was then dispatched to screen two further Russian vessels. Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans become the previous day tracking the Russian vessel Admiral Gorshkov because it made its way across the North Sea menacingly close to Britain Although such crossings are pretty ordinary there was a upward thrust within the quantity of Russian ships passing near British territorial waters in latest daysThe a hundred ninety-robust organisation aboard the HMS St Albans to begin with set sail on December 23 - but tracked the Russian ship in the course of Christmas Day.The group are amongst round 4 000 sailors deployed or on standby across the world the Royal Navy stated. In an surprisingly strong assertion Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson stated: I will now not hesitate in protecting our waters or tolerate any form of aggression. Britain will by no means be intimidated when it comes to protective our u . S . A http://dafoundry.com/members/roofcompanyt/ . Our humans and our national pursuits. In an unusually robust statement Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: I will now not hesitate in protecting our waters or tolerate any form of aggression Russian warships of the northern and Baltic fleets robotically bypass via UK territorial waters en route to or from deployments within the Mediterranean and Gulf areas.Chris Ansell the Commanding Officer of HMS St Albans said: My ship s business enterprise take wonderful satisfaction in serving Great Britain and the role they play handling both the habitual and sudden. Missing components of Christmas and New Year with our families is never smooth but it's far clearly required as a part of our obligation to hold Britain safe all year round. The group of HMS St Albans are pictured on Christmas Day at the same time as they were escorting a Russian warship via the North Sea Chris Ansell the Commanding Officer of HMS St Albans said: My ship s company take notable satisfaction in serving Great Britain and the function they play coping with https://www.misterpoll.com/users/433277 each the routine and surprising There is a urgent need to shield UK hobbies near domestic inside the air above and beneath the waves. Our exchange economic system and records networks rely upon the ocean and this operation demonstrates the Royal Navy s dedication to protecting our domestic waters and readiness to adopt brief note operations. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Surrender! Lunacy as British Army spends 2million to... Royal Navy s 2nd 3.1billion plane carrier with the... Share this article Share UK family members with Russia remain worrying after foreign secretary Boris Johnson and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov acknowledged difficulties of their courting remaining week.Lavrov stated it was now not a mystery that members of the family were at a completely low point but additionally harassed he did now not assume the deterioration turned into Russia s fault.Ties among Moscow and the West had been strained since Russia s annexation of the Crimea location of Ukraine in 2014 and its support https://www.sparkfun.com/users/1251029 for separatists in eastern Ukraine. Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans pictured become monitoring the Russian vessel from the 23rd of December - including over Christmas Day (inventory picture) The Royal Navy turned into intercepting the Russian vessel Admiral Gorshkov pictured as it made its way across the North Sea menacingly close to BritainNATO has constructed up bodily forces in Poland and the Baltic states to build up a deterrent and underscore the electricity of the alliance.Last August Mr Johnson had stated Britain ought to normalise its dating with Russia after years of hostility.They had hit rock bottom after an inquiry discovered Putin possibly authorised the assassination of the Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko.But then relations between the 2 nations plummeted even in addition whilst Russia stepped up its fight in Syria and joined forces with Assad to bomb Aleppo. UK family members with Russia continue to be annoying after overseas secretary Boris Johnson pictured right and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov pictured left acknowledged problems in their dating closing weekAs a high-readiness unit HMS Sutherland may be called upon at any time to assist prevent hands trafficking people smuggling behavior counter-terrorism operations maritime search and rescue or escort duties like the ones it's far task today.Earlier this 12 months Vladimir Putin s big plane carrier Admiral Kuznetsov changed into spotted crusing beyond the white cliffs of Dover as it sailed domestic to Russia.A squadron http://eaamongolia.org/vanilla/discussion/658434/5-ways-to-extend-your-wig-life of RAF Typhoon warplanes have been deployed to screen the ageing Soviet-era vessel from the air as it passed menacingly near Britain observed through the nuclear-powered cruiser Pyotr Veliky and guide ships.The widespread warship remaining got here close to Britain in October on its way to its deadly undertaking. Its team become accused of an indiscriminate bombing campaign in aid of Assad.

2018 Russian Presidential Election: Vladimir Putin looks for quick win, but voter apathy worries Kremlin

Moscow: Russia s presidential election marketing campaign officially lasts most effective 3 months and President Vladimir Putin wants to make it as quick as possible. With Putin s approval rating topping eighty percent there may be little doubt approximately the outcome of the 18 March vote.Instead voter apathy represents the principle venture for his strategists who want his displaying to be as robust as ever to illustrate that public guide for Putin hasn t waned 18 years after his first election.In an apparent bid to drum up interest and make a bland race as brief as feasible to keep citizens mobilised the sixty five-yr-vintage president waited till closing week to claim his cause to run again.It s now not clear but how Putin will recognition his marketing campaign which changed into officially opened Friday by way of the higher residence of parliament.A record picture of Russian president Vladimir Putin. APAhead of the 2012 vote he ran a noticeably polarising marketing campaign amid a wave of large demonstrations in Moscow in opposition to his rule. He denounced center-magnificence protesters as spoiled stooges of the West and relied heavily on aid from blue-collar people and country personnel.Now within the absence of important protests Putin can have the funds for to be more benign.The 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine bolstered his guide which has remained excessive notwithstanding a plunge in residing requirements under a combined blow of a drop in oil costs and Western sanctions. Even very slight human beings never really reconciled themselves after the end of the Soviet Union with Crimea being lost stated Moscow Carnegie Center director Dmitri Trenin. They always idea it became unfair. And Putin had the center ... To provide it lower back to Russia without spilling a drop of blood. Some pundits predicted Putin to use Russia s ban from the Winter Olympics in South Korea to in addition gasoline anti-Western sentiments via pronouncing a boycott of the video games and thus mobilise his base. Instead he took a tender stance encouraging Russia s athletes to compete below the Olympic flag.His declaration of a partial troop pullout from Syria after a two-year marketing campaign that secured Russia s role as a key energy https://speakerdeck.com/childstraintz dealer in the Middle East additionally performs properly into his campaign. Putin has a huge backing throughout all social agencies that's connected to popular guide for his foreign policy achievements stated Lev Gudkov the pinnacle of the Levada-Center opinion survey agency a leading impartial pollster. The propaganda has formed his image because the country wide chief who has restored Russia s outstanding power reputation. Gudkov stated polls show Putin s recognition is most powerful in rural areas and small towns where the majority depend upon country-run TV for news. His huge guide is rooted in a loss of actual political competition he said. The political field has been completely cleared Gudkov stated. Putin absolutely dominates the facts space. Veterans of past elections Communist chief Gennady Zyuganov ultranationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky and liberal Grigory Yavlinsky all declared their intention to run. But the events led through Zyuganov and Zhirinovsky constitute only token opposition in parliament vote casting continually with the Kremlin line. Yavlinsky s birthday celebration which commonly is based on center-aged liberal-minded urban electorate did not make it to parliament in past elections.In 2012 sixty five percent of eligible citizens turned out and Putin won almost sixty four percentage. https://quitter.se/washinse This time the turnout is predicted to be lower Gudkov said.In the Urals city of Nizhny Tagil which was dubbed Putingrad by way of a few for its strong guide of the president inside the closing election individuals of the nearby branch of the Young Guard a pro-Kremlin teens institution worry about voter apathy. They are campaigning to shore http://soccerpredictz.magnoto.com up his guide. There is a awesome combat going on not simplest for sources nowadays but also in terms of facts said its 18-12 months-vintage deputy chief Dmitriy Ardy.Charismatic anti-corruption crusader Alexei Navalny who challenged Putin with a sequence of latest protests is a sparkling and extensively known face that might provide an thrilling opponent inside the race but the Kremlin does not need him at the poll fearing that might in addition extend his clout.Putin mocked Navalny during the annual presidential information convention Thursday casting him as a man who could plunge Russia into chaos. Navalny has been barred from jogging due to an embezzlement conviction which the forty one-year-vintage competition leader calls politically motivated.Enter Ksenia Sobchak a celeb TV host and socialite well-known for her lavish way of life sharp tongue and quick wit.Sobchak the 36-year antique daughter of the late mayor of St. Petersburg who turned into Putin s boss inside the Nineteen Nineties has located herself as a candidate for the ones voters who loathe the president and need alternate. She denies colluding with the Kremlin but her involvement affords a important element for the campaign: an eloquent Putin critic catering to disillusioned liberal-minded voters.Sobchak denounced Russia s annexation of Crimea and insisted that the Black Sea peninsula belongs to Ukraine. She also stated that Western sanctions towards Russia had been a legitimate punishment for Moscow s movements in Ukraine.Her appearance at the top top-time talk suggests on kingdom-managed TV some thing that might best take place with approval from the Kremlin made it clear she has carte blanche to supply sharp grievance.Sobchak insists her key purpose is to encourage public dialogue of topics branded as taboo through the country and deliver voice to the competition.But that would be exactly what the Kremlin wants a dissenter who enlivens the race with out posing a real risk to Putin.With her famous person energy and energetic presence on social platforms the media-savvy Sobchak appeals to younger Russians who form the core of Navalny s supporters. At the equal time her snobbish insolent style makes her a strong irritant for blue-collar people supporting mobilise Putin s base.From the Kremlin s attitude Sobchak s participation has an delivered price of further splitting and weakening the ranks of Putin s foes.While many in the competition camp accused Sobchak of gambling into Putin s fingers she possibly will appeal to individuals who resent Navalny s calls for defying the government with unauthorized protests and prefer extra moderate methods of expressing dissent.Wearing a shiny crimson get dressed Sobchak boldly challenged Putin at his information convention arguing that the refusal to let Navalny run reflects the Kremlin s fear of the opposition. It become an look that become certain to amplify her base of guide. She will draw Navalny s supporters to her aspect Gudkov stated. As humans realize that Navalny will now not be allowed to go into the race underneath any occasions she can take that niche. In Nizhny Tagil home to a manufacturing facility making army tanks Andrey Artyugin already has signed up as a volunteer for Sobchak. The 38-12 months-old engineer stated he to begin with supported Navalny however lost believe inside the opposition leader after sensing some falsity in him.Navalny has warned that he could strike again at Putin via staging a campaign for boycotting the vote an effort which could harm Kremlin efforts to enhance the turnout. Our project might be to run a completely lively campaign to convince all people that they shouldn t flip out Navalny stated on his YouTube channel calling on his followers to get prepared for an electoral strike. He is predicated on a grass-roots community of supporters in greater than eighty cities to supply the message. A risk is actually small that he may be allowed to run within the election however humans fight for this stated 18-yr-vintage Sergey Antoshchenko a Navalny campaigner in Nizhny Tagil.

Russian deputy PM quits football role before 2018 World Cup to fight doping ban

Vitaly Mutko the Russian deputy high minister who became banned for lifestyles from the Olympics this month has stated he's quickly stepping down from his function as head of the us of a s soccer union. Mutko is to attraction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday against the selection via the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to prohibit him from the Games over allegations of country-backed doping. For the length of the proceedings I will droop my work at the Russian Football Union for six months Mutko become quoted as pronouncing with the aid of Russian news companies. The IOC said this month it turned into banning Russia from the 2018 Pyeongchang iciness Olympics after finding proof of unprecedented systematic manipulation of doping tactics. Collaborators and traitors : Russia is going to conflict with Winter Olympics ban Read extra Russia is hosting subsequent yr s soccer World Cup in eleven towns including Moscow St Petersburg and Sochi. Mutko additionally stated he was considering resigning as head of the World Cup s nearby organising committee (LOC). Fifa stated in a assertion it understands Mr Mutko s choice which become also taken inside the high-quality interest of the World Cup next summer time . The global sports frame added: FIFA thanks Mr Mutko for this responsible step and for the work finished up to now for the World Cup. It said Mutko s selection will don't have any impact at the successful staging of the World Cup subsequent summer as Fifa the Russian authorities RFU Russian Football Union and the LOC retain their fruitful cooperation at the arrangements for the World Cup according to plan. Mutko sat on Fifa s choice-making council previously known as the government committee from 2009 until in advance this 12 months while he became barred from status for re-election. Mutko s function as a government minister changed into dominated by Fifa s evaluate committee to be incompatible with Fifa statutes worrying political neutrality from its members. A British ship escorted a Russian vessel because it surpassed near UK territorial waters over Christmas Britain s defence ministry stated on Tuesday including that Russian naval activity close to Britain had improved in the excursion duration. The frigate HMS St Albans departed on 23 December to tune the new Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov as it moved thru the North Sea. The Royal Navy vessel monitored the Russian deliver over Christmas and could go back to dock in Portsmouth afterward Tuesday. Things aren t clean between us : Boris Johnson meets Russian counterpart in Moscow Read greater UK defence minister Gavin Williamson said in a declaration that he would not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any shape of aggression . Relations between Britain and Russia are strained and UK foreign minister Boris Johnson said there was considerable evidence of Moscow meddling in foreign elections at some stage in a experience to Russia closing week. His counterpart Sergei Lavrov said there was no evidence for Johnson s declare. While Johnson stated he desires to normalise family members with Russia Moscow blames London for the terrible nation of members of the family among the international locations. Britain s defence ministry said another deliver HMS Tyne was referred to as to escort a Russian intelligence-amassing deliver through the North Sea and the English Channel on Christmas Eve. A helicopter changed into subsequently dispatched to display two different Russian vessels. A passenger bus has swerved off path and pushed into a hectic pedestrian underpass in Moscow killing at the least four humans Russian news organizations have stated. Video from the scene published on social media confirmed a bus veering off the road and plunging down the stairs of a pedestrian underpass on Monday crushing several humans underneath its wheels. The driver of the bus was detained by means of police businesses stated after he misplaced manage of the automobile. The incident happened on one of the Russian capital s busiest roads close to the Slavyansky Boulevard metro station. Monday changed into an regular working day in Russia where Orthodox Christmas will be celebrated on 7 January. An unnamed emergency services supply informed the Tass news organisation http://www.purevolume.com/listeners/windowsclean that the variety of fatalities had risen to five human beings. There had been also unconfirmed reviews that 15 people had been injured. The Interfax information employer stated investigators were searching into whether the incident had came about due to a technical fault with the bus. Ten ambulances hearth service employees and three clinical evacuation helicopters were at the scene businesses reported. A young couple suffered devastating injuries after a Christmas rope soar went disastrously wrong over a frozen Russian river.The pair fell 80ft from a bridge close to the faraway nuclear town of Seversk however their cord was too long and that they crashed into the thick ice.Both the person and lady - who've https://www.sparkfun.com/users/1251372 now not been named - suffered grave injuries and at the moment are in in depth care. Scroll down for video A young couple suffered devastating injuries after a Christmas rope bounce went disastrously wrong over a frozen Russian river. The pair fell 80ft from a bridge close to the faraway nuclear city of Seversk however their wire become too long and that they crashed into the thick iceThe craze has been referred to as bungee leaping with out the soar and gives a feeling of weightlessness as individuals swing back and forth from a rope held on the bridge s underside.The couple are visible on video hugging each other and joking as they prepared for their bounce over the frozen River Tom.They screamed in pleasure as they commenced to fall.There is a brief painful shriek as - a second later - catastrophe struck as they slammed onto the thick ice beneath. Both the person and girl - who've not been named - suffered grave injuries and are now in in depth care. The craze has been referred to as bungee jumping without the leap and offers a sense of weightlessness as contributors swing to and fro from a rope held on the bridge s undersideA man at the bridge gantry filming their four.50 bounce right away blamed any other man screaming: I ll kick you down there too!! You stated you checked and measured the rope .? Didn t you didn t you? A second video suggests the couple mendacity apparently subconscious at the ice.The rope remains connected to the man.A small blood stain is visible close to their immobile bodies.Rescuers waited for expert paramedics to reach the scene before shifting them.Emergencies worker Ivan Temerev said: We received a call round 2pm asking for pressing rescue carrier. The organiser of the jump become named as Mikhail Kholbutaev (pictured). He become hit by way of a social media typhoon today. That s it mate time to % up for prison read one comment When we arrived we found injured human beings subsequent to New Bridge on the left financial institution of the River Tom. A young guy and female had been rope jumping but in some unspecified time in the future their fall trajectory went out of control. Both jumpers were severely injured. The ambulance service requested help from rescuers so one can move the couple from under the bridge. The Russian Investigative Committee - which probes serious crime - commenced a crook case into situations of the jump. The Russian Investigative Committee - which probes severe crime - started a crook case into situations of the soar http://www.icsi.edu/capitalmarketweek/UserProfile/tabid/4706/userId/1665423/Default.aspx (Mikhail Kholbutaev)When successful the jump has been described as swinging from a rope the peak of a seven storey constructing.The organiser of the jump was named as Mikhail Kholbutaev.He became hit by way of a social media hurricane these days. That s it mate time to % up for prison study one comment.Another asked: How did you allow this to manifest? He may want to face up to two years in prison if convicted of carelessness over the incident. Russian officers have said america choice to deliver guns to Ukraine will gas war inside the east of the us of a. The US state branch said on Friday that it would provide Ukraine with more advantageous shielding abilties because it persisted to fight Russia-backed separatists in a low-depth warfare. Until now the USA has best provided Ukraine with aid gadget and schooling. It has additionally allowed non-public organizations to sell small arms together with rifles to the united states of america. But it's miles understood that arms consisting of the US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles can now be brought to Ukraine. This became unconfirmed by means of the kingdom department however. On the frontline of Europe s forgotten conflict in Ukraine Read extra Russia s deputy overseas minister Grigory Karasin advised Russian state media that america selection raises the chance of derailing the system of peaceful settlement in Ukraine . The de facto change in coverage signed off with the aid of the state department and the Pentagon earlier this year is possibly to escalate tensions between the US and Russia. Barack Obama had considered sending guns to Ukraine when he turned into president of the United States however stopped short of directly presenting heavy armaments. Donald Trump Obama s successor is contending with enormous criticism that he has been tender on Russia amid allegations that Russian interference in the 2016 US election contributed to his victory. US assistance is entirely protective in nature and as we've got always said Ukraine is a sovereign united states of america and has a right to guard itself stated Heather Nauert spokeswoman for the country branch. The new cold battle: how our focus on Russia obscures social media s real hazard Read extra But European leaders entreated the events involved inside the negotiation of a ceasefire to stand their duties and put in force the agreed plan. The German chancellor Angela Merkel and the French president Emmanuel Macron stated in a joint assertion that there may be no alternative to an completely non violent agreement of the struggle . They additionally known as for the return of Russian officials to the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination in Ukraine that is helping to facilitate the ceasefire after their withdrawal on Wednesday. A civil war has been waged between seasoned-Russia separatists and Ukrainian government forces on the grounds that Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. More than 10 000 people have died in the struggle so far. Kiev has accused Moscow of sending troops and heavy weapons to the vicinity which Russia denies while Washington says Moscow is arming education and fighting along the separatists. The Russian overseas ministry said the United States selection undermined the 2015 Minsk settlement which turned into supposed to cease the preventing in Ukraine. Photo A residential block broken with the aid of shelling this week inside the rise up-held city of Yasynuvata Ukraine. Credit Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters MOSCOW The decision by way of america to deliver weapons to Ukraine is risky as it will encourage Kiev to use pressure in jap Ukraine Russian officers stated on Saturday.The announcement got here sooner or later after the State Department said that the USA might offer Ukraine with superior shielding skills as Kiev battles Russian-sponsored separatists within the japanese part of the united states of america.President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine stated on Facebook on Saturday the weapons might be used to defend Ukrainian squaddies and civilians.Supplies of any weapons could inspire those who help the war in Ukraine to apply the pressure state of affairs Russia s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said on Saturday in line with the RIA state information employer. Franz Klintsevich a member of the upper house of the Russian Parliament s safety committee stated Kiev might consider hands elements as guide of its movements Interfax information business enterprise pronounced. Advertisement Continue analyzing the primary tale Americans in reality at once push Ukrainian forces to battle Mr. Klintsevich said.Since Moscow s annexation of Crimea in 2014 Ukraine and Russia had been at loggerheads over a conflict in japanese Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces that has killed more than 10 000 humans in three years. Photo A Ukrainian soldier firing a system gun ultimate week at his function on the the front line of the authorities-held city of Avdiyivka Ukraine. Credit Oleksandr Klymenko/Reuters Mr. Poroshenko said in his Facebook put up that he had confirmed the weapons address Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson calling it a trans-Atlantic vaccination towards the Russian virus of aggression. Continue reading the primary tale The FBI has requested officials in Cyprus for monetary facts approximately a defunct bank that became utilized by wealthy Russians with political connections and has been accused by using america authorities of cash laundering two sources have instructed the Guardian. The request for records approximately FBME Bank comes as Cyprus has emerged as a key location of hobby for Robert Mueller the United States unique suggest who's investigating a probable conspiracy between Donald Trump s 2016 presidential campaign and the Kremlin. Trump-Russia investigation: the key questions answered Read extra People familiar with the FBI request informed the Guardian that federal investigators and the USA Treasury approached the Central Bank of Cyprus in November in search of special data about FBME which turned into shut down this 12 months. One man or woman acquainted with the FBI request said it seemed to be linked to Mueller s ongoing exam of Paul Manafort the previous Trump marketing campaign manager who turned into indicted in October and money that flowed between former Soviet states and america through Cypriot banks. The Central Bank of Cyprus which in 2014 placed FBME under management in an instantaneous response to US motion and obtained complete access to the financial institution s information declined to remark. The US unique recommend s workplace also declined to remark. FBME has vigorously denied accusations that it's been a conduit for cash laundering and different criminal pastime. The proprietors Lebanese brothers Ayoub-Farid Saab and Fadi Michel Saab issued a declaration following a chain of latest critical articles about the bank and denied all wrongdoing. Bloomberg said last week that FBME became the difficulty of two US investigations: one into the bank s credit score card unit and another into alleged laundering of money from Russia. Bloomberg said the Russia-related research which is being led via the US legal professional s workplace in New York was connected to a drift of illegal Russian budget into the New York real estate market. FBME previously known as the Federal Bank of the Middle East turned into based in Tanzania but about ninety% of its banking changed into conducted in Cyprus. A record by using the USA Treasury s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in 2014 stated the financial institution become an organization of primary cash laundering challenge . The document found that the bank became evading efforts by way of the Central Bank of Cyprus to supervise its sports and that FBME changed into facilitating money laundering terrorist financing transnational organised crime fraud sanctions evasion guns trading and political corruption. A 2014 internal record by using the Central Bank of Cyprus approximately FBME that became received via the Guardian determined that FBME had banking relationships with several Russians who have been taken into consideration to be politically touchy customers and that approximately 1/2 of the bank s customers were Russian nationals along with Vladimir Smirnov who is near Putin and Aleksandr Shishkin a member of Putin s political celebration. FBME was subjected in 2016 to what is known as a 5th special measure a tough-hitting US regulatory device that become established after the 11th of September assaults to cope with regulation enforcement concerns within the banking area. The move prohibited the financial institution from doing enterprise within the US or the usage of US bucks and barred US banks from commencing or using any bank money owed on FBME s behalf. In impact it close the financial institution down. FBME has challenged the choice but US courts have to this point upheld the pass. It is not clean why Mueller and his group of investigators seem like inquisitive about FBME s financial data. But it shows that the special suggest is persevering with to examine cash flows from Cyprus. Manafort has pleaded now not responsible to fees that he laundered thousands and thousands of bucks thru overseas banks as part of a scheme to hide his work for political parties in Ukraine. He is accused of funnelling the price range thru foreign shell organizations which include many that have been based totally in Cyprus. Manafort s legal professional Kevin Downing has called the prices which include those associated with his use of offshore bills ridiculous . A spokesman for FBME financial institution informed the Guardian that Manafort turned into never a client of FBME. Mueller s team has one at a time issued a subpoena for facts from Deutsche Bank. According to someone near the bank the subpoena become issued within the autumn. The German financial institution is Trump s biggest lender. Deutsche additionally worked as a correspondent financial institution for FBME. Internal emails seen via the Guardian display that executives from both banks had been in touch in 2014 discussing bills that have been at the radar of US regulation enforcement. Deutsche Bank said in a announcement: We severed our dating with FBME in 2014 and feature delivered more than 1 000 anti-financial crime staff in current years to make our enterprise safer and boom our controls.

Russia's Alexei Navalny barred from presidential run

MOSCOW: Russian election officers on Monday officially barred Russian competition chief Alexei Navalny from strolling for president prompting calls from him for a boycott of subsequent 12 months s vote. The Central Election Commission decided unanimously that the anti-corruption crusader isn t eligible to run. Navalny is implicitly barred from going for walks for office due to a conviction in a fraud case which has been viewed as political retribution. He could have run if he became given a unique dispensation or if his conviction was cancelled. Incumbent Vladimir Putin is walking for a fourth time period in office and is extensively predicted to win the March 18 election. Over the beyond yr Navalny has hooked up a grassroots campaign which reached out to the most remote corners of Putin s heartland. Navalny is the most severe challenger that Putin has faced in all his years in energy and the court cases towards him have been regarded as a tool to preserve him from jogging for office. In a pre-recorded messaged that turned into released minutes after the Election Commission exceeded down the choice Navalny called on his supporters to boycott the vote. The method that we re invited to participate is not an election he stated. Only Putin and the candidates he has hand-picked are taking part in it. Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova informed Navalny beforehand of its vote to bar him that maybe we would be interested if you had been running but stated the conviction doesn t allow the fee to place him at the ballot . Moscow: As the maximum severe challenger all through Vladimir Putin s 18 years in strength Alexei Navalny has continued arrests show trials and facefuls of green antiseptic that damaged his imaginative and prescient.But in an interview Monday with The Associated Press he stated the biggest issue keeping him from becoming Russia s next president is a political gadget that punishes him for rallying assist and conspires to maintain his face off the airwaves.Putin s approval score is astronomical and he is broadly anticipated to win some other time period simply but the reality that he received t even say Navalny s name shows the anti-corruption crusader has struck a nerve. Navalny s crook file will likely maintain him off the ballot a sign he says of ways a great deal he frightens the political class.Navalny in his first interview since the start of the presidential marketing campaign said he would win it if I am allowed to run and if I m allowed to apply important media. And he said the Kremlin knows it. It s the primary cause they don t want me to run he said. They understand perfectly how ephemeral the guide for them is. That aid truely appears strong: http://bmxmuseum.com/user/249136 The today's independent poll conducted this month by using the Levada Center suggests 75 percent of Russians would vote for Putin. People in plenty of Russia backPutin as a remember of path and Navalny supporters are robotically heckled arrested and fined whilst they are attempting to spread their message. But there are also symptoms that enthusiasm for Putin may be starting to wane.Another Levada poll conducted in April found that 51 percentage of people are bored with awaiting Putin to deliver high-quality trade 10 percentage points better than a 12 months in the past. Both polls surveyed 1 600 humans across Russia and had margins of error of two.Five percent points. Navalny hopes to capitalise on that discontent.Russian Opposition presidential candidate Alexei Navalny. AP Putin has not anything to say Navalny stated. All he can promise is what he used to vow before and you can check that these promises did no longer come genuine and can not come actual. Navalny gets out his message on social media the use of Twitter and Telegram and broadcasting a weekly application on YouTube. But tv the main supply of information for maximum Russians stays off limits as it s controlled with the aid of the authorities.Other competition applicants are anticipated to run appreciably socialite Ksenia Sobchak the daughter of Putin s mentor but there's wide speculation that her candidacy is a Kremlin plot to cut up Navalny s aid. The simplest different applicants who're crucial of Putin have too little help for the Kremlin to view them as threats.Putin himself has announced his re-election bid but so far evaded https://vimeo.com/user75559908/about any campaigning events. Even so his face is everywhere at his annual information conference remaining week carried stay for nearly 4 hours on Russian television he touted his accomplishments and even taunted Navalny however caught to his exercise of not announcing his name.Navalny turned into now not a candidate all through Russia s remaining presidential election in 2012 but he spearheaded massive anti-government protests that rattled Putin. Amid dwindling reputation Putin seized Ukraine s Crimean peninsula and threw guide at the back of separatist rebels in jap Ukraine putting a chord with hundreds of thousands of Russians who felt like losers within the outcome of the Cold War. Now people are tiring of the Ukrainian warfare and becoming extra targeted on their very own monetary woes presenting fertile ground for Navalny s message.Navalny published his complete election platform closing week focusing on preventing corruption and funneling more money into schooling and health care. He calls for a windfall tax on oligarchs and large cuts to Russia s bloated forms. Unlike Putin s recognition on overseas coverage Navalny https://countertopnyz.wufoo.com/forms/kitchen-counter-tops/ s platform is almost completely home which he credit for developing guide in locations like Novosibirsk Russia s third-biggest metropolis wherein he drew a massive crowd in October. Our government is in the grip of illusions. They cope with Syria and that they re not interested in what s happening in Novosibirsk and those there experience it Navalny informed the AP. That translates into the fact that I m receiving extra support. The blue-eyed Moscow legal professional first made his name in 2009 while he started publishing investigations into corruption at Russia s largest country-owned companies. When the AP first interviewed Navalny in 2010 he become a lone wolf however he has because acquired allies and supporters who have been made investigations into reliable corruption their full-time activity.With the visibility got here the backlash: The 41-year old Navalny has been convicted on two units of unrelated charges and his brother turned into despatched to jail in what was largely regarded as political revenge. A conviction on one of the fees bars Navalny from strolling for public workplace with out unique dispensation and the election legit who will recollect that request inside the coming weeks has already said she sees no legal grounds for him to run.In his handiest formal election campaign Navalny ran for Moscow mayor in 2013 and were given almost 30 percent of the vote.His presidential bid started a year ago while he commenced to build a community of supporters across Russia. He currently counts over 190 000 volunteers maximum of them younger from Russia s western exclave of Kaliningrad to Vladivostok on the Pacific. His supporters have opened campaign offices in 83 cities and cities together with many where Putin is conversant in triumphing via a landslide.On his maximum latest go to to Putin s heartland 1 000 human beings braved temperatures of -15 Celsius (-five Fahrenheit) to hear him speak inside the industrial city of Novokuznetsk where Putin got 77 percentage of the vote in 2012.Many of those within the crowd sounded weary of the president however stated they noticed no opportunity. Asked approximately Navalny many said they'd heard very little about him. While Navalny has captured the eye of a younger generation and the politically lively via social media he conceded he received t be able to attain the wider populace so long as he is barred from state television. We have won among the lively political magnificence despite the ban he stated. The politically active magnificence will turn the politically dormant one in our prefer. It s going to happen in this election if I m allowed to run.

Vladimir Putin's main rival barred from running against Russian leader in presidential elections

Moscow: Russia s presidential election marketing campaign officially lasts only three months and President Vladimir Putin desires to make it as short as viable. With Putin s approval rating topping 80 percentage there's little question approximately the outcome of the 18 March vote.Instead voter apathy represents the main project for his strategists who need his showing to be as robust as ever to illustrate that public assist for Putin hasn t waned 18 years after his first election.In an obvious bid to drum up interest and make a bland race as short as viable to maintain citizens mobilised the sixty five-yr-vintage president waited until closing week to declare his rationale to run once more.It s not clear but how Putin will awareness his marketing campaign which turned into formally opened Friday by means of the upper residence of parliament.A record photograph of Russian president Vladimir Putin. APAhead of the 2012 vote he ran a noticeably polarising campaign amid a wave of big demonstrations in Moscow against his rule. He denounced middle-elegance protesters as spoiled stooges of the West and relied heavily on help from blue-collar workers and country employees.Now within the absence of most important protests Putin can manage to pay for to be extra benign.The 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine reinforced his support which has remained high despite a plunge in living requirements underneath a combined blow of a drop in oil prices and Western sanctions. Even very slight humans never sincerely reconciled themselves after the quit of the Soviet Union with Crimea being misplaced stated Moscow Carnegie Center director Dmitri Trenin. They constantly concept it became unfair. And Putin had the guts ... To present it again to Russia with out spilling a drop of blood. Some pundits anticipated Putin to apply Russia s ban from the Winter Olympics in South Korea to in addition fuel anti-Western sentiments through announcing a boycott of the games and thus mobilise his base. Instead he took a soft stance encouraging Russia s athletes to compete below the Olympic flag.His assertion of a partial troop pullout from Syria after a -12 months campaign that secured Russia s position as a key strength broker within the Middle East also performs properly into his campaign. Putin has a broad backing across all social organizations which is linked to popular assist for his foreign policy achievements said Lev Gudkov the pinnacle of the Levada-Center opinion survey organisation a leading impartial pollster. The propaganda has formed his photo as the countrywide chief who has restored Russia s superb strength repute. Gudkov said polls show Putin s recognition is most powerful in rural regions and small towns in which the general public rely on state-run TV for news. His wide assist is rooted in a loss of real political opposition he said. The political area has been completely cleared Gudkov stated. Putin completely dominates the statistics space. Veterans of past elections Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov ultranationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky and liberal Grigory Yavlinsky all declared their intention to run. But the parties led by Zyuganov and Zhirinovsky represent only token opposition in parliament balloting consistently with the Kremlin line. Yavlinsky s party which in most cases relies on center-aged liberal-minded urban voters did not make it to parliament in beyond elections.In 2012 sixty five percent of eligible citizens became out and Putin received almost sixty four percent. This time the turnout is expected to be decrease Gudkov stated.In the Urals city of Nizhny Tagil which become dubbed Putingrad via some for its strong aid of the president within the last election individuals of the neighborhood branch of the Young Guard a seasoned-Kremlin teenagers group worry about voter apathy. They are campaigning to shore up his support. There is a first rate fight going on now not simplest for sources nowadays but also in terms of information stated its 18-yr-old deputy leader Dmitriy Ardy.Charismatic anti-corruption crusader Alexei Navalny who challenged Putin with a sequence of new protests is a fresh and widely known face that might provide an thrilling opponent within the race but the Kremlin does no longer need him on the ballot fearing that would further amplify his clout.Putin mocked Navalny during the once a year presidential information convention Thursday casting him as a person who might plunge Russia into chaos. Navalny has been barred from running due to an embezzlement conviction which the forty one-12 months-old opposition chief calls politically motivated.Enter Ksenia Sobchak a celebrity TV host and socialite famous for her lavish way of life sharp tongue and brief wit.Sobchak the 36-12 months antique daughter of the overdue mayor of St. Petersburg who turned into Putin s boss inside the 1990s has placed herself as a candidate for those voters who loathe the president and want change. She denies colluding with the Kremlin however her involvement provides a important detail for the campaign: an eloquent Putin critic catering to disenchanted liberal-minded electorate.Sobchak denounced Russia s annexation of Crimea and insisted that the Black Sea peninsula belongs to Ukraine. She additionally stated that Western sanctions in opposition to Russia had been a valid punishment for Moscow s moves in Ukraine.Her appearance on the pinnacle prime-time communicate shows on country-managed TV something that would handiest manifest with approval from the Kremlin made it clean she has carte blanche to deliver sharp criticism.Sobchak insists her key purpose is to inspire public dialogue of topics branded as taboo through the country and provide voice to the competition.But that could be precisely what the Kremlin desires a dissenter who enlivens the race without posing a real danger to Putin.With her celebrity power and energetic presence on social systems the media-savvy Sobchak appeals to young Russians who shape the center of Navalny s supporters. At the equal time her snobbish insolent fashion makes her a sturdy irritant for blue-collar workers assisting mobilise Putin s base.From the Kremlin s attitude Sobchak s participation has an introduced price of further splitting and weakening the ranks of Putin s foes.While many in the competition camp accused Sobchak of playing into Putin s palms she in all likelihood will appeal to folks who resent Navalny s calls for defying the authorities with unauthorized protests and prefer more moderate approaches of expressing dissent.Wearing a shiny purple dress Sobchak boldly challenged Putin at his news conference arguing that the refusal to allow Navalny run displays the Kremlin s fear of the opposition. It was an look http://www.cyprus.com/user/sandiego-accounts.html that become positive to enlarge her base of aid. She will draw Navalny s supporters to her facet Gudkov said. As people recognise that Navalny will now not be allowed to go into the race under any situations she will be able to take that area of interest. In Nizhny Tagil home to a manufacturing unit making navy tanks Andrey Artyugin already has signed up as a volunteer for Sobchak. The 38-year-old engineer said he first of all supported Navalny however lost consider within the opposition chief after sensing some falsity in him.Navalny has warned that he might strike again at Putin by staging a marketing campaign for boycotting the vote an attempt that may hurt Kremlin efforts to enhance the turnout. Our project might be to run a completely active marketing campaign to persuade every person that they shouldn t turn out Navalny stated on his YouTube channel calling on his fans to get geared up for an electoral strike. He is based on a grass-roots community of supporters in more than 80 cities to deliver the message. A danger is actually small that he will be allowed to run in the election but people combat for this said 18-yr-vintage Sergey Antoshchenko a Navalny campaigner in Nizhny Tagil. It became the year of the tough guy the difficult-guy chief with a ruthless streak and a big ego. In Moscow Vladimir Putin a function version for the genre strengthened his harsh grip on home politics even as intensifying Russia s cyber-virtual battle of influence with the west. In Beijing China s president Xi Jinping attained a form of immortality while his unoriginal thoughts had been enshrined inside the Communist birthday celebration charter. In Washington Donald Trump enacted a charlatan parody of the US presidency mixing power and lack of information to an alarming degree. The heavy mob attracted a cohort of emulators and imitators little massive guys consisting of Kim Jong-un the inexperienced nuclear-armed North Korean dictator and Rodrigo Duterte the homicidal president of the Philippines. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Turkey s choleric president labored assiduously to dismantle his united states of america s secular democratic way of life the use of a failed 2016 coup as a pretext. Saudi Arabia s uncrowned leader and ostensible reformer the youthful Prince Mohammad bin Salman made a chain of clumsy nearby energy performs. The corollary to the rise of the hard guy was a feel of debilitating weakness amongst western democracies and of a crumbling postwar global strategic and criminal order. The growing power of one-birthday party China spreading authoritarianism in widespread and divisive populist and nationalistic regressions inside Europe highlighted the predicament. The west s difficulties were compounded through uncertainty over the way to cope with Trump and navigate a disorientating new technology of weakening American worldwide management. Nuclear danger Facebook Twitter Pinterest Kim Jong-Un celebrating the a success take a look at-fire of the intercontinental ballistic missile in July. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images North Korea emerged as 2017 s most risky worldwide safety problem. Pyongyang s development of nuclear weapons and long-variety ballistic missiles in defiance of the UN and its neighbours is not a brand new phenomenon. What modified in 2017 become the juxtaposition in opposing corners of risky foolish and inexperienced leaders: Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump. Aware of Trump s campaign threats to topple his regime Kim in energy for the reason that loss of life of his father in 2011 appeared determined to test the brand new American president s mettle. A collection of missile test launches a few close to Japan become followed in September with the aid of a first underground take a look at of a powerful http://bmxmuseum.com/user/248972 hydrogen bomb. Since then North Korea has threatened any other nuclear detonation this time in the surroundings over the Pacific likely close to the USA territory of Guam. Pyongyang now says it can strike any a part of the US something Washington had vowed to save you. Have we got just 3 months to ward off a US assault on North Korea? Greater Trump s response was contradictory from the start. He held out the possibility of talks with Pyongyang and even a personal meeting with Kim and criticised Japan and South Korea for not doing sufficient to protect themselves. At different instances he threatened to completely wreck North Korea. He derided Kim as little rocket man and a ill domestic dog and scolded his secretary of nation Rex Tillerson for wasting time via pursuing diplomatic solutions. Not to be outdone North Korea dubbed Trump an growing older lunatic and senile dotard . During an Asian tour in 2017 Trump pledged cohesion with South Korea and Japan wherein Shinzō Abe the hawkish high minister won reelection in October in part because of worries about North Korea. But the thrust of Trump s technique inducing China North Korea s most effective influential ally to strain Kim to disarm brought combined consequences. Beijing sponsored more difficult UN sanctions but declined to reduce important oil supplies to Pyongyang. Xi remained reluctant to tackle Kim directly fearing the instability the regime s crumble might motive and due to the fact China has no desire to look a reunified Korea allied to the United States. The Korean crisis has the potential to reignite at any moment as but some other provocative long-variety missile take a look at in past due November validated. Trump ordered a buildup of naval and air strength around the peninsula and nuclear-capable US bombers buzzed North Korean defences. Such brinkmanship is especially dangerous considering the fact that it could convince Kim he is ready to be attacked. South Korea s schooling of unique forces whose most effective purpose is to decapitate the Pyongyang regime will possibly increase his paranoia. A momentary miscalculation by both side could bring calamity. Trump s courting with Xi whom he invited to a get-to-realize-you summit at his Florida estate in April and met once more in Beijing in November proved a one-sided affair. The US leader condemned China at some point of his election marketing campaign terming it an enemy due to its supposedly unfair trade practices. But in Beijing he praised Xi for outsmarting preceding US administrations on trade. He appeared unduly inspired with the aid of Xi s unchallenged home ascendancy confirmed at a Communist celebration congress in October. The Guardian view on Syria: Putin assessments the west extra Speaking at the congress Xi hailed a brand new era of Chinese prosperity and global strength. China he stated could rework itself into a effective force in the international. It will be an technology that sees China shifting towards centre stage and making extra contributions to mankind Xi stated. The doubtlessly negative implications of these contributions for postwar American strategic dominance of the Asia-Pacific area and western influence and interests in Africa and Latin America were painfully obvious. But reputedly now not to Trump. Prioritising a deal on North Korea he gave Xi a loose bypass on exchange and did not challenge him as an example on China s illegal army expansionism in the South China Sea its threats to Taiwan its subjugation of Tibet its yawning democratic deficit or its dreadful human rights record. By retreating from the TransPacific Partnership Trump gave the Chinese any other opportunity to increase their attain. No marvel they prefer him in China. Yet Xi nonetheless denied him a breakthrough on North Korea. Xi became no longer the simplest chief to benefit from Trump s naivety fondness for authoritarianism and without difficulty exploited egotism. Putin regarded to convince Trump that Russia turned into a straightforward partner in solving issues together with Syria in spite of Moscow s guide for Bashar al-Assad s proscribed regime in Damascus and its alleged involvement in chemical weapons attacks and other war crimes. Putin pushed for a lifting of sanctions imposed after Russia s 2014 annexation of Crimea and nevertheless unresolved navy intervention in Ukraine. To Europe s dismay Trump was sympathetic. He became persuaded now not to move ahead for now. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin Photograph: Mikhail Klimentyev/EPA Most astonishingly of all possibly Trump contradicted the findings of his personal intelligence organizations and commonplace Putin s assurances that Russia did no longer intervene in ultimate yr s US presidential election to disadvantage his opponent Hillary Clinton. Despite an accelerating special recommend federal investigation numerous Congressional inquiries and responsible pleas with the aid of former advisers Trump persisted to disclaim any Russian connection denouncing claims as faux news . Trump s business dealings with properly-linked Russians courting returned to the Nineties also got here under scrutiny. This month the reported settlement of the former country wide safety adviser Michael Flynn to cooperate with prosecutors extended the scandal into the coronary heart of the White House. If firm proof is observed of a conspiracy coverup or obstruction of justice Trump s impeachment should follow. Charlottesville s white awakening: We were residing in a bubble say citizens Read extra In phrases of negative headlines Trump s first eleven months in workplace can also have set a few form of file. His journey ban targeting citizens of Muslim international locations become again and again struck down within the courts even though earlier this month the perfect court dominated it could be imposed while a couple of challenges are resolved. His refusal to sentence violence by way of a ways-proper nationalists and white supremacists in Charlottesville Virginia brought protests with critics labelling him a racist and a closet bigot. US country wide divisions have been fuelled in flip with the aid of Trump s splenetic denunciation of American soccer gamers who knelt before games to highlight disproportionate violence towards black human beings. Issuing each day blasts via Twitter Trump not often missed an opportunity to start a row raising America s lifestyle wars to a brand new level. This month he used Twitter to gratuitously insult a close best friend Theresa May. Yet regardless of the benefit of a Republican-controlled Congress Trump s legislative agenda notably healthcare went nowhere with the exception of a bill slicing taxes for agencies and the very rich. Having didn't build political coalitions he trusted govt orders of dubious validity. The Trump White House saw high degree resignations and sackings. Trump completed 2017 as possibly the maximum unpopular least respected president ever. He additionally set any other report: more time spent playing golf than any predecessor. European elections Facebook Twitter Pinterest French presidential election candidate debate between Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron. Photograph: CHAMUSSY/SIPA/REX/Shutterstock Europe survived a 12 months of uncommon political turmoil however its issues are some distance from resolved. The yr s starting saw a growing populist tide generated with the aid of fears about immigration monetary pain Euroscepticism loss of identity and plain antique xenophobia. But despite predictions to the contrary the centre held simply in country wide elections inside the Netherlands France and Germany. Commenting at the citizens rejection of the far-proper Islamophobe Geert Wilders the Dutch top minister declared: The Netherlands stated whoa! http://mxsponsor.com/riders/sandiego-accounts/about Emmanuel Macron s triumphal election as France s president changed into despite the fact that qualified by means of great advances made by using Marine Le Pen the Front National chief who got here 2nd with 34% support. If Macron fails to attain the reforms he promised and the 12 months ended along with his approval scores slumping then Le Pen may be nicely positioned to supplant him next time. Likewise in Germany Angela Merkel s centre-right Christian Democrats re-emerged as the biggest party in September. But they lost help to the a ways-proper Alternative for Germany while the centre-left Social Democrats have been beaten. Merkel was nonetheless struggling to shape a brand new coalition government at year s cease. Madrid and Barcelona want to speak. That s now not on the playing cards Read greater Germany s unprecedented postwar political turmoil delivered to the jitters affecting the EU. The UK obsessed over negotiating the phrases of Brexit for which it formally implemented in March https://justpaste.it/1e7kk placing a leaving date in 2019. Compounding the uncertainty May s Conservative government lost its parliamentary majority in an unwell-conceived snap election in June. In Italy a rightwing alliance overseen via Silvio Berlusconi the disgraced former high minister looked poised for a comeback in 2018. In Spain a declaration of independence by Catalonia s separatist leadership was rejected by the unionist authorities of Mariano Rajoy. In jap Europe Euroscepticism turned into on the upward thrust. Governments in Poland and Hungary battled the European fee over civil rights and media curbs. The Baltic states concerned about protection and Nato deployed troops to border regions. For Europe as an entire the intentions of Putin s Russia appeared increasingly more malign. Moscow was accused of using cyberattacks incorrect information social media manipulation and other lively measures to undermine and destabilise all the western democracies no longer only the United States. In Britain Theresa May claimed in a tough speech in November that Putin was weaponising facts . Russia we understand what you're doing she stated. By year s stop there has been pressure in Britain to analyze claims that Russian cash trolls and internet bots had influenced the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum. In Russia itself the regime intensified intimidation of independent opposition politicians and media earlier of Putin s anticipated re-election bid in March 2018. Beset via inner turmoil Europe paid much less interest and exercised reduced leverage in crises along its periphery. Relations with Turkey deteriorated amid rows with Erdoğan over human rights. The drift of refugees and financial migrants from Syria and north Africa slowed due in part to arguable EU-sponsored measures to incorporate migrants in camps in Libya. But there were predictions 2018 ought to deliver every other large surge. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Refugees and migrants yell for assist after their wood boat capsizes off Lampedusa Italy. Photograph: Chris McGrath/Getty Images Europe became sidelined as Russia and Iran bypassing the UN joined forces to implement a prospective agreement in Syria keeping Assad in energy. Iran s leading function inside the battle increasing impact in Iraq and Lebanon and help for Houthi rebels in Yemen produced little in the way of an powerful reaction from the west. Trump in addition stirred the pot and outraged the Palestinians by way of recognising disputed and divided Jerusalem as Israel s capital and pronouncing plans to relocate the USA embassy there from Tel Aviv. He additionally made a normally bellicose speech at the UN threatening to rip up the multinational 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. It was left to Saudi Arabia led via Prince Salman to take concrete steps to assignment Iran s local targets. But the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen extensively a blockade of its ports succeeded most effective in exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. A convoluted attempt in Lebanon to keep off Hezbollah Iran s ally backfired. And Saudi economic and diplomatic sanctions designed to pressure Qatar to give up its ties with Iran had the other effect. Amid all this upheaval an sick-timed bid by using Iraq s Kurds to create an unbiased state flopped badly. If something inside the Middle East is predictable it's far developing disagreement in 2018 among Iran and Trump subsidized through Israel. Terror attacks Facebook Twitter Pinterest Afghan men offer help to the wounded at the site of a automobile bomb assault in Kabul on 31 May 2017. Photograph: Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images Many pre-existing conflicts and troubles continued or worsened in 2017. Syria s civil warfare dragged on remorselessly. Trump released a one-off missile attack on a suspected chemical guns store in April but otherwise overlooked the warfare. In Afghanistan the effect of the insurgency measurably worsened. After sixteen years of struggle civilian casualties hit file highs in line with UN figures. There become a 43% increase in demise and accidents due to US and Afghan airstrikes. The Taliban had been blamed for 2-thirds of the overall total. The Afghan figures meditated a much wider fashion. Under Trump the American military has substantially elevated its use of armed drones especially in Somalia in which they focused the terror organization al-Shabaab. The new strategies did now not halt terror assaults. In Mogadishu hundreds died in a in particular devastating truck bombing in October. In Egypt s northern Sinai extra than three hundred Sufi Muslim worshippers were killed by way of a group related to Islamic State. Terrorists additionally struck international locations involved within the international marketing campaign against Isis. Horror came to London Manchester Barcelona Paris Ankara Tehran and New York. As Isis was slowly dislodged from its strongholds in Raqqa and Mosul subject increased that its adherents were regrouping in north Africa or returning to international locations of foundation in Europe and Asia. The year saw its proportion of humanitarian disasters manmade or in any other case. War famine and disease in addition devastated South Sudan while Yemen suffered a comparable completely avoidable destiny. In Myanmar an army-led marketing campaign of ethnic cleaning displaced massive numbers of Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh. The resulting struggling introduced fierce complaint of Myanmar s civilian leader the Nobel peace prizewinner Aung San Suu Kyi by using people with scant understanding of her constrained powers in a rustic still ruled with the aid of generals. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Aung San Suu Kyi seems on for the duration of the 9th Asean-UN Summit. Photograph: Linus Escandor Ii/AFP/Getty Images Destructive hurricanes linked to climate alternate ravaged the Caribbean and southern US at the same time as heatwaves and wildfires hit Australia and California. An earthquake struck Mexico in September killing 369 human beings. To the dismay of campaigners a observe confirmed that concentrations of CO2 inside the environment elevated at record speeds. Meanwhile Trump sponsored out of the 2016 Paris weather alternate agreement. Even so many American states and cities vowed to stick to the Paris targets whilst the rest of the arena unanimously determined to ignore the White House. In Europe electric automobiles won wider acceptance battery garage technology advanced and automobile manufacturers announced plans to phase out polluting petrol and diesel fashions. Ratko Mladić became unfortunate. These days maximum war criminals pass unfastened greater There were many other glimmers of hope and progress. In July 122 countries voted on the UN to assist a brand new treaty outlawing nuclear guns a symbolic but powerful assertion. In November the international court docket in The Hague sentenced the former Serb general Ratko Mladić to life in prison for genocide during the Bosnian battle despite the fact that normal it was a discouraging year for the rule of thumb of international regulation. Brazil and Colombia recovering from enervating corruption scandals and a guerrilla insurgency respectively deliberate restorative elections in 2018. The possibilities for economically Venezuela had been much less encouraging. A selection via the embattled socialist president Nicolás Maduro to install a political ally as head of the state oil employer PDVSA advocated hypothesis the us of a s critical oil exports may additionally fall driving up international marketplace charges in 2018. South Africa saw growing anger at the kleptocracy and corruption related to the ANC presidency of Jacob Zuma. And in Zimbabwe the getting old despot Robert Mugabe was peacefully removed from energy sending a relax down the spines of cussed autocrats in Uganda and somewhere else. Breaking News

India to beef up border security as LoC attacks by Pakistan rise

Indian Army jawans on Monday crossed the http://www.colourlovers.com/lover/teacherherozs Line of Control (LoC) and killed three Pakistan Army squaddies the news company ANI reported.The report which charges intelligence sources delivered that the attack changed into in retaliation to 4 Indian Army jawans http://piqs.de/user/battubrefinish/ being killed in Keri region of Jammu and Kashmir s Rajouri district on Saturday.Indian http://eaamongolia.org/vanilla/discussion/657304/what-you-should-know-about-roofing-companies Army troops http://yourparks.nationalparks.org/users/showprofile/50183895 crossed over the Line of Control (PoK)