Israel will hold unprecedented third election in a year

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• Israel elections 2019

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Image captionBenjamin Netanyahu (L) and Benny Gantz (R) could not agree a power-sharing deal

Israel will hold its third general election in less than a year after a deadline was missed for any lawmaker to form a majority coalition.

MPs are now expected to set the election date for 2 March.

Ahead of the midnight (22:00 GMT) deadline, they gave initial approval to a bill to dissolve parliament.

Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, Benny Gantz, failed in their own attempts following September's inconclusive election.

The two leaders also could not agree on a power-sharing arrangement.

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In September, Mr Gantz's centrist Blue and White alliance won 33 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while Mr Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party got 32 seats.

With neither party able to build a coalition that could command a 61-seat majority, President Reuven Rivlin called on them to form a national unity government.

But power-sharing talks broke down over who would serve as prime minister first; Mr Netanyahu's insistence that ultra-Orthodox parties allied to him be included; and Mr Gantz's refusal to serve under a prime minister facing criminal charges.

Last month, Israel's attorney general charged with Mr Netanyahu with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in connection with three cases. The prime minister has denied any wrongdoing and described the charges as an "attempted coup", blaming them on a "tainted" process.

Mr Netanyahu has not yet announced whether he will ask parliament to grant him immunity from prosecution, but he is widely expected to do so.

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Image captionThe Knesset is voting on a bill to dissolve itself and schedule a election for 2 March

On Tuesday night, Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz reiterated that they were willing to form a national unity government and avoid another election.

Mr Gantz said his party was making "efforts to find a way to form a government without us giving up the fundamental principles that brought us into politics".

Mr Netanyahu told his rival: "After 80 days, it's time that for one day, for the citizens of Israel, we sit and have a serious discussion about forming a broad unity government. It's not too late."

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But on Wednesday, as the deadline approached, lawmakers from Likud and Blue and White tabled a bill to dissolve the Knesset and schedule a election for 2 March.

The preliminary reading was passed by 50 votes to nil.

It is not clear if another election will break the deadlock. An opinion poll published by Israel's Channel 13 News on Tuesday suggested that Blue and White would win 37 seats and Likud 33 seats.

Mr Netanyahu will also face a challenge from within Likud, which said on Wednesday that it was likely to hold a leadership primary on 26 December.

Former Interior Minister Gideon Saar, who intends to stand, tweeted: "There is a national need for a breakthrough that will end the ongoing political crisis, enable the formation of a strong government, and to unite the people of Israel."

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Pirates kidnap nine from Norwegian ship off Benin

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Image captionThe Benin navy's anti-piracy team on patrol in the Bight of Benin in the Gulf of Guinea

Pirates have kidnapped nine crew members from a Norwegian shipping vessel off the coast of Benin in West Africa.

The vessel was carrying gypsum, a mineral used as a fertiliser, and was at anchor, owner JJ Ugland said.

The Gulf of Guinea is world's most dangerous piracy hotspot, says the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

Some 62 seafarers have been captured off the coasts of Nigeria, Guinea, Togo, Benin and Cameroon this year.

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The Norwegian-flagged MV Bonita's remaining crew notified the local authorities after the attack early on Saturday and the vessel docked in Cotonou, the largest city in Benin, later the same day, JJ Ugland said in a statement.

Although piracy has decreased worldwide, it continues to rise in Benin and there are fears that the area could emulate Somalia in terms of the threat to shipping.

Media captionBBC Africa Experts: Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea

Several abductions have been reported in the Gulf of Guinea in recent months, including eight crew members taken from a German-owned vessel off Cameroon in August, and 10 Turkish sailors off the coast of Nigeria in July.

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American football coach is suspended after team scores too much

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Image captionThe coach will be absent from the sidelines of his team's game on Saturday (stock photo)

A Long Island football coach has been reprimanded after his team thrashed another high school 61-13 in a game.

Plainedge High School's head coach, Rob Shaver, was suspended for one game after violating the local county "lopsided scores policy".

Under the rule, coaches have to explain their winning margin to a committee if it exceeds more than 42 points.

The policy has been in place for three years and is intended to prevent poor sportsmanship.

Mr Shaver is reportedly the first to be punished under the unusual rule.

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The head coach of the team who lost by 48 points told Newsday he had "no issue with how the game went" on 25 October.

"I had spoken to coach Shaver, I told him I had no issues," South Side coach Phil Onesto said.

But the victory led to Mr Shaver being called before Nassau County's "lopsided score committee" who were apparently left unsatisfied with his failure to substitute his first-team players despite holding a comfortable lead.

In an interview with the Newsday newspaper, Mr Shaver denied that he "ran up the score" on purpose.

Image Copyright @NewsdayHSsports@NEWSDAYHSSPORTS

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"The spirit of the rule is to prevent better teams from running up on lesser programs and sportsmanship and dignity and all that stuff. I get it. That didn't happen," he said.

The one-game ban means he will miss his team's final regular season game on Saturday.

The local superintendent for Plainedge High School's district has spoken out in the coach's defence and labelled the punishment "unjustified".

"Who said they are experts on sportsmanship?" he asked in a public letter. "Who appointed these people to run this kangaroo court, being the judge, jury and executioners?"

Media captionWill Americans ever care about football?

But the county's commissioner of high school football defended the policy to the New York Times newspaper.

Matt McLees said it was developed to stop "excessive scores", which the committee felt "took away from the experience of young men playing football".

He also said the unusual rule seems to work - with a sharp decrease in excessively lopsided scores recorded there since it came into force.

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BE PATIENT

Be Patient and Trust the Process! 👇🏽 An elephant and a dog became pregnant at same time. Three months down the line the dog gave birth to six puppies. Six months later the dog was pregnant again, and nine months on it gave birth to another dozen puppies. The pattern continued. On the eighteenth month the dog approached the elephant questioning, _"Are you sure that you are pregnant? We became pregnant on the same date, I have given birth three times to a dozen puppies and they are now grown to become big dogs, yet you are still pregnant. Whats going on?". The elephant replied, _"There is something I want you to understand. What I am carrying is not a puppy but an elephant. I only give birth to one in two years. When my baby hits the ground, the earth feels it. When my baby crosses the road, human beings stop and watch in admiration, what I carry draws attention. So what I'm carrying is mighty and great.". Don't lose faith when you see others achieving their success. Don't be envious of others results. If you haven't received your success, don't despair. Say to yourself "My time is coming, and when it hits the surface of the earth, people shall yield in admiration.

.

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Ni kwanini Kanisa katoliki limewaruhusu wanaume waliooa kuwa mapadri?

Maaskofu wa kanisa katoliki wamepiga kura kuruhusu wanaume waliooa kuwa mapadri katika eneo moja la pembezoni ili kuweza kupata mwanya wa kuhubiri katika eneo la Amazon.

Hatua hiyo imekuja mara baada ya Papa Francis kutoa ombi kuwa ni vyema kutoa ruhusa kwa wanaume walioa kuwa mapadri kwenye sehemu maalum katika eneo hilola Amazon.

Eneo ambalo waumini wengi wanaotaka kushiriki misa na kupokea mkate wa komunio hawaonagi mapadri kwa zaidi ya miezi kadhaa na muda mwingine hata miaka.

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Amesema yeye na washiriki wengine wanaojulikana kama 'synod' wapo wazi kwa mawazo ya kutafuta njia mpya itakayosaidia kusambaza imani hiyo.

Watahitajika kupata wanaume wanaoheshimika na kulingana na stakhabadhi hizo watafanya kazi katika jamii wanazotoka.

Maaskofu wa Marekani Kusini wamepigania juhudi hizo ili kukabiliana na upungufu wa mapadri katika eneo hilo.

Haki miliki ya pichaAFP

Lakini wakosoaji wamedai kuwa papa anapaswa kuhamasisha mapadri wasioe, ingawaje katika karne ya kwanza ya kanisa, mapadri waliruhusiwa kuoa, na karibia mapapa wote wa mwanzo walikuwa wameoa.

Vilevile kuruhusu wanaume walioa katika sehemu za Amazon ambazo zinakabiliana na ukosefu wa mapadri, kutaenda kinyume na sheria za kikatoliki ambazo zimekuwepo kwa miaka kadhaa sasa.

Kwa sasa papa anaruhusu wanaume walioa kuwa mapadri katika makanisa ya mashariki ya kati pekee.

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Upigaji kura ukiwa unafikia ukingoni huko Vatican kutokana na uhaba wa mapadre ili mapendekezo hayo yaanze kufanya kazi rasmi.

Wengi wakiwa wanahofia mabadiliko hayo katika kanisa kwa kuanzisha utaratibu mpya katika kanisa.

Kura zimechukuliwa kwa kipindi cha wiki tatu,kwa maaskofu 180 wa mjini Rome.

Wakiwa wanaangalia majukumu ya wanawake katika kanisa na namna mazingira yatakavyoweza ruhusu.

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Huku inakadiriwa kuwa karibu 85% ya vijiji huko Amazon haviwezi kusherehekea Misa kila wiki kwa sababu ya uhaba huu na wengine huonana na makuhani mara moja tu kwa mwaka.

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Rwanda yazindua magari rafiki kwa mazingira

Rwanda ikishirikiana na kampuni ya Volkswagen na Siemens imezindua magari ya kwanza ya umeme nchini humo yatakayokuwa rafiki kwa mazingira .

Mradi huo ulioanza na magari 50 ambayo yametengenezwa kwa ajili ya majaribio hivyo yatakuwa yakitumiwa kama magari ya uchukuzi wa abiria jijini Kigali na kwingineko nchini humo.

Mkurugenzi mkuu wa Volkswagen Group ya Afrika kusini, Thomas Schäfer amebainisha kuwa magari haya yamo bado katika majaribio na kwamba yametengenezwa 40 aina ya e.Golf na kwamba malengo kwanza si kuuzwa ghali ingawa bei bado haijatangazwa.

''Magari haya hayana mpango wa kuuzwa kwa wateja kwa sasa. Tunalenga kwanza kuyafanyia majaribio na kujua yanafanya kazi vipi na ndipo tutakapowajulisha iwapo zitauzwa au la. Magari haya ni ghali ikilinganishwa na yale ya kawaida, kutokana na betri yake.

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Betri peke yake ina gharimu kiasi cha dola 8000 za Kimarekani lakini umeme ukilinganishwa na mafuta ni bei nafuu.

Lakini iwapo serikali ikiwasaidia kwa kuweka sera mfano kwa kupata faida nafuu ,yamkini hali ikawa nzuri zaidi.

Angalia Uchina serikali iliazimia kwamba asilimia 25 ya magari yanayouzwa yawe yanayotumia umeme.''

Serge Iyakoze ni kiongozi wa madereva wa kampuni ya Valkswagen akihusika pia kutoa warsha kwa madereva wenza katika matumizi ta teknolojia ya magari hayo ambaye ameiambia BBC kuhusu wasiwasi au hofu kuhusu mwendo wa kimya wa magari hayo na iwapo hawatarajii kusababisha ajali za barabarani kwa watu waliozoea milio na honi za magari kuwashtua wanaotembea kwa miguu.

''Unapoelekea kupata ajali kawaida huna budi kupiga honi kwani dereva ana uwezo kuangalia kwa upana mkubwa mbele yake,kwa muda mfupi.

Dereva huwa na hisia za kujua kinachoelekea kutokea kwa wakati mfupi. Unapomuona mtu akizubaa unaweza kumpigia honi. Lakini huwezi kwenda ukipiga honi ovyo ovyo,kwani hata mpita njia anao uwezo kuona gari na unaweza pia kumwashia mataa.''

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Kampuni imeeleza kuwa inalenga kupanua wigo wa kazi zake katika mataifa mengi ya Afrika .

Baada ya Rwanda, Ghana ndiyo inatarajia kufuata na hatimae kwingineko.

Wakati mataifa ya Ulaya yanalenga kufikia mwaka 2030 kuwa yamekwisha achana na magari yanayotumia mafuta, Afrika ndiyo imeanza safari ambayo hatima yake haijawa wazi ila waliozungumza na BBC wameelezea kuwa hatimae wao pia watafika.

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