Myanmar soldiers swooped on several illicit drugs labs to seize nearly $27 million of narcotics, chemicals and equipment, military newspaper The Myawady said Monday, the biggest bust so far this year.
Photos showed hundreds of barrels, bags and other containers recovered in the operation in what is believed to be the world's largest methamphetamine producing nation.
Troops raided several sites over the weekend in Kutkai township of eastern Shan state after receiving a tip-off, the newspaper said.
They found around 18 million tablets, about 33 kilograms of heroin and 281 barrels of acids hidden in a ground pit alongside other equipment, including stoves, tablet-making machines and vehicles.
"It's the biggest seizure this year," a police officer from the anti-drugs department told AFP, asking not to be named.
Myanmar's multi-billion dollar drug industry is centred in Shan in the country's east, where the poppy-covered hills also hide illicit production labs.
High-grade crystal meth -- ..

Myanmar seizes drugs, equipment worth $27 million: military

PTI Automatic

G7 and eurozone finance ministers will hold conference calls on Wednesday to "coordinate their responses" to the impact of the coronavirus on the global economy, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Monday.
"We will have that meeting by phone -- because you need to avoid travelling too much -- for the G7 to coordinate its response," Le Maire said on France 2 television.  He said a similar meeting of eurozone finance ministers will be also be held on Wednesday, adding "there will be coordinated action".
Le Maire said that the economic impact of the coronavirus on France's economy will be greater than previous estimates and pledged the government will provide necessary support to companies.
The economic impact from the coronavirus will be "much more significant" than the 0.1 percentage point reduction in annual growth that the finance ministry had forecast two weeks ago, he said.
The French government expects 1.3 per cent growth for this year, while in December the national ...

G7, eurozone to discuss coordinated economic response to coronavirus: France

Former military chief Benny Gantz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main challenger in elections Monday, voiced hope the country would "change the tune," after a year of political stalemate.
"It's about time that we be much more united," Gantz said after voting in the central town of Rosh Haayin.
"I hope that today will be the day that we change the tune, stop the mudslinging (and) stop the lying," he added, in an apparent dig at Netanyahu following an at-times bitter campaign.

Israel's Gantz calls for 'change' as he casts ballot

Stock markets in the energy-rich Gulf states rebounded Monday, after huge losses in the previous session driven by fears over the impact of the coronavirus which has sent oil prices below USD 50 a barrel.
Kuwait Boursa, which suspended trading Sunday after shedding over 10 per cent, led the rally with its premier shares index soaring some 7.0 per cent and the All-Shares index surging around 5.0 per cent.
Saudi Arabia's Tadawul market gained 2.3 per cent at the start of trading with energy giant Saudi Aramco rising 1.0 per cent from historic lows on Sunday.
Dubai Financial Market Index climbed 2.2 per cent and its sister UAE market in Abu Dhabi rose 1.4 per cent. The tiny Muscat Securities Market in Oman inched up 0.2 per cent while Bahrain bourse rose 2.2 per cent.
The recovery came as oil prices gained more than 3.0 per cent to above USD 51 a barrel.
Qatar Stock Exchange, which was closed on Sunday for a holiday, bucked the trend to slide 3.1 per cent at the start of trading.
On ...

Gulf shares make a comeback after massive losses

German airline group Lufthansa said Monday it was extending flight cancellations on Iran and China routes until late April, part of a broader rollback because of the novel coronavirus.
The group's namesake carrier and subsidiaries Austrian and Swiss will not fly to and from mainland China until April 24, Lufthansa said in a statement.
Meanwhile Tehran flights will be suspended until April 30.
The slashes to the flight plan are part of a wider scheme Lufthansa announced Friday that will ground 23 long-haul aircraft and cut short- and medium-haul services by up to 25 per cent.
Lufthansa said Monday it was reducing the frequency of flights between major German hubs like Frankfurt and Munich and Seoul and Hong Kong.
And the group is also reducing frequency on routes to cities in Italy, including Rome, Venice, and Milan, with subsidiary Brussels Airlines affected alongside low-cost carrier Eurowings, Austrian and Swiss.
In northern Italy, 11 towns have been placed under quarantine because .

Lufthansa further slashes flight plan over virus

Egypt on Monday reported its second case of novel coronavirus, more than two weeks after announcing the first confirmed infection in Africa.
The foreigner is showing "minor symptoms" and has been quarantined, the ministry and the World Health Organization said in a joint statement.
Other people who had contact with the patient are undergoing medical tests, it added.
Egypt announced its first confirmed case of novel coronavirus on February 14.
The patient, a Chinese national, was released last week after recovering, the statement said.
Cairo has been cooperating with French and Canadian authorities after they both announced seven confirmed cases of the virus from travellers coming from Egypt.
With the number of cases rising in the Gulf, Qatar imposed a temporary ban on visitors coming from Egypt via transit points on Sunday citing the spread of COVID-19.
Kuwait stopped short of a flight restriction but added extra screening measures for travellers boarding their flights from ...

Egypt detects second coronavirus case

A Thai man has died from complications doctors say were due to the deadly coronavirus, though health officials were reluctant Monday to conclusively confirm the cause of his death.
The 35-year-old was diagnosed with dengue fever in January before doctors detected the virus two weeks later and transferred him to Bamrasnaradura Hospital, where many confirmed coronavirus patients are being treated.
He tested negative for COVID-19 by February 16 but the lung infection had caused multiple organ failure and -- despite receiving anti-viral treatment -- the man passed away Saturday, disease control officials said.
But health officials on Monday pushed back against classifying the man's death as a coronavirus fatality.
"We are not hiding information as the reason (for his death) is not urgent," said health ministry spokesman Thaweesin Wissanuyothin during Monday's daily press briefing.
"We will announce it when the result is clear and formal," he added.
If confirmed, the death will be ...

Thai man dies from coronavirus infection complications

North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range  ballistic missiles on Monday, the South's military said, weeks after Pyongyang threatened to demonstrate a "new strategic weapon" and its deadline for Washington to offer sanctions relief expired.
The launch was the nuclear-armed North's first for more than three months and came as nuclear negotiations with the United States remain at a standstill.
The two devices were fired eastwards over the sea from the Wonsan area on the east coast and flew 240 kilometres (150 miles) at a maximum altitude of 35 kilometres, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
They were "believed to be short-range ballistic missiles," a JCS official said.  South Korea's security ministers expressed "strong concern" the North was "carrying out actions giving rise to military tensions", the presidential Blue House said.
Japan's defence ministry said there was no indication of anything coming down in its waters or exclusive economic zone, but added: "Recent ...

North Korea fires 'short-range ballistic missiles'

The leader of a secretive South Korean sect linked to more than half the country's 4,000-plus coronavirus cases apologised Monday for the spread of the disease.
Shincheonji head Lee Man-hee's plea for forgiveness came after Seoul city authorities filed a murder complaint against him for failing to cooperate in containing the epidemic.
South Korea's case numbers -- the largest total anywhere outside China -- are expected to rise further as authorities carry out checks on more than 266,000 people associated with the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which is often condemned as a cult.
"I would like to offer my sincere apology to the people," said Lee, his voice breaking.
"Although it was not intentional, many people have been infected," the 88-year-old said, twice getting to his knees to bow before reporters in Gapyeong, his head to the floor.
"I seek the forgiveness of the people."
"I am very thankful to the government for its efforts," he added. "I also seek the forgiveness of the ...

South Korean sect leader apologises over coronavirus spread

Bangladeshi elite police on Monday shot dead seven suspected Rohingya gangsters involved in drug and people smuggling, a spokesman for the force said.
Tensions are rising in south-east Bangladesh two and a half years after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fled a military offensive in Myanmar.
The latest gunfight came after a recent spike in human smuggling as gangs lure refugees onto rickety fishing boats for often dangerous sea journeys to Malaysia.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said it was involved in a three-hour shootout with members of a bandit group led by notorious Rohingya gang leader known as Zokir.
"So far we have recovered seven bodies with bullet wounds," RAB spokesman Abdullah Sheikh Sadi told AFP.
He added that it was unclear if Zokir was among the dead.
Last month a boat packed with at least 138 Rohingya -- mostly women and children -- sank en route to Malaysia. Some 44 passengers are missing presumed drowned.
Since last year, Bangladeshi authorities have ..

Seven Rohingya shot dead near Bangladesh refugee camp

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Russia on Thursday for a summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the mounting tensions in Syria, his office said Monday.
"The president is due to pay a one-day visit to Russia on March 5," the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
Turkey confirmed on Sunday that it had launched a full military operation against Russian-backed Syrian forces following increasing clashes in the last rebel stronghold of Idlib.
Ankara, which backs Islamist fighters in the province, killed 19 Syrian soldiers in drone strikes on Sunday, and downed two regime planes.
But it remains determined to avoid direct clashes with Moscow, with which it shares significant defence and trade ties.
Despite being on opposing sides of the conflict, Turkey and Russia have coordinated closely in the past.
They secured a deal in Sochi in 2018 that led to Turkey establishing 12 military observation posts in Idlib to prevent a Syrian offensive and a fresh ..

Erdogan to meet Putin in Russia on Thursday for Syria talks: Turkish presidency

Police were in a standoff Monday with a "disgruntled" former security guard who shot at least one person and took about 30 others hostage at a shopping mall in the Philippine capital, officials said.
Workers and customers were evacuated from the V-Mall shopping centre in Manila early Monday after gunshots rang out and officers wielding assault rifles rushed to the scene.
"We have confirmed reports of... a hostage-taking of some of our employees by a former... security guard," the mall management said in a statement.
The Philippines' malls are centres of life that include everything from restaurants and shops to churches and medical facilities. The building was full when the violence began.
The mayor of the section of Manila that is home to the mall told reporters the "disgruntled" ex-guard had a pistol and claimed to have a grenade, but that had not been confirmed.
"At present we are unable to determine exactly how many are inside. Our estimate is around 30 people," said San Juan city 

Armed ex-guard holds about 30 hostage in Manila mall

Thailand's MotoGP was postponed over the new coronavirus on Monday as motorcycling's premier championship took its second hit in two days from the deadly outbreak.
A day after the season-opening Qatar MotoGP was axed, Thailand organisers postponed the March 20-22 race in Buriram without setting a new date.
"I don't say it's cancelled, I just say it is postponed until time allows us to do (the event)," Anutin Charnvirakul, chairman of the Thailand MotoGP organising committee, told AFP.
"It's because of the coronavirus," added Anutin, who is also Thailand's deputy prime minister and health minister.
"We need to postpone it today until further notice." The move means both of the season's first two races have been shelved. The next race on the schedule is in Austin, Texas on April 5.
It could also put renewed focus on Formula One, whose season starts with the Australian Grand Prix on March 15.
The Chinese F1 Grand Prix has already been postponed, and Vietnam is due to host its inaugural ..

Thailand MotoGP postponed as virus wrecks season's start

A Chinese court has sentenced a man to death for fatally stabbing two officials at a checkpoint set up to control the spread of the new coronavirus outbreak.
The virus has infected more than 80,000 people and killed nearly 3,000 in mainland China -- prompting a wide network of temperature checks, travel restrictions, residential checks and closures nationwide.
Many villages and communities have also implemented their own blockades and tough measures to keep people out, fearful that travellers could infect their communities.
On Sunday a court handed down a death sentence to a 23-year-old man after he stabbed two officials at one local village checkpoint.
The incident happened on February 6 when Ma Jianguo was driving a minivan through a checkpoint at Luo Meng village in Honghe, southwestern Yunnan province, where he was stopped.
After Ma refused to cooperate with officials, his passenger began trying to remove the roadblock, the court said, and the local official started filming Ma and 

Chinese man sentenced to death for virus checkpoint killing

Real Madrid won the Clasico and might have saved their season as they ended their slump in the best way possible on Sunday by beating Barcelona 2-0 and returning to the top of La Liga.
Vinicius Junior's deflected finish and a stoppage-time goal from Mariano Diaz decided a frenzied contest at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Madrid found new life after a Champions League defeat by Manchester City had left them on the brink of crisis.
"It's been a tough week," said Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane. "We talked about how we had an opportunity this weekend and we took it." Victory put them one point clear at the top of the table and shifts focus back to Quique Setien's Barcelona, who were outfought and, at times, outplayed.
"The reality is we lost a lot of confidence with the ball," said Setien. "We entered a nervous spell and that's when the goal came." Lionel Messi's rasping shot was saved by Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the first half but it was the Argentine's opposing captain, ..

Real Madrid defeat Barcelona in Clasico to regain top spot in La Liga

Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 41 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as Milwaukee notched another dominant NBA victory, a 93-85 triumph over the Hornets in Charlotte.
The Bucks pushed their league-leading record to 52-8 with their sixth straight win since the All-Star break.
Antetokounmpo said that was all that mattered as the teams' streak of 100-point regular-season games ended at 83.
"I don't think anybody cares about that," he said of the triple-digit scoring streak that stretched back to February 23, 2019. "We as players just come in here and try to get a win."
In this "old-school" victory, the Bucks never trailed in the second half, although their 15 turnovers in the first three quarters helped the Hornets keep it close and Charlotte trailed by just two entering the final quarter.
Antetokounmpo seized control in the waning minutes, putting the Bucks up 88-83 with a turnaround jump shot.
He then pulled down an offensive rebound, drew a foul and made two free throws drove for another 

Antetokounmpo dominant as Bucks stretch win streak

Bernie Sanders is heading into California's primary on Tuesday as the clear favourite among Democrats, enjoying a massive lead over his competitors, notably among young voters and Latinos.
A win in the liberal stronghold that has 415 delegates -- the largest number of any state -- would give the 78-year-old Vermont senator a formidable advantage in the overall race for the Democratic nomination.
Political observers say his appeal in California has only grown since the last presidential election, in large part because he has not wavered on his signature issues, including health care, income inequality and student debt.
He has also aggressively courted Latino voters, who make up about a quarter of the estimated electorate for the California primary.
"Sanders has really focused on engaging the Latino electorate by meeting them where they are, hiring locally and opening field and campaign offices in Latino communities," said Sonja Diaz, founding director of the Latino Policy and Politics .

California voters still feeling the Bern

Heavily armed police were deployed at a mall in the Philippine capital Manila on Monday after reports that a disgruntled employee was holding a group of people hostage, an AFP journalist saw.
The mayor of a section of Manila had earlier told journalists that a security guard was holding up to 30 people in an administrative office and had shot at least one person.

Police respond to reported mass hostage-taking at Manila mall

Indonesia on Monday reported its first confirmed cases of coronavirus, after health officials in the world's fourth-most populous country hit back at questions over its apparent lack of infected patients.
A 64-year-old woman and her daughter, 31, tested positive for the virus at a Jakarta hospital, said health minister Terawan Agus Putranto.
"This morning I received the test results and they were positive," he told reporters in the capital.
"Both are in good condition...they don't have serious breathing difficulties." Officials said that the pair may have been in close contact with a Japanese national who has since tested positive after returning to neighbouring Malaysia.
Last month, Indonesia criticised a US study that questioned why the Southeast Asian archipelago of more than 260 million, which has strong links to China, had not recorded a case of the virus.
The World Health Organization said it was particularly concerned about high-risk nations with weaker health systems, who may .

Indonesia confirms first coronavirus cases

Israelis were voting for a third time in 12 months on Monday, with embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking to end the country's political crisis and save his career.
The vote comes just two weeks before the right-wing premier stands trial over a series of corruption allegations, but final polls indicated his support was holding, suggesting another close race between his Likud and the centrist Blue and White party.
Both will almost certainly fall well short of a majority in Israel's proportional system and the winner will seek to form a coalition with multiple smaller parties.
After elections in both April and September last year neither were able to do so, and a similar deadlock remains possible.
With few undecided in a divided country of 6.4 million eligible voters, turnout will be key and all parties were campaigning to get their supporters to the polls.
Netanyahu, in power since 2009, said Sunday internal polls suggested they were close to winning and finally breaking ..

Israel votes for third time in 12 months

The Chinese government is threatening to remove visas from journalists as a weapon to intimidate foreign media "like never before", a press group said Monday, following the expulsion of three reporters last month.
In its annual report, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China said it also feared Beijing was preparing to kick out more reporters, with two journalists this year given working visas of only a single month.
At least 12 correspondents received press credentials valid for six months or less -- more than double the number given short-term visas the previous year, in what the FCCC called a record.
Resident journalist visas, which are mandatory for all foreign media based in mainland China, are typically issued for one year.
"Chinese authorities are using visas as weapons against the foreign press like never before," the report warned, flagging a "continued decline in reporting conditions".
Since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2013, China has forced out nine foreign ...

AFP

AFP

Page 132 - Afp