Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang Thursday for a two-day state visit, the first by a Chinese president in 14 years, according to Chinese state media.
Xi, who is accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other officials, landed at 11:40 am local time (0240 GMT), according to China's CCTV broadcaster.

China's Xi arrives in Pyongyang: state media

PTI Automatic

New Zealand opened a gun buyback scheme Thursday aimed at ridding the country of semi-automatic weapons similar to those used in the Christchurch mosque attacks that killed 51 Muslim worshippers.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed in the hours after the March 15 killings that New Zealand's gun laws would be tightened and her government has expedited the change in just three months.
"The buyback and amnesty has one objective -- to remove the most dangerous weapons from circulation following the loss of life at Al Noor and Linwood mosques," Police Minister Stuart Nash said.
The Australian man accused of the killings, Brenton Tarrant, is alleged to have used an arsenal of five weapons, including two military style semi-automatic rifles (MSSAs), in the attacks on two Christchurch mosques.
Lawmakers voted to outlaw MSSAs, which allow the rapid fire of high-calibre bullets, by a margin of 119-1 in the wake of the worst massacre in modern New Zealand history.
Licenced firearms owners will ..

New Zealand opens gun buyback after mosque killings

Joe Biden drew strong condemnation Wednesday from fellow Democratic presidential contenders and demands for an apology after he defended his old-fashioned political style by recalling the "civility" with which he treated two segregationist US senators.
Speaking at a New York fundraiser Tuesday, the ex-vice president and frontrunner for the Democratic nomination told donors that fixing America's "broken" politics would require forging consensus with lawmakers with opposing positions.
Biden, who spent more than three decades in the US Senate, named late senators James Eastland of Mississippi and Herman Talmadge of Georgia, both southern Democrats who fiercely opposed desegregation, as opponents who were in his own party when he entered the chamber in 1973.
Eastland "never called me 'boy,' he always called me 'son,'" Biden said of the former Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, according to a press pool report.
Eastland, who left the Senate in 1978, was known to speak of blacks as "an ...

Biden under fire for recalling 'civility' with racist senators

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Papua, in eastern Indonesia Thursday, US seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued.
The quake hit about 250 kilometres west of the town of Abepura in Papua province at 12:46 am local time, at a depth of 12 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey.
The quake was felt weakly in Abepura, but most people did not notice it.
"I was still awake at home but I did not feel it all and none of my neighbors ran out of their home," Abepura resident Arul Firmansyah told AFP.
There were no immediate reports of casualties after the earthquake.
Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide.
Last year, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island killed more than 2,200 with a thousand more declared missing.
On December 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck Aceh province, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000.

6.3-magnitude earthquake rocks Indonesia's Papua

Regime attacks killed 17 civilians and 11 combatants in Syria's jihadist-run northwest on Wednesday, a war monitor said, the latest violence to rattle a region housing three million people.
Twelve civilians were killed in regime air strikes on a village in the Jabal al-Zawiya region of southeastern Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The bombardment destroyed shops and ripped apart bodies, according to an AFP photographer, who found human remains more than a hundred metres away from the site of the strike.
Rescue workers were seen pulling bodies from under the rubble.
Four other civilians were killed in air raids on nearby towns and villages in southern Idlib, while one civilian died in air strikes on the edges of Idlib's eponymous provincial capital, the Britain-based Observatory said.
In the north of nearby Hama province, regime rocket fire killed 11 jihadists, a day after fierce clashes in the area left at least 55 combatants dead, including 14 regime ...

Regime attacks kill 28 in Syria's Idlib: monitor

Jihadist fighters killed 17 civilians in a nighttime raid on a village in the troubled north of Burkina Faso, Defence Minister Cheriff Sy said Wednesday.
"An armed terrorist group carried out an attack against the civil population in the village of Belehede" overnight Tuesday, Sy said. "The attack caused 17 deaths," he added in a statement.
A "massive" military operation is underway to find the attackers and secure the area, Sy added, calling on the population to be extra vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
Burkina Faso has suffered from increasingly frequent and deadly attacks attributed to a number of jihadist groups, including the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.
The raids began in 2015 in the north before targeting the capital Ouagadougou and other regions, notably in the east.
In April, 62 people were killed in jihadist attacks and ensuing ethnic clashes, and four people travelling by car were ambushed and killed.
More ...

Jihadists kill 17 civilians in north Burkina Faso: minister

Mexico ratified the new North American trade agreement Wednesday, making the country the first to give it final approval despite recent tension with the US.
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) passed in the Mexican Senate with 114 votes in favor and just four against, sending what the economy ministry called "a clear message in favor of an open economy and deepening economic integration in the region."
There was little doubt the new deal would pass easily in Mexico: the one it aims to replace, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has helped turn the country into an exporting powerhouse over the past 25 years.
Opening debate in the upper house, Senator Veronica Martinez, secretary of the economic committee, called the deal "an important agreement for all Mexicans." "Our economy has been transformed" by regional free trade, she said.
The three countries signed the agreement on November 30 after a year of thorny negotiations triggered by US President Donald ...

Mexico ratifies new trade deal with US, Canada

Arab parliamentarians gathered in Cairo on Wednesday urged the United Nations to list Yemen's Huthi rebel movement as a "terrorist organisation" while accusing it of attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The Huthis have intensified attacks in the past few weeks against the kingdom, which launched military operations in Yemen in 2015 as part of a coalition to push back against the Shiite rebels.
The parliament of the Arab League decided Wednesday to "ask the UN and the Security Council to take a firm and immediate position by classifying the putschist Huthi militia a terrorist organisation".
The body made up of representatives from the parliaments in the pan-Arab bloc accused the Huthis of "regularly targeting civilian and vital infrastructure in Saudi Arabia with ballistic missiles or drones".
On June 12, a missile fired at Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia wounded dozens of civilians - in an attack claimed by the Huthis.
The rebels also claimed responsibility for a series of drone strikes 

Arab deputies urge UN to call Huthis 'terrorists'

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday opened the door to an interest rate cut soon, saying uncertainties about the economic outlook are on the rise and vowing to act to keep the economy growing.
The central bank left rates unchanged but one policymaker dissented in the vote, advocating for an immediate cut instead - something President Donald Trump has been calling for loudly.
The policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee kept the key rate in the 2.25-2.5 per cent range but said "uncertainties about this outlook have increased" and the Fed "will act as appropriate to sustain the expansion."
The closely-watched Fed statement included a marked shift in language, no longer saying the central bank will remain "patient" in assessing economic data.
Officials in recent weeks had acknowledged that  trade frictions with China are darkening the outlook.
"In light of these uncertainties and muted inflation pressures, the Committee will closely monitor the implications of incoming information for ..

Fed opens door to rate cut amid growing 'uncertainties'

A US official said Wednesday that Saudi Arabia should do more to ensure accountability over the death of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi but stopped short of blaming the crown prince after a UN probe linked him to the killing.
Brian Hook, who is in charge of pushing President Donald Trump's hawkish line on Iran, was asked about US support of Tehran's regional rival Saudi Arabia as he testified before Congress.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "has made it very clear that we are determined to hold every single person materially responsible accountable," Hook said.
"The Saudi prosecutor has taken important steps toward accountability for the tragic killing of Jamal Khashoggi but more needs to be done," Hook said.
He did not directly respond to the question from Democratic Representative Ted Lieu, who asked if the Trump administration shared the widely reported view of the CIA that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing.
The UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or 

US says Saudis can do more after UN Khashoggi probe

Former Sampdoria boss Marco Giampaolo has been appointed new coach of AC Milan on a two-year deal, the Serie A side announced on Wednesday.
The 51-year-old, who will take over on July 1, also has an option of a third year as part of a deal reported to be worth two million euros annually.
"Giampaolo will now coach AC Milan's first team on the first day of the new season's training at Milanello on July 9th," Milan said in a statement.
Giampaolo replaces former player Gennaro Gattuso who quit last month amid reports of financial cutbacks after leading the club to a fifth-placed finish in Serie A.
Sporting director Leonardo also left the club with former players Zvonimir Boban and Paolo Maldini brought in as part of an overhaul at the seven-time European champions.
Giampaolo led Sampdoria to ninth-place last season having previously coached Empoli, Brescia and Cagliari.
Milan will have a tight transfer budget due to Financial Fair Play restriction and are also in a legal battle with UEFA .

Giampaolo appointed AC Milan coach

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday unveiled its plan for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics' boxing tournament which it is organising in place of amateur boxing's troubled governing body the AIBA.
The IOC stripped the AIBA of the right to run the sport at next year's Games in May after an investigation into alleged serious mismanagement at boxing's crisis-ridden ruling authority.
The IOC's blueprint sees a significant boost in the number of women boxers to 100 out of 286, almost treble the 36 that took part at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
The Tokyo Games will feature eight men's and five, up from three, women's categories.
The plan is due to be ratified by the IOC this week.
Qualification, split between four continents - Africa, Europe, Asia/Oceania and Americas, will be held between January and May, the IOC's director of sport Kit McConnell said, with a final chance to secure a ticket to Tokyo at a world championships.
In contrast, the upcoming AIBA-run world championships in ...

Boost for women in IOC's Tokyo boxing plan

A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the death of Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala, British police confirmed on Wednesday.
The forward, 28, died when a plane carrying him and pilot David Ibbotson came down in the Channel on January 21, just days after he had joined Cardiff City from Nantes.
"As a result of our enquiries we have today, Wednesday 19 June 2019, arrested a 64-year-old man from the North Yorkshire area on suspicion of manslaughter by an unlawful act," Detective Inspector Simon Huxter, of Dorset Police said in a statement.
"He is assisting with our enquiries and has been released from custody under investigation." After a crowd-funded specialised search, Sala's body was recovered from the wreckage in February but Ibbotson's body has not been found.

Man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over Emiliano Sala death: police

Rory Stewart was knocked out of the race to become Britain's next prime minister on Wednesday, leaving four candidates led by former foreign secretary Boris Johnson.
International Development Secretary Stewart received the fewest votes in the third ballot of Conservative MPs and so drops out of the contest, while Johnson extended his commanding lead among his colleagues in Britain's governing party.
Former London mayor Johnson received 143 votes, ahead of Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on 54, Environment Secretary Michael Gove on 51 and Interior Minister Sajid Javid on 38.
Stewart won 27 votes -- 10 fewer than he received in Tuesday's second ballot -- and was eliminated.
Two further ballots are scheduled for Thursday, which will whittle the four down to a final two.
The 160,000 grassroots party members then choose their new leader, who will take over from Theresa May as prime minister, with the result declared in the week beginning July 22.
May officially stepped down as Conservative ..

Johnson extends lead, Stewart out of race to be next British PM

Hope Hicks, a former longtime aide to US President Donald Trump, began testifying to Congress Wednesday but Democratic lawmakers said she refused to answer several questions about her time at the White House.
The onetime close confidante to Trump ignored shouted questions from reporters as she arrived for a closed-door session of the House Judiciary Committee, as part of its investigation into possible obstruction of justice by Trump.
Her appearance is a breakthrough for Democrats eager to investigate the president, as it pierced the privacy shield Trump placed around the White House when he asserted executive privilege last month to bar cooperation from current and former aides.
The White House had made clear the night before, in a letter to the panel's chairman Jerry Nadler, that Hicks was "absolutely immune" from being compelled to answer questions about her time in Trump's administration.
Nadler told reporters that "Miss Hicks is answering questions put to her, and the interview ..

Trump ex-confidante Hicks in closed-door testimony to Congress

With tensions rising between Israel's ally the US and its archfoe Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Jewish state's enemies not to test it Wednesday, his office said.
"I hear our neighbours from the north, south and east threatening our destruction," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office after he observed a large-scale military excercise in the north of the country.
"I say to our enemies: The Israeli army has very great destructive power. Don't test us." Across Israel's northern borders Hezbollah -- backed by Iran -- has its power base in Lebanon and a presence in Syria, where Iran also has a presence.
To the south is the Gaza Strip, whose Islamist rulers Hamas also enjoy support from the Islamic republic.
Israeli public radio said that Netanyahu convened his security cabinet for a meeting that lasted close to four hours "in the shadow of the tension in the Persian Gulf." The radio said that it was the second time in a week the senior ministers had met, .

As Gulf tensions rise, Israel's Netanyahu warns 'enemies'

The US pointman on North Korea said Wednesday there were no preconditions to resuming talks with Pyongyang but urged greater action on denuclearization.
A week after President Donald Trump said he received a new "beautiful letter" from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, US special representative Stephen Biegun said that Pyongyang's promises to give up nuclear weapons lay at the heart of warming relations.
"We can't make enough progress without meaningful and verifiable steps on denuclearization," Biegun said at the Atlantic Council think tank.  "It's absolutely at the core of this. It's what produced this moment to begin with," he said.
But Biegun said that nuclear progress was not a condition for resuming talks, amid a standstill in diplomacy since a February summit between Kim and Trump -- the second between the two leaders after their historic first meeting in Singapore a year ago.
"That is not a condition, and let me say that it will be met with equal vigor on our part to address in 

US says no conditions to talks with North Korea

US pilots called Wednesday for enhanced pilot training on the Boeing 737 MAX before the aircraft is returned to service after being grounded worldwide following two deadly crashes.
The pilots - including Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III, who famously landed a damaged plane on the Hudson River in New York in 2009 - pushed back against the aviation giant's assurances that pilots will only need to review the 737 MAX modifications in a computer programme.
Daniel Carey, president of the Allied Pilots Association, told a congressional panel he was encouraged by changes Boeing made to a flight system seen as a factor in both the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes that killed 346 people.
But Carey, a captain with American Airlines, sharply criticized Boeing's development process of the MAX plane and said he was troubled that the training being discussed by the manufacturer would be insufficient.
"We remained concerned about whether the new training protocol, materials and method of ...

Pilots tell US Congress more training needed on 737 MAX

A Saudi minister on Wednesday slammed as "unfounded" a UN expert report calling for those involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be held accountable.
"It is not new. The (UN) report reiterates what has already been published and circulated in the media," Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, said on Twitter.
"The report... contains clear contradictions and unfounded allegations, casting doubt on its credibility."
The report by Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said there was "credible evidence" linking Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Khashoggi's murder inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul last October.
Callamard said it was clear "the execution of Mr Khashoggi was the responsibility of the state of Saudi Arabia", while calling on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to initiate a formal international criminal investigation into the case.
Saudi prosecutors have absolved .

Saudis slam findings in UN report on Khashoggi murder

At first glance, Zimbabwean footballer Hardlife Zvirekwi looks like any other member of his football team as he dribbles fast down the wing, but just last year he lost an arm in a car crash.
Once a regular in the national side, Zvirekwi's playing days looked over when his left arm was badly crushed as his car smashed into trees while he tried to avoid a speeding vehicle that cut across him.
But he has fought his way back to full health -- and back into Zimbabwe's domestic top-flight CAPS United team.
"It put me on the sidelines when I least expected it. It really had an impact on my career at a time I was looking forward to another great season," he told AFP on the sidelines of a strenuous training session.
"Many people thought that was the end of my career."
Zvirekwi, who will be closely following his former teammates in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt, said he had to learn new ways to play the game after losing the limb.
"Football is a contact sport and there are times 

After losing arm, Zimbabwean footballer returns to pitch

Moscow slammed "unfounded accusations" by  international investigators who Wednesday charged four people, including Russian citizens, with murder over the 2014 shooting down of flight MH17 above rebel-held eastern Ukraine.
"Once again, absolutely unfounded accusations are being made against the Russian side, aimed at discrediting Russia in the eyes of the international community," the foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.

AFP

AFP

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