Issued on: 04/12/2023 – 18:25

2 min

The charges against Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, “exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement explaining the charges.

Rocha, a naturalized US citizen originally from Colombia, allegedly began aiding Havana as a “covert agent of Cuba’s General Directorate of Intelligence” in 1981, and his espionage activities continued to the present, the statement said.

“Those who have the privilege of serving in the government of the United States are given an enormous amount of trust by the public we serve,” Garland said.

“To betray that trust by falsely pledging loyalty to the United States while serving a foreign power is a crime that will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.”

Rocha, who served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 in the administration of Bill Clinton and was the ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002 under Clinton and George W. Bush, was to appear in court later Monday in Florida.

Rocha joined the State Department in 1981 and rose through the ranks as a career officer, also serving in posts in Havana, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, the Dominican Republic and Washington.

His government posts offered him access to non-public information, including classified information, and the ability to “affect US foreign policy,” the government said in its statement.

The charges against him include: conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government; acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior government consent; and using a US passport obtained by making false statements.

Rocha allegedly admitted his activities to an undercover FBI agent posing as a Cuban operative.

“Throughout the meetings, Rocha behaved as a Cuban agent, consistently referring to the United States as ‘the enemy,’ and using the term ‘we’ to describe himself and Cuba,” the Justice Department said.

Rocha praised late Cuban leader Fidel Castro and described his work for Cuba as “a grand slam,” the statement said.

“Individuals who violate federal law by engaging in clandestine activity for hostile foreign states, and by providing false information about those activities to the US government, endanger American democracy,” said federal prosecutor Markenzy Lapointe.

“That is especially so for past or present employees of the United States who took an oath to uphold the US Constitution, and for US citizens who benefit from the freedoms and opportunities of this country.”

(AFP)

Plastic surgeons have revealed the type of rear-end Americans find most attractive.

The findings, from two studies published in an academic journal, show that, size is not the most important factor when it comes to an aesthetically pleasing derriere on women, despite the ‘Kardashian effect’ on beauty standards.

In one study, by surgeons at Loma Linda University in California, experts recruited 1,100 men and women and asked them to look at pictures of eight different sets of female buttocks, which the doctors had digitally generated.

They were then asked to indicate to researchers which one they found the most attractive. Results showed that people found ‘waist to hip’ ratio of 0.65 most attractive. This number resulted in a more narrow waist that flared slightly into the hips.

WOMEN: The two least desirable buttocks were those with the largest (right) and smallest (left) differences in hip/waist ratios. The extreme hourglass figure seen on my A-list celebrities ranked last place

But the ideal buttocks is far from the extreme proportions seen on many A-list celebrity women famous for their hourglass figures.

In a separate study involving 2,000 men and women, participants were shown five images of male buttocks and asked to rate each from one to five — with those rated five being the most attractive.

The male buttocks ranked number one was also moderately sized, but the outlines of the muscle more defined.

Commenting on the female results, Dr Marc Everett, a plastic surgeon in New York City, told DailyMail.com: ‘The mid-2010s brought an explosion in popularity of  “Brazilian Butt Lift” or BBL [a procedure in which a doctor transfers fat from the belly, hips or thighs to the buttocks]. 

‘But these days we are seeing fewer patients requesting extreme results.

‘Instead, they’re going for more modest size fat transfers, which put them into the “unsuspecting” or “it could still be natural” category.’

Kim Kardashian, pictured in 2017 and 2022, is arguably best known for her perfect hourglass curves. But the beauty has had a transformation over the years and recently started displaying a more svelte figure

Dr Everett adds he’s seen a recent increase in patients who want to reverse their rear-enhancing procedure. 

‘I am seeing patients with some remorse about their exaggerated results,’ he says.

‘They are seeking remedies for oversized buttocks that are less fashionable this decade, or for buttocks starting to sag due to aging.’

The interest in BBLs was driven by large-reared celebrities including Khloe Kardashian, Cardi B and K.Michelle.

But with a shift in fashion many seem to have had the surgery reversed, with Khloe Kardashian appearing in 2022 with a slimmed-down figure. 

The procedures have surged in popularity, with the number of BBLs rising from nearly 4,000 in 2011 to 61,000 in 2021.

In the first study, scientists began digitally altering a stock image of a pair of female buttocks to create eight images with varying waist-to-hip ratios.

This is the main determinant of butt size — along with the amount of body fat inside the buttocks — and made the computer-generated images appear to have varying volume in buttock tissue.

The larger a person’s waist-to-hip ratio, the more fat they had around their waist, making their behind appear less curvy, scientists said.

And the smaller the waist-to-hip ratio the less fat they had around their waist, making their buttocks appear curvier.

The images were then shown to 1,000 study participants recruited via social media.

Almost all participants were from the US — half male, half female, and the majority were aged 25 to 34 years old.

Researchers found the buttocks with a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.65 was most popular. Forty-four percent of respondents said this was their preferred option.

A ratio of 0.65 means that the buttocks is about 35 percent larger than the waist. It was measured by wrapping a tape measure around the waist at its smallest point and the hips at their largest point.

In second place was the slightly smaller ratio of 0.60: a quarter of the sample favored this size. 

One in 10 participants liked the second largest butt the best — 0.675. And the butt considered least attractive had the lowest waist-to-hip ratio of 0.55.

There is variation in waist-to-hip ratios across the population, doctors said, but anything at 0.6 or below would be ‘hard to play off’ as natural.

Every image shown got a vote from at least one of the 1,000 participants who said that was their preferred waist-to-hip ratio. Preferences in other regions of the world may differ. 

Researchers found there were no significant differences between age groups, genders and ethnic groups in terms of which buttocks they preferred.

Writing in the study published in the peer-reviewed journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, they said: ‘Our study found that a lower waist-to-hip ratio was preferred in comparison to the often-cited 0.7.

‘Only 5.7 percent of respondents thought 0.7 was the most attractive waist-to-hip ratio.

‘This may be a consequence of prominent exposure and desensitization of the general population to reality stars and celebrities with curvier figures.’

Dr Everett said a waist-to-hip ratio from 0.6 and below was ‘pretty exaggerated’ and ‘hard to play off as natural’. 

MEN: Those which were more padded and curvy scored the worst – possibly because they appear more feminine

In the study on male butts, researchers asked 2,000 people to rate five digital images of a male buttocks from three angles: Behind, at a curve and side on.

The participants ranked the images from 1 to 5 with 5 being the most attractive and their scores were then combined to get an overall figure. 

Participants were recruited online and 61 percent were male aged between 25 and 34 years old. 

They were all in the United States and half of the participants were from a white background while 75 percent were heterosexual. 

Cardi B revealed in 2022 that she had had butt fillers taken out of her behind. She is shown, left, in July, and, right, later in the year after telling fans she had had them removed

Results showed that, overall, participants preferred a buttocks that was ‘moderately enhanced’ and ‘well-proportioned’ in appearance.

Dr Ashit Patel, a plastic surgeon in North Carolina who led the study, said: ‘In our survey, raters thought the ideal male buttocks shouldn’t be too wide and should retain the characteristic dimple on the sides.’

Results showed that from behind, a gluteal trochanteric index (GTI) of 0.66 was most popular — with an average score of 3.1.

The GTI was measured by dividing the distance from the thinnest point of the waist to the bottom of the buttocks by the widest point of the buttocks. 

Researchers said they used this on men instead of the waist-to-hip ratio because of differences in fat distribution between the two genders.

A ratio of 0.66 means the buttocks is about 34 percent larger than the distance from the waist to the bottom of the behind.

Khloe Kardashian, pictured in 2014 and again in 2022, is believed to have had surgery to augment the size of her butt. She is shown with a much larger one initially before showing off her more slimmed down appearance

It was followed by a ratio of 0.64 with an average score of three and 0.68 with an average score of 2.9. At the other end of the scale, participants were least likely to rate 0.58 as their favorite.

For the other views, however, participants ranked the buttocks with a GTI of 0.64 as the most appealing.

Among gay participants, results showed participants were most likely to rank the ratio of 0.62 as the most appealing. 

Researchers said there was a significant difference in responses by region, with those who lived in southern areas of the US most likely to say they preferred a more voluptuous buttocks on men.

Dr Patel said: ‘Our study is one of the first to really focus on what makes the male buttocks most attractive.

‘We believe the findings will be helpful in discussions with patients considering gluteal enhancement and provide guidance in achieving optimal results and patient satisfaction.’

Interest in male buttocks enhancements has been rising in recent years — with the numbers coming forward rising with the proportion of all butt alteration surgeries done on men rising from 2.2 percent in 1997 compared to 6.2 percent in 2012.

This study, also published in the journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery this year, aims to give people a baseline on which butts are most appealing.

With new Adidas Predators on his feet, Trent Alexander-Arnold is turning into quite the predator in a goal-scoring sense, too. Since signing a £26million boot deal with the German manufacturers, Liverpool’s vice-captain has put in two mercurial performances and scored two goals.

Alexander-Arnold will argue that he has scored three goals, mind. He was cruelly denied one in Liverpool’s from-behind win against Fulham on Sunday as his near-perfect free-kick bounced in off goalkeeper Bernd Leno’s head.

But there was no need to convene the Dubious Goals Panel for the other two strikes, both clean shots from distance. First, he salvaged a vital away point at champions and league leaders – at the time – Manchester City, then scored a last-gasp winner in a seven-goal thriller.

Those two strikes have earned Liverpool three points, a valuable draw on the road and a victory snatched from the jaws of defeat when Marco Silva’s Fulham threatened to pull off one of the greatest smash-and-grab wins in recent memory. Those points could be pivotal in the title race.

Fulham would have been the first side since late October 2022 to win at Anfield in the league, after Leeds, but instead the Kop was left toasting to Alexander-Arnold and chanting about ‘the Scouser in the team’, with the local lad lapping up all the praise that came his way.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is turning into one of Liverpool’s most fearsome goalscorers

Alexander-Arnold’s recent goals have helped Liverpool in crucial matches this season

That ‘Scouser in the team’ is now more crucial than ever to success for both Liverpool and England this year, with him maturing into a leader on and off the field after spending time in the off-season plotting how to start a new personal cycle of success for club and country.

Alexander-Arnold chose to go to an individual training camp in Portland, Oregon in the summer and spent time reflecting on how to improve. His general target for the season was to play a pivotal role in returning Liverpool to glory, and also leading England to Euro 2024 success.

He often has the maturity to proactively reach out to coaches and ask them for advice, with Gareth Southgate and assistant Steve Holland on that list. Klopp and right-hand man Pepijn Lijnders have also been crucial in giving guidance, with Alexander-Arnold a studious player.

Both Klopp and Southgate have told the player that he will be integrated into more of a creative role in the coming year or so, which is reflected in Alexander-Arnold being named as a ‘midfielder’ on official documents when England name their squads for international camps.

It is not just Liverpool and England who see Alexander-Arnold as a global star. Adidas recently signed him up on a multi-year deal to make him one of the faces of their next generation alongside Jude Bellingham and Barcelona’s Pedri. He will get his own signature range of boots.

He knew he could improve leadership attributes, too. During a training session at the Singapore National Stadium in July, Klopp called Alexander-Arnold over for a quick chat. The full-back thought it would be about tactics but, instead, he was told he was to be the new vice-captain.

From that point on, the boyhood Liverpool fan knew he had to step up. He was already an influential figure in the dressing room but Alexander-Arnold has spent time working on his leadership qualities this season, taking on an unofficial mentoring role for younger stars.

On the pitch, the 25-year-old is growing as a midfield maestro. It would be amiss to ignore that his strolls into central areas sometimes leave Liverpool slightly exposed on their right flank. On Sunday, 44.8 per cent of Fulham’s attacks came down that side, a clear game-plan from Silva.

The Englishman’s strike against Fulham snatched victory for Liverpool at Anfield

Alexander-Arnold has been wearing the new Adidas Predators for Liverpool recently

But the qualities Alexander-Arnold brings in an attacking and play-making sense almost outweigh the defensive frailties it might cause in Liverpool’s system. He had 102 touches against Fulham and dictated play from the middle.

‘He is the heartbeat of the team, he has a bit of Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso about him,’ said Jermaine Jenas on Match of the Day 2, with fellow pundit Leon Osman adding that it could be time for Alexander-Arnold to move to a full-time midfielder.

Playing in midfield is nothing new for the boy who often featured there for Liverpool’s youth teams. But after excelling in an attacking sense from full-back, there is a real feeling he can form a formidable trio with Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham in Germany next summer.

He has begun starring for the Reds in midfield since being deployed in a more creative role

Many former youth coaches speak of Alexander-Arnold’s ability to absorb information and learn from mistakes. Lijnders and Holland have spent a generous amount of time on training pitches helping him understand the tactical nuances of the game.

‘When he has the ball at his feet and he is free he can put the ball wherever he wants,’ said captain Virgil van Dijk on Alexander-Arnold. ‘That is a big quality, we all know that and opponents know it as well.’

Alexander-Arnold knows that, at 25, he is still young and has plenty of areas to improve on. But as the Match of the Day 2 pundits agreed, he is turning into the heartbeat of Liverpool’s team, and he can follow suit for England, too. For both club and country, the sky is the limit.

Issued on: 04/12/2023 – 13:35

3 min

The attack close to the Eiffel Tower has increased concerns in France over the risk of Islamist attacks, particularly with the French capital now barely half a year away from hosting the 2024 summer Olympic Games.

The attacker was a Frenchman in his mid-20s born to a non-religious Iranian family but who had already done prison time for planning an attack and was known to the authorities as an Islamist radical with mental troubles.

“There was clearly a failure, not from the point of view of his monitoring by the intelligence services, but a psychiatric failure,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told BFM TV, adding that the attacker had an “acute mental illness”.

“Doctors said on several occasions that he was doing better, was more normal and could be free,” he said.

‘Exploiting weaknesses’

Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, a French national born in 1997, killed a 23-year-old German-Filipino man with two blows from a hammer and four stab wounds from a knife on Saturday evening close to the Eiffel Tower.

Questioned in custody, he “fully accepts and takes responsibility for his actions” and “everything suggests that he acted alone”, a source close to the investigation, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

He claimed to have acted in “response to the persecution of Muslims around the world” while appearing “very cold and clinical”, the source added.

The investigation is being handled by French anti-terror prosecutors who have opened a probe into a suspected “terrorist” plot.

01:41

France’s top anti-terror prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said Sunday that the man’s mother had reported concerns about him as recently as October, but that there was insufficient proof at the time to take legal action.

He had already been arrested in 2016 for planning an attack, eventually serving four years in prison, and had been under close watch following his release.

Darmanin said the attacker’s mother had warned police that her son was no longer taking his medication and that intelligence services had suggested he should be hospitalised. But she did not want that and then reported he was doing better.

He said regional authorities currently did not have the power to issue an administrative order for such an individual to undergo psychiatric treatment, and “this has to change”.

Rajabpour-Miyandoab had been radicalised through contacts on the Internet rather than meeting people at a mosque, Darmanin said, adding that the attacker had also been in touch with perpetrators of similar past attacks.

These contacts included a radicalised Islamist from Russia’s northern Caucasus region and future killer of teacher Samuel Paty, beheaded outside his school near Paris in 2020.

“Terrorism is changing and exploiting the weaknesses of our system,” Darmanin said.

Four people — the attacker and three other people from his family and close circle — were still in custody on Monday morning, a source close to anti-terrorism prosecutors told AFP.

‘No plan B’

The attack late Saturday came as France is at its highest alert level against the background of the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and following the killing of a teacher in a school by a radicalised Islamist in October.

Shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”), Rajabpour-Miyandoab fled over the Bir Hakeim bridge across the river Seine after a taxi driver intervened.

Meeting a police patrol on the other side, he claimed to be wearing an explosive belt before running again, striking two passers-by — a 66-year-old British citizen and a 60-year-old French person — with a hammer.

He was finally stopped with two shots from a stun gun and taken into custody.

Ricard said Rajabpour-Miyandoab had posted a video on social media where he swore allegiance to the Islamic State group and expressed his support for jihadists.

The attack has amplified security concerns over the Olympics, due to begin with an unprecedented opening ceremony on the Seine, which experts see as a potential vulnerable target for an attack.

But Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said there was no plan to scrap the idea, while indicating that the river ceremony could be adapted.

“There is no plan B, we have a plan A within which we have several alternatives,” she told France Inter radio.

(AFP)

I travelled a few stops on the London Underground yesterday. Somewhere on the Bakerloo line between Marylebone and Paddington, I found myself staring at a poster above the row of seats opposite.

It showed a series of hands raised in the air and a message had been spelled out across them by Transport for London. ‘We won’t stand for abuse of TfL staff,’ it read, alongside a message warning of action being taken against those who transgressed

Absolutely right, too. Because, apart from in football, where we are in thrall to the increasingly aggressive and unboundaried tantrums of a few over-entitled multi-millionaires, in what other walk of life would we look at the way Erling Haaland behaved towards referee Simon Hooper at The Etihad on Sunday and think it was in any way acceptable?

Where else other than football would we look at what Haaland did and then look the other way? Not in any other sport, that’s for sure. Not in rugby union or rugby league. Not in cricket. Not in hockey or tennis. Not anywhere. Why should football be an outlier any more? Why should we indulge this institutionalised thuggery a moment longer?

Hooper made a mistake when he reversed his earlier decision to play an advantage and blew for a foul on Haaland when the Norway striker had put Jack Grealish clean through on goal in the dying minutes of the 3-3 draw between Manchester City and Spurs on Sunday evening.

Erling Haaland fumed at referee Simon Hooper as Man City were held by Tottenham

Haaland and his Manchester City team-mates circled the referee on Sunday after he blew for a free-kick when City were wanting the advantage to be played after Jack Grealish was through

Maybe Hooper panicked under pressure. Maybe he thought he saw a linesman’s flag. It would be helpful if there was a line of communication so we got an explanation. It was a mistake and it was a big mistake. That is obvious. It may have changed the outcome of the game. It may not. None of it excuses Haaland’s behaviour.

Sure, City have been charged by the FA with failing to control their players after the melee that followed but they will not care about that. A fine is nothing to them. It is an irrelevance. Where is the individual accountability? Where is the threat of a punishment that actually hurts them and acts as a deterrent to Haaland and others? There is none.

Another reason City drew the game on Sunday is that Haaland made mistakes, too. He is a phenomenon as a player but there was a moment in the first half where Bernardo Silva played a square ball to him and, to general astonishment, Haaland put his shot wide from six yards out with the goal gaping.

It turns out that mistake cost City the victory. You could argue that, anyway. But I didn’t see anyone rushing towards Haaland and screaming in his face, gesticulating at him, crowding him, yelling so close that he’d be able to feel their hot breath on his cheeks on a bitter night in Manchester. Haaland is allowed to make a mistake but a referee is not?

I thought, by the way, that in our desperation to rid ourselves of VAR, we had reached a consensus we are prepared to accept good old-fashioned human error from referees. Errr, maybe mention that to Simon Hooper when he’s surrounded by a posse of City players and his reputation is being traduced up and down the land for an error under pressure.

This has been allowed to go on for too long. It is almost 24 years since Jaap Stam, Roy Keane, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham formed a vigilante flash mob and, veins popping, fingers pointing, eyes staring, mouths agape, pursued referee Andy D’Urso around the Old Trafford pitch because they disagreed with one of his calls.

It became one of the iconic football images of its time. It was used to illustrate the idea that Manchester United were out of control, drunk on their own power, flushed with their own success, creatures running on the anger and righteous indignation bred in them by Sir Alex Ferguson.

It is dispiriting beyond belief but, fuelled by player-power and the arrogance and entitlement brought by new levels of wealth, the behaviour of top-flight players towards referees has got worse since then and is feeding an epidemic of intimidation and abuse in grassroots football.

It was a mistake and it was a big mistake by Hooper but Haaland’s reaction was unacceptable

And now we have a new poster to take the place of the United gang surrounding Andy D’Urso. Now we have another image that will be used for years to come to show how the abuse of referees has become normalised and sanctified and defended by too many within the game. 

We have another image that young footballers will already have seen, an image that legitimises the kind of thuggish, petulant, puerile, spoiled behaviour they will emulate up and down the country when they get right in the face of a referee and scream their hate at him.

Let me tell you what the image is not. It is not the artist’s portrayal on the front of the City-Spurs programme on Sunday showing Haaland sitting cross-legged on the pitch at the Etihad in a zen-like pose, his eyes closed, a serene smile on his face, his arms outstretched, his hands arranged so that his thumb is touching his forefinger and forming a circle.

It is almost 24 years since Jaap Stam, Roy Keane, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham formed a vigilante flash mob and pursued referee Andy d’Urso around the Old Trafford pitch

Mail Sport has launched a campaign to stop the abuse of referees at all levels of the game

Haaland missed a huge chance earlier in the match that could have given City the victory

No, this image is different. The image that will launch a thousand more copycat attacks on referees is of Haaland, his hands clamped to his head, pulling back his hair, a demonic expression of hatred mixed with disbelief on his face as he vents his fury at Mr Hooper in the immediate aftermath of his decision.

Haaland — along with Ruben Dias and Mateo Kovacic — confronts the official immediately, his fury uncontrolled. His face is contorted in an expression of anger, pain, misery and disbelief that makes him look like the figure in The Scream, the painting by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch.

It is hard to exaggerate the negative power this image will wield. Haaland is the greatest striker in the world. He is a brilliant, goalscoring machine, the figurehead of a City side that is the best club team in the world, a side bidding to become the first in English history to win the Premier League title four times in succession.

And when a decision goes against him, this is how he behaves. Young players — players of all ages — are highly impressionable. This is exactly the kind of image that will encourage them to get in the face of referees on Sunday League pitches. Get in the face of the referee and a lot, lot worse.

Apologists for Haaland’s behaviour — and there will be plenty — will talk about the pressure that young players are under these days and the best response to that remains the remark made by the Australian all-rounder Keith Miller who flew for the Royal Australian Air Force during World War Two.

When asked by chat show host Michael Parkinson how he coped with pressure in cricket, Miller had a tart response. ‘Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse,’ he said. ‘Playing cricket is not.’

Haaland is a brilliant striker but this is how he behaves when a decision goes against him

Apologists for Haaland’s behaviour will talk about the pressure young players are under 

It is time to stop indulging this petulance we have suffered for too long. It is time to acknowledge that it is starting to endanger the fabric of football. Why would anyone want to be a referee when intimidatory behaviour from players is encouraged by the stars at the top of the game?

‘I will not do a Mikel Arteta,’ City manager Pep Guardiola said after the match, making reference to the hysterical outburst from the Arsenal boss after a decision went against his team during a defeat at Newcastle last month. Guardiola might not have done an Arteta but his players had already done it for him.

Hooper had a fine game but he didn’t just make one mistake. He made two. He booked Haaland for his protests when he should have sent him off.

Forget the collective slap on the wrist City are facing from the FA now. It means less than nothing. To get serious about protecting referees and protecting the game, Haaland should be looking at a three-game ban, the better for him to ponder how he would react if someone ran up to him and screamed abuse in his face the next time he missed an open goal. Not well, is my guess.

The military junta in Niger, which seized power at the end of July after ousting President Mohamed Bazoum, announced the repeal of the anti-migrant law last Monday.

In a televised statement, the government’s secretariat general said General Abdourahamane Tiani on Saturday signed an order repealing the measure and stipulating that convictions handed down under the 2015 law be revoked.

The EU, meanwhile, said it regretted the decision to scrap the controversial 2015 law, saying that it could lead to an increase in the number of people trying to reach Europe illegally.

“I’m very concerned about the situation now, and there is a huge risk that this will cause new deaths in the [Sahara] desert,” European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said.

She said it “would also probably mean more people coming to Libya, for example, and then maybe also trying to cross the Mediterranean to the EU”.

The news was however welcomed by Nigeriens, who saw the repealed law as a threat to the local economy.

“It’s a law that contravened the free movement of people and goods, so it’s been very well received,” said Sidi Mamadou, 42, a former smuggler and campaigner for legal migration.

“We’re going to get back to work, and if we see any migrants, we’ll transport them [to migration destinations],” he said.

‘For us, immigration was a trade’

A crossing point between Africa’s Sahel region and the Sahara, Agadez – Niger’s largest city in the north – has long been a transit city for migrants from West and Central Africa.

Local businesses based on legal migration had flourished in Agadez following the collapse of tourism due to terrorist activity in the region.

Before the law passed in 2015, cab drivers, restaurants and accommodation for migrants were easy to find, while convoys of exiles that left Agadez every week for Libya or Algeria were escorted by military vehicles to deter possible attacks along the way.

“For us, immigration was a trade, and we made a lot of money from it,” Mamadou said.

“We would note the chassis numbers of the vehicles, the names of the drivers, the number of migrants and draw up a roadmap, even the mayor would take a tax on the convoys,” said Mamadou, who is a member of a transport union.

Under an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) treaty, African Union nationals can travel on the continent provided they have an identification document.

More than 60,000 migrants passed through Niger en route to Libya and Algeria in the first half of 2023, a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) showed.

Ineffective retraining programs

The 2015 migration crisis, however, prompted the EU to act as it sought to curb illegal immigration from the African continent.

In exchange for financing of up to €1 billion, Niger’s government signed the 2015 law in an attempt to put a stop to the flow of migrants travelling through Agadez without documents.

Despite protests and rallies by Agadez smugglers, the 2015-36 Law came into force at the end of 2015.

Dozens of smugglers were imprisoned or fined between 3 and 30 million CFA francs (€4,500 to €45,000).

“One fine morning in 2015, we were told it was illegal and criminal, and the young people were arrested with their belongings,” Agadez Regional Council President Mohamed Anacko said. 

The EU also financed vocational retraining programs in Niger. In 2017, the EU provided the EU Trust Fund for Africa with €3.5 million to “mitigate the consequences of reduced irregular migration flows on the local economy in the Agadez region … with a focus on job creation”. 

Despite the funding, the policy did not produce the desired effect. 

“Everyone was able to choose a professional field for the retraining program, but eight years later, it has only benefited 300 people,” Anacko said.  

The low participation rate was partly due to the fact that smugglers and transporters were excluded from the programme as their previous activities were deemed “criminal” by the EU. 

First convoys ‘as early as next week’

In the meantime, the business of migration in Niger’s Agadez became a clandestine activity. 

To avoid the authorities, smugglers had started taking routes further away from main roads, which are longer, more isolated and therefore more dangerous.  

“Migration became risky, because it was no longer controlled, and people began to die in the desert without anyone knowing,” Anacko said. 

According to data published by the IOM in August, no fewer than 570 migrants were reported deceased between January and June 2023 along the migratory routes in the Sahara Desert. 

Agadez’s entire migration trade is set to be revived following last week’s announcement.  

“The first convoys will probably arrive as early as next week. We can expect a massive flow of migrants to Europe over the next few months,” Mamadou said. 

For the EU, which has a policy of outsourcing border controls to Mediterranean and African countries, Niger’s repeal of the anti-migration law represents yet another setback after Tunisia in October rejected funding it had offered the country to help curb illegal immigation. 

This article was translated from the original in French.

Twelve years in captivity together seems like more than enough time to fall in love and start a family – but not for the giant panda. 

After arriving in Scotland together in December 2011, the only giant pandas in Britain – called Tian Tian and Yang Guang – have headed home to China. 

It was hoped that female Tian Tian (‘Sweetie’) and male Yang Guang (‘Sunshine’) would produce an adorable cub during their stay at Edinburgh Zoo.

But after repeated attempts at natural breeding and artificial insemination – to the outrage of animal rights groups – the bears never succeeded in conceiving.

The species is notoriously bad at mating, especially in captivity, and MailOnline has taken a closer look to find out why. 

Yang Guang, one of the giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo, eats bamboo stalks in its enclosure, in Edinburgh

Tian Tian (pictured) has had cubs in China, but not in the UK. Experts have admitted the species is ‘difficult to breed’, especially in captivity 

Professor Simon Girling, head of veterinary services at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), admitted the giant panda is ‘difficult to breed’. 

‘It’s sad that Tian Tian hasn’t bred here, we would obviously really have liked her to have done so, but this is not unusual with giant pandas, they are difficult to breed, there is a reason why they’re endangered,’ he said. 

Combined with their small organs and low metabolic rates, the giant panda diet – which is 99 per cent bamboo – leaves it with very little energy for moving, let along mating.

Its energy-saving traits include an underactive thyroid gland – the gland that produces hormones to help regulate the metabolism (the process that turns food into energy). 

Even when moving around, a giant panda uses just half the amount of energy as a stationary human. 

‘Unlike most other herbivorous species, their digestive tract has not evolved the long twists and turns that facilitate the slower digestion necessary for cellulose-rich plants,’ said a Chinese team of experts in the journal Science. 

‘The pandas’ thyroid hormone levels are also a fraction of the mammalian norm.’ 

Giant pandas in zoos are even lazier than in the wild, partly because they are given bamboo and don’t have to search for it, but also because the stressors of a wild habitat are absent. 

In captivity, pandas spend 33 per cent of their time being physically active, while in the wild 49 per cent of their time is spent being physically active. 

As a result of this, it becomes difficult to breed them in captivity, as they lose interest in mating the natural way.

Giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian inside metal crates are loaded onto a China Southern cargo plane at Edinburgh Airport on Monday morning 

Making it more difficult is the fact that female pandas are only able to conceive for two to three days a year. 

A female panda has a single oestrous cycle in the spring in which she is fertile for only 24 to 36 hours, according to the Pandas International conservation organisation. 

The male giant panda also takes a good share of the blame. 

According to the legendary wildlife conservationist, Susan Mainka, males are bad at reading when females want to have sex. 

This was illustrated perfectly by hilarious video footage in 2021, showing a frisky female’s advances being missed by a male more interested in his bamboo. 

‘Often, males don’t read the signs right, and if they try at the wrong time, they get bitten,’ Mainka told the Guardian. 

Zookeepers tried everything to get Tian Tian and Yang Guang to mate, from playing romantic music to putting them in a ‘love tunnel’ to get them in the mood for passion.

Wildlife conservation charity Born Free estimates that Edinburgh Zoo spent £13.7 million on the pair and trying to get a cub from them. 

The charity called the project ‘sordid’ and an ‘unmitigated failure’ in comments to the Guardian, while OneKind said there is ‘no good reason to keep pandas captive in zoos’. 

Yang Guang and Tian Tian came to Edinburgh Zoo in 2011 as part of a 10-year agreement between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, which was later extended by two years. Pictured, Yang Guang

Yang Guang and Tian Tian came to Edinburgh Zoo in December 2011 as part of a 10-year agreement, which was extended by two years, between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. 

Edinburgh Zoo tried natural breeding and then moved onto attempted artificial insemination until 2018, when Yang Guang had to have his testicles removed after tumours were found. 

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Despite the failure to get a giant panda cub born in Edinburgh, RZSS chief executive said Yang Guang and Tian Tian have had ‘an incredible impact’. 

‘We have made a significant contribution to our understanding around giant panda fertility, husbandry, and veterinary care, which has been of real benefit to efforts to protect this amazing species in China,’ he said. 

‘It is encouraging that in recent years the outlook for giant pandas in the wild has improved, which gives real hope for the future.’ 

Pictured, the China Southern cargo plane carrying Giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian takes off from Edinburgh Airport as they begin their journey back to China after spending 12 years in Scotland 

Yang Guang and Tian Tian were transported to the airport in metal crates and loaded into a cargo plane with a pallet of bamboo ahead of their flight back to China, which left Monday morning. 

They had been in quarantine since the start of November and will spend time in quarantine when they arrive in China, where they will live at a sanctuary in Chengdu.

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Attempts to breed giant pandas in captivity first began in China in 1955. 

In 1963, Ming Ming, the first giant panda bred in captivity, was born at the Beijing zoo, but none have ever been born in the UK. 

In Mexico’s Chapultepec Zoo, a female called Tohui (1981-1993) was the was the first panda to be born and survive infancy outside of China. 

Adorable! Twin giant pandas born through artificial insemination at a China breeding centre 

Twin adorable giant pandas were welcomed into the world in August 2022 at a China breeding centre.

The male and female cubs weighed 16.2 and 5.3 ounces at birth and are said to be doing well as they spend time with their mother and get adjusted to their new surroundings. 

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They were born through artificial insemination, a popular method among breeding centres, because pandas are not typically motivated to procreate.

It brings hope that the national’s unofficial mascot may be thriving after suffering population loss to climate change and habitat destruction.

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Issued on: 04/12/2023 – 16:42

1 min

The trial was suspended after the Palestinian militant group’s bloody October 7 attack on southern Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and 240 more kidnapped according to Israeli officials.

Netanyahu, leader of Israel’s right-wing Likud party, is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, allegations he denies.

Minister David Amsalem of Likud called the resumption of proceedings during the war “a disgrace”.

“War? Captives? … No, no. The most important thing now is to renew Netanyahu’s trial,” said Amsalem on Sunday on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Netanyahu and his allies have argued the accusations against him are politically motivated and had proposed a judicial overhaul that would have curbed some powers held by the courts.

The high-profile trial is expected to last several more months. An appeal process, if necessary, could take years.

In one of three cases the trial encompasses, prosecutors allege a plot between Netanyahu and the controlling shareholder of Israel’s Bezeq telecom giant to exchange regulatory favours for positive coverage on a news site owned by the firm.

A second case relates to Netanyahu’s relationship with Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and other wealthy personalities.

According to prosecutors, between 2007 and 2016 Netanyahu allegedly received gifts valued at 700,000 shekels ($195,000), including boxes of cigars, bottles of champagne and jewellery, in exchange for financial or personal favours.

Netanyahu, who is Israel’s first sitting prime minister to stand trial, denies any wrongdoing, saying gifts were only accepted from friends and without him having asked for them.

In October 2019, his lawyers said they had received an expert legal opinion that concluded he had a right to accept gifts from close friends. 

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving premier, is suspected of promoting a tax project in return that would have brought Milchan millions of dollars. The finance ministry has since vetoed this proposal.

(AFP)

My wife and I recently moved and are looking to install double glazed windows.

The ones in our house currently are single glazed, and it gets quite cold without the heating on constantly. Our road can also be noisy. 

We considered double-glazed windows with wooden frames, as lots of the houses on our street have these, but were shocked at the cost. 

We were quoted £16,000, whereas it was only £7,000 for standard uPVC. 

We would rather go with uPVC windows as they are cheaper. But we are slightly worried about how they will look. 

In keeping: Almost all the homes along our reader’s road have wooden window frames, but upgrading will set them back £16,000. Meanwhile, uPVC costs £7,000

Our current single-glazed windows are all wood, and some are in quite bad disrepair with signs of rot. We wouldn’t want this to happen to the new ones as well. 

But a friend warned us that any future buyers will probably pay more for the house if we get the wooden windows. 

Are wooden frames a better investment? Could we just do wood on the front bay windows and uPVC on the windows at the back of the house?

Ed Magnus of This is Money replies: Upgrading to double glazing has all sorts of benefits.

Not only could it help keep you warmer during the winter, it could also cut your energy bills.

Installing a set of A-rated windows on a typical semi-detached house will save £155 per year on energy bills, according to the Energy Saving Trust. 

And double glazing can also reduce noise levels from outside and lessen condensation inside the windows. 

Before replacing your windows, you need to check with your local planning office if your property is in a conservation area or if the property itself is listed (you’ll probably know this already).

Cost-efficient: If you have a limited budget, uPVC is generally less expensive to install and maintain than other window materials

Either of these could mean there are additional restrictions to abide by and further permissions required. 

If you are all clear on that front, then you will be free to decide whether to go for wooden frames or uPVC. 

As with most home improvements, there will be factors to weigh up, including the upfront cost, how it will look and how practical they are, as well as the potential return on investment.

To help advise, we spoke to Neal Wood, sales director at Hamptons estate agents in Bath, Angela Kerr, co-founder of the property advice website, HomeOwners Alliance, and Andy Simms, a renovation expert with find-a-trader website MyBuilder.com.

Will uPVC impact the value of the property?

Angela Kerr replies: When selling a traditional or period property, the original features are often the most eye-catching to potential buyers.

Well-fitted windows that suit the property will no doubt add value to your home by creating a harmonious exterior.

But with such an overwhelming range of window styles and materials, do take your time to research and shop around.

It is now possible to buy uPVC windows designed to look like traditional timber frames, to such an extent that it can be difficult to tell them apart. 

Neal Wood replies: At the end of the day, it is unlikely a buyer will determine their decision to buy a property based on the choice of material.

It is more about whether the property serves their needs in terms of location, accommodation, and style.

So the choice of windows simply boils down to affordability, and what is appropriate for the house and its heritage.

Is cost the most important factor here?

Neal Wood replies: Whilst cost is the first point of consideration, one really needs to look at the practical side of things that will be influenced by your own circumstances.

Do you need ease of maintenance? Can you easily access the windows to redecorate? How will the choice impact the aesthetics of the property? How long am I going to be residing at this address?

Well-fitted windows that suit the property will no doubt add value to your home by creating a harmonious exterior, according to Angela Kerr of HomeOwners Alliance

One needs to understand the construction of the property, as this may require a particular type of ventilation that can only be determined by a suitably qualified expert.

Therefore, taking advice from a supplier who is not committed to a specific material will allow the homeowner to make a well-informed decision.

It is not a simple choice between two materials, as there are so many different options with different costs.

What else do they need to know? 

Andy Simms replies: When it comes to making a choice between wood frames and uPVC, there are some factors to consider. 

First of all, make sure there aren’t any restrictions on what materials you can use for your windows. 

If you like in a listed house or in a conservation area, then you might not be able to use uPVC.

Another tip for those living close to a busy road is to ask for noise reduction windows, which cost slightly more but use specialist acoustic glass that reduces the amount of noise.

Angela Kerr replies: Have you also considered repairing before replacing? There are specialist companies that refurbish and repair wooden windows, fixing rotten sections and improving the fit to address the draughts.

Many of these firms will also be able to quote to add double glazing to your windows too. 

This would give you the best of both worlds, allowing you to retain character while improving energy efficiency, and hopefully not at quite the same price point required by a full scale replacement.

I note you say almost all the homes on your road have wooden frames. As part of your research, it might be worth speaking to them and asking which firms they used and whether they would recommend them as a good place to start, especially if they’ll invite you in to look and see the finished product.

When budgeting, there are some potential hidden costs to take account of as well. Often quotes for new wooden windows don’t include the cost of decorating, so do check that. 

Your idea of doing the front windows in wood and the back in uPVC is one money- saving option. 

If you opted for all-wood windows, though, you could spread the cost by replacing the windows in stages rather than all at once. 

Some people decide to do the upstairs and then the downstairs to spread the cost and disruption, or the front then the back. Others decide to replace one window a year.

Remember, replacement windows will need to be compliant with building regulations. 

In England and Wales it’s a legal requirement for replacement windows and doors to be registered with your local authority or through a ‘competent person’ scheme such as Fensa. 

Failure to do so can cause problems for the future, not least when it comes to selling your home.

What are the advantages of uPVC windows?

Andy Simms replies: uPVC windows have come a long way in the last few years, but with that comes some large price variations.

When it comes to making a choice between wood frames and uPVC, there are several factors to consider.

Cost is a big consideration. If you have a limited budget, uPVC is generally less expensive to install and maintain than other window materials.

It looks very smart, and there are a variety of colours and appearances available. These upgraded options can be less easy on the wallet, though, so cost can be less of a deciding factor.

High maintenance: Wood can also require filling and checking often for cracks or damage, particularly in cold and wet weather

In terms of modern trends, many people are opting for black frames instead of white these days. 

Because uPVC is a non-corrosive material, you don’t have to worry about any rot or rust, plus they’re immune to fading in prolonged sun exposure.

Wood requires much more maintenance – and regularly as well – but if you maintain and repaint wood windows, timber windows can actually last longer than uPVC.

This maintenance involves applying new paint on a regular basis, and treating wood to stop decay. 

Wood can also require filling and checking often for cracks or damage, particularly in cold and wet weather.

Issued on: 04/12/2023 – 16:23

2 min

President Umaro Sissoco Embalo issued a decree closing down the opposition-dominated parliament and announced a date for legislative elections would be “set at the opportune moment, in line with the constitution”.

Violence had erupted between members of the national guard and special forces of the presidential guard on Thursday night in the capital Bissau, leaving two people dead.

Embalo, who was in Dubai attending the COP28 climate conference, arrived back in Bissau on Saturday and announced that an “attempted coup d’etat” had prevented him from returning earlier.

On Monday, he said there had been “complicity” between the national guard and “certain political interests within the State apparatus”.

That meant “the normal functioning of the institutions of the Republic has become impossible”.

“These facts confirm the existence of a grave political crisis,” he added.

Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, the country has seen a series of coups and coup attempts.

Elected to a five-year term in December 2019, Embalo survived a bid to overthrow him in February 2022.

Members of the National Guard had Thursday evening stormed a police station to extract Finance Minister Souleiman Seidi and Treasury Secretary Antonio Monteiro, who were being held for questioning, according to army and intelligence officers. 

The guardsmen then took shelter at a military camp in the capital where they held out until Friday.

Calm had returned by noon Friday following an announcement that the army had captured national guard commander Colonel Victor Tchongo. 

The skirmishes are considered the latest flare-up in the deep political divide between the opposition-led government and the presidency.

The National Guard is under the control of the interior ministry, which, like most ministries in the country, is dominated by the PAIGC party whose coalition won the June 2023 elections.

The prosecutor’s office, which ordered the questioning of the two government officials, is controlled by the presidency.

Corruption against state

The two officials, who were answering questions about the withdrawal of $10 million from state accounts, were detained again after the army removed them from National Guard protection.

In Monday’s decree, the president condemned “the passivity of the government”, adding that the national guard had sought to block investigations into the two high officials.

Embalo said parliament, which had debated the multi-million dollar withdrawal affair, “preferred to defend members of the executive suspected of corruption” against the state, rather than “fight to apply the law rigorously … and to exercise its role as a check on government actions”.

(AFP)