VATICAN CITY: Lamenting "the winds of war" blowing around the world, Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Monday called for a two-state solution to find peace in the Middle East and prayed that confrontation can be overcome on the Korean Peninsula. The pope took particular aim at areas of global tension where President Donald Trump is playing a critical role. Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has ignited new violence in the Middle East, while confrontation with North Korea over its nuclear tests has escalated tensions in Asia. "The winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline," the pope said in his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" ("to the city and to the world") Christmas message and blessing from the central balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square. About 50,000 faithful packed the square. As Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, the pope depicted suffering reflected "in the faces of little children," citing war and other tensions in the Middle East and Africa. He asked for peace for Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and prayed "that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders." Francis also prayed for an end to confrontation on the Korean Peninsula and that "mutual trust may increase." The Christmas message has become an occasion for popes to survey suffering in the world and press for solutions. Francis urged that "our hearts not be closed" as the inns of Bethlehem were to Mary and Joseph before Jesus' birth. The pontiff lamented that Syria remains "marked by war," that Iraq has been "wounded and torn" by fighting over the last 15 years and that ongoing conflict in Yemen "has been largely forgotten." Recalling his recent trip to Bangladesh and Myanmar, the pope urged the international community to work "to ensure that the dignity of the minority groups present in the region is adequately protected." The pontiff also recalled children who risk their lives at the hands of human traffickers to migrate to safer lands, who suffer because their parents don't have work or who are forced into labor themselves or to fight as child soldiers.

The Gujarat election results have come as a "warning bell" to those who believe in autocratic rule, the Shiv Sena said on Tueday. In an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Sena asked the BJP to pay heed to the 'sterling performance' of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Patidar leader Hardik Patel in Gujarat. "Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to play the 'Gujarati pride' card (to win these elections)," it said noting that while people of Gujarat stood behind Modi in 99 constituencies, the "Rahul Gandhi-Hardik Patel duo" emerged victorious in 77 seats. The BJP won Gujarat and Himachal, but the Congress also did not lose, the Sena said, adding "the dream of a 'Congress-Mukt Bharat' (Congress-free India) remained unfulfilled". The Sena said there were some who ridiculed Rahul Gandhi and Hardik Patel as "monkeys" compared to the BJP leadership. "These 'monkeys' have slapped the 'lion' and sounded the danger alarm," it added. "Those who indulged in this ridicule now have to pretend that they have passed with distinction, despite barely managing to pass (the poll exam)," the Sena said. This election result is a "warning bell" for those who believe in autocratic rule, the Sena said.

LONDON: The extradition trial of Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on charges of Rs 9,000 crores fraud and money laundering, began on Monday at a UK court here, with the prosecution asserting that the embattled liquor baron had a "case of fraud" to answer. The trial, however, was briefly halted as the courtroom had to be evacuated due to a fire alarm. The 61-year-old tycoon and others waited outside the Westminster magistrates court during the fire drill. The trial began with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian government, presenting its opening arguments in the case which focused on loans totalling around Rs 2,000 crores sought by the erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines from a consortium of Indian banks. The CPS admitted that there may have been "irregularities" in the internal processes of the banks sanctioning some of those loans but that would be a question to be dealt with at a later stage in India. "The focus of our case will be on his (Mallya's) conduct and how he misled the bank and misused the proceeds," said CPS barrister Mark Summers. He then went on to lay out a detailed chronology of events, with specific focus on a loan sought by Kingfisher Airlines from IDBI bank in November 2009. The loan sought amounted initially to Rs 950 crores but was later reduced to Rs 750 crores, after it had received Rs 200 crores from UCO bank. Meanwhile, Mallya was also sanctioned a loan of Rs 150 crores from IDBI in advance of the larger loan sought from the state-owned bank to meet "critical obligations to overseas vendors". The CPS noted that in all the loans sought, "loss-making" Kingfisher Airlines had relied on nearly the same set of security pledges, which included the UB Group's reputation, Kingfisher's own "brand value", a promised infusion of equity funds and a projected return to profit by the airline by February 2011. "The airline had claimed that it had put proactive measures in place to improve performance," the CPS noted. However, it was also a time when according to an industry analysis, the state of the airline industry was described as "grim" and as being in "intensive care". "It was not a scenario in which a state bank would have entertained such loan requests," the CPS added. The first day of the trial is expected to be taken up entirely by the CPS setting out the Indian government's prima facie case against Mallya, a fact that was not welcomed by his defence team. Mallya's barrister, Clare Montgomery, told the judge that she had hoped to set out the defence's opening arguments on the first day as well. But the CPS said it will "not be rushed" as it lays out the complete chronology of events. Meanwhile, Mallya watched the proceedings from behind a glass-windowed dock. His defence team tried to get the judge to allow him to sit outside the dock near his defence team to access some of the complicated paperwork being relied upon, but the judge denied that request saying all defendants are expected to sit in the dock. However, the judge has directed that a table be provided to Mallya for easier access to his paperwork. Earlier, Mallya looked relaxed when he entered the court to stand trial on charges of fraud and money laundering related to his erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines owing several Indian banks around Rs 9,000 crores. "These (allegations against me) are false, fabricated and baseless," Mallya told reporters outside the court ahead of the hearing. A four-member CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) team from India had also arrived at the court ahead of the trial, one of whom nodded when asked he they were "confident" about their case. Mallya, who has been out on bail since Scotland Yard executed an extradition warrant in April this year, will be in the dock for the duration of the trial - scheduled to end on December 14. A judgement in the case, being presided over by Judge Emma Louise Arbuthnot, is unlikely until early next year. The CPS will need to demonstrate a prima facie case by producing evidence to show that the criminal charges against Mallya are justified and that he should be extradited to face the Indian courts. Prison conditions in India are expected to be at the forefront during the hearing, with the Indian government providing assurances of protection of Mallya's human rights. The tycoon has been on self-imposed exile in the UK since he left India on March 2, 2016. While on strict bail conditions, which include providing a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds, surrender of his passport and a ban on possessing any travel documents, the former Rajya Sabha member has been based at his Hertfordshire estate Ladywalk in the village of Tewin, nearly 50-km from London. The CPS had presented "supplemental" charges of money laundering to previous charges of fraud against the businessman at an earlier hearing in October.

Shashi Kapoor, the embodiment of romance and charm who wooed the top leading ladies of the '70s and '80s on the silver screen and captivated millions of fans, died today. He was 79. The actor-producer took his last breath at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. "Yes, he has passed away. He had a kidney problem and was on dialysis for several years," his nephew Randhir Kapoor, the son of the late Raj Kapoor.