A ceasefire deal to allow Syrian rebels and thousands of civilians to be evacuated from the last opposition-held area of eastern Aleppo is apparently back on track.
The fragile truce, brokered by Russia and Turkey, had collapsed after less than a day when airstrikes, gunfire and shelling broke out.
But it is due to begin again "within hours" after a reciprocal arrangement to evacuate the villages Foua and Kefraya that are surrounded by rebels in Idlib province.
Around 15,000 people will be able to leave those two areas, which was a condition introduced by the Syrian government for the truce to resume.
Spokesmen for three rebel groups said the ceasefire would start again on Wednesday night and people would begin leaving areas of eastern Aleppo early on Thursday.
Syrian president Bashar al Assad also hit out at the original ceasefire.
He said it was designed to "keep the terrorists and save them" and stop his government's advance on the last tiny pockets of resistance.
He said western countries had pressured Russia for the ceasefire when rebels appeared to be on the verge of losing all their territory.
It meant the original evacuation plan from the last rebel area - a square-mile pocket of eastern Aleppo - was delayed.
The withdrawal had been due to begin at 5am (3am GMT) on Wednesday but was put on hold as shelling resumed.
Syrian government buses that had been waiting to take people out to nearby Idlib were forced to return to their depots.
Both sides accused each other of breaking the ceasefire.
Activists and fighters trapped in the opposition's last sliver of territory said pro-government forces had struck their district with rockets.
They spoke of "intense shelling", with some accusing Iranian militias allied to Mr Assad.
Mojahed Abu Joud said in a video that people had been wounded in the shelling - as the sound of explosions was heard in the background.
Activists also said fighter jets had resumed bombing raids.
Russia, which has been helping the Syrian regime's bombardment, blamed the rebels for breaking the ceasefire and "resuming the hostilities" at dawn.
The country's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said the resistance was likely to end in the next two or three days.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has also congratulated President Assad on a victory in "liberated Aleppo", saying it was an important step towards "wiping out terrorism in Syria"
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Notorious jewel thief, 86, held over theft of $2,000 necklace
An 86-year-old jewel thief made famous by a TV documentary has struck again, according to police in the US.
Officers in Dunwoody, near Atlanta, say Doris Payne was arrested at a Von Maur department store.
They say she was stopped as she tried to leave with a $2,000 (£1,573) necklace in her back pocket.
Police were called when a member of staff apparently noticed her behaving suspiciously.
In 2013 Ms Payne was the subject of a TV documentary called The Life And Crimes Of Doris Payne.
It depicted her as a career criminal who had stolen £2m worth of jewellery since her 20s.
She would dress in fine clothes, charm sales workers at upmarket department stores and pocket expensive items when they were distracted.
Ms Payne, who has spent many years in jail, said in the documentary she had no regrets about her life of crime except "getting caught".
Last October, she was arrested in Atlanta after she allegedly took a pair of $690 Christian Dior earrings from a Saks Fifth Avenue store.
At the time, she was also wanted by police in North Carolina over the theft of a $33,000 engagement ring.
She has not been charged in connection with that incident.
Officers in Dunwoody, near Atlanta, say Doris Payne was arrested at a Von Maur department store.
They say she was stopped as she tried to leave with a $2,000 (£1,573) necklace in her back pocket.
Police were called when a member of staff apparently noticed her behaving suspiciously.
In 2013 Ms Payne was the subject of a TV documentary called The Life And Crimes Of Doris Payne.
It depicted her as a career criminal who had stolen £2m worth of jewellery since her 20s.
She would dress in fine clothes, charm sales workers at upmarket department stores and pocket expensive items when they were distracted.
Ms Payne, who has spent many years in jail, said in the documentary she had no regrets about her life of crime except "getting caught".
Last October, she was arrested in Atlanta after she allegedly took a pair of $690 Christian Dior earrings from a Saks Fifth Avenue store.
At the time, she was also wanted by police in North Carolina over the theft of a $33,000 engagement ring.
She has not been charged in connection with that incident.
UN: The Gambia President Jammeh must step aside
The UN's West Africa envoy says Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh must step down when his mandate ends in January and would be "strongly sanctioned" if he sought to remain in power.
Long-ruling Jammeh lost the election to little-known businessman Adama Barrow on December 1 and conceded defeat in a widely celebrated moment of democratic hope for the continent.
But he has since changed his mind and his party is now challenging the outcome at Gambia's Supreme Court.
"For Mr Jammeh, the end is here and under no circumstances can he continue to be president," the UN's special representative Mohammed Ibn Chambas told Reuters news agency by telephone on Wednesday.
Chambas also told AFP news agency that "by January 19, he [Jammeh] should be ready to hand over power".
On Monday, Barrow had called for the president to step down "now" as his coalition became increasingly frustrated by Jammeh's refusal to admit defeat.
Jammeh has alleged that the election was rigged and called for a recount and fresh polls.
There are worries within the opposition camp that Jammeh could try to cling on to power pending the outcome of the legal case lodged on Wednesday by the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reconciliation and Construction (APRC).
'Outrageous act of disrespect'
Chambas' spokesman had earlier told AFP that the security forces' ongoing occupation of Gambia's Independent Electoral Commission - the object of the APRC's legal complaint - was an "unacceptable act".
"It is a violation of the independent nature, guaranteed by the constitution, of the electoral commission, as some soldiers have taken away commission materials relating to the presidential election," the spokesman added.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also condemned the government takeover of electoral offices, calling it an "outrageous act of disrespect of the will of the Gambian people and defiance towards the international community".
The electoral commission's chairman, Alieu Momar Njie, dismissed Jammeh's legal challenge of the election result as unworkable due to a lack of judges on the Supreme Court.
"The only way they can pursue the commission is through the court, and there is no court," Njie said.
To meet the January 18 deadline, he would need to appoint as many as six judges to the Supreme Court, which has laid dormant since May 2015. Lawyers continued a planned boycott of the court system on Wednesday in protest at Jammeh's legal fight.
The country's most influential lawyers' group, the Bar Association, said any appointment of judges by Jammeh to decide on a case involving himself would be fundamentally unjust.
Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said on Tuesday that a heavyweight delegation of four African leaders including herself had failed to reach a consensus with Jammeh and Barrow on a transition of power.
"We come to help Gambians find their way through a transition. That's not something that can happen in one day," said Sirleaf.
Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque, reporting from Senegal, which borders Gambia, said that the visiting West African heads of state have left Gambia "empty-handed", without agreements or deals, despite serious efforts to persuade Jammeh to provide a smooth transition of power.
Long-ruling Jammeh lost the election to little-known businessman Adama Barrow on December 1 and conceded defeat in a widely celebrated moment of democratic hope for the continent.
But he has since changed his mind and his party is now challenging the outcome at Gambia's Supreme Court.
"For Mr Jammeh, the end is here and under no circumstances can he continue to be president," the UN's special representative Mohammed Ibn Chambas told Reuters news agency by telephone on Wednesday.
Chambas also told AFP news agency that "by January 19, he [Jammeh] should be ready to hand over power".
On Monday, Barrow had called for the president to step down "now" as his coalition became increasingly frustrated by Jammeh's refusal to admit defeat.
Jammeh has alleged that the election was rigged and called for a recount and fresh polls.
There are worries within the opposition camp that Jammeh could try to cling on to power pending the outcome of the legal case lodged on Wednesday by the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reconciliation and Construction (APRC).
'Outrageous act of disrespect'
Chambas' spokesman had earlier told AFP that the security forces' ongoing occupation of Gambia's Independent Electoral Commission - the object of the APRC's legal complaint - was an "unacceptable act".
"It is a violation of the independent nature, guaranteed by the constitution, of the electoral commission, as some soldiers have taken away commission materials relating to the presidential election," the spokesman added.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also condemned the government takeover of electoral offices, calling it an "outrageous act of disrespect of the will of the Gambian people and defiance towards the international community".
The electoral commission's chairman, Alieu Momar Njie, dismissed Jammeh's legal challenge of the election result as unworkable due to a lack of judges on the Supreme Court.
"The only way they can pursue the commission is through the court, and there is no court," Njie said.
To meet the January 18 deadline, he would need to appoint as many as six judges to the Supreme Court, which has laid dormant since May 2015. Lawyers continued a planned boycott of the court system on Wednesday in protest at Jammeh's legal fight.
The country's most influential lawyers' group, the Bar Association, said any appointment of judges by Jammeh to decide on a case involving himself would be fundamentally unjust.
Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said on Tuesday that a heavyweight delegation of four African leaders including herself had failed to reach a consensus with Jammeh and Barrow on a transition of power.
"We come to help Gambians find their way through a transition. That's not something that can happen in one day," said Sirleaf.
Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque, reporting from Senegal, which borders Gambia, said that the visiting West African heads of state have left Gambia "empty-handed", without agreements or deals, despite serious efforts to persuade Jammeh to provide a smooth transition of power.
Boris Johnson's unused water cannon are now up for sale
Water cannon bought by Boris Johnson which have languished in storage for two years are now up for sale.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the three "redundant" vehicles, purchased by his predecessor in 2014, had already cost taxpayers almost £323,000.
Mr Khan pledged to get rid of the water cannon during his campaign for City Hall, and has now produced a detailed breakdown of their cost.
Their sale will save almost £175,000 in maintenance fees over the next eight years, he said.
"It beggars belief that such a huge amount of taxpayers' money has been wasted on paying to store these redundant machines," he said.
"We've been left in this position by the previous mayor who rashly purchased them before he even had permission to use them, and now it's my job to claw back as much of London taxpayers' money as I can."
Mr Johnson bought the water cannon second-hand from Germany in 2014.
But Theresa May, who was home secretary at the time, banned their use over fears they could cause serious injuries, and questions were also raised over their effectiveness in fast-moving riot situations.
Money spent on the cannon so far includes £32,004 for low emission zone compliance, £19,035 for repainting, £3,109.20 for signage and £970.50 for the fitting of radios and CD players.
The vehicles are now to be sold via the Ministry of Defence to the "highest and most reputable" bidder from an EU policing or civil protection organisation.
Mr Khan said the proceeds and saved maintenance costs would be pumped into services to help tackle the causes of crime.
"By working with communities and returning to real neighbourhood policing, we can do far more for the safety of our city rather than relying on obsolete and illegal water cannon," he said.
"They do not belong on the streets of London."
Mr Khan pledged to get rid of the water cannon during his campaign for City Hall, and has now produced a detailed breakdown of their cost.
Their sale will save almost £175,000 in maintenance fees over the next eight years, he said.
"It beggars belief that such a huge amount of taxpayers' money has been wasted on paying to store these redundant machines," he said.
"We've been left in this position by the previous mayor who rashly purchased them before he even had permission to use them, and now it's my job to claw back as much of London taxpayers' money as I can."
Mr Johnson bought the water cannon second-hand from Germany in 2014.
But Theresa May, who was home secretary at the time, banned their use over fears they could cause serious injuries, and questions were also raised over their effectiveness in fast-moving riot situations.
Money spent on the cannon so far includes £32,004 for low emission zone compliance, £19,035 for repainting, £3,109.20 for signage and £970.50 for the fitting of radios and CD players.
The vehicles are now to be sold via the Ministry of Defence to the "highest and most reputable" bidder from an EU policing or civil protection organisation.
Mr Khan said the proceeds and saved maintenance costs would be pumped into services to help tackle the causes of crime.
"By working with communities and returning to real neighbourhood policing, we can do far more for the safety of our city rather than relying on obsolete and illegal water cannon," he said.
"They do not belong on the streets of London."
Amazon's Prime Air drone delivers first package to customer
Online shopping giant Amazon says it has successfully delivered its first package to a customer using a drone.
'Richard B' is one of two people taking part in a trial to help test the technology near Cambridge.
The company released a video showing the drone taking off from a warehouse and flying below 400ft over fields to deliver the package outside his home 13 minutes later.
In a world first for the company, the drone drop took place on 7 December and contained a bag of popcorn and an Amazon Fire TV stick.
The craft is described as fully autonomous with no human pilots involved.
Under Amazon's Prime Air service, the company aims to make deliveries in 30 minutes or less.
Packages must weigh 5lbs (2.27kg) or less and can only be delivered during the day and in clear weather.
Amazon plans to expand the trial to dozens of people living within several miles of the warehouse and then hundreds more users in the future.
It said: "Prime Air has great potential to enhance the services we already provide to millions of customers by providing rapid parcel delivery that will also increase the overall safety and efficiency of the transportation system."
It pointed out it had permission from the Government to conduct extensive tests in three areas:
:: Beyond line-of-sight operations in rural and suburban areas.
:: Sensor performance associated with sense-and-avoid.
:: Flights where one person operates multiple highly-automated drones.
Despite the prospect of half-hour deliveries, some have claimed that the company's drones could be hacked and hijacked.
Colin Bull. from software specialists SQS, has urged Amazon to install an emergency jamming system to alleviate the threat of hijack.
He told InfoSecurity Magazine: "Putting it bluntly, these devices are in fact a flying payload system with the ability to deliver anything including incendiary devices or grenades in to uncontrolled airspace in the way that only Unmanned Aerial Vehicles have been able to do in the past."
'Richard B' is one of two people taking part in a trial to help test the technology near Cambridge.
The company released a video showing the drone taking off from a warehouse and flying below 400ft over fields to deliver the package outside his home 13 minutes later.
In a world first for the company, the drone drop took place on 7 December and contained a bag of popcorn and an Amazon Fire TV stick.
The craft is described as fully autonomous with no human pilots involved.
Under Amazon's Prime Air service, the company aims to make deliveries in 30 minutes or less.
Packages must weigh 5lbs (2.27kg) or less and can only be delivered during the day and in clear weather.
Amazon plans to expand the trial to dozens of people living within several miles of the warehouse and then hundreds more users in the future.
It said: "Prime Air has great potential to enhance the services we already provide to millions of customers by providing rapid parcel delivery that will also increase the overall safety and efficiency of the transportation system."
It pointed out it had permission from the Government to conduct extensive tests in three areas:
:: Beyond line-of-sight operations in rural and suburban areas.
:: Sensor performance associated with sense-and-avoid.
:: Flights where one person operates multiple highly-automated drones.
Despite the prospect of half-hour deliveries, some have claimed that the company's drones could be hacked and hijacked.
Colin Bull. from software specialists SQS, has urged Amazon to install an emergency jamming system to alleviate the threat of hijack.
He told InfoSecurity Magazine: "Putting it bluntly, these devices are in fact a flying payload system with the ability to deliver anything including incendiary devices or grenades in to uncontrolled airspace in the way that only Unmanned Aerial Vehicles have been able to do in the past."
US tech employees vow to fight Trump on surveillance
More than 200 employees of technology companies including Alphabet Inc's Google, Twitter Inc and Salesforce have pledged not to help US President-elect Donald Trump's administration to build a data registry to track people based on their religion or assist in mass deportations.
Drawing comparisons to the Holocaust and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the employees signed an open letter at neveragain.tech rebuking ideas floated by Trump during the campaign trail.
The protest, which began with about 60 signatures but had more than tripled within hours of publication, comes a day before several technology company executives are due to meet with the president-elect in New York.
"We are choosing to stand in solidarity with Muslim Americans, immigrants, and all people whose lives and livelihoods are threatened by the incoming administration’s proposed data collection policies," reads the letter, signed by a mix of engineers, designers and business executives.
It continues: "We refuse to build a database of people based on their constitutionally protected religious beliefs. We refuse to facilitate mass deportations of people the government believes to be undesirable."
The letter vows not to participate in creating databases of identifying information for the US government on the basis of race, religion or national origin, to minimise the collection or retention of data that could facilitate such targeting and to oppose any misuse of data at their respective organisations considered illegal or unethical.
Trump clashed with Silicon Valley on several issues during the campaign, including immigration, government surveillance and encryption, and his victory last month alarmed many companies who feared he might follow through on his pledges.
Those concerns have not been assuaged in recent weeks, as Trump has said he intends to nominate individuals to senior posts in his administration who favour expanding surveillance programmes.
Alphabet chief executive Larry Page, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Oracle Corp CEO Safra Catz are among those expected to attend the summit with Trump's transition team, according to two technology industry sources.
The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment regarding the open letter.
Drawing comparisons to the Holocaust and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the employees signed an open letter at neveragain.tech rebuking ideas floated by Trump during the campaign trail.
The protest, which began with about 60 signatures but had more than tripled within hours of publication, comes a day before several technology company executives are due to meet with the president-elect in New York.
"We are choosing to stand in solidarity with Muslim Americans, immigrants, and all people whose lives and livelihoods are threatened by the incoming administration’s proposed data collection policies," reads the letter, signed by a mix of engineers, designers and business executives.
It continues: "We refuse to build a database of people based on their constitutionally protected religious beliefs. We refuse to facilitate mass deportations of people the government believes to be undesirable."
The letter vows not to participate in creating databases of identifying information for the US government on the basis of race, religion or national origin, to minimise the collection or retention of data that could facilitate such targeting and to oppose any misuse of data at their respective organisations considered illegal or unethical.
Trump clashed with Silicon Valley on several issues during the campaign, including immigration, government surveillance and encryption, and his victory last month alarmed many companies who feared he might follow through on his pledges.
Those concerns have not been assuaged in recent weeks, as Trump has said he intends to nominate individuals to senior posts in his administration who favour expanding surveillance programmes.
Alphabet chief executive Larry Page, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Oracle Corp CEO Safra Catz are among those expected to attend the summit with Trump's transition team, according to two technology industry sources.
The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment regarding the open letter.
Lego pushes up its UK prices because of weak pound after Brexit
Lego prices in the UK are set to go up by an average of 5%.
The toymaker confirmed the change - starting on New Year's Day - was a reaction to the collapse in the value of the pound since the UK's vote to leave the EU.
It said that while it was raising the prices it charged retailers to stock its products, it was up to stores to decide if they passed on the increase.
The company, which recently confirmed the appointment of a British chief executive, is the latest to warn of rising costs - a scenario which economists expect to squeeze household budgets with inflation tipped to creep towards 3% over the next 12 months.
Weaker sterling makes imported products - such as food ingredients - more expensive. It is one factor behind rising fuel prices as oil is priced in dollars.
The issue came to prominence in October during the so-called Marmite-gatespat between supplier Unilever and supermarkets, which have warned of price pressures in 2017 despite fierce competition in the sector.
Just weeks later Apple confirmed it was raising UK prices for its computers by 20%.
Since then a string of retailers, such as luxury hamper firm Fortnum & Mason, have warned that price rises are inevitable.
The pound has fallen by up to 20% against the dollar alone since the Brexit vote but is currently trading at $1.27 - 14% down on its pre-referendum level.
Against the euro, sterling remains 8.8% weaker.
The toymaker confirmed the change - starting on New Year's Day - was a reaction to the collapse in the value of the pound since the UK's vote to leave the EU.
It said that while it was raising the prices it charged retailers to stock its products, it was up to stores to decide if they passed on the increase.
The company, which recently confirmed the appointment of a British chief executive, is the latest to warn of rising costs - a scenario which economists expect to squeeze household budgets with inflation tipped to creep towards 3% over the next 12 months.
Weaker sterling makes imported products - such as food ingredients - more expensive. It is one factor behind rising fuel prices as oil is priced in dollars.
The issue came to prominence in October during the so-called Marmite-gatespat between supplier Unilever and supermarkets, which have warned of price pressures in 2017 despite fierce competition in the sector.
Just weeks later Apple confirmed it was raising UK prices for its computers by 20%.
Since then a string of retailers, such as luxury hamper firm Fortnum & Mason, have warned that price rises are inevitable.
The pound has fallen by up to 20% against the dollar alone since the Brexit vote but is currently trading at $1.27 - 14% down on its pre-referendum level.
Against the euro, sterling remains 8.8% weaker.
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