At least 14 Shiites were killed today in a powerful blast at a mosque in northern Afghanistan, the second deadly attack on the minority in as many days during the major festival of Ashura.
	"The explosion happened at the gate of the Shiite mosque in the centre of Balkh district (in Balkh province)," said the provincial governor's spokesman Munir Ahmad Farhad, adding that 14 people were killed and 28 injured.
	His account was confirmed by the provincial deputy police chief.
	The blast came as the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for twin attacks in Kabul yesterday that also targeted Shiites, killing up to 18 people and wounding dozens.
	Witnesses said gunmen entered the Karte Sakhi shrine near Kabul University late yesterday, firing indiscriminately on men, women and children as they tried to flee. The interior ministry said one was wearing a suicide vest.
	At the same time, another attacker entered a nearby mosque and took an unspecified number of people hostage as they were 

Blast kills 14 as Afghan Shiites targetted during Ashura

PTI Automatic

Online giant Amazon launched an expanded on-demand music streaming service in the US today, taking on the likes of Spotify and Apple Music with a cut- price offer for users of its Echo speakers.
	Amazon Music Unlimited will offer "tens of millions of songs" to subscribers, the company said, a step up from the two million available on its existing Amazon Prime streaming service.
	The new service costs USD 9.99 a month - the same as rivals Spotify Premium, Apple Music and Google Play - but Amazon is offering a discounted rate of USD 3.99 for subscribers who limit use to its voice-controlled Echo speakers.
	Current Prime customers can switch to the new service for USD 7.99 a month or USD 79 a year, Amazon said. Amazon Music Unlimited also comes with a new redesigned app.
	Music streaming has boomed this year, with the number of streams more than doubling in the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year, according to trade specialists BuzzAngle Music.
	Amazon's ...

Amazon launches full on-demand music streaming service in US

The health of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej is "still unstable", the palace said today, adding that the 88-year-old was on a ventilator in hospital and battling a new infection.
	"Blood tests show he has an infection and his liver is working irregularly. The doctors have given him antibiotics and have corrected acid levels in his blood, placing him on a ventilator together with CRRT (Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy)," the Royal Household Bureau said in a new statement.
	"His illness overall is still unstable," the statement added.

Thai king's health 'unstable' as he battles infection: palace

Leg spinner Adil Rashid claimed an ODI career best four for 43 as England restricted Bangladesh to 277-6 in the series decider one-day international in Chittagong today.
     Rashid took full advantage of a turning wicket which remained under cover for two days due to rain and picked up his second four-wicket-haul in the final game of a three-match series which is currently tied 1-1.
     The 28-year-old Yorkshireman derailed Bangladesh's innings with regular strikes in his unbroken 10 overs stretch after Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes put on 80 runs in the opening stand.
     Mushfiqur Rahim top-scored for the home side with an unbeaten 67 while Sabbir Rahman (49), Kayes (46), Iqbal (45) and Mosaddek Hossain (38 not out) also contributed to what should be a competitive total.
     Ben Stokes secured the first breakthrough for England when he had Kayes caught by substitute fielder Liam Dawson at square leg.
     Local boy Iqbal became the first Bangladeshi to score 5,000 ODI runs by ...

England limit Bangladesh to 277 in crunch ODI

Egypt and Saudi Arabia have long been key allies but tensions over regional issues including Syria and Yemen have erupted into the open in rare public disagreements.
	The discord came to the surface when Egypt on Saturday voted in favour of a Russian-drafted UN Security Council resolution on Syria strongly opposed by Riyadh.
	That was followed by Cairo's announcement of Saudi oil giant Aramco's surprise decision to halt the expected delivery of 700,000 tonnes of petroleum products to Egypt this month, forcing Egypt to rush out a call for tenders to make up the shortfall.
	Analysts say the row - which threatens to distance Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi from one of his main backers - reflects longstanding disagreements on crucial regional issues.
	"There is always talk that there is a strategic alliance between Cairo and Riyadh, and that is not true," prominent Egyptian journalist and commentator Abdallah el-Sennawy said.
	"A strategic alliance means an understanding on ...

Longtime allies Egypt, Saudi Arabia in rare public row

Scoreboard of the third one-day
international between Bangladesh and England at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong today:
     Bangladesh
     Tamim Iqbal c Vince b Rashid 45
     Imrul Kayes c sub Dawson b Stokes 46
     Sabbir Rahman c Buttler Rashid 49
     Mahmudullah c Bairstow b Rashid 6
     Mushfiqur Rahim not out 67
     Shakib Al Hasan St Buttler b Ali 4
     Nasir Hossain c Vince b Rashid 4
     Mosaddek Hossain not out 38
     Extras (b4, lb3 w11) 18
     Total (six wickets, 50 overs) 277
     Fall of wickets: 1-80, 2-106, 3-122, 4-176, 5-184, 6-192
     Bowling: Woakes 8-0-66-0, Ball 8-0-44-0, Plunkett 9-0-51-0, Ali 10-0-42-1, Stokes 5-0-24-1, Rashid 10-0-43-4.

Chittagong, Oct 12 (AFP) Scoreboard of the third one-day

Indonesian authorities today seized dozens of stuffed birds of paradise from a hapless courier who did not realise they were a protected species, an official said.
	The courier walked into the government conservation agency in South Sulawesi province seeking permission to ship the 64 birds of paradise and more than 80 bundles of cassowary feathers by air freight, said local agency head Dody Wahyu Karyanto.
	The cargo company had demanded the courier produce an official letter allowing him to transport the stuffed birds and feathers to Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua.
	"Once we checked, it turned out this wildlife was a protected species. We immediately confiscated (the items) and held the courier for questioning," Karyanto said.
	He was helping authorities as they try and track down the owners of the protected birds, who could face prosecution for breaking federal wildlife laws, Karyanto added.
	There are numerous species of birds of paradise - known locally as cendrawasih - 

Courier nabbed trying to ship stuffed rare birds in Indonesia

A bomb at a Shiite mosque in northern Afghanistan killed 14 people today, the second attack on the country's Shiites in as many days during the major festival of Ashura.
	"The explosion happened at the gate of the Shiite mosque in the centre of Balkh district (in Balkh province)," said provincial governor's spokesman Munir Ahmad  Farhad, adding that 14 people were killed and 28 injured.
	His account was confirmed by the provincial deputy police chief.

Blast kills 14 Shiites in northern Afghanistan: officials

Roberto Cavalli's creative director Peter Dundas has stepped down after just three seasons in the job, the Italian fashion house said today.
	The Spring/Summer 2017 collection, presented during Milan Fashion Week in September, was the last the Norwegian designer will do for the high-end brand, the company said in a statement.
	His replacement has not yet been named.
	"As Roberto Cavalli goes through a period of transformation, the design team will carry on and the appointment of a new creative director will be made in due course," said chief executive Gian Giacomo Ferraris.
	"We thank Peter Dundas for his contribution to the brand, and we wish him well for his future."
	Dundas was appointed to the Florence-based company in March 2015 and seen as a good fit for his love of rock-sexy designs and penchant for animal prints.
	He was quoted as thanking the fashion house for the "valuable experience" and "adventure".
	Before joining Cavalli, Dundas had spent seven years as artistic director 

Peter Dundas leaves Italy's Roberto Cavalli

Bomb blast kills 14 Shiite mourners in northern

A female suicide bomber killed at least eight people when she detonated her explosives in a taxi in Maiduguri, the capital of northeast Borno state in Nigeria, emergency services said today.
	"About eight persons lost their lives, 15 injured persons were evacuated to specialist and teaching hospitals," the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.
	Borno police said the woman was believed to among the female casualties found on the road.

Female suicide bomber kills 8 in Nigeria: emergency services

Global superstar Lionel Messi returned to training with Barcelona on Wednesday following three weeks out with a groin injury.
     France international defender Samuel Umtiti also returned to training according to a statement on the Catalan giants' website.
     "Both Leo Messi and Samuel Umtiti, despite neither yet being declared fit for selection as they battle to recover from injury, were able to join the rest of the team for the workout," said the statement accompanied by a photo showing Argentine Messi at training.
     The statement also said the likes of Spanish internationals Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets had returned following the international break. Pique was in the photo alongside Messi and Brazil's Neymar.
     Messi, 29, tore a muscle in his groin during the 1-1 draw at home to La Liga title rivals Atletico Madrid on September 21. Umtiti, 22, had strained a ligament in his knee the day before in training.
     The returnees provided a welcome boost for 

Messi back in Barcelona training

Hong Kong rebel lawmakers swore, shouted, banged drums and railed against "tyranny" today when they took their oaths of office in the city's parliament, as calls grow for a split from Beijing.
	The chaotic first meeting of the new term of the Legislative Council (Legco) came after a citywide vote last month saw victories for several lawmakers advocating more autonomy or even independence for Hong Kong.
	The city is semi-autonomous under a "one country, two systems" deal sealed when Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997.
	The arrangement protects Hong Kong's freedoms for 50 years, but there are increasing concerns those liberties are disappearing as Beijing tightens its grip.
	Lawmakers are required to recite a short oath in Legco before they can officially take up their seats.
	That oath declares repeatedly that Hong Kong is a "special administrative region" of China.
	The government had warned lawmakers in advance they risked losing their seats if they did not take the oath ...

Rebel Hong Kong lawmakers challenge China in parliament

Heavily indebted Portuguese giants Benfica unveiled a collection of wedding dresses which it will sell alongside other club items such as nappies and dog beds.
     The club put on display 24 wedding dresses, including several in red -- the team's colour -- at a fashion show at their Stadium of Light that included an appearance by the club's mascot, an eagle.
     The wedding dresses sell for up to 10,000 euros ($11,000).
     "Our goal is to accompany the life cycle of our fans and supporters," Benfica's licensing and merchandising manager, Jose Simao, told AFP.
     "Just like we have products for babies, like diapers and baby bottles, we have products for all stages of people's lives, for their most important moments."
     Among the dozens of items for sale at Benfica's online store are the traditional team jerseys as well as baby pacifiers and nappies, bath towels, bed linen and dog beds.
     In addition, Benfica's supporters have since 2012 received a discount on funeral ...

Benfica launch wedding dress collection

Lawyers for the main suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, said that they will no longer defend him, speaking during a TV interview today.
	"We both decided to give up his defence," lawyer Frank Berton said in an interview with BFM TV.
	"We don't think that he will speak and he will use the right to remain silent," said Berton in a joint interview with fellow lawyer Sven Mary.
	"In this position what would you like us to do. We said from the beginning... That if our client remained silent we would quit his defence," Berton added.
	"When you have the feeling of being there to make social visits to the prison, that is the moment when a decision has to be made," added Mary.
	Abdeslam has refused to answer questions since being transferred to France from Belgium in April and is believed to be angry at round-the-clock surveillance of his jail cell.
	After four months on the run, Abdeslam was arrested on March 18 in Molenbeek, a Brussels neighbourhood notorious for being a hotbed of 

Lawyers 'will not defend' main Paris attacks suspect

Argentina crashed to a 1-0 defeat against Paraguay in South America's 2018 World Cup qualifiers as two goals from Arturo Vidal helped Chile reignite their campaign with a victory over rivals Peru.
     A superb counter-attacking goal from striker Derlis Gonzalez on 18 minutes was enough to give Paraguay all three points in their match with Argentina as the hosts once again struggled to plug the gap left by injured talisman Lionel Messi.
     Argentina rallied furiously in the second half, with Angel Di Maria seeing a goal from a free-kick disallowed because of a foul while both Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero went close.
     But with Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar in defiant form between the posts, the visitor held on for a battling victory which revives their hopes of snagging one of the qualification berths.
     The win left Paraguay just one point behind Argentina in the standings after 10 games. Argentina occupy the fifth qualifying spot in the table with 16 points, with ...

Argentina stunned, Vidal rescues Chile in S America qualifiers

In-form Pakistan are ready to launch a pink-ball spin assault on struggling West Indies when they do battle in Asia's first day-night Test from Thursday here.
     Pakistan have been on a roll since their 2-2 series draw in England in August, which briefly lifted them to number one position in world cricket's Test rankings for the first time.
     Arch-rivals India relegated Pakistan to number two with recent victory over New Zealand but Misbah-ul-Haq's men have a prime opportunity to close the gap in the three-match series against the West Indies and are strong favourites.
     Pakistan captain Misbah said he was relishing the prospect of a day-night Test, where play will be from 3:30 pm to 10:30 pm (1130 GMT to 1830 GMT) with two breaks of 30 minutes, in what is nominally a "home" series for Pakistan.
     "It's exciting because I think the future belongs to day-night Tests," said Misbah, whose team will be missing senior batsman Younis Khan, recovering from dengue fever.
     ...

Pakistan pink-hot favourites in day-night Test

North Korea has purged its vice foreign minister as punishment for the recent defection of the nuclear-armed country's deputy ambassador to Britain, South Korean media reported today.
	The mass-circulation JoongAng Ilbo, quoting an anonymous source familiar with North Korean affairs, said that Kung Sok-Ung had been removed from his post and expelled from Pyongyang to a rural farming area with his family.
	It said the purge was ordered by supreme leader Kim Jong-Un following the defection of the North's deputy ambassador to Britain, Thae Yong-Ho, and his family to the South two months ago.
	"Since Thae Yong-Ho's defection in late July, there has been an overall inspection throughout the foreign ministry," the source said.
	"Kung Sok-Ung was held accountable for the embassies in Europe and purged as a result."
	The report said four other high-ranking diplomats in charge of European affairs were also expelled from Pyongyang.
	The 72-year-old Kung is a veteran diplomat who had been ...

N Korea purges vice foreign minister: report

China's bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup suffered a crushing blow while Iran sprang a shock to establish themselves as the frontrunners in Group A at the expense of South Korea.
     The Chinese were outclassed 2-0 by Uzbekistan in Tashkent with the Central Asians scoring twice in the second half through Marat Bikmaev and Otabek Shukurov to leave China at the bottom of the pile on just one point and almost certainly facing more World Cup heartbreak.
     The Uzbeks temporarily topped the group with nine points from four matches but were pushed down to second place later on the day when Iran pulled off a 1-0 win over World Cup regulars South Korea in Tehran to take their tally to 10.
     The Chinese, who have invested heavily in football and are eyeing a bid for the 2030 World Cup, have only qualified for the tournament proper in 2002 and needed to raise their game sharply in Tashkent to revive their flagging chances.
     Uzbekistan, who have never qualified for the World Cup, ..

China, South Korea suffer World Cup blows

England laboured to a 0-0 draw away to Slovenia in their 2018 World Cup qualifier with Wayne Rooney dropped to the bench, while title-holders Germany remained firmly on course for the finals.
     Manchester City reject Joe Hart produced three terrific saves to deny Roman Bezjak, Josip Ilicic and Jasmin Kurtic, who also hit the post, as Gareth Southgate's inexperienced side clung on desperately for a point in Ljubljana to remain top of Group F.
     Jesse Lingard's fierce long-range strike forced Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak into a sharp stop late on as the stalemate ensured both countries maintained their unbeaten starts to the campaign.
     "It's my best game for a while but it was down to a few errors from us," said Hart, who kept a third successive clean sheet in qualifying.
     "We have to improve but we are trying to qualify for Russia. My body is in pieces, I'll struggle to get up tomorrow," added Hart, who has been shunted out on loan to Torino in Serie A.
     England ...

Poor England held in Slovenia as Germany coast

At least 473 people are now known to have died as Hurricane Matthew leveled swaths of southern Haiti last week, officials said, as hard-hit communities struggled to rebuild homes and access food and clean water.
	Haiti is observing three days of mourning for victims of the deadly storm, which also left 75 missing and 330 injured according to the provisional toll from the nation's civil protection agency.
	More than 175,500 people remain in shelters across the country, many of them in schools -- which is keeping nearly 100,000 children from resuming classes.
	Interim President Jocelerme Privert said those affected would receive humanitarian aid but warned against extending emergency help without a plan for long-term reconstruction.
	"If we continue to bring emergency food aid to victims -- without taking steps to recapitalize them, for money to circulate in affected areas -- the risk of exodus to large cities is still there," Privert told journalists.
	Privert said the Haitian ...

AFP

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