Nine people were killed in a hotel fire in Ukraine's port city of Odessa on Saturday, leading authorities to launch a country-wide inspection of safety regulations in holiday resorts and hotels.
The fire broke out at 1:34 am (2234 GMT) in the southern city's Tokyo Star hotel.
Emergency services initially said eight people had died and ten were injured, later saying the number of deaths rose to nine.
Some 65 firefighters backed by 13 emergency vehicles put out the blaze three hours later.
In a statement on his Facebook page, President Volodymyr Zelensky said four of those injured were in a critical condition.
Odessa authorities said around 150 people were evacuated from the area.
Police opened a criminal investigation into possible violations of fire safety requirements and the causes of the fire were being established.
"We lost eight lives overnight," Zelensky said on Facebook.
"And this is not due to war and shelling. It is because of criminal negligence, neglect of elementary safety 

Nine killed in Ukraine hotel fire

PTI Automatic

Regime air strikes on Saturday killed a woman and six of her children in northwest Syria, a war monitor said, a day after Russian bombardment pummelled a nearby displacement camp.
The air strike hit the family's one-story home in the village of Dayr Sharqi in Idlib province, killing everyone inside, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
A photographer collaborating with AFP said he saw a man leaving the site of the blast, carrying the bloody corpse of a young girl, her hair streaked with blood.
A rescue worker carried the dust covered body of a second child, he added.
The photographer said he also saw the charred remains of a third victim trapped underneath the rubble, as rescue workers tried to retrieve it.
Heightened air raids by the Syrian regime and its ally Moscow on the Idlib region -- the last major opposition bastion in Syria's northwest --  have killed hundreds since the end of April.
The latest air strikes on the village of Dayr Sharqi wounded three ...

Syria regime strikes kill mother, 6 of her children: Monitor

The world's most expensive footballer Neymar will again be absent when Paris Saint-Germain take on Rennes on Sunday in the second round of Ligue 1 matches, coach Thomas Tuchel said on Saturday.
"Ney didn't finish the training with the squad today," said Tuchel.
"It's too early. We're waiting another week for him to start with the group again."
"When I think of a strong team, it's with him," added Tuchel.
"Nothing has changed, he has three years of contract." PSG bought Neymar for 222 million euros ($261 million) from Barcelona in 2017, but has made clear he craves a return to Spain, whether with his old club or Real Madrid.
Leonardo, the PSG sporting director, has confirmed that the club have held talks with potential buyers.
"The transfer window will close in a month," said Tuchel.
"For the moment, he's my player."
The Brazilian has not played for PSG since he injured his ankle at the end of May.  PSG beat Nimes in their opening match 3-0.

Neymar omitted again as PSG face Rennes

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson may hold talks on Brexit with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of next week's G7 summit, French diplomatic sources said Saturday.
Johnson will "probably" see Macron in Paris ahead of the August 24-26 Group of Seven summit in the southern French resort of Biarritz, one of the sources said without giving a date.
A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday that a meeting with Johnson in Berlin was "expected very soon".
"The chancellor and the new Prime Minister Boris Johnson have already spoken once on the telephone. But getting round a table together to discuss Brexit and other European issues... is of course useful," the spokesman said.
The Johnson government says it is determined to take Britain out of the European Union by October 31 whether or not it can renegotiate an exit deal with the EU.
Brussels has repeatedly rejected any idea of reopening the accord negotiated with Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May.

UK PM may meet Macron ahead of G7: Sources

Sri Lanka's batters set the stage Saturday for a thrilling final day, reaching 133 without loss at stumps on day four as they chased 268 to beat New Zealand in the first Test in Galle.
Openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne were involved in a record opening stand of 133 runs and benefited from some sloppy fielding by the tourists.  It leaves Sri Lanka needing a further 135 runs to record their first win in the World Test Championship.
Karunaratne was unbeaten on 71 off 168 balls with two boundaries while Thirimanne was on 57 having faced 132 deliveries and hit four fours. They were in no mood to withdraw to the dressing room but bad light ended play 34 minutes before schedule.
Batting fourth in Galle is not the prettiest thing for batsmen and the highest successful run chase here is 99. But this track held together and there weren't any demons for batsmen making life difficult.
Both openers were slow off the blocks with the first boundary coming in the 22nd over. Karunaratne 

Sri Lanka set up final day thriller against New Zealand

Hundreds of women demanding protection from Mexico City's police force took to the streets Friday after a number of high-profile sexual assault cases involving serving officers.
To shouts of "I do believe you!" and "My friends protect me, you don't," the initially peaceful rally ended with some participants lighting a fire on the second floor of a police building and vandalising a bus station.
The protesters also sprayed graffiti on the capital's Independence Monument, adorning the base of the stone edifice with the slogan "damned pigs!"
Two reports of attacks on women this month have sparked outrage and bitter recriminations against the city's police force, with protesters mobilising on social media through the hashtag #NoMeCuidanMeViolan, or "They don't protect me, they rape me."
A 17-year-old girl said four police officers assaulted her in a patrol car in the city's north.
An officer was accused of assaulting a 16-year-old in a museum just days later.
"I worry young women cannot go 

Hundreds of Mexican women protest police rape of teenager

Hundreds of pro-China demonstrators marched through Sydney Saturday in response to a growing number of rallies in support of the Hong Kong democracy protests as tensions between the two groups increasingly flare in Australia.
They marched through the city chanting "One China", waving the Chinese flag and holding placards saying "Stop riots end violence in Hong Kong".
"There has been a lot of violence and violent protests in Hong Kong," Sydney-based lawyer and rally organiser who asked only to be called Zhao told AFP.
"And Hong Kong people have suffered from that and we want to voice our call for peace and order in Hong Kong."
Police had to escort a lone pro-democracy supporter from the Sydney event after he was set upon by a mob of angry demonstrators.
With the Asian financial hub plunged into crisis by months of pro-democracy protests, several small public rallies of support by Hong Kong students have been held at Australian universities.
These have angered some mainland Chinese ...

Hong Kong protest tensions heat up in Australia

South Korean police raided one of the biggest K-pop management firms on Saturday as part of an investigation into music mogul Yang Hyun-suk's alleged illicit gambling.
Yang, founder and ex-chief producer of YG Entertainment, resigned from his post in June after drug and sex scandals rocked the company since March.
He was placed under formal investigation by police earlier this week over allegations of gambling involving illicit cash exchange along with Seungri, a former member of YG's highly popular band BIGBANG.
"We are trying to gather evidence on how (Yang) secured funds for gambling, and how many times the alleged gambling took place," a Seoul police officer told AFP.
Local news reports said Yang was alleged to have engaged in "habitual and illegal gambling", in locations including Macau and Las Vegas since the early 2000s.
Yang was also separately placed under investigation by police last month for allegedly arranging sex services for foreign investors back in 2014.
A member of ..

Police raid K-pop agency over alleged illegal gambling

Hundreds of riot police were on the streets of central Moscow Saturday as  opposition protesters prepared to defy a crackdown by authorities and launch fresh demonstrations to demand to free local elections.
In a move to circumvent restrictions by the authorities, the activists were planning to let one person at a time hold a protest sign as such demonstrations do not technically need approval.
The wave of rallies has seen tens of thousands take to the streets after opposition figures were banned from local elections a month ago.
The rallies, which have taken place every Saturday since the ruling, are the biggest since mass protests broke out in 2011 against President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin after a term as prime minister.
Police have come down hard on the demonstrations, which have tapped into wider anger over declining living standards and a stalling economy.
Some 3,000 people have been arrested for taking part and prominent members of the opposition, including top ...

Russian opposition to defy authorities with fresh protests

Southern separatists vacated key public buildings in Yemen's second city Aden on Saturday that they had seized from unionist forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, his information minister said.
The supporters of the separatist Southern Transitional Council pulled out of the headquarters of Hadi's government, the supreme court and the central bank as well as Aden's main hospital, Muammar al-Iryani said on Twitter.
Hadi's government has refused to enter talks with the separatists until they withdraw from the positions they seized in deadly fighting last week.
Iryani said preparations were also underway for a pullout by the United Arab Emirates-trained fighters from the interior ministry and the Aden oil refinery.
The start of the withdrawal had been announced by the Saudi-led military coalition which has been backing Hadi's government against northern-based Huthi rebels since 2015.
The UAE is Saudi Arabia's main partner in that coalition but trained and equipped the ...

Separatists vacate key offices in Yemen's Aden: Minister

The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Saturday named South Africa's Russell Domingo as the new head coach of the national team, replacing Englishman Steve Rhodes.
The 44-year-old has agreed to a two-year term with the BCB and is expected to arrive in Dhaka on Wednesday to take charge.
"He has a wealth of experience and we have been very impressed with his passion and coaching philosophy," BCB president Nazmul Hassan said.
Bangladesh were struggling to appoint a head coach ahead of hosting Afghanistan for a one Test series in early September and a tri-nation tournament with the visitors and Zimbabwe.
The Tigers had no coach for over a month after the BCB parted ways with Rhodes following the team's eighth-place finish in the league stage of the World Cup.
BCB Director and former skipper Khaled Mahmud took temporary charge during an 0-3 defeat to Sri Lanka in a three-match one-day international series in late July.
Hasan said they chose Domingo ahead of other candidates because of his ...

Domingo named new Bangladesh cricket coach

Gabon's President Ali Bongo on Saturday made a rare public appearance to attend the country's independence day celebrations, nearly ten months after suffering a stroke that fueled speculation about his ability to rule.
Bongo, whose every move is scrutinised for signs of his state of health, on Friday made his first public appearance since his illness, taking part in events on the eve of celebrations to mark Gabon's 1960 independence from France.
The public outings were the first time Gabonese have seen their leader beyond the presidential palace since he fell ill last October, except for appearances filmed and edited by Gabonese government or state media.
Standing in an army vehicle, in a dark suit and dark glasses, Bongo arrived on Saturday for the military parade on Libreville's main boulevard along the capital's seafront.
He used a long cane to walk to an observation stand, applauded by dignitaries there and he climbed the stairs by himself to his seat, next to his wife Sylvia ...

Gabon's Bongo attends independence parade in rare public appearance

A waiter at restaurant near Paris was shot dead by a customer angry at having to wait for a sandwich, a source close to the case said Saturday.
Colleagues of the victim called police after he was shot him with a hand gun at an eatery in the eastern Paris suburb of Noisy-le-Grand on Friday night, the source said.
Attempts to revive the 28-year-old failed and he died at the scene.
The gunman, who witnesses said lost his temper "as his sandwich wasn't prepared quickly enough" for his liking, fled the scene.
Police have opened a murder investigation.

Customer kills French waiter in sandwich spat

Veterans were marching Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of the British army's deployment to Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Veterans Association is holding an anniversary memorial event in the city of Lisburn, southwest of Belfast.
Hundreds of ex-service personnel attended, including those from the Parachute Regiment and the Royal Engineers.
A total of 722 soldiers died during Operation Banner, which ran from 1969 to 2007.
The army's 38-year presence in the province left a bitter legacy in the form of a fierce political debate over whether soldiers should be prosecuted for alleged crimes.
Since soldiers first appeared on Northern Ireland's streets on August 14, 1969, the British army witnessed and was involved in some of the darkest hours of the Troubles, the three decades of unrest in the province.
Troops were initially brought in to help police deal with inter-community rioting in Londonderry and Belfast, in what was intended to be a short intervention.
When it ended, ...

Veterans mark 50th anniversary of British army's N Ireland mission

Nine people were injured during a fireworks display in a popular resort in southern France when one rocket misfired close to onlookers on the beach, firefighters said Saturday.
Three of those hurt in the incident in on Friday night in Collioure were taken to hospital after the device "exploded very low" and rained down sparks on some of the 80,000 crowd, firefighters and the local prefecture said.
One person remained in hospital after surgery for a shoulder fracture.
The misfiring rocket was part of a show on a barge just off the port of Collioure, a small picturesque seaside town near the Spanish border whose 3,000 population mushrooms around 30-fold with summer tourists.
Three doctors on site swiftly intervened to treat those injured, the local prefecture said, adding local police have opened an investigation into the incident.

Nine hurt in accident at fireworks show in French resort

Sri Lanka's openers made a solid start Saturday while chasing a tough target of 268 to beat New Zealand, reaching 76 by tea on the fourth day of the first Test at Galle.
With the record run chase in a Test here just 99, Sri Lanka require a further 192 runs to go one nil up in the two-match series, their first in the World Test Championship.
Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne reached his 23rd Test fifty with a cut shot to third man off the bowling of William Somerville just before tea, going into tea on 52.
Lahiru Thirimanne, on 23, had a shaky start but importantly was not out at the break as the pair batted through the afternoon session.
Karunaratne was solid using both the sweep and reverse sweep to good effect to pick up his runs.
A traditional Galle wicket would have benefitted the bowlers by day four but the track was holding up and there were no demons for the batters.
Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel, who picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings, bowled only three overs in the ...

Chasing 268, Sri Lanka's openers make steady start

Hong Kong democracy activists kicked off a weekend of fresh rallies on Saturday in a major test for the movement following criticism over an airport protest earlier this week -- and as concerns mount over Beijing's next move.
The new marches came as thousands of pro-government supporters -- many waving Chinese flags -- gathered in a park to condemn their opponents and support the police, a stark illustration of the polarisation now coursing through the city.
Ten weeks of demonstrations have plunged the international finance hub into crisis, with communist-ruled mainland China taking an increasingly hardline tone, including labelling the more violent protester actions "terrorist-like".
Democracy activists are billing the weekend rallies as a way to show Beijing and the city's unelected leaders that their movement still enjoys broad public support, despite increasingly violent tactics deployed by a minority of hardcore protesters that have cast a shadow.
On Tuesday, protesters blocked ..

Rival rallies as Hong Kong's divisions deepen

Hong Kong democracy activists kicked off a weekend of fresh protests on Saturday in a major test for the movement following criticism over an airport protest earlier this week -- and as concerns mount over Beijing's next move.
Ten weeks of demonstrations have plunged the international finance hub into crisis, with the communist-ruled mainland taking an increasingly hardline tone, including labelling the more violent protester actions "terrorist-like".
Activists are billing two planned rallies on Saturday and Sunday as a way to show Beijing and the city's unelected leaders that their movement still enjoys broad public support, despite increasingly violent tactics deployed by a minority of hardcore protesters that have cast a shadow.
On Tuesday, protesters blocked passengers from boarding flights at the city's airport and later assaulted two men they accused of being Chinese spies.
The images damaged a movement that until then had largely only targeted the police or government ...

Hong Kong protesters kick off new weekend of rallies

Amid growing alarm over accelerating extinctions, a major international conference opened in Geneva Saturday aiming to tighten rules on trade in elephant ivory and other endangered animal and plant species.
Thousands of conservationists and policymakers from more than 180 countries will meet for 12 days to evaluate regulations and species protection listings under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
"Business as usual is no longer an option," CITES Secretary General Ivonne Higuero said at the start of the meeting, warning that "nature's dangerous decline is unprecedented."
The treaty, created more than four decades ago, regulates trade in over 35,000 species of plants and animals and contains mechanisms to help crack down on illegal trade and sanction countries that break the rules.
The meeting follows warnings about rapid species decline, with a UN report in May indicating that one million species are being pushed to the brink of extinction.
"My fear .

Wildlife meet mulls trade rules to counter 'unprecedented' species declines

More than 2,000 boys dressed in colourful traditional costumes took part in a mass dance in Aceh to celebrate Indonesia's independence day on Saturday.
The 2019 teenagers, one for each year, lined up playing the tambourine-like Rapa'i and singing a song that recounts the history of Islam in the southeast Asian country.
This year, participants were selected from 140 villages in Aceh province's Blangpidie district to train for weeks for the independence day celebration.
Thousands of spectators watched and cheered enthusiastically as the boys played their instruments and danced in shifting formations.
"This is very festive, I've never seen it before. It was so much fun," visitor Khairul Bariah told AFP.
The event is held periodically to celebrate various occasions from a successful harvest season to religious days and weddings.
"It was not easy to discipline this many dancers. I hope after this Rapa'i mass dance will be known," performer Abdul told AFP.

Acehnese hold mass dance for Indonesian independence day

The swimming section of a paratriathlon test event for Tokyo 2020 was cancelled Saturday due to high levels of bacteria in the water, the latest in a series of difficulties over water quality and temperature.
Olympic organisers have won widespread praise for their preparations but extreme summer heat and poor water quality have brought headaches at practice events, with less than a year to go until the opening ceremony.
The International Triathlon Union (ITU) shelved the swimming leg after tests showed levels of e-coli more than double the acceptable standard.  The 70 paratriathletes instead competed in a duathlon format with two runs and a bike race.
"I'm so sorry for athletes that we could not prepare the competition conditions effectively," Shinichiro Otsuka, managing director of Japan's Triathlon Union, told reporters.
"It was regrettable," he said, vowing to step up preparations for Sunday's Mixed Relay.
Former British paralympic triathlete Clare Cunningham tweeted that ...

AFP

AFP

Page 452 - Afp