A powerful 8.0-earthquake toppled houses, blocked roads and knocked out power in parts of Peru on Sunday, killing one person and injuring at least 26 others as the shockwave extended into neighboring Ecuador.
The quake hit in a sparsely populated region of Peru's Amazon basin region but was felt over a wide area. In Lima and other cities, frightened residents rushed into the streets.
"There are many old houses that have collapsed after this strong earthquake," said Hugo Araujo, the mayor of Yurimaguas, a town near the epicenter.
Peru's civil defense coordinator Ricardo Seijas told RPP radio that a man was killed by falling debris in his house in Cajamarca.
Danilo Munoz, the 48-year-old victim, was asleep when the quake struck at 2:41 am (0741 GMT).
Seijas said 11 people were injured in Peru, and more than 50 houses were left uninhabitable.
Reports said 15 people had been hurt in Ecuador.
The quake blocked roads, damaged a bridge and knocked down houses, said Peru's President Martin ...

Strong 8.0-magnitude earthquake jolts Peru

PTI Automatic

President Donald Trump Monday hailed a "great respect" between the US and nuclear-armed North Korea, as he also held out the possibility of talks with Iran, stressing he did not want "terrible things" to happen.
Ahead of summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump played down recent belligerence from Pyongyang, which last month fired short-range missiles that raised tensions in the region.
"I personally think that lots of good things will come with North Korea, I feel that. I may be right, I may be wrong, but I feel that," Trump told reporters at Abe's office.
"There's a good respect built, maybe a great respect built between... the United States and North Korea, but we will see what happens," added the president, whose failed talks with the North's leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi sparked a fresh spike in tensions.
He noted that when he came to office, there was "testing all the time, nuclear testing at the highest level, and that seems to have stopped".
On Sunday, Trump ..

Trump strikes dovish tone on North Korea, Iran

With double-digit scores across Europe's biggest countries including a stunning 20 percent in Germany, the Greens bagged record gains in EU elections on Sunday with younger voters leading calls for action to halt global warming.
The environmental party doubled its score in Germany from the last EU elections in 2014, knocking the Social Democrats off their traditional second place.
In France, the Greens were number three with 12 percent, while in Austria, Ireland and the Netherlands, they garnered double-digits.
In Britain, they were on 12.4 percent, nearly double their previous score, and beating the ruling Conservatives into fifth place.
"To see The Green Party beating the Conservatives so far in these elections is truly amazing. Something seismic is happening in British and European politics," said Alexandra Phillips, Green Party candidate for South East England.
With the two main traditional EU blocs -- the conservative EPP and the centre-left Social Democrats projected to lose ...

'Green wave' in EU vote amid climate crisis

Clashes between inmates killed 15 people at a jail in Amazonas state in northern Brazil on Sunday, the regional prison authority said.
The clashes broke out around 11:00 am during visiting hours at the facility, located some 28 kilometers from the state capital Manaus.
"It was a fight between the inmates. There had never been deaths during the visits," Colonel Marcos Vinicius Almeida told a news conference.
An investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the fight, Almeida said.
Almeida emphasized that authorities had reacted within minutes to the Sunday violence, preventing a potentially worse result.
In January 2017, the same facility was the scene of a prison rebellion that lasted almost 20 hours and left 56 people dead.
Brazil has the world's third largest prison population, with 7,26,712 inmates as of June 2016, according to official statistics.
The population is double the capacity of the nation's prisons, which in 2016 was estimated to be 3,68,049 inmates.
Along with 

Clashes between prisoners in Brazil jail leave 15 dead: Official

Qatar said on Sunday that it had received an invitation from Saudi Arabia to attend emergency regional talks to discuss mounting tensions between Iran and the United States.
Riyadh had called two gatherings -- one for Arab League members, the other for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regional bloc nations -- after a spate of attacks.
Several tankers in Gulf waters were targeted under mysterious circumstances and a Saudi crude pipeline was hit by drone strikes coordinated by Yemen rebels who Riyadh said were acting on Iranian orders.
King Salman had invited Gulf leaders and Arab League members to summits in Mecca on May 30 but it was not stated if Qatar was also invited to the Arab bloc deliberations.
It was unclear if Qatar -- subject to a Saudi-led economic and diplomatic boycott over alleged support for Iran and Islamist movements -- would be invited at all, with Doha initially reporting it had not received an invite.
Qatar's emir "has received a written message" inviting the ...

Qatar invited by Saudi Arabia to talks over Iran tensions

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Sunday he would call for early polls next month after a drubbing at European and local elections.
"Following the second round of local elections (on June 2), I will ask the president to immediately call national elections," Tsipras said in a televised address.
A likely date for the ballot is June 30, news reports said.
With about a third of polling stations accounted for, Tsipras' leftist Syriza party scored less than 24 percent in the European ballot compared to more than 33 per cent for the main opposition conservative party New Democracy.
And in local elections, early results showed New Democracy in control, or securing outright, the bulk of Greece's 13 regions.
"I will not run away or quit the struggle for equality, solidarity, social justice," said Tsipras, Greece's youngest prime minister in 150 years and the first avowed atheist leader.
"The electoral result... is not worthy of our expectations," he said.
New Democracy leader Kyriakos 

Greek PM says will call snap elections after June 2

At least 30 people died and dozens more were missing on Sunday after a boat accident on a lake in western Democratic Republic of Congo, a local mayor said.
"So far, we have recovered 30 bodies, 12 women, 11 children and seven men," the mayor of Inongo, Simon Mbo Wemba, told media including AFP, adding that there had been more than 350 passengers on board the boat with only 183 survivors.
The accident happened on Saturday night on Lake Mai-Ndombe.
"The toll is still provisional," the mayor said, adding that it was difficult to know the exact number of passengers as many could have been illegal immigrants.
River transport is one of the most used in DR Congo with its numerous waterways.
Boat mishaps are common, typically caused by overloading of passengers and cargo.
Tolls are often high because there are no life jackets and many Congolese do not know how to swim.
Last month at least 167 people died in two accidents prompting President Felix Tshisekedi to make it mandatory for boat ...

30 dead, dozens missing in DR Congo boat accident: Mayor

One crew member was killed and three were missing after a steel-carrying cargo ship sank following an overnight collision with another ship off Japan, the Coast Guard and local media reported.
Japan-flagged cargo ships Senshomaru and Sumihomaru collided around 2:10 am Sunday (1710 GMT Saturday) in Pacific waters off Chiba prefecture, local Coast Guard official Hiromitsu Kawaguchi told AFP.
"Senshomaru seems to have sunk at the scene of the collision. Coast Guard patrol boat Matsushima rescued the captain of Senshomaru," Kawaguchi said.
The Senshomaru was later found on the seabed at a depth of 30 meters near the site of the collision, and the body of one of the missing crew members was found inside, Japan's Jiji Press and Kyodo News reported.
All four crew on the 499-tonne Sumihomaru were safe after the collusion. There were no details immediately available about the scale of the damage it had suffered, officials said.
Dense fog was covering the area at the time of the accident, ...

One dead, three missing after cargo ship sinks off Japan

Five Nigerian soldiers have been killed and a number are missing after an ambush by Boko Haram's Islamic State-backed faction, security sources said Sunday.
Fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Friday opened fire on a column of civilian vehicles under military escort in the northeastern Borno State, according to the sources who requested anonymity.
The troops were escorting residents from the village of Sabon Garin Kimba in dozens of trucks to a camp in the town of Damboa about 50 kilometres away, according to a militia fighting against the jihadists alongside the army.
They were being evacuated from the village, which lies 130 kilometres from the state capital Maiduguri, ahead of a major military offensive against ISWAP, which has recently increased its activities in the area.
"We lost five soldiers in the ambush, two were wounded and several are missing, their fate still unknown," said one military officer.
He said the attackers seized two military trucks and .

Five Nigerian soldiers killed in Boko Haram ambush

Roger Federer marked his return to Roland Garros after a four-year absence with a straight sets win over Italy's Lorenzo Sonego on Sunday, admitting he "felt on edge", as Angelique Kerber's hopes of completing a career Grand Slam suffered a quick kill.
Federer, a 20-time major winner, hadn't played the tournament since 2015 when he reached the quarter-finals.
However, on Sunday, it was as if the 37-year-old had never been away as he swept to a 6-2 6-4 6-4 victory in one hour 41 minutes on a packed, rebuilt Court Philippe Chatrier.
It was his 60th successive first round win at a Grand Slam.
"I felt on edge at the start, my heart was beating crazily," said Federer, who hailed the new-look stadium which has been 90% rebuilt in readiness for the installation of a retractable roof for 2020.
"I felt great playing on this court. It looks very attractive, so congratulations to everyone involved.
"Hopefully I can play here again for my next match." That match will be against German lucky loser 

'On edge' Federer marks Paris return with victory, Kerber crashes

Saudi Arabia on Sunday shot down a bomb-laden drone deployed by Iran-aligned Huthi rebels in Yemen to attack an airport in the kingdom, state media reported.
The Saudi air force intercepted and destroyed the drone that targeted Jizan airport, close to the southern border with Yemen, the Riyadh-led coalition fighting the rebels was quoted as saying by the official Saudi Press Agency.
The rebels' Al-Masirah TV said earlier that the drone targeted military hangars at Jizan airport.
The airport is used by thousands of civilians every day, but the coalition reported no casualties and warned the rebels of a strong response.
The strike comes after the Huthis on Thursday similarly targeted Najran airport also near the Yemeni border with an explosives-laden drone.
That attack -- the third against Najran airport in 72 hours -- had targeted a Patriot air defence system, Al-Masirah said.
The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to push back an advance by the Huthi rebels, who ...

Saudi downs attack drone from Yemen: coalition

Lewis Hamilton resisted intense race-long pressure on Sunday to secure a narrow, dramatic and emotional victory for a mourning Mercedes in the Monaco Grand Prix.
The defending five-time world champion and current series leader, who came home less than a second ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, said he survived the Dutchman's late attacks by "fighting with the spirit of Niki (Lauda)".
He lifted his red helmet in tribute to the three-time champion Austrian and non-executive chairman of Mercedes who died on Monday.
Verstappen, who was involved a pit-lane collision during the race, was classified fourth after taking a five-second penalty. This elevated Sebastian Vettel to second for
Ferrari and lifted the luckless Valtteri Bottas to third in the second Mercedes.
"Lewis, it's James... Incredible drive," said Mercedes' strategist James Vowles before team boss Toto Wolff told him: "That was for Niki." "That was the hardest race I think I've had," said Hamilton.
"I was fighting with the ...

Hamilton wins Monaco GP to extend championship lead

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon insists his team were prepared for the "ruthless" reaction from England fans to Steve Smith and David Warner.
Australia duo Smith and Warner were given a torrid time by the Southampton crowd during their World Cup warm-up victory over England on Saturday.
It was the shamed pair's first appearance against the English since the end of one-year bans for their role in the sandpaper ball-tampering scandal in South Africa that plunged Australian cricket into crisis in 2018.
There were audible boos, jeers and chants of "cheat", a soundtrack that Warner and Smith will need to get used to as the World Cup progresses and then gives way to the Ashes series against England.
But neither man seemed to fret over the welcome, Smith with a match-winning 116 and Warner making 43, and Lyon was far from shocked by what he heard.
"It was as expected - they're ruthless over here," he said.
"I've had two Ashes tours and a one-day series over here and haven't experienced ...

Australia expected 'ruthless' England fans, says Lyon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he believed a deal to form a new coalition government remained possible only days ahead of a deadline as speculation mounted over the possibility of fresh elections.
Netanyahu has been unable to reach a deal with potential coalition partners despite results from April 9 polls giving his Likud party and its right-wing and religious allies a majority in parliament.
Negotiations have broken down over legislation aimed at requiring ultra-Orthodox Jews to perform mandatory military service like other Jewish Israelis.
The deadline for Netanyahu to form a coalition is Wednesday.
Holding elections so close to one another would be unprecedented for Israel.
"I think that the problem can be solved with good will, if that's what people want," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.
"If there's not a desire, and things are being aimed in a certain direction, it's unfortunate. I don't think the country needs to be dragged to another ...

Netanyahu says coalition deal still possible as talk of new polls mounts

Iranian state TV has fired two channel managers over a live programme deemed insulting to Sunni Muslims, it said in a statement Sunday.
The sackings at Channel 5 came after a broadcast on May 20 celebrating the birthday of the second imam in Shiite Islam, Hassan ibn Ali.
During the programme, religious chanter and story-teller Ahmad Qadami recited a eulogy that "insulted the sanctities of Sunni Muslims", according to official news agency IRNA.
"Following the negligence of airing an irreverent chanter's speech on Channel 5, the channel's head and broadcast manager were fired," state TV's website quoted head manager Abdolali Aliaskari as saying.
The channel's senior producer, programme manager and video supervisor were also fired, TV deputy head Morteza Mirbagheri told semi-official news agency ISNA.
According to IRNA, the chanter was summoned by Iran's culture and media court on Sunday and further investigations into his case are pending.
Iran is a Shiite powerhouse, but under the ...

Iran state TV fires managers over 'insult' to Sunnis

Hundreds of Bangladeshi fishermen staged a protest in the country's south on Sunday, police said, after the government imposed an unprecedented two-month long fishing ban on the Bay of Bengal.
Carrying placards and banners, the fishermen marched to Cox's Bazar city from coastal villages days after the government's 65-day long fishing embargo came into effect.
"This is wrong. This is injustice. No other country in the world has ever imposed such a long ban," said union leader Kolim Ullah through a loudhailer during the protest.
Ullah said the ban has hit the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh's coastal districts, home to about 20 million people, most of whom depend either directly or indirectly on fishing.
"The embargo has especially hit the poor fishermen hard. They don't know any other work," he said.
Bangladesh imposed the ban on fishing in the Bay of Bengal last week in an effort to replenish depleted stocks.
The junior minister for fisheries, Ashraf Ali ...

Bangladesh fishermen protest two month fishing ban

A Senegalese woman television presenter was in custody on Sunday after her allegations of rape against minority Fulanis sparked protests outside her studio, her employers and police said.
Adja Astou Cisse, who works for private 7TV in the Senegalese capital Dakar, was arrested Saturday, the sources said.
The arrest follows the May 19 murder of an adolescent following an attempted rape in Tambacounda, some 420 kilometres (260 miles) east of Dakar.
The former French colony has seen a string of demonstrations protesting violence against women.

Senegal broadcaster held over sex assault remarks

Three people were killed in a new attack Sunday on a Catholic church in conflict-wracked northern Burkina Faso, a security source said.
"Heavily armed individuals attacked the church in the village as the faithful were celebrating Sunday mass" in the town of Toulfe, the source said, adding that three people were killed.

Three dead in new attack on Burkina Faso church: security source

French and Italian-US auto giants Renault and Fiat Chrysler are set to announce talks on an alliance, with a view to a potential merger, informed sources said on Sunday.
Renault and FCA are likely to unveil the move "within hours, perhaps tomorrow (Monday), before the (Paris) bourse opens," one of the sources told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding an eventual "merger" was on the agenda.
The same source added that a statement would cover "the possibility of a convergence between the two groups" which "will be studied" with a view to a potential merger.
A Renault board meeting is scheduled for 8:00 am (0600 GMT) on Monday.
Renault's current major partnership is with Japan's Nissan, in which it holds 43 per cent.
Nissan in turn owns 15 per cent of its French partner Renault but the imbalance in the relationship has led to serious friction, highlighted by the arrest of former Renault and Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn in Tokyo.
The Financial Times reported Saturday that the Renault-FCA ...

Renault, Fiat Chrysler in tie-up talks

Sudan's main opposition group and supporter of the protest movement on Sunday rejected its call to stage a two-day general strike, in the first sign of a rift within the movement negotiating the launch of civilian rule.
Talks between leaders of the umbrella protest movement, the Alliance for Freedom and Change, and army generals who seized power after ousting autocrat Omar al-Bashir last month are deadlocked over who should lead a new governing body -- a civilian or soldier.
In a bid to step up pressure on the generals, the protest movement has called for a general strike starting Tuesday, but the National Umma Party, a key backer of the movement, rejected the measure.
"We reject the general strike announced by some opposition groups" in the Alliance for Freedom and Change, the National Umma Party said in a statement.
"A general strike is a weapon that should be used after it is agreed upon by everybody," Umma said. "We have to avoid such escalated measures that are not fully ...

Sudan's top opposition rejects strike call in protest rift

German fifth seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber saw her hopes of a career Grand Slam ended by Russian teenager Anastasia Potapova at Roland Garros on Sunday as Roger Federer prepared to make his Paris return after a four-year absence.
Fifth-seeded Wimbledon champion Kerber slumped to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat to 18-year-old Potapova who was making her French Open debut.
"I had a lot of confidence and I have to thank my coach for that," said 81st-ranked Potapova who hit 28 winners past her German opponent.
Kerber, 31, has now lost six times in the French Open first round.
The German left-hander had come into Roland Garros carrying a right ankle injury which forced her to pull out of the Italian Open and retire from her second round tie in Madrid.
"She played really good, I tried my best," said Kerber who was broken six times in the match which brought the curtain up on a rebuilt Court Philippe Chatrier.
"I didn't really have great preparation and I was just happy to get on ..

AFP

AFP

Page 585 - Afp