More than 3,400 migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya today, bringing to about 10,000 the total number rescued over four days, according to Libyan and Italian officials.
	At least 10 bodies were also found by the Italian coastguard, officials said. No vessels were reported in distress today.
	Yesterday, more than 1,200 migrants were rescued by Libyan ships and taken to Tripoli or Zawiya, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) west, while the Italian coastguard and commercial boats rescued 2,200 others and took them to Italy.
	Migrants were still disembarking in southern Italy today.
	Another 6,400 were picked up between Tuesday and Thursday, but at least 35 people drowned on Wednesday when a powerful wave struck their vessel, pitching them into the sea as a rescue ship was distributing life jackets.
	The unloading of passengers in Sicily was halted all week due to the G7 summit in the eastern hilltop town of Taormina, which lengthened rescue ships' journey by 24 hours and delayed their 

Some 10,000 migrants rescued off Libya coast in 4 days

PTI Automatic

G7 countries will today recognise the deadlock about taking collective action on climate change as US President Donald Trump mulls his position, officials said.
	"The United States is evaluating its policy with regard to the climate, so the six other G7 countries will reaffirm their commitment (to the global Paris accord) while taking note" of the US position, a French official said at the G7 summit in Sicily.
	Other delegates concurred that it was "six against one" at the gathering of leading democracies spanning North America, Europe and Japan.
	Under Trump, who once called climate change a "hoax" perpetrated by China, Washington has resisted intense pressure from its partners to commit to respecting the 2015 global accord on curbing carbon emissions.
	But Gary Cohn, Trump's economic advisor, on Friday said the president had told his G7 colleagues that he regarded the environment as important.
	"His views are evolving, he came here to learn," Cohn said. "His basis for decision ...

G7 to acknowledge climate deadlock with US: officials

President Donald Trump announced today that he will make a decision next week on whether the United States will abide by the 2015 Paris agreement on cutting global carbon emissions.
	"I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!" Trump tweeted from the G7 summit in Sicily, where he had been pressed by US partners to commit to a framework aimed at stemming global warming.

Trump says to decide position on Paris climate deal next week

US President DonaldTrump says he will decide position on

Relatives of Ukrainians jailed by Russia in cases they call "political" have appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron to demand their release when he meets Vladimir Putin on Monday.
	In a letter published yesterday, relatives and activists urged Macron to "express to Vladimir Putin our demand to free all the political hostages of the Kremlin."
	The letter was published on a website called Let My People Go that monitors the cases of 44 Ukrainian citizens imprisoned "for political reasons."
	Ukraine has been locked in a bitter feud with Russia since Kremlin illegally annexed Crimea in March 2014
	Kiev also blames Moscow for starting and backing a three-year war in the east of Ukraine that has killed more than 10,000 people.
	Those Ukraine view as political prisoners in Russia include Ukrainian film director and scriptwriter Oleg Sentsov, who has been sentenced to 20 years in a Russian prison colony on terrorism charges over arson attacks in Crimea.
	In the most high-profile case, ...

Ukrainians appeal to Macron over Putin's 'political' prisoners

Forces loyal to Libya's unity government said today that 52 of its fighters were killed as they repelled rival militias in fierce clashes in the capital Tripoli.
	Apart from sporadic gunfire in southern Tripoli, calm returned to the city today, the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
	Among the 52 killed yesterday's clashes which centred on the southern district of Abu Slim, said Hashem Bichr, a security official of the Government of National Accord, were 17 members of pro-GNA forces who had been "executed".
	There was no immediate confirmation from medical or other independent sources of the death toll, updated from Friday's health ministry figures of 28 dead and more than 100 wounded that did not give a breakdown of the casualties.
	UN special envoy Martin Kobler condemned the fighting in which heavy artillery and tanks were used, urging restraint from all sides.
	Forces of the UN-backed GNA announced on their Facebook page they had defeated rival militias and taken ...

'52 dead' in militia clashes in Libya capital

Peace talks between the Philippine government and communist insurgents broke down today in a row over the rebels' ordering their fighters to step up attacks.
	The two sides had just opened formal talks in the Netherlands when chief government negotiator Jesus Dureza objected to the communists' telling guerillas to intensify attacks in response to President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of martial law in parts of the country.
	"The government panel is now left without any other recourse but to announce... That it will not proceed to participate in the fifth round of peace negotiations," he said.
	He added that talks would not resume until there were indications of an "environment conducive to achieving just and sustainable peace".
	Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law over the southern third of the country on Tuesday in order to quell fighting with pro-Islamic State militants in a southern city.
	Communists insurgents, who are active in wide areas of the ...

Philippines peace talks with communists break down

Hundreds of monks and supporters of Myanmar's ultra-nationalist Ma Ba Tha movement gathered in a Yangon monastery today, in a defiant meeting days after Buddhist authorities banned their network, which has been accused of stoking Islamophobia.
	The monk-led movement grew in strength under the country's previous military-backed government, peddling a brand of Buddhist nationalism that aggravated religious unrest mainly targeted at minority Muslims.
	But after months of distancing itself from the radical group, Myanmar's top Buddhist clergy on Tuesday ordered the Ma Ba Tha to cease all activities by mid-July or face prosecution.
	The threat did not deter hundreds of maroon-robed monks, nuns and followers from attending a weekend summit at a Yangon monastery decorated with Ma Ba Tha banners.
	"Our journey is not at the end... We need to keep calm and think about how we can move forward," leader Tilawka Biwuntha told a crowd that spilled outside of the vast temple hall.
	"If you write Ma .

Myanmar's hardline monks gather despite ban

Iraqi forces have launched a broad assault on parts of battleground second city Mosul still held by the Islamic State group, the military announced today.
	Multiple security forces are attacking "what remains of the unliberated areas" on the west bank of the River Tigris, the Joint Operations Command said in a statement.
	"Army forces attacked Al-Shifaa neighbourhood and the Republican Hospital, federal police forces Al-Zinjili neighbourhood, and Counter-Terrorism forces attacked Al-Saha al-Oula neighbourhood," it said.
	All three neighbourhoods are located north of the Old City, a warren of closely spaced buildings and narrow streets that has posed significant challenges to Iraqi forces seeking to oust IS.
	The statement did not mention an attack being launched on IS-held areas of the Old City.
	IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost to the jihadists.
	Iraqi forces ...

Iraq forces launch broad attack on IS holdouts in Mosul

A suicide car bomber killed 18 people in the eastern Afghan city of Khost today, the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, the interior ministry said.
	"A suicide car bomb in Khost province has killed 18 people and wounded six others, including two children," ministry spokesman Najib Danish said on Twitter.

Car bomber kills 18 in east Afghanistan on 1st day of Ramadan

Car bomber kills 18 in east Afghanistan on first day of

Philippine security forces dropped more bombs today on a southern city where they have been battling Islamist militants for five days, vowing no let up despite the start of Ramadan.
	President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across the southern third of the Philippines in response to the clashes, which have claimed at least 48 lives and he has said are part of a campaign by the Islamic State group to establish a local caliphate.
	"We have identified where they are consolidating so we are doing surgical air strikes to destroy the local terrorist group," local military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera told AFP.
	Truckloads of extra marines were also seen driving into Marawi, one of the biggest Muslim-populated cities in the mainly Catholic Philippines with about 200,000 residents.
	The fighting erupted on Tuesday when dozens of gunmen went on a rampage throughout Marawi in response to an attempt by security forces to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant ...

Philippine military bomb Islamist militants in urban battle

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails on hunger strike since April 17 have ended their protest, Palestinian and Israeli sources said today.
	Palestinian Prisoners Club chief Qaddura Fares said an agreement had been reached between the strikers and Israeli authorities on improving their conditions.
	An Israel Prisons Service spokeswoman confirmed the hunger strike was over.
	Israeli authorities conceded to one of the prisoners' main demands -- that they should have two family visits a month instead of the one they were entitled to before the strike, the spokeswoman said.
	The resolution of the strike came hours before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
	A number of the strikers had been in sharply declining health.
	Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas had urged US counterpart Donald Trump to raise the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the region earlier this week.
	Demonstrations in support of the prisoners had been held ...

Palestinian prisoners in Israel jails end hunger strike

China has arrested a visiting Taiwanese rights activist on suspicion of subverting state power, according to reports.
	Lee Ming-che, a 42-year-old NGO worker, had been unreachable since March 19 after he entered the southeastern Chinese city of Zhuhai from Macau, according to Taiwan's government.
	On Friday China's official state news agency Xinhua reported that he was in detention and had "confessed" following interrogation.
	Lee had "colluded with mainlanders...Established illegal organisations, and plotted out and carried out activities to subvert state power," Xinhua cited a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office as saying.
	"After interrogation, Lee and his group confessed to engaging in activities endangering national security," the spokesman was quoted as saying.
	Lee, who works at a community college in Taipei, has long supported civil society organisations and activists in China.
	"The Chinese authorities did not disclose any evidence related to the case at ...

China arrests Taiwanese activist for "subversion"

Fernando Alonso rocked racing when he opted to skip the Monaco Grand Prix to run in the Indianapolis 500, but the two-time world champion's gamble was looking good as he prepared to swap one iconic venue for another on Sunday.
     The Spanish driver has been quick to get to grips with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, qualifying fifth for Sunday's 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 to make the second row of the starting grid behind pole-sitter Scott Dixon of New Zealand.
     "I want to make something clear. I am not coming for a 'week off' or to just have fun -- I am a racer, I am coming to race," Alonso declared on the Players Tribune website. "The Indy 500 is one of the greatest events in the sport. Drivers all over the world know this. I belong there."
     More than a publicity stunt, Alonso said, his appearance at "The Brickyard" is a crucial second step in his bid to win motor racing's "triple crown" of the Monaco Grand Prix, which he's won twice, Indy, and the 24 Hours of ..

All eyes on Alonso at 101st Indianapolis 500

Gerard Pique wants Barcelona to reward outgoing coach Luis Enrique with a ninth trophy of his three-year spell in charge in today's Copa del Rey final against Alaves.
     Victory would see Barca lift the Cup for the third straight season under Enrique, but unlike in the past two years it would be Barca's only major silverware of the campaign.
     The Catalans missed out on La Liga to Real Madrid last weekend and were dumped out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Juventus.
     And Pique wants his boss to go out as a winner in the last ever competitive game at Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon stadium.
     "He is one of the best coaches in the history of the club," said the defender.
     "He deserves a great final. The best way to leave would be on a high with a trophy and tomorrow is a good opportunity.
     "I want him to leave as a winner."
     However, Enrique himself warned against the threat posed by Alaves as the Basques played a huge role in costing ...

Barca seek winning end to Luis Enrique's reign

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy has pulled out of his last warm-up event for the US Open, saying he would skip the US PGA's Memorial with lingering rib trouble.
     The injury, which McIlroy suffered in the off-season, flared up at the Players Championship two weeks ago and prompted him to miss this week's European PGA Championship at Wentworth.
     An MRI exam after the Players showed no new injury, and McIlroy's agent Sean O'Flaherty told the BBC that for the world number two "all focus is on getting back to full health for the US Open".
     The US Open - the second major of the year which McIlroy won in 2011 - begins on June 15 at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.
     McIlroy has missed the Memorial, hosted by 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus, only once in the last seven years.

McIlroy pulls out of US PGA Memorial as US Open looms

Riot police in Venezuela fired tear gas and water cannon to stop anti-government protesters from marching on a key military installation during the latest violence in nearly two months of unrest.
	The opposition is trying to sway the support of the armed forces, a key pillar of the government of socialist President Nicolas Maduro, who is resisting opposition calls for early elections.
	Retired military personnel joined demonstrators who tried to march to the Los Proceres complex, which houses the defense ministry and lies close to a major military base in Caracas.
	Yesterday's protest was aimed at "demanding that the armed forces lower their weapons and not be complicit in the dictatorship," said Freddy Guevara, an opposition leader who is vice president of parliament, the only branch of government the opposition controls.
	He called on the military to reject a "constituent assembly" to be elected in July and tasked with drafting a new constitution, saying Maduro's plans "will ...

Clashes as Venezuela protesters target military base

Bulgarian officials said today they had recovered over 5,600 smuggled antiquities and arrested 22 members of two international smuggling rings in a joint operation with Turkey and France.
	A tip-off by the Bulgarian services eighteen months ago has led to the dismantling of "two international organised crime groups with members of different nationalities engaged in the uncovering, collecting, smuggling and sale of illegally acquired cultural artefacts," Bulgaria's interior ministry said in a statement.
	Twenty-two gang members were detained after searches in 11 towns in Bulgaria, and four abroad, uncovered over 5,600 precious objects -- coins, jewellery, ceramic and metal vessels and other archeological artefacts dating back to antiquity.
	"This is one of the largest such operations conducted so far," the ministry statement said, adding that searches were still ongoing in Bulgaria.
	No details were given as to the nationality but investigators said there were arrests in France and ...

Bulgaria busts major antiquities smuggling ring to France

The Pentagon today said it was concerned by an "unsafe and unprofessional" encounter between two Chinese fighters and a US surveillance plane over the South China Sea.
	The Chinese J-10 warplanes intercepted a US Navy P-3 that was operating in international airspace Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Commander Gary Ross said.
	"The aircrew deemed the intercept unsafe and unprofessional. Operations were able to continue unimpeded," he said.
	"We continue to review the facts of this incident and will convey our concerns through appropriate channels with the Chinese government."
	On Thursday, a US destroyer sailed in disputed South China Sea waters near a reef claimed by Beijing in the first "freedom of navigation" exercise under President Donald Trump.
	The maneuvers come ahead of a major regional security summit in Singapore next week.

Two Chinese fighters intercept US plane in S China Sea

President Donald Trump today decried an attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt that left at least 28 dead, calling on allies to band together to defeat terrorism.
	"The bloodletting of Christians must end, and all who aid their killers must be punished," he said in a statement issued by his press office as he attends the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy.
	"Terrorists are engaged in a war against civilisation, and it is up to all who value life to confront and defeat this evil."
	Hours earlier, masked men in three pick-up trucks had attacked a bus carrying Coptic Christians on a visit to a monastery south of Cairo.
	There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attack on Copts after the Islamic State jihadist group bombed three churches in December and April, killing dozens of Christians.
	"This merciless slaughter of Christians in Egypt tears at our hearts and grieves our souls," said Trump, who met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at a summit in Riyadh last ...

AFP

AFP

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