A semi-truck and a bus carrying passengers back from a pilgrimage to a Catholic shrine crashed and burst into flames Wednesday in eastern Mexico, killing at least 21 people, officials said. Thirty others were injured.
Most of the victims were pilgrims from the southern state of Chiapas who were on their way back from a trip to Mexico City to pray at the basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the country's patron saint, said the head of the Civil Protection service for the state of Veracruz, Guadalupe Osorno.
"The forensics experts at the scene report 17 bodies of passengers who were traveling in the bus, plus two people who died in the semi-truck," she said.
"One person was dead on arrival at the hospital, and another who was in serious condition died." The Catholic archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutierrez, in Chiapas, sent its condolences to the victims' loved ones in a statement.
"We deeply regret the deaths caused by this accident and share in their families' overwhelming pain," it said.  The 

21 killed in fiery Mexico road accident: officials

PTI Automatic

South Korea's victorious under-18 footballers apologised to "all the people in China" after a picture emerged of one of their players celebrating with his foot on the Panda Cup.
The Koreans were accused of disrespect after they defeated hosts China 3-0 on Wednesday to win the youth international competition in the city of Chengdu.
The photograph caused uproar in Chinese media and social media, with the organising committee accusing the Koreans of "a serious insult".
Demanding an immediate apology, the Chengdu Football Association hinted that South Korea would not be invited back to the annual tournament.
South Korea's under-18 squad and coaches subsequently appeared late in the evening to make a public apology which was videoed and released by the Chengdu FA, and in which all the players and staff bowed deeply.
"First of all, we apologise for the situation, one of our players made a huge mistake," said a man identified by Chinese media as South Korea's head coach.
Reading from a ...

South Koreans apologise to 'all of China' over foot-on-trophy row

Seven South Koreans have died and 19 others are missing after a river cruise boat capsized and sank on the Danube in Budapest, Hungarian and South Korean officals said Thursday.
The accident happened near the parliament building in the heart of the Hungarian capital after a collision with another boat at around 10:00 pm (2000 GMT) on Wednesday, according to local media.
A total of 33 South Koreans were onboard, South Korea's foreign ministry said, confirming the seven dead were Korean. The 26-metre tourist boat was also carrying two Hungarian crew members.
"At this stage, seven people have been taken to hospital in a stable condition and our services have recorded the death of seven other people," Pal Gyorfi, a spokesman for Hungarian emergency services, said early Thursday morning.
Searches with the help of divers continued through the night for the missing, he added.
Heavy rainfall since the beginning of May has led to high water levels, complicating rescue efforts.
The accident ...

Seven South Koreans dead, 19 missing after boat sinks in Budapest

A California hospital on Wednesday disclosed the birth of the world's smallest baby ever to survive, weighing a mere 245 grams (8.6 ounces) -- the same as a large apple -- when she was born.
The girl, nicknamed Saybie by hospital staff, was born 23 weeks and three days into her mother's pregnancy at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns in San Diego.
The father was told by doctors that he would have about an hour with his daughter before she passed away.
"But that hour turned into two hours which turned into a day, which turned into a week," the mother said in a video released by the hospital.
Doctors said Saybie was delivered via emergency cesarean section in December at 23 weeks and three days gestation in the womb after severe pregnancy complications that put her mother's life at risk. A typical pregnancy lasts 40 weeks.
After nearly five months at the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, Saybie was discharged home earlier this month weighing a healthy five pounds ...

World's tiniest surviving baby born in California

The United States and the United Arab Emirates have announced that mutual defense cooperation agreement had come into force, amid increasing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
"The DCA (Defense Cooperation Agreement) will enhance military coordination between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, further advancing an already robust military, political, and economic partnership at a critical time," a joint statement said on Wednesday.
"The United States and the United Arab Emirates share a deep interest in promoting prosperity and stability in the region.
"The DCA will advance that interest by fostering closer collaboration on defense and security matters and supporting efforts by both nations to maintain security in the Gulf region." US national security advisor John Bolton was in Abu Dhabi Wednesday, meeting his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Bolton said Iran was almost certainly behind recent oil tanker attacks that sent Gulf tensions ...

US-UAE defense agreement comes into force

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has called on Islamic nations to reject its arch-rival Iran's "interference" in the affairs of other countries, amid a spike in regional tensions.
"Tehran's support for Huthi rebels in Yemen is proof of Iranian interference in other nations' affairs and this is something that... Islamic countries should reject," minister Ibrahim al-Assaf told a gathering of foreign ministers of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah city on Wednesday.
Assaf was speaking on the eve of emergency Arab and Gulf summits called by Saudi Arabia at the weekend as tensions between Iran and the US raise fears of military escalation.
The summits in Mecca, Islam's holiest city, allow US ally Riyadh the chance to present unified Islamic, Arab and Gulf fronts against its arch-rival Tehran.
A representative of Iran attended Wednesday's gathering of OIC, of which it is a member, an AFP reporter saw. But Iran's foreign minister was not present.
Regional ...

Saudi calls on Muslim world to reject Iran 'interference': minister

A top US military officer has said that Russia is "probably" violating the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, opening a new area of disagreement as the two powers negotiate arms control.
Lieutenant General Robert Ashley, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, part of the US military that provides analysis, voiced alarm on Wednesday at Russia's modernisation of its nuclear forces.
"The United States believes that Russia probably is not adhering to the nuclear testing moratorium in a manner consistent with the zero-yield standard," Ashley said in a speech at the Hudson Institute, a think tank.
"Our understanding of nuclear weapon development leads us to believe that Russia's testing activities would help it improve its nuclear weapons capabilities," he said, adding that the United States by contrast has strictly adhered to the ban.
Pressed by a reporter to explain Russia's alleged wrongdoing, Ashley appeared to retreat from the charge that Moscow had actually carried out tests 

Russia 'probably' violating nuclear test treaty: US general

The United States and Russia are in talks on a "potential way forward" that would see Syria come out of international isolation if it agrees to a series of steps including a ceasefire in Idlib, the US envoy for Syria has said.
Jim Jeffrey told reporters on Wednesday following a closed-door UN Security Council meeting that Moscow and Washington were exploring a "step by step approach" to ending the eight-year war, but that this would require "hard decisions."
During talks in Russia this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the plan that "would allow a Syrian government that adheres to (UN resolution) 2254 to move back into the international community," said Jeffrey.
Resolution 2254 calls for peace negotiations, the drafting of a new constitution and UN-supervised elections.
But the US envoy said that "so far we haven't seen steps such as a ceasefire in Idlib, the convening of a constitutional committee that would give us confidence that the Assad regime actually ...

US, Russia discuss peace plan that would end Syria's isolation

Boeing will tailor its compensation to airlines for the 737 MAX grounding around customer preference, and they could be paid back in services instead of cash, Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg has said.
After two deadly crashes grounded the top-selling plane, Muilenburg acknowledged on Wednesday that the MAX crisis had shaken public confidence in the company and inconvenienced key customers, but the company is unlikely to take a big financial hit.
"We know we've impacted the summer schedules for many of them, and it's difficult, it's painful," he said, speaking at a New York investor conference.
"I don't see this as an additional material event for us, but it's something that's going to require individual attention customer by customer." Compensation could include tweaking plane delivery schedules, or offering additional training or services, as well as cash in some cases, he said.
Muilenburg, who was set to appear in his first broadcast interview on the crisis later Wednesday on CBS, 

Boeing CEO: 737 MAX compensation could include cash, services

North Korea has stepped up a diplomatic campaign at the United Nations to secure the release of a cargo ship seized by the United States, warning there could be "undesirable consequences" if no action is taken.
North Korean Ambassador Kim Song offered the warning in a meeting with UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo on Wednesday to press Pyongyang's demands that the world body intervene, the North Korean mission said.
The United States announced on May 9 that it had impounded the state-owned Wise Honest, arguing that it was being used to export North Korean coal, in violations of UN sanctions over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
The seizure came amid heightened tensions after Pyongyang's recent short-range missile launches, and with talks deadlocked since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The Wise Honest, one of the largest cargo ships in North Korea's fleet, was detained in Indonesia in ...

North Korea steps up UN campaign for return of seized ship

Uber riders prone to rude behavior such as leaving trash or urging drivers to speed may be booted from the app under a policy change that took effect here Wednesday.
Uber riders in the US and Canada who have been consistently rated poorly by drivers will soon begin getting notices that they are at risk of losing access to the service.
The policy change was rolled out in Australia and New Zealand last year, and recently in India, according to Uber. It is to be expanded to other Uber markets, with timing to be determined.
"Respect is a two-way street, and so is accountability," Uber head of safety brand and initiatives Kate Parker said in an online post.
"While we expect only a small number of riders to ultimately be impacted by ratings-based deactivations, it's the right thing to do."
Riders at risk of being left at the curb by Uber will receive tips on how to improve their ratings, with suggestions such as being polite; not leaving behind messes, and refraining from asking drivers to .

Rude Uber riders could be booted from the app

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with US counterpart Donald Trump on Wednesday, reiterating an offer to set up a working group on Turkey's decision to buy a Russian missile defence system.
The move to buy the Russian S-400 system over America's Patriot equivalent has been a major source of tension between the NATO allies, leading to threats of US sanctions.
In his call with Trump, Erdogan reiterated the offer to form "a joint working group on Turkey's plan to procure the S-400," his office said in a statement.
The offer was first made in April but has yet to receive a response.
The two leaders agreed to meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, at the end of June.
The S-400 purchase would expose Turkey to US sanctions against arms deals with Russia.
Washington says the presence of Russian missile defences in Turkey would be a threat to Western military systems and could jeopardise its involvement in the F-35 fighter jet programme, for which it provides some ...

Erdogan offers Trump working group on Russian missiles

A top Democrat said Wednesday the US Congress must respond to Donald Trump's "crimes, lies and other wrongdoing," in the absence of legal action by the Justice Department.
Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, made the call after Special Counsel Robert Mueller said charging a sitting US president with a crime was "not an option."
"Given that Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the President, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies and other wrongdoing of President Trump - and we will do so," Nadler said on Twitter.
"No one, not even the President of the United States, is above the law.

Congress will respond to Trump's 'crimes, lies': top Democrat

A man set himself on fire near the White House on Wednesday, the Secret Service said, adding that the individual was receiving first aid at the scene.
The incident took place shortly after noon on the Ellipse -- south of the president's residence -- near 15th Street and Constitution Avenue, the Secret Service said on Twitter.
"Secret Service personnel are on scene assisting @NatlParkService and @usparkpolicepio in rendering first aid," it said, referring to park rangers and park police.
Last month, a man set his jacket on fire just outside the White House fence on Pennsylvania Avenue. That man suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Man sets self on fire near White House: official

The global aviation association IATA expects Boeing's troubled 737 MAX 8 plane to remain grounded for at least 10 to 12 more weeks, director general Alexandre de Juniac said Wednesday.
In March, an Ethiopian Airways Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed killing all 157 people on board, less than five months after a similar disaster involving a Lion Air 737 MAX 8 that killed all 189 people on board that plane.
The 737 MAX 8 was grounded by US authorities on March 13 after several other countries had already done so.
Responding to a question about when the aircraft might fly again following two crashes, the head of the International Air Transport Association told a news conference: "Its difficult to say. What we understand from the regulator, at least 10 to 12 weeks will be the minimum delay." The decision "is in the hands of the various regulators and agencies which are responsible for certification", he added.
De Juniac said a meeting was to be held "five to seven weeks from now" with airlines, ...

737 MAX jet grounded for at least 10-12 more weeks: IATA

Turkey on Wednesday released Serkan Golge, a NASA scientist with dual US-Turkish citizenship whose nearly three-year detention has soured relations between the NATO allies, the State Department said.
"We welcome the news that Serkan Golge has been released from prison today," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told reporters.
"We will continue to follow Mr Golge's case closely along with those involving our own locally employed staff" in Turkey, she told.
Ortagus called on Turkey to ensure that "he can return home as soon as possible." Golge was detained in July 2016 on a visit to his country of birth as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cracked down on alleged supporters of self-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom the leadership accused of orchestrating a failed coup.
Golge was sentenced in 2018 to seven and a half years in prison despite State Department protests that he was convicted without credible evidence.  Turkey in October also released an American pastor caught up in ..

Turkey releases detained US scientist: State Dept

The US military's top general said Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jingping reneged on promises not to militarize the South China Sea and called for "collective action" to hold Beijing responsible.
General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he was not calling for military action, but stressed that there was a need to enforce international laws.
"The fall of 2016, President Xi Jinping promised President Obama that they would not militarize the islands. So what we see today are 10,000-foot runways, ammunition storage facilities, routine deployment of missile defense capabilities, aviation capabilities, and so forth," he said in a talk on US security and defense at the Brooking institution.
"So clearly they have walked away from that committment." "The South China Sea is in my judgement not a pile of rocks," he continued, referring to the series of reefs and outcrops that have been claimed as territory by China, reclaimed and expanded to accomodate 

Xi broke promise on South China Sea: Top US general

Sri Lankan authorities failed to arrest the jihadist who led the Easter Sunday attacks that killed 258 people despite mounting evidence against him, the country's top intelligence official said Wednesday.
Sisira Mendis told a parliamentary probe into security lapses leading to the April 21 suicide bombings that the attacks led by Zahran Hashim could have been avoided if he had been detained.
"He was reported for hate speech. He had come to the attention of the authorities before the attacks," said Mendis, who is the Chief of National Intelligence.
"Police could have at least detained him for questioning when there were these reports against him." Official sources said Hashim came to the attention of the authorities following a violent clash with a moderate Muslim group in his village in eastern Sri Lanka two years ago. However he was not arrested.
The national parliament Wednesday began investigating the circumstances that allowed a known Islamist group to stage the audacious attack ..

Sri Lanka failed to arrest Easter bomber despite warnings

A lawyer for a family who sheltered fugitive former contractor Edward Snowden asked Canada on Wednesday to take them in as refugees, saying they were being persecuted in Hong Kong.
Guillaume Cliche-Rivard of the non-governmental group For the Refugees, which in March sponsored two other Snowden "Guardian Angels," Philippine national Vanessa Rodel and her seven-year-old daughter Keana, made the plea on "humanitarian grounds" at a press conference.
He noted growing concerns about civil rights abuses since mainland China took control of the former British colonial enclave in 1997.
He also pointed to the precedent set by Germany in granting asylum to two democracy activists -- Ray Wong and Alan Li.
"The fact that Germany has granted refugee status to these people shows that Hong Kong is a persecutor within the meaning of the Geneva Convention," said Cliche-Rivard.
Germany's decision "adds a lot of weight and credibility" to the family's amended refugee claim, he said.
Originally from Sri .

Family who helped Snowden asks Canada for asylum

The woman behind France's answer to the #MeToo campaign exposing abusive behaviour by men appeared in court on Wednesday accused of slandering a media executive who she said had made lewd remarks.
Sandra Muller, a US-based French journalist, is being sued for defamation by French TV executive Eric Brion at a Paris court over a Twitter post accusing him of humiliating her with vulgar comments.
Muller and Brion, a media consultant and former head of TV channel Equidia, were both present in court for the hearing.
Muller started a viral hashtag in French in October 2017, #balancetonporc ("expose your pig"), which called on Frenchwomen to name and shame men in an echo of the #MeToo movement that began in response to allegations that toppled movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
In her Twitter post, she told of how Brion had humiliated her, saying: "You have big breasts. You are my type of woman. I will make you orgasm all night." The post led to an outpouring of tales of harassment and assault, 

French #MeToo founder sued for slander by man she accused

Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan kicked off a week-long Asian tour Wednesday with an eye to strengthening ties with regional allies and having "candid" talks with his Chinese counterpart on Beijing's growing might.
"It's more about listening and being able to hear from the allies and partners," the acting US defence secretary said in a plane bound for Jakarta.
Indonesia is the first leg of a tour that also includes stops in Singapore, South Korea and Japan.
On Thursday, Shanahan will meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo after talks with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu.  Cooperation on maritime issues with the sprawling Southeast Asian archipelago nation will be at the top of the agenda, as the US looks to offset China's expanding presence in the South China Sea.
In Singapore on Saturday, Shanahan is to meet Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue regional defence forum.
"I want to identify areas where ..

AFP

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