News Headlines - 05 November 2015

▽Maldives declares state of emergency | The Guardian

The president of the Maldives has declared a state of emergency, citing a threat to citizens’ safety and national security.
Abdulla Yameen’s decree, which came into effect at midday local time (0700 GMT), suspends all basic rights and gives the security forces sweeping powers to arrest suspects before a major anti-government rally planned later this week.

▽EU predicts 3 million migrants could arrive by end of 2016

The European Union is predicting that 3 million migrants could arrive in the 28-nation bloc by the end of next year, with the refugee emergency already proving a stern test of EU border and reception capacities.
More than 700,000 people have come to Europe seeking sanctuary or jobs so far this year.

▽Bank of England shies away from early 2016 rate rise | Reuters

The Bank of England made no move towards an early interest rate rise on Thursday, saying Britain's near-zero inflation would pick up only slowly, even if borrowing costs stay on hold throughout next year.

▽Japan’s G7 host city drops manga mascot deemed sexist - FT.com

The Japanese city hosting a G7 summit has dropped its official mascot after complaints that the character is sexist and inapproriate.
The city of Shima, where leaders such as Barack Obama and Angela Merkel will meet in May, said it was withdrawing official recognition from 17 year-old mascot Aoshima Meg.

▽What Guy Fawkes has in common with today’s religious terrorists - The Washington Post

In Britain, Nov. 5 is celebrated as "Guy Fawkes Day" or "Bonfire Night." All around the country, people gather to light fireworks and set up bonfires. In some places, they burn elaborate effigies. The history of this event dates to Nov. 5, 1605, when a young Englishman named Guy Fawkes tried to use gunpowder to blow up the House of Lords in Westminster. Fawkes hoped that the plot would kill the king of England and Scotland, James I, but the plot failed.