Ranjeet: Body Discovered in Bollywood Actor's Pool

Ranjeet was best known for playing the villain in Bollywood films.Wikimedia Commons

The body of Bollywood actor Ranjeet's driver has been discovered floating in the star's swimming pool.

Nagraj Gowda, a diabetic who worked with the veteran bad boy for over 30 years, was found unconscious by the star's wife at their Mumbai home.

"My wife went to monitor his sugar [levels] last night. She found his body in our swimming pool. We immediately pulled him out and took him to the hospital, but he was declared dead before admission," Ranjeet told IANS news website.

Ranjeet, who has appeared in films such as Laawaris and Namak Halal, said he was devastated by the tradegy.

"He was like our family," the star, whose real name is Gopal Bedi, said.

Gowda had reportedly been struggling with mental health issues in the days leading up to his death.

Police are investigating.

Israel: Haifa Palestinians Ordered to Pay For Demolition of Own Homes

An Israeli court has ruled that Palestinian citizens who are to have their houses demolished in Haifa must also cover the costs of the demolition, according to Middle East Monitor.

The home owners must pay approximately £3,500 (20,000 Israeli shekels) each to authorities for the demolition of homes that belong to Palestinian citizens of Israel, who refused to leave the land when Israel was created in 1948.

Most of the families do not have the resources to pay for the cost, or to relocate to a new home after their residence has been demolished.

Ata Hamid, one of the residents whose home is under threat, said that the Israeli authorities wish to demolish the homes and replace them wish Jewish settlers.

Hamid continued by saying that, despite living in the prosperous city of Haifa, "Arab-Israelis" still suffer dire economic circumstances in comparison to Israeli citizens.

He called on all Palestinians in Haifa, Lod and Ramle to reject Israel's discriminatory housing policy and stand up to the demolitions. The Hamid family has requested a demolition freeze order on their home from the municipality of Lod, he added.

Last month, a group of aid organisations expressed alarm at the increase in Israeli demolitions of Palestinian property.

The statement by 25 aid organisations revealed that Israeli demolitions had increased by almost 50% in the last half of 2013, in comparison with the second half of 2012.

112 of the 663 Palestinian properties demolished in 2013 were constructed with the money of international donors and aid.

China Could Buy 150 Airbus Jets Worth $20bn

China could buy 150 Airbus jets potentially worth $20bn.Reuters

China could purchase at least 150 Airbus passenger aircraft potentially worth $20bn when President Xi Jinping pays his first visit to Europe at the end of the month.

China is expected to buy more A330 passenger jets. The agreement could include some A320 and A350 aircraft as well, according to a Reuters report.

The likely deal could also involve a decision to unfreeze the purchase of 27 A330s, blocked by China during a recent dispute with the European Union over environmental policies.

Meanwhile, Xi's visit could also pave the way for Airbus to build a second major factory in China, the world's fastest-growing aviation market.

The size of the final deal would depend on last-minute negotiations. Previous state visits have included tough negotiations on the sidelines.

Pursued by Reuters, spokespeople for Airbus, Air China, China Eastern and China Southern refused to comment.

French Connection

Both France and Germany, where Airbus bases most of its operations, are eager to establish good ties with Xi and announcements on the Airbus package could be made in both countries, European officials said.

However, France has expressed optimism over its ties with China in nuclear energy and aerospace -- diplomatic code for potential deals during Xi's 25-27 March visit.

"This visit to Europe by President Xi Jinping...will certainly beneficially promote the development of ties between China and the European Union," China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said when asked to confirm the aircraft order.

"This will be an all-round development of relations," Hong added.

China Market

One in four people from China travelled by plane in 2013 and that number is set to jump to virtually the whole active population over the next two decades, Airbus has estimated.

The proposed cabin completion plant for A330s would boost Airbus's presence in China. The firm operates a "final assembly plant" in Tianjin, in northern China.

However, the European firm would have to trounce stiff competition from American arch-rival Boeing.

Airbus is looking to sell more wide-body jets such as the A330 to the Chinese, just as Boeing increases output of its newer 787 Dreamliner.

Last month, China Eastern, one of the country's top three carriers, announced it had ordered 70 A320neo aircraft, marking a huge victory for Airbus that has been marketing the upgraded variant of its popular A320 jet to Chinese buyers.

Airbus Market Share

Airbus said in January that it had beaten rival Boeing in terms of market share, in the wake of record deliveries and orders in 2013.

At the end of 2013, Airbus commanded a 51% gross market share in the category for aircrafts with over 100 seats.

Airbus also said it regained the top spot in commercial orders with an industry record of 1,619 aircraft, beating its previous best by 11 jets.

Adjusting for cancellations, Airbus's commercial aircraft orders increased 80% to 1,503 in 2013.

Boeing had earlier reported gross commercial orders of 1,531 and net orders of 1,355.

South African President Jacob Zuma Slammed for £14m Luxury Overhaul of Mansion Before Crucial Election

Jacob Zuma, leader of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), sings for his supporters at the Pietermaritzburg high court outside DurbanReuters

South African President Jacob Zuma has been criticised for accepting a £14m state-funded makeover of his private home with new features such as a swimming pool, cattle enclosure and amphitheatre, according to public prosecutors.

South Africa's top anti-corruption watchdog has released a report which details Zuma's unnecessary renovations - only six weeks before crucial elections.

"The President tacitly accepted the implementation of all measures at his residence and has unduly benefitted from the enormous capital investment in the non-security installations at his private residence," Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said in the report.

Madonsela said the President "benefitted unduly" from the renovations in behaviour "inconsistent with his office" and suggested that he repay the majority of the costs to the taxpayer.

"A substantial amount of public money would have been saved had the president raised his concerns in time," the report continued.

The report is likely to damage Zuma's chances, as well as those of his African National Congress (ANC) party at the upcoming general election in May.

Several allegations of corruption have been levelled at Zuma in the past but the ANC party has always supported its leader.

In what was originally a project intended as a "security upgrade", the costs of the luxury renovations totalled eight times that of securing Nelson Mandela's residence during his tenure as South African President.

Vietnam: Dissident Blogger Pham Viet Dao Jailed For Criticising Government

Political blogger JB Nguyen Huu Vinh argues with a policeman during a protest against the Chinese occupation of the disputed Paracel islands in the South China SeaReuters

A Hanoi court has sentenced dissident blogger Pham Viet Dao to 15 months in prison for "abusing democratic freedoms" after he wrote an online post criticising the government.

The court decision comes amid an increasing crackdown against dissenters in the communist autocracy.

"I don't think that my articles have had a bad impact on society," said Dao, who defended himself at the trial.

The judge said that Dao's acts had threatened trust in the Vietnamese leadership.

"The defendant's acts are dangerous to the society, causing anxiety among the public and reducing people's trust in the leadership of the (Communist) Party and the state."

The international NGO Human Rights Watch condemned the Vietnamese courts decision to jail Dao and called for his "immediate and unconditional" release.

"The Vietnamese authorities are shaming themselves before domestic and international public opinion by staging yet another political trial of a peaceful critic," said Brad Adams, Asia Director at the organisation.

International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) President Karim Lahidji also criticised the decision.

"The imprisonment of Pham Viet Dao once again calls into question the Vietnamese government's stated commitment to respecting human rights," he said.

"In fact, Vietnam continues to behave as an authoritarian government that perceives every freedom, including freedom of opinion and expression, as a threat to its rule."

Last April, three prominent dissident bloggers were sentenced to jail in Vietnam for "anti-state propaganda" in cases highly criticised by human rights groups as well as US President Barack Obama.

The most notorious of the three to be arrested was Nguyen Hoang Hai aka Dieu Cay, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Amnesty International has dubbed Cay a "prisoner of conscience" while Barack Obama said: "We must not forget (journalists) like blogger Dieu Cay, whose 2008 arrest coincided with a mass crackdown on citizen journalism in Vietnam."

Although the 1992 Vietnamese constitution recognises freedom of expression, the criminal code prohibits speech that criticises the government in any way.

At least 63 people were imprisoned for peaceful political expression in the Asian nation last year.

Standard Chartered Launches Islamic Banking Services in Kenya

Standard Chartered has rolled out islamic banking services in Kenya with its Saadiq brandReuters

Standard Chartered has rolled out Islamic banking services in Kenya, a move that marks the entry of its 'Saadiq' brand into Africa.

The banking and financial services company will be using Kenya as a testbed for expanding the brand across the continent.

StanChart plans to offer its entire range of sharia-compliant products in a market where two Islamic banks and the Islamic windows of a few conventional banks already operate.

'Saadiq' means truthful in Arabic. The London-based bank would roll out products covering current and savings accounts; mortgages and auto finance; and trade and term finance, a bank executive told Reuters.

StanChart, which makes 90% of its profit in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, would use its existing 28-branch network in Kenya; while chosen locations in Nairobi and Mombasa would have dedicated Islamic windows, said Wasim Saifi, the bank's global head of Islamic consumer banking.

The foray comes after Kenya proposed a separate regulatory framework for Islamic finance, part of a broader plan to expand capital markets in east Africa's largest economy.

The development of a specific regulatory framework for the industry would afford a platform for growth; this has been observed in countries such as Malaysia and Pakistan, Saifi added.

Islamic finance, which follows religious principles such as bans on interest payments, accounts for about 2% of the total banking business in Kenya, where Muslims account for roughly 15% of the nation's 40 million population.

The lender, however, hopes to appeal to a broader client base.

"Our experience and success in this market will certainly determine our future strategy for the rest of Africa.

"I would expect the next two to three years to be focused on building the Kenya business before we evaluate other markets in east and west Africa," Saifi said.

"We are not looking to target market share from the 1.5% to 2% share that Islamic banking has today, but to target the 98% that currently is not with Islamic banking.

"Similarly in Kenya, as the industry develops, we will expect to see the regulatory framework also expand and refine to enable this development," Saifi added.

StanChart Profits Dip

StanChart suffered its worst profit performance for a decade in 2013 amid a slowdown in some of its key emerging markets businesses.

The bank's pre-tax profit dropped to $6.96bn (£4.17bn, €5bn) for the year, down 7%. It is the first time profit has fallen in ten years. Around 90% of the lender's profit is made in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Following the profit drop, the bank's total bonus pool was slashed by 15%. The bonus for chief executive Peter Sands has reportedly been halved to $1m.

Hot Shots Photos of the Day: Game of Thrones, New Pound Coin, Kate Winslet

People crowd onto a bridge during the annual Caiqiaohui event in Mianyang, Sichuan province, China. People believe that stepping onto the bridge during the three-day spring event can help cure them of their worries and illnessesReuters

Ten-month old Maijed Dhaif grabs hold of one of Camilla's earrings as the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall officially open the new Chelsea and Westminster Children's Hospital in LondonGetty

A submarine in the shape of a crocodile, which appeared in the James Bond films Octopussy and Die Another Day, is seen at the press preview of the Bond In Motion exhibition which opens on Friday at the London Film MuseumGetty

A worker prepares a dragon statue before the season four premiere of the HBO series Game of Thrones in New YorkReuters

Director Erica Schmidt and Peter Dinklage; Finn Jones, Jack Gleeson and Gwendoline Christie; and Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner arrive for the season four premiere of the HBO series Game of Thrones in New YorkReuters / Getty

Kate Winslet poses with fans at the premiere of Divergent in Los Angeles, CaliforniaReuters

Manchester United's manager David Moyes walks past Ryan Giggs during a training session at the club's Carrington training complex in ManchesterReuters

The Royal Mint has produced a prototype for a replacement £1 coin which would be the most secure circulating coin in the world to date. The proposed £1 coin design has a twelve-sided shape, like the pre-decimalisation threepenny bit. It will be constructed from two different coloured metals and contain a revolutionary new high security coinage currency system developed by The Royal Mint.The Royal Mint

Restoration workers peel off loose gold as part of a restoration project for the 800-year-old Thousand-Hand Guanyin Buddhist statue on Mount Baoding in Chongqing municipality, ChinaReuters

A Chinese family member of a passenger onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 screams as she is escorted away from a press conference in Kuala LumpurReuters

Students block the entrance of the main chamber at the Taiwanese Parliament to prevent the police from coming inGetty

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Crimea's Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov, Crimean parliamentary speaker Vladimir Konstantinov and Sevastopol Mayor Alexei Chaliy shake hands after a signing ceremony at the Kremlin in MoscowReuters

India's Gold Smugglers Use Bizarre Methods to Beat Customs Restrictions

Gold importers are employing bizarre methods to smuggle gold into India.Reuters

There has been an increase in the number of travellers from major gold trading hubs such as Dubai or Singapore attempting to smuggle the precious metal back into India, where it costs about 20% more.

Since last year's import restrictions the number of smugglers has increased, as has the range of ingenious and bizarre methods being used to sneak gold into India, the world's second-largest bullion consumer, according to a Bloomberg report.

Returning home to the southern Kerala state from Dubai, a 27-year-old welder was arrested after customs agents discovered gold in the lining of his brass flower pot.

An importer allegedly offered the welder 30,000 rupees ($491) to carry one kilogram of bullion worth about $50,000. The importer wanted to avoid paying the 10% customs tax.

Smugglers have tried to hide gold inside trolley wheels, disguise it as beading on handbags, stash it in body cavities, or in mobile phones, said K N Raghavan, commissioner at the Customs House Cochin in Kochi.

About 24 kilograms of bars were found in the toilet of an aircraft in Kolkata some two months ago, said Gaurav Sinha, additional customs commissioner. Most of those arrested for smuggling are carriers who have no stake in the consignment, Sinha told Bloomberg.

Since import restrictions were imposed last year, the biggest gold bust at Cochin International Airport occurred in September 2013. Two women wearing burqas, the full-length body garments worn by some Muslim women, were found to be carrying 20 kilograms of gold, said Raghavan.

"We used to see sporadic instances of smuggling in the last 10 years," said Raghavan.

"Since August [2013], the frequency of such incidences jumped. Carriers used to hail from the poorer socio-economic strata. Now we're seeing people who are respectably employed, smuggling in gold as margins are good," he told the news agency.

Government Raids

Earlier in the month, Indian authorities started making physical checks of gold stocks held by wholesalers, to ensure inventories tally with the amount imported through legal channels, an industry association said.

The checks were part of efforts aimed at curbing gold smuggling.

Pakistan Bans Imports

Earlier this year, Pakistan temporarily prohibited gold imports in a bid to check smuggling into neighbouring India.

Islamabad said on 21 January the ban would last for 30 days and that exports, mostly jewellery, would not be restricted. Pakistan last banned gold imports for a month in August 2013 after the country purchased gold worth $514m (£313m, €380m) in the preceding month.

Indian Import Curbs

To tackle a widening trade deficit, Asia's third-largest economy rolled out measures to discourage gold buying, moves that have flooded the market with smuggled gold.

Three upward revisions to the import duties on gold in 2013, to a record 10%, and restrictions tying purchases to exports, have resulted in almost 60% drop in shipments in the six months to December 2013.

While official imports in 2013 were pegged at 750 tonnes, an additional 200 tonnes was believed to have been smuggled into the country, the World Gold Council has estimated.