The salvaged wreck of South Korea's Sewol ferry today started its final journey to shore, officials said, as investigators prepare to comb it for remains.
	A semi-submersible ship carrying the wreck left for the southwestern port of Mokpo, the maritime ministry said in a press statement.
	Nearly three years after it went down with the loss of more than 300 lives, the wreck had been safely placed on the giant lifting ship to bring it to shore.
	The ship will sail more than seven hours to Mokpo, 105 kilometers east.
	Almost all the victims were schoolchildren and it is thought that nine bodies still unaccounted for may be trapped inside.
	The lifting ship was accompanied by a small vessel carrying relatives of the nine missing, as well as five patrol boats.
	When the wreck is landed at Mokpo, investigators will comb through it in search of any remains and personal belongings.
	Underwater fences have been installed surrounding the area where the Sewol sank and divers will also search the 

Ship carrying S Korea Sewol ferry wreck sails for shore

PTI Automatic

The Olympics needs a reboot to regain the confidence of the public in the bidding process because the current model is "dead", a high-ranking former IOC official says.
     Michael Payne, widely credited with transforming the International Olympic Committee brand and its finances through sponsorship, told AFP there was no problem with the end product of the Games itself.
	But the 59-year-old Englishman, a former director of marketing at the IOC who is advising Los Angeles in their 2024 bid, said that was not the case when it comes to convincing the public that they want the Games in their city.
	The race for the 2024 Summer Games has only two candidates left standing -- Los Angeles and Paris -- after the likes of Boston, Rome and Budapest dropped out due to a perceived lack of popular support at home.
	This contrasts to the six candidates that the 1992 and 1996 Games attracted and the 2000-2012 editions drew five candidates apiece.
	"To clarify: the bidding process as we know it is ...

Olympics: Bid process 'dead' and needs revamp: ex-IOC official

Chinese factory activity accelerated in March, official data showed Friday, a sign of stability in the world's second largest economy.
	The official purchasing managers' index (PMI), which gauges conditions at factories and mines, came in at 51.8 in March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, slightly beating the 51.7 forecast in a Bloomberg News survey and up from the previous month's 51.6.
	A figure above 50 indicates growth while anything below points to contraction.
	"The manufacturing sector continued to maintain a steady trend," NBS analyst Zhao Qinghe said in a note, adding that a pickup both in production and in demand drove the results.
	"High-tech manufacturing continued rapid expansion, and part of traditional industry production and management conditions continue to improve."
	The figures come days before a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, when trade and economic issues are expected to dominate the .

China manufacturing expands in March

Chelsea will aim to resume their steady march towards the Premier League title after an international break in which the focus was on the future of Eden Hazard.
     The 26-year-old Belgian star sat out Chelsea's last game at Stoke City as well as Belgium's fixtures during the recess with a calf problem but should return for the visit of Crystal Palace to Stamford Bridge.
	The forward, though, has still found himself the centre of attention following reports this week he is a target for Real Madrid.
	Hazard has been one of the main factors in Chelsea's dominance of the Premier League table this season -- Antonio Conte's side face Palace sitting ten points clear, with ten games remaining -- after rediscovering the form he showed in the 2015 title triumph.
	Chelsea are determined to hold on to the player but the interest from Spain has provided an unwanted distraction as Conte attempts to maintain his team's concentration during the run-in.
	But the head coach's efforts won't have been .

Hazard and Chelsea look to switch focus back to title race

South Korea's ousted president Park Geun-Hye was spending her first day in custody today after a court ordered her arrest, with her opponents crowing and her supporters crying.
	The former head of state stared straight ahead, apparently trying to maintain her composure, as she was driven to the Seoul Detention Centre through a barrage of flashbulbs shortly before dawn.
	After a marathon hearing yesterday a court in the capital ordered Park's arrest in connection with the corruption scandal that brought millions of people onto the streets and saw her impeached.
	Prosecutors have yet to specify the formal charges against her, but have previously said she is suspected of bribery, abuse of authority, coercion, and leaking government secrets.
	"It is justifiable and necessary to arrest (Park) as key charges were justified and there is risk of evidence being destroyed," the court said in a statement.
	The decision made Park, 65, the third former leader to be arrested over corruption in ...

S Korea's Park in custody after court orders arrest

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from towns in two Australian states as authorities warned today there could be deaths from severe flooding caused by ex-tropical cyclone.
	Category four Cyclone Debbie hit northeastern Australia on Tuesday between Bowen and Airlie Beach in Queensland state, ripping up trees, washing boats onto land and causing widespread damage.
	Debbie was downgraded to a tropical low as it tracked southeast, but continued to pack damaging gusts and dump huge amounts of rain all the way down the eastern coast to New South Wales state, south of Queensland, and Sydney.
	Lismore near the NSW coast was hard hit, with the State Emergency Service (SES) warning of three-metre (9.8-feet) high flood levels in the town.
	"Overnight we had about 130 flood rescues, most of which services were unable to get to. So... As we start to go out and try to find people that made those calls overnight, there could be some very distressing news," SES acting Deputy ...

Flooding overwhelms Australian towns after cyclone

South African President Jacob Zuma has sacked his respected finance minister and made ten new cabinet appointments in a dramatic reshuffle widely seen as an attempt to control the selection of his successor.
	The ruling ANC party, which led the fight against apartheid and came to power under Nelson Mandela in 1994, was yesterday rocked by the clear-out of senior figures including finance minister Pravin Gordhan.
	The late-night move caused a sharp drop in the value of rand as investors reacted to concerns that Zuma, whose term in office has been tainted by corruption scandals, would now have a free hand over government finances.
	Gordhan, who is replaced by former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba, was removed after a months-long battle with Zuma over government spending and control of the public purse.
	Zuma said in a statement that the changes were "to bring about radical socio-economic transformation and to ensure that the promise of a better life for the poor and the working ...

S African finance minister sacked in shock reshuffle

Nine Malaysians freed by Pyongyang arrived home today, after Kuala Lumpur agreed to send back the body of the assassinated half-brother of North Korea's leader, ending a bitter feud between the two countries.
	Kim Jong-Nam was killed with the lethal nerve agent VX on February 13 in a Kuala Lumpur airport, triggering a diplomatic row between Malaysia and North Korea, which expelled each other's ambassadors and barred their citizens from leaving.
	But a deal announced by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and confirmed by North Korean state media yesterday said the two countries had lifted their respective travel bans, and Kuala Lumpur would send the body to North Korea.
	The Malaysians, three embassy staff and six family members, landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport before sunrise where they were met on the tarmac by Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman.
	Yesterday, following the deal, Najib declared on Twitter: the "diplomatic crisis is over".
	"Following the completion of 

Freed Malaysians arrive home from Pyongyang after Kim row

The United Nations Security Council will vote today to cut the number of troops in its peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
	US ambassador Nikki Haley said the force's authorized strength of 19,815 would be cut by 3,600 -- but that 3,100 of these places are already unfilled.
	The central African giant is under pressure to hold key elections this year, despite ongoing fighting between armed factions, political chaos and widespread corruption.
	But UN member states, in particular President Donald Trump's new US administration, want to scale back UN spending on its missions around the globe.
	And Haley said it was more important to pressure President Joseph Kabila's government to honor political agreements than to bolster the UN force.
	According to a draft council resolution seen by AFP, which diplomats are expected to pass unanimously, the Blue Helmet military force will be reduced to 16,215.
	In practice, this will mean 500 fewer troops on the ground, since the ...

UN to scale back DR Congo peacekeeping force

North Carolina lawmakers have reversed course and voted to repeal and replace a costly, contentious law that restricts transgender people's use of bathrooms, but rights activists warn the new measure fails to assure state-wide protections.
	The so-called "bathroom bill" had drawn intense criticism since it was debated in 2015 and narrowly passed by the state last March. Its replacement now heads to the state's Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who is expected to sign it.
	The move follows an agreement struck between Republican lawmakers and Cooper aimed in part at removing a negative spotlight on North Carolina that has driven away some big business and led major sports organizations to keep key athletic events out of the state.
	The initial legislation in North Carolina -- a southeastern swing state that helped elect Republican Donald Trump president last November -- featured prominently in the broader cultural war between conservatives and liberals in contemporary America.
	The law, ..

Lawmakers vote to repeal North Carolina 'bathroom bill'

Several people were injured in "serious incidents" in front of the Turkish consulate in Brussels between supporters and opponents of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Belgian police has said.
	"Serious incidents broke out between supporters and opponents of the Turkish regime, on a public road, outside the consulate of Turkey," Brussels police spokeswoman Ilse van de Keere told AFP yesterday.
	"Many people were injured" and taken to hospital, she added, without giving details on the number of people or on the state of their injuries, saying the situation was "sensitive".
	The incident occurred on the third day that Turkish voters in Belgium are allowed to cast early ballots for a referendum that could vastly boost Erdogan's powers.
	Turkish voters in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany and Switzerland can also cast their ballots for the next two weeks, until April 9.
	Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, in a tweet, condemned the violence saying his government has "zero ...

Erdogan supporters, opponents clash near Turkish embassy

Pakistan beat world champions the West Indies by three runs in the second Twenty20 international at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad today to take a 2-0 lead in the four-game series.
	Pakistan, who won the first match by six wickets in Barbados, were dismissed for 132 as spinners Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree combined effectively to give the West Indies an excellent chance of levelling the series.
	But Pakistan defended their second-lowest T20 total with Shadab Khan taking four for 14 as West Indies made 129 for eight.

Cricket: Pakistan beat West Indies by three runs in second T20

The US ambassador to the United Nations said today that Washington is no longer focused on ousting President Bashar al-Assad as it seeks ways to end Syria's civil war.
	"You pick and choose your battles," Nikki Haley told reporters. "And when we're looking at this it's about changing up priorities and our priority is no longer to sit and focus on getting Assad out."
	Haley was speaking after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had signalled a change in the US stance by admitting that Assad's eventual fate was up to the Syrian people.
	Speaking at the US mission to the United Nations, which is about to assume the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, Haley said Washington will focus on the push for a political solution.
	"Our priority is to really look at how do we get things done? Who do we need to work with to really make a difference for the people in Syria," she said.
	"We can't necessarily focus on Assad the way the previous administration maybe did. Do we think he's a ..

US envoy to UN: Removing Assad 'not our priority'

Gulf ministers meeting in Riyadh today condemned what they termed Iran's support for "terrorist gangs" in Bahrain and urged Tehran to stop fueling "sectarian conflicts".
	In a statement issued at the end of a meeting in Riyadh, the ministers of the Arab states of the Gulf expressed "condemnation of the provocative and irresponsible statements, and acts of aggression by the Iranian regime towards the kingdom of Bahrain".
	They also deplored Tehran's "support to terrorist gangs" and accused it of "fueling sectarian strife to harm national unity in the kingdom".
	The ministerial council urged Iran to "abandon politics that lead to nourishing sectarian and confessional conflicts, and to stop forming and supporting groups and militias that fuel these conflicts in Arab states".
	Sunni-ruled Bahrain and fellow Gulf monarchies have repeatedly accused Shiite-dominated Iran of meddling in the kingdom's internal affairs, a charge that Tehran categorically denies.
	Bahrain frequently claims ...

Gulf ministers condemn Iran's support to Bahrain 'terrorists'

The US State Department named British radical Islamic cleric Anjem Choudary and the Islamic State group's "Beatles" execution squad member El Shafee Elsheikh to its "designated terrorist" lists today.
	The two were among seven backers and foreign fighters of jihadist groups added to the State and Treasury Department blacklists of "specially designated global terrorists," which place them under global financial sanctions.
	Others added to the lists include Mark John Taylor of New Zealand, who joined the Islamic State in 2014; Trinidadian Shane Dominic Crawford, another IS foreign fighter; and Tunisian-born Swede Sami Bouras, whom the State Department called a member of Al-Qaeda involved in planning suicide attacks.
	Also included were Muhammad Bahrun Naim Anggih Tamtomo of Indonesia and Muhammad Wanndy Bin Mohamed Jedi of Malaysia.
	Naim is a Syria-based planner and financier for Islamic State, while Jedi works with IS in Syria and Iraq to recruit new fighters from abroad.
	Choudary is 

US names IS fighters, British cleric to 'terror' blacklist

South Korea's ousted president Park Geun-Hye was arrested today over the corruption and abuse of power scandal that brought her down.
	The Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant to arrest Park on charges of bribery, abuse of authority, coercion, and leaking government secrets, after a marathon court hearing the previous day.
	"It is justifiable and necessary to arrest (Park) as key charges were justified and there is risk of evidence being destroyed," the court said in a statement.
	Park will immediately be taken from the prosecutor's office where she has been awaiting the decision into custody in a detention centre near Seoul.
	The former leader was grilled for nearly nine hours in court today as a judge deliberated whether she should be arrested.
	Looking grim-faced and pale, Park ignored a barrage of press flashbulbs and did not speak when she arrived at the Seoul Central District Court earlier in the day, nor when she left.
	Being taken into custody will be a dramatic step .

South Korea's ousted leader Park Geun-Hye arrested

President Nicolas Maduro and his allies tightened their grip in Venezuela today as the Supreme Court seized legislative powers from the opposition-majority National Assembly, whose speaker declared a "coup."
	The high court, whose judges have staunchly backed the leftist president in a power struggle with the legislature, based its decision on an earlier ruling that the opposition majority was in contempt of court.
	"As long as the National Assembly's contempt of court and invalidity persist, parliamentary powers shall be exercised directly by (the Supreme Court's) constitutional chamber or by the body it designates to safeguard the rule of law," it said late last night.
	Political analysts warned the ruling was a sharp authoritarian turn for the South American oil giant, where a crushing economic crisis has caused food shortages, riots and an epidemic of violent crime.
	The speaker of the National Assembly, Julio Borges, called the decision "rubbish."
	"Nicolas Maduro has staged a ...

Maduro tightens grip in Venezuela with high court 'coup'

South Korea's ousted leader Park Geun-Hye arrested: court

Jordan's King Abdullah will visit the White House next week for his second meeting with Donald Trump since the US president took office, a US official told AFP today.
	Abdullah's visit comes amid burgeoning diplomatic efforts to get the Palestinian-Israeli peace process back on track.
	Trump and Abdullah briefly met at a prayer breakfast in Washington last month.

King Abdullah to visit White House April 5: official

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi defended her civilian government's first year in power in a rare public address today, saying her party was dedicated to rebuilding a nation ravaged by decades of army rule.
	The democracy icon was swept into office after her party's euphoric victory in the first free polls in a generation.
	But her first twelve months in power have been rocky.
	Fresh unrest in Myanmar's ethnic minority borderlands and disappointing economic growth in particular have cast a pall over Suu Kyi's two top policy promises: peace and development.
	While many in Myanmar still revere the former activist as a saint, criticism of her administration has grown in some international circles, particularly over her tepid response to a bloody military crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya.
	In her speech today, which was broadcast on national television to mark the government's one year anniversary, Suu Kyi stressed that her party had inherited a host of complications from the country's military 

Myanmar's Suu Kyi defends first year in power

Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci today gave up on his plans for a rapid transformation of the nation's defence force into an army, ceding to strong opposition from Western allies.
	Thaci had submitted to the parliament in early March a draft bill to establish a regular army for Kosovo by changing the current law on the Kosovo Security Force (KSF).
	It would have been done without amending the constitution and would therefore circumvent a likely veto by Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority, who are hostile to the move. The majority of Kosovo's population is ethnic Albanian.
	Since Kosovo's 1998-1999 war with Serbia, NATO-led multinational troops have been deployed in the territory which is currently not allowed its own army.
	But now Thaci is endorsing the process of a constitutional amendment.
	"We agree fully that this process should happen through constitutional changes," Thaci told AFP today.
	"We want to establish the army of Kosovo in order to be an integral part of NATO and not a Kosovo 

AFP

AFP

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