Chinese financial regulators on Friday took over a bank based in the northern Inner Mongolian region because of its "serious credit risk".
The rare takeover of a domestic lender -- announced by the People's Bank of China and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission in a joint statement -- is a worrying sign for China's economy which last year slowed to its slowest annual pace in nearly three decades.
Baoshang bank had been backed by Tomorrow Group, a financial holding company run by billionaire Xiao Jianhua, according to financial news magazine Caixin, which reported last year that Tomorrow was trying to sell part of its holdings.
Xiao was whisked out of Hong Kong into mainland China in 2017, amid a crackdown on financial risk, and has not been heard of since.
The regulator's control of the bank began Friday and will last one year, placing its operations in the custody of state-owned China Construction Bank, the statement said.
The regulators said they would guarantee the 

Chinese regulators take over small lender

PTI Automatic

No driver on the grid at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix can claim to know the bumps, corners and idiosyncrasies of the Mediterranean principality's famous streets as intimately as local hero Charles Leclerc.
The Monegasque driver remembers watching the red Ferraris whizz throught the familiar home streets as a toddler, who was later to travel to school on them by bus and as an adolescent dreamed of racing on the world's most iconic F1 course.
At 21, and approaching only his sixth race as a Ferrari Formula One driver, he has realized his and his greatest mentors' ambitions by coming home to race in front of family and friends in the distinctive overalls of the 'scarlet scuderia'.
His father Herve Leclerc, a one-time Formula Three driver who died in 2017, and his inspirational friend Jules Bianchi, who died in 2015 following a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, share the personal space on his racing helmet this weekend, a division to reflect their importance to him.
"Without them, 

Cautious Leclerc testing home course limits at Monaco

A major operation to clean up the trash-clogged rivers in the Kenyan capital has led to the grisly discovery of 14 bodies, most of them babies and children, the local government said Friday.
On Friday, clean-up crews found the body of an eight-year-old boy who had been strangled and dumped near the Nairobi River, just days after the bodies of twin babies were discovered in a plastic bag.
"Nairobi county youth conducting cleaning of Nairobi River have today (Friday) found yet another body of a... boy strangled and dumped near the river," said county government spokesman Elkana Jacob.
"This makes a total number of 14 bodies of adults and infants retrieved from Nairobi rivers since Governor Mike Sonko launched the clean-up exercise," he said.
Nairobi's name comes from a Maasai phrase meaning "place of cool waters", however the main river and its tributaries have fallen prey to industrialisation and chaotic urban planning.
Factories spew industrial waste into the rivers, while dozens of ..

Cleanup of Nairobi rivers uncovers grisly find of 14 bodies

The Yemeni president has accused UN envoy Martin Griffiths of siding with the country's Huthi rebels in a letter addressed to the UN chief.
Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said he was giving Griffiths "a final chance" to implement hard-won truce deals reached in Sweden last year.
In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP Friday, he accused Griffiths of "providing the Huthi militia with guarantees to stay in Hodeida and its ports under the umbrella of the UN".
"I can no longer accept these offences by your special envoy which threaten chances to find a (lasting) solution," he wrote, addressing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The rebels' pullback from the Red Sea ports of Hodeida, Saleef and Ras Issa marked the first concrete step to implement the Sweden agreement, which was hailed as
a breakthrough in efforts to end the war.
The Huthis handed over control of the ports to a "coast guard", according to the UN, but some government officials said these forces were in fact rebel ...

Yemen president accuses UN envoy of siding with rebels

Tens of thousands of young climate activists rallied in Germany on Friday in the latest mass protest demanding urgent action against global warming, ahead of the weekend's European Parliamentary elections.
At least 5,000 students boycotted classes and demonstrated at Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate in what was expected to be one of the largest of protests planned in more than 120 countries.
Large crowds also gathered in Hamburg, Frankfurt and other German cities, mirroring protests across Europe and the world.
In Berlin, they carried signs with messages such as "Climate now, homework later!" and "There is no planet B", while teenage activists chanted: "What do we want? Climate justice! When do we want it? now!"
The initiator of the "Fridays for Future" protests, 16-year-old Swedish school girl Greta Thunberg, again passionately called on youths in Europe and around the world to join the movement.
"It is time for all of us to resist on a massive scale," she wrote in a text co-authored 

Youths rally in climate protest before EU vote

Naomi Osaka said Friday it would be "cool" to complete a Grand Slam sweep in 2019 even if her meteoric rise to fame has left her feeling as if she's 35 rather than 21.
The world number one won her first major at the US Open last year and then backed it up with the Australian Open in January.
Now she is top seed at a major for the first time at Roland Garros and sees no reason why she cannot take Paris, Wimbledon and finish the year with a successful defence of her title in New York.
"Roland Garros, that's what I'm dreaming about right now," said Osaka, the top seed when the French Open starts on Sunday.
"If you're talking about longer goals, of course I haven't won Wimbledon yet and it would be really cool to win everything in one year."
Germany's Steffi Graf was the last woman to win a calendar Grand Slam in 1988.  Before her, it is a feat only achieved by Margaret Court in 1970 and Maureen Connolly in 1953.
Despite Osaka having yet to get past the third round in Paris, she insists ..

Osaka sets sights on 'cool' Grand Slam sweep

Real Madrid have reacted angrily to Mauricio Pochettino suggesting they turned down a request from Tottenham to stay at their training ground next week ahead of the Champions League final against Liverpool.
Spurs will train at Valdebebas on Thursday and Friday before the game on Saturday and Pochettino, in an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena Cope, said the club had asked Madrid if they could also sleep on the site.
In a light-hearted part of the interview, Pochettino was asked if Tottenham's players would also stay at Valdedebas. Pochettino replied: "No we will stay in an hotel near there. We have asked eh? We have asked but Florentino (Perez) didn't want to allow us."
A laughing Pochettino then added: "He would say, 'the day you coach Madrid is when you can sleep there'. This is the subliminal message no?" Real Madrid released a statement on Friday, insisting they had received no such request from Tottenham.
The statement read: "Real Madrid is surprised by the suggestions .

Real Madrid reject Pochettino's claim Tottenham asked to sleep at club's training ground

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis says the team's record of repeated World Cup heartbreak will have no bearing on a largely youthful squad at the 2019 tournament.
Since making their World Cup debut in 1992 after decades of apartheid-enforced isolation, South Africa have won just one of seven knockout matches -- a quarter-final against Sri Lanka in Sydney four years ago.
They have reached the semi-finals four times but have yet to make a final, with a match-winning innings from South Africa-born all-rounder Grant Elliott seeing them beaten by New Zealand in 2015.
And when the World Cup was last staged in England 20 years ago, a dramatic semi-final tie with Australia saw South Africa bow out on net run-rate.
But Du Plessis said that even though he and fellow senior players such as Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn had endured their fair share of World Cup pain, it would not be an issue this time around.
"You can't control history -- I am a firm believer in that," Du Plessis said at a World ..

South Africa's World Cup woes no worry for Du Plessis

A no-deal Brexit appears inevitable after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation, paving the way for hardliners to take over, an increasingly assertive Spain warned on Friday.
"Under these circumstances, a hard Brexit appears to be a reality that is near impossible to stop," Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa told reporters.
She added "the British government, the British parliament" would be "solely responsible for a no-deal exit (from the EU) and its consequences." In an emotional announcement, May said she would step down as Conservative Party leader on June 7 and remain as prime minister in a caretaker role until a replacement is elected by the party.
That will end her dramatic three-year tenure of near-constant crisis over Britain's planned exit from the European Union.  With her resignation, the manner of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union appears more uncertain than ever.
It could lead to Britain, which has already twice delayed its ...

No-deal Brexit 'near impossible to stop': Spain

Lebanon has "summarily deported" at least 16 Syrians, some of them registered refugees, by forcing them to sign "voluntary repatriation forms," human rights groups said on Friday.
Lebanon hosts nearly one million Syrian refugees -- a significant burden for a country of four million people -- and there has been mounting pressure for them to go home even though the UN says many areas remain unsafe to return to.
The 16 were all removed to Syria on April 26 after they arrived at Beirut airport, Human Rights Watch and four other groups said in a joint report.
Most of them were sent back to Lebanon after they were barred from entering Cyprus via Turkey, quashing their plans to seek asylum, it said.
At least five were registered with the United Nations refugee agency, it added.
"Lebanese authorities shouldn't deport anyone to Syria without first allowing them a fair opportunity to argue their case for protection," said HRW's acting Middle East director, Lama Fakih.
The report said around 30 .

Lebanon deports 16 Syrians: rights groups

Thailand's king opened parliament Friday five years after a 2014 coup, stressing the importance of "national security" and "people's well-being" as the junta moves within striking distance of cementing its grip on power.
Results of the March 24 poll were released almost two months after the vote and showed no clear winner.
But the junta-linked Palang Pracharat won 115 seats in the lower house, only 11 votes shy of a majority in the combined parliament thanks to 250 military-appointed senators.
All eyes are now on mid-sized parties that analysts believe are tilting towards Palang Pracharat.
Wearing glasses and reading from prepared remarks, King Maha Vajiralongkorn told hundreds of assembled MPs standing in white uniform to act with responsibility because "each member's action will directly affect national security and people's well being."
Members of the diplomatic corps were also in attendance.
The king was next to Queen Suthida, a former member of his royal bodyguard unit whom he ...

Thai king opens first parliament since 2014 coup

The two candidates to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, Stockholm/Are and Milan/Cortina d'Ampezzo, have "fully embraced" the cost-cutting Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, according to the IOC.
The IOC published the report by its evaluation commission Friday, one month ahead of the June 24 vote in Lausanne on which city will host the 2026 Games.
Ex-Romanian rugby player Octavian Morariu, the commission head, said: "Both projects prioritise legacy and sustainability by capitalising on winter sports tradition and experience, with first-rate, established World Cup venues, knowledgeable and passionate fans, volunteers and event organisers.
"They have fully embedded the Olympic Agenda 2020 philosophy, and have athletes at the centre of their plans."
He added: "The two candidates have aligned their concepts with their context and local long-term goals. All of this led to massive cost savings and a more sustainable hosting model that is the new reality for the Games."
According to the IOC, the two ..

Reduced costs for 2026 Olympic candidates Milan and Stockholm

Teenage sensation Takefusa Kubo won his first senior Japan call-up Friday when he was named in coach Hajime Moriyasu's squad for next month's Copa America in Brazil.
The FC Tokyo midfielder, who was invited to Barcelona's youth academy as a pint-sized nine-year-old where he earned the nickname the "Japanese Messi", is one of no fewer than 17 uncapped players as Japan look to build for next year's Tokyo Olympics.
Kubo, 17, will also be available for Japan's home warm-up games against Trinidad and Tobago on June 5 and El Salvador on June 9, Japanese officials said.
"Teams like the hosts Brazil will definitely be serious about winning," Kubo told local media.
"But even though we are playing as guests we will have to match the desire of our opponents when we get on the pitch."
Moriyasu left big-name players such as Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki out of his Asian Cup squad earlier this year when the Blue Samurai were beaten 3-1 in the final by Qatar in Abu Dhabi.
"We are ..

'Japanese Messi' Kubo named in Copa America squad

Reigning champion Simona Halep on Friday said that the pressure was off ahead of the start of her French Open title defence after ending her long wait for a Grand Slam trophy 12 months ago.
The Romanian beat Sloane Stephens in Paris last year to clinch her maiden major crown in her fourth final, and is the third seed for the 2019 edition which starts at Roland Garros on Sunday.
"(It's) much better and much easier, because I have the title already," said Halep, who is the bookmakers' favourite to win a second straight title.
"(It) doesn't matter anymore what is going to happen. Everything (that) comes now comes as a bonus. So I will try just to give my best and to see if I'm able to do it again."
The 27-year-old had faced consistent questions heading into the 2018 French Open about her ability to win the biggest tournaments despite holding the world-number-one ranking for long spells, but finally put those doubts to bed.
Now, she concedes that she is maybe "too happy" to have put ...

'Happy' Halep feeling less pressure at French Open

When you've got to go, you've got to go but at Roland Garros this year, tennis players desperate to dash to the toilet may have to grin and bear it following a rule change.
French Open chiefs have decided to limit toilet breaks during a match to one per player.
Previously, women players were allowed two toilet breaks in a three-set match while men could go three times in a five-setter.
However, the sight of a player dashing from a court in the heat of battle -- often when a set has been lost -- has left opponents and fans irritated, claiming that the move is merely a tactical manoeuvre.
"For men it's a little bit different because they can play maybe five, six hours, easy," said Karolina Pliskova, the Roland Garros second seed this year.
"Maybe I think they should have two, that would be better. But the women, I think one is enough. Maybe too much! "Because you always have time to go before.

At Roland Garros, if you've got to go, you'll have to stay

Roger Federer on Friday hailed the "wonderful" addition of the Laver Cup, one of three men's tennis team events, to the official ATP calendar.
The tournament, inspired by golf's Ryder Cup, pits teams from Europe and the 'rest of the world' against each other and was first held in 2017.
It will be in competition with the revamped Davis Cup and the ATP World Team Cup.
"As I come closer to the end of my playing career, it's wonderful to know that the Laver Cup will be part of the tour that I've dedicated more than 20 years of my life to," said the 37-year-old Federer in a statement after the announcement that the Laver Cup would be added to the ATP Tour.
This year's edition will be held in Geneva from September 20-22, with Bjorn Borg's Team Europe the defending champions after defeating the John McEnroe-led Team World in 2018 in Chicago.
World number one Novak Djokovic played in the Laver Cup last year, but has also been one of the driving forces behind bringing back the ATP World Team ..

Federer hails 'wonderful' Laver Cup addition to ATP Tour

England captain Eoin Morgan will undergo "a precautionary X-ray" after injuring his left index finger in training, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Friday.
Morgan was practising with his teammates at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton ahead of Saturday's unofficial World Cup warm-up against Australia when he took a blow during catching drills.
"Eoin Morgan took a knock to his left index finger fielding this morning. He is going to hospital after practice for a precautionary X-ray," said a brief statement from the ECB.
Morgan, 32, was one of 14 players preparing at Hampshire's ground, with Joe Root absent on personal business.
England have climbed to the top of the one-day international rankings under the leadership of Morgan, who is also a key member of their powerful batting line-up.
The host nation play the opening match of the World Cup against South Africa on May 30.

England captain Morgan to have X-ray in pre-World Cup scare

China ramped up a war of words with the United States over Huawei on Friday, accusing Washington of spreading "lies" about the telecom giant thrust to the centre of their trade war.
The fiery response came hours after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected Huawei's denials that the Chinese company works with the Communist government.
The Trump administration has infuriated Beijing by blacklisting the smartphone and telecommunications company over worries that China uses it as a tool for espionage, and allegations of breaking sanctions on Iran.
Huawei has repeatedly denied it works with the Communist-led government.
"To say that they don't work with the Chinese government is a false statement," Pompeo told CNBC on Thursday, adding that Huawei was "deeply tied" to the Communist Party.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said US politicians have spread rumours about Huawei without providing evidence.
"These American politicians continue to fabricate various subjective, ...

China slams US 'lies' about Huawei's government ties

A Japanese court on Friday upheld the death sentence for a woman dubbed the "Black Widow", who used cyanide to kill a string of elderly and rich lovers and pocketed millions in insurance payouts and inheritance.
The Osaka High Court rejected an appeal by Chisako Kakehi, 72, to overturn her sentence of death by hanging for the murder of three men -- including a husband -- and the attempted murder of another, in a case that gripped Japan.
Kakehi became notorious after using poison to dispatch a number of elderly men she was involved with, drawing comparisons with the spider that kills its mate after copulation.
The court "turned down the appeal" made by defence lawyers, according to a spokesman.
Her lawyers launched a final appeal, according to local news agency Jiji Press.
Handing down the death sentence in 2017, presiding judge Ayako Nakagawa said the murders were "cunning and malicious" and Kakehi made her victims drink cyanide "with a murderous intention." The judge rejected defence 

Japan appeals court upholds 'Black Widow' death sentence

North Korea said on Friday its deadlocked nuclear talks with Washington "will never be resumed" unless the US adopts a new approach, again blaming it for the collapse of the Hanoi summit in February.
US President Donald Trump's second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un broke up without an agreement or even a joint statement as the two failed to reach a deal on sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up of its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic programmes.
According to reports Trump gave Kim a written list of demands and Pyongyang has since accused Washington of acting in "bad faith", giving it until the end of this year to change its approach.
The North's statement on Friday, released by its official news agency KCNA, reiterated its stance.
The "underlying cause" of the "setback" in Hanoi was "the arbitrary and dishonest position taken by the United States", it quoted a North Korean foreign ministry spokesperson as saying.
The US had insisted on "a ...

Pyongyang says no more nuclear talks unless US changes stance

A prominent Afghan religious scholar was killed and another 16 people wounded in a blast during Friday prayers at a Kabul mosque, officials said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, which took place at the Al-Taqwa mosque in eastern Kabul, where Mawlawi Raihan had been the imam, or prayer leader.
Friday prayers, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, are usually well attended.
"Unfortunately in the blast, Mawlawi Raihan has been martyred and 16 other worshippers were wounded," said Nasrat Rahimi, spokesman for the interior ministry.
The explosion took place around 1:20 pm (0850 GMT).
Police spokesman Firdaws Faramarz confirmed to AFP that Raihan was killed and said investigators were probing the nature of the explosion.
Local television channel Tolo said the explosion was caused by a bomb.
Raihan was relatively well known in Kabul, as he appeared frequently on religious shows broadcast on local TV.
While Kabul has seen frequent attacks on Shiite shrines and ..

AFP

AFP

Page 591 - Afp