Forces loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar on Saturday blocked oil exports from Libya's main ports, the National Oil Company said, raising the stakes on the eve of international peace talks.
The closure of Libya's "oil crescent" will cause the country's daily crude production to plunge from 1.3 million barrels to 500,000 barrels and cause losses of USD 55 million a day, the firm warned.
The string of export hubs along Libya's northeastern coast has been controlled by Haftar -- who is at war with the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) -- since 2016.
A group close to Haftar had called for a blockade of the export terminals to protest a Turkish intervention against the strongman, who dominates eastern Libya.
Turkey has backed the Tripoli-based GNA, which is battling an offensive by Haftar's forces to seize the capital.
After months of combat, which has killed more than 2,000 people, a ceasefire took effect on January 12 backed by both Ankara and Moscow, which is ...

Pro-Haftar forces 'block oil exports' from key Libya ports

PTI Automatic

Four people were killed in a car bombing in Somalia on Saturday that apparently targeted Turkish engineers working on a road near the capital Mogadishu, police and witnesses said.
The attack was claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, which has stepped up its activities in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya in recent weeks.
The bomb struck near the town of Afgoye about 30 kilometres (20 miles) west of the capital, killing four people and wounding several others including several Turkish nationals, said local police officer Abdirahman Adan.
"The blast was huge, it destroyed a container used by the Turkish engineers who work on the Afgoye road construction," said witness Muhidin Yusuf.
"There were police who were guarding the Turkish engineers and several other people gathering near the checkpoint where the temporary shelter is located," said another witness Ahmed Said.
"I saw the dead bodies of several (people) and Turkish workers who were wounded in the ...

Four dead in Shabaab car bombing near Somali capital

Defending champion Anders Antonsen on Saturday breezed through to the Indonesia Masters final after a crushing defeat of Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk-yiu.
The Dane knocked out Lee with a 21-9 21-14 victory, clearing the way for a Sunday face-off with hometown favourite Anthony Sinisuka Ginting at Istora Senayan stadium in the capital Jakarta.
Ginting earned a berth in the final after a 22-20 21-11 semi-final win over Denmark's Viktor Axelsen.
Antonsen described his Indonesian final rival as a "super fast" player.
"I am expecting a really top challenge," the Dane told reporters.
"Ginting is on home court and he is playing really good so I have to bring my absolute best."
Last year, Antonsen won his first ever title after knocking out world number one Kento Momota, who skipped this year's tournament after being injured in a car accident that killed his driver.
In women's singles, former world champion Carolina Marin of Spain defeated China's He Bingjiao 21-11, 21-19 to reach the finals against 

Defending champ Antonsen through to Indonesia Masters final

International players must stop meddling in the Libyan conflict, the UN's special envoy told said on Saturday, on the eve of a summit of world powers to try to bring peace to the North African nation.
"All foreign interference can provide some aspirin effect in the short term, but Libya needs all foreign interference to stop. That's one of the objectives of this conference," Ghassan Salame told AFP in an interview ahead of the Berlin summit.
Leaders of Russia, Turkey and France are due to join talks in Berlin on Sunday that are being held under the auspices of the United Nations, which wants to extract a pledge from foreign powers wielding influence in the region to stop meddling in the conflict, be it through the provision of weapons, troops or financing.
Both leaders of the warring factions -- strongman Khalifa Haftar and the head of Tripoli's UN-recognised government Fayez al-Sarraj -- are also expected at the first gathering of such scale on the conflict since 2018.
Libya has been 

Libya 'needs foreign interference to stop': UN envoy

One of China's top historic attractions issued an apology after two women drove an SUV into the Forbidden City in Beijing and posed for pictures when it was meant to be closed to the public.
Photos of the pair wearing sunglasses and standing in front of the luxury vehicle alone in a grand square usually packed with tourists quickly sparked outrage after they were posted on social media.
The sprawling, nearly 600-year-old former imperial palace in the centre of the Chinese capital says it welcomed 19 million visitors last year, all of whom had to enter on foot.
In a statement the UNESCO world heritage site, also known as the Palace Museum, confirmed that the incident happened on Monday, a day it is usually shut.
"The Palace Museum is deeply shocked and sincerely apologises to the public," it said late Friday on the Twitter-like platform Weibo, adding that it would "strictly manage and stop such actions" from taking place in future.
The controversial photos had been posted on Weibo this 

Women spark outrage by driving in Beijing's Forbidden City

Bangladesh on Saturday called up uncapped fast bowler Hasan Mahmud for their three-match Twenty20 series in Pakistan which has been engulfed by fears over player safety.
Opener Tamim Iqbal returns after skipping a home series against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe and a tour in India. Mosaddek Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Taijul Islam and Abu Hider have been dropped from the squad.
"Hasan is a quick bowler and has a good future. So we thought maybe this is the right time to give him a break," said Bangladesh Cricket Board's chief selector Minhajul Abedin.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim was left out after saying he would not go to Pakistan for security reasons.
A senior BCB official said batting coach Neil McKenzie, spin bowling coach Daniel Vettori and fielding coach Rayan Cook would also not accompany the team.
Mushfiqur, 32, remained adamant that he would not be with the squad when they leave on Wednesday.
"I decided it a long time ago and informed the board. I have submitted a letter ...

Bangladesh call up uncapped Mahmud for Pakistan tour amid safety debate

Off-spinner Dom Bess claimed his first Test five-wicket haul as England moved into a dominating position on the third day of the third Test against South Africa at St George's Park on Saturday.
Bess took all the wickets as South Africa slumped to 113 for five in reply to England's 499 for nine declared.
A rain shower 15 minutes before the scheduled lunch break brought some respite to the hosts, who remained 386 runs in arrears.
Bess bowled unchanged from the northern, Duck Pond end, and finished the morning with five for 41 in 18.2 overs. He had taken a total of five wickets in his previous three Tests at a cost of 48 runs each.
Bess struck in the fourth over of the day when Dean Elgar was caught off bat and pad at silly point by Ollie Pope, the second of three catches by Pope.
South African captain Faf du Plessis used his feet to off-dive fours off the third and fourth balls he faced from Bess, who switched from round the wicket to over the wicket and two balls later had Du Plessis ..

Bess takes five as England dominate

Mexico deployed around 200 National Guard officers to the Guatemalan border on Friday in an effort to block a huge migrant caravan traversing Central America toward the United States.
A group of more than 3,000 people, mainly from Honduras and El Salvador, crossed into Guatemala on Wednesday.
According to Guatemala's new President Alejandro Giammattei, Mexico has vowed to use "everything at its disposal" to stop the convoy from entering its territory.
The Mexican troops were stationed at the town of Ciudad Hidalgo, one of the main crossing points into the country from its southern neighbor.
Earlier on Friday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador offered 4,000 jobs to members of the caravan in an attempt to dissuade them from traveling on to the United States.
Mexico has come under pressure from President Donald Trump to slow a surge of undocumented migrants who arrived at the US-Mexican border last year.
Trump threatened in May to impose tariffs on Mexico if the government ...

Mexico ramps up border security to block migrant caravan

Three alleged members of a US white supremacist group have been arrested on charges of plotting to overthrow the American government and conspiracy to murder two anti-fascist activists.
Police said the trio were members of The Base, which US prosecutors have described as an international network of white nationalists who discuss "committing acts of violence against minority communities."
"The group was involved in recruiting new members online, meeting to discuss strategy and practicing in paramilitary training camps on a 100-acre (40-hectare) tract in Silver Creek" northwest of Atlanta, Floyd County police said in a statement Friday.
The men, aged from 19 to 25 and based in the US state of Georgia, sought to "accelerate the downfall of the United States government, incite a race war and establish a white ethno-state," according to a police affidavit.
They had also surveilled a home in nearby Bartow County with the intent of shooting dead an activist couple who lived there, the report 

US 'white extremist' trio arrested for anti-government plot

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Europe it could face new threats from terrorist organisations if Libya's UN-recognised government in Tripoli were to fall, in an article published in Politico on Saturday.
In the article, which was published on the eve of a Libya peace conference in Berlin, Erdogan said the EU's failure to adequately support the Government of National Accord (GNA) would be "a betrayal of its own core values, including democracy and human rights".
"Europe will encounter a fresh set of problems and threats if Libya's legitimate government were to fall," Erdogan wrote. "Terrorist organisations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda, which suffered a military defeat in Syria and Iraq, will find a fertile ground to get back on their feet."
The GNA led by Fayez al-Sarraj has been under attack since April from strongman Khalifa Haftar's forces based in the east of the country, with fighting killing over 280 civilians and 2,000 fighters.
In a joint initiative, Turkey and ..

Europe will face terror threat if Tripoli govt falls: Erdogan

It was the "tournament of revenge" for rising star Ugo Humbert who won his maiden ATP title beating Benoit Paire in a three-set thriller at the Auckland Classic on Saturday.
In the all-French showdown, the unseeded Humbert held his nerve in the deciding tie-break of his first ATP final to beat the fifth seed 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 7-6 (7/5).
The 30-year-old Paire, number 24 in the world, was no stranger to playing a decider, having been stretched to three sets in his four previous matches in the tournament.
The 21-year-old Humbert, who a year ago was ranked outside the top 100, started the tournament at number 57 and the title should advance him well inside the top 50.
He only played three sets in the first round against Casper Ruud and won his next three matches in straight sets including wins over second-seed Denis Shapovalov and fourth-seed John Isner.
"I really, really wanted to win it today and I did," said an elated Humbert.
"It was the tournament of revenge," he added having ...

Revenge for Humbert as he wins first ATP title in Auckland

Ashleigh Barty won her first career title at home on Saturday with a 6-2, 7-5 defeat of Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska at the ATP-WTA Adelaide International.
The world number one is assured of holding the top ranking as the Australian Open begins on Monday in Melbourne.
Barty claimed victory after 87 minutes at Memorial Drive as Yastremska sent a return long over the baseline. She was presented the carved wood trophy by an Aboriginal elder who blessed it before it was handed over.
"It's nice to get the ball rolling this week, I can't wait to get starred in Melbourne next week," the top seed said.
The last Australian woman to win a home title was Jarmila Wolfe in 2011 at Hobart.  Barty called her victory "a great start to the year".
"I feel like we had a great tussle out there, I was finally able to bring it across the line. I've enjoyed the time here, I really tried to bring my best this week," she said.
"I love playing at home in Australia. This is the payoff for the preseason work we ..

Barty fights to title victory at Adelaide International

Australia's Nick Kyrgios dismissed criticism from Alexander Zverev on Saturday after the German said he was a step behind some of his main rivals when it came to challenging for Grand Slams.
Zverev said some of the other young players were "just better" than Kyrgios, who provocatively dropped and did push-ups when the world number seven served double faults during Germany's clash with Australia at the ATP Cup.
"I'm not going to entertain that too much. With everything going on, that's the least of my worries," said Kyrgios, who has been at the forefront of fundraising efforts for Australia's bushfire crisis.
"He's a great player. I'm not quite sure where those comments come from. I'm sure he didn't mean them in a bad way. But if he did, then I'm sorry for whatever I've done to you."
Zverev told media in Melbourne that "there's a lot of young guys that are right now, no offence, just better than (Kyrgios).
"I think Stefanos (Tsitsipas) is better than him. Just simply because he is ...

Kyrgios shuts down Zverev in Grand Slam row

Tropical Cyclone Tino strengthened to a Category Three storm Saturday as it closed in on Tonga after battering Fiji where two people were missing and more than 3,000 fled to emergency shelters.
The Fiji Meteorological Service said the wind gusts from Tino had increased to 180 kilometres per hour (110 mph) and would likely have its biggest impact in the northern areas of Tonga when it hits overnight.
The Pacific kingdom is still recovering from the devastation of Cyclone Gina two years ago which caused widespread devastation, destroying houses and crops.
"The sea is very high and I'm sure beaches are being washed away in the more exposed places and the outer islands," Tupoutu'a Tonutonu told AFP from northern Vava'u.
"It's been bucketing down for about three days, the soil is waterlogged and I'm hearing trees are down in the village." In Fiji, the National Disaster Management Office said 3,115 sought emergency shelter at the height of the storm, but most had since returned home with ...

Two missing, 3,000 in shelters as Cyclone Tino hits Fiji

Ash spewed by a Philippine volcano is being mixed with plastic waste to make bricks in an inventive response to the country's persistent problems of pollution and frequent natural disasters.
The Taal volcano burst into life nearly a week ago, sending towering dust columns into the sky and leaving nearby Binan city coated in fine grey powder.
Environment officials did not just clean up the mess but decided to combine the ash with sand, cement and discarded plastic to form about 5,000 bricks per day for local building projects.
"Instead of just piling up the ashfall somewhere, we are able to turn it into something useful. And it includes plastics, too," said city environmental officer Rodelio Lee.
The Philippines faces a waste crisis, with a report last year saying it uses a "shocking" amount of single-use plastic, including nearly 60 billion throwaway sachets per year.
It is also plagued by some 20 major storms annually and regular, powerful earthquakes which together kill hundreds of .

Filipinos turn volcano's ash, plastic trash into bricks

Decimated fish, scarred coffee plants and vanished tourists: the Taal volcano eruption in the Philippines has inflicted significant damage on the livelihoods of tens of thousands and is expected to cause more.
When Taal exploded to life Sunday it spewed towering columns of fine grey ash, which officials said destroyed crops and killed off potentially tonnes of fish raised in the lake that rings the volcano.
"We lost a lot of money because all our fish are gone," said Cesario Rodriguez, 34, a fish farmer.
"We just need to find a way to survive." It didn't help either when government health officials warned people not to eat the fish as it could have been contaminated with volcanic sulphur, though the nation's health agency told AFP no formal ban is in place.
The warning of a further, potentially catastrophic eruption, also led authorities to urge the thriving tourism industry near the volcano -- a popular attraction -- to suspend activity as a precaution.
The nation's seismological ...

Lost and damaged: Philippine volcano steals livelihoods

Rafael Nadal said passion and positivity had helped him reach an unprecedented third decade ranked world number one, after defying the ravages of injury and the critics who said his all-action game was too tough on his body.
Despite a steady stream of foot, knee, back, arm, hand and wrist injury setbacks, the 33-year-old has returned time and again to become the only player to top the rankings in three different decades.
"I can't say I have been lucky with injuries, because I have not," the Spaniard said on Saturday, when asked about his longevity in the game.
"But there is no secret, no? There is only about passion, about love for the game, and about being able to stay positive in the tough moments." Nadal's physical, uncompromising approach is often contrasted with his great rival Roger Federer, who appears more effortless on court and -- after far fewer injuries -- is still going strong at 38.
But the fighting qualities that have taken Nadal to 19 Grand Slam titles on court have ...

'Passion, love' - Nadal's tips after defying injury to reach third decade on top

Stefanos Tsitsipas said he was left coughing and had trouble breathing even after practising indoors at the Australian Open, where the build-up has been dominated by fears about toxic smoke from bushfires.
The Greek world number six, a major contender for the first Grand Slam of the year, said Saturday that he had been excited about coming to Melbourne -- until he saw "smoke over the city" as his plane came in to land.
"I was like, 'What is this?'" said the 21-year-old, who stunned Roger Federer last year en route to the Australian Open semi-finals.
"First two days here were pretty unusual... I went to practise for around one, one-and-a-half hours.
"After I practised indoors I felt really bad with my lungs." Tsitsipas, who capped a breakthrough 2019 by winning the season-ending ATP Finals, added: "I'm feeling okay now, but I was a bit concerned.
"I was coughing a lot had troubles breathing for a couple of hours." Air quality in Melbourne was among the worst on the planet on Tuesday ...

Even after indoor practice, Tsitsipas 'coughed a lot' in toxic Melbourne air

Caroline Wozniacki said Saturday that she has no regrets and it is "the right time" to walk away from tennis with the former number one set to retire after the Australian Open.
But the Dane, whose only Grand Slam triumph came in Melbourne in 2018, admitted that she will be "a bit emotional" when the moment finally comes over the next fortnight.
Wozniacki announced in December that she would retire from tennis to focus on other things, including starting a family with husband and former NBA star David Lee.
"There's been a lot of thoughts. It's (retirement) been something I've been thinking about for a long time, for a while," the 29-year-old, now ranked 35 in the world, told media in Melbourne.
"I just looked at my life, at my career, everything else, and I just had a look inside of myself and it felt right. It felt like the right time for many reasons." Wozniacki was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2018 but says that has nothing to do with her decision to quit after the ...

'No regrets' as Wozniacki embarks on swansong at Australian Open

Defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka said Saturday that 2019 was the "toughest year of my life" after the Japanese ploughed through several coaches and suffered a major dip in form.
The 22-year-old began last year in spectacular fashion, winning in Melbourne for back-to-back Grand Slam titles and soaring to the top of the world rankings.
But she then exited Roland Garros in the third round and Wimbledon in the first round, and her defence of her US Open crown similarly fell flat.
The Japanese roared back with titles in her native city of Osaka and then in Beijing in the autumn, and in December hired the Belgian Wim Fissette as her coach -- her fourth in less than a year.
The world number three, who faces Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic in her opener in Melbourne, said she was "in a better head space" compared to 12 months ago, and playing better tennis.
"But honestly, last year was the toughest year of my life, so I would hope it gets better," Osaka added.
Pushed as to .

Osaka vows to block out negatives after 'toughest year'

Four people were killed and another wounded in a shooting at a home in Utah on Friday night, with the suspect taken into custody, police and media reported.
The attack took place in the small town of Grantsville, on the outskirts of state capital Salt Lake City.
"Officers arrived, they did clear the residence and were able to locate the four deceased," said Grantsville police officer Rhonda Fields.
Fields said police were working to notify relatives and the fifth victim was being treated in hospital.
She did not confirm media reports that the attacker and victims were all from the same family.
"Our hearts are broken by the horrible news coming out Grantsville tonight. We mourn over the loss of innocent lives," Utah Governor Gary Herbert said on Twitter.

AFP

AFP

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