Author: aejay_wp

Police investigating the disappearance of student Libby Squire have ruled out three items found near where she was last seen, as the search for her enters its fourth day.

Hundreds of people have been involved in the search to find the 21-year-old, who was last seen on Thursday.

A screwdriver, hammer and lip gloss were retrieved near Beverley Road, Hull, according to The Mirror.

Humberside Police said the items found were “part of another investigation”.

Read: Emiliano Sala plane wreckage found in Channel

Miss Squire was last seen getting into a taxi outside the Welly Club music venue in Beverley Road at about 23:00 GMT, and is believed to have been dropped off a short while later, close to where she lived in Wellesley Avenue.

She was then helped by another motorist who pulled over after seeing her sitting on a bench in the street. He subsequently made contact with police and “really helped out” with the search, officers said.

The student, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was last spotted on CCTV in Beverley Road, near the junction with Haworth Street, some 45 minutes later.

The three items were found by forensic officers close to the spot where she was last seen.

There “was nothing to suggest, at this stage, that the items retrieved by forensic officers near the spot where Libby Squire was last seen [on CCTV] are connected with the investigation into her disappearance”, the police spokesperson said. 

Read: US-Mexico border: Pentagon to deploy an extra 2,000 troops

Detectives said they were pursuing a number of leads with more than 70 police officers out making inquiries, including knocking door-to-door around the area where the student vanished.

About 200 students were also involved in the search of the university premises.

In a message posted on Facebook, her mother Lisa Squire thanked volunteers’ efforts and said it had given her “great comfort” to know how highly her daughter was thought of.

The family said Miss Squire’s disappearance was “very out of character” and they were “broken without her”.

Police have appealed for anyone who was on Haworth Street between 23:30 and 00:30 on the night she disappeared to get in touch.

Miss Squire, who is 5ft 7in tall and has long dark brown hair, had been wearing a black leather jacket, black long-sleeved top and a black denim skirt with lace.

The University of Hull previously said it was “deeply concerned” about the missing student and was working closely with police.

Source: BBC 

The UK, France, Germany, Spain and other European countries have officially recognised opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela.

It comes after President Nicolás Maduro defiantly rejected the EU’s Sunday deadline to call snap elections.

Mr Guaidó declared himself interim leader last month and won US backing.

Russia – a backer of Mr Maduro – accused EU countries of meddling in Venezuela’s affairs.

As pressure mounted on Mr Maduro to step down, he said he could not rule out the possibility of civil war.

In a TV interview, he warned that US President Donald Trump would leave the White House “stained with blood” if he intervened in the crisis.

Mr Guaidó said on Sunday he would build an international coalition to deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuelans.

Read: Venezuela crisis: Maduro warns of civil war

What have EU countries said?

Sunday saw the expiry of an ultimatum set by several European countries – including France, the UK, Austria, Germany and Spain – for Mr Maduro to call early presidential elections. They said that they would recognise Mr Guaidó as interim president if no such pledge was forthcoming.

On Monday, the UK, Spain, Denmark, Austria, France and Sweden officially recognised Mr Guaidó as interim president.

“UK alongside European allies now recognises @jguaido as interim constitutional president until credible elections can be held”, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement on Twitter.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Venezuelan’s had the right to “express themselves freely and democratically”, calling on Mr Guaidó to organise a fresh presidential poll. He announced his support for an EU contact group in the interim.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged him to call elections “as quickly as possible.”

“Venezuela should be the author of its own destiny. The international community has a duty to help and ensure that this happens with the necessary guarantees”, he told reporters.

But Russia slammed the statements, accusing EU countries of interfering in the Venezuela’s affairs and attempting to “legitimise usurped power”.

What did Maduro say?

Mr Maduro responded to the EU’s deadline saying: “We don’t accept ultimatums from anyone. It’s like if I told the European Union: ‘I give you seven days to recognise the Republic of Catalonia, and if you don’t, we are going to take measures’.

“No, international politics can’t be based on ultimatums. That was the era of empires and colonies.”

In the interview with Spanish television programme Salvados, broadcast on Sunday, Mr Maduro was asked if the crisis in Venezuela could result in civil war.

“Today no-one could answer that question with certainty,” he said.

“Everything depends on the level of madness and aggressiveness of the northern empire [the US] and its Western allies.

“We ask that nobody intervenes in our internal affairs… and we prepare ourselves to defend our country.”

Read: Venezuela crisis: US vows to ‘disconnect’ Maduro’s funding

President Trump has told US broadcaster CBS the use of military force remains “an option”.

But Mr Maduro warned the US leader he risked a repeat of the Vietnam War – in which the US was involved from 1965 to 1973 – if he intervened.

Hundreds of thousands of US soldiers were sent to help fight communist forces in a costly and unsuccessful war which brought domestic civil unrest and international embarrassment.

“Stop. Stop. Donald Trump! You are making mistakes that are going to stain your hands with blood and you are going to leave the presidency stained with blood,” he said.

“Let’s respect each other, or is it that you are going to repeat a Vietnam in Latin America?”

What is the situation in Venezuela?

Thousands took to the streets of the capital Caracas on Saturday for protests in support of both President Maduro and Mr Guaidó.

Mr Maduro retains the support of the military, but ahead of the demonstrations Mr Guaidó received a boost when an air force general – Francisco Yanez – became the highest-ranking military official yet to pledge support for him.

Mr Guaidó says he has held private meetings with the military to win support for ousting Mr Maduro. He says he has also reached out to China, one of Mr Maduro’s most important backers.

Mr Guaidó, who is the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared himself president on 23 January.

He says the constitution allows him to assume power temporarily when the president is deemed illegitimate. On Saturday he said protests would continue until his supporters had achieved “freedom”.

Source: BBC 

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has said he cannot rule out the possibility of civil war as pressure mounts on him to stand down.

In a TV interview, he warned that US President Donald Trump would leave the White House “stained with blood” if he intervened in the crisis.

He also defiantly rejected the EU’s Sunday deadline to call snap elections.

Opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself interim president last month and won US backing.

Read: Venezuela crisis: US sending aid ‘at Guaidó’s request’

He said on Sunday he would build an international coalition to deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuelans but Mr Maduro has accused him of organising a coup.

What did Maduro say?

In the interview with Spanish television programme Salvados, broadcast on Sunday, Mr Maduro was asked if the crisis in Venezuela could result in civil war.

“Today no-one could answer that question with certainty,” he said.

“Everything depends on the level of madness and aggressiveness of the northern empire [the US] and its Western allies.

“We ask that nobody intervenes in our internal affairs… and we prepare ourselves to defend our country.”

President Trump has told US broadcaster CBS the use of military force remains “an option”.

But Mr Maduro warned the US leader he risked a repeat of the Vietnam War if he intervened.

“Stop. Stop. Donald Trump! You are making mistakes that are going to stain your hands with blood and you are going to leave the presidency stained with blood,” he said.

“Let’s respect each other, or is it that you are going to repeat a Vietnam in Latin America?”

Sunday saw the expiry of a deadline set by several European countries – including France, the UK, Austria, Germany and Spain – for Mr Maduro to call early presidential elections. They said that they would recognise Mr Guaidó as interim president if no such pledge was forthcoming.

On Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Mr Guaidó had the “legitimacy to organise presidential elections.”

“People are on the streets, people want change,” he told broadcaster France Inter.

Read: Venezuela crisis: Maduro given ultimatum by European leaders

But Mr Maduro responded: “We don’t accept ultimatums from anyone. It’s like if I told the European Union: ‘I give you seven days to recognise the Republic of Catalonia, and if you don’t, we are going to take measures’.

“No, international politics can’t be based on ultimatums. That was the era of empires and colonies.”

What is the situation in Venezuela?

Thousands took to the streets of the capital Caracas on Saturday for protests in support of both President Maduro and Mr Guaidó.

Mr Maduro retains the support of the military, but ahead of the demonstrations Mr Guaidó received a boost when an air force general – Francisco Yanez – became the highest-ranking military official yet to pledge support for him.

Mr Guaidó says he has held private meetings with the military to win support for ousting Mr Maduro. He says he has also reached out to China, one of Mr Maduro’s most important backers.

What is Guaidó’s aid plan?

He does not control any territory in Venezuela, so instead he plans to set up collection centres in neighbouring countries where Venezuelans have fled to.

He said he wanted to set up an international coalition to gather aid at three points, and press Venezuela’s army to let it into the country.

US National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Twitter that plans were being advanced over the weekend.

Mr Maduro has rejected letting aid into the country, telling supporters on Saturday “we’ve never been nor are we a country of beggars”.

What’s the background?

Venezuela has suffered economic turmoil for years, with hyperinflation and shortages of essentials such as food and medicine. Millions have fled.

In January, Mr Maduro was sworn in for a second term following disputed elections which many opposition leaders did not contest because they were in jail or boycotting them.

Mr Guaidó, who is head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared himself president on 23 January.

He says the constitution allows him to assume power temporarily when the president is deemed illegitimate. On Saturday he said protests would continue until his supporters had achieved “freedom”.

Source: BBC 

Wreckage from a plane carrying Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala has been discovered in the English Channel.

The Piper Malibu N264DB was lost on 21 January on its way from Nantes, France, to Cardiff, with the Argentine striker and pilot David Ibbotson on board.

Accident investigators are expected to send a submersible to inspect the wreckage later on Monday.

David Mearns, who directed a privately-funded search for the aircraft, said it was located off Guernsey on Sunday.

Read: Emiliano Sala: Search for footballer and pilot called off

The Air Accident Investigation Branch have been at the site, working to recover the plane.
In a series of tweets, marine scientist Mr Mearns said: “The families of Emiliano Sala and David Ibbotson have been notified by police.”

He added: “Our sole thoughts are with the families and friends of Emiliano and David.”

Speaking to Argentinian broadcaster Cronica TV, Sala’s father Horacio said: “I cannot believe it. This is a dream. A bad dream. I am desperate.”

Cardiff had signed Sala for a club record of £15m and he was due to start training last month.

The 28-year-old player and Mr Ibbotson, 59, from Crowle, North Lincolnshire, were travelling from Nantes, where he had previously played when the flight lost contact with air traffic controllers.

An official search operation was called off on 24 January after Guernsey’s harbour master said the chances of survival were “extremely remote”.

Cushions believed to be from the plane were found on a beach near Surtainville, on France’s Cotentin Peninsula, last week.

There were emotional tributes to the footballer as Cardiff played their first home game since the disappearance earlier on Saturday.

Read: Emiliano Sala: Fears Cardiff player on missing plane

An online appeal had raised £324,000 for the private search, which began on Sunday.

Working jointly with the AAIB, Mr Mearns’ ship and another search vessel, the Geo Ocean III, began combing a four square mile area of the channel, 24 nautical miles north of Guernsey.

Mr Mearns had said the AAIB had a “high confidence level” that the plane would be found in the area they were searching.

The AAIB ship has remained at the site where the missing Piper plane was located, to deploy an underwater search vehicle to make a visual confirmation.

A recovery operation will then begin.

Officials at the AAIB said they expected to give an update on the operation on Monday morning.

Source: BBC 

A small plane crashed into a home in California on Sunday, killing the pilot and four others, US officials say.

The twin-engine plane came apart and caught fire mid-flight, witnesses told local media, before crashing in Yorba Linda, a suburb of Los Angeles.

The flight went awry just minutes after taking off from a local airport, some 20 miles (32km) south-east of the city.

Read: Pope Francis arrives on historic visit to UAE

The victims have not yet been named. Fire officials say two people were treated in hospital for burns.

Local residents described a shrill whistling sound before an explosion set the two-storey home on fire at 13:45 (21:45 GMT) on Sunday.

The pilot was the Cessna 414A’s only occupant, and a source told the Los Angeles Times the man had flown frequently out of the Fullerton Municipal Airport.

Those killed in the home were two males and two females, Orange County officials said at a news conference.

Debris from the aircraft could be found over four blocks, according to Eliott Simpson from the National Transportation Safety Board.

Read: Venezuela crisis: US sending aid ‘at Guaidó’s request’

Seventy-two fire fighters attended the scene alongside local police, with the investigation into the crash still ongoing.

“It was a boom,” one resident told the LA Times. “It sounded like something exploded. It shook our house.”

Panicked neighbours rushed to the burning home, dousing burning debris on the street with water from garden hoses.

“You could just see pieces falling everywhere,” another neighbour told the Orange County Register. “Then like it was slow motion, I saw a bigger piece falling in front of our home.”

Source: BBC 

The US says it is sending aid to crisis-hit Venezuela following a request from Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader who has declared himself interim president.

Mr Guaidó’s move last month won swift backing from the US and others but triggered a power struggle.

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has accused him of mounting a coup and retains major international allies.

Read: Venezuela crisis: Maduro given ultimatum by European leaders

He has dismissed US offers of aid as a pretext for military intervention.

Saturday saw thousands take to the streets of the capital Caracas for protests in support of both President Maduro and Mr Guaidó.

Crucially, Mr Maduro retains the support of the military, but ahead of the demonstrations Mr Guaidó was given a boost after an air force general – Francisco Yanez – became the highest-ranking military official yet to pledge support for the opposition leader.

Mr Guaidó says he has held secret meetings with the military to win support for ousting Mr Maduro and also reached out to China, one of Mr Maduro’s most important backers.

Read: Venezuela crisis: US vows to ‘disconnect’ Maduro’s funding

How will the aid scheme work? Mr Guaidó does not control any territory in Venezuela, so instead he is planning to set up collection centres in neighbouring countries where Venezuelans have fled to.

He said he wanted to set up an international coalition to gather aid at three points, and press Venezuela’s army to let it into the country.

In a tweet, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said plans were being advanced this weekend.

Mr Maduro has rejected letting aid into the country, telling supporters on Saturday “we’ve never been nor are we a country of beggars”.

How did we get here? Venezuela has suffered economic turmoil for years, with hyperinflation and shortages of essentials such as food and medicine. Millions have fled.

In January, Mr Maduro was sworn in for a second term following disputed elections which many opposition leaders did not contest because they were in jail or boycotting them.

Later that month, Mr Guaidó, who is head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared himself president.

He says the constitution allows him to assume power temporarily when the president is deemed illegitimate. On Saturday he said protests would continue until his supporters had achieved “freedom”.

Where do other countries stand?

More than 20 countries have recognised Mr Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president.

Russia, China and Turkey are among those who have publicly backed President Maduro.

Sunday sees the expiration of a deadline set by several European countries – including France, Britain, Germany and Spain – for Mr Maduro to call presidential elections. If he does not, they say, they will recognise Mr Guaidó as president.

Mr Maduro says he remains Venezuela’s legitimate president and has rejected new presidential polls.

Source: bbc.com

The US is to send an additional 2,000 troops to its border with Mexico, the Pentagon has announced.

It will bring the total number of troops stationed on the southern border to about 4,300.

The Pentagon said the soldiers would help border-patrol agents, carry out surveillance work and install miles of razor wire.

Read: Pentagon approves troop deployment extension at Mexico border

It comes as President Donald Trump battles Congress for funds to build a wall along the border.

He says such a measure is needed to stop illegal immigration.

Mr Trump’s insistence that the lower house of Congress, now controlled by his Democratic opponents, include funds for the wall in the US budget recently led to the longest government shutdown in US history.

He struck a temporary deal last month to reopen government departments but has threatened to trigger another shutdown or declare a national emergency if his demands are not met. The current agreement expires on 15 February.

Read: US sending 5,200 troops to border with Mexico

Mr Trump is expected to again highlight the issue in his annual State of the Union speech on Tuesday.

What is the latest?
The US defence department said 3,750 extra soldiers would be sent to the border, although many will replace troops already there. The first deployments took place in November.

“Additional units are being deployed for 90 days, and we will continue to evaluate the force composition required to meet the mission to protect and secure the southern border,” a Pentagon statement said.

Their tasks will include “a mobile surveillance capability through the end of September 2019, as well as the emplacement of approximately 150 miles of concertina wire between ports of entry”.

Last Thursday, President Trump tweeted that extra forces were being sent to the border to stop migrants who he said were travelling in “caravans” and threatening an “invasion”.

Mr Trump has repeatedly described the situation on the Mexican border as a “crisis”, although his critics have dismissed the use of troops as a political stunt.

Mr Trump is, however, not the first US president to send troops to the border with Mexico. President Barack Obama sent some 1,200 National Guard soldiers to guard the boundary while President George W Bush deployed about 6,000 troops to help Border Patrol agents in what was called Operation Jump Start.

What is happening at the border?
Officials in Texas recently revealed that nine migrants on hunger strike at an immigration detention centre were being force-fed.

Immigration officials are using plastic nasal tubes to feed some of the men, but relatives say it is causing severe nosebleeds and vomiting.

The detainees have refused food in protest against conditions at the El Paso Processing Center.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says a federal judge authorised the force-feeding last month.

Source: bbc.com

At least 13 al-Shabab fighters, have been killed in an air raid outside the Somali capital, Mogadishu, the US army said.

In a statement released on Saturday, US Africom said that the attack happened in Gandarshe, 48km south of Mogadishu, on Friday.

“To support the Federal Government of Somalia’s continued efforts to degrade al-Shabab, US Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabab fighters in the vicinity of Gandarshe, Lower Shebelle Region, Somalia, on February 1, 2019,” the statement said.

Read: Kenya attack: 50 still missing after al-Shabab hotel raid

“US Africa Command currently assesses this airstrike killed thirteen (13) militants. At this time, it was assessed no civilians were injured or killed in this airstrike.”

This is the 10th attack by the United States this year in the Horn of Africa country. Last year, it carried out at least 48 attacks in Somalia, killing more than 330 fighters, according to The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

Al-Shabab is an al-Qaeda-linked armed group fighting to overthrow the country’s Western-backed government. The group regularly stages attacks against the Somali military and against troops from the African Union-mandated peacekeeping force AMISOM. 

Read: 62 al-Shabab fighters killed in Somalia air raids: US army

On Thursday, an air attack by the US army killed 24 al-Shabab fighters in neighbouring Hiran region.

On Saturday, an al-Shabab suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle at a checkpoint manned by Ethiopian troops in the southern town of Bardhere.

Local security officials told AFP news agency that four Ethiopian troops were killed in the blast.

Source: aljazeera.com

Amazon has forecast lower-than-expected sales for the first three months of the year sparking investor fears over slowing growth.

Shares in the online giant fell almost 5% in after-hours trading despite it reporting record sales and profit for the Christmas holiday period.

Amazon expects sales to grow between 10% and 18% in the first quarter, slightly below analyst forecasts.

A hit from currency exchange rates was partly to blame, the firm said.

Read: Amazon forced to pull products in India as new rules bite

In the three months to the end of the year, which included the crucial Christmas period, profit rose 63% to $3bn (£2.2bn) while revenue was up 20% to $72.4bn.

While this was better than analysts had expected, it was still the slowest sales growth for the firm since the start of 2015.

The deceleration comes as the firm encounters challenges abroad, with changing regulations in markets such as India.

Read: Amazon raises wages for lower-paid workers

It also faces increased competition at home, as rival retailers such as Target and Walmart invest heavily in online operations.

Neil Saunders, analyst at research firm GlobalData, said competitors’ gains had hurt the growth of Amazon’s retail division.

“In our view, the gap between Amazon and the rest is now narrowing,” he said.

“Amazon will now need to work doubly hard to achieve any future sales gains.”

Nonetheless, he said that compared to many other retailers, the firm’s retail sales figures were still strong.

In North America, sales increased 18% year-on-year, while its international sales climbed 15%.

‘Impressive’ profit

Mr Saunders said the firm’s profits were also “impressive”.

Amazon’s widening profits are largely driven by the growth of its high-margin businesses, including its cloud, advertising and third-party seller services.

Amazon’s cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services provided two thirds of the firm’s profit last quarter.

It is one of the services the firm is relying on to help offset slowing revenue growth in its retail arm.

Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos, who is also the world’s richest man, singled out its smart speaker Alexa, saying it was the company’s best-selling device.

Nicholas Hyett, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said the online retailer was “tightening its grip” on its customers with add-on services such as Amazon Prime which offer free delivery and other benefits.

“With so many opportunities, the biggest problem facing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is where to focus the attention,” he added.

Mr Hyett said that while he would have preferred sales guidance to be in line with expectations, “given the rate of growth Amazon’s delivering it could be more than made up by a slight outperformance in future quarters”.

“There’s no evidence of a systemic slowdown as yet.”

Source: bbc.com

Cardi B and Offset could be sparking reconciliation chatter once again.

The two of them—who announced their split two months ago—were seen at The Big Game Weekend Party at Oak Nightclub in Atlanta just two days before the Super Bowl.

It’s an eventful weekend for the duo. Offset’s rap group Migos performed at a pre-Super Bowl event and Cardi is set to make her Pepsi Super Bowl commercial debut alongside Steve Carell and Lil Jon.

Read: Cardi B urges fans not to ‘bash’ Offset after failed PDA

The Grammy nominee debuted a new silver, blue and pink hairstyle while out in Atlanta with Offset. On Thursday, she gave fans some hope when she gave a relationship update and said she and Offset were “working things out.” Their daughter Kulture Kiari Cephus has been a big priority for both parents.

According to a source, Cardi hasn’t officially filed for divorce yet, so there’s some hope they could get back together.

Source: www.eonline.com

Controversial Malawian self-styled prophet Shepherd Bushiri has been arrested with his wife Mary in South Africa, according to his church’s Facebook page.

Police told South Africa’s News24 website that the couple’s detention was linked to alleged fraud and money-laundering offences. They have not commented on the allegations.

Read: Controversial Indian spiritual guru sentenced to life in prison for murder

Earlier on Friday, a religious and cultural body, the CRL Rights Commission, found that the pastor was not responsible for a stampede at his Pretoria church on 28 December when three people died.

The church leader is known as much for his lavish lifestyle as for his successful ministry, which stretches across Africa.

He claims to have cured people of HIV, appeared to walk on water on social media and owns four private jets.

The pastor has more than 2.3 million likes on Facebook and filled Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium on New Year’s Eve.

Source: bbc.com

Nutella, Président Camembert, Ricard Pastis and Carte Noire coffee are among the brands set to cost more in France as a law on food prices takes effect.

It means big food and drink brands can no longer be sold at cost price. Shops’ profit margin must be at least 10%.

But many shops’ own-brand products are expected to get a bit cheaper. Such goods often come from smaller firms.

Read: France hits Google with record €50m fine under new EU data rules

The government aims to help smaller producers but France has continuing yellow-vest protests over prices.

There are doubts about whether the new law will actually work as hoped.

How much of a price rise?

The 10% margin threshold means a food or drink brand previously sold for €1 (£0.88; $1.1) now has to be priced at €1.1 minimum.

But there will not be uniform price increases, French media report. The law affects supermarkets and hypermarkets more than small local shops.

Read: France is not interested in a peaceful Libya – Italian politician

That is because the big outlets offer some popular brands at or near cost price, slashing their margins on those products, in order to lure customers, in a fierce price war. Their profits depend on big volume and high turnover.

Small shops, however, cannot match the supermarkets’ low margins.

Supermarket chain Carrefour is adapting to the law by increasing discounts for loyalty card customers.

Carrefour expects to raise prices by 35 euro cents on average, which is 5%. It says 1,000 food and drink brands are affected, out of 25,000 on sale.

A big retailer which has already raised prices gave the daily Le Parisien a list of brands affected, while requesting anonymity. Among the price rises are:

Président Camembert (up 8.6%)

Ricard Pastis (aniseed liqueur – up 9.9%)
Nutella (up 8.4%)

Carte Noire coffee (up 4.4%)

Coca-Cola (up 5%)

Hypermarket chain E Leclerc said it was raising prices by 3% on 1,000 brands.

Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume said “the aim is to sell agricultural goods for what they’re worth”. He stressed that meat and fish prices would be unaffected.

He said that in supermarkets, in general, prices would go up on 500 out of 13,000 products, and in hypermarkets on 800 out of 20,000 on sale.

Why is the law controversial?

The government hopes that by making shops pay more to their suppliers – the wholesalers – the latter will pay more to French food and drink producers. That is because the wholesalers’ income should increase as consumers pay higher prices for certain brands.

But millions of French consumers are angry about the cost of living, so there is a risk for the government. It is already struggling to contain often violent “gilets jaunes” (yellow vest) protests.

The protests were sparked by a fuel price hike last year – later cancelled by President Emmanuel Macron – but soon the “gilets jaunes” movement morphed into a wider protest against economic hardship.

For months there have been big weekend protests by the yellow vests across France. Another one is planned for Saturday.

Mr Macron has tried to reach out to the protesters. He told journalists on Thursday: “If to be a yellow vest means you want work to pay more and parliament to work better – well then I’m a yellow vest.”

Which consumers are most affected?

The French consumer rights group UFC Que Choisir voiced scepticism about the new law.

One of its researchers, Mathieu Escot, said smaller shops like the Monoprix chain in Paris would not put up prices, because their margins were already above 10%.

But he noted that “gilets jaunes” protesters were frequent shoppers at the big supermarkets and out-of-town stores, where prices would go up.

“So it’s French people on more modest incomes, with weak purchasing power, who will pay,” he argued.

The law “does not oblige” food and drink wholesalers to pay more to French rural producers, he said.

A big agricultural union, Confédération paysanne, told the daily Libération “there is no clear incentive to ensure a return to producers and boost their income”.

Source: bbc.com

India has made a diplomatic protest to the US after 129 Indian students were arrested for enrolling in a fake university.

The University of Farmington, advertised as based in Michigan state, was run by undercover agents from the Department of Homeland Security to expose “pay-to-stay” immigration fraud.

Prosecutors say those who enrolled knew that the facility would be illegal.

However, Indian officials say the students may have been duped.

On Saturday, the Indian ministry of external affairs (MEA) issued the protest to the US embassy in Delhi, expressing concern over the arrests and demanding consular access to those detained.

“Our concern over the dignity and wellbeing of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated,” the ministry said.

How did the sting work?

The fake university was set up in 2015 to try to catch foreign nationals who had initially travelled to the US on student visas and wanted to stay in the country, US media reported.

A website for the University of Farmington showed pictures of students in classes and libraries or relaxing around a grassy campus.

It advertised tuition for undergraduates at $8,500 (£6,500) a year and $11,000 a year for graduate students. It also had a fake Facebook page with a calendar of events.

But court papers released last week showed that the employees of the University of Farmington were undercover agents for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).

The “campus” was an office at a business park in a Detroit suburb.

The indictment, filed in the District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, said the students knew the scheme was illegal.

“The university was being used by foreign citizens as a ‘pay to stay’ scheme,” prosecutors said.

What is India arguing?

The Indian government said the students could have been tricked into enrolling and should be treated differently to any recruiters who may have duped them.

“We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will,” MEA added.

Meanwhile a telephone hotline for worried relatives of those being held has been set up at the Indian embassy in Washington, the Times of India reported.

The US embassy in Delhi confirmed it had received the note of protest but made no further statement.

According to the Detroit News, many of those arrested now face deportation. Eight people who allegedly acted as recruiters face federal conspiracy charges for helping at least 600 foreign nationals stay illegally, it added.

It is not the first time US authorities have run such an operation. In 2016, 21 people were arrested after immigration agents set up the fake University of Northern New Jersey.

Most of the foreign nationals involved in that scheme came from China and India.

Source: bbc.com