At least 70 Yemeni soldiers have been killed in missile and drone attacks blamed on Huthi rebels, on a mosque in the central province of Marib, medical and military sources said Sunday.
Saturday's strike follows months of relative calm in the war between the Iran-backed Huthis and Yemen's internationally recognised government which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition.
The Huthis attacked a mosque in a military camp in Marib -- about 170 kilometres (105 miles) east of the capital Sanaa -- during evening prayers, military sources told AFP.
A medical source at a Marib city hospital, where the casualties were transported, said that at least 70 soldiers were killed and more than 50 injured in the strike.
The attack came a day after coalition-backed government forces launched a large-scale operation against the Huthis in the Naham region, north of Sanaa.  Fighting in Naham was ongoing on Sunday, a military source said according to the official Saba news agency.
"Dozens from the ...

Yemen missile, drone attack kills at least 70 soldiers

PTI Automatic

Heavy snow covered the streets of Tehran on Sunday, causing major flight delays and forcing the closure of schools, authorities in the Iranian capital said.
AFP correspondents said the snow started falling early in the morning and disrupted the flow of traffic on some of the city's main highways.
"We knew that it would snow as of last night and that it naturally affects traffic," head of Tehran's traffic police Mohammadreza Mehmandar told state television.
"On some highways in the north (of Tehran) there was a bit of ice... and accidents were responded to quickly," he added.
Schools in all the districts of Tehran city and some parts of the province were closed in both morning and the afternoon due to the heavy snowfall.
The snow dump caused long delays to flights to and from Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport.
"Flights at Mehrabad will go ahead but with delays due to the lack of proper vision," said Reza Jafarzadeh, spokesman for Iran's aviation authority.
But flights were still .

Snow shuts schools, delays flights in Iran capital

Heavy snow and poor visibility hampered the search Sunday for four South Koreans and three Nepalis caught in an avalanche in the popular Annapurna region of the Himalayas, officials said.
Relatives of the missing Koreans have arrived in Kathmandu alongside several officials sent by Seoul to help with the emergency rescue efforts, Ang Dorjee Sherpa of the Korean Alpine Federation told AFP.
The missing group was near the Annapurna base camp around 3,230 metres (10,600 feet) above sea level when the avalanche struck after heavy snowfall on Friday.
"Search and rescue efforts are underway but weather and snow in the area has made it difficult to make much progress," Mira Acharya from Nepal's tourism department told AFP.
Helicopters were sent out on Saturday to rescue about 200 people stranded around Annapurna and other nearby mountains after the incident.
Photos from the area shared on social media showed guesthouses along the trekking route blanketed in a thick layer of white.
Six of the .

Heavy snow hampers search for missing S. Korean, Nepal trekkers

Gael Monfils is nursing a swollen hand after he lashed out in frustration while playing a computer game -- but does not expect the bizarre injury to hamper his Australian Open.
The 10th seed from France, who faces Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun in his Melbourne opener on Tuesday, suffered the injury in a fit of pique last month.
The 33-year-old played in the ATP Cup at the start of the year but told reporters on Sunday that his hand is still not quite right and he cannot volley as much as he would like.
"I was playing a video game in my bedroom and I hit my right hand against the headboard (of the bed)," Monfils said.
"The real treatment would be rest, but since I can't, I have taken anti-inflammatory drugs and put ice on it.
"But it's getting better, it's pretty positive, even if some days after big sessions I have to take the next day off to recover.

Monfils injures hand playing computer game

Ashleigh Barty is relishing the pressure at her home Australian Open -- but joked on Sunday that she is sick of seeing pictures of herself everywhere.
The world number one is bidding to become Australia's first women's singles champion in Melbourne since Chris O'Neil in 1978.
Expectations of the 23-year-old are huge and she has become the face of the year's first Grand Slam, her picture heavily featured on billboards around the city and in local newspapers.
"My face is everywhere a little bit, isn't it? I'm a bit sick of it, to be honest," the down-to-earth Barty said with a smile on the eve of the tournament.
"(But) there's no extra pressure, I don't read the papers, I don't kind of look into any more than I need to.
"I'm here with my team trying to do the best that we can.
"It's amazing to have so much support and so much love from the Australian public. I've really felt that in an exceptional way over the last 12 months. It's been incredible."
Barty begins her Australian Open title 

'My face is everywhere' - Barty feels the love at Australian Open

Doubles legend Bob Bryan is backing "madman" Andy Murray to play for "many more years" despite the Briton being forced out of the Australian Open with another injury.
The veteran American had a major hip operation in 2018 but bounced back to continue his hugely successful doubles partnership with twin Mike.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray had similar, career-saving surgery 12 months ago and in October won his first title since going under the knife.
But the 32-year-old pulled out of the Australian Open with a pelvic injury and last week further delayed his comeback, renewing fears for his tennis future.
"I talked to him last week," the 41-year-old Bryan said on Sunday in Melbourne.
"He's got something unrelated to the hip injury -- his hip feels great.
"All his numbers are off the charts, he tests the speed and the strength.
"He's right back where he was when he was number one, which is incredible. That's good to hear."
Murray has taken inspiration from Bryan as the Briton ...

Doubles legend Bryan backs 'madman' Murray to march on

Old stagers Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams will aim to keep the younger generation of players waiting in the wings as Grand Slam tennis enters a new decade at the Australian Open on Monday.
After recent bushfire smog largely cleared in Melbourne, the view is all too familiar with Djokovic and Williams, who is seeking a record-equalling 24th Major title, installed as the bookies' favourites.
Top seed Rafael Nadal, 33, is celebrating becoming world number one in a third decade while Roger Federer, 38, is trying to defy the ageing process and stay ahead of his rivals with a 21st Grand Slam win.
The start of 2020 is not dissimilar to 2010, when Federer and Nadal shared the four Grand Slam titles and Williams won in Melbourne and Wimbledon.
Ten years later, the men's Big Three -- who have won all but two Australian Open titles since 2004 -- occupy the top three rankings, and Williams is one step away from Margaret Court's record for Grand Slam victories.
The men's dominance is stark: ..

Djokovic, Williams lead tennis old guard into new decade

At least eight people died and seven were injured after a fire broke out at a home for the elderly in western Czech Republic in the early hours of Sunday morning, rescuers said.
"I can confirm a tragic fire with eight dead and seven injured people," emergency services spokesman Prokop Volenik told AFP.
Volenik said it was too early to talk about the causes of the blaze.
He added seven ambulance units including two German ones had been deployed in the small Czech village of Vejprty on the German border some 100 kilometres northwest of Prague.
Czech media said rescue helicopters were grounded by bad weather in the mountainous region.

At least eight dead in blaze at Czech home for the elderly

At least 70 Yemeni soldiers have been killed in a missile attack launched by Huthi rebels on a mosque in the central province of Marib, medical and military sources said on Sunday.
A medical source at a Marib city hospital, where the casualties were transported, told AFP at least 70 were killed in Saturday's strike.
Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi condemned the "cowardly and terrorist" attack, according to official media.

Yemen missile attack kills at least 70 soldiers: sources

Novak Djokovic Sunday said tennis's young guns were "very, very close" to winning a Grand Slam with emotional maturity the only missing ingredient if they want to stay on top.
The 16-time Major winner, who is gunning for an eighth Australian Open title, knows that the dominance of himself, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who have 55 Slam crowns between them, has to ultimately end.
But for that to happen, the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem still have so work to do.
"Well, they're coming closer and closer. It's obvious," said the Serbian world number two who has been at the top of the game for well over a decade.
He pointed to Russia's Medvedev pushing Nadal hard in last year's US Open final, Greek Tsitsipas making the semis at Melbourne Park a year ago and Austria's Thiem playing the finals at Roland Garros in 2018 and 2019.
"They're literally one set away. On a given day, in the very near future, I think that can happen. It's going to happen. It's ...

Djokovic says NextGen 'very, very close' to Slam success

Mexican troops urged some 1,500 Central American migrants to maintain "order and respect" on Saturday after the group attempted to force entry into the country from Guatemala in the hopes of trekking onward to the United States.
Standing on the wall above the Rodolfo Robles International Bridge that connects Mexico with its southern neighbor, National Guard General Vincente Hernandez told migrants they would be allowed to cross the border in a "controlled" manner.
"With order and respect, all will be served. There are opportunities for everyone," said Hernandez, who also coordinates the National Guard operations along the Suchiate River, the natural border between Mexico and Guatemala.
"We understand the situation, you are our brothers from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala," Hernandez told the caravan. His speech was met with applause.
Some 800 migrants agreed to regularize their status and seek employment in Mexico, an official from the National Institute of Migration (INM) ...

Mexican troops block US-bound caravan travellers

Bill Clinton's 1999 impeachment trial lasted five weeks; Andrew Johnson's went on for three months in 1868. If the White House and Republicans have their way, President Donald Trump's trial will be over in two weeks, just in time for him to celebrate his expected acquittal in the February 4 State of the Union Address.
But that depends on Republicans being able to block Democrat demands to subpoena documents and witnesses that could strengthen the case against the president.
So far, Republicans, led by Trump's tough protector, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have the upper hand.
Trump's trial for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress opened with a solemn, ceremonial reading of the charges in the Senate on Thursday, but the rules and schedule have not been set.
That will be decided on Tuesday, with the 100 senators debating voting on procedures: the time given to opening arguments from the prosecution and defense, and questioning by the senators -- the jury in the ...

Trump trial could be over in two weeks

Britain, a global leader in offshore wind energy, plans to make the sector one of the pillars of its transition to carbon neutrality in the coming decades.
The country aims to quadruple its offshore electricity production capacity by 2030 by utilising the windswept North Sea and a favourable policy environment.
"It's more conducive to build offshore in the UK than anywhere else in Europe," said James Brabben, of Cornwall Insight energy consultancy.
"There's quite a consensus of support around offshore wind from the public and politics," he told AFP.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government, returned to power with a thumping majority last month, pledged in its election manifesto to increase power from offshore wind from 10 to 40 gigawatts this decade.
It wants Britain to be carbon neutral by 2050, with onshore wind, solar, hydro and biomass also set to contribute to its energy mix.
The country already produces almost 40 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, according to ..

UK looks to offshore wind for green energy transition

Frank Lampard admitted he wants to sign a new striker after Newcastle damaged Chelsea's bid for a top-four finish in the Premier League with a dramatic 1-0 win at St James' Park on Saturday.
With Tottenham held by Watford earlier in the day and Manchester United facing runaway leaders Liverpool on Sunday, Chelsea would have cemented their grip on fourth place with a win on Tyneside.
But Lampard's side were unable to muster the cutting edge required to break down stubborn Newcastle and fell to Isaac Hayden's header with just 20 seconds left in stoppage-time.
Chelsea's first defeat in four league matches leaves them five points clear of fifth-placed United and Lampard is growing tired of his team's struggles against defensive opponents.
"We know we have problems at the top of the pitch in terms of we don't get enough goals. If you don't score you are always liable for a sucker punch and they got it," Lampard said.
"If we are looking for people to bring in to the areas to win games when .

Chelsea rocked as Hayden's late strike lifts Newcastle

Olympic champion Park In-bee of South Korea fired a four-under-par 67 to seize a two-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the season-opening LPGA Tournament of Champions.
Park had a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-3 18th hole to grab a four-shot lead but rolled the ball four feet past the cup and missed her comeback putt for her first bogey of the week to finish on 13-under 200 after 54 holes at Four Seasons Orlando.
That left the 31-year-old from Seoul only two ahead of fifth-ranked compatriot Kim Sei-young, who also fired a 67, with Japan's Nasa Hataoka third on 203 and France's Celine Boutier another stroke adrift.
Seven-time major winner Park, seeking her 20th career LPGA title, is trying to earn a chance to defend her Rio Olympic gold medal later this year at Tokyo.
Park is only ranked 16th and trailing five compatriots in her quest for one of four possible spots on the South Korean women's Olympic golf squad.
Park, who began the day sharing the lead with Brooke Henderson, .

Olympic champ Park grabs LPGA Tourney of Champions lead

Real Madrid started without their top scorer, captain and record signing on Saturday but claimed a scrappy 2-1 win over Sevilla that sent them above Barcelona and top of La Liga.
Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos and Eden Hazard were all absent at the Santiago Bernabeu but Casemiro stepped up in their place.
His first double as a Real player proved the difference amid a three-goal flurry in the second half, during which Luuk de Jong had briefly pulled Sevilla level.
"Two goals for him is very unusual," said Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.
His team were largely underwhelming, at times reverting to the stodgy days of last season when they struggled for goals under Julen Lopetegui, who was this time in the dug-out of Sevilla.
Yet given those missing, the opposition and the performance, this might be the kind of victory that could prove crucial to Madrid winning the title in May.
"It makes the win even more important," said Zidane.
"It's only three points but we needed them and we got them ..

Real make light of absentees to go top but Atletico beaten

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will not call Liverpool the greatest team in Premier League history until they have the trophies to prove it.
He still thinks that honour should be bestowed upon Alex Ferguson's treble-winning United side in 1999.
Solskjaer scored the dramatic late winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final that year to cap United's incredible campaign.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are on course for a historic season of their own, holding a huge lead in the Premier League as they chase a first English league title since 1990.
They remain in the FA Cup and face Atletico Madrid in the last 16 next month as they try to defend their Champions League crown.
But Solskjaer believes Liverpool have to demonstrate the ability to keep winning year after year before they deserve to be ranked alongside United's best outfits.
"I would say our 1999 team was the best, but let's see when the season has finished," Solskjaer said.
"That showed we as a squad ...

Liverpool have not eclipsed Man Utd's greatest teams, says Solskjaer

Pep Guardiola's 49th birthday celebrations went flat as Fernandinho's late own goal forced Manchester City to settle for a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace, while Chelsea's top-four bid was dented by a surprise 1-0 defeat at Newcastle on Saturday.
On a busy day of top-flight action, the pitchside VAR monitor was used in the Premier League for the first time at Norwich, with Tottenham forced to settle for a goalless stalemate at Watford and Arsenal held to a 1-1 draw by Sheffield United.
It was the drama at the Etihad Stadium that took the spotlight as Fernandinho's last-gasp blunder left Guardiola in no mood to party after City's faint hopes of retaining the title suffered another hammer blow.
The champions trail Liverpool by 13 points ahead of the runaway leaders' clash with rivals Manchester United on Sunday.
"It was a tight game. It's difficult to analyse when they shoot from one corner and have no more chances," Guardiola said.
"We had many chances, unfortunately we could not ...

Guardiola's birthday ruined as Palace snatch point, Chelsea stunned by Newcastle

Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso blasted his team as "soulless, unwatchable and embarrassing" on Saturday after a 2-0 home defeat by Fiorentina.
The loss left last season's runners-up without a league win at their San Paolo Stadium since October 19 ahead of hosting Barcelona in the Champions League in a month's time.
"We must apologise to the fans and the city, it was an embarrassing performance, today we were unwatchable," said Gattuso.
"We have hit rock bottom and we need to understand what we are going towards, we are a soulless team."
Gattuso said the team had agreed to head straight to a training retreat before hosting Lazio in the Italian Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday and welcoming Juventus to Naples next weekend.
For Napoli, it was a third consecutive defeat and fourth in a row at home against Fiorentina.
Gattuso replaced Carlo Ancelotti last month, but the former AC Milan boss has lost four of five games since then.
"We have to look at each other, be together, let off steam and ...

Gattuso blasts 'embarrassing' Napoli as Immobile hat-trick keeps Lazio on title track

Americans Andrew Landry and Scottie Scheffler pulled away with birdie binges to share a four-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the US PGA American Express tournament.
Landry birdied six of his first eight holes on the way to a seven-under 65 at the PGA West Nicklaus course while Scheffler shot a bogey-free six-under 66 at the PGA West Stadium course to finish on 21-under 195 after 54 holes.
Compatriot Rickie Fowler, who shared a one-shot lead with Scheffler over Landry after 36 holes, was third on 199 after a 70 on the stadium course to join the co-leaders in Sunday's final group.
The first three rounds were played on three different layouts in the desert at La Quinta, California -- also including the La Quinta Country Club.
Sunday's last round will be played on the Stadium layout where Scheffler shined, rolling in a six-foot birdie putt at the second, a 14-footer at the par-3 fourth and a seven-footer to birdie the par-5 fifth.
"It's a tough course," he said. "It's a good ..

Landry, Scheffler share lead in US PGA desert showdown

Gennaro Gattuso said he was "worried and scared" as Napoli fell 2-0 at home to Fiorentina on Saturday leaving last season's Serie A runners-up scrambling to save their season.
A third consecutive defeat saw the southern giants slump to 13th position as they sit closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League places.
Napoli are without a league win at their San Paolo Stadium since October 19 ahead of hosting Barcelona in the Champions League in a month's time.
For Gattuso the "soulless, unwatchable and embarrassing" defeat was his fourth in five league games since replacing Carlo Ancelotti on December 11, with the club then in seventh spot.
"I'm very worried," admitted the 42-year-old former AC Milan coach.
"We have hit rock bottom and we need to understand what we are going towards.
"We're not looking at the Champions League, we're looking at the scary ranking. We're playing with fire."
Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic scored in either half to give Fiorentina a valuable win .

AFP

AFP

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