German Chancellor Angela Merkel today urged European leaders to protect EU borders or risk a "return to nationalism" as the continent battles its worst migration crisis since World War II.
	As Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi kicked off two days of talks in Rome with Merkel and senior EU officials, the German leader said Europe must defend its borders "from the Mediterranean to the North Pole" or suffer the political consequences.
	Support for far-right and anti-immigrant parties is on the rise in several countries on the  continent which saw more than a million people arrive on its shores last year.
	In Austria, Norbert Hofer of the far-right Freedom Party is expected to win a presidential run-off on May 22 after romping to victory in the first round on an anti-immigration platform.
	Merkel told a press conference with Renzi that Europe's cherished freedom of movement is at threat, with ramped-up border controls in response to the crisis raising questions over whether the ...

Merkel warns of return to nationalism

PTI Automatic

Pakistan cricket captain Azhar Ali today urged his team to pick up their game after they slumped to ninth in the one-day international rankings, equalling their worst ever.
     The latest International Cricket Council (ICC) ranking is "worrying", Ali told AFP -- and Pakistan's prospects for improving appear bleak as they face "challenging" top teams in coming weeks.
     If they cannot pull out of the slump by next year to break into the top eight, they face having to play a qualifying round for the 2019 World Cup for the first time ever.
     Pakistan was briefly ranked ninth after losing to 3-0 to Bangladesh in April last year, but managed to reach eighth before being knocked back once more in the ICC's annual international rankings released Wednesday.
     Ali was optimistic his team could rise again.
     "We are aware of the latest rankings, which are worrying," he said. "We know we have to beat top teams to rise in the rankings and we are quite determined to do that."
     ...

Ali urges Pakistan to improve after ODI slump

Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu today announced he would step down in two weeks as ruling party chief and premier, in a shock exit set to further boost President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's growing powers.
	Divisions between Davutoglu and Erdogan that had been rumoured for months burst into the open yesterday, with the two leaders holding crisis talks at the presidential palace that failed to resolve the conflict.
	Davutoglu said after a central executive committee meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) that the party would hold an extraordinary congress on May 22 and he would not be standing for a new mandate.
	This means that the premier -- who headed the government since 2014 when Erdogan moved from the premiership to the presidency -- will step aside from his twin jobs of AKP boss and prime minister and the congress will choose a new leader.
	According to the conventions of the AKP -- a party co-founded by Erdogan to bring Islam into the mainstream of ...

Turkey PM to quit as Erdogan tightens grip

Greek trade unions have called for a 48-hour strike starting tomorrow to protest controversial government plans to overhaul pensions and increase taxes to meet demands of its bailout creditors.
	Today's announcement of a general strike came after Greece's parliament said the government's pension and taxation reform bills would be debated and voted on this weekend.
	Changes to Greece's pensions system were demanded by creditors as a condition of the country's third bailout in five years, worth 86 billion euros (USD 95 billion), agreed in July last year.
	Parliamentarians will also debate whether to increase taxes on high and middle-income earners.
	The ADEDY civil servants union said in a statement that the "anti-working class" reforms would not pass, calling for nationwide action.
	The powerful PNO seafarers union meanwhile called for a four-day strike from early Friday morning to Tuesday morning which could paralyse ferry services between Greece's islands and the mainland.
	The GSEE .

Greek unions call 48-hour strike over pension, tax reforms

Saudi police shot dead two suspected "terrorists" and two others blew themselves up during a raid near the holy city of Mecca today, the interior ministry said.
	"The terrorists started shooting towards security, which they responded to", leading to the deaths of a pair of suspects while the others "committed suicide by blowing themselves up with suicide belts", the ministry's spokesman said in a statement.

4 dead in Saudi raid on 'terror' cell near Mecca: ministry

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi vaunted today his "unprecedented" economic achievements, ignoring mounting criticism by opponents and the press after police raided a journalists' union to arrest two reporters.
	Sisi, a former army chief who toppled his Islamist predecessor in 2013, has faced steadily growing dissent over what critics call his regime's heavy handedness.
	Today, several private Egyptian newspapers called on him to apologise for a police raid on Sunday to arrest two reporters inside the Journalists' Syndicate in Cairo.
	A day earlier hundreds of journalists protested at the syndicate's headquarters in Cairo and demanded that the interior minister be sacked.
	But in a live address broadcast on state television Sisi -- who has shown little patience for critics in the past -- ignored the furore and touted his economic accomplishments, warning again that "evil" people were conspiring against Egypt.
	Sisi said that during a recent trip to the coastal city of ...

Egypt's Sisi ignores criticism, vaunts economic achievements

The United States today issued a sweeping ban on sales of e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and hookahs to those under 18, marking the first time these products have been federally regulated.
	The ban will go into effect in 90 days, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, which described the final rule - issued after several years of study and debate - as "historic."
	"As cigarette smoking among those under 18 has fallen, the use of other nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, has taken a drastic leap," said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell.
	"Today's announcement is an important step in the fight for a tobacco-free generation - it will help us catch up with changes in the marketplace, put into place rules that protect our kids and give adults information they need to make informed decisions."
	Key aspects of the rule include barring the sale of e-cigarettes to minors online or in person, prohibiting the distribution of free samples and not allowing ...

US bans sale of e-cigarettes, cigars to those under 18

A court in Bahrain sentenced three people today to life in prison for involvement in unrest that injured a police officer in the Shiite-majority kingdom, the public prosecutor said.
	Six others were handed 10 years in jail each for their role in the unrest, General Prosecutor Ahmed al-Hammadi said.
	The nine were tried for attempted murder of police officers, possessing explosive and participating in clashes in March 2014, Hammadi said, according to the official Bahrain News Agency.
	Bahrain last month sentenced eight people to life in jail for "terrorism" and violence against security forces in January last year.
	The tiny Gulf state has been shaken by unrest since it quelled a month-long, Shiite-led uprising demanding reforms in 2011.
	The Sunni-ruled kingdom, connected to Saudi Arabia by a causeway, lies across the Gulf from Shiite Iran and is home to the US Fifth Fleet.
	Despite the crackdown on the 2011 uprising, protesters frequently clash with police in Shiite villages outside .

Bahrain jails 3 for life for attack on police

British Prime Minister David Cameron today stood by his criticism of Donald Trump's vow to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, after an adviser to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee asked for an apology.
	Cameron, who had dismissed the idea as "divisive, stupid and wrong" when Trump proposed it in December, told a press conference in London that it was clear that "the policy idea that was put forward was wrong".
	However, he said the billionaire property tycoon "deserves our respect" for his victory in one of the most contentious and chaotic nomination battles in generations.
	In the wake of a shooting by a Muslim couple in San Bernardino, California, that left 14 dead, Trump urged a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".
	The remarks prompted condemnation from around the world, and Cameron told parliament: "I think his remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong and .

UK PM stands by criticism of Trump's Muslim comments

Israeli forces and Hamas fighters have clashed directly for the first time since a devastating 2014 war, the Israeli army said today, as a new cross-border tunnel used by the militants was discovered.
	Army spokesman Peter Lerner said in the last 24 hours "we have had at least six incidents where Hamas has fired at IDF activities," referring to the Israeli Defence Forces.
	He said Israel had responded in what was the first direct confrontation between Israeli soldiers and Hamas fighters since the last major hostilities in Gaza ended in 2014.
	Clashes between Palestinian fighters and IDF forces were continuing east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip this afternoon, security sources and witnesses said.
	Israel's military said on Twitter that its forces had "responded with tank fire" to mortars fired from the Palestinian enclave.
	The flare-up has raised concerns over the fate of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has held since the 50-day war left more than 2,251 Palestinians ...

First direct Israel-Hamas clashes since 2014 Gaza war

Ford said today it was investing USD 182 million into San Francisco cloud computing firm Pivotal as it deepens its work on connected and self-driving cars.
	The number-two US automaker has been working with Pivotal since late last year on cloud-based services for Ford cars and drivers.
	The announcement comes two days after rival Fiat Chrysler announced it was tying up with Google parent Alphabet on developing autonomous cars.
	Ford said that the new investment in Pivotal would help further develop its FordPass online services and support for drivers, including monitoring and updating software crucial to vehicle performance.
	It also plans to use Pivotal's next-generation cloud platform and analytics capabilities to support its development of self-driving cars and its autonomous shuttle vehicle program.
	"Expanding our business to be both an auto and mobility company requires leading-edge software expertise to deliver outstanding customer experiences," said Ford president and chief ...

Ford invests in cloud firm Pivotal in self-driving car push

Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright today said he would not provide further proof to back up his claim that he created Bitcoin, saying he was "not strong enough" for the public scrutiny.
	   "I believed that I could do this. I believed that I could put the years of anonymity and hiding behind me," read a statement posted on his website.
	   "But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke. I do not have the courage."
	   Wright said his "qualifications and character were attacked" and he was "not strong enough".
	   "I know that this weakness will cause great damage to those that have supported me," he said.
	   A representative of the Outside Organisation, a public relations firm that has worked with Wright, said the statement was "legitimate" but declined to comment further.
	   The secretive businessman had on Monday identified himself as the creator of the digital currency following years of speculation about ...

Australian refuses to give more proof he created Bitcoin

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice today suspended powerful Lower House speaker Eduardo Cunha for obstructing efforts to investigate him as part of the Petrobras corruption scandal engulfing the country, a judicial source said.
	Cunha, a key opponent of President Dilma Rousseff and architect of impeachment proceedings against her, "used his office for his own illicit ends to prevent the success of investigations against him," prosecutors said in asking the court to take action.
	In March, the Supreme Court voted to put Cunha on trial, accusing him of taking USD 5 million in bribes as part of a vast embezzlement and bribery network centered on state oil giant Petrobras.
	Cunha, who rejects the charges, is also being investigated by the congressional ethics committee over allegedly lying to Congress about possessing secret Swiss bank accounts.
	But the speaker -- who under Brazil's constitution is third in line to the presidency -- had kept ahead of his own enemies and remained the go-to 

Brazil Supreme Court suspends lower house speaker: source

SpaceX plans to launch early tomorrow a Japanese communications satellite into a distant orbit before attempting to land the first stage of its Falcon rocket on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean.
	The liftoff is scheduled for 1:21 am (0521 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the California-based company headed by Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk said.
	The satellite, owned by Japanese satellite operator SKY Perfect JSAT, aims to provide telecommunications services for East Asia.
	After the launch, SpaceX will attempt to return the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket to a drone ship named "Of Course I Still Love You."
	But SpaceX said the high speed of the returning rocket makes a successful touchdown unlikely.
	SpaceX succeeded at setting down the Falcon 9's first stage, upright and intact on the drone ship, after launching an unmanned cargo ship to the International Space Station in April.
	SpaceX wants to perfect this technique as part of its effort to re-use rocket parts ...

SpaceX to launch Japanese satellite early Friday

Paris Saint-Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic could consider a return to AC Milan in Serie A, according to the Sweden striker's agent in a report on Thursday.
     Ibrahimovic is set to leave the French champions at the end of the season, with reports claiming the 34-goal striker could be headed for England's Premier League.
     Ibrahimovic's agent Mino Raiola told men's magazine GQ that the Swede could return to Italy where he also starred for Juventus and Inter Milan.
     Extracts appear on gazzetta.It, which quoted Raiola as saying: "Ibra could return to Italy, to Milan."
     Raiola also represents Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba and Liverpool's on-loan AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli.
     He dismissed claims highly-rated Pogba would be tempted away from recently-crowned champions Juve by Chelsea this summer, but added: "At least not right now."
     And he believes Balotelli, who has yet to resurrect his rollercoaster career at fallen Italian giants Milan, would have been a match ..

'Ibra' could return to AC Milan: Agent

The influx of asylum seekers into Germany, especially from cricket-mad Pakistan and Afghanistan, has created an unexpected boom for the sport in a country where football has long been king.
	Of the 476,649 people who applied for asylum in Germany last year, 31,902 came from Afghanistan alone, with a further 8,472 from Pakistan, which has seen the German Cricket Federation (DCB) flooded with a simple question: "Where can I play?"
	The DCB's chief executive officer, Brian Mantle, says they have been swamped by enquiries through their website (www.Cricket.De) to set up new clubs across the country, supply equipment and point new arrivals to their local team.
	Mantle, who is based in the western city of Essen, runs the DCB with only an additional part-timer for assistance.
	When the Englishman took over in 2012, there were around 1,500 cricketers in Germany playing in 70 teams.
	Now there are 4,000 registered cricketers playing in 205 teams and last week the DCB welcomed its 100th new ...

Cricket: Flood of refugees leads to boom in Germany

China's state-owned rail corporation is more than $600 billion in debt, reports said, almost twice the size of Greece's obligations.
	The China Railway Corporation (CRC) operates the country's trains, including an already world-beating 19,000-kilometre (11,800-mile) high-speed rail network, with at least another 11,000 kilometres planned.
	But according to a recently released financial report, it owed 4.14 trillion yuan ($614 billion) at the end of April, said respected financial portal Caixin.
	In comparison, Greece, whose debt crisis has threatened the eurozone and needed repeated bailouts, had an estimated public debt of 311 billion euros ($356 billion) at the end of last year, according to the European Union's Eurostat.
	CRC's borrowing increased by over eight percent year-on-year, the numbers showed, a rise driven by the country's fever for expanding the network of super-fast trains, a point of national pride.
	But China has seen a decline in rail freight, a major source of CRC's 

China national rail company owes more than Greece: report

Prince was famous worldwide for his music and extravagant outfits, but he was also a secret philanthropist in war-torn Afghanistan, quietly donating thousands to Scout masters caring for young orphans, a charity said today.
	The pop icon, who died suddenly last month at the age of 57, gave tens of thousands of dollars to Physiotherapy and Rehabilitative Support for Afghanistan (PARSA), an NGO supporting vulnerable women and children, according to its executive director.
	His donations, facilitated by Seattle philanthropist Betty Tisdale, have funded training for 100 Scout masters now caring for some 2,000 children including orphans, the charity's Marnie Gustavson said.
	The musician's secret interest in Afghanistan began after a visit to the country by Tisdale in 2010, Gustavson said.
	Then 87, Tisdale, who died last year, was well known for her work with orphans in Vietnam, arranging for 200 to be airlifted out of the country after the fall of Saigon during the Vietnam War in ...

Prince secretly donated thousands to Afghan orphans:charity

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff vowed during a defiant interview broadcast today to "continue to keep fighting" to return to power if she is forced from office.
	Senators will vote next week on whether to open an impeachment trial against her over alleged manipulation of government financial accounts.
	"We will continue to keep fighting to return to government. We will resist, resist, resist," she told the BBC in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia.
	If, as expected, the Senate votes for a trial, she will be suspended for six months -- and many analysts believe she has little chance of ever returning to office.
	She is accused of illegally manipulating government accounts but says she is the victim of a coup mounted by her vice president, Michel Temer, who would replace her if she is suspended.
	"The impeachment process is illegitimate, illegal," she said, vowing to fight "to the bitter end" to return to power.
	"Do not count on me to resign. If I resign, the living proof that there is 

Brazil's Rousseff vows to seek return if forced from office

A Canadian software developer who was ordered to leave Nepal over tweets deemed to "incite conflict" will fly home today after failing to win a reprieve from the country's top court, his lawyer said.
	Robert Penner, 38, had been working in Nepal for nearly four years when the country's immigration department said on Tuesday he had violated the terms of his visa and gave him two days to leave.
	Penner's lawyer had approached the Supreme Court to stay the government's decision pending an appeal, but his time ran out before the court heard the case.
	"Our case was scheduled for today but we did not get a turn," lawyer Dipendra Jha told AFP.
	"Without a stay order he has to leave the country, otherwise he runs the risk of getting arrested."
	Penner had spoken out on a number of controversial issues, including a new national constitution that sparked deadly protests last year.
	He recently tweeted criticism of the country's anti-corruption watchdog for its handling of the arrest of a ...

Canadian to leave Nepal after visa revoked over tweets

Israeli forces uncovered a Hamas tunnel stretching across the border from Gaza today, the army said, the second such discovery in recent weeks.
	"About four hours ago, the IDF exposed a second tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip," army spokesman Peter Lerner said.
	"We understand the tunnel was approximately 28 to 29 metres (100 feet) deep in the southern Gaza Strip, stretching from Gazan territory into Israel."
	He did not say how far into Israel the tunnel stretched but confirmed the discovery was made by Israeli forces on the Gazan side of the border.
	The discovery follows another on April 18 in which the IDF said it had uncovered the first Hamas tunnel since the devastating 2014 war in Gaza.
	It comes amid a new flare-up in violence along the border with the Palestinian enclave.
	A series of Israeli air strikes on Gaza overnight wounded four people, including three children, while Israel said Hamas fighters have fired a number of mortars at Israeli territory since ...

AFP

AFP

Page 1730 - Afp