US President Donald Trump on Thursday called for the governments in Moscow, Damascus and Tehran to stop the violence in Syria's rebel-held province of Idlib.
"Russia, Syria, and Iran are killing, or on their way to killing, thousands" of civilians in the northwestern province, Trump tweeted, adding: "Don't do it!" Heightened regime and Russian bombardment has hit jihadist-held Idlib -- the country's last major opposition bastion -- since mid-December, as regime forces make steady advances on the ground despite an August ceasefire and UN calls for a de-escalation.
Nearly 80 civilians have been killed by air strikes and artillery attacks over the same period, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which estimates that more than 40,000 people have been displaced in recent weeks.
Turkey called Tuesday for the attacks to "come to an end immediately," after sending a delegation to Moscow to discuss the flare-up.
Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Ankara was pressing ...

Trump calls for end to killing in Syria rebel bastion

PTI Automatic

At least 11 people were killed in fighting between militiamen and traders in a restive district of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, two security officials and an imam said Thursday.
Between 11 and 14 people died after clashes erupted late Wednesday, the security sources said, while the imam, Awad Al Karim, said "16 bodies" had been brought to the local Ali Babolo mosque.
The fighting began after traders in a mainly Muslim district called PK5 took up arms to oppose taxes levied by militia groups, the imam said.
Bursts of automatic fire and explosions were heard on Wednesday evening and on Thursday morning, according to an AFP journalist who was in a neighbouring district.  Bili Aminou Alao, spokesman for the UN peacekeeping force MINUSCA, said the fighting was continuing.
"We have sent a rapid response force to the area. Part of the market and some vehicles have been burned," he said.
"Between 40 and 50 shops have been burned down, as well as four or five houses," ..

Clashes in C African capital leave at least 11 dead

More than 100,000 Afghan civilians have been killed or injured over the past decade, the United Nations reported Thursday, as it renewed calls to end the bloody 18-year conflict.
The announcement comes as the Taliban and US continue to hold talks aimed at drawing a close to America's longest war, after the negotiations were called off in September by President Donald Trump due to insurgent attacks.
However fighting continues to rage across the country, with ordinary Afghans frequently bearing the brunt of the violence.
"I recognize with extreme sadness that civilian casualties recently surpassed 100,000 in the past 10 years alone, from the time the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) began systematic documentation of civilian casualties," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN special representative in Afghanistan, said in a statement.
"The United Nations urges those participating in all peace efforts to consider the millions of ordinary Afghans, especially the victims of the conflict, ..

Afghan war caused 100,000 civilian casualties in last decade: UN

Israel's embattled premier Benjamin Netanyahu faced a challenge on Thursday for the leadership of his Likud party from a longtime rival, former interior minister Gideon Saar.
Likud's roughly 116,000 eligible voters have until 11 pm (2100 GMT) to choose between Netanyahu and Saar, with the result expected by early Friday morning.
A defeat for Netanyahu, 70, would be a shock, but even a relatively close result could weaken his influence over the conservative party he has dominated for 20 years.
After a decade in power, Netanyahu is Israel's longest serving premier but he has been weakened by a series of corruption indictments.
After months of political stalemate, he faces a third general election within 12 months early next year -- but only if he first defeats his challenger.
Saar, 53, a former interior and education minister, is seen as slightly to the right of Netanyahu and has called for an even more hawkish policy towards the Palestinians.
The Israel-Palestinian conflict as ever ...

Israel's indicted Netanyahu faces party leadership challenge

Quinton de Kock hit an aggressive half-century to lead a South African fightback on the first day of the first Test against England at SuperSport Park on Thursday.
South Africa were 187 for five at tea. They were in deep trouble at 111 for five after being sent in before De Kock (64 not out) and new cap Dwaine Pretorius (25 not out) put on an unbeaten 76 for the sixth wicket.
England were dominant when De Kock walked out at 97 for four, but the left-hander broke a spell of four successive maiden overs, which had included a wicket, when he took 14 runs off an over from Sam Curran, including three fours.
Skipper Faf du Plessis was caught at first slip off Stuart Broad in the next over but De Kock continued to attack, reaching his half-century off 45 balls with nine fours.
Although England captain Joe Root said he wanted to take advantage of "live grass" on the pitch, having opted for an all-seam bowling attack, loose strokes contributed to the wickets of both South African opening ...

De Kock fights back for South Africa against England

A 63-year-old man in Germany had a very Merry Christmas indeed after an honest finder returned the backpack he had forgotten under a tree -- filled with presents and 16,000 euros (USD 17,700) in cash.
The 51-year-old finder alerted police after stumbling upon the bag near the centre of the western city of Krefeld shortly before midnight on Christmas Eve.
Officers were able to quickly identify the owner and reunite him with the backpack and its precious contents.
The man who found the bag "refused a finder's fee, because it was Christmas", Krefeld police wrote on Facebook.
"There really are people who do good deeds over Christmas," they added.
In Germany, anyone who returns a found object is entitled to a finder's fee based on the value of the item.
In this case, the finder would have been 490 euros richer if he had accepted the reward.
The police's Facebook post sharing the feelgood story attracted over a 1,000 likes and nearly 180 comments, although some expressed surprise that ...

Honest German returns bag with 16,000 euros

Photographer Christiaan Kotze became part of the story on Thursday when he was injured in front of the sightscreen and caused a delay to the start of a Test match - and possibly contributed to South African batsman Dean Elgar's wicket.
Kotze, on assignment for AFP, had finished shooting some pre-play images before the first Test between South Africa and England. He was walking in front of the sightscreen  when he tripped on the boundary rope and then lost his footing on a slippery pitch cover.
He collapsed in severe pain from what was diagnosed as badly-sprained right knee ligaments and needed medical treatment on the spot before he was carried away on a stretcher.
The start of the match was delayed by several minutes - and when it began Elgar played a loose shot and was caught behind down the leg side off the first ball of the match, delivered by James Anderson.
Kotze's his wife Catherine took over his ground level camera, while after treatment he hobbled up to a more comfortable ...

Injured photographer delays play

Flooding at Beirut's only Jewish cemetery has swept away entire graves after heavy rainfall hit the Lebanese capital.
The floodwater destroyed a retaining wall at the graveyard in the Ras al-Nabaa district overnight into Thursday, dragging sarcophagi and large chunks of rubble onto the pavement below.
Nagi Georges Zeidan, an expert on Lebanon's tiny Jewish community and a volunteer at the graveyard, said at least four graves were damaged, all in part of the cemetery for people buried in the 1940s.
Zeidan said the skeletons of the deceased remained concealed but have yet to be removed from beneath the rubble. He urged authorities to intervene to make sure they are preserved.
The cemetery has 3,407 graves, according to Zeidan, who keeps a record of all the names of the deceased.
It is owned by the Lebanese Jewish Community Council and dates back to the 1820s, he added.
Lebanon was once home to thousands of Jews but they left steadily for Israel, Brazil, Europe and the United States ...

Beirut floodwaters sweep away Jewish graves

Iraqi anti-government protesters blocked roads and bridges in Baghdad and the country's south Thursday after torching several buildings overnight.
The demonstrators oppose the entire political class and have vented their anger against leaders who are negotiating to nominate an establishment insider as the next prime minister.
"The government is hostage to corrupt parties and sectarian divisions", said one activist, Sattar Jabbar, 25, in the southern city of Nasiriyah.
Smoke and flames from burning tyres in Nasiriyah, Basra and Diwaniyah blocked major roads and bridges across the Euphrates all night, AFP correspondents said, before some of these roadblocks were lifted in the morning.
In Nasiriyah, demonstrators set the provincial government building ablaze overnight for a second time since the protests began, and protesters also torched the new headquarters of a pro-Iran militia in Diwaniyah.
Iraq has been rocked by protests since October 1, prompting Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi to 

Iraqi protesters torch buildings, block roads over PM pick

England dismissed South Africa's first three batsmen after deciding to bowl on the first morning of the first Test at SuperSport Park on Thursday.
South Africa were 79 for three at lunch, with James Anderson, Sam Curran and Stuart Broad taking a wicket apiece.
Although England captain Joe Root said he wanted to take advantage of "live grass" on the pitch, having opted for an all-seam bowling attack, the first two wickets owed more to loose strokes than the conditions.
Anderson, who became the first specialist bowler to appear in 150 Tests, took a wicket with his first ball, a loosener down the leg side which Dean Elgar glanced to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.
Aiden Markram hit four boundaries in an innings of 20 before flicking a ball from the left-armed Sam Curran to Jonny Bairstow at midwicket.
Hamza, playing in his third Test, looked good in making 39 before being squared up by Broad and edging a catch to Ben Stokes at second slip.
All-rounder Stokes was in the England team even though 

England dismiss South African top three

China, Russia and Iran will hold joint naval drills starting Friday in the Gulf of Oman, Beijing said, at a time of heightened tensions since the US withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran.
Set to take place from December 27 to 30, the military exercises aim to "deepen exchange and cooperation between the navies of the three countries", Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters Thursday.
Wu said the Chinese navy would deploy its Xining guided missile destroyer -- nicknamed the "carrier killer" for its array of anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles -- in the drills.
But he did not give details on how many personnel or ships would take part overall.
The US reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran in May last year after withdrawing from the international deal aimed at tackling the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme, prompting Tehran to hit back with countermeasures.
Remaining parties to the badly weakened 2015 deal include China, Russia, Britain, France and ..

China, Russia, Iran to hold joint naval drills

Norwegian author Ari Behn, who was previously married to the country's Princess Maertha Louise, died on Wednesday aged 47, his manager told AFP, saying he had committed suicide.
"It is with great sadness in our hearts that I on behalf of the very closest relatives of Ari Behn must announce that he took his own life today," Behn's manager Geir Hakonsund said in an email to AFP.
Behn published his first book in 1999, a collection of short stories whose English translation is "Sad as hell".
He rose to public prominence in 2002 after marrying the Norwegian royal Maertha Louise, and they wrote a book about their wedding with the title "From heart to heart".
The couple had three daughters together before announcing their divorce in August 2016.
Friends and public figures expressed their condolences on Wednesday, including Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and the royal family.
"Ari was an important part of our family for many years, and we carry warm and good memories of him with us," ..

Norwegian author and former spouse of princess dead at 47

A company run by Bruce Lee's daughter is suing a Chinese fast food chain for allegedly using an image of the late martial arts film star without permission.
Shannon Lee's Bruce Lee Enterprises accuses restaurant chain Kungfu Catering Management of having used her father's image for 15 years in a logo without paying intellectual property rights.
The food chain responded Thursday by saying the logo had long been authorized by Chinese authorities.
"We're confused that we are prosecuted many years later. We're actively studying the case and preparing to respond," the company  said in a statement posted on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform.
According to the Chinese internet portal sina.com, Shannon Lee asked the food chain to immediately stop using her father's image, clarify for 90 consecutive days that it has nothing to do with Bruce Lee, and pay compensation of 210 million yuan (US$30 million).
The Guangzhou-based restaurant chain known as Real Kung Fu (Zhen Gongfu in Mandarin) was ...

Bruce Lee's daughter sues fast food chain for using father's image

Thousands of mourners flocked to mass graves Thursday in Indonesia's Aceh province to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, one of the worst natural disasters in history.
On a grassy field in Aceh Besar district where at least 47,000 victims were laid to rest, family members and relatives prayed, scattered flower petals and comforted each other.
Among them was Nurhayati who lost her youngest daughter in the disaster.
"I came here every year because I miss her so much, she was only 17, just started college," the 65-year-old told AFP, sobbing.
"It's been 15 years but even until now every time I see an ocean, even on TV, I shudder and feel like a big wave would be coming soon," she said.
Almost 170,000 were killed in Aceh province alone when a 9.1 magnitude undersea quake struck the predominantly Muslim province on December 26, 2004, triggering massive tsunami waves that also killed another 50,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, even as far as ...

Indonesia mourns 15 years after Boxing Day tsunami

The Turkish parliament will in January vote on a motion to send troops to Syria to support the UN-backed government in Tripoli, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday.
"We will present the motion to send troops (to Libya) as soon as parliament resumes" on January 7, Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara.
"God willing, we will pass it in parliament on January 8-9 and thus respond to an invitation" from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), he said.
Erdogan's comments come after the Turkish parliament on Saturday ratified a security and military cooperation deal with the government of Fayez al-Sarraj.
But a separate motion is needed to send boots on the grounds.
Erdogan on Wednesday paid an unannounced visit to Tunisia with his defence minister and spy chief to discuss ways of reaching a ceasefire in Libya.
The conflict plunged Libya into violence and eight years later, pro-GNA militias and  strongman Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army are vying for ...

Erdogan says parliament to vote in January on Libya troop deployment

Japan on Thursday hanged a Chinese man convicted of the murder of a family of four whose bodies were found handcuffed and weighted down with dumbbells in a bay, the justice minister said.
Masako Mori said she ordered the execution of Wei Wei "after careful consideration", over robbery and multiple murders carried out with two other students in 2003.
"It is an extremely cruel and brutal case in which the happily living family members, including an eight-year-old and 11-year-old, were all murdered because of truly selfish reasons," she said.
Wei, a 40-year-old former language student in Japan, had pleaded guilty to the four murder counts, but had contended he was not a central figure in the case.
The trio robbed the home of Japanese businessman Shinjiro Matsumoto, 41, in Fukuoka in June 2003 and strangled him with a tie.
His 40-year-old wife Chika was drowned in a bathtub and the children strangled or smothered.
The victims' bodies were found dumped in Hakata Bay in Fukuoka, handcuffed .

Japan hangs Chinese man over murder of family of four

Israel carried out air strikes against the Gaza Strip overnight in response to a rocket fired from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave, the army said Thursday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was at campaign event in Ashkelon north of Gaza on Wednesday evening when what the army called a "projectile" was fired from the strip, setting off warning sirens.
The army said the "projectile was fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory and was intercepted by the Iron Dome defence system".
In response, it said, "planes and helicopters hit several Hamas terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip. Military posts were among the targets." No injuries were reported on either side, though a security source in Gaza said damage was reported at a number of Hamas sites.
Israel's public broadcaster KAN 11 showed images of a security guard informing Netanyahu, who is campaigning for re-election as head of his Likud party, of a "red alert" late Wednesday.
The prime minister waved goodbye before ..

Israel strikes Gaza after rocket fire: army

Asian equities rose on Thursday in subdued trading, holding the gains recently spurred by the US-China trade thaw.
Following the Christmas lull across world markets, eyes are now on US unemployment data due later in the day, and Japanese industrial and retail data scheduled for release on Friday.
Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index closed 0.6 percent higher after a flat start. Shanghai put on 0.9 percent, while Seoul was up 0.4 percent. Singapore, however, was down 0.3 percent.
"Investor sentiment towards the global economy is improving," said Rakuten Securities chief strategist Masayuki Kubota.
Hong Kong, Sydney and Wellington were closed for a public holiday.
"With the... tech sector giants leading the way, investors are showing no fear as the market remains underpinned by the thawing in the US-China trade squabble and easy central bank policy," Stephen Innes, chief Asia market strategist at AxiTrader, said in a report.
Volumes are typically light during the holiday season, and the muted 

Asian markets up in post-Christmas trade

More than 80,000 fans packed the Melbourne Cricket Ground Thursday in the largest single-day crowd for a Test match between the two nations, and one of the biggest against any country.
The Boxing Day Test is the highlight of the cricket calendar in Australia and routinely attracts throngs of spectators, with the 91,112 who watched England in 2013 the record.
The 80,473 who attended Thursday was second biggest for a non-Ashes fixture on Boxing Day, behind only the 85,661 who witnessed Australia play the West Indies in 1975.
New Zealand are playing their first Boxing Day Test in Australia since 1987 and Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts said the huge crowd pointed to the popularity of the sport in both countries.
"Thanks so much to the Australian and New Zealand fans who made history at the MCG today," he said.
"The atmosphere was brilliant from ball one and reflective of the great rivalry between our two nations on the field, and the close relationship we have off it."
The previous 

Record crowd for Australia-New Zealand Test

Master batsman Steve Smith ground out an unbeaten 77 as he zeroes in on yet another century, putting Australia in the driving seat after the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand.
In the Black Caps' first Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground since 1987, skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl, and it looked to be a good decision with Joe Burns out first ball and David Warner just before lunch.
But first Marnus Labuschagne, the world's leading run-scorer for 2019, and then Smith smacked half centuries to seize back control and leave them on 257 for four, frustrating the disciplined New Zealand bowlers who kept the run rate down.
Along with the fidgety Smith, Travis Head was not out 25, desperate for runs after a lean spell. Labuschagne made 63 with Colin de Grandhomme the pick of the bowlers with 2-48.
The signs are ominous for New Zealand with superstar Smith scoring centuries in his past four Tests in Melbourne, and a fifth looking likely.
"The .

Smith eyes century as Australia seize control against NZealand

An official from Aung San Suu Kyi's political party was killed in Rakhine state after planning a show of support for the leader's defence of Myanmar against genocide allegations at The Hague, a spokesman said Thursday.
The National League for Democracy's Ye Thein, party chairman in Buthidaung township, had been held for weeks by the Arakan Army, insurgents fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.
The rebels said he was killed in military attacks on Christmas day but the claim could not be verified and NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt said the group bore responsibility.
Ye Thein was detained on December 11 ahead of demonstrations backing Suu Kyi's high-profile opening statements at the UN's top court the same day.
"We, all members of NLD, are very sorry for the loss," Myo Nyunt told AFP. "His gathering to support her was righteous and it was not a crime." The Arakan Army has carried out a series of daring kidnappings, bombings and raids against the army and local officials in ...

AFP

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