Forty-three gold diggers died in  abandoned mines in Cameroon in the first 10 months of last  year, a watchdog group said today.
"The toll of people who died in mining holes... reached  43 in the first 10 months" of 2017, said Foder, a local NGO  whose full name in English means Forest and Rural Development.
The group said much of the blame lay with corporations,  many of them Chinese, which abandon open-cast gold mines after  profitable seams run out.
When the companies leave, individual gold hunters move  in, digging holes into a site that in some cases have already  been excavated to a depth of 200 metres (650 feet).
Nine died last year after the walls of their hole  collapsed on top of them, Foder said. In September, a 12-  year-old boy drowned in a lake that had formed in an abandoned  pit.
Foder said the problem is worst in eastern Cameroon,  where from 2012 to 2014, 250 mines were opened and then  abandoned by their operators. It is campaigning for mining  companies to cover ...

Unauthorised gold mining in Cameroon reaps deathly toll

PTI Automatic

Turkey today warned Iran and  Russia to hold back the Syrian regime in bombing the rebel-  held northern Idlib province, as tensions mounted ahead of  mooted peace talks later this month.
Ankara has been working closely with Russia and Iran to  end the Syrian conflict over the last months but has stepped  up pressure on Moscow and Tehran as the bombardments on Idlib  intensified.
Russia wants to bring all the parties in the Syrian  conflict together for a conference in its Black Sea resort of  Sochi at the end of this month but the tensions with Ankara  are proving a major obstacle.
Observers have also warned of a major humanitarian  catastrophe in case of more intense intervention in Idlib,  especially for tens of thousands of internally displaced  people there.
"Iran and Russia should fulfil their responsibility. If  you are guarantors -- and you are -- they should stop the  regime," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the official  Anadolu news agency.
Cavusoglu said Turkey was .

Turkey warns Iran, Russia as Syria tensions mount

Paris authorities threatened  sanctions today against the new operator of the city's Velib  bike hire system over a chaotic rollout that has left cyclists  seething.
The grey bikes are a familiar sight in the French  capital, popular with tourists and commuters alike a decade  after the scheme was launched -- but now they are virtually  absent from the streets.
In October, Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced a  splashy overhaul that would see a third of the bikes replaced  with electric ones, with the rest also getting a sleek  redesign.
The facelift coincides with Velib's management changing  hands from giant JCDecaux -- better known as a worldwide  provider of bus stop adverts -- to Franco-Spanish upstart  Smovengo.
But after weeks of disruption, just 64 docking stations  are operational out of a total 1,460 that are supposed to be  up and running by the end of March.
Hidalgo told France Bleu radio that city hall officials  were "banging our fists on the table at this company", ..

Cyclists furious over Paris bike hire chaos

The head of the influential Mouride  brotherhood of Muslims in West Africa has died, Senegalese  media reported today.
Around 95 per cent of Senegal's population is Muslim and  most men join Sufi brotherhoods that combine Islam with  distinctive local beliefs.
Serigne Sidy Moctar Mbacke, who was 92 or 93 when he  passed away yesterday, was the grandson of the founder of the  brotherhood, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacke, and became its  seventh caliph in 2010.
He was buried overnight in the holy city of Touba and  will be succeeded by another grandson of Bamba, Serigne  Mountakha Bassirou Mbacke, the official APS news agency  reported.
President Macky Sall was due in Touba to offer his  condolences, Le Soleil newspaper reported, in a sign of the  Mourides' powerful presence in Senegalese public life.

Head of powerful Muslim brotherhood dies in Senegal

EU President Donald Tusk warned that  Poland's right-wing government could try to drive the country  out of the European Union if it stops being a net recipient of  bloc funding, in an interview published today.
The former liberal Polish premier and arch-rival of the  governing Law and Justice (PiS) party spoke at a time when  Poland is mired in conflict with the EU over various issues,  including the controversial judicial reforms that led Brussels  to launch unprecedented disciplinary proceedings against  Warsaw last month.
"For PiS the benefit of being in the EU boils down to the  balance of payments, with a complete disregard for other  benefits like the common market, legal order, guaranteed  security, etc," Tusk told the Tygodnik Powszechny news weekly.
"As long as we're not a net contributor, the game is  worth the candle for them. So I can easily imagine a situation  where if one day Poland finds itself among the (net)  contributors, the Polish government will decide that it's 

Tusk says PiS-led Poland only staying in EU for the money

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the  largest in the world worth more than USD 1 trillion, wants to  be able to invest in companies that are not listed on the  stock market, it said in a letter published today.
Intended to finance Norway's welfare state when the  country's oil runs dry, 65.9 per cent of the fund is currently  invested in equities, 31.6 per cent in bonds and 2.5 per cent  in real estate.
The Norwegian central bank, in charge of managing the  fund, is always on the look-out for ways of diversifying its  investments and maximising its profits.
In the letter to the finance ministry, the bank  recommended investing in unlisted groups, citing historical  data which suggested they could offer a "slightly higher"  return than listed companies.
The number of listed companies appears to have declined  in recent decades, the bank argued, pointing to a nearly 50-  per cent drop in the number of American companies listed in  the United States since 1996.
In practise, the bank ...

Norway wealth fund wants to invest in unlisted groups

Qatar today said a Saudi-led boycott,  now in its eighth month, amounted to "economic warfare" as  Doha plans to seek compensation for those hit by the  sanctions.
"This is economic warfare," foreign ministry spokeswoman  Lulwa al-Khater said at a press briefing.
Khater said the energy-rich emirate would "not leave a  stone unturned" in legally pursuing claims for businesses.
Tensions have escalated in the Gulf since Saudi Arabia,  the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut all ties with  Qatar in June, largely isolating the emirate in the oil-rich  Gulf.
The four countries accuse Doha of supporting Islamist  extremists and of being too close to Shiite Iran, Saudi  Arabia's arch-rival.
They have banned all flights to and from Doha and cut off  most trade links.
Qatar denies the allegations, arguing the bloc aims to  incite regime change in Doha.
The Gulf emirate says the sanctions have hit companies as  well as citizens and expatriates.
It has set up a committee to pursue claims, 

Qatar says Saudi-led boycott amounts to 'economic warfare'

Britain's trade deficit has risen to  a five-month high, official data showed today, sparking  concern over looming Brexit talks.
The deficit in goods and services, the gap between  exports and imports, widened in November by 0.5 billion pound  to a five-month high of 2.8 billion pound, the Office for  National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement.
However, the ONS also revealed that industrial output  rebounded 0.4 per cent in November compared with activity in  October, aided by a strong energy sector.
Meanwhile this year, divorce talks between Britain and  the European Union are set to move on to trade, transition  arrangements and security, as London prepares to leave the  bloc in March 2019.
"This trade data won't exactly help UK plc in  negotiations with Europe, as we begin crucial trade talks in  earnest this year and with the Brexit deadline looming large,"  said Jacob Deppe, head of trading at online trading platform  Infinox.
"Further negative trade balances will undoubtedly 

UK trade deficit worsens, sparking new Brexit concern

A Russian ex-policeman convicted of  killing 22 women went on trial today for a further 59 murders,  in a case that could make him Russia's most prolific serial  killer in recent history.
Mikhail Popkov, 53, appeared in court in the Siberian  city of Irkutsk after confessing to 59 additional murders and  one attempted killing between 1992 and 2010, Interfax news  agency reported.
He is already serving a life sentence for raping and  killing 22 women, and the attempted murder of two more.
Popkov killed his victims after offering the women rides  late at night, sometimes in a police car, while he was off-  duty around his hometown of Angarsk close to Irkutsk.
He has been nicknamed "the werewolf" and the "Angarsk  maniac" by Russian media.
If convicted of 81 murders, he would exceed the total of  notorious figures such as the "chessboard killer" Alexander  Pichushkin, who killed 48, and Andrei Chikatilo, convicted of  52 Soviet-era murders.
Today's first full hearing saw prosecutors read 

Russian 'werewolf' policeman on trial for 59 murders

- Novak Djokovic made a  resounding return on Wednesday after six months out with an  elbow injury, declaring he felt "great" after beating world  number five Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 at the Kooyong Classic.
The Serbian 12-time Grand Slam winner was in good form,  and full of optimism, after his first competitive outing since  losing a Wimbledon quarter-final to Tomas Berdych last July.
"I feel great, I was eager to get onto the court," he  said after playing with a flesh-coloured sleeve on his right  arm.
"I had a great opponent, it was a test for me to see  where I am, how the work we did pays off on court. It worked  pretty well."
The former world number one, who will be chasing a record  seventh Australian Open crown next week, had pulled out of a  warm-up tournament in Abu Dhabi, raising concerns over whether  he would be fit enough to play at Melbourne Park.
"There was a doubt, especially after I pulled out of the  first week of the year," he admitted.
"I personally didn't know ...

Djokovic 'very happy' with winning start to the year

Simona Halep and Caroline  Wozniacki spearhead the charge to succeed Serena Williams at  an Australian Open left wide open by the withdrawal of the  defending champion and new mum.
A pregnant Williams sealed her 23rd Grand Slam singles  title and seventh Melbourne Park crown a year ago, but last  week announced she wouldn't defend her title, saying she was  "super close" but not quite ready to compete after giving  birth in September.
With the 36-year-old having to wait to equal Margaret  Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, the  tournament is there for the taking by a host of players, led  by world number one Halep, second-ranked Wozniacki and  fourth-ranked Elina Svitolina.
Last year there were two first-time major-winners while  Serena was on maternity leave -- Jelena Ostapenko at the  French Open and Sloane Stephens at the US Open.
But their chances in Melbourne look slim: Stephens hasn't  won a match on tour since her Flushing Meadows triumph, and  Ostapenko ..

Halep, Wozniacki lead race to seize Serena's Aussie crown

The British Army launched a campaign  today highlighting the emotional support available to new  recruits as it seeks to address falling soldier numbers -- but  drew accusations of political correctness.
Short films entitled "What if I get emotional in the  army?", "Can I practise my faith in the army?", "Do I have to  be a superhero?", and "Can I be gay in the army?" will be  broadcast on television, radio and social media.
They are part of a drive launched last year presenting  the army as a family, as military chiefs seek to reach a wider  pool of talent to keep their numbers up.
But the ads drew criticism for ignoring the fact that  soldiers' primary goal is to fight.
It comes just weeks after the army reportedly abandoned  plans to give up its long-running "Be The Best" slogan because  it was not inclusive.
"The main group of people who are interested in joining  aren't worrying so much about whether they are going to be  listened to or if there's an emotional issue," Colonel ...

UK army seeks recruits by offering emotional support

South Africa's graft-tainted  president Jacob Zuma has announced a probe into corruption at  the highest levels of the state after parliament indicated it  would this week deliberate procedures for impeachment.
Corruption allegations have tarnished Zuma's image as  well as eroded his support base and he was ordered last month  to appoint a judicial inquiry into the alleged graft within 30  days.
The beleaguered leader has faced growing pressure to  resign before his term as president ends in 2019.
Zuma's announcement comes the day before parliament is to  take up a draft of a process for removing the nation's  president from office.
The Constitutional Court had ruled nearly two weeks ago  that MPs failed to hold Zuma accountable for the millions in  public money used to upgrade his personal residence.
In power since 2009, Zuma stepped down in December as  president of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party  after a 10-year tenure marked by numerous court judgements  against .

SAfrica's graft-tainted Zuma announces anti-corruption probe

China's national marathon champion  and Olympian Wang Jiali has been banned for eight years after  failing a drugs test, her second violation, the Chinese  Athletics Association (CAA) said today.
The 31-year-old, who won gold at the 2017 National Games,  tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO during out-  of-competition testing in August and her career now appears  over.
The CAA also fined Wang 40,000 yuan ($6,000) and banned  her coach Lyu Qiang for life.
Wang -- who came 57th in the marathon at the 2012 London  Olympics -- was banned for two years in 2013 for a previous  violation, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.
Separately, China's  Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) said it  uncovered 77 violations last year, calling it proof that the  country is stamping down on drugs cheats ahead of next month's  Winter Olympics in South Korea.
China this week banned speed skater Shi Xiaoxuan for two  years for failing a drugs test, the second such case to hit  the national team in ...

Chinese marathon champion banned for eight years over doping

Trains from popular Swiss ski  station Zermatt are due to reopen Wednesday, providing relief  for some 13,000 tourists trapped there by heavy snowfall, a  statement said.
Visitors have been stuck in the mountain resort for two  days after snow blocked road and rail links.
"The railway line between Zermatt - Tasch will reopen.  The first train leaves at 11.15 am (1015 GMT), a statement on  Zermatt's official site said.
Tasch is a small Swiss village six kilometres from from  Zermatt that serves as a gateway for those travelling in the  Matterhorn mountain region.
The statement added that the rail network in Tasch  remains closed due to snow, but replacement buses are  operating, making it possible for people to reach regional  airports.
Extreme weather has caused havoc in several Swiss areas,  including the Valais region south of Zermatt and in the canton  of Bern, where a World Cup downhill training run had to be  cancelled due to snow and high winds.

Trains to restart from Swiss ski resort after heavy snowfall

Drones that attacked Russian bases  in Syria last week were sent from Idlib, a "de-escalation"  zone controlled by anti-Damascus fighters, the Russian defence  ministry's official newspaper said today.
Idlib province has been a source of tension between  regime-backer Russia and rebel-supporter Turkey, with Ankara  accusing the Syrian regime of stepping up its offensive on key  rebel-held areas there.
"The drones were launched from the area of Muazzara in  the southwestern part of the Idlib de-escalation area  controlled by so-called 'moderate opposition' units," defence  ministry newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda said.
The ministry has written to the chiefs of the Turkish  army and intelligence service to insist that Ankara fully  implement a ceasefire in Idlib province, the paper added.
Idlib is one of four de-escalation zones in Syria covered  by a deal meant to reduce violence that was struck last year  by Turkey, Russia and government-backer Iran.
On Tuesday, Turkey's foreign ministry ...

Drone attack on Russia bases in Syria 'came from Idlib'

Muslim militants who pledge  allegiance to the Islamic State group have killed a soldier  and wounded three civilians in bomb attacks in the southern  Philippines, the military said today.
Security forces on the main southern island of Mindanao  have been pursuing pro-IS armed groups following a five-month  battle with militants for the city of Marawi last year that  left more than 1,100 dead.
The soldier was fatally hit Tuesday while his unit was  tracking Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) gunmen on  a mountain trail near the town of Datu Unsay, regional  military spokesman Captain Arvin Encinas told AFP.
"The dead soldier was involved in a clearing operation  (against the BIFF)," Encinas added.
A roadside bomb apparently intended for a military convoy  in the neighbouring town of Datu Hoffer wounded three  civilians instead, Encinas added.
He said both military units were pursuing BIFF members  who had clashed with security forces in the same region on  Saturday, a ...

Militants' bombs kill Philippine soldier, wound civilians

More than 200 people were arrested  and dozens hurt during clashes in several parts of Tunisia,  the interior ministry said today, after a second night of  unrest driven by anger over austerity measures.
Ministry spokesman Khalifa Chibani told local radio that  49 police officers were wounded during clashes across the  country and that 206 "troublemakers" were arrested.
Properties were damaged, he said, including a branch of  the Carrefour supermarket chain in the suburbs of Tunis that  was looted.
Police and army forces were deployed in several cities  during the night, including in Tebourba 30 kilometres west of  the capital Tunis, where hundreds of young people took to the  streets after the funeral of a man in his 40s who died in  unrest on Monday night.
Police have insisted they did not kill the man. The  results of an autopsy have not been made public.
Unrest was also reported in the southern city of Gafsa,  in Kasserine in central Tunisia and in Sidi Bouzid, the cradle  of the .

200 arrested, dozens hurt in fresh Tunisia unrest

China lodged a formal diplomatic  protest today after a senior Australian minister called  Chinese infrastructure projects in the Pacific "white  elephants", the latest spat in increasingly contentious  relations.
Friction between the two countries grew last month after  Australia singled out China as a focus of concern when it  proposed laws on foreign interference, drawing a furious  response from Beijing.
China has been forging closer links with Pacific island  nations, with Australia's Lowy Institute estimating it  provided US$1.78 billion in aid, including concessional loans,  for projects in the region between 2006-16.
Australian International Development Minister Concetta  Fierravanti-Wells said Beijing's influence in the region was  "clearly growing", but criticised its development assistance  as resulting in "white elephants".
"You've got the Pacific full of these useless buildings  which nobody maintains, which are basically white elephants,"  she told The Australian ...

China lodges protest against Australian 'white elephant'

French beef producers have hailed a  deal reached by President Emmanuel Macron and his Chinese  counterpart Xi Jinping to end China's 2001 embargo on French  beef.
The accord, which would allow French producers back into  the huge Chinese market within six months, came as Macron made  a three-day visit to the country, his first destination in  Asia as France's leader.
The ban was imposed over a decade ago as Beijing started  closing off its markets to all European and later US beef  imports in the wake of the "mad cow" disease scare.
Paris has been working for years to promote the safety of  its meat and open new markets for its ranchers, who were hit  hard by the "mad cow" scare of the 1990s.
"Our beef currently has no access (to China) for sanitary  reasons. But with French beef consumption falling five percent  a year, we have to find new markets," said economy minister  Bruno Le Maire, who is travelling with Macron.
"It will allow for higher prices that will better  compensate ...

French beef producers cheer chance for return to China

South Korean President Moon Jae-In  said today he would be willing to sit down with the nuclear-  armed North's leader Kim Jong-Un, as the international  community welcomed an agreement for Pyongyang to send its  athletes to the Winter Olympics in the South.
The Games in Pyeongchang next month have long been  overshadowed by geopolitical tensions, with the North  launching missiles capable of reaching the US mainland in  recent months and detonating by far its most powerful nuclear  device to date.
But Pyongyang - which boycotted the 1988 Summer Olympics  in Seoul - yesterday agreed to send athletes and officials to  the event as North and South held their first formal talks for  two years at Panmunjom in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).
"It is only the beginning," Moon told a press conference  today. "Yesterday was the first step and I think we had a good  start."
"Bringing North Korea to talks for denuclearisation is  the next step we must take."
He was willing to hold a summit "at any 

AFP

AFP

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