President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said three Syrians were killed in the Turkish town of Reyhanli close to the Syrian border in a car blast that may be terror-related.
"The initial findings suggest there may be more of a link with terror," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul. "It is clear there was a bomb in the car," he said.
"Our colleagues are looking into who was behind this," he said in televised comments, adding the government would provide more information in a few hours.
The blast took place less than a kilometre from the Reyhanli district governor's office around 1000 GMT, state news agency Anadolu reported.
Images in Turkish media showed thick black smoke and flames from the car as firefighters fought the blaze.
A twin car bombing blamed on pro-Damascus groups in May 2013 in Reyhanli killed over 50 people in one of the deadliest attacks in Turkey's modern history.
Turkey was hit by a series of terror attacks in 2015 and 2016 blamed on the Islamic State extremist group ..

Erdogan says Turkey car blast may be terror-linked

PTI Automatic

China's second richest man Jack Ma will contribute to a $145 million donation to the Chinese women's football squad, it was announced Friday, who despite underfunding routinely outperform the men's national team.
The one billion yuan ($145 million) donation from Ma -- the founder of online shopping giant Alibaba -- and two other charitable foundations will be spread over the coming decade.
It will contribute to "injury prevention and treatment, the career development of retired footballers, technical development and coach education, and youth development," a joint statement said.
China made the Women's World Cup -- now under way in France -- for the seventh time in eight editions, and boasts a record that the men's team can only envy.
But the women's side does more with far less support, and professional women's football in China gets little notice and plays to meagre attendances.
The team put in a respectable showing in France, going out in the round of 16.  But they have slipped ...

Chinese online giant Alibaba to donate $145m to women's football

Eva Mozes Kor, a survivor of Auschwitz and the death camp's infamous doctor Josef Mengele, has passed away in Poland during a trip to the Holocaust site, sources said.
The Romanian-born Kor, who founded the Candles Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana and devoted her life to Holocaust awareness, was 85.
"We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Eva Kor, Holocaust survivor, forgiveness advocate, and founder of CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center," the museum said on its Twitter account.
It added that Kor passed away Thursday in Krakow, southern Poland, during an annual trip organised by the museum that included a visit to Auschwitz, a former Nazi camp in the nearby town of Oswiecim.
"Only five days ago we recorded a testimony of Eva Kor, an Auschwitz survivor, for @AuschwitzMuseum Archive. Today came news about her passing away," the Auschwitz Museum said in a tweet late Thursday.
"Broken-hearted to inform you that Ewa Kor has passed away and will be buried in the US," ...

Eva Kor, survivor of Auschwitz doctor Mengele, dies in Poland

Mad Magazine has amused and outraged readers for nearly seventy years but now it is being pulled from newsstands, triggering testimonials from comedians and cartoonists.
The rollicking satirical mag with its freckled, big-eared mascot Alfred E. Neuman will be published monthly with original satire only until September, its publisher DC Comics told ABC news on Thursday.
But "after issue #10 this fall there will no longer be new content -- except for the end-of-year specials which will always be all new," it said in a statement.
"So starting with issue #11 the magazine will feature classic, best-of and nostalgic content from the last 67 years."
Mad -- known for its adult humour and sharp political edge -- was first published in 1952 and became a comic tour-de-force that influenced many well known satirists.
"I am profoundly sad to hear that after 67 years, MAD Magazine is ceasing publication," comedian, musician and former guest editor Weird Al Yankovich tweeted.
"I can't begin to ...

Satirists mourn as MAD magazine folds

The casualty toll of an air strike on a detention camp for migrants near the Libyan capital has climbed to 53 dead and 130 wounded, the World Health Organization said Friday.
The UN agency said the deaths in Tuesday night's strike had raised to almost 1,000 dead and 5,000 wounded the overall toll of an assault on Tripoli launched by military strongman Khalifa Haftar in April.
International Organization for Migration spokesman Joel Millman said six children and at least two migrants due to leave this week under a voluntary repatriation programme were among those killed.
Seventeen different nationalities, mainly African, were represented among the 600 migrants at the Tajoura detention centre, he told reporters in Geneva.
"According to IOM staff on site Thursday, 350 migrants, among them 20 women and four children, remain in detention there," said Millman.
Charlie Yaxlie, spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, also speaking in Geneva, insisted on "a full and ...

Death toll of air raid on Libya migrant camp rises to 53: WHO

England midfield stalwart Karen Carney will retire from football after her team's World Cup third-place play-off against Sweden in Nice on Saturday, the 31-year-old has announced.
"I've probably known for quite a while now," Carney said of her decision at a press conference on Friday.
"My mind still wants to do everything and it still can but I don't think my body can anymore. At some point your body tells you enough is enough and I think I've got to that point."
Carney, who appeared in all three of England's group games at the World Cup but has not been used since, has won 143 caps since making her debut in 2005.
Part of the England side that won bronze at the 2015 World Cup in Canada, her decision means she also ends her association with Chelsea with whom she won the league and cup double in 2017-18.
A member of the Arsenal team which won an unprecedented quadruple in the 2006-07 season, Carney also played for Birmingham City and Chicago Red Stars.
"I feel incredibly honoured that ..

England midfielder Carney announces retirement ahead of third-place play-off

Two people were killed on Friday after a car blast in the Turkish town of Reyhanli close to the Syrian border, state media reported.
Two others were also injured, state news agency Anadolu said, as ambulances and police were rushed to the scene. The governor of Hatay province, where Reyhanli is located, Rahmi Dogan, told Anadolu that the cause of the explosion was not yet known.

Car blast kills two in Turkish town near Syria border: media

German car giant BMW said Friday its boss Harald Krueger would not seek another term when his current office runs out next April.
"The Supervisory Board will address the matter of succession in its next meeting on 18 July 2019," said the group in a statement.
Krueger, 53, had been under pressure over criticism that he has not moved swiftly enough in steering the group through the shift from combustion to electric engines, according to German media.
Krueger took the helm at BMW in May 2015, shortly before the diesel emissions scandal broke at rival Volkswagen and dragged the German automotive sector into a cloud of general suspicion.
With tougher anti-pollution measures gradually coming into force, the car group, like other European auto giants, has been forced to shift gears to electromobility.
"After more than ten years in the Board of Management, more than four of which as the CEO of the BMW Group, I would like to pursue new professional endeavours and leverage my diverse ...

BMW boss Krueger to step down in 2020

Somalia has cut diplomatic relations with Guinea after the head of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland visited the West African country, the foreign ministry in Mogadishu has said.
Somaliland declared its independence in 1991 but is not recognised by the international community, which considers it an autonomous region of Somalia.
The foreign ministry in a statement Thursday said the government had cut all diplomatic ties after Guinea "accorded the protocol of head of state... to the leader of a separatist movement".
The statement accused Guinea of "disregarding callously all the relevant resolutions of the UN and African consensus".
Somaliland President Muse Bihi and his delegation reportedly met officials in Guinea to discuss establishing a formal relationship.
The Somaliland government has made no official statement about the visit so far.
Formerly a British protectorate, Somaliland merged with former Italian Somaliland in 1960 to create Somalia.
But it seceded and declared ..

Somalia cuts diplomatic ties with Guinea

Two Singaporean men were charged Friday with flying drones near a military airbase without permission, the city-state's first such prosecutions as it cracks down on illegal use of the devices.
The growing popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles is a challenge for aviation regulators worldwide and the prosecutions come after flights at Singapore's main airport were disrupted twice last month by drones.
Ed Chen Junyuan, 37, and Tay Miow Seng, 40, appeared in court charged with one count each of operating a small drone within five kilometres of Paya Lebar Air Base without the correct permit.
The offences allegedly took place in an open field on June 26, according to court documents.
It is the first prosecution of individuals under a law regulating drone use, said Josephus Tan from Invictus Law Corporation, who is representing the men.
The first case against a company was launched in May, local media reports said.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, a permit is required 

Singaporeans charged over illegal drone flying

- Gunmen have kidnapped two Chinese citizens and killed their police guard in southern Nigeria, police said on Friday, the latest such incident targeting  workers from the country.  The abduction took place Wednesday at the town of Utesi in the southern Edo state, a senior police officer told AFP.  "The Chinese were seized by unknown gunmen who had laid an ambush for them outside the premises of their company," the officer said.  "The police orderly attached to the Chinese was killed in the operation." He said police have launched a man-hunt for the attackers with a view to rescuing the hostages, who were employed at a glass and aluminium firm.  Chinese companies are working in Nigeria on multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects that include railways, airports and roads.  Their workers have been repeatedly targeted by kidnap gangs.  Kidnapping for ransom is common in Nigeria, especially in the oil-rich south.  The victims are usually released after a ransom is paid although police 

Gunmen kidnap two Chinese workers, kill Nigerian guard

Egypt increased fuel prices Friday in its latest round of subsidy cuts under a reform package agreed with the International Monetary Fund, authorities said.
The latest cut in fuel subsidies is a condition of a $12-billion loan secured from the IMF in November 2016.
It is the fifth and final hike in petrol prices as Egypt prepares to receive the last $2-billion tranche from the monetary body.
Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took power in 2014, his government has enforced a strict austerity programme designed to jump-start the economy.
The economy took a battering in the immediate aftermath of the revolution that ousted long-time autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Direct foreign investment has grown to record levels but the country's debt and essential household costs have ballooned.
In May, electricity bills were raised by around 15 per cent.
Egyptians have had to contend with belt-tightening measures that have seen living costs soar since the pound was devalued in November 2016.
The 

Egypt raises fuel prices in line with IMF rules

Human Rights Watch on Friday condemned Lebanon's order for Syrian refugees to demolish their hard shelters as tantamount to "illegitimate pressure" on them to return to their war-torn country.
Lebanon, a country of some four million people, says it hosts at least 1.5 million Syrians on its soil after they fled the eight-year civil war next door, many living in informal settlements in the country's east.
Nearly a million are registered as refugees with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
To discourage any permanent settlement, Lebanese authorities gave Syrians living in the region of Arsal until July 1 to demolish shelters made of anything but timber and plastic sheeting.
Families have been forced to tear down any small cinderblock room they may have built, with the army stepping in to destroy at least 20 remaining hard shelters as the deadline passed on Monday.
"This crackdown on housing code violations should be seen for what it is, which is illegitimate pressure on ...

HRW condemns 'pressure' on Syrians to leave Lebanon

Crowds of jubilant Sudanese took to the streets of Khartoum on Friday, chanting "civilian rule" after protest leaders struck a deal with the ruling generals on a new governing body.
Chants of "the martyrs' blood has not been shed in vain" reverberated around the same streets where more than six months of protests culminated in the landmark roadmap for a new political future after the toppling of veteran president Omar al-Bashir in a palace coup in April.
The deal, reached in the early hours of Friday after two days of hard-won talks brokered by Ethiopian and African Union mediators, provides for the interim governing body to have a rotating presidency, as a compromise between the positions of the generals and the protesters.
The blueprint proposes that a general hold the presidency for the first 18 months of a three-year transition, with a civilian taking over for the rest.
The issue had led to weeks of deadlock, which was marred by a brutal raid on a longstanding protest camp outside 

Sudanese celebrate as protesters reach deal with generals

The UN human rights chief lamented Friday the erosion of rule of law in Venezuela, pointing to attacks on political opponents and activists, including using torture and killings.
"Essential institutions and the rule of law in Venezuela have been eroded," Michelle Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council.
She was presenting a damning report published late Thursday, following her visit to the troubled South American Country last month.
The report pointed out that, according to a count by Caracas, nearly 7,000 people have been killed during security operations in Venezuela in the past year and a half.
"Many could constitute extrajudicial killings, and should be fully investigated with accountability of perpetrators, and guarantees of non-recurrence," Bachelet told the council.
In her report, she especially pointed a finger at Venezuela's police special forces (FAES), and urged the authorities to "dissolve" the unit.
Overall, she said that attempts to exercise basic rights like freedom ..

Rule of law in Venezuela 'eroded': UN rights chief

Iran demanded Friday that Britain immediately release an oil tanker it has detained in Gibraltar, accusing it of acting at the bidding of the United States.
A senior foreign ministry official "described the UK move as unacceptable" in a meeting with British ambassador Rob Macaire, who had been summoned to hear a formal protest, the ministry said in a statement.
He "called for the immediate release of the oil tanker, given that it has been seized at the request of the US, based on the information currently available", the statement added.
Authorities in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory on Spain's southern tip at the western entrance to the Mediterranean, said they suspected the tanker was carrying crude to Syria in violation of EU sanctions.
The detention of the 330-metre (1,000-feet) Grace 1 vessel comes at a sensitive time in Iran-EU ties as the bloc mulls how to respond to Tehran announcing it is poised to breach the uranium enrichment limit it agreed to in a troubled 2015 ...

Iran demands Britain release oil tanker held in Gibraltar

Polish lawmakers have approved a measure that would exonerate most workers under the age of 26 from income taxes as the country seeks to stem the flow of its young people to other EU nations in search of better paying jobs.
The lower house of parliament approved the measure introduced by the ruling conservatives in a vote late Thursday by an overwhelming majority.
The bill would exonerate workers under the age of 26 from Poland's 18 percent personal income tax for those whose gross earnings don't surpass 85,500 zlotys (20,000 euros, USD 22,500) per year.
That level is higher than Poland's average income, estimated to be around 60,000 zlotys per year before tax.
The approval of the measure by the upper house of parliament and its signature by the president is widely expected.
Some two million people could benefit from the measure, according to supporters of the legislation, which should enter into force from August 1.
Poland has long been haemorrhaging skilled workers to other EU ...

Poland moves to exempt young workers from income tax

A foundation set up to compensate victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery has been formally dissolved, South Korean officials said Friday, the latest chapter in a bitter dispute over the two countries' shared history.
The USD 8.8 million fund was established in 2015 as Tokyo and Seoul made a renewed effort to push past their continuing row over Japan's brutal 1910 - 1945 occupation.
The money -- which the two sides agreed at the time was a final settlement -- was intended to compensate so-called "comfort women" -- a euphemism for those forced to provide sex for Japanese troops during World War II.
Around half of the money has been claimed by a dwindling number of survivors or their families.
But ties have since frayed, with some in South Korea insisting the 2015 deal did not hold Japan sufficiently accountable for its past abuses.
Seoul's Gender Equality Ministry, the government body in charge of issues related to former sex slaves, said Friday the foundation had been put into ...

Seoul dissolves Japan fund for WWII sex slaves

Dual 100-metre hurdles world champion Sally Pearson has suffered another injury setback, with a hamstring strain forcing her out of upcoming events in Lucerne, Monaco and London.
But the Australian, who won the world title in 2011 and 2017, insisted it wasn't serious and would not derail her preparations as she targets more glory at the Doha world championships in September.
"Unfortunately, after weeks of intense sprinting and hurdles, I had a minor training mishap this morning," she said on Instagram late Thursday.
"Scans have revealed a small hamstring strain, with an expected 2-3 week recovery."
It means she will miss at least three events in Europe, including Diamond League meetings at Monaco and London.
"Needless to say I am disappointed but thankfully the hamstring injury is only a minor setback and won't impede my preparations for this year's world championships in Doha. Onwards and upwards," she added.
The 32-year-old, the 2012 Olympic champion, is on the comeback after being .

Another injury setback for hurdles world champ Pearson

The Malaysian producer of Hollywood film "The Wolf of Wall Street" and stepson of the country's disgraced ex-leader was Friday charged with illegally receiving almost USD 250 million from state fund 1MDB.
Riza Aziz pleaded not guilty to five charges of money laundering when he appeared in a Kuala Lumpur court.
He is accused of receiving USD 248.17 million in 2011 and 2012 in illegal proceeds that originated from the scandal-hit Malaysian fund.
The money was sent to bank accounts of Hollywood production company Red Granite Pictures, which Riza co-founded, according to the charges.
As well as "The Wolf of Wall Street", a 2013 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio about a huge financial scam, Red Granite produced the Jim Carrey movie "Dumb and Dumber To" and "Daddy's Home".
Billions of dollars were looted from 1MDB, allegedly by ex-prime minister Najib Razak and his cronies, who spent it on everything from a yacht to pricey artwork, in a globe-spanning fraud.
Prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram told ...

Hollywood producer charged in Malaysia over 1MDB scandal

A Hong Kong street artist was charged on Friday with assaulting a police officer and criminal damage, the first prosecution against an anti-government protester since the city was rocked by unprecedented demonstrations.
Sparked by a law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, the city has witnessed three huge peaceful rallies as well as civil disobedience and violence from a hard core of younger protesters who have besieged the police headquarters, and on Monday stormed and ransacked the city's parliament.
Authorities have vowed to hunt those behind the unrest that has plunged the semi-autonomous city's Beijing-backed government into crisis.
Pun Ho-chiu, 31, appeared in court on Friday over his alleged involvement in the blockade of the city's police headquarters on 21 June.
He was also charged with disorderly behaviour for throwing eggs at police outside the headquarters during the six-hour siege.
A well-known activist nicknamed "Painter" for his street art, Pun was ..

AFP

AFP

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