Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted Thursday Jerusalem was "not for sale" in response to a Middle East plan unveiled by US counterpart Donald Trump.
"They say, 'the deal of the century', what deal? This is a project of occupation," Erdogan said in Ankara. "Jerusalem is our red line... Jerusalem is not for sale.
"No one should attempt to shamelessly say 'we'll give something and you leave this to us'," he added.
Erdogan, who sees himself as a defender of Palestinians' rights, had previously said the plan was unacceptable.
Trump on Tuesday unveiled the long-awaited plan aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying Jerusalem would remain Israel's "undivided capital".
This is not the first time Jerusalem has been a sore point in US-Turkey relations, already tense over multiple issues.
When Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017 and moved the embassy there, Turkish officials angrily and repeatedly criticised the move.

Erdogan says Jerusalem 'not for sale' after Trump Mideast plan

PTI Automatic

Israel's health minister said Thursday that the country would bar all flights from China over the coronavirus epidemic, as fears of global contagion grew.
"We shall not allow any flight in the near future from China to land in this country, not one," Yaakov Litzman said at a televised press conference.
He added that anyone already in Israel who had travelled from China, or stopped over there on the way from another country, should stay at home for 14 days and not mix with the general public, even if they had no symptoms.
Earlier Thursday, Israel's national carrier El Al announced it was suspending  flights to Beijing, its only destination in mainland China, until March 25.
According to the World Health Organisation, the virus has already killed 170 people.
There have been no recorded incidents of the new coronavirus in Israel yet, but the health ministry said Wednesday it was "a matter of time".
Major airlines that have suspended or pared back services to China include British ...

Israel bars flights from China over virus fears: health minister

A claim by one of Donald Trump's lawyers that the head of state has virtually unchallengeable power inflamed his impeachment trial as Democratic prosecutors prepared Thursday for a last bid to breach Republican loyalty to the president.
Famed criminal lawyer Alan Dershowitz on Wednesday advanced an argument that Trump's actions did not constitute an impeachable abuse of power because the president believed his re-election was in the public interest.
Dershowitz, a former Harvard University law professor, was addressing the central charge against Trump: that he illicitly pressured Ukraine to open investigations against rival Democrats and particularly his possible 2020 re-election challenger Joe Biden.
"Every public official I know believes that his election is in the public interest," Dershowitz told the 100 senators sitting in judgment at the historic trial -- in which Trump is hoping the Senate's Republican majority will ensure a speedy acquittal.
"If a president does something which 

Claim of Trump's near-absolute power riles impeachment trial

US health officials said Thursday they had identified the first case of a person who had caught the 2019 Novel Coronavirus from another person on American soil, a man who contracted the illness from his wife.
"The second person in Illinois testing positive for the Novel Coronavirus is a Chicago resident and is the spouse of the first confirmed travel associated case in Illinois," said Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The first confirmed case concerned a woman in her sixties who had recently travelled to Wuhan. Her husband did not travel to China.

Coronavirus spread from wife to husband in Chicago: official

Combative Argentina defender Marcos Rojo has rejoined his home town club Estudiantes on loan from Manchester United, the Superliga side said on Thursday.
On its Twitter account, the four-time Copa Libertadores winners posted a picture of Rojo during his previous spell alongside the message: "At home!"
Rojo was born in La Plata where Estudiantes are based and spent his first three seasons as a professional with the club before moving to Spartak Moscow in December 2010.
Eighteen months later he switched to Sporting Lisbon in Portugal and two years after that he was bought by then United manager Louis van Gaal.
"Another dream is realized," said Estudiantes on Twitter.
"People always go back to the places where they were happy. Because the feeling of belonging is stronger.
"Your dream and that of the Stabber Family has come true," added Estudiantes, referring to the club's nickname: the Rat Stabbers.
Rojo, 29, has joined on a six-month loan deal, according to local press.
He has 18 months 

Rojo joins Estudiantes on loan from Man United

Heavy rain and bad light in the afternoon frustrated Zimbabwe's push to build a match-winning position on the fourth day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Harare on Thursday.
A downpour mid-afternoon forced the players off the field and, although they returned briefly after tea, only 54 overs were bowled in the day, restricting Zimbabwe to 241 for seven at the close, an overall lead of 354.
The Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams, who made a century in the first innings, was 47 not out when bad light forced the players off and must now decide whether to declare overnight to give his bowlers a full day to try and win the match and square the two-Test series.
Brendan Taylor set the tone for the home side during the morning session when he made his second half-century of the match. The 33-year-old struck a rapid 67 as the hosts added 117 during an extended morning session.
Lasith Embuldeniya was again the pick of the Sri Lanka bowlers, striking in the third over of the day when Regis ...

Zimbabwe victory push in second Test frustrated by rain

A close adviser to Iran's supreme leader on Thursday described the US Mideast peace plan as a continuation of the objectives of "crusaders and Zionists".
The plan, announced Tuesday by US President Donald Trump, consists of "selling and dismantling Muslim lands", said Ali Akbar Velayati, who advises Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on foreign policy issues.
Trump's "objective is the realisation of the goal of the crusaders and Zionists", Velayati said during a brief press conference in Tehran.  The US plan, seen as overwhelmingly supportive of Israeli goals, has been firmly rejected by the Palestinians.
It grants the Jewish state full control of Jerusalem and gives it a US green light to annex key parts of the occupied West Bank, including in the strategic Jordan Valley.
"Trump will fail in this plan, just like he has failed in his previous anti-Islamic plans", the former Iranian foreign minister added, saying its announcement had already united Palestinian leaders "like never before in the ...

Trump will fail in 'crusader' Mideast plan: Iran official

Novak Djokovic paid "huge respect" to old rival Roger Federer Thursday after he swept past the ailing star and into a record eighth Australian Open final to move closer to his 17th Grand Slam crown.
In the 50th instalment of one of sport's greatest rivalries, the Serb shrugged off a tentative start to reinforce his recent dominance, showing no mercy to the injury-hit Swiss maestro in a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-3 win.
He will play either fifth seed Dominic Thiem or seventh-ranked German Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final, but it will take a monumental effort to prise another title from the 32-year-old.
Of the seven Melbourne finals Djokovic has made, he has won them all.
If any extra motivation was needed, winning on Sunday will see the Serb reclaim the number one ranking after Thiem sent Rafael Nadal  packing in the last eight.
"It's never easy to play Roger. I mean, obviously he was hurting. You could see it in his movement. Respect to him for trying his best," said defending champion ...

'Huge respect' - Djokovic praises ailing Federer after sweeping into final

Heavy rain in the afternoon frustrated Zimbabwe's push to build a match-winning position on the fourth day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Harare on Thursday.
A downpour mid-afternoon forced the players off the field and tea was taken at the regular time with Zimbabwe on 222 for six, an overall lead of 335.
The Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams, who made a century in the first innings, was 40 not out when the rain came.
If Zimbabwe can take their lead to 400 they will stand an excellent chance of winning the Test and squaring the two-match series 1-1 although the rain delay means Williams will also have to consider a declaration.
Brendan Taylor had earlier set the tone for the home side when he made his second half-century of the match. The 33-year-old struck a rapid 67 as the hosts added 117 during an extended morning session.
Lasith Embuldeniya was again the pick of the Sri Lanka bowlers, striking in the third over of the day when Regis Chakabva edged to Dhananjaya de Silva at .

Rain frustrates Zimbabwe after Taylor's second 50

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo predicted Thursday that Brexit would bring "enormous benefits" to the United States and the UK, during a visit to Britain on the eve of its historic departure from the European Union.
Ahead of talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson about a post-Brexit trade deal and other key issues, Pompeo said he was optimistic about Britain's nearly half a century of EU membership ending late Friday.
"There were things that the United Kingdom was required to do as part of being a member of the EU, and they'll be able to do them differently now," Washington's top diplomat told a think-tank audience in London.
"Some of this will be worked out through the free trade agreement, some of it will be worked out by entrepreneurs just kicking it," he said, alongside British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.
"You will see the enormous benefits that accrued to both of our nations as a result of this." Britain will enter a new chapter when it becomes the first country to quit the ..

Pompeo trumpets Brexit 'benefits' on eve of Britain's EU departure

South Korea on Thursday reported the first local case of human-to-human transmission of the deadly virus that has killed 170 people in China and spread to more than a dozen countries.
The announcement comes as international airlines are either suspending or paring back services in and out of China in a bid to halt the virus reaching further.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Korea confirmed two more cases Thursday, bringing the total six.
The sixth confirmed patient, a 56-year-old South Korean man, was diagnosed after being "in contact with the third patient" in the South, it said.
He was quarantined at a hospital in Seoul.
The other five patients were diagnosed after arrival from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have emerged from an animal and seafood market.  Apart from China, human-to-human transmission has also been reported in Japan, Germany and Thailand.

South Korea reports local human-to-human virus transmission

Britain postponed the planned evacuation on Thursday of around 200 of its citizens from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he hoped the charter flight would leave on Thursday evening subject to getting the necessary clearance from Beijing.
"We are hopeful now that we will be able to do that this evening but of course, this depends on the decisions taken by the Chinese government," Raab told a press event in London.
He added: "We are doing everything we can, around the clock, to make that happen." London had hoped the flight could leave the central city of Wuhan on Thursday morning UK time but on Wednesday evening was forced to tell those waiting to board that it would be delayed.
"We haven't got the necessary clearances and we are working with the Chinese authorities on securing those," a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday.
He said a number of countries had similar issues.
The flight is due to .

UK delays Wuhan evacuation, cites China clearance issues

The coming five years are anticipated to be warmest period on record, Britain's Met Office said Thursday, warning of an outside chance of Earth breaching the Paris deal 1.5C temperature rise cap before 2024.
In a regular "decadal forecast" looking at predicted near-term climate trends, it said that each year between 2020-2024 is set to be 1.06-1.62C hotter than historical averages.
The Met Office forecast it "likely" that the hottest year on record, 2016, will be beaten in that time frame.
"The latest five-year forecast suggests continued warming, consistent with sustained high levels of greenhouse gases," said Doug Smith, a Met Office fellow and decadal prediction export.
"Uncertainties exist within the forecast, but most regions are expected to be warmer and forecast patterns suggest enhanced warming over land, especially northern parts of Europe, Asia and North America -- extending the ongoing trend."
The forecast said that barring a large volcanic eruption that could dent global ..

Record heat forecast for coming five years

Injury-hit Roger Federer said Thursday he had no plans to retire and insisted he was still in good enough shape to win Grand Slams after crashing out of the Australian Open semi-finals to Novak Djokovic.
The 38-year-old fell to the Serb 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-3, admitting he only had "a three percent" chance as he nursed a groin injury picked up in his quarter-final epic against Tennys Sandgren, where he saved seven match points.
Despite the disappointment, the Swiss great believes he is still a force to be reckoned with.
"Yes, I do believe that," the world number three said, when asked he if he was confident about adding to his 20 Grand Slam titles.
"I think by having the year that I had last year, also with what I have in my game, how I'm playing, I do feel that, yeah."
Federer, who reached last year's Roland Garros semi-finals and lost a five-set Wimbledon final to Djokovic, said he hopes to return to Melbourne in 2021 for a crack at a seventh title.
"You never know what the future ...

'I can still win Slams' - Federer has no plans to retire

Over 6,000 tourists were blocked on a cruise ship in Italy on Thursday after the vast liner was placed on lockdown over two suspected cases of the deadly coronavirus.
Samples from a Chinese couple were sent for testing after three doctors and a nurse boarded the Costa Crociere ship in the port of Civitavecchia to tend to a woman running a fever, the local health authorities said.
Costa Crociere confirmed the ship, carrying some 7,000 people including the crew, was in lockdown.
It said it a 54-year old woman from Macau "was placed in solitary confinement in the on-board hospital last night with her travel companion", and was following instructions from the health ministry.
The Costa Smeralda, the company's flagship and the fifth-largest cruise ship in the world, "came from Palma de Mallorca and is currently engaged in one-week cruises in the western Mediterranean," it said.
The couple flew in to Milan from Hong Kong on January 25, before getting on the cruise, according to Italian ...

Cruise ship in Italy in lockdown over feared coronavirus case

Facebook agreed to pay USD 550 million over a privacy lawsuit as shares dropped even with the social media giant reporting stronger than forecast earnings.
The leading online social network said net income rose seven percent from a year ago to USD 7.3 billion, while revenue increased 25 per cent to USD 21 billion in the final three months of last year.
But in an earnings call Wednesday, Facebook chief financial officer David Wehner confirmed a USD 550 million settlement "in connection with the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act litigation".
The Illinois settlement -- which still requires a judge's approval -- was based on allegations that users' biometric data was illegally gathered using photo-scanning technology and then stored.
"We decided to pursue a settlement as it was in the best interest of our community and our shareholders to move past this matter," Facebook was quoted by Bloomberg as saying.
The number of people using Facebook monthly climbed eight per cent to 2.5 ..

Facebook results beat forecasts but shares take a hit

Novak Djokovic beat an injured Roger Federer in straight sets to reach his eighth Australian Open final as unheralded American Sofia Kenin stunned top seed Ashleigh Barty to end home hopes on Thursday.
Djokovic twice fought back from a break down in the first set and after dominating the tie-breaker he never looked back, winning 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-3 as Federer, who needed a medical time-out, faded.
"Respect to Roger for coming out tonight," said the Serb, who is closing on his 17th Major title.
"He was obviously hurt. He wasn't even close to his best in terms of movement."
Djokovic, who has never lost a Melbourne semi-final or final, will now play the winner of Friday's clash between Dominic Thiem -- who shocked world number one Rafael Nadal on Wednesday -- and Alexander Zverev.
In the women's competition, Kenin, 21, upset Australia's Barty and Garbine Muguruza downed Wimbledon champion Simona Halep to join the American in Saturday's final.
Federer was hampered by a groin injury in his 

Djokovic thrashes Federer, Barty party over at Australian Open semis

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday called China's ruling Communist Party "the central threat of our times" that challenges Western principles.
"The Chinese Communist Party presents the central threat of our times," Washington's top diplomat said at a joint appearance with Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.
He added that Western allies must "ensure that the next century is governed by these Western democratic principles".

China Communist Party 'central threat of our times': Pompeo

Barcelona forward Carles Perez has joined Roma in a deal worth 15.5 million euros, the Spanish club announced on Thursday.
Roma will pay Barca 1 million euros for an initial loan until June 30. The deal includes a compulsory option to buy in the summer for 11 million euros, with a further 3.5 million euros due in additional payments.
Barcelona will also retain first refusal if Roma want to sell Perez in the future.
"I know that I am leaving a very important club in Barcelona but I am joining an equally important club in Roma," said Perez.
The Spaniard came through Barca's youth academy and was given his La Liga debut by coach Ernesto Valverde last season.
But despite playing 12 times this term, Valverde's sacking put Perez's future in doubt and new coach Quique Setien has agreed to let the 21-year-old leave.
He joins a Roma side sitting fourth in Serie A and with ambitions to qualify for next season's Champions League.
"We are hugely satisfied with Carles' arrival in Rome," said club .

Perez joins Roma from Barcelona

Indonesian authorities are offering a reward to anyone who can rescue a saltwater crocodile with a motorbike tyre stuck around its neck -- and survive.
The contest will see one brave croc hunter land an unspecified amount of cash, but it will mean coming face to face with the 13-foot (4-metre) reptile Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi.
Local conservation authorities have been trying -- and failing -- for several years to find a way to untangle the croc after video showed it gasping for air.
That sparked worries the tyre was slowly killing the beast.
After a recent sighting, the province's governor instructed his resource-strapped conservation agency to figure out how to end years of fruitless attempts.
The agency offered few details on the reward, or how outsiders might pull off the task.
But its chief -- who said the cash would come out of his own pocket -- warned that he was not calling on amateurs to hunt down the reptile, but rather addressing people with a background in ...

Indonesia offers reward for plucking tyre off giant croc's neck

Novak Djokovic shattered the hopes of ailing rival Roger Federer Thursday to sweep into a record eighth Australian Open final and move closer to his 17th Grand Slam crown.
In the 50th instalment of one of sport's greatest rivalries, the Serb shrugged off a tentative start to reinforce his recent dominance, showing no mercy to the Swiss maestro in a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-3 win.
He will play either fifth seed Dominic Thiem or seventh-ranked German Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final, but it will take a monumental effort to prize another title from the 32-year-old.
Of the seven Melbourne finals Djokovic has made, he has won them all.
If any extra motivation was needed, winning on Sunday will see the Serb reclaim the number one ranking after Rafael Nadal was sent packing in the last eight.
"Respect to Roger for coming out tonight when he was obviously hurt and not even close to his best in terms of movement," said defending champion Djokovic, who is into his 26th Grand Slam final.
"He started .

AFP

AFP

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