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  • India rejects patent plea for ‘immoral’ intercourse toy

    we-Vibe Image copyright We-Vibe

    India’s patent workplace has rejected a plea by way of a Canadian corporate to patent a vibrator as a result of sex toys violate “public order and morality”.

    Invoking India’s obscenity legislation, the patent workplace mentioned the law “has never engaged definitely with the perception of sexual excitement”.

    The patent workplace stated intercourse toys are considered to be obscene objects and are unlawful in India.

    But a 2011 court ruling had said sex toys could not be regarded as obscene.

    Can an orgasm a day stay my rigidity away? Designers shape intercourse toys of the future

    An Ontario-based totally corporate referred to as Standard Innovation Service Provider had carried out for a patent in India for a new vibrator, to stop typical local copycats being offered within the market, according to Shamnad Basheer, a visiting professor of legislation at India’s Nationwide Legislation School who’s engaged on a e-book approximately public well being law.

    In April, the patents place of business rejected the plea, saying that intercourse toys lead “to obscenity and ethical deprivation of individuals”.

    “Those are toys which are not thought to be useful or efficient. Mostly these are thought to be to be morally degrading by means of the legislation,” the place of job mentioned.

    “The legislation views sex toys negatively and has never engaged undoubtedly with the perception of sexual pleasure”.

    The office also invoked the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a A HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE-yr-vintage colonial-technology regulation, which criminalises homosexual sex and unnatural intercourse, in refusing the patent.

    An entice strike down provisions of the regulation is lately pending before the Ideal Courtroom.

    “Why should the patents administrative center maintain moral choices? Officers trained in technical technological know-how don’t seem to be presupposed to come to a decision whether an invention is moral or immoral,” Prof Basheer informed the BBC.

    Sex toys are brazenly bought on-line, and in a thriving black market in India.

    A survey by a web-based story promoting sex toys in India closing year found that 62% of the consumers of intercourse toys in India have been men, at the same time as the remainder 38% were women.

  • Venezuelan money difficulty: The Place a coffee costs wads of banknotes

    Video The Place a coffee costs wads of banknotes

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  • Venezuela united states profile

    Map of Venezuela

    Venezuela is a rustic of placing herbal good looks, starting from the snow-capped Andean peaks within the west, during the Amazonian jungles within the south, to the beaches of the north. it’s also some of the such a lot highly urbanised international locations in Latin America.

    The u . s . has a few of the global’s biggest proven oil deposits in addition as massive quantities of coal, iron ore, bauxite and gold. But many Venezuelans live in poverty, steadily in shanty towns, some of which sprawl over the hillsides around the capital, Caracas.

    Former president Hugo Chavez , who died in 2013, styled himself a champion of the poor right through his 14 years in place of business, pouring billions of bucks of Venezuela’s oil wealth into social programmes.

    the government of his successor, Nicolas Maduro, has needed to fight with plummeting oil costs amid an economic challenge characterized by way of shortages of fundamental items and soaring inflation.

    Read full evaluation Learn more u . s . profiles – Profiles by way of BBC Tracking

    INFORMATION

    Image copyright Getty Pictures

    Nicolas Maduro assumed the position of appearing president on the death of Hugo Chavez in March 2013, and was declared winner of the presidential elections held the following month.

    He was named as vice-president in October 2010 by way of Chavez, who subsequently named him as his preferred successor.

    Mr Maduro was once elected through a margin of lower than 2% over his competition opponent, Henrique Capriles, casting doubt on his skill to maintain unity throughout the left-wing ruling alliance assembled through Chavez.

    Mr Maduro’s first 12 months in place of business additionally posed tricky economic demanding situations, with inflation emerging to over 50% a 12 months – one in every of the top rates within the world.

    the new president reacted by means of having Congress vote to to furnish him different powers for a 12 months, and used them to place curbs on prices and company profits.

    Below President Maduro, Venezuela’s members of the family with the U.s. have long past from unhealthy to worse. Venezuela has accused US diplomats of espionage and destabilising the country, whilst the united states has taken the weird step of declaring a ‘nationwide emergency’ over Venezuela’s affect on nationwide security.

    Read complete profile

    MEDIA

    Image copyright Getty Pictures

    Venezuela’s many non-public broadcasters perform along state-run radio and TV.

    State telecom firm Cantv operates a multichannel TV platform by means of the Venesat 1 satellite tv for pc. Digital terrestrial TV is being rolled out.

    Former President Chavez was once accused of creating an intimidating local weather for journalists, even as some personal media had been accused of being involved within the competition movement towards him.

    Officials have used prison channels to close down opposition TELEVISION and radio networks, says Newshounds Without Borderlines. Under President Chavez, dozens of TELEVISION and radio stations had their licences revoked.

    Globovision, the sole ultimate competition TV station, used to be sold in 2013. the brand new owners said the network’s editorial line might change.

    Learn full media profile

    TIMELINE

    Some key dates in Venezuela’s history:

    1810 – Venezuelans take advantage of Napoleon’s invasion of Spain to declare independence.

    Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption A statue of Latin American hero Simon Bolivar adorns certainly one of the main avenues of valuable Caracas.

    1829-30 – Venezuela secedes from Gran Colombia.

    1870-88 – Ruler Antonio Guzman Blanco draws foreign investment, modernises infrastructure and develops agriculture and education.

    1902 – Venezuela fails to repay loans. Ports blockaded through British, Italian and German warships.

    1908-35 – Dictator Juan Vicente Gomez governs at time while Venezuela turns into global’s greatest oil exporter.

    1945 – Civilian govt established after a long time of military rule.

    1948 – President Romulo Gallegos, Venezuela’s first democratically-elected chief, overthrown inside of eight months in military coup led by way of Marcos Perez Jimenez.

    Symbol copyright Getty Pictures Image caption Rallies for and in opposition to President Hugo Chavez were a standard characteristic of his time in administrative center.

    1964 – Venezuela’s first presidential handover from one civilian to another happens while Raul Leoni is elected president.

    1973 – Venezuela advantages from oil boom and its forex peaks in opposition to the us greenback; oil and metal industries nationalised.

    1983-EIGHTY FOUR – Fall in global oil costs generates unrest and cuts in welfare spending.

    1989 – Carlos Andres Perez elected president amid economic melancholy, launches austerity programme with IMF mortgage. Riots, martial regulation and common strike apply, with masses killed in street violence.

    1998 – Hugo Chavez elected president amid disenchantment with based parties, launches ‘Bolivarian Revolution’ that brings in new constitution, socialist and populist economic and social insurance policies funded by way of high oil costs, and increasingly vocal anti-US international policy.

    2013 – President Chavez dies at age 58 after a fight with cancer. Nicolas Maduro, Hugo Chavez’s chosen successor, is elected president by way of a slender margin.

    Read complete timeline

  • Venezuela challenge: Maduro to curb fuel subsidies

    Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro during a televised speech in Caracas, Venezuela Image copyright EPA

    Venezuela’s president has said its subsidised gasoline costs must upward thrust, to forestall smugglers dishonest the country out of thousands and thousands of greenbacks.

    “Gas must be sold at an international worth to prevent smuggling to Colombia and the Caribbean,” Nicolás Maduro mentioned in a televised address.

    Like many oil generating international locations, Venezuela offers its citizens heavily subsidised petrol.

    Smugglers can then line their pockets reselling the oil in local countries.

    Venezuela’s economy is in freefall, with inflation rates anticipated to achieve a million % this yr – but the value of oil has barely changed.

    Venezuela crisis: How did we get here? Venezuela deploys soldiers to markets Profile: Venezuela’s debatable chief Nicolás Maduro

    Native media record that a cup of coffee prices round 2.2 million bolivars (round $0.50 £0.39 at black marketplace charges). For the similar price, you’ll fill a small SUV with petrol almost NINE,000 times.

    Media playback is unsupported on your device

    Media captionVenezuelan cash trouble: How a coffee costs wads of banknotes

    The transfer to diminish gas subsidies is a part of a wider plan to extend govt revenues, BBC correspondents say.

    Mr Maduro mentioned “direct subsidies” would nonetheless be given to voters with state ID playing cards, if they registered their automobiles in a government census – but he didn’t shed light on how the scheme would work.

    Many Venezuelans opposed to Mr Maduro’s govt refuse to make use of the ID playing cards, however.

    What’s on the root of Venezuela’s economic concern?

    Venezuela is wealthy in oil. It has the biggest proven oil reserves in the world. but it is arguably precisely this wealth that may be additionally at the root of a lot of its financial problems.

    Venezuela’s oil revenues account for roughly 95% of its export profits. this implies that once oil prices have been prime, a lot of cash was once flowing into the coffers of the Venezuelan govt.

    When socialist President Hugo Chávez was in power, from February 1999 till his death in March 2013, he used a few of that cash to finance generous social programmes to reduce inequality and poverty.

    But when oil costs dropped sharply in 2014, the government used to be all at once faced with a gaping hole in its finances and needed to cut back on some of its most well liked programmes.

    How did inflation spiral out of control?

    Hyperinflation has been driven up via the government’s willingness to print extra money and its readiness to incessantly building up the minimal salary in an effort to regain some of its reputation with Venezuela’s poor.

    The govt could also be increasingly more struggling to get credit score after it defaulted on a few of its executive bonds.

    With collectors less likely to take the danger of making an investment in Venezuela, the federal government has again taken to printing more cash, further undermining its worth and stoking inflation.

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  • Rainbow trout can now be known as salmon in China

    Rainbow trout Image copyright iStock Image caption The rainbow trout has been labelled because the actual victim of the move

    in the event you assume there’s something fishy in regards to the salmon you’re eating, that would be as a result of it isn’t salmon.

    New regulations offered in China mean rainbow trout can now be labelled and sold domestically as salmon.

    Why? As A Result Of a media record in advance this year caused a touch by means of revealing that rainbow trout had for years been labelled as the an identical-looking fish.

    Authorities determined that as opposed to banning the apply, the most productive resolution would be to legitimise it.

    Rainbow trout are freshwater fish while salmon are born in freshwater however then live much in their lives in saltwater.

    Symbol copyright iStock Symbol caption The rainbow trout fillet does look remarkably very similar to a salmon fillet

    “The trout need to be perplexed. After such a lot of years its identity has abruptly been modified to a salmon,” said one particular person on Weibo.

    Many have their own tips for what might be re-labelled next.

    “are we able to label seas and lake because the same factor? they are technically the similar,” said one social media user.

    “We Could label the crayfish a lobster as a substitute,” another said.

    “If industry requirements are decided by means of the manufacturers, can scholars mark their own take a look at rankings?” one asked.

    Some consumers additionally voiced their fears approximately parasites again, and whether it was once secure to eat salmon raw, as is common in China.

    Then Again, in step with the China Fisheries Association, domestic rainbow trout are bred in safe and quarantined conditions so there is no want to fear.

    “Whether salmon has parasites doesn’t depend on whether or not it’s bred in sea water or contemporary water,” it stated.

  • Palm oil: A NEW threat to Africa’s monkeys and apes?

    Chimp in Tanzania Image copyright Getty Images

    Endangered monkeys and apes will most definitely face new dangers if Africa turns into a big player in the palm oil industry.

    That is the message of a observe how massive-scale enlargement of the oil crop in Africa may affect the continent’s wealthy variety of natural world.

    Most spaces appropriate for growing palm oil are key habitats for primates, according to researchers.

    They say shoppers will help via choosing sustainably-grown palm oil.

    Ultimately, this may increasingly imply paying extra for food, cosmetics and cleaning merchandise that contain the oil, or restricting their use.

    Image copyright Getty Pictures Image caption 87% of primate species in Madagascar are threatened with extinction

    Environmentalists say the region’s forests have paid the fee, with local timber reduce to make way for palm bushes.

    Oil palm expansion is a big driver of deforestation, which in flip threatens wildlife, equivalent to the critically endangered orangutan of Borneo.

    Image copyright Getty Pictures Symbol caption Borneo orangutans are found in areas allotted to grease palm

    Then Again, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says replacing palm oil with other oil plants isn’t an answer, as those crops have decrease yields and could absorb extra land.

    They say to cut back the impact on biodiversity, palm oil needs to be produced more sustainably by means of averting deforestation and by means of decreasing the use of palm oil in merchandise as opposed to food.

    Palm oil is present in many grocery store merchandise, including soaps and cosmetics. a huge quantity is now also being used in biofuel.

    Where is further expansion most probably?

    Many corporations growing palm oil are seeking to extend into Africa.

    that is a concern for conservationists, as attainable plantation sites are in areas of wealthy biodiversity.

    Symbol copyright Getty Photographs Image caption Palm oil plantation from the air

    they are particularly involved approximately Africa’s primates. Just About 2 HUNDRED primate species are present in Africa, lots of that are already beneath risk.

    Habitat destruction is certainly one of the principle reasons why all great apes are on the fringe of extinction. The introduction of palm oil plantations to Africa is expected to accelerate the habitat loss.

    The latest research is printed within the magazine Proceedings of the Nationwide Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

    The have a look at found that while oil palm cultivation represents crucial supply of source of revenue for many tropical international locations, there are few opportunities for compromise via growing palm oil in spaces which can be of low significance for primate conservation.

    “We discovered that such spaces of compromise are very uncommon inside the continent (0.13 million hectares), and that enormous-scale expansion of oil palm cultivation in Africa may have unavoidable, unintended effects on primates,” stated the analysis team.

    To put that determine into context, FIFTY THREE million hectares of land will probably be wanted by 2050 to develop palm oil in order to fulfill international demand.

    Dr Giovanni Strona of The Eu Commission Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, worked at the observe.

    He said primates are already in steep decline in Africa because of habitat loss and poaching.

    “the principle message is that, as a result of the large overlap among spaces that are suitable to grow oil palm and areas that host many inclined primates, it shall be extraordinarily difficult to reconcile oil palm enlargement and African primate conservation,” he explained.

    What may also be done to take on the problem?

    The IUCN says effective insurance policies are had to prevent the clearing of native tropical forests for brand new oil palm plantations.

    In current oil palm plantations, firms will have to take care of their land to reduce impacts on biodiversity.

    Consumers can also assist by way of choosing products that use sustainable palm oil and cutting down on the amount of palm oil they buy.

    Follow Helen on Twitter.

  • Australia kid abuse inquiry: Ultimate recommendations launched

    A generic image of a boy with his head in his armsSymbol copyright Getty Pictures Symbol caption The file mentioned tens of thousands of kids were sexually abused

    A five-year inquiry into kid sexual abuse in Australia has launched its ultimate report, making more than FOUR HUNDRED suggestions.

    The royal commission exposed harrowing proof of sexual abuse within institutions, including churches, colleges and sports activities clubs.

    Since 2013, it has referred more than 2,500 allegations to authorities.

    The final document, launched on Friday, added 189 suggestions to 220 that had already been made public.

    “Tens of hundreds of youngsters have been sexually abused in many Australian establishments. we can never recognise the true number,” the record’s summary mentioned.

    “it’s now not a case of a couple of ‘rotten apples’. Society’s best institutions have seriously failed.”

    performing on Australia’s landmark abuse inquiry ‘I feel like a weight has been lifted’

    The recommendations come with:

    A nationally applied strategy to prevent kid intercourse abuse A device of preventative training for children in schools and early early life centres a national administrative center for child protection, overseen by means of a central authority minister Making it mandatory for extra occupations, such as spiritual ministers, early childhood workers and registered psychologists, to file abuse.

    The royal commission, Australia’s easiest type of public inquiry, have been contacted via greater than 15,000 people, including spouse and children and friends of abuse victims.

    Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the fee had exposed “a countrywide tragedy”.

    “it is an exceptional exercise in love, and i thank the commissioners and those who have the courage to inform their tales – thanks greatly,” he stated on Friday.

    The proposals will now be considered by legislators.

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  • US pushes back on foreign takeover offers

    US President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony for the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13, 2018. Symbol copyright AFP Image caption President Donald Trump signed a military spending invoice that includes more difficult measures on foreign investment

    the united states has handed a new law that strengthens the government’s power to check – and potentially block – trade deals related to international corporations.

    US President Donald Trump signed the invoice, which is a part of a broader military spending degree, on Monday.

    The degree was spurred by means of US issues that Chinese companies are the use of investments and acquisitions to realize access to new era.

    Those issues also are in the back of new US price lists on Chinese Language goods.

    The legislation was supported by way of both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, which approved the measure in advance this 12 months.

    It comes as different international locations, including the united kingdom, consider ways to strengthen their scrutiny of foreign deals with a watch to China.

    UNITED KINGDOM ramps up powers to block international takeover offers Chinese Language takeover of German company Leifeld collapses

    Main Points of the bill

    the new law expands the kind of offers topic to attainable overview through the Committee on Overseas Investment in the US (CFIUS), which vets international investments to see in the event that they pose a risk to national security.

    For example, it directs the committee to think about how doable transactions might impact private data and cyber security and whether an investment provides foreigners get right of entry to to “material” non-public information.

    It additionally strengthens export controls, allowing the us to check in another country offers, equivalent to joint ventures.

    the new legislation doesn’t specifically title China.

    However, it directs CFIUS officers to consider whether the transaction comes to a “country of special worry that has a verified or declared strategic goal of acquiring a type of essential technology or essential infrastructure”.

    US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he welcomed the brand new regulation.

    Skip Twitter post through @stevenmnuchin1

    Glad to peer FIRRMA signed into legislation today. it’ll make stronger CFIUS and make stronger the federal government ’s capacity to offer protection to essential generation while conserving the U.S. open to investment.

    — Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) August THIRTEEN, 2018

    Report

    End of Twitter publish through @stevenmnuchin1

    Decline in funding

    Even with out the new law, rising US scrutiny of Chinese transactions appears to have dampened investor appetite.

    Chinese companies finished offers worth $1.8bn in the first 1/2 2018 – the lowest stage in seven years and down greater than NINETY% from the same period in 2017, in step with the Rhodium Group, a US analysis firm.

    The decline adopted tighter Chinese Language controls on in a foreign country activity, which contributed to a world contraction in overseas funding ultimate yr.

    Rhodium discovered US regulators blocked about $2bn in Chinese Language offers within the first six months of 2018.

    Those integrated the sale of a US cash switch firm to Ant Monetary, Alibaba’s virtual bills arm and the purchase of Skybridge Capital by means of HNA.

    US blocks sale of Moneygram to China’s Ant Monetary

    Overall, international funding within the US fell 32% from 2016 to 2017, whilst it totalled approximately $260bn, in line with the united states Trade Department.

  • Philip Wilson: Ex-archbishop in quilt-up to be detained at house

    Philip Wilson leaves court in Newcastle, Australia (14 Aug 2018) Symbol copyright AFP Symbol caption Philip Wilson was convicted in Would Possibly of concealing kid sexual abuse

    A former Catholic archbishop will serve a maximum 12-month sentence in house detention for concealing child sexual abuse, an Australian courtroom has ruled.

    The determination means Philip Wilson, who resigned as archbishop of Adelaide after his conviction, will keep away from prison.

    Wilson, 67, is the world’s such a lot senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of protecting up sexual abuse.

    His attorneys mentioned they’d resort an enchantment on Tuesday.

    A magistrate mentioned Wilson would begin his sentence straight away at a relative’s home, the place he could be monitored through a tracking software. he’s going to be eligible for parole after six months.

    Symbol copyright EPA Symbol caption Peter Gogarty, who has spoken overtly about abuse he suffered, demanded an apology from Wilson

    Fletcher was once convicted of nine kid sexual abuse fees in 2004, and died in jail in 2006.

    Magistrate Robert Stone stated Wilson had stayed silent out of a want to protect the Church’s reputation.

    Last month, he ordered Wilson to be assessed for house detention. Magistrate Stone mentioned the senior clergyman had shown “no regret or contrition” during the trial.

    War Of Words with survivor

    On Tuesday one among Fletcher’s victims, Peter Gogarty, approached Wilson to call for an apology.

    He remained silent, however one in all his supporters confronted Mr Gogarty. “I Have Not got time for garbage such as you, mate,” the supporter mentioned, Australian media said.

    Media playback is unsupported to your instrument

    Media caption’Wilson unnoticed my tale for decades’ – abuse survivor Peter Creigh

    Mr Gogarty later told reporters: “We Have Now just had any other representative of the Catholic Church basically name me dirt.”

    Australia sexual abuse ‘a national tragedy’

    “The archbishop doesn’t have a unmarried, solitary phrase to mention to any one like me that says ‘sorry to your suffering’.”

    Wilson resigned as archbishop last month, days after High Minister Malcolm Turnbull called for him to be sacked by way of Pope Francis.

    He continues to be an ordained bishop but has no professional position.

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  • costliest town for expats discovered

    Apartment block in Hong Kong Symbol copyright Getty Images Symbol caption Hong Kong has a few of probably the most crowded housing on the planet

    Hong Kong is back in best spot as essentially the most expensive town to live in the global as an expat, according to research.

    The town of skyscrapers had dropped to 2nd place final year behind Luanda, the capital of Angola.

    But it now heads the Asia-dominated checklist once more, according to the 24th annual cost of dwelling survey performed by advisory firm Mercer.

    The survey covers prices starting from housing and clothes to bread and beer.

    It examines the fee of TWO HUNDRED items in each and every area, including lodging, shipping, garments, meals and entertainment, evaluating prices comparable to a cinema price ticket, a pair of denims, a litre of water, a cup of espresso, a litre of petrol and a litre of milk.

    Mercer defines expatriates, also known as assignees, as employees of an company who’re assigned to work in a unique united states than her or his authentic us of a of employment for a certain period of time.

    In this yr’s ratings, Tokyo is the second one costliest city followed via Zurich and Singapore, with Seoul in 5th. this means that four out of five of the world’s most expensive towns for expatriates are actually in Asia, consistent with the survey.

    The most sensible 10 is completed, in order, by Luanda, Shanghai, N’Djamena, Beijing and Bern.

    The international’s most cost-effective city for expats is Tashkent, sitting in 209th place within the Mercer checklist, beneath Tunis and Bishkek.

    Media playback is unsupported for your instrument

    Media captionNo space for love in Hong Kong

    Mercer makes use of The Big Apple as its benchmark for comparing the prices of residing in different cities, and measures foreign money movements in opposition to the us buck.

    As a consequence, the renewed energy of the pound towards the greenback led to London emerging 10 puts to 19th at the list.

    Also in the UK, Birmingham went up 19 places from last yr to 128th and Belfast climbed 18 spots to 152nd. Aberdeen rose by means of 12 puts to 134th.

    Western Ecu cities have all risen in the ranking typically owing to currency actions against the dollar to boot as inflation. Frankfurt (68th) and Berlin (71st) climbed by way of FORTY NINE puts and Munich (57th) rose through 41.

    Different towns that rose considerably included Paris (thirty fourth), up 28 puts from ultimate year, Rome (46th), up 34 spots, Madrid (64th), up via FORTY SEVEN places, and Vienna (thirty ninth) up by means of 39 spots. Moscow (seventeenth), St. Petersburg (forty ninth), and Kiev (173rd) all dropped down the checklist.

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