Egypt accused the United Nations on Wednesday of seeking to "politicise" the death of the country's first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi by calling for an "independent inquiry".
Foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said he condemned "in the strongest terms" the call by the spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, for an independent investigation into Morsi's death during a court hearing on Monday.
Hafez said it was a "deliberate attempt to politicise a case of natural death." Colville called Tuesday for a probe into whether the conditions Morsi faced during his nearly six years in custody had contributed to his death.
"Any sudden death in custody must be followed by a prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation carried out by an independent body to clarify the cause of death," he said.  "Concerns have been raised regarding the conditions of Mr. Morsi's detention, including access to adequate medical care, as well as ...

Egypt accuses UN of seeking to 'politicise' Morsi death

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Xi Jinping will burnish China's fragile alliance with North Korea by making his first trip to Pyongyang as president this week -- and on Wednesday he sealed their friendship in ink, offering a "grand plan" for regional stability.
Xi, who will be the first Chinese president to visit Pyongyang in 14 years, penned a rare front-page opinion piece in North Korea's official newspaper, touting their "irreplaceable" bond on the eve of this two-day trip.
Xi is visiting the country on Thursday and Friday at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as both men face their own protracted negotiations with US President Donald Trump.
With his visit, Xi can show that China still has some influence on its Cold War-era ally and play a role in efforts to convince Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme.
It could also give the Chinese leader some leverage when he meets Trump to discuss the US-China trade war at the G20 next week in Japan.
For Kim, having his powerful next-door neighbour visit 

Xi pens friendship letter to N. Korea before rare visit

Asian markets rallied Wednesday after Donald Trump hailed "very good" phone talks with Xi Jinping and said they would meet at the G20 next week, renewing hopes of a deal to end a painful China-US trade war that has jolted the global economy.
The US president's comments provided a much needed boost to investors after a month of volatility sparked by his shock decision to hit China with fresh tariffs, ending months of apparently positive negotiations.
Adding to the upbeat mood were comments from the European Central Bank head Mario Draghi hinting at a cut in interest rates to support the stuttering eurozone economy.
Also, the Federal Reserve is due to end its latest policy meeting later Wednesday, with dealers hoping for some idea about its own plans for rates.
After a healthy lead from Wall Street, the vast majority of Asia's markets posted gains of at least one percent -- with Hong Kong leading the way by jumping more than two percent.
Tokyo ended 1.7 per cent higher, Shanghai added ..

Asian markets extend global rally as Trump fuels trade deal hope

Members of Hong Kong's legislature met Wednesday for the first time since the largest anti-government protest in the city's history, with many opposition lawmakers slamming the pro-Beijing administration's handling of the crisis.
Hong Kong has been shaken by a series of massive demonstrations against a proposed law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, and the city's police force has been criticised for using excessive force to disperse protesters.
In a tense session, opposition lawmakers grilled Hong Kong's head of security John Lee over allegations of police brutality during the sporadic clashes with demonstrators this month.
Many pro-democracy members of the Legislative Council wore black and carried white chrysanthemums in tribute to a man who fell to his death while protesting the law.
Some placed placards on their desks reading "No China Extradition" and "Withdraw, Withdraw" -- referring to the controversial bill.
"We are sad that some people were hurt while ...

Hong Kong lawmakers grill security chief over protest violence

The young orangutan looks back at her rescuers before clambering over her steel cage and into the trees, swinging from hand to hand and hanging upside down.
Five-year-old primate Elaine, covered in fuzzy cinnamon-coloured hair, was one of two critically endangered Sumatran Orangutans released back into the wild Tuesday.
Both female apes were rescued after being kept as pets by villagers in Aceh province on Sumatra island.  Elaine and four-year-old Reipok Rere spent nearly two years learning to fend for themselves at a rehabilitation centre and "forest school" before being returned to the wild at Pinus Jantho Forest Reserve.
The healthy pair have joined nearly 120 other orangutans freed from captivity at the conservation site, said the Aceh natural resources conservation agency.
The rescue is a rare spot of bright news for the critically endangered species, which has seen its habitat shrink drastically over the past few decades largely due to the destruction of forests for logging, ...

Indonesia pet orangutans released back into the wild

Hundreds of Chinese and Bangladeshi labourers clashed at the site of power plant being built south of Dhaka, police said Wednesday, leaving a Chinese worker dead and more than a dozen others injured.
Police said the violence was triggered by the death of a Bangladeshi worker at the site of a China-funded 1,320-megawatt plant, prompting locals to accuse the Chinese of trying to cover up the incident.
At one point, hundreds of Bangladeshi and Chinese workers were fighting at the site -- about 200 kilometres south of the capital -- and more than a dozen were injured, including six Chinese who were taken to hospital.
"One of the Chinese workers later died in the hospital. He had injuries to his head," local police chief Monirul Islam told AFP, adding it took over 1,000 policemen to restore calm.
China is a close ally of Bangladesh, and Chinese state-run and private firms have invested billions of dollars in the South Asian country's infrastructure projects -- mostly in power, energy and ..

Chinese worker killed in Bangladesh construction site clash

Afghanistan's Hashmatullah Shahidi said his desire not to worry his mother was the main reason he got back up after being felled by a Mark Wood bouncer in a World Cup match against England.
Shahidi had made 24 when he took his eye off a 90 mph delivery from the fast bowler that thudded into the side of his helmet and saw him hit the turf immediately after the sickening impact.
It seemed the 24-year-old was about to retire but, donning a new helmet, Shahidi carried on to top-score for Afghanistan with 76 in an otherwise lopsided 150-run loss.
"I got up early because of my mum," Shahidi told reporters after Afghanistan's fifth defeat in as many matches this tournament.
"I lost my father last year so I didn't want her to hurt. My whole family was watching, even my big brother was here in the ground watching. I didn't want them to be worried for me," added Shahidi, with the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, also in attendance at Old Trafford.
But the fact he was allowed to ignore ...

Mother's pride sees Shahidi carry on after bouncer blow

Hong Kong's "leaderless" demonstrations brought millions of people onto the streets and forced the city's pro-Beijing leadership into a rare climb down.
But with no one directing the action, where does the movement go now? The unpopular bill that sparked the protests and would have allowed extradition to mainland China has now been suspended.  But protesters are adamant that the bill must be fully withdrawn and the city's pro-Beijing Chief Executive Carrie Lam step down -- demands she has so far resisted.
"More demonstrations and resistance will happen soon if Carrie Lam does not know what respect means," said Joshua Wong, an activist who became the face of Hong Kong's 2014 pro-democracy "Umbrella Movement".
Wong was released on Monday, half-way into a two-month sentence linked to his activism, and a day after organisers said two million demonstrators marched in Hong Kong's streets to protest against the bill.
He told AFP he now expects to see "upgraded, more progressive actions".
So .

Hong Kong's 'leaderless' protesters mull next move

Terminally ill Australians can for the first time apply to end their own life, after new laws went into effect in the state of Victoria Wednesday.
The country's second most populous region made voluntary euthanasia legal under closely specified circumstances, a first for the country.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews -- who supported the bill after his father's death from cancer in 2016 -- said the laws were about giving patients a "dignified option at the end of their life".
"We've taken a compassionate approach," Andrews told commercial broadcaster Channel Nine, adding that he hoped it would bring people the dignity of a "good death." Assisted suicide is illegal in most countries and in Australia until Victoria state introduced laws to legalise the practice in 2017.
The scheme will be accessible only to terminally ill adult patients with fewer than six months to live -- or one year left to live for sufferers of conditions such as motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis.
Multiple 

Euthanasia now legal in Australian state

More than 70 million people were counted last year as displaced from their homes, a record that underestimates the real number of refugees and asylum seekers, the UN said Wednesday.
In its annual global trends report, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) described the figure of 70.8 million at the end of 2018 as "conservative", particularly because the number of people who fled Venezuela's devastating crisis is undercounted.
At the end of 2017, by comparison, 68.5 million people were counted as being forcibly displaced by violence or persecution.
The UNHCR attributed the increase partly to surging displacement in Ethiopia caused by inter-ethnic conflict, and in Venezuela, where thousands are fleeing every day amid an economic collapse that has triggered shortages of basic food and medicine.
An estimated 3.3 million people have left Venezuela since the start of 2016, according to the UN.  UNHCR head Filippo Grandi told reporters in Geneva the figure of 70.8 million only includes ..

Record 70.8 million people displaced at end of 2018: UN

Brazil were held to a 0-0 draw against Venezuela in the Copa America as a late strike from Philippe Coutinho was disallowed after a controversial VAR decision.
Coutinho thought he had fired Brazil into the quarter-finals in the 87th minute when he bundled home a finish from Everton Soares' driving run down the left wing at Salvador's Arena Fonte Nova Tuesday.
But for the second time in the match, Chilean referee Julio Bascunan ruled out the Brazilian goal after being alerted to an infringement by the video assistant referee.
The goal appeared to have been disallowed due to a touch by Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino, although it was not clear that Firmino had been offside as the ball grazed him on the way into the net.
Brazil left the field to boos but remain top of Group A with four points from two games, and one game to play.
Venezuela have two points from two games and will fancy their chances of advancing with their final game coming against Bolivia, who suffered their second ...

VAR denies Brazil as Venezuela battle to draw

A man who donated sperm so his gay friend could have a baby more than a decade ago has parental rights over their daughter, Australia's High Court ruled Wednesday.
The court said that because the man was listed on the birth certificate and had an "extremely close" relationship with the girl, he was the father and should have a say in whether she is taken to live in New Zealand.
The man -- who goes by the pseudonym 'Robert' for legal reasons -- agreed to donate his sperm to a friend in 2006 via artificial insemination.
Despite them not living together, Robert had "an ongoing role in the child's financial support, health, education and general welfare", the court said.
Problems arose when the girl's mother and her same-sex partner wanted to move to New Zealand in 2015.
Judge Margaret Cleary ruled that a lower court was wrong to rule against the father and concluded that the child should remain in Australia so he can have visitation rights.
It is unclear, given the specifics of this ...

Sperm donor ruled legal father by Aussie court

Marta secured her place among the legends of football after the Brazilian become the World Cup's all-time leading scorer in the 1-0 win against Italy in Valenciennes.
"This record doesn't belong to me, it belongs to all of us," said the 33-year-old after crashing home a penalty with 16 minutes left to score her 17th World Cup goal Tuesday.
"I share it with anyone fighting for more equality."
Brazil set up a knockout stage clash with either hosts France or Germany after the 74th-minute strike moved Marta one goal ahead of the German Miroslav Klose in the record books.
"Do you think he'll change his mind about retiring and play at the next World Cup?" Marta joked.
Brazil finished third on goal difference in Group C behind Italy and Australia -- who beat Jamaica 4-1 -- after all three ended level on six points.
Marta wasn't fazed by the possibility of facing France, who topped Group A with a perfect nine points after scraping past Nigeria on Monday.
"To play against the host nation would 

Marta dedicates World Cup record to 'anyone fighting for equality'

The banned ex-UEFA chief Michel Platini was released from custody on Wednesday after hours of questioning in connection with a criminal investigation into the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
The French football legend who led European football's governing body from 2007 to 2015 was held Tuesday by French anti-corruption police investigating alleged corruption in the 2010 vote to award the competition to the gas-rich Gulf state.
He denied wrongdoing and a statement from his representatives said the facts of the case were "unknown to him."
In the early hours of Wednesday, Platini's lawyer William Bourdon said he had been released without charge, adding that there has been "a lot of fuss over nothing".
Platini, 63, looked drawn as he left the police anti-corruption office in Nanterre in the western Paris suburbs.
"It was long but considering the number of questions, it could only be long, since I was asked about Euro 2016, the World Cup in Russia, the World Cup in Qatar, Fifa," .

Platini released in 2022 World Cup probe, denies wrongdoing

Captain Paolo Guerrero and forward Jefferson Farfan each scored one and created another as Peru took a huge step towards qualifying for the Copa America quarter-finals with a 3-1 Group A victory over Bolivia.
Bolivia took the lead from the penalty spot when Marcelo Moreno sent goalkeeper Pedro Gallese the wrong way from 12 yards.
But Guerrero equalized before half-time and Farfan gave Peru a deserved lead before Edison Flores put the seal on Peru's victory in stoppage time at Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana stadium on Tuesday.
With four points from two games ahead of their final group encounter with hosts Brazil, Peru can rest assured that no team has ever failed to qualify for the knockout rounds with that total since the current 12-team format was adopted in 1993.
Bolivia face a must-win clash with Venezuela in their final game to stand any hope of reaching the quarter-finals.
Peru took control of the match early on with pacey right-winger Andy Polo carving out the opening chance, .

Guerrero, Farfan put Peru on brink of Copa America knock-outs

Marta said she was representing women in football after becoming the leading scorer in the history of the men's and women's World Cups by firing home the penalty that downed Italy and secured Brazil's place in the last 16 of this year's tournament in France.
The 33-year-old, widely considered the best player in the history of the women's game, slammed home from the spot in the 74th minute against Group C winners Italy to secure qualification and take her World Cup tally to 17 after Debinha was bundled over by Elena Linari.
That puts her one ahead of former Bayern Munich and Lazio striker Miroslav Klose in the all-time rankings, and the veteran attacker said the goal was more than just a personal triumph.
"The feeling is a joyful one, definitely, not only for breaking the record but for being able to represent women in doing so," she said Tuesday.
"And for being able to help my team which is what matters most, qualifying for the next stage of the tournament."
Marta's record-breaking ...

Record-breaker Marta representing women after firing Brazil into World Cup knockouts

An American teenager has been charged with conspiring to murder her "best friend" after a man she met online offered her USD 9 million to commit the crime.
According to investigators, Denali Brehmer, an 18-year-old from Alaska, was recruited to kill her friend by a man a few years her elder, 21-year-old Darin Schilmiller of Indiana.
The pair had previously hooked up online, with Schilmiller assuming a fake identity and posing as a millionaire named "Tyler."
Court documents say that during the course of their online relationship, they discussed a plan to rape and murder someone in Alaska.
Schilmiller promised Brehmer USD 9 million or more to send him videos or photographs of the macabre attack.
Brehmer then proceeded to recruit four friends and the group settled on Cynthia Hoffman -- described as one of Brehmer's best friends -- as their victim.
On June 2, authorities say 19-year-old Hoffman was lured to a hiking trail northeast of Anchorage where she was bound with duct tape and shot .

Promised $9 mn online, US teen killed 'best friend': police

Chinese President Xi Jinping has written a rare opinion piece in North Korea's official newspaper Wednesday, just a day before his scheduled visit to Pyongyang, saying Beijing's friendship with the isolated North is "irreplaceable".
Xi is to visit Pyongyang on Thursday and Friday at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The visit comes as nuclear negotiations between Kim and US President Donald Trump have soured after a second summit in February broke up without a deal, failing to agree on what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in exchange for sanctions relief.
In the op-ed piece in the Rodong Sinmun -- the official mouthpiece of the North's ruling Worker's Party -- Xi said Beijing is willing to make a joint plan with Pyongyang to achieve "permanent stability" in the East Asian region.
"We will actively contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity by strengthening communication and coordination with North Korea and other relevant parties to make 

Xi hails friendship with N. Korea in state newspaper

International investigators are on Wednesday expected to announce charges against several suspects in the shooting down of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine five years ago in an attack which killed all 298 people on board.
The Dutch-led probe has said it will first inform families, and then hold a press conference to unveil "developments in the criminal investigation" into the downing of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777.
The breakthrough comes nearly a year after the investigators said that the BUK missile which hit the plane had originated from a Russian military brigade based in the southwestern city of Kursk.
The airliner travelling between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur was torn apart in mid-air on July 17, 2014 over territory in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian separatists.
Ukraine's deputy foreign minister Olena Zerkal told Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Tuesday that four people would be named over MH17, including senior Russian army officers.
"The names will be announced. ...

MH17 crash probe set to name suspects

UN chief Antonio Guterres called on Russia and Turkey Tuesday to "stabilize the situation" in the Syrian province of Idlib, rocked by intense fighting that the UN body warned is creating a humanitarian disaster.
"I am deeply concerned about the escalation of the fighting in Idlib and the situation is especially dangerous given the involvement of an increased number of actors. Yet again civilians are paying a horrific price," Guterres told reporters.
His comments came ahead of a UN Security Council session on Tuesday to discuss the situation.
The world is facing "a humanitarian disaster unfolding before our eyes," Mark Lowcock, the UN's humanitarian chief, told the council.
Parts of Aleppo, Hama and Idlib -- the last bastion of jihadist forces in Syria -- are supposed to be protected from a massive regime offensive by a buffer zone deal that Russia and Turkey signed in September.
But it was never fully implemented as jihadists refused to withdraw from a planned demilitarized zone.
In ..

UN chief asks Russia, Turkey to 'stabilize' Syria's embattled Idlib

President Donald Trump launched his 2020 reelection campaign Tuesday with a rally in front of about 20,000 supporters packed into a Florida arena, chanting "USA, USA!" The crowd in Orlando erupted with cheers as Trump entered.
Even if dismal early poll numbers show he faces a difficult reelection, Trump goes into the fight buoyed by a strong economy and confidence in the fierce loyalty of his right-wing base.

AFP

AFP

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