Thousands of protesters gathered in the Bangladesh capital today, demanding the government scrap a massive coal-fired power plant they say will destroy the world's largest mangrove forest.
	Slogan-shouting activists traveled from all over the country to join the demonstration at the Shaheed Minar memorial in Dhaka.
	Campaigners have been protesting for the last three years against the under-construction plant which is 14 kilometers (nine miles) north of Sundarbans forest, part of which is a UNESCO world heritage site.
	"We can build as many power plants as possible. But we can't create another Sundarbans if it is destroyed by the Rampal power plant. All the rare tigers, dolphins and other animals will be destroyed," said Saddam Hossain, 21, from the northern city of Bogra.
	"It is a unique forest and one of its kind in the world. But by building the power plant, the government is writing its obituary," said student Mashuk Helal Onik.
	Organisers said more than 20,000 people had joined 

Thousands demand scrap of Bangladesh coal-fired plant

PTI Automatic

A string of explosions today rocked a munitions storage site in northeastern Syria used by the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State group, a monitor and a local official said.
	"At least five explosions occurred today morning at the arms and munitions depots in a base close to Tal Tamer" northwest of the city of Hasakeh, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman said.
	He said the base was used by Kurdish forces from the People's Protection Units (YPG) as well as members of the international coalition fighting IS in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.
	A local Kurdish official said a number of people were injured in the blasts and loaded on to ambulances.
	Neither the Observatory nor the official could specify the cause of the blasts, and the coalition was not immediately available for comment.
	It was not clear if there were any US personnel on the base at the time of the blasts.
	A witness told AFP that "successive explosions occurred between 10.30 am ...

Blasts hit coalition arms depot in north Syria

French President Francois Hollande today called for the embargo that "punishes" Cuba to be "lifted definitively" following the death of Fidel Castro.
	"I want, on the occasion of the death of Fidel Castro to again insist that the embargo that punishes Cuba should be lifted definitively (and that) Cuba should be fully regarded as a partner in the international community," said Hollande during a summit in Madagascar.
	Instituted in the early 1960s, the trade embargo was designed to starve Castro's regime of US currency. Despite the recent restoration of diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana, the embargo remains largely in place today.
	"France has always seen Cuba as a partner," said Hollande, who in May 2015 was the first western head of state to visit the island nation after the thaw in relations between the US and Cuba in December 2014.
	"Even if I have repeatedly denounced human rights abuses in Cuba, I have always believed that the embargo was an unacceptable, ...

Hollande: Cuba embargo must be 'lifted definitively'

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today warned the European Union that Turkey could extend by at least another three months a state of emergency that has been in place since the failed July coup.
	In a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan launched another stinging attack on the EU after the European Parliament voted on Thursday to back a freeze in accession talks with Ankara.
	He again threatened to bring back the death penalty -- a decision that would effectively end Ankara's longstanding bid -- and said that on this he would listen to the Turkish people and not "Hans" and "George", picking out two common European names.
	The state of emergency imposed after the July 15 failed coup bid has seen at least 37,000 people arrested, causing alarm in Brussels over the scale of the crackdown.
	"Maybe the state of emergency will be extended by three months and then maybe another three months," he said. "This is a decision for the government and the parliament."
	"What's it to you?" he told the European ..

Turkey could extend state of emergency, Erdogan warns EU

Alam's short life ended today in a dark, tattered tent in Bangladesh, the Rohingya child's skeletal body succumbing to illness contracted while fleeing Myanmar where his stateless people are under attack.
	He was six-months-old.
	Alam died hours after arriving at a makeshift refugee camp close to Teknaf, the gateway to Cox's Bazar, a poor, densely populated coastal area already home to more than 230,000 Rohingya refugees. But for the Rohingya, Bangladesh is far from a promised land.
	So far little or no aid has been provided for the new arrivals, with Bangladeshi authorities fearing food, medicine and shelter will encourage more to cross the border.
	With her child's emaciated body by her side, 22-year-old Nur Begum describes how a Myanmar army raid that killed her husband and two other children forced her to flee Rakhine State for Bangladesh with the tiny Alam.
	After three-week trip with little food, Begum and her increasingly sick child made it to the camp in Leda, across the ...

Death of a baby as unwanted Rohingya hunt for a home

Kuwaitis went to the polls today for the first election contested by the opposition in nearly four years amid fresh disputes over cuts in subsidies due to falling oil revenues.
	Turnout was high at many of the 100 polling stations and at some centres hit 30 per cent a few hours after voting opened, according to state-run Kuwait Television.
	While Kuwait's two previous elections yielded poor turnout due to an opposition boycott, voters said they were encouraged by more candidates running this time around.
	"Their return is needed to strike a political balance in the country. They are more capable of monitoring the government actions," retired voter Ibrahim Al-Tulaihi told AFP at a polling station south of Kuwait City.
	"A wise opposition is needed because we don't want more political disputes," Jarrah Mohammad, a government employee, said after casting his ballot.
	Unusually for the oil-rich Gulf Arab states, Kuwait has an elected parliament with powers to hold ministers to account, ...

Kuwait votes as opposition ends boycott

A car bomb exploded near a busy market in Somalia's capital Mogadishu today killing at least eight people, police said, as medical sources warned the toll could be far higher.
	"We have counted about eight civilians so far who were killed in the blast and more than 10 others wounded but the death toll could be higher because the area is a market and it was so densely populated when the blast occurred, most people who were wounded have serious injuries," said police official Ibrahim Mohamed.
	Medical sources suggested nearly 30 people had been killed, but this was not confirmed by authorities.
	"Our ambulances have collected 13 wounded civilians and 28 dead bodies, the toll could be higher because of the density of the location where the blast occurred," Dr Abdukadir Abdirahman Adem, director of the AMIN ambulance service told AFP.
	The blast took place in the densely populated Afisiyone area in southern Mogadishu.
	"There was chaos and severed dead bodies strewn around the street, the 

Dozens feared dead in Mogadishu car bomb

A Turkish soldier has been killed while fighting Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria, state media said today, the latest casualty in an increasingly dangerous three-month campaign.
	Three soldiers were wounded in the attack and have been taken to hospital in the Turkish border town of Kilis, the Anadolu news agency said, without giving further details.
	Eighteen Turkish soldiers have been killed since the military began an unprecedented operation inside Syria on August 24 to back pro-Ankara rebels.
	Six soldiers have been killed this week alone, including four by an air strike the army said it believed was carried out by forces of President Bashar al-Assad.
	Turkey launched the operation in August -- dubbed "Euphrates Shield" -- in support of Syrian rebel fighters seeking to retake IS-held territory in northern Syria and also to halt the advance of Kurdish militia.
	Since it began, the pro-Ankara rebels have captured the IS stronghold of Jarabulus, cleared IS from Al Rai and retaken 

Turkish soldier killed fighting IS in Syria: state media

Up to 100 Islamist militants from a group behind a deadly bombing in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's home city were today under siege in a remote mountain town, officials said.
	Residents of Butig, which has a population of 17,000, have fled after the IS-linked militants holed themselves up in an abandoned government building, Philippine military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla said.
	"The Armed Forces of the Philippines has launched an operation to chase after the Maute leaders," Padilla told AFP, adding that artillery and military aircraft were aiding ground-based security forces.
	Two soldiers had been wounded in skirmishes with the Maute group since military operations began on Thursday, he said.
	The group is one of several armed Islamist organisations in the southern region of Mindanao which have pledged allegiance to Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.
	The stand-off follows the arrest of three members of the group last month, accused of the September 

IS-linked militants under siege in Philippine town: army

A huge rainbow flag led thousands through the streets of Hong Kong today as the city's LGBT community braved the rain and wind to call for equality at its annual pride parade.
	Participants dressed for this year's "naughty green" theme sang and danced through downtown Hong Kong, which has been criticised for lagging behind other Asian hubs in terms of LGBT rights.
	Organisers said 6,800 people took part, while police put the figure at 2,500.
	Attendees included city lawmakers, who said they will raise the topic of equal rights in parliament.
	"After decades, we still do not have anti-discrimination laws and marriage equality is still far away," Hong Kong's first openly gay lawmaker Ray Chan said.
	Chan said he had many friends who work in the government or as teachers who find it difficult to reveal their sexual orientation.
	"I hope that one day with our hard work, they can openly attend the pride parade."
	Some travelled from the neighbouring Chinese city of Guangzhou to take ...

Thousands call for equality in Hong Kong pride parade

Up to eight people are feared dead after a chartered fishing boat sank in New Zealand today, police said.
	Five bodies have been recovered and three people remain missing seven hours after the vessel overturned near Kaipara Harbour, north of Auckland.
	The police initially said six people had been pulled from the water but later confirmed only three survivors had been found.
	"The bodies of five people have been recovered from Kaipara Harbour," the police said in a statement.
	"Three other people have been rescued and are in hospital. A search for a further three people will continue."
	Police have been told that 11 people were on the boat, known as The Francie, which went down when returning to the harbour in the afternoon.
	The Francie, listed as a 12-metre (40-foot) long boat that can carry a maximum of 22 people, capsized at the entrance to Kaipara Harbour.
	Police inspector Duncan Hall told reporters a shoreline search would continue during the night for the missing three people .

Up to eight feared dead in New Zealand boating tragedy

Cuba declared nine days of public mourning today for its late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, and said his ashes will be buried at a ceremony on December 4 in Santiago de Cuba.
	From November 26 to December 4, "public activities and shows will cease, the national flag will fly at half mast on public buildings and military installations," a statement from the state executive said.
	Castro's ashes will be buried in the historic southeastern city of Santiago on December 4 after a four-day procession through the country, it added.
	President Raul Castro earlier said that his older brother Fidel was to be cremated early today.

Fidel Castro's funeral on December 4: Cuban government

Myanmar police said today they had arrested three Muslims for planting home-made bombs around Yangon and were investigating their links to "terrorists" in Rakhine state, where the army is cracking down on the Muslim Rohingya minority.
	Two crude explosive devices went off inside the regional government office compound last night, the third such small-scale attack to hit Myanmar's normally peaceful commercial hub in just over a week.
	None resulted in any casualties but spread unease in the country's largest city, which is not frequently targeted by attacks despite Myanmar being home to several insurgencies.
	They come at a time of heightened tension after weeks of deadly violence in western Rakhine and clashes between the army and insurgents in northern Shan state.
	Police arrested the men yesterday in Yangon's central Thingyangyun township after questioning a woman who had been at the site of other explosions.
	She was not taken into custody.
	"The three suspects have already been ...

Myanmar police arrest Muslims over Yangon bombings

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Fidel Castro, the socialist Cuban icon who has died aged 90, as the "symbol of an era," the Kremlin said in a statement today.
	"The name of this distinguished statesman is rightly considered the symbol of an era in modern world history," Putin said in a telegram to Cuban President Raul Castro cited by the Kremlin. "Fidel Castro was a sincere and reliable friend of Russia."
	Putin added that Castro has managed to build a "free and independent Cuba" that "became an influential member of the international community and served as an inspiration for many countries and peoples."
	The Kremlin strongman hailed Castro as a "strong and wise person who always looked to the future with confidence."
	"He embodied the high ideals of a politician, a citizen and a patriot sincerely convinced of the rightness of the cause to which he dedicated his whole life," Putin said.
	"His memory will forever remain in the hearts of the citizens of Russia."
	Putin also ...

Putin praises Castro as 'symbol of an era': Kremlin

Fidel Castro's funeral set for December 4: Government.

Wildfires near Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank have forced hundreds to flee their homes, after mass evacuations in Israel and more than a dozen arrests, police said today.
	Israeli and Palestinian firefighters, helped by foreign aircraft, have been battling dozens of bush blazes fed by drought and high winds that have seen tens of thousands of people evacuated.
	Around 1,000 residents had to leave the Halamish settlement near Ramallah as 45 homes were damaged or destroyed by fire, a police spokeswoman said.
	Blazes were also reported near the West Bank settlements of Dolev, Alfei Menashe and Karnei Shomron although there were no evacuations there.
	Firefighting planes from Israel and countries including Russia, Turkey, Greece, France, Spain and Canada continued to dump tonnes of water and retardants on fires at locations including the village of Nataf close to Jerusalem.
	A newly arrived US Supertanker, considered the largest firefighting aircraft in the world, was due to 

Israeli settlers flee as wildfires spread in West Bank

Tens of thousands of protesters braved sleet and freezing temperatures in Seoul today to demand President Park Geun-Hye resign over a corruption scandal or face impeachment.
	People beat drums and chanted "Park get out now" as they walked towards the presidential Blue House that had been cordoned off by thousands of police deployed in the South Korean capital.
	By late afternoon 350,000 protesters had joined the march, organisers said. They expect up to 1.5 million to take part in the demonstration, with another half a million in provincial cities.
	Police put the figure at 140,000 participants in Seoul.
	Parents and their children, university students and Buddhist monks were among those protesting for the fifth straight weekend as Park comes under intensifying pressure to step down.
	"I don't think Park would step down voluntarily, but we need to raise our voice as much as possible to encourage parliament to push through with its move to impeach her," Lee Seung-Cheol, a 23-year-old ..

Tens of thousands rally to demand S Korea president's ouster

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev today hailed Fidel Castro, the Cuban socialist icon who has aged 90, for "strengthening" his island nation.
	"Fidel stood up and strengthened his country during the harshest American blockade, when there was colossal pressure on him and he still took his country out of this blockade to a path of independent development," Interfax news agency quoted Gorbachev as saying.

Gorbachev hails Castro for 'strengthening' Cuba: agency

Scoreboard on the third day of the
day-night third Test between Australia and South Africa at the Adelaide Oval today.
 South Africa first innings 259 for 9 declared
 Australia first innings (307-6 overnight)
 U. Khawaja    lbw b Philander         145
 M. Renshaw    c Elgar b Abbott         10
 D. Warner     c Elgar b Abbott         11
 S. Smith  run out (Philander/deKock)   59
 P. Handscomb    b Abbott               54
 N. Maddinson   b Rabada                 0
 M. Wade        c De Kock b Philander    4
 M. Starc       c and b Rabada          53
 J. Hazlewood    not out                11
 N. Lyon         c Amla b Shamsi        13
 J. Bird        c du Plessis b Rabada    6
 Extras (B-3, LB-9, W-2, NB-3)          17
 Total (all out, 121.1 overs)          383
 Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-37, 3-174, 4-273, 5-277, 6-283, 7-327, 8-357, 9-370.
 Bowling: Philander 29-5-100-2 (3nb), Abbott 29-11-49-3, Rabada 25.1-4-84-3 (2w), Shamsi 29-4-101-1, Duminy 6-0-25-0, Elgar 2-0-11-0, Bavuma 1-0-1-0.

Adelaide, Nov 26 (AFP) Scoreboard on the third day of the

Tim Southee captured three quick wickets to put New Zealand in a commanding position in the second Test against Pakistan on Saturday.
     Neil Wagner also bagged two wickets as Pakistan collapsed to 76 for five at stumps on day two, still 195 runs behind New Zealand's first innings total of 271.
     Babar Azam was not out 34 at the close of play at Seddon Park with Sarfraz Ahmed unbeaten on nine.
     New Zealand, chasing their first series win over Pakistan in 31 years, had been in trouble at 5-119 before BJ Watling's 49 not out anchored a tail-end revival that lifted the home team to a competitive total.
     Southee then enticed the Pakistan top order into making a string of rash shots, seaming the ball away with a mixture of short and full-length deliveries.
     In his third over, the New Zealand quick removed opener Sami Aslam for five and Azhar Ali for one. Then, in his fifth over, he dismissed the veteran Younis Khan for two as Pakistan slumped to 12-3.
     Azam and Shafiq .

Fired up Southee creates havoc in Pakistan ranks

Usman Khawaja top scored with 145 to help give Australia a healthy 124-run first innings lead over South Africa on the third day of the third day-night Test in Adelaide today.
     The Australians were dismissed for 383 at tea, with the last four wickets adding 100 runs to put the home side in command.
     Khawaja's 308-ball vigil finally came to an end 30 minutes into the third day when he was trapped leg before wicket by Vernon Philander.
     The unflappable left-hander occupied the crease for 466 minutes after he was forced to hurriedly open the innings after a miscalculation over David Warner's time off the field for injury treatment when the Proteas declared.
     Khawaja left the field to a standing ovation from the Adelaide Oval crowd following his second-highest Test score, amassed over three days, ranking only below his 174 against New Zealand in Brisbane last year.
     It was the Pakistan-born batsman's fifth Test century, all scored over the last 12 months.
     It was ..

AFP

AFP

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