The dream of living in another country can be very enticing, more so depending on where you currently live. Whether the political climate at home is getting hot or you simply crave new scenery, immigrating to another country represents a thrilling challenge that can offer innumerable life lessons and major personal growth.

Swimming enthusiast Yu Hongtao, 50, trained for months in the freezing water of the Songhua river to compete in a winter ice swimming tournament held annually in China’s northern city of Harbin, known for its bitterly cold weather.

“You have to start swimming from autumn so that the body can conquer the sudden icy impact on one’s cardio-vascular system,” said Yu, a Harbin resident. “The feeling of diving into the water is very cool.”

More than 300 men and women, wearing just ordinary trunks and swimsuits, on Saturday braved the bitter cold waters in the ice swimming meet, part of Harbin’s annual winter festival, among the biggest in the northern hemisphere.

Temperatures can plunge as low as 35 degrees Celsius below zero (minus 31 F) in the city in China’s Heilongjiang province.

The festival, which began on Saturday, has drawn millions of visitors from around the world every year since its inception in the early 1980s.

Highlights include sled rides on the Songhua river, mass weddings, and towering sculptures of ice and snow carved by thousands of artists and workers.

Visitors marvel at the mini ice replicas of the Colosseum and of the Milan Cathedral, particularly in the long evenings when soft, colored lights illuminate the sculptures.

The festival also attracts hordes of domestic tourists.

“The ice castles and sculptures made by workers are very impressive,” said Lin Renlong, who was visiting with his girlfriend.

“It’s like Disneyland, Disneyland in winter,” said the 22-year-old from the northern province of Hebei.

Kate Middleton may have made headlines as the hottest commoner to become a member of England’s royal family, but all over the world there are other beautiful crowned women who go largely unacknowledged. Style, poise and impeccable taste in fashion set these ladies apart — jewels or no jewels on their heads.

Others on this list are known for exactly the opposite of Kate’s class and elegance… some of these royal women have indulged in pretty salacious behavior! Just because Kate might be more famous doesn’t mean she’s the most scandalous or controversial.
Sirivannavari Of Thailand

Princess Sirivannavari of Thailand was ranked among the 20 hottest royals by Forbes in 2009. Raised in the UK with her mother, she now resides in Thailand with her father and grandfather, the King. At 30 years old, she is an arts and sports enthusiast who is an active participant in the world of high fashion.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Nepal Friday for a two-day visit aiming to reset strained relations between India and its small northern neighbour.

Modi landed in the southern city of Janakpur where he will offer prayers at a famed Hindu temple.

He will later travel to Kathmandu to inaugurate the construction of an India-funded hydropower plant with his Nepali counterpart K.P. Sharma Oli.

The visit is the latest in a series of goodwill gestures by New Delhi, which has been alarmed by China’s growing influence in Nepal.

In 2017, Chinese firms pledged investments of more than $8.3 billion, dwarfing Indian commitments of $317 million, and in May last year Nepal signed up to Beijing’s ambitious One Belt, One Road initiative.
companies, to begin construction.

Analysts say India wants to show it can also deliver on its promises.

“Historically India-funded projects, while they seem generous, have struggled to show progress, while the Chinese do it quicker and gain on public opinion,” said Kathmandu-based analyst George Varughese.

The five hydropower plants have been in the works for over a decade and would be a game-changer for Nepal.

The Himalayan nation has enough water to be a hydro powerhouse but it has so far harnessed less than two percent of its hydro potential, according to estimates.

Ties with New Delhi nose-dived in 2015 when Kathmandu passed a controversial new constitution that sparked deadly protests in southern Nepal, triggering a months-long border blockade.

Kathmandu blamed New Delhi for imposing the blockade that caused a crippling shortage of fuel and essential goods just as the country was struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake earlier that year.

Oli, then serving his first term as prime minister, won huge public support as he stoked nationalistic sentiment against the blockade, a platform he used again during his successful reelection campaign last year.

Many in Nepal remain suspicious of India’s ‘big brother’ attitude, and the hashtags ModiNotWelcomeInNepal and #BlockadeWasACrimeMrModi trended on Twitter as the Indian premier touched down.

Oli, who needs India — Nepal’s largest trading partner — to realise his ambitious plans to kickstart economic growth, has opted for a more pragmatic approach to relations since his second elevation however.

In April he travelled to New Delhi for his first trip abroad since being elected for the second time.
In a statement Modi said the visit was part of his government’s “neighbourhood first” policy and “reflects the high priority, India, and personally I, attach to our age-old, close and friendly ties with Nepal”.

The inauguration of the $1.4 billion India-backed Arun Three hydropower plant will mark a major diplomatic win for India.

It is the first of five long-mooted mega hydropower projects, two of which are backed by Chines

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in embraced after pledging on Friday to work for the “complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula,” punctuating a day of smiles and handshakes at the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade.

The two Koreas announced they would work with the United States and China this year to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean war and seek an agreement to establish “permanent” and “solid” peace in its place.

The declaration included promises to pursue phased military arms reduction, cease hostile acts, transform their fortified border into a peace zone, and seek multilateral talks with other countries including the United States.

“The two leaders declare before our people of 80 million and the entire world there will be no more war on the Korean peninsula and a new age of peace has begun,” the declaration said.

Earlier, Kim became the first North Korean leader since the 1950-53 Korean War to set foot in South Korea after shaking hands with his counterpart over a concrete curb marking the border in the heavily fortified demilitarized zone between the countries.

Scenes of Moon and Kim joking and walking together marked a striking contrast to last year’s barrage of North Korean missile tests and its largest ever nuclear test that led to sweeping international sanctions and fears of a fresh conflict on the Korean peninsula.

Their dramatic meeting comes weeks before Kim is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in what would be the first ever meeting between sitting leaders of the two countries.

Moon agreed to visit Pyongyang later this year, according to the declaration.

As part of efforts to reduce tensions, the two sides agreed to open a liaison office, stop propaganda broadcasts and leaflet drops along the border, and allow Korean families divided by the border to meet.

Just days before the summit, Kim said North Korea would suspend nuclear and long-range missile tests and dismantle its only known nuclear test site.

But there was widespread scepticism about whether Kim is ready to abandon the nuclear arsenal his country has defended and developed for decades as what it says is a necessary deterrent against U.S. invasion.

It’s not the first time leaders of North and South Korea have declared their hope for peace, and two earlier summits, in Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007, failed to halt the North’s weapons programs or improve relations in a lasting way.

“We will make efforts to create good results by communicating closely, in order to make sure our agreement signed today before the entire world, will not end as just a beginning like previous agreements before today,” Kim said after the agreement was signed.

FIRST ACROSS THE LINE

Earlier, Moon greeted Kim at the military demarcation line where the men smiled and shook hands.

In an unplanned move, Kim invited Moon to step briefly across into North Korea, before the two leaders crossed back into South Korea holding hands.

“I was excited to meet at this historic place and it is really moving that you came all the way to the demarcation line to greet me in person,” Kim said, wearing his customary black Mao suit.

“A new history starts now. An age of peace, from the starting point of history,” Kim wrote in Korean in a guest book in the South’s Peace House before talks began.

Minutes before Kim entered Peace House, a North Korean security team conducted a sweep for explosives and listening devices, and sprayed what appeared to be disinfectant in the air, on the chairs, and on the guest book.

The two leaders released their joint declaration before attending a dinner hosted by Moon.

During a private meeting in the morning, Kim told Moon he came to the summit to end the history of conflict and joked he was sorry for waking Moon up with his early morning missile tests, the official said.

UNENDING HOSTILITIES

The United States is hopeful talks will make progress on achieving peace and prosperity, the White House said in a statement as the two men began their summit.

The White House also said it looks forward to continuing discussions with South Korea in preparation for the planned meeting of Trump and Kim in the coming weeks.

Just months ago, Trump and Kim were trading threats and insults as the North made rapid advances in pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles capable of hitting the United States.

Impoverished North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because the Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The United States stations 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the Cold War conflict, which pitted the South, the United States and United Nations forces against the communist North, backed by China and Russia.

Kim and Trump are expected to meet in late May or June, with Trump saying on Thursday he was considering several possible dates and venues.

The latest Korean summit has particular significance not least because of its venue: the Demilitarized Zone, a 160-mile (260-km) long, 2.5-mile (4-km) wide strip of land created in the 1953 armistice to serve as a buffer between the South and North.

The Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy.

The child, who was born in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, central London, is fifth in line to the throne and the Queen’s sixth great-grandchild.

The new arrival, who is the third child of Catherine and the Duke of Cambridge, was born at 11:01 BST weighing 8lbs 7oz.

A Kensington Palace statement said Catherine and her new son are “both doing well”
William was present for the birth, the palace added.

The statement added that members of both families had been informed and were “delighted with the news”.

The duchess was admitted to hospital shortly before 6:00 on Monday with the announcement of the birth coming shortly after 13:00.

Senior royal doctors consultant obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston and consultant gynaecologist Alan Farthing oversaw the birth.
Both were also called in for the arrival of Prince George in 2013 and Princess Charlotte in 2015.

The name of the new child has not yet been announced.

Favourite names at the bookmakers include Mary, Alice, Alexandra, Elizabeth and Victoria for a girl and Arthur, Albert, Frederick, James and Philip for a boy.

(BBC)

Vladimir Putin will lead Russia for another six years, after securing an expected victory in Sunday’s presidential election.
Mr Putin, who has ruled the country as either president or prime minister since 1999, got more than 76% of the vote, official results show.
The main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, was barred from the race.
Addressing a rally in Moscow, Mr Putin said voters had
“recognised the achievements of the last few years”.
Speaking to reporters after the results were announced, he laughed off a question about running again in another six years.
“What you are saying is a bit funny. Do you think that I will stay here until I’m 100 years old? No!” he said.
The scale of victory – which had been widely predicted – appears to be a marked increase in his share of the vote from 2012, when he won 64%.
Mr Putin’s nearest competitor, millionaire communist Pavel Grudinin, received about 12%.
The race also included Ksenia Sobchak, a former reality TV host, and veteran nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky – they got less than 2% and about 6% respectively.

Mr Putin’s campaign team said it was an “incredible victory”.
“The percentage that we have just seen speaks for itself. It’s a mandate which Putin needs for future decisions, and he has a lot of them to make,” a spokesman told Russia’s Interfax.
In some areas, free food and discounts in local shops were on offer near polling stations.

Britain will expel 23 Russian diplomats in response to a nerve toxin attack on a Russian former double agent in southern England, prime minister Theresa May said on Wednesday, adding it was the biggest single expulsion in over 30 years.

May said Britain would also introduce new measures to strengthen defences against hostile state activities, freeze Russian state assets wherever there was evidence of a threat and downgrade its attendance at the soccer World Cup in Russia this summer.

Russia, which has repeatedly denied any involvement in the nerve agent attack, said Britain should expect retaliation for its actions.

Former spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a bench in the city of Salisbury on March 4 and remain in hospital in critical condition. A police officer was also harmed and remains in a serious condition.

May has said the Skripals were attacked with Novichok, a Soviet-era military-grade nerve agent. She had asked Moscow to explain whether it was responsible for the attack or had lost control of stocks of the highly dangerous substance.

“Their response demonstrated complete disdain for the gravity of these events,” May said in a statement to parliament.

“They have treated the use of a military grade nerve agent in Europe with sarcasm, contempt and defiance.

“There is no alternative conclusion, other than that the Russian state was culpable for the attempted murder of Mr Skripal and his daughter, and for threatening the lives of other British citizens in Salisbury, including Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey.

“This represents an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom.”

May said the expulsion of the 23 diplomats, identified as undeclared intelligence officers, was the biggest single expulsion for over 30 years and would degrade Russian intelligence capabilities in Britain for years to come.

“We will freeze Russian state assets wherever we have the evidence that they may be used to threaten the life or property of UK nationals or residents,” May said.

She also said new legislative proposals would be urgently developed to counter any threat from a hostile state.

“This will include the addition of a targeted power to detain those suspected of hostile state activity at the UK border,” May said.

British authorities would make use of existing powers to enhance efforts to monitor and track the intentions of those travelling to the UK who could be engaged in activities that represented a security threat.

“We will increase checks on private flights, customs and freight,” she said.

She also threatened action against those she described as “serious criminals and corrupt elites,” adding: “There is no place for these people, or their money, in our country.”

May said Britain would revoke an invitation to Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to visit the country and suspend all planned high level bilateral contacts between London and Moscow.

On the soccer World Cup, she said no ministers or members of the British royal family would attend.