Twelve suspected jihadists were killed Monday in police raids near Cairo, Egypt's interior ministry said, a day after a bomb blast injured 17 people including tourists near the Giza pyramids.
Security forces "carried out a raid against an apartment in the 6th of October district used for making explosive devices... These forces were shot at and responded, which left seven dead among the group," which has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the ministry said in a statement.
In another such raid in Cairo's Al-Shorouk neighbourhood against the militant Hasm group, an armed affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood, the ministry said five suspected jihadists were killed in an exchange of fire.
Weapons and ammunition were seized in the two apartments, the interior ministry said.
"As part of the ministry's efforts to tackle the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organisation, information reached national security services" of attacks being prepared by Hasm, the ministry said.
The statement did not directly 

12 suspected jihadists killed in Egypt raids: ministry

PTI Automatic

Thousands took to the streets in the southern US state of Alabama on Sunday to rally against the nation's most restrictive bans on abortions in decades.
Around 500 women's reproductive rights defenders gathered in state capital Montgomery, while in the cities of Birmingham, Anniston, Huntsville and Mobile around 3,000 more joined in denouncing the "Alabama Human Life Protection Act," local media reported.
The act, known as HB314, virtually outlaws terminations of pregnancy.
Protesters in Montgomery held up signs reading "her body, her choice" and "we are not ovary-acting."
A woman wearing beige underwear that made her look naked had a drawing of her reproductive system attached to her abdomen and a banner reading: "More than an incubator."
Several other women were dressed as characters forced to bear children in the dystopian novel and television series "The Handmaid's Tale."
One of them, who gave her name only as Amanda, accused Alabama's legislators of "trying to imprison women and .

Thousands protest strict Alabama abortion law

An Indonesian court sentenced Frenchman Felix Dorfin to death for drug smuggling on Monday, in a shock verdict after prosecutors asked for a 20-year jail term.
Dorfin, 35, was arrested in September carrying a suitcase filled with about three kilograms (6.6 pounds) of drugs including ecstasy and amphetamines at the airport in Lombok, a holiday island next to Bali where foreigners are routinely arrested on drugs charges.
Indonesia has some of the world's strictest drug laws -- including death by firing squad for some drug traffickers and it has executed foreigners in the past.
While prosecutors had not asked for the death penalty, Indonesian courts have been known to go beyond their demands.
"After finding Felix Dorfin legally and convincingly guilty of importing narcotics ... (he) is sentenced to the death penalty," presiding judge Isnurul Syamsul Arif told the court.
He cited Dorfin's involvement in an international drug syndicate and the amount of drugs in his possession as ...

Indonesian court sentences French drug smuggler to death

Air strikes by Syrian regime ally Russia have killed 10 civilians including five children in a northwestern jihadist bastion, a monitor said Monday, hours after Moscow announced a ceasefire there.
Clashes between regime forces and jihadists raged Monday on the edge of the region held by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, following the deadly air raids overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The Idlib region controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is supposed to be protected from a government offensive by a September buffer zone deal, but regime and Russian bombardment has increased there since late April.
The Observatory said Russian air strikes overnight killed five children, four women, and one man in the town of Kafranbel in Idlib province.
The air strikes hit near a hospital in the town, knocking it out of service, the Britain-based monitor said.
An AFP correspondent saw five homes on the edges on the town that were destroyed or damaged after the strikes.
Survivors ...

Russia air strikes kill 10 civilians in northwest Syria: monitor

Paulinho has become the toast of Chinese football after the Brazilian fondly known as "Violent Bird" attempted to sing along in Mandarin to the national anthem before a game.
The international midfielder was seen singing some of "March of the Volunteers" before Guangzhou Evergrande's 3-2 win at Wuhan Zall in the Chinese Super League (CSL).
The 30-year-old, who was captaining Fabio Cannavaro's side, scored what turned out to be the winner on Friday to keep Evergrande in the title race with a third of the season gone.
Television viewers and media were quick to praise the man affectionately dubbed "Violent Bird" because of his all-action style.
Calling it an "unexpected move", Soccer News said: "The Brazilian followed the majestic melody.
"It is not the first time he seriously sang the national anthem. In 2017, Paulinho had already begun to seriously participate.
"But at that time he could only sing one sentence, 'March on! March on! On!'"
Many people on Weibo, China's equivalent of ...

Paulinho endears himself to Chinese football with anthem sing-along

Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky stepped into his new role as Ukrainian president with his inauguration on Monday, launching a new era for the country wracked by war and economic difficulties.
A month after scoring a landslide election victory against incumbent Petro Poroshenko, the 41-year-old became Ukraine's youngest post-Soviet president.
In a ceremony in parliament, he placed his hand on a copy of the constitution and the Bible and pledged to "protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine."
He used his inaugural speech to announce that he is dissolving parliament, after wrangling with lawmakers in the lower house, in order to call early parliamentary elections, which had originally been scheduled for October.
"People must come to power who will serve the public," Zelensky said.
Critics had questioned whether Zelensky would be able to govern without a parliamentary majority. Even setting a date for his inauguration took weeks of negotiations with hostile lawmakers, whom Zelensky .

Ukraine inaugurates comedian Zelensky as president

Former South African president Jacob Zuma arrived in court on Monday as he fights to have corruption charges against him over 1990s arms deal dropped before the case comes to trial.
Zuma, who was forced to resign by the ruling ANC party last year, has been charged with 16 counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering relating to the weapons deal dating back to before he took office in 2009.
Zuma, 77, is accused of taking bribes from French defence company Thales during his time as a provincial economy minister and later as deputy president of the African National Congress (ANC).
He allegedly pocketed around four million rand (USD 280,000) from 783 payments handled by Schabir Shaik, a businessman who acted as his financial adviser.
Both Zuma and Thales have denied any wrongdoing and have applied to the court for a permanent stay of prosecution.
The company argues that the re-introduction of the charges "holds no validity" because the charges were originally struck down in 2009, ...

S Africa ex-president Zuma back in court over graft charges

French doctors Monday began switching off the life support of a quadriplegic man who has been in a vegetative state for the last decade, in a hugely controversial case that has divided France, the lawyer for his parents said.
Jean Paillot, the lawyer for Vincent Lambert's parents who vehemently oppose ending his life, said doctors at the hospital in Reims had begun switching off the systems. "It is shameful, they (the parents) could not even embrace their son," he told AFP.
Other family sources also confirmed the systems were being switched off.

French doctors begin halting life support for man in vegetative state: lawyer

China's former top securities regulator -- appointed to clean up markets following a 2015 market meltdown -- is under investigation for unspecified wrongdoing, authorities said late Sunday.
Liu Shiyu was suspected of "violating the law", said a brief notice on the website of the Communist Party agency responsible for policing corruption.
He had turned himself in, the notice said, but gave no further information.
A former banker and deputy governor with the central bank, Liu was installed as head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) in early 2016, with a mission to restore confidence in financial markets.
The previous year, China's traditionally volatile markets slumped precipitously in a disastrous meltdown worsened by an erratic response from regulators.
Liu declared war on financial "crocodiles" and "barbarians" who manipulate the market.
He launched a crackdown that saw dramatically enhanced enforcement of securities regulations and sharply increased the amount of ..

Former China securities regulator under investigation

A riot at a prison in Tajikistan has left 32 people dead, including 24 members of the Islamic State militant group and three guards, authorities said Monday.
Five of the inmates and the three guards were killed by IS prisoners during the riot that erupted on Sunday evening, the justice ministry said in a statement.
The prison in Vakhdat, 17 kilometres east of the capital Dushanbe, holds 1,500 inmates.
It said the prisoners first stabbed to death three guards, and then five other inmates "in order to intimidate" the others.
They then took other prisoners hostage before opening fire on the jail's medical facilities.
"Following a reprisal operation, 24 members of this group were killed and 25 others arrested. The hostages were freed" and calm restored to the prison, the statement said.
Among the leaders of the riot, the Tajik authorities identified the 20-year-old son of the former head of Tajik special forces who became a member of the IS leadership in Syria, where he was killed in ...

Prison riot in Tajikistan leaves 32 dead

President Donald Trump has issued an ominous warning to Iran, suggesting that if the Islamic republic attacks American interests, it will be destroyed.
"If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again," Trump said in a tweet.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have been on the rise as the United States has deployed a carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over what it termed Iranian "threats." This account has been met with widespread skepticism outside the United States.
The White House has sent mixed signals in recent days, amid multiple US media reports of infighting in Trump's cabinet over how hard to push Washington's arch foe Iran.
The Trump administration has ordered non-essential diplomatic staff out of Iraq, citing threats from Iranian-backed Iraqi armed groups, and sent an aircraft carrier and heavy B-52 bombers to the region.
On Sunday, a Katyusha rocket was fired into Baghdad's Green Zone housing government ...

Trump: if Tehran attacks, it will be 'official end of Iran'

Doctors were due from Monday to start switching off the life support of a quadriplegic Frenchman who has been in a vegetative state for the last decade, in a case that has divided France and even his own family.
But the parents of Vincent Lambert have launched last ditch challenges to the court decision to halt the nutrition and hydration he receives in the Sebastopol Hospital in the northern French city of Reims.
The patient's doctor, Vincent Sanchez, is due to start switching off the support systems from Monday, according to Lambert's parents.
They want care for Lambert to continue but other relatives concur with doctors that the humane path given Lambert's condition is to end life support.
Lambert was left quadriplegic with severe brain damage after a 2008 car accident and his case has become a symbol of the controversy over right-to-die laws in France.
Their lawyers said Sunday that the parents would be making multiple final court bids to have the treatment continued, as well as ..

Vegetative Frenchman set to lose life support amid final challenge

Black-clad students reenacted the horrors of the Cambodian genocide at the "Killing Fields" on Monday to commemorate the two million people killed by the Khmer Rouge's murderous, Maoist regime.
Hundreds gathered at the notorious site in Phnom Penh to mark the annual Day of Remembrance with prayers and performances, including students wielding wooden rifles, knives and bamboo sticks in mock attacks.
"We performed these scenes in order to remember the genocidal Pol Pot regime and the cruelty that Cambodian people suffered," Chhaem Khleuong, a fine art teacher who played a Khmer Rouge cadre, told AFP.
A quarter of Cambodia's population died under Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime, culled in mass killings or of starvation, forced labour or torture.
His brutal reign came to an end in 1979, and the Khmer Rouge atrocities are still remembered at museums and sites dedicated to victims of the genocide.
The Day of Remembrance, more commonly called the "Day of Anger" in Cambodia, is held at the ...

Cambodia marks genocide atrocities with Day of Remembrance

Kuwait's deputy foreign minister said countries in the Gulf have strengthened coordination to provide oil to global markets amid increased regional tensions.
"It is normal amid this escalation that Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries take these steps," Khalid al-Jarallah told reporters late Sunday on the sidelines of a Ramadan sit-down organised by the Iraqi embassy.
"There is cooperation and coordination between Kuwait and the Gulf countries to provide guarantees for oil tankers and continuous supply of energy to global markets."
Jarallah's comments come days after sabotage attacks against tankers in highly sensitive Gulf waters and the bombing of a Saudi pipeline -- the latter claimed by Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels.
Both attacks targeted routes built as alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for almost all Gulf exports.
The US Fifth Fleet headquartered in Bahrain said the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council began "enhanced security patrols" Saturday in .

Gulf countries strengthen oil coordination amid tensions: Kuwait

A riot at a prison in Tajikistan has left 32 people dead, including 24 members of the Islamic State group and three guards, authorities said Monday.
Five of the inmates and the three guards were killed by IS prisoners during the riot that erupted on Sunday evening at a facility near the capital Dushanbe, the justice ministry said in a statement.

32 dead in Tajikistan prison riot: official

Sudan's army rulers and protest leaders said more talks were planned for Monday on finalising the makeup of a new ruling body, after hours of negotiations through the night ended without agreement.
Both sides have been at loggerheads over the new governing body that would rule Sudan for a three-year transitional period after the ouster last month of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
The latest discussions were launched Sunday evening following pressure from world powers to install a civilian-led governing body -- a key demand of demonstrators.  After continuing into the early hours of Monday, the ruling military council announced the talks would resume at 9:00 pm (local time).
"The structure of the sovereign authority has been discussed," Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi, spokesman of the military council, told reporters.
"It's agreed to resume negotiations today (Monday) evening... hoping to reach a final deal." The Sudanese Professional Association -- the group that initially 

Sudan army rulers, protesters plan more talks after no agreement

Chris Woakes said England's players faced a nervous wait as the countdown to the announcement of the World Cup squad entered its final phase.
Tournament hosts England unveil their squad for the one-day international showpiece on Tuesday.
England have yet to win a men's World Cup but they head into this year's edition as the number-one ranked side in ODI cricket.
Pace-bowling all-rounder Woakes settled what little doubt there was around his place with a five-wicket haul as England beat Pakistan by 54 runs at Headingley on Sunday to complete a 4-0 series win.
But David Willey, despite the variety he offers as a left-arm quick, has seen his place threatened by the emergence of newly-qualified Barbados-born fast bowler Jofra Archer.
And back-up spinner and reserve batsman Joe Denly, could also be cut from the 17-man squad deployed against Pakistan when it come to England's final 15 for the World Cup, especially with Liam Dawson waiting in the wings as an alternative slow-bowling ...

England star Woakes glad World Cup picks not his problem

Fernando Alonso's latest bid for Indianapolis 500 glory ended in failure on Sunday after the two-time Formula One world champion failed to qualify for the US motorsport showpiece.
The 37-year-old Spaniard was eliminated by young US driver Kyle Kaiser on the final run of the rain-delayed "Last Row Shootout" qualifying session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
McLaren driver Alonso had been chasing a victory at the Brickyard in a bid to become only the second driver after Britain's Graham Hill to claim the Triple Crown of motorsport, with wins in the Monaco F1 Grand Prix, 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance and Indy 500.
But Alonso's attempt to add the last remaining piece of the treble to his trophy cabinet was snuffed out in a dramatic qualifying session.
"This type of challenge, they can bring you a lot of success and you can be part of the history of the sport or you can be really disappointed," he said.
"Today is one of those, but I prefer to be here than to be like millions and millions ..

Upset as Alonso fails to qualify for Indy 500

Brooks Koepka held off a late charge from Dustin Johnson to capture his second consecutive PGA Championship on Sunday, completing a wire-to-wire victory for his fourth major title in nerve-wracking fashion.
A near-collapse saw Koepka's record seven-stroke lead reduced to a single shot, but he withstood making four bogeys in a row on the back nine and another at 17 for an unexpectedly narrow triumph.
"This is probably the most satisfied I've been with all the majors," said Koepka.
"This one's definitely at the top of the list of how emotionally and how mentally spent I am."
Koepka fired a four-over par 74 final round at windy Bethpage Black to finish 72 holes on eight-under 272 and defeat Johnson by two strokes, replacing him as world number one as a result.
"I'm just glad we don't have any more holes to play," Koepka said.
"That was a stressful round of golf." Bogeys by Johnson at 16 and 17 made the difference but Koepka made bogey at the par-3 17th, then escaped sand and weeds off ...

Koepka avoids collapse to win PGA for fourth major title

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe fuelled speculation surrounding his future on Sunday, saying that he wants "responsibilities, maybe at PSG, maybe elsewhere".
The 20-year-old backed up his excellent 2018 World Cup, where he scored four times as France won the trophy, by netting 38 times for PSG this season.
He was named as the Ligue 1 player of the season on Sunday, but did not deny that a potential move away from France could be in the offing.
"It (the award) is an important moment for me, a turning point in my career... The moment of having more responsibilities, maybe at PSG, maybe elsewhere," he told BeIN Sports.
Mbappe did not back down on his comments when asked about them in the mixed zone a few minutes later.
"For me, it was the moment to say it... When I say something, I think about it," he said, reiterating his desire to have more "responsibilities".
"If it's at PSG, it's good, if it's elsewhere, it will be elsewhere for a new challenge."
Mbappe has been regularly ...

Mbappe wants responsibility, 'maybe at PSG, maybe elsewhere'

Departing Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri bid farewell to the Turin fans in the team's final home game this season on Sunday, a 1-1 stalemate against Atalanta that kept the visitors' hopes of a first-ever Champions League qualification alive.
The Juventus fans paid tribute to Allegri, who the club's management have decided will not be their coach next season, despite winning 11 trophies in five years, but missing out on winning the Champions League.
Juventus have already wrapped up their record eighth consecutive title, which was Allegri's fifth.
The team were officially presented with this year's Serie A trophy -- the first for Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Former World Cup winner Andrea Barzagli played his final home game after eight years in Turin, and received an resounding ovation when he came off after an hour.
On the pitch, forward Mario Mandzukic struck ten minutes from time to cancel out Josip Ilicic's 33rd-minute goal for Atalanta.
The point keeps Atalanta's ...

AFP

AFP

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