One crew member has been found dead and 10 others are still missing after a supply vessel operated by a French oil services group sank in hurricane conditions in the Atlantic, the ship's operator said on Monday.
The Luxembourg-flagged Bourbon Rhode, crewed mainly by Ukrainians, ran into difficulty in the Atlantic late last week as it ran into hurricane Lorenzo, and was later confirmed to have sunk.
A major search operation was then launched for the 14 people who were on board the tug supply vessel.
Three crew members who had made their way onto a lifeboat were rescued on Saturday.
The Bourbon Rhode's operator, French marine logistics group Bourbon, which provides services to oil rigs, said one body had now been found but the search was continuing for the other crew members.
"The body of the missing seafarer was located by one of the aircraft involved in the search and has been recovered by one of the five vessels that came to assist," Bourbon said.
"Rescue operations are continuing to 

One dead, 10 missing after vessel sinks in Atlantic

PTI Automatic

A Dominican woman was sentenced Monday to life in prison in Spain for murdering the eight-year-old son of her Spanish partner in a case that shocked the country.
A jury in Almeria in southern Spain last month found Ana Julia Quezada guilty of killing the boy, who was the son of her then partner Angel Cruz.
A court on Monday handed down a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years, the stiffest possible jail term under Spanish law.
Gabriel Cruz disappeared on February 27, 2018, after visiting his grandmother in Las Hortichuelas, a village near the coast 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of Almeria.
His disappearance triggered a massive search involving hundreds of volunteers which lasted nearly two weeks.
But on March 11, the police discovered the boy's body in the boot of a car belonging to Quezada, who had been seen taking part in the search, wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with his face and speaking to reporters in tears.
He had been asphyxiated, according to the ...

Woman sentenced for life in Spain for killing 8-year-old boy

The United States on Monday slapped fresh sanctions on a businessman tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as to a disinformation operation accused of conspiring to manipulate the 2018 midterm elections.
The financial sanctions, which target Russian financier Evgeny Prigozhin, some of his assets and the so-called Internet Research Agency, are the first to be taken under an executive order signed last year President Donald Trump seeking to punish foreign actors accused of interfering in US elections.
"Treasury is targeting the private planes, yacht, and associated front companies of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the Russian financier behind the Internet Research Agency and its attempts to subvert American democratic processes," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
The announcement follows shortly after a Washington Post report that Trump told senior visiting Russian officials in 2017 he was not concerned by Russian efforts to sway the 2016 election in his ...

US sanctions Russians over 2018 elections interference

Slovenia's flag carrier Adria Airways announced Monday that it had filed for bankruptcy.
"Adria Airways on Monday filed at the court in Kranj a request to start a bankruptcy procedure," it said in a statement, explaining that the move was due to "the lack of liquidity" and that the court had three days to consider the application.
Slovenia's Civil Aviation Agency said that it had revoked Adria's licence and that all of the company's airplanes were grounded.
Last week, the agency had given Adria a week to present a financial restructuring plan or face losing its licence.
Since Adria started cancelling flights last week because of its liquidity problems, more than 10,000 passengers have been affected.
Earlier on Monday, the Slovenian government ruled out a rescue bid for the airline, saying Adria's financial situation was worse than anticipated and bankruptcy was the sole option.
However, the government has not ruled out setting up a new state-owned airline to secure some of the routes .

Slovenia flag carrier Adria Airways files for bankruptcy

Nigerian police said Monday they had rescued 19 expectant mothers from a string of locations in Lagos where pregnant women were being forced to give birth to children for sale.
"We got reports based on intelligence information about activities of individuals who were keeping pregnant women and babies to sell them after delivery," Lagos police spokesman Bala Elkana told AFP.
"After investigations, we were able to rescue 19 pregnant ladies and four babies," he said, adding that the those freed were aged between 15 and 28.
"Some of them were misled, they were told they were brought to Lagos to find a job and found themsleves trapped."
The raids carried out on September 19 targeted three houses and a hotel in the outskirts of Nigeria's biggest city.
"We've got two suspects in custody and one is still on the run," Elkana said.
He said that baby girls were being sold for 300,000 naira (USD 830) while boys fetched 500,000 naira.
"It is still unclear for which purpose or to whom they were ...

Nigeria police rescue pregnant women from 'baby factories'

A former Ukrainian separatist leader has been appointed as city mayor in a Buddhist region of Russia, sparking protests in the usually Moscow-loyal republic.
Dmitry Trapeznikov, who last year briefly held the role of acting head of eastern Ukraine's separatist Donetsk region, was last week appointed acting mayor of Elista, the capital of Russia's Kalmykia republic.
Hundreds came out to protest the move on the city's main square at the weekend, accusing authorities of "disrespect" over the appointment, Russian news agencies reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday that the selection of the mayor was "exclusively the prerogative of the head of the region".
The leader of Kalmykia, a 39-year-old former world champion kickboxer, issued a video address calling for calm.
Trapeznikov has "colossal experience of restoring Donbass," said regional head Batu Khasikov, referring to eastern Ukraine.
"I think it would be hard to think of a better school for an anti-crisis 

Protests as Ukraine rebel leader takes charge in Russian Buddhist city

Pep Guardiola backed 34-year-old Fernandinho's ability to cope with a heavy workload as he juggles his stretched defensive resources for Tuesday's home Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb.
City are missing the injured John Stones and Aymeric Laporte and the manager was forced to field the makeshift pairing of Nicolas Otamendi and midfielder Fernandinho in central defence against Everton on Saturday.
The Premier League champions had some shaky moments defensively at Goodison Park but emerged 3-1 winners to keep the gap to Liverpool at five points.
Guardiola said Fernandinho had the durability to fill in at centre-half despite his age.
"If he feels fit he can play (twice a week)," Guardiola said on Monday. "It depends on him in terms of physical regeneration after the games.
"When John (Stones) is back we will have an alternative, and now we have young alternatives. Rodri can play in that position.
"Last season he (Fernandinho) started to struggle a little bit, the last part of 

Guardiola backs Fernandinho as Man City defensive crisis bites

Eden Hazard said on Monday he is 'one goal' away from launching his Real Madrid career having failed to score since joining the Spanish club this summer.
Hazard, 28, who cost Real 100 million euros in July, is yet to get off the mark during the new season with his appearances restricted to four matches due to a thigh injury.
"Honestly I feel at 100 per cent, the injury is behind me. When I start scoring, being decisive, having good matches, it will all come together," Hazard said ahead of playing Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday.
"That's what I'm missing, one good match, one goal, one pass, something to start my season.
"When I say it's down to confidence, once I'm confident, I'll give my best on the field."
The 102-time Belgium international, who signed for the Spanish giants after impressing for Chelsea in the Premier League and Lille beforehand, only made his competitive debut for Zinedine Zidane's side in mid-September due to the injury sustained in pre-season ...

Hazard 'one goal' from kick-starting Real career

A Moscow court on Monday overturned a prison sentence for actor Pavel Ustinov, giving him instead a one-year suspended sentence, in a case that has sparked protests and a major solidarity campaign.
Ustinov, 23, was this month sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for violence against police at an opposition protest, despite his insistence he was simply a bystander.
A judge at the Moscow City Court said on Monday the ruling by Moscow's Tverskoi district court should be changed, an AFP correspondent said.
Around 25,000 people took part in an authorised opposition rally in Moscow on Sunday in support of those detained at earlier anti-government protests, according to an independent monitor.
Ustinov's supporters were outraged by his conviction, saying he is innocent.
He and his defence lawyers said they were still not happy with the latest ruling and would appeal again.
"I did not commit any crime," Ustinov told reporters.
He insisted that members of the national guard acted ...

Moscow court reduces sentence for actor jailed over protest

Tens of thousands of people across Texas on Sunday honoured a widely respected Sikh sheriff's deputy who was murdered on duty in a killing that triggered an outpouring of public grief.
Sandeep Dhaliwal, one of the first sheriff's deputies in the United States to wear a traditional Sikh turban on duty, was shot from behind Friday while conducting a traffic stop near Houston.
A moment of silence was held at the Houston Texans football game against the Carolina Panthers, while mourners gathered outside churches across Harris County, where he served.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told reporters that Dhaliwal, 41, was returning to his patrol car when a man shot him multiple times with a pistol.
Gonzalez paid tribute to Dhaliwal, a father of three, saying that "he wore the turban, he represented his community with integrity, respect and pride."
Dhaliwal had been in law enforcement for 10 years after selling his lucrative trucking business to take up a job that he hoped would improve ...

Texas honours murdered Indian-American Sikh sheriff's deputy

An endangered pygmy elephant found dead on Borneo island had been shot about 70 times and its tusks hacked off during a brutal attack by poachers, Malaysian officials said Monday.
The male pachyderm's mutilated corpse was found last week floating half-submerged in a river, tied by a rope to a tree on the bank, in Sabah state on Malaysian Borneo.
It was the latest death of a pygmy elephant, whose numbers have been dwindling because they are targeted by poachers for their tusks and as agricultural plantations expand into their jungle habitat.
Speaking after a post-mortem examination, Sabah wildlife department director Augustine Tuuga said such a cruel attack was "not common".
Four or five poachers using semi-automatic guns were believed to have attacked the creature from close range, the Star newspaper reported, citing an anonymous source.
Tuuga said the poachers were believed to be locals and it did not look like a professional operation.
Elizabeth John, a spokeswoman for wildlife ...

Borneo pygmy elephant shot 70 times, tusks removed

Spain's National Court on Monday said it had dismissed a complaint against Barcelona's Lionel Messi filed by a former employee of the Argentine footballer's foundation, who had accused him of fraud, embezzlement and money laundering.
In dismissing the case, the judge wrote that the complaint "was based on an account put together from stories in the press, without bringing even a single element that was personally and directly known" by the plaintiff.
The complaint had been filed in June by Federico Rettori, an Argentine national living in Majorca who formerly worked for Messi's charity.
In it, he named the Barcelona striker, the charity, his father Jorge and brother Rodrigo and "all the people, as yet unidentified, who in one form or another administered or managed the funds at the Leo Messi Foundation," the document said.
He claimed that funds received by the foundation which "should have been directed to social causes" instead went "towards various private activities or bank ...

Spain court dismisses fraud case against Messi

Stylish batsman Babar Azam thrashed a swashbuckling hundred to steer Pakistan to 305-7 in the second day-night international against Sri Lanka on Monday as Karachi staged its first ODI in 10 years.
The 24-year-old proved he is currently one of the best batsmen in limited overs cricket with a 105-ball-115 to lift Pakistan to a big total after the home team won the toss and batted.
Azam, when on 54, became the fifth batsman to complete 1,000 ODI runs in 2019 -- behind India's duo Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and Australian couple Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja.
He added an innings building 111 for the third wicket with Haris Sohail (40), as Sri Lankan bowlers toiled to break the stand.
It was only through an unfortunate run out that Sohail fell, leaving Azam to anchor the innings. He square cut pacer Lahiru Kumara for a boundary to complete his 11th ODI hundred off 97 balls.
Azam was finally out at deep mid-on off Kumara, cracking eight boundaries and four sixes. Iftikhar Ahmed batted ..

Babar Azam lifts Pakistan to 305-7 as Karachi returns to ODI fold

Animal rights activists in South Africa are trying to stop over 60,000 goats, sheep and cows being shipped to a Kuwaiti abattoir, saying many of them would die en route.
An inspection of the Al Shuweikh vessel revealed  miserable and crammed conditions, the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) said.
"Disease, overcrowding, pneumonia, motion sickness, physical trauma and injuries, and stress creates the perfect environment for excruciating suffering and many animals will die in transit," it warned.
The Kuwaiti-flagged vessel is docked in the southeastern port of East London.
The animals will be packed like sardines and "not be able to lie down or rest," NSPCA spokeswoman Meg Wilson told AFP.
An online petition against the shipment has gathered 77,000 signatures so far.
The NSPCA also conducted two inspections at a farm where the sheep are being raised which it said revealed abysmal conditions.
"The sheep were fighting for food, there was no ...

Contoversy in S Africa over shipment to Kuwaiti abbatoir

Ailing French airline XL Airways said Monday that it had halted all flights after failing to attract any takeover offers over the weekend, heightening the likelihood of bankruptcy just days after another French airline collapsed.
XL operates four Airbus jets serving mainly cities in North America, and some destinations in China, and had around 730,000 passengers last year.
It stopped selling tickets on September 19 and was placed in receivership a few days later after warning it could no longer pay its bills, and said it would seek a rescue bid.
But no firm offers emerged ahead of a Saturday deadline set by the commercial court of Bobigny, outside Paris.
A new hearing on the airline's future is set for Wednesday.
"Current market conditions no longer permit us to ensure the long-term operation of the company," XL said in a statement.
No details were available on the number of passengers affected by the cancellation of the flights.
Chief executive Laurent Magnin has said the company ...

Ailing French airline XL halts flights as bankruptcy looms

Yemen's Huthi rebels have freed 290 prisoners, including dozens of survivors from a Saudi-led coalition strike on a detention centre earlier this month, the ICRC said Monday.
The International Committee of the Red Cross hailed the move as "a positive step that will hopefully revive the release, transfer and repatriation of conflict-related detainees" under a deal struck last year between the rebels and Yemen's government.
The Huthis recently announced the capture of hundreds of Yemeni loyalist forces in an August offensive near the Saudi border, but they were not among those freed on Monday.
The United Nations' special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, welcomed the initiative to "unilaterally release detainees".
"I hope this step will lead to further initiatives that will facilitate the exchange of all the conflict-related detainees as per the Stockholm Agreement," Griffiths said, referring to the 2018 accord.
He called on all parties to work together to speed up the release of ...

Yemen rebels free 290 prisoners in move hailed by UN, ICRC

Dozens of world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Monday paid their final respects to ex-president Jacques Chirac as France held a national day of mourning for the popular former head of state.
Putin and other world leaders joined President Emmanuel Macron for a funeral service at Saint-Sulpice church in Paris, a day after 7,000 people queued to view Chirac's coffin at the Invalides monument.
Chirac's death on Thursday aged 86 prompted a flood of tributes to the centre-right politician whose career spanned four decades, capped by 12 years as president from 1995 to 2007.
But it also sparked questions about how much the consummate political operator actually achieved and again threw the spotlight on a 2011 conviction for graft over his time as Paris mayor.
His coffin, draped in a French flag, was carried into the church by his former bodyguards, to applause from around 1,000 onlookers lining the square outside.
Other world leaders attending included Qatar Emir ...

World leaders pay final tribute to France's Chirac

Manchester City will face Atletico Madrid in the tie of the round in the last 16 of the women's Champions League following Monday's draw at UEFA's Swiss headquarters.
Beaten semi-finalists in each of the last two seasons, City have been drawn to face the Spanish side at home in the first leg on October 16 or 17, with the return match two weeks later.
The tie will see England forward Toni Duggan return to face her former side with Atletico.
French side Lyon, who have won the Champions League in each of the last four seasons, will take on Fortuna Hjorring of Denmark. Arsenal have been drawn against Slavia Prague.
Women's Champions League last 16 draw:
Glasgow City (SCO) v Brondby (DEN)
Barcelona (ESP) v FC Minsk (BLR)
BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Lyon (FRA) v Fortuna Hjorring (DEN)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Breidablik (ISL)
Wolfsburg (GER) v Twente (NED)
Slavia Prague (CZE) v Arsenal (ENG)
Manchester City (ENG) v Atletico Madrid (ESP).
First legs on October 16/17; second .

Man City to face Atletico in women's Champions League

Fitch Ratings on Monday downgraded Saudi Arabia's credit rating by one notch, citing "rising geopolitical and military tensions in the Gulf region" after unprecedented attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
The agency said in a statement it had lowered Saudi Arabia's long-term foreign currency issuer rating from A+ to A, with a stable outlook.

Fitch downgrades Saudi credit ratings over military tensions

A Uighur scholar imprisoned in China since 2014 was jointly awarded a top European human rights prize on Monday, an accolade likely to draw the ire of Beijing.
Ilham Tohti, 49, is serving a life sentence on charges of separatism for advocating the rights of Uighurs, a Muslim minority in the northwestern Xinjiang region of China.
The Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize, named after the Czech ex-president, dissident and writer, was awarded by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to Tohti and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR), a group created in 2003 to help foster postwar reconciliation in the Balkans.
Rights groups say the Uighurs have suffered a severe crackdown that has seen millions interned in re-education camps whose existence China denied until recently.
Earlier this month, the prosecutor's office in Xinjiang said one in five arrests made in China in 2017 took place in the region, even though it represents just two percent of the country's ...

Uighur jailed in China wins top European rights award

Hundreds of hotels in Spain are facing imminent closure over the collapse of British travel giant Thomas Cook, the head of the Spanish hotel federation warned on Monday.
"There are 500 hotels which are going to close immediately due to the collapse of Thomas Cook and the situation could get worse if the government doesn't take immediate action," Juan Molas, head of Spain's Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation, told business daily Cinco Dias.
And the sum in unpaid bills left by the demise of the tour operator would be much higher than the initial estimate of 200 million euros (USD 220 million), said Molas, whose organisation represents 15,000 businesses.
"It will be much more. The amount for only eight chains is close to 100 million."
Of those hotels facing immediate closure, 100 were exclusively dependent on Thomas Cook, he said, while the rest counted on the firm for between 30 and 70 per cent of their clients.
One hotel in Fuerteventura, the second largest of the Canary 

AFP

AFP

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