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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58243126 Maki Kaji, the Japanese man known as the "Godfather of Sudoku", has died at the age of 69. Kaji gave the number puzzle its name after publishing it in his magazine Nikoli in the 1980s. Since then the po[CENSORED]r game - involving placing the numbers 1 to 9 in each row, column and square of a 9 by 9 grid - has spread around the globe. Tournaments take place across the world and it is estimated that millions play versions of the game each day. On Monday Nikoli published a statement on its website saying Kaji had died at his home in Tokyo from bile duct cancer on 10 August 2021. Kaji was born in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo in 1951. After dropping out of Keio University, he set up the puzzle magazine Nikoli, which published its first edition in August 1980. The origins of Sudoku are unclear. Some credit the 18th Century Swiss mathematician Euler as its creator, while others say it came to the Arab world from China via India in the 8th or 9th Century, according to the New York Times. French newspapers published a number of early versions of the game in the late 19th Century, including one called "le carré magique diabolique", or the evil magic square, published by La France newspaper in July 1895. But US architect Howard Garns is often credited as the creator of the modern version of the puzzle in the 1970s, under the name Number Place. It was this game that Kaji spotted in 1984. "It was a very interesting puzzle, fun to solve," he said in a 2008 speech. "But the name, Number Place, did not hit me. I wanted to create a Japanese name." Kaji landed on Suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru, meaning "Numbers should be single". Pushed by colleagues to come up with a catchier name as he rushed to get to a horse race, he said he came up with the name Sudoku "in about 25 seconds". The game became po[CENSORED]r in Japan but only turned into a global phenomenon in 2004, after The Times of London published a puzzle. Kaji did not trademark the game, and did not gain financially from its huge success. But he said the joy of the puzzle and of others enjoying the game was more important than any monetary reward. "I get really moved when I see a new idea for a puzzle which has lots of potential," he told the BBC in 2007. "I get really excited about it. It is like finding treasure." line

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58244927 The UK's evacuation programme in Afghanistan is "operating at full pace" but the changing political situation means it "can't afford to pause and wait", a military commander has said. Vice Adm Sir Ben Key, who is running the evacuation, said around 300 people had been flown out so far. But Sir Ben said the operation was dependent on the security situation. Boris Johnson said any recognition of a Taliban government would "be subject to them upholding" human rights standards. In total, the UK hopes to help 6,000 to 7,000 British nationals and eligible Afghan staff to leave, he said. Home Secretary Priti Patel said around 2,000 former Afghan staff and their families had been resettled in the UK since 22 June under an existing resettlement scheme. There were chaotic scenes at Kabul airport on Monday, as thousands tried to flee the country after the Taliban seized control of the capital. A number of people died and large crowds on the runway led to all flights being halted for several hours. However, Chief Joint Operations Vice Admiral Sir Ben said the situation was now "much calmer". "I'm very confident that we now have a stable airfield in which we can get on with the business, alongside all of our allies and partners, that we need to do," he said. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I expect that we will increase our aid budget for development and humanitarian purposes - probably by 10%, is what I have in mind - on last year. We want to try and make sure it doesn't go through the Taliban." One would assume by "last year" that Mr Raab was referring to aid spending in the 2020-21 financial year, when the UK gave £167.5m of aid to Afghanistan. That was before the government cut the foreign aid budget earlier this year. Prior to today, aid to Afghanistan was set to fall to £37.5m - an annual reduction of £130m. However, if, as Raab has implied, a further 10% were added to the aid given in 2020-21, it would bring the UK's spending in Afghanistan up to £184.25m. If a 10% increase was applied to the post-cuts budget then it would represent a massive decrease on the 2020-21 budget. We have asked the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to clarify the position but they have yet to comment. He said three flights had landed in Kabul so far on Tuesday and more were planned. Military aircraft are also flying from Afghanistan to airports across the region, where people can then be put on civilian charter flights, he added. The UK has sent about 900 troops to Afghanistan to help evacuate British nationals and Afghans who are eligible to resettle in the UK. This group includes Afghans who worked for the British government, as well as interpreters, cultural advisers and embassy staff. Others eligible are those deemed to be at high and imminent risk, according to the Ministry of Defence.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-58220021 The home minister of the north-eastern Indian state of Meghalaya has resigned amid violence over the death of a former rebel leader. Cherishterfield Thangkhiew was allegedly killed during a police raid in the state capital, Shillong, on Saturday. His death sparked mob violence and arson in the city, forcing authorities to impose a two-day curfew. Mobile internet services were also suspended in four districts. Officials described it as a "serious breakdown of law and order". Thangkhiew, 54, was one of the founding figures of Meghalaya's separatist movement that vies for a separate homeland for its tribal po[CENSORED]tion. Police say Thangkhiew was killed in "retaliatory firing" during a raid at his home in Shillong. But his family called it "cold-blooded murder" - they allege the police orchestrated a "fake encounter", an Indian term for extra-judicial killings by authorities. On Sunday, angry protesters threw petrol bombs at Chief Minister Conard Sangma's personal residence in Shillong. However, no one was hurt as the chief minister stays at his official residence. Incidents of stone-pelting were also reported from across the city. The state's Home Minister, Lahkmen Rymbui, called for a judicial inquiry into the matter and said he was resigning "to bring out the truth". Insurgency in Meghalaya Meghalaya is located in the north-east region of India, which runs from the Himalayas just below Tibet to the plains of Bangladesh, and borders the jungles of Myanmar (Burma) to the east. Carved out of the neighbouring state of Assam in 1972, Meghalaya is home to three major tribes: the Garo who reside in the Garo hills, the Khasi, who account for state's the largest ethnic community , and live in the East and West Khasi hills; and the Jaintia who are concentrated in the Jaintia hills. The three communities are entitled to 80% of government jobs in the state through quotas. Meghalaya shares a border with Bangladesh and has seen decades of migration from the neighbouring country as well as from other parts of India - Bengal, Punjab and Bihar. This has sparked anxieties of indigenous communities who feared becoming a "minority in their own homeland" because of the influx of "outsiders". Over the years, several student unions in the state have expressed concerns that migration from other regions would disrupt the tribal po[CENSORED]tion's way of life and culture. It was a culmination of these "anti-outsider sentiments" that led to the formation of Meghalaya's first militant group, the Hynniewtrep Achik Liberation Council, in 1992. Initially, the group comprised both the state's major tribes, the Khasis and the Garos. But it later split apart amid differences over reservation in government jobs and colleges. The division resulted in the formation of two new factions - the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), which claims to represent Khasi interests, and the Achik Liberation Matgrik Army that demands a separate state for Garos. Thangkhiewas was the founding general secretary of the HNLC. He surrendered before the Meghalaya government in 2018 after reportedly spending years in hiding in Bangladesh. What happened now? Police claim they raided Thangkhiew's house in connection with an an IED blast that injured two people in Shillong last week. But when the team tried to enter his house, Thangkhiew allegedly attacked them with a knife in an attempt to escape, leading the police to fire at him, according to a statement. The police also said they seized ammunition and incriminating documents from his home. The rebel leader's family and supporters rejected the police version and said his death was an extra-judicial killing. On Sunday, hundreds joined Thangkhiew's funeral procession in Shillong, while local outfits called for a "black flag day" to mourn his death.

Back for its 70th year, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance returned with some of the world’s finest cars on show. Models from past and present were displayed with full capacity crowds at the event in California, US, with several models making their public debuts. Here’s our list of the show’s best cars from Pebble Beach and the wider Monterey Car Week. Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider The 1160bhp Valkyrie has gained a drop-top variant, presented at the Concours d’Elegance. Aston Martin admits a marginal change in weight but says the Spider will still top out at more than 217mph (or 205mph with the roof off). The hypercar also gains revisions to its carbonfibre tub and aerodynamics, ensuring the Spider closely matches the hardtop’s performance. The Spider is the third derivative of the Valkyrie to be shown, following the near-ready standard coupé and the track-only AMR Pro coupé. Attendees of the Car Week earned a first glimpse of Audi’s shapeshifting, self-driving Skysphere concept. The electric roadster is the first of three electric concepts that Audi will present over the next few months. A large two-door convertible, it was developed around the principles of Level 4 autonomy, meaning it can drive unaided on roads equipped with the necessary infrastructure. It has a rear-mounted motor that sends 624bhp and 553lb ft or torque to the rear wheels only for a 0-62mph time of 4.0sec.

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/08/15/can-europe-go-green-without-nuclear-power TEN YEARS ago, after a tsunami hit the Fukushima reactor in northern Japan, causing a nuclear disaster, Germany decided to phase out its 12 nuclear power stations. Within months, the first plants were closed. At the end of 2022 the fuel rods for the last three will be pulled out for the last time. Germany wants to be carbon neutral by 2045. The European Union is aiming for net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050. But can Europe meet its goals if its biggest economy has abjured nuclear power? European countries that produce nuclear power emit consistently lower levels of carbon dioxide than those that do not (see right-hand chart). Between 2000 and 2019, Germany’s emissions per person were, on average, 43% higher than those of countries with nuclear power. This is mainly because it still relies heavily on fossil fuels for electricity and heating. Other countries, such as Denmark and Iceland, have managed to reduce emissions without using nuclear power—but they both benefit from windy shorelines where wind turbines whir more powerfully. Most Germans supported the decision in 2011 and many still do. In its manifesto for the general election in September, the Green party, which The Economist forecasts is likely to win at least 14.5% of the seats in the Bundestag, pledged to lobby other European countries to abandon nuclear power. In July it was reported that Germany had gathered support from Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg and Spain in opposing the EU’s plans to classify nuclear power as “green” for investment purposes (the EU has yet to make a decision). Most of Germany’s neighbours are not listening (see left-hand chart). Of the 17 European countries producing nuclear energy, only Britain has plans to close any plants soon, and it is still building new ones. Although Switzerland has banned new construction, it will allow existing facilities to operate “as long as they are safe”. Poland, which is heavily reliant on coal, will start building its first nuclear power plant in 2026. In March the leaders of the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia wrote to the European Commission to complain that their countries’ development of nuclear energy was “contested by a number of Member States”. With German elections looming and the country recovering from recent catastrophic floods, global warming will be high on the public agenda. Well-regulated nuclear power is safe, and provides a stable source of emissions-free electricity. Yet some politicians are reluctant to discuss it. The most that Armin Laschet, the leader of the ruling Christian Democratic Union who may well be the next chancellor, has said is that the country should have ditched coal first and nuclear second. The far-right Alternative for Germany is the only party proposing to bring nuclear power back. The idea of a nuclear reversal remains too toxic for most of Germany’s politicians.

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