Scientists in Europe downplay likely loss of Mars lander

BERLIN (AP) — Scientists at the European Space Agency downplayed the likely loss of its Mars lander, saying Thursday that a wealth of data sent back by the experimental probe would help them prepare for a future mission to the red planet.

The Schiaparelli lander was designed mainly to test technology for a European robotic mission to Mars in 2020 and avoid the fate of Europe's Beagle 2 probe, which failed to deploy after landing in 2003.

Data received from Schiaparelli show that it entered the atmosphere as planned Wednesday and used its parachute to successfully slow down in the harsh Martian atmosphere, but its signal was lost shortly before the expected touchdown.Experts said the probe may have descended too fast or too slowly and hoped that about 600 megabytes of data sent back to Earth would provide answers. The data are equivalent to about 400,000 pages of information for scientists to sift through.

"The experimental test has yielded a huge amount of data and clearly we're going to have to analyze this in the days and weeks to come, but it gives us a lot of confidence for the future," said David Parker, ESA's director of human spaceflight and robotic exploration.

"We need to understand what happened in the last few seconds before the planned landing and that is likely to take some time," he said.

Getting a spacecraft onto the surface of Mars is notoriously difficult and the planet is littered with the remains of failed attempts. Only NASA has repeatedly succeeded in landing several robotic vehicles on the planet, including the Opportunity and Curiosity rovers.

The apparent failure to achieve what rocket scientists call a "soft landing" marred an otherwise successful start to the ExoMars mission, a joint venture between ESA and Russian space agency Roscosmos.

ESA chief Jan Woerner noted that Schiaparelli's mother ship was put into orbit around Mars as planned. The Trace Gas Orbiter will analyze the atmosphere in order to help determine whether there is life on Mars.

ESA's member states are expected to decide in the coming months whether to pay the estimated 300 million euros ($330 million) needed for the second part of the ExoMars mission in 2020.

Scientists haven't given up all hope that Schiaparelli might yet phone home. Don McCoy, the manager of the ExoMars project, said attempts will be made to reset the probe's transceiver but noted that its batteries are only expected to last for a few days.

Parker said his team was undaunted by the fate of Schiaparelli.

"Mars exploration is hard, and that's one of the reasons we do it," he said.

RMB depreciation in recent weeks no reason for concern

BEIJING - The seemingly abrupt fall in the value of the Chinese currency against the USdollar in recent weeks is mostly due to a strengthening dollar and such pressure will remain in the short term. However, there is no ground for concern that the Chinese yuan would embark on a one ways treet of devaluation, given that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy are sound and the internationalization of the yuan has steadily moved forward.

In anticipation of the rate hike by the Federal Reserve in December, the US dollar index  recently surged to its highest level since March. Against such a backdrop, all the other major currencies haved headed lower, including the Chinese yuan. But it is noteworthy that while the yuan exchange rate against the dollar has reached the lowest in six years, it is gaining value against other currencies. According to a Bloomberg report dated Oct 17, the yuan slumped 0.8 percent against the greenback last week but rose 0.6 percent against a trade weighted currency basket during the same period, registering its biggest advance in three months.The Chinese currency has in the past experienced a long period of stable exchange rates and China's reform to make its exchange rate mechanism more market-oriented will probably see higher volatility for the yuan. That said, recent depreciation of the yuan against the dollar has only minimal impact on the domestic market and due to the strong macro regulating capacity of the Chinese central bank,it is unlikely that the yuan will be mired in a messy devaluation. Analysts believe that although the yuan will still be in a weaker position against the dollar incoming weeks, the room for continuing yuan depreciation is quite limited.China has maintained a substantial surplus in its current account and it also has a huge foreign reserve. Meanwhile, its financial system is well-anchored compared to many other leading economies. Such factors decide that a long-term devaluation of the yuan is an unlikely scenario. Moreover, the yuan's internationalization and China's ongoing endeavor to further open its financial markets will only bolster the currency.

UN says refugees, migrants can make great contributions to urban development

QUITO, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Although some countries in the world are frustrated about the influx of refugees and migrants, a United Nations' conference held here Wednesday pointed out that these people make great contributions to the cities they live in like anyone else.

From Germany to Nicaragua, governments are grappling with the issue of how to deal with refugees and migrants escaping warfare, political strife or economic turmoil.

Whatever their migrant status may be, these people contribute to the cities they move in through jobs, taxes, businesses and education, according to the participants of the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, or Habitat III, in Quito.

In a special panel on the role refugees and migrants play in urban development, Ecuador's Deputy Minister of Human Mobility Esther Cuesta said coordinated responses were needed to offer worthy solutions to these people.

"Refugees, internally displaced and stateless people feel attracted by opportunities that cities offer. These people have abilities, talents and aspirations," added Steven Corliss, director of the Division of Programme Support & Management of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

These people arrive in cities "in search of the things that most of us take for granted - to move freely and without fear, have a dignified home, find a dignified job to take care of their families, educate their children, see a doctor when they are sick and dare to dream of a better future," said Corliss. The UNHCR official then spoke of the New Urban Agenda, the protocol that will be approved at Habitat III, which he said would favor joint, integrated responses adapted to specific contexts concerning refugees. "We are seeing a real and significant convergence between the strategic orientation of UNHCR, the New York Declaration (on Refugees and Migrants, September 2016) and the New Urban Agenda," Corliss said. Kate Gilmore, UN's deputy high commissioner for Human Rights, highlighted the need to combat discrimination and "humanize" their responses. "There is no habitat without people. In diversity lies strength, not fear," she said. Habitat III will conclude on Oct. 20 with the adoption of the New Urban Agenda, a document negotiated over the last three years to provide guidelines for promoting urban policies for the next two decades.

This talking, electric, self-driving bus is coming to a city near you

(CNN)Self-driving cars are unlikely to reach the public until the next decade, but a self-driving bus will be serving - and talking to - US citizens within a year.

The electric shuttle from Local Motors named "Olli" is on trial in the Washington area, and the company is planning a commercial launch in 2017 in several cities including Las Vegas and Miami.

Olli can carry 12 passengers, and it is initially expected to provide public transport in closed network locations such as campuses and airports, before branching into new functions and locations.

The partly 3D printed vehicle is the first to integrate IBM's "Watson" cognitive computing technology, allowing passengers to interact with it and ask questions, such as what route the bus is taking and what attractions their destination offers.

"Many companies are working on autonomous vehicles," says Local Motors CEO Jay Rogers. "We hope to be among the first to make it real."

Eyes on the road

Olli makes use of lidar, a laser-sensing system also employed by Google's driverless cars, to read the road.

The bus also features supplementary sensors for remote supervision, speed monitoring and safety precautions. This includes what Rogers terms a "got to stop" haptic sensor on the front that automatically halts the bus if it makes contact with anything.

The vehicles have avoided accidents during trials, despite facing additional stress tests from pranksters.

"People want to trick them," says Rogers. "It sounds farcical but it really isn't when you think about what a bike messenger might do with a robot on the road. They might hit the haptic sensor to make the vehicle stop."

"A normal bus driver might yell an expletive out of the window, but should a robot do that?"

Building a relationship

Olli's creators hope that their unique vocal interface will help break down the barriers and help people to accept robots.

"It is about developing relationships between passenger and machine in the most natural way possible," says Bret Greenstein, Vice President of IBM Watson Internet of Things. "You have to know it understands you."

IBM are keen to develop a winning personality for their interface, projecting warmth and confidence. The system is also being trained to recognize novel aspects such as regional accents and obscure place names.

"Nobody likes to repeat themselves," says Greenstein. "The machine has to understand you the way you want to talk, not make you train yourself to the machine."

Looking ahead, Local Motors hope to integrate Watson with passengers' social media profiles to offer more personalized interaction.

Sustainable growth

The use of 3-D printed material enables rapid mass production.

The first Olli was created in just two weeks, and new micro-factories are to be launched across the country.

Local Motors already offers a range of cutting-edge vehicles, including a 3D printed car (the "Strati"), which will also be given autonomous capability and manufactured in large numbers.

"Our goal is to have 20 micro-factories by 2020, to make up to 60,000 units a year," says Rogers.

The manufacturing process also gives Olli an environmental edge over competitors.

Rogers claims that manufacturing the 3-D printed materials uses 50% less carbon than traditional metals. The parts can be broken down and reused.

Olli runs on electricity, with wireless recharging, and it is hoped widespread adoption could significantly impact pollution in urban areas.

Racing ahead

Rogers is thinking far beyond public transport to providing a variety of cargo, commercial and even emergency services.

He speculates that Olli could "deliver medicine, provide advertising on demand, or roll up en masse in an area where there is an active shooter and block people so they can get out of harm's way."

New functions will lead to new designs, including aerial and consumer vehicles.

Local Motors is forming partnerships with major companies such as Airbus, according to Rogers, and its designs are generating demand from cities around the world.

The CEO is bullish that his company can outpace higher-profile competitors in the race to autonomy.

"This is our moment," he says. "I can say with great certainty the mass manufacturing companies of the world will not be the first to introduce this kind of technology to the road."

China lays out plan for agricultural modernization by 2020

BEIJING, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- China aims to achieve "marked progress" in agricultural modernization by 2020, according to a five-year plan released by the State Council Thursday.

The country will strive to ensure food security, improve the quality and efficiency of farm produce supply, and enhance the sector's international competitiveness by 2020, the plan said.

It also targets all-round moderate prosperity for rural residents, and a beautiful countryside.

Modern agriculture should be established in the country's eastern coastal developed regions, major cities' suburbs, state farms and several demonstration areas, according to the plan.

The plan specified tasks to promote innovation, coordination, green development, opening up and farmers' welfare.

Fourteen key projects will be carried out to attain the plan's goals. They include projects to cultivate high-standard farmland, integrate various sub-industries and ensure farm produce quality.

Fiscal and financial support will be given to the agricultural sector, while better land policies and farm produce market regulations will be introduced, the plan said.

Belgium border LOCKDOWN: Border guards scramble fearing Calais Jungle migrant rush

BELGIAN security forces are trying to bolster border checks fearing the Calais Jungle migrants will storm the country and build a new Jungle and route to Britain.Officials in Belgium are prepared to do “whatever it takes” to stop migrants fleeing the doomed shanty town in Calais to set up another Jungle-type camp.

But they are restricted by the Schengen freedom of movement agreement, so can do little more than bring in 120 extra police officers to patrol the French border.

The Belgian government has been dreading the migrant camp’s closure for months, fearing Zeebrugge will become the next hotspot route.The port, which is just 80 miles up the coast from Calais, links Belgium with Hull.

The Belgian interior minister, Jan Jambon, said more than 50 police officers would be sent to help guard the border on Saturday, and 70 more would arrive on Monday, which is when demolition teams will begin to dismantle the Jungle camp. 

The Belgian migrant hunters will remain stationed on the border with France for a minimum of two months, or until the refugee crisis in Calais dies down. More than 500 Britain-bound Calais immigrants attempt to cross into Belgium each month; but a vast majority of them get caught on the way to Zeebrugge, and end up back in France hours later. 

Express.co.uk previously reported how up to 30-40 migrants a day were arriving in Zebruggee in the summer, the last time France tried to clear the southern part of the Jungle in spring.

We also revealed how the fishing port was more vulnerable as security was poorer than Calais.

When Zeebrugge first became a target for migrants earlier this year Belgian officials ordered a partial border shutdown and imposed systematic border checks to contain the flow of displaced migrants attempting to cross illegally into Belgium – going against the very nature of the EU’s Schengen freedom of movement policy.

Mr Jambon, a hardline right-winger, said an extraordinary influx of south zone migrants into Zeebrugge – which is an upmarket, family-friendly spa town – would scare off tourists and put a dent in the local economy. But the Belgian interior minister’s decision to tighten border controls and beef up security did not please his French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve, who said Mr Jambon had decided to seal his side of the border without giving the French “any prior warning”. 

This time around, however, French and Belgian officials have pledged to work together in an effort to stop Belgium from being sucked into – and sharing the burden of – the migrant crisis in Calais. 

Thousands of gay men in UK to be pardoned for now-abolished sex offenses

London (CNN)Tens of thousands of gay and bisexual men who were convicted of now-abolished sexual offenses in Britain will be posthumously pardoned, the government announced Thursday.

The government proposal will also make it easier for living Britons, convicted years ago of since-decriminalized sexual behavior, to clear their names.The proposal has been dubbed the "Turing Law" -- named after World War II codebreaker Alan Turing, subject of the 2014 film "The Imitation Game." Turing committed suicide in 1954 after he was subjected to chemical castration as punishment for homosexual activity. In 2013, nearly 60 years later, he received a posthumous royal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II.Anyone previously convicted of the abolished laws can already apply through the UK's Home Office to have their names cleared and wiped from criminal record checks. But under the new law, the government will automatically pardon living men convicted of historical sexual offenses "who would be innocent of any crime today," Justice Minister Sam Gyimah said in a statement."Through pardons and the existing disregard process we will meet our manifesto commitment to put right these wrongs," Gyimah said.

Private homosexual acts for men aged over 21 were decriminalized in England and Wales in 1967. However the law was not changed in Scotland until 1980 or in Northern Ireland until 1982.

An admission of guilt'

Brighton resident George Montague, who was convicted in 1974 for gross indecency with a man, told CNN he won't accept the government's pardon because "it's an admission of guilt."

Instead, he wants an apology for the way he and many others were treated.

"In my view if you're born only able to love and be in love with another a man -- which means you're gay -- then it can't be a crime. How can that be a crime? It's not fair," Montague said.

"The law didn't apply to heterosexuals -- they could have sex anywhere. But if you were gay and all you did was kiss your boyfriend in public you were convicted."He said he wouldn't stop fighting until he received an apology from the government.

"We were treated very badly. I can't understand it, even today, that there are so many people who do not understand or accept homosexuality."

Announcement 'welcomed'

Andrew Gilliver from the LGBT Foundation in the UK told CNN that while the government's announcement is welcomed, it's long overdue.

"What's unfortunate is that it's taken this long. Obviously in that time (since the laws were abolished) so many people's lives have been ruined," he said, adding that family relationships and career opportunities were destroyed.

On Friday Parliament is set to debate a bill by MP John Nicolson which proposes a blanket pardon be applied to everyone living so that they don't have to go through the disregard process via the UK's Home Office.

However, the government has said it will not support the Nicolson bill because it "could lead, in some cases, to people claiming to be cleared of offenses that are still crimes."

The government has already rejected several applicants under the current law because the activity was non-consensual or the other person involved was under 16 years old.

Closing a loophole?

Gyimah says he worries the consequences of the Nicolson bill haven't been fully thought through.

"A blanket pardon, without the detailed investigations carried out by the Home Office under the disregard process, could see people guilty of an offense which is still a crime today claiming to be pardoned," he said.

However Paul Twocock of the Stonewall organization, which campaigns for the equality of LGBT people across Britain, said in a statement to CNN that he doesn't agree with the government's interpretation of the proposed bill.

"It explicitly excludes pardoning anyone convicted of offenses that would still be illegal today," he said.

Twocock said the proposed Nicolson bill "closes a loophole which means some gay and bi men who are still alive and living with those convictions still can't have them deleted, despite them being unjust and not illegal today."

Gay rights around the world

In recent years homosexuals around the world have fought to be pardoned for same-sex crimes that have long since been abolished.

Earlier this month Germany announced plans to compensate thousands of men who were convicted under an old law for their sexual preferences, Deutsche Welle reported.And in New Zealand, lawmakers introduced a petition in July seeking a formal apology and a pardon for those convicted of same-sex acts under laws abolished 30 years ago.

Housing means human right:

QUITO, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Human rights do not mean anything if people do not have a home where to claim their rights, a UN expert said Wednesday at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development.At the conference, or Habitat III, Leilani Farha, the UN's special rapporteur on housing, said "the first step is that all levels of government walk away from here and begin to think about establishing their own, local housing strategy...one based on human rights." Farha's statement also took aim at a lack of measures to cater to homeless people around the world. She said that millions of people are left without a home or forced to live in intolerable conditions, adding that this situation also impacted on the most developed countries.The UN estimated around 1.6 billion people live in informal housing globally. Yet Farha said that these people are not given the opportunity to find solutions to their problem.

"I have heard the homeless described as vermin, as cockroaches, those living in informal settlements referred to as illegal, as encroachers and occupiers," she said. "We want to challenge the...understanding of who counts and who doesn' t and dominant perceptions of who cities are for," continued the UN special rapporteur. Finally, she called on all governments to do more, adding that the New Urban Agenda, a flagship document of the Habitat III conference, should not prioritize housing policies, the main goal of which is to spur economic growth.

China, Philippines eye for enhanced economic ties

BEIJING, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- China and the Philippines on Thursday pledged to improve economic ties through cooperation. During a meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte at the Great Hall of the People, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said China and the Philippines had a sound foundation and great potential to coordinate strategies related to improving the economy and people's living standards. China is ready to increase cooperation with the Philippines in areas such as connectivity, infrastructure construction, production capacity, agriculture and finance, and further promote trade and investment, Li said. Speaking highly of China's achievements in social and economic development, Duterte said the Philippines would like to deepen cooperation with China in various fields and learn from China's experience of poverty alleviation and economic development.

In a China-Philippines Trade and Investment Forum at the Great Hall of the People, together with Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, Duterte said both countries share similar culture and thinking patterns. The Philippines appreciates China's sincere assistance and respect of the Philippines and other countries, said Duterte, adding his country has put developing relations with China as one of its foreign policy priorities.

He said he welcomes China to further expand investment in the Philippines and would implement the consensus reached with Chinese leaders during this visit. Zhang said the economic and trade cooperation, infrastructure construction and production capacity are priorities for the next stage of bilateral cooperation. China is willing to work closely with the Philippines to implement the consensus, plans and major projects reached between the leaders, Zhang said. The forum, jointly held by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines, was attended by some 700 businessmen from both countries.

During his meeting with Duterte, Li mentioned that the South China Sea issue should not define the Sino-Philippine relationship. The common interests of the two countries far outweigh their differences, he added. Li expressed China's willingness to develop relations with the Philippines to put ties back on a healthy track. China has always stood for resolving bilateral issues through dialogue and consultation of those directly concerned, said Li.

Li hoped that the two sides would jointly promote good-neighborly friendship and remain committed to managing their differences through dialogue and consultation, which serves the common interests of the two sides and also contributes to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN and it is also the China-ASEAN year of tourism cooperation, with the Philippines holding the ASEAN's rotating presidency. Li said China was willing to take this opportunity to enhance communication, coordination and cooperation with the Philippines within the framework of China-ASEAN cooperation. Later Thursday, top legislator Zhang Dejiang also met with Duterte at the Great Hall of the People. Duterte arrived in Beijing Tuesday night for a four-day state visit to China, the first country he has visited outside ASEAN since taking office in June.

The visit came amid a backdrop of deteriorating China-Philippines ties, due to the unilateral filing of the South China Sea arbitration case initiated by his predecessor Benigno Aquino III against China.

Pakistan Warns Government Workers About 'Pokemon Go'

Pakistan has warned government workers about the dangers of playing "Pokemon Go."

An advisory issued by the country's cyber-security agency identified a series of "technical threats" presented by the popular augmented-reality game, including that it "automatically turns on GPS/camera and possibly records activities of surroundings."

The leaked document also flagged a "non-technical threat": that the "addictive nature" of "Pokemon Go" can cause "serious injuries to unwary players."

It recommended advising government officials and staff — as well as their families — to avoid downloading the game.

While "Pokemon Go" is not officially available in the Islamic republic, players have been able to download the game by tricking their smartphones into thinking they're in a different country.Retired Maj. Iftikhar Ali, assistant secretary of the National Telecom and Information Technology Security Board, confirmed the authenticity of the alert issued by his agency last month.

"We've looked at the game forensically, and it raises concerns for us," Ali told NBC News. "We've listed some of these in the document."Based on the 1990s video-game franchise, "Pokemon Go" sees players exploring a real-world map and hunting computer-generated creatures.

Niantic, the game's developer, did not respond to NBC News' request for comment.

Since its debut over the summer, "Pokemon Go" has brought in $470 million in revenue and been installed more than 550 million times, according to the global market intelligence firm Newzoo.

It isn't the first time the game sparked some security concerns.

In August, the Israeli army banned troops from playing "Pokemon Go" on military bases amid concerns that game potentially allowed sensitive information to be leaked.