- The death toll in the explosion of a gas tanker in Lima has risen to 13 after the overnight deaths of five people hospitalized with severe burns, Peru's Health Ministry said Saturday.
The dead included several young children and a 40-year-old man from Venezuela, the ministry said.
Nearly 50 people were injured, many seriously, when a tanker truck carrying 10,000 liters of liquefied gas exploded early Thursday, igniting a major fire that destroyed several houses and vehicles in the capital's Villa El Salvador district.
Investigators believe the explosion was caused when a fuel hose became detached as the tanker truck passed over a speed bump as it approached an intersection.
The driver, initially reported to have died in the crash, in fact survived.

Death toll in Peru tanker explosion rises to 13: ministry

PTI Automatic

Clashes erupted Saturday between protesters and security forces in the Lebanese capital, as hundreds of people hit the streets to mark 100 days of anti-government demonstrations and denounce a new cabinet line-up.
Protests demanding the removal of politicians deemed incompetent and corrupt have gripped Lebanon since October 17 and forced the resignation of the government.
A new cabinet was announced on Tuesday after a three-month vacuum, but protesters, who have been demanding a government of independents, say its members were chosen along sectarian lines.
On Saturday, several marches were held in Beirut under the slogan "No trust", with protesters converging on the city centre chanting "Revolution, Revolution" under the watchful gaze of security forces, who were deployed in high numbers.
At Riad al-Solh Square in central Beirut, the crowd gathered near the Serail -- the seat of the government and residence of the new Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
Protesters tore down metal fences and ..

Clashes erupt as protesters in Beirut mark 100 days of demos

Police in Greece said Saturday they had seized weapons and more than a tonne of cocaine and arrested eight foreign nationals in a series of raids on a drug-smuggling network.
The suspects being held had been bringing drugs into Europe and north Africa from the Caribbean by yacht, police said in a statement. They were thought to have made more than 50 million euros.
Officers found 1,040 kilos of cocaine contained in one-kilo pouches packed into travel bags in a Friday raid on the western port of Astakos. They arrested the two people living there, aged 23 and 35.
Police in Athens meanwhile raided three apartments there, arresting six more people, all foreign nationals.
They found another 394 grammes of cocaine in one apartment, as well as a Kalashnikov rifle, two pistols and ammunition.
The police raids came after a six-month investigation which involved the cooperation of the US embassy in Athens and police in Albania and Spain.
The leaders of the drug network were based in a European .

Greek police seize tonne of cocaine, arrest 8 foreigners

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday said he expected US President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East to be "historic" ahead of a trip to Washington.
"An opportunity such as this comes once in history and cannot be missed... I am full of hope that we are on the verge of a historic moment in the annals of our state," Netanyahu, who has been invited to meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the plan, said in a statement.
Trump on Thursday said he will release his long-delayed plan before meeting Netanyahu in Washington.
"It's a great plan. It's a plan that really would work," Trump said.  Netanyahu's political rival Benny Gantz has also received an invitation to attend the White House talks.
Gantz told a news conference in Tel Aviv on Saturday that the "peace plan devised by President Trump will go down in history as a meaningful landmark".  He expected the initiative to allow "different players in the Middle East to finally move ahead towards an 

Trump's Mideast peace plan will be 'historic': Netanyahu

At least 11 people have been killed by storms in southeastern Brazil, the same region where a dam collapse one year ago killed 270 people, firefighters said on Saturday.
Two days of torrential rain in Minas Gerais state have also left seven people injured, 16 missing and more than 2,500 homeless following a series of landslides and house collapses, Civil Defense officials said.
At least two children were listed among the dead.
Rainfall in the region has been the heaviest since records were first kept 110 years ago, the National Institute of Meteorology said. In one 24-hour period, state capital Belo Horizonte recorded 172 millimeters (almost seven inches) of rain.
Forecasters said the rain is expected to continue through Saturday.
The deluge coincided with the first anniversary of the dam collapse in the Minas Gerais town of Brumadinho, where 11 people are still listed as missing.
An accumulation of water and a lack of drainage caused the tailings dam rupture on January 25, 2019, ...

Record rainstorms in Brazil claim 11 lives: officials

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in eastern Turkey rose to 29 as rescue workers raced against time Saturday to find survivors under the rubble.
The magnitude 6.8 quake struck on Friday evening, with its epicentre in the small lakeside town of Sivrice in Elazig province, and was felt across neighbouring countries.  The Turkish government's disaster and emergency management agency (AFAD) said 29 died in Elazig and in nearby Malatya while nearly 1,500 had been injured.
The update came as a quake with a 5.1 magnitude hit Sivrice later Saturday.  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancelled a speech in Istanbul and attended the funeral of a woman and her son in Elazig. He later visited Malatya.
He vowed the state would do "everything we can" to help those affected in a disaster he described as a "test".
AFAD said 43 people had been rescued alive from collapsed buildings in Elazig. An estimated 19 others remained trapped in the rubble.
Turkish news channels showed live images of people 

Rescuers scramble to find survivors after Turkey quake kills 29

Mark Wood starred as England took a huge stride towards securing a series win when they dominated the second day of the fourth and final Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Saturday.
England posted a first innings total of 400 before reducing South Africa to 88 for six by the close.
Two century partnerships and a boisterous last-wicket stand of 82 took England to a total which almost certainly put the match beyond the reach of South Africa, who need a win to level the series.
Then it was the turn of the bowlers, led by Wood, as England pushed for a third successive win in a series which they lead 2-1.
South Africa finished the day still 312 runs behind, with Quinton de Kock their only consistent batsman during the series, seeking to give the innings some respectability on Sunday.
Wood made the first breakthrough when he had Pieter Malan caught behind for 15. He followed up with the wicket of the recalled Temba Bavuma, then finished the day on a high when ...

Wood stars as England power closer to series victory

Australia's Nick Kyrgios said he had "respect" for Rafael Nadal despite their personal differences after he set up a last-16 match with the top seed at the Australian Open on Saturday.
Kyrgios played down disagreements with the world number one -- against whom he has a 2-1 record on hard courts -- after some barbed exchanges between the two.
"Regardless, if we don't like each other or whatever, I think there's a layer of respect," Kyrgios said after his five-set thriller with Russia's Karen Khachanov.
"He's one of the greatest of all time. I also read that he thinks I'm good for the sport.
"There's a layer of respect that we both have for each other. Doesn't necessarily mean we like each other, but we're going to go out there and give contrasting styles and personalities."
Kyrgios beat Khachanov 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (6/8), 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (10/8) over 4hr 26min -- the longest match of his career -- to set up a last-16 meeting with the 19-time Grand Slam winner.
Last year Kyrgios won a ...

Kyrgios says 'layer of respect' with Nadal despite feud

Leicester edged into the FA Cup fifth round as Kelechi Iheanacho's early goal sealed a 1-0 win at second tier Brentford on Saturday.
Brendan Rodgers' side are chasing a trip to Wembley on two fronts and they took the next step in the FA Cup after surviving a hard-fought fourth round clash in west London.
Flying high in the Premier League, third placed Leicester could be set for a memorable end to the season.
Leicester, who have never won the FA Cup, are hoping to reach the final for the first time since 1969.
In the League Cup, they are through to the semi-finals and head to Aston Villa in the second leg on Tuesday after being held to a 1-1 draw in the first match at the King Power Stadium.
Rodgers made nine changes from Wednesday's Premier League win over West Ham, with only Caglar Soyuncu and Ayoze Perez remaining in the starting line-up for Leicester's first meeting with Brentford since 1993.
Kasper Schmeichel, Youri Tielemans and James Maddison were on the bench, while Jamie Vardy 

Iheanacho fires Leicester into FA Cup fifth round

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane defended Gareth Bale on Saturday after the Welshman picking up another injury and also said Eden Hazard is close to a return.
Bale will miss Madrid's La Liga game against Real Valladolid on Sunday after he sprained his ankle during Madrid's Copa del Rey win over Unionistas de Salamanca on Wednesday. Bale had opened the scoring in a 3-1 victory.
It is his third injury this season. Bale spent just over a month out before Christmas with calf and thigh problems.
He missed Real Madrid's Spanish Super Cup triumph in Saudi Arabia through illness earlier this month and the game against Unionistas was his first match back.
"When he is available, which is the most important thing, he is fine," Zidane said in a press conference on Saturday.
"The pity is that the other day he hurt his ankle and he is now unavailable.
"He is as unhappy about it as anyone, he would like to be with us, to train and play, but it's a small thing. I hope to see him back with us on ...

Zidane defends Bale after latest injury set-back

Australia have qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games men's football tournament after beating 10-man Uzbekistan 1-0 in the AFC under-23 Championship 3rd place match.
A sensational Nicholas D'Agostino strike early in the second half ensured the Aussies reached their first Olympics since 2008.
Australia became the fourth Asian country to confirm its place at Tokyo 2020, joining AFC U23 finalists South Korea and Saudi Arabia, along with the host nation.
For the winner of this clash between the tournament's losing semifinalists, a trip to Japan was significantly more valuable than the average consolation prize.
Australia thought they had opened the scoring in the fifth minute when D'Agostino outjumped Uzbek goalkeeper Abduvakhid Nematov and headed home from inside the six-yard box. But the referee ruled that Nematov had been impeded and the goal was chalked off.
Uzbekistan hit back when a flowing move ended with Jasurbek Yakshiboev curling a 20-yard shot just wide in the 17th minute. The ...

Aussie men edge past Uzbeks to clinch Olympic football qualification

Three people died in Guatemala when their Red Bull team aerobatic plane crashed during practice a day before a show Saturday, officials and organisers said.
"We regret the tragic accident that occurred in Iztapa," on the central American country's Pacific coast, Guatemala's civil aviation director, Francis Argueta, said on Twitter.
The accident involved "the professional pilot of the Chambliss team sponsored by Red Bull," who was executing aerobatic maneuvers ahead of an exhibition, Argueta said.
Although authorities have not identified the victims, local media reported that they were three Americans, including the pilot and two women struck on the ground.
The Aeroclub of Guatemala, also on Twitter, announced the crash "with much sorrow and pain." "On the afternoon (Friday) an accident occurred that aggrieves our community," it said.
Because of the accident, organisers suspended Saturday's show.

3 dead in Guatemala Red Bull aerobatics crash: official

The new finance minister of debt-saddled Lebanon met on Saturday with an official from the International Monetary Fund for what he said was a "courtesy visit" and not bailout talks.
Ghazi Wazni's meeting with IMF alternative executive director Sami Geadah came as Lebanon grapples with its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.
The meeting served to "congratulate Lebanon on the formation of a new government," Wazni said on Twitter afterwards.
He had told AFP earlier that it was "a courtesy visit... to get to know the IMF team".
"The discussions will not focus on an economic rescue plan, which is being prepared (separately) inside government," he added.
It follows a meeting on Friday between Wazni and a delegation from the World Bank led by its regional director Saroj Kumar Jha.
Wazni assumed the post of finance minister on Tuesday with the formation of a long-awaited cabinet that faces huge economic and political challenges.
The previous government resigned on October 29, 

Lebanon's new finance minister meets with IMF official

White House lawyers began presenting their defense of President Donald Trump on Saturday at his historic Senate impeachment trial for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
White House counsel Pat Cipollone took the floor for opening arguments at an extraordinary weekend session of the 100-member Senate, which will decide whether the 45th US president should be removed from office.
Democratic prosecutors from the House of Representatives, which impeached Trump on December 18, wrapped up their detailed case for the president's removal late Friday over his dealings with Ukraine.
Cipollone said the House prosecutors had not made their case.
"We don't believe that they have come anywhere close to meeting their burden for what they're asking you to do," he said.
"In fact, we believe when you hear the facts... you will find that the president did absolutely nothing wrong."
The White House counsel said Democrats were asking the Senate to "overturn the results of the last ...

White House lawyers begin Trump defense at Senate trial

Three protesters were shot dead on Saturday in Iraq's capital and south, medics told AFP, as demonstrators clashed with security forces clearing streets and squares occupied for months by protesters.
One demonstrator was killed in the capital Baghdad and two others were shot in the southern flashpoint city of Nasiriyah, medics in each city said.
The deaths came a day after firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr withdrew his support for the anti-government campaign, prompting fears of a crackdown by security forces.

Three protesters shot dead in Iraqi capital, south: medics

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee for swearing at a spectator during the fourth Test against South Africa on Friday.
The International Cricket Council announced the penalty on Saturday. Stokes also received one demerit point for a level one breach of the ICC Code of Conduct.
He admitted an offence of "use of an audible obscenity during an international match" and accepted the sanction suggested by ICC match referee Andy Pycroft.
As it was Stokes' first offence in a 24-month period, he is still three points away from the minimum number of demerit points which would bring an automatic suspension.
Stokes had an angry exchange with a spectator after being dismissed during the first day's play and his words were captured on television.

Stokes fined for audible obscenity

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned China was facing a "grave situation" given the "accelerating spread" of a new SARS-like virus that has infected nearly 1,300 people across the country, state media reported Saturday.
"Faced with the grave situation of an accelerating spread of the new coronavirus... it is necessary to strengthen the centralised and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee," Xi said, according to official news agency Xinhua.
The comments come as Chinese authorities scramble to contain the new virus, which first emerged in central Wuhan city, but has spread to at least 30 regions and provinces in China.
Wuhan authorities put the city and its 11 million inhabitants under effective quarantine on Thursday -- with provincial authorities in Hubei later expanding the transport ban to at least 18 cities.
Regions far from the epidemic epicentre, such as Beijing, have also started to clamp down on the flow of people, as the death toll from the virus rises to at least .

China's Xi warns virus is 'accelerating', country facing 'grave situation'

China will suspend both domestic and overseas Chinese group tours, state media reported Saturday, as it ramps up efforts to contain a new SARS-like virus that has infected nearly 1,300 people.
Starting Monday, all overseas group tour services,including hotel and plane ticket bookings, from Chinese travel agencies will be suspended, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Domestic tour groups were suspended from Friday, it said.

Beijing to suspend domestic, overseas Chinese group tours: state media

England took a big stride towards securing a series win when they posted a first innings total of 400 on the second day of the fourth and final Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Saturday.
South Africa, needing a win to level the series, were 11 for no wicket in reply at tea.
England's total was built around three big partnerships.
The first two, 107 for the first wicket between Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley and 101 for the fifth wicket between captain Joe Root and Ollie Pope, were compiled by recognised batsmen.
The final big stand was for the last wicket, between Mark Wood and Stuart Broad, batting at numbers 10 and 11.
It was swashbuckling batting as Wood (35 not out) and Broad (43) put on 82 off only 50 balls, hitting seven sixes between them.
The Wood-Broad stand was devastating for South Africa as England turned a respectable total into one which could well put the match out of reach for the hosts, who have yet to make 300 in an innings in the series.
South ...

Tail-end assault puts England on course for series win

China can "win the battle" against the virus epidemic that has infected over 1,200 people across the country, President Xi Jinping said Saturday, in his second public comments on the crisis.
"As long as we have steadfast confidence, work together, scientific prevention and cures, and precise policies, we will definitely be able to win the battle," President Xi told a meeting of the elite Politburo Standing Committee, according to official news agency Xinhua.

President Xi says China can 'win the battle' against virus epidemic

China's capital will suspend buses that enter and exit the city boundary, state media reported on Saturday, as Chinese authorities scramble to contain a new SARS-like virus that has killed dozens in the country.
According to state-run People's Daily, "all passenger transport by road" that crosses in and out of Beijing will be suspended starting Sunday, citing "requirements of epidemic prevention and control".

AFP

AFP

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