Online anger in China over breast-fondling 'magician'

A video blogger has ignited a debate about women's safety in China, after he posted videos of himself pretending to be a street magician so that he could fondle women's breasts.
The man, who calls himself "Chris", is shown approaching young women in the city centre of Chengdu. He asks them if he can show them a coin trick.
As he talks, the women appear to relax in his presence. Then he presses a coin to their chests and begins to fondle their breasts.
A local shop owner told local media that he had spotted the videos online and contacted police.
State-run news website The Cover said police had found the man - identified in media reports as a video blogger from Shanghai with the surname Xu - and were carrying out an investigation.
They are calling for women to come forward if they have been approached by him.

Who is this 'magician'?



The blogger has more than 40,000 followers on microblogging network Sina Weibo, where he describes himself as an "online prankster".
Since March, he has been posting videos in which he is shown stopping women in the street and asking them inappropriate personal questions.
In one video, he asks women questions such as "Do you use tampons?" and "Could I have a one night stand with you?", and films their reactions.
His behaviour in recent videos has become increasingly brazen.
In one post, titled The Pick-up Master, he brags about his exploits after being covertly filmed kissing and fondling girls he has just met.
None of the faces of the women in his videos are pixelated, and many are filmed in open public spaces.

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'Why so calm?'

A video compilation showing Xu groping women was posted on The Cover's website, where it has so far received more than three million views.
Thousands took to Sina Weibo using the hashtags #StreetMagicianMakesNameTouchingBreasts and #MagicMaleAnchorTouchesChests to discuss it - many reacted angrily, calling the man "scum" and a "pervert".
Some say they are concerned that the women featured didn't even flinch during his advances, and some say they suspect him of using hypnosis.
"Why are all these women so calm?" asks one user called Rome_Roma.
Other Weibo users were concerned about the lack of intervention from passersby, given that the women were filmed in daytime on a busy street.
On Thursday, Xu issued an apology on video website Meipai.
He said that "in some footage, I did not get the permission of some women featured and caused problems for their families, for which I am extremely sorry".
But many online users say they think an apology is not enough, and some are calling for Xu to be prosecuted.
One cited an article in Chinese law on indecent assault in public, for which the maximum prison sentence is five years.
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UK to agree Brexit divorce bill before trade talks - EU sources

The UK has agreed to sort out its EU "divorce bill" and citizens' residence rights before starting Brexit trade talks, EU sources have told the BBC.
But the UK's Brexit department has insisted a trade deal must be agreed at the same time.
Brexit negotiations are due to start on Monday in Brussels but that will be the only day of talks next week.
The talks are set to continue every month throughout the summer.
The EU will aim to see if "sufficient progress" has been made by October to move on to the next phase of negotiations, sources told the BBC's Europe correspondent Damian Grammaticas.

'Withdrawal process'

Monday's talks between Brexit Secretary David Davis and EU negotiator Michel Barnier follow preliminary negotiations in Brussels between officials.
In a statement the European Commission said: "The opening of negotiations at political level next week will focus on issues related to citizens' rights, the financial settlement, the Northern Irish border and other separation issues, as part of the sequenced approach to the talks.
"Both sides will also discuss the structure of the negotiations and the issues that need to be addressed over the coming months."
A spokesman for Mr Davis's Brexit department stressed that nothing had changed as far as the UK was concerned and trade talks must take place alongside withdrawal talks.
"We have been crystal clear about our approach to these negotiations," said the spokesman.
"As we set out in the Article 50 letter, our view is that withdrawal agreement and terms of the future relationship must be agreed alongside each other. We are clear this is what is set out in Article 50.
"We believe that the withdrawal process cannot be concluded without the future relationship also being taken into account.
"As the EU has itself said, 'nothing is agreed, until everything is agreed'."

'First aim'

The spokesman added that although some issues would be given early priority "the withdrawal and future are intimately linked".
"In particular, we want to move ahead on securing the rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens living in the EU. We want to end the anxiety facing four million citizens.
"That has always been our first aim and that is what we will do."
David Davis has said the UK will pay what was legally due, in line with its rights and obligations, but "not just what the EU wants", following reports the "divorce bill" could be 100bn euros (£87bn).
Mr Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, has said there was no desire to punish the UK but "its accounts must be settled".
"There is no Brexit bill. The final settlement is all about settling the accounts," he said last month.
In Prime Minister Theresa May's letter triggering Article 50, she states: "We believe it's necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU.'
But European Council president Donald Tusk and other senior EU officials have consistently ruled out parallel talks.

Analysis by BBC Europe correspondent Damian Grammaticas

We now know that at precisely 11:00 BST on Monday morning, almost exactly a year after the Brexit referendum, the all important exit negotiations will begin.
It's been confirmed that they will start with talks between David Davis representing the UK and Michel Barnier for the EU side.
The EU has pressed for openness and a press conference is expected at the end of the first day.
After that, an EU source said, there will be one week of face-to-face negotiations every four weeks throughout the summer.
And the source told the BBC that it was understood the talks would broadly follow the EU's preferred sequence, dealing with issues of citizens' rights and a framework for calculating outstanding financial liabilities before moving on, possibly later in the year, to deal with the UK's future relationship with the EU.
EU countries have said they will only move on if they believed sufficient progress had been made in the first phase of talks.
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Man held by police outside Parliament

A man was brought down with a Taser outside the Palace of Westminster after he reached for a knife when approached by officers, Scotland Yard has said.
A bearded man, wearing black trousers and a grey sweatshirt, was seen being held against the fence with his arms behind his back by a police officer.
Police said the man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife.
But they "remain open minded as to whether terrorism was a motive", they said.
The man was held just yards from where PC Keith Palmer was stabbed to death by terrorist Khalid Masood in March.
Joe Murphy, London Evening Standard political editor, tweeted: "There were shouts of 'knife, knife, knife' and man was brought down with a Taser."
BBC deputy political editor John Pienaar said the latest incident ended very swiftly with the man being taken away in a police van.
While the gates are closed, the road and pavement opposite remained open and the incident had no effect on traffic in Parliament Square, he said.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said "it is too early to understand the motivation" of the man "so we have not declared this a terrorist incident".
"However, given the location, the circumstances and recent tragic events, the MPS Counter Terrorism Command will be investigating this incident.
"We remain open-minded as to whether terrorism was a motive."
Eyewitness Bradley Allen, 19, from Barking, east London, who was walking past Parliament, said he saw a man "who looked quite angry with fists quite clenched".
"He stared at me and my mate and we walked past him. Within seconds there was a shout and police ran out of the front gate shouting at him 'Get on the floor, get on the ground'.
"Within seconds he was on the ground - I'm not sure whether he was Tasered - I'm not sure how he got down there, but in seconds it was over.
"Armed police everywhere, telling everyone to move back, and we all got pushed back."

Security tightened

Security around Westminster was tightened following the attack by Masood, who was shot dead after fatally stabbing PC Palmer as he guarded Carriage Gate.
A review of security at the perimeter of the parliamentary estate was ordered by Commons Speaker John Bercow following the incident.
The use of armed officers and physical barriers have become more visible, while a permanent barrier has been erected to protect pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, where Masood murdered five people and injured more than 50 others by mounting the pavement in a car.
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Archaeologists in Ethiopia uncover ancient city in Harlaa

A forgotten city thought to date back as far as the 10th century AD has been uncovered by a team of archaeologists in eastern Ethiopia.
Artefacts from Egypt, India and China have been found in the city in the Harlaa region.
The archaeologists also uncovered a 12th Century mosque which is similar to those found in Tanzania and Somaliland.
Archaeologists says this proves historic connections between different Islamic communities in Africa.


This discovery revolutionises our understanding of trade in an archaeologically neglected part of Ethiopia. What we have found shows this area was the centre of trade in that region," lead archaeologist Professor Timothy Insoll from the University of Exeter said.
The team also found jewellery and other artefacts from Madagascar, the Maldives, Yemen and China.

'City of giants'

BBC Ethiopia correspondent Emmanuel Igunza says there was a local myth that the area was occupied by giants because the settlement buildings and walls were constructed with large stone blocks that could not be lifted by ordinary people.
However the archaeologists found no evidence of this.
"We have obviously disproved that, but I'm not sure they fully believe us yet," said Prof Insoll.
A statement from the team says the remains of some of the 300 people buried in the cemetery are being analysed to find out what their diet consisted of.
Further excavations are expected to be conducted next year.
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Islamic State leader Baghdadi 'may have been killed by Russia'

Russia's defence ministry is investigating whether one of its air strikes in Syria killed the leader of the Islamic State militant group (IS).
The ministry said an air strike may have killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and up to 330 other fighters on 28 May.
It said the raid had targeted a meeting of the IS military council in the group's de facto capital of Raqqa, in northern Syria.
There have been a number of previous reports of Baghdadi's death.
This is the first time, however, that Russia has said it may have killed the IS leader. Other media reports have previously claimed he had been killed or critically injured by US-led coalition air strikes.
Forces opposed to IS have been closing in on Raqqa in recent weeks.
Russia sent an air force contingent to Syria in September 2015 to shore up President Bashar al-Assad, bombing both IS and other rebel groups opposed to the government.

What are the Russians saying about the air strike?

Thirty IS field commanders and up to 300 fighters were at the meeting in a southern suburb of Raqqa, the defence ministry said on its Facebook page.
Baghdadi and the others had gathered to plan escape routes from the city, the ministry said.
The Russian air force launched an air strike between 00:35 and 00:45 local time (21:35 and 21:45 GMT 27 May), after notifying the US military in advance.
Su-35 and Su-34 jets were used in the strike, which was preceded by drone reconnaissance flights, the ministry said.
According to the Russian defence ministry, which published photos of the site targeted before and after, other IS figures killed in the strike include Emir of Raqqa Abu al-Haji al-Masri, Emir Ibrahim al-Naef al-Hajj and IS security chief Suleiman al-Sawah.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters he was still seeking the facts of what had happened, saying, "I do not have 100% confirmation of the information about the elimination of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi."

Does the Russian account stack up?

Hours after the air strike, IS media released a video showing extensive damage to buildings and a number of dead people, mostly covered up, blaming "US air strikes".
The US-led coalition said on Friday it could not confirm whether Baghdadi had been killed.
There has been no official comment from Syria's government.
Baghdadi's whereabouts have been unknown for some time, although he was believed to be in Mosul in Iraq before a US-led coalition began an effort to reclaim the city in October 2016.
He has made only one public appearance in recent years - in a video delivering a sermon in Mosul on 5 July 2014, shortly after IS captured the city.
His last audio message was released on 2 November last year.
Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying he had information that Baghdadi was in another part of Syria at the end of May and was not killed.
In March, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that "nearly all" of Baghdadi's deputies had been killed.

Who is Baghdadi?

Baghdadi - a nom de guerre rather than his real name - is believed to have been born in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971.

Reports suggest he was a cleric in a mosque in the city around the time of the US-led invasion in 2003.
Some believe he was already a militant jihadist during the rule of Saddam Hussein. Others suggest he was radicalised during the four years he was held at Camp Bucca, a US facility in southern Iraq where many al-Qaeda commanders were detained.
He emerged as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, one of the groups that later became Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS), in 2010.
In October 2011, the US officially designated Baghdadi as a terrorist. It has offered a reward of up to $25m (£19.6m) for information leading to his capture or death.

What does the online chatter say?

So far, there has been minimal reaction from online supporters of IS to news of the reported death of the group's leader, BBC Monitoring reports.
IS sympathisers typically ignore reports from unofficial IS sources or ridicule them, especially given that Baghdadi's death has been reported several times in the past.
One high-profile IS supporter on the messaging app Telegram shared a post denying the news and saying that when an IS leadership figure is killed, the group does not hide it.
IS normally does not rush to confirm the death of leadership figures, and would belatedly and sometimes indirectly announce them in general messages or by naming military campaigns after the deceased leader.
However, in the case of IS spokesman Abu-Muhammad al-Adnani, the group rushed to announce his death on 30 August 2016, the same day he was targeted in a US air strike in Syria, pre-empting any reports by the military or media.
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London fire: Queen and Prince William visit Grenfell Tower centre

The Queen and Prince William visited a relief centre for Grenfell Tower fire victims, while the missing could number as many as 76, the BBC understands.
Their visit to the Westway Sports Centre comes after police say some of those killed may never be identified.
Police have confirmed that at least 30 people have died as a result of the blaze at the west London flats.
Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy said that of those who were killed, one died in hospital.
He also said there was nothing to suggest that the fire was started deliberately, and that everyone in hospital has now been identified.
The fire broke out shortly before 01:00 BST on Wednesday.
The Queen and Duke of Cambridge met volunteers, residents and community representatives.
The Queen paid tribute on Thursday to the "bravery" of firefighters and the "incredible generosity" of volunteers now offering support.
Emergency services are to spend a third day searching for bodies in the burnt-out Grenfell Tower in North Kensington.
Fire chiefs say they do not expect to find more survivors, while PM Theresa May has ordered a full public inquiry.
Police said on Thursday that they had launched a criminal investigation into the fire.
The prime minister - who faced criticism for not meeting survivors of the tragedy on a visit to the scene on Thursday - said the victims "deserve answers".
Mrs May visited those injured in the fire on Friday morning, and will chair a cross-Whitehall meeting later on how the authorities can help the community recover.
Housing minister Alok Sharma said the government was working with the local authority to ensure that "every single family will be rehoused in the local area".
But a statement from Kensington and Chelsea Council said, while they were trying to rehouse people in the borough, it is "possible the council will have to explore housing options that may become available in other parts of the capital."
Six victims of the blaze have been provisionally identified.
However, Commander Cundy has said earlier there was "a risk that sadly we may not be able to identify everybody".
When previously asked about the number of dead, he said he hoped the death toll would not reach "triple figures".
He added: "We as the police, we investigate criminal offences - I am not sitting here and saying there are criminal offences that have been committed, that's why you do an investigation, to establish it."
The leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council - the authority that owns the tower block - told BBC Two's Newsnight it would not use the type of cladding fitted to Grenfell Tower on other buildings in the borough.
The cladding - installed on the tower in a recent renovation - has come under scrutiny, with experts saying a more fire resistant type could have been used.
Cllr Nicholas Paget-Brown also said there had not been a "collective view" among residents in favour of installing sprinklers during the renovations.
Meanwhile, Conservative MP Chris Philp said the public inquiry should produce interim findings to ensure swift action can be taken if residents in other tower blocks are at risk.

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