Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dr Maleeha Lodhi has called for world powers to put their self-interests aside and play their role in establishing peace in South Asia and Middle East.

In a recent interview, Ambassador Lodhi said extensive international diplomacy is needed to resolve disputes in South Asia and establish peace in the region.

She said Pakistan wants peace in the region and is ready to hold bilateral talks with India to find a solution to the Kashmir dispute.

On the peace and security situation in Afghanistan, Ambassador Lodhi said peace will only be possible in the country if warring groups come together for talks.

Punjab, historically lacks in producing leaders of national stature. Often they come from smaller provinces.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto despite being from Sindh emerged as the most prominent leader in Punjab.

Sharif’s entry into politics came to counter the myth of Bhuttos and Pakistan People’s Party. The Sharifs from Punjab became its unopposed rulers. Now, after 30 years a man from Mianwali, Imran Khan has become his biggest challenger in Punjab.

The PPP fighting hard to regain Punjab, is posing as if it is the real opposition to Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz. From the looks of it, the next election will be quite challenging, as three different parties will battle for Punjab.

Before Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Punjab’s political leadership by and large remained a proxy of the establishment. Stronger leaders came for Bengal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan—leaders like Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Maulana Mufti Mahmood, Sardar Attaullah Mengal and Mir Ghous Bux Bizenjo.

Pakistan Muslim League, after the death Quaid-e-Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan, divided into different faction as leaders from Punjab, could not counter Bengali leadership of Muslim League like Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy.

What happened between 1948 to 1958, was disaster for Pakistan, and political failures combined with civil-military bureaucracy conspiracy led to the imposition of first Martial Law in 1958, which through One Unit, laid the foundation of what happened in 1971.

When Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah challenged Ayub Khan in the Presidential election, she could only win from Karachi and Dhakka, while Punjab went with Ayub.

Elections in 1970 were a turning point. Bhutto after leaving Ayub's cabinet made PPP the most popular party of Punjab within three years --1967 to 1970. He used nationalistic and anti-India slogans beside 'roti,kapra and makan.'  In the aftermath of break up of Pakistan, Punjab's political importance become the decisive factor in ruling Islamabad. It still is the key factor.

Bhutto’s rule ended with the imposition of Martial Law on July 5, 1977. Zia promised elections in 90-days, without knowing Bhutto is still popular in Sindh and Punjab, which led to election postponement. Later, Bhutto was hanged in a controversial trial and Zia never faced any serious challenge till his deah in a plane crash on August 17, 1988.  

In the post Bhutto era Punjab politics has revolved around Sharifs even when they were not in power. Nawaz Sharif, created history in 2013, when he become the Prime Minister for the third time. While the duo Sharif (Nawaz and Shahbaz) rarely lost Punjab since 1985. Will they be luck this time in the aftermath of 'Panama papers,' and challenger from Mianwali, Imran Khan.

Historically, Punjab remains proxy of the then Zia establishment. Sharif's political career started with Tehreek-e-Istiqlal (TI) which under the leadership of retired Air Marshal Asghar Khan was launched as an alternate to Bhutto and PPP, to make inroads in Punjab.

Zia wanted someone from Punjab, preferably from central Punjab, who could not only counter PPP, but, also emerged as national leader. Zia, knew that even after Bhutto's hanging his widow and daughter could create problems in his future game plan. 

Baray Mian Sahibb, was not interested in politics nor wanted his sons to join politics. But, he was anti-Bhutto, because his factories had been nationalized by him during PPP, government. The issue was exploited by Zia, and a senior PPP leader revealed an interesting story of Nawaz Sharif's entry into politics, first, through establishment and later on his own.                          

An unimpeachable PML-N source disclosed that Mian Nawaz Sharif for the first time was offered  Ministry in Zia's cabinet while he was the finance Secretary of Tehreek-e-Istiqlal. It was late Majeed Nizami, who convinced Mian Sharif to play a role in politics as Punjab lacked political leadership and as a businessman he could become a force against feduals.

"One day Mr Wazir Ali father of Shahnaz Wazir Ali, who was the TI central leader was sitting with Mian Sharif, when Nawaz Sharif entered and told him about the offer. Wazir Ali  advised him not to join him elections are due," the source said, adding that Sharif said, he couldn't see elections in near future.

"Few days later Mian Sahib took oath as Sports Minister, " the source said.

Later, the establishment build Sharif's political image but since political sentiments were high after Bhutto's execution and Bhutto ladies were in exile, a Sindhi politician, Mohammad Khan Junejo was made the Prime Minister after non-party based elections.

A section of Pakistani left and progressives also backed Sharif as they believe that through industrialization feudalism would get weaker and pave way for progressive politics and strengthen democracy. 

Junejo lost Zia's confidence after Geneva Accord, and the establishment got him sacked. This paved way for Sharif to get control over Muslim League, it paid off with the support of General Zia and former ISI chief Lt. General Hameed Gul.

Zia first held referendum in 1984 to get some legitimacy and later elections on non-party based, in a bid to keep PPP out of politics and secondly to have weak democratic system.

When Benazir decided to end her exile, Zia never thought she would get such a reception. It scared both Zia and Gul, and this led to the formation of Islami Jamohri Ittehad, IJI led by Nawaz Sharif.   

After 1988, Sharifs never looked back and till 1990, Sharifs and the establishment were hand in hand against PPP, to dilute Bhutto's myth. He was brought parralel to Benazir as national leader while he was the Chief Minister. Later, he was made President of IJI, the brain child of former ISI chief, Gen. Hameed Gul.

First crack between Sharif and establishment came when he did not back ohis mentor Gen. Gul, as army chief. 

However, credit goes to Sharif, that he turned PML-N, a traditionally pro-establishment party into a political party and during nine years of Gen. Musharraf resisted the establishment pressure.

Being a politician from Punjab, luck also favours him, time and again. But, experience and anti-establishment stance during Musharraf's era also brought him and Benazir close to an extent that they signed historic, 'Charter of Democracy,' in 2006.

Sharif was also lucky that in 1993 the Supreme Court restored his government, which was dismissed on corruption charges, but, in 1990 and 1996, it did not restore PPP government, sacked on the same charges. However, he remained unlucky that in 2001, SC in Zafar Ali Shah's case gave legitimacy to Musharraf's coup.

Mian Sahib practically went unchallenged particularly in Punjab, before the rise of man from Mianwali, Imran Khan. It took him 20 years to get recognition as a national leader and that too from Punjab, despite having a huge Pashtoon following. 

How far has Imran Khan led PTI been able to cause a dent in the strong constituency of the powerful Sharifs, depends on the outcome of the Panama Case, but some senior PML-N leaders believe that even if decision goes against them, the party will sweep the polls.

" In 2008, elections when Mian Sahib was disqualified we fought and won Punjab on Mian Sahib's photograph. I am sure we will win the legal battle but are ready to accept any decision of the Supreme Court, and rest assured PML-N, would not lose Punjab,' a senior PML(N) leader told this writer, on condition of anonymity. 

National politics has now completely switched to Punjab, particularly after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007 PPP could not regain Punjab. Infact in 2013, it completely lost the province in a most humiliating manner.

Thus, in a way rise of Imran Khan in 2011, is considered by many political pundits as good omen for Pakistan, for different reasons. In the absence of Benazir, the country needed an alternate political leader and ideally, someone from Punjab.

Imran had grabbed the political opportunity and exploited PPP's bad governance and Sharif's corruption as issues. Imran's rise came as a result of continuity of democracy and if it continues it may also break the strong biradri system.

Lahore (Awesome Newa): Student found dead in a dormitory room at a private university in Lahore on Tuesday had overdosed on drugs, post-mortem report has shown. The body of the student, identified as Shameer Asif, was handed over to his heirs after the post-mortem, police said. His heirs have left for Karachi with the body, police added.

The hostel administration, after finding the dead body, had called police. According to police, Shameer was a resident of Karachi. The deceased was a fifth semester student, taking courses in Finance and Accounting. His room was searched and some of his personal belongings and cigarettes were sent to lab for examination, police informed.

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday remanded key accused of Baldia Factory fire Abdul Rahman alias Bhola in police custody till December 19.

The court ordered that an SP rank police official be appointed for investigation into the case.

Rahman alias Bhola is one of the main accused in Baldia factory inferno case, which claimed more than 250 lives.

Rahman pleaded not guilty in the court. "The allegations hurled at me are false. Asghar Baig had set the factory on fire," he said.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) brought Abdul Rahman to Karachi from Bangkok on Tuesday.

A two-member FIA team went to Thailand on Sunday to get custody of Abdul Rahman. After reaching Thailand the team requested access to Bhola, who was under treatment at a hospital of Bangkok prison for having kidney problems.

The FIA had constituted a two-member team comprising Deputy Director Badar Baloch and Inspector Rehmatullah Domki for Bhola's extradition to Pakistan, sources had informed. The team arrived in Thailand along with documents and legal records pertaining to the Baldia factory tragedy, for taking custody of Rahman alias Bhola.

Earlier in his initial statement to the Interpol in Bangkok, Bhola had maintained himself as a 'political worker affiliated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement,' sources within the Federal Investigation Agency had told Geo News. Bhola was on the run since four years.

He was rounded up from Bangkok by the Interpol on December 03, upon the request of Pakistani authorities. 

On November 28 during hearing of the Baldia factory fire case, an anti-terrorism court had grilled authorities for not being able to arrest Hammad Siddiqui and Rahman alias Bhola. The court had ordered the interior ministry to arrest fugitives with the help of Interpol.

In September 2012, a deadly fire devoured over 250 lives at a factory situated in Karachi's Baldia Town. Subsequent investigations led to revelations that the factory was deliberately set ablaze over non-payment of extortion money.

Tracing Rahman alias Bhola's trail from Karachi to Bangkok

Abdul Rahman alias Bhola arrested in Bangkok by Interpol was an illegal immigrant, Geo News had learnt. Abdul Rahman travelled to Bangkok from Malaysia aided by human smugglers.

Forty-seven-year old Abdur Rahman made his first passport in 2009 on which he traveled to Dubai. Immediately after the Baldia Factory fire incident Rahman got a residence visa for Dubai. In June 2014, a new passport was issued from Dubai. This passport is valid till January 2019.

PSP, MQM-Pakistan deny links to Rahman

Paksarzameen Party and MQM Pakistan in separate statements had refuted allegations that Rahman was once associated with their parties.

MQM-P leader Rauf Siddiqui speaking to journalists in Karachi said that he could neither accept nor deny that Rahman was associated to MQM. 

Whereas, PSP Chief Mustafa Kamal, speaking to journalists in Lahore said that Rahman was not a member of his party. "He was arrested from outside Pakistan. He was never part of PSP," he said.

On 8 November Donald Trump was declared the winner of the US presidential election. His victory, however, won't be official until 19 December, when the 538 members of the electoral college gather in state capitals across the US to formally cast their ballots for the next president.

The electoral college vote is a vestigial constitutional organ - a political appendix - that in practice has amounted to little more than a rubber stamp for the president-elect. The year 2016 seems determined to continue breaking rules and norms right up until its last day, however, so of course there's now a movement among some electors to challenge this status quo - and the Clinton team just gave a wink and a nod of approval to their efforts.

On Monday John Podesta, the chair of the Clinton campaign, issued a statement saying that they supported a request by 10 electoral college voters - nine Democrats and one Republican - to receive a briefing from Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on evidence that the Russian government meddled in the US presidential election.

"The bipartisan electors' letter raises very grave issues involving our national security," Podesta, himself a victim of the alleged Russian hacking, writes. "Electors have a solemn responsibility under the Constitution, and we support their efforts to have their questions addressed."

Those electors are part of a manoeuvre they say was endorsed by founding father Alexander Hamilton, who wrote that a core purpose of the electoral college was to serve as a constitutional failsafe to prevent unqualified candidates or those under the influence of "foreign powers" from becoming president.

As justification for their request they point to the revelation last Friday that the US intelligence community has evidence that Russian hackers specifically targeted communications by Democratic Party and Clinton campaign officials in an attempt to aid Mr Trump's election.

"Trump's willingness to disregard conclusions made by the intelligence community and his continuing defence of Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin demand close scrutiny and deliberation from the electoral college," the 10 electors write in an open letter to Mr Clapper.

Any hope of swaying enough electors to hand the presidency to Mrs Clinton or a more moderate Republican (Ohio Governor John Kasich, for example) is the longest of long-shots. Although one Republican from Texas, Chris Suprun, has said he won't vote for Mr Trump, another 36 would have to break ranks to drop the Republican below the 270-vote threshold necessary for victory.

That isn't happening, writes the Atlantic's Garrett Epps.

"I don't think the Founding Fathers somehow 'intended' the electors to function in this situation as wise elders," he writes. "If they did, I think the electoral college would operate far differently. The electors never meet, they don't debate, they vote only once, and they disappear. To me, that's not a deliberative body; that's a protection for states that choose to disfranchise their people."

Complicating matters further is the fact 29 states have laws that require presidential electors to support the candidate who wins a plurality of votes in their state. Two Democratic electors in Colorado are challenging the legality of those laws in court - a move that's being opposed by the Trump campaign.

The lawsuit "threatens to undermine the many laws in other states that sensibly bind their electors' votes to represent the will of the citizens, undermining the electoral college in the process", writes a Trump campaign lawyer in a request to participate in the Colorado case.

That is a measured response compared to what is likely to come from Mr Trump himself, once he offers his inevitable counterpunch on Twitter. He's already likened the allegations of Russian electoral meddling to a conspiracy theory and has said that the push for vote recounts in three key swing states to find evidence of tampering, which the Clinton campaign also is supporting, is a scam and a waste of time and money.

Beneath all of this sound and fury is the reality that Mr Trump enters the White House with very tenuous claims to a presidential mandate. He trails Mrs Clinton in the popular vote by 2.8 million votes, his Electoral College margin is modest by historical standards, and he has some of the lowest approval ratings of any president-elect.

Mr Trump and his team have clearly decided that any investigations into whether there were foreign attempts to meddle with the election, either through the ballot box or via email hacking, must be aggressively challenged no matter how unlikely they are to succeed.

With Podesta's move, the Democrats open themselves up to charges that they're sore losers - and with only a week before the electoral college votes, any efforts to block Mr Trump's path to the presidency are almost certainly hopeless.

They could prompt an overreaction from Mr Trump and his team, however, and set them at odds with Republicans in Congress who have called for a closer look into Russia's activities.

Anything that knocks the president-elect off his stride and foments dissent in Republican ranks could be viewed by Democrats as a win, and at this point they'll likely take whatever they can get.

LAHORE (Awesome News) - At least seven people were killed and several injured in various accidents due to fog in several cities of Punjab. 

Three people were killed when a motorcycle clashed with a donkey cart in Burewala while two dead in another accident in Gujrawala’s Ratta Jheel area.

The deceased Shaukat and Umair were the residents of Talondi Moosa Khan.

Two motorcycle riders also lost their life due to fog at Sahiwal’s Naiwala Road.

According to details, zero visibility was witnessed in several cities of Punjab as motorway was temporarily closed at Lahore, Sheikhupura, Pindi Bhattian, Faisalabad and Gojra.

Traffic situation went out of control in Gujranwala and on a standstill at National Highway.

Motorway police has advised the citizens to drive slowly and use fog lights

Fog has also disturbed the daily-life activities in Pattoki, Okara, Sahiwal, Toba Tek Singh and Mian Channu.

Many flights were delayed after flight operation was suspended in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Multan.

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Antonio Guterres was sworn in Monday as the ninth secretary-general of the United Nations, saying the world body must change to better confront global crises such as the war in Syria.

During a solemn ceremony at the General Assembly, the former prime minister of Portugal placed a hand on the UN charter and took the oath of office administered by the president of the General Assembly, Peter Thomson.

The first former head of government at the UN helm, Guterres takes over from Ban Ki-moon on January 1 amid ongoing bloodshed in Syria and questions over how the US role in the world chould shift under President-elect Donald Trump.

"This organization is the cornerstone of multilateralism, and has contributed to decades of relative peace, but the challenges are now surpassing our ability to respond," Guterres said in an address.

"The UN must be ready to change."

The 67-year-old socialist politician said the United Nations must "recognize its shortcomings and reform the way it works," singling out the failure to prevent crisis as a serious weakness.

The UN’s refugee chief for a decade, Guterres was sworn in as Syrian forces were on the verge of retaking the entire city of Aleppo -- a potential turning point in the nearly six-year war.

"This is a war in which everybody is losing. This became a threat for everybody around the world," Guterres later told journalists. "It is high time to put an end to this nonsense."

Guterres vowed to "engage personally" in conflict resolution, signalling a more pro-active approach to the role of secretary-general than under the 72-year-old Ban, the South Korean who led the world body for two five-year terms.

The election of Guterres has energized UN diplomats who see him as a skilled politician, able to overcome divisions that have crippled the United Nations, notably over Syria.

But Trump’s shock election has raised questions over Washington’s future role in the world and its relationship with the United Nations -- as the world body’s biggest financial backer.

The new UN chief will begin work just weeks before Trump takes office on January 20.

"Fear is driving the decisions of many people around the world," Guterres said, in a reference to the surge of populism that propelled Trump to the White House.

Citizens worldwide are losing confidence in their governments and in global institutions, he said, adding that it was "time to reconstruct relations between people and leaders."

He pledged to show the new US administration a "clear will to cooperate in relation to the enormous challenges we will be facing together."

Guterres laid out three priorities for change during his five-year term: work for peace, support sustainable development and improve internal UN management.

The 71-year-old United Nations has been criticized for its clunky bureaucracy, which has at times slowed down the response to global emergencies.

Guterres vowed to press ahead with gender parity at the United Nations, saying it was a priority to appoint more women to senior posts.

Among the appointments expected soon, Nigeria’s Environment Minister Amina Mohammed is tipped to become UN deputy secretary-general, diplomats say.

An engineer by training and a practicing Catholic, Guterres fought for migrants’ rights as UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015.

He served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, anchoring his country to the European Union and working to raise living standards.

US Ambassador Samantha Power praised Guterres as "the man for the job in such challenging times."

WASHINGTON (Web Desk) - The World Bank Group today (Tuesday) announced a pause in the separate processes initiated by India and Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty to allow the two countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements.

The announcement temporarily halts the appointment of a Neutral Expert, as requested by India, and the Chairman of the Court of Arbitration, as requested by Pakistan, to resolve issues regarding two hydroelectric power plants under construction by India along the Indus rivers system. Both processes initiated by the respective countries were advancing at the same time, creating a risk of contradictory outcomes that could potentially endanger the Treaty, the World Bank stated in a press release.

“We are announcing this pause to protect the Indus Waters Treaty and to help India and Pakistan consider alternative approaches to resolving conflicting interests under the Treaty and its application to two hydroelectric power plants,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, "This is an opportunity for the two countries to begin to resolve the issue in an amicable manner and in line with the spirit of the treaty rather than pursuing concurrent processes that could make the treaty unworkable over time. I would hope that the two countries will come to an agreement by the end of January."

The pause was announced by Kim in letters to the finance ministers of India and Pakistan and emphasized that the Bank was acting to safeguard the Treaty. Pausing the process for now, the Bank would hold off from appointing the Chairman for the Court of Arbitration or the Neutral Expert – appointments that had been expected on December 12 as earlier communicated by the Bank.

The current processes under the treaty concern the Kishenganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric power plants. 

The power plants are being built by India on, respectively, the Kishenganga and Chenab Rivers. Neither of the two plants are being financed by the World Bank Group.

The Indus Waters Treaty 1960 is seen as one of the most successful international treaties and has withstood frequent tensions between India and Pakistan, including conflict.

The Treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers, known as the Permanent Indus Commission which includes a commissioner from each of the two countries. It also sets out a process for resolving so-called “questions”, “differences” and “disputes” that may arise between the parties. 

ABBOTTABAD (Awesome News) – A team of foreigners comprising three French and three Canadian experts have arrived at PK-661 crash site in Havelian today (Tuesday).

Canadian experts include Mare Gratton, Stephen Vane Dudka and Jean Mare Ledoux while French officials include Pfeiffer Jerome, Pascal Epaule and Fablen Darsonval.

The officials of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are accompanying them to collect different samples from the location.

Earlier on Monday, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Monday grounded its 10 ATR turboprop planes after a crash last week killed 47 people and a second aircraft reported technical issues shortly before it was supposed to take off overnight.

PIA flight 661 smashed into a hillside in the country’s north while travelling from the city of Chitral to the capital Islamabad last Wednesday. The airline has said one of the plane’s two turboprop engines failed.

THAR (Dunya News) - Private Infrastructure Board on Tuesday has permitted Hub Power Company to start a coal power project of 330 megawatts in Thar.

As per company release, this project will start producing electricity by the end of 2018.

According to experts, it seems that the government’s announcement of eradicating load shedding by 2018 will be proven right due to its good economic policy and efforts to overcome energy crisis.

GENEVA (Web Desk) - Ambassador Tehmina Janjua, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, was elected today (12 December 2016) to preside over the Fifth Review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). The unanimous decision was taken at the start of the Review Conference, being held in Geneva from 12-16 December 2016.

The Convention and its five Protocols deal with prohibitions and restrictions of certain conventional weapons, balancing humanitarian concerns with their military utility. The Fifth Review Conference of the Convention was preceded by a Preparatory Committee meeting in September 2016 that was also chaired by Ambassador Janjua.

Review Conferences of the CCW are held every five years to review the implementation of the Convention and its five Protocols, as well as to explore the possibility of developing new Protocols to address specific conventional weapons of concern.

The election of Pakistan as the President of this important Conference is an endorsement of the country’s strong credentials in multilateral diplomacy. It reflects, in particular, the international community’s confidence in, and recognition of Pakistan’s contribution to international security and arms control related issues.

The one remaining ship still looking for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 has begun what is likely to be its final search. Dutch-owned Fugro Equator left the Australian port of Fremantle on Monday.

Several ships have combed the seabed of a vast search area in the Indian Ocean since the plane disappeared in 2014. The Fugro Equator is expected to finish scouring the final portion of the search area by early 2017.

Officials say they will suspend the search if the plane is not found by then. Not a single piece of wreckage or any clues to the whereabouts of the plane have been found so far by the operation.

"It has been an heroic undertaking but we have to prepare ourselves for the prospect that we may not find MH370 in the coming weeks, although we remain hopeful," Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester told the West Australian newspaper.

Several countries including Australia and China have taken part in the underwater search. Earlier this month the Chinese vessel Dong Hai Jiu 101 completed its mission and is returning to Shanghai, leaving the Fugro Equator as the last ship scouring the vast 120,000 sq km (46,332 sq miles) search area.

Whether the Fugro Equator's voyage is the ship's final month-long deployment would depend on the weather, the office of Mr Chester told AP news agency.

MH370 was carrying 239 people when it disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. Many of the passengers were Chinese.

Last week family members of some passengers journeyed to Madagascar to look for clues on the ship's whereabouts.

A few aeroplane fragments confirmed to be from MH370 had been found by members of the public on the East African and Madagascan coasts in recent months.

The location of the debris is in line with drift modelling patterns based on the theory that MH370 went down in a part of the Indian Ocean near Australia.

The families have expressed frustration at the lack of concrete evidence turned up by the official search, and have called for a coordinated effort to search beaches for debris.

A British backpacker who says she was held against her will during a car trip in Australia was rescued after texting her location to her father in England. Mary Kate Heys, 20, had agreed to ride with a man from their hostel in south-east Queensland to Brisbane.

But when he drove in the opposite direction and refused to allow her out, she told her father to call police. Police intercepted the pair at Gympie, 90km (55 miles) from the hostel, after her father contacted them.

The 22-year-old driver, from Sweden, was arrested and taken to hospital for medical treatment. He will not face charges as Ms Heys withdrew her complaint against him, police said.

'I was so scared'

Ms Heys, from Manchester, told local media that the man woke her at 04:30 local time on Monday (18:30 GMT on Sunday) at the Mooloolaba hostel, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

She said she initially agreed to go on a road trip with him out of concern for his wellbeing.

But she said she began to feel unsafe when he changed the plan and said they should drive to Far North Queensland.

"I was so scared and I thought I was going to die," Ms Heys told the Courier-Mail newspaper.

She repeatedly sent her father her location, as well as messages reading: "I need you to call Australian Police" and "I've been taken by a man… please hurry".

Schools and businesses were shut and airport services suspended, as the cyclone made landfall with heavy rain and winds of up to 140km/h (85mph). Teams from the army and National Disaster Relief Force, along with two naval ships, are on standby.

Fishermen in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have been warned not to go to sea.

Police said disaster management teams had evacuated more than 15,000 people from low-lying areas.

Schools and businesses were shut and airport services suspended, as the cyclone made landfall with heavy rain and winds of up to 140km/h (85mph).

Teams from the army and National Disaster Relief Force, along with two naval ships, are on standby.

Fishermen in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have been warned not to go to sea.

Police said disaster management teams had evacuated more than 15,000 people from low-lying areas.

China says it is "seriously concerned" after US President-elect Donald Trump expressed doubts about continuing to abide by the "One China" policy.

Under the policy, the US has formal ties with China rather than the island of Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway province. In a TV interview on Sunday, Mr Trump said he saw no reason why this should continue without key concessions.

China urged Mr Trump to understand the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that the "One China" policy was the basis for relations with Washington.

China's hawkish Global Times tabloid dubbed Mr Trump "ignorant as a child"

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo beat rival Lionel Messi to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or award for a fourth time.

The 31-year-old is now one behind Barcelona's Messi, who took the honour for a fifth time last year.

Atletico Madrid's French forward Antoine Griezmann finished third in the vote.

Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win last season's Champions League and scored three goals as Portugal won Euro 2016.

He has now won the Ballon d'Or in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016, with Messi the only other recipient of the award since winning it for the first time in 2009.

"I never thought in my mind that I would win the Golden Ball four times. I am pleased. I feel so proud and happy," said Ronaldo.

"I have the opportunity to thank all of my team-mates, the national team, Real Madrid, all of the people and players who helped me to win this individual award."

The former Manchester United forward has scored 19 goals in 20 games for club and country this term, to add to the 54 he got last season.

Ballon d'Or winners

2016: Cristiano Ronaldo 2009: Lionel Messi

2015: Lionel Messi 2008: Cristiano Ronaldo

2014: Cristiano Ronaldo 2007: Kaka

2013: Cristiano Ronaldo 2006: Fabio Cannavaro

2012: Lionel Messi 2005: Ronaldinho

2011: Lionel Messi 2004: Andriy Shevchenko

2010: Lionel Messi 2003: Pavel Nedved

Ronaldo's Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale finished sixth in the vote, while Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy - the only Englishman included on the 30-player shortlist - was eighth.

The Ballon d'Or is voted for by 173 journalists from around the world.

It has been awarded by France Football every year since 1956, but for the past six years it became the Fifa Ballon d'Or in association with world football's governing body and was awarded to the world's best player.

However, Fifa ended its association with the award in September.

Fifa will hand out its own prize for the world's best men's player, along with the best women's player and team of the year, at the Best Fifa Football Awards ceremony in Zurich on 9 January.

Venezuela has closed its border with Colombia for 72 hours in the latest measure to combat smuggling gangs. President Nicolas Maduro says the "mafia" operating in border areas is causing huge damage to the economy.

Many items subsidised by Venezuela's socialist government, including diesel and petrol, are sold at a huge profit over the border in Colombia.

On Sunday, he announced that the country's highest denomination bank note would be taken out of circulation.

'Destroy the mafia'

President Maduro said the move would stop gangs hoarding the currency.

"Let's destroy the mafia before the mafias destroy our country and our economy," he said on national television.

"This measure was inevitable, it was necessary," he added. "The mafias will go bust."

There were emotional scenes in court on the first day of the blasphemy trial of Jakarta's governor, a Christian of Chinese descent. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok, cried as he denied allegations he insulted Islam.

Mr Purnama is the first non-Muslim governor of Indonesia's capital in 50 years. The case is being seen as a test of religious tolerance in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.

The prosecution said Mr Purnama insulted Islam by misusing a Koranic verse which suggests Muslims should not be ruled by non-Muslims, to boost public support ahead of February's governorship election.

He insisted his comments were aimed at politicians "incorrectly" using a Koranic verse against him, not at the verse itself. If convicted, he faces a maximum five-year jail sentence. After the short hearing, the trial was adjourned until 20 December.

Rights groups say the authorities have set a dangerous precedent in which a noisy hardline Islamic minority can influence the legal process, says the BBC's Rebecca Henschke in Jakarta.