The UN Security Council on Friday called on Libyan forces under Khalifa Haftar to halt their advance on Tripoli, warning the military move was putting Libya's stability at risk.
Haftar, the commander of the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), launched an offensive on Thursday to take the capital, held by a UN-backed unity government and an array of militias.
The council "called on LNA forces to halt all military movements," German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen, who holds the council presidency, told reporters following a closed-door meeting.
"The members of the Security Council expressed deep concern at the military activity near Tripoli which risks Libyan stability and prospects for UN mediation and a comprehensive political solution to the crisis," he said.
The appeal for Haftar to halt his offensive was unanimously backed by the council, including Russia, which has supported the strongman.
Armed clashes broke out earlier Friday south of Tripoli between a pro-government ...

UN calls on Haftar's forces to halt Libya advance

PTI Automatic

US job creation came back to life in March, possibly assuaging recession fears and allowing Donald Trump a sigh of relief.
Government data released Friday showed a hiring surge in healthcare, bars and restaurants, while unemployment held steady and worker wages continued to climb.
The return to healthy job creation at the close of the third quarter followed wild results at the start of the year, including an anemic February when employers added just 33,000 net new positions, the slowest in 17 months.
The world's largest economy added 196,000 net new positions for March, well above expectations, while the jobless rate held steady at 3.8 percent, according to the Labor Department.
The broad consensus among economists is that the US economy is slowing as the boost from recent tax cuts and fiscal stimulus fades. But President Trump's administration has forecast that 2019 will be another banner year for growth.
Shortly after the numbers were released, Trump delighted in the news.  "Our ...

US job growth resumes in March, letting Trump breathe easier

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday warned of the risk of interference by Russia in Canadian parliamentary elections scheduled for this fall.
"We've seen over the past number of years an increase in the interference or the implication of foreign actors in democratic processes," Trudeau told a news conference in Toronto.
"We saw very clearly that countries like Russia are behind a lot of the divisive campaigns, a lot of the divisive social media, you know, spreads that have turned our politics even more divisive and more anger-filled than they have been in the past," he said.
"Our minister of democratic institutions, Karina Gould, is moving forward on a number of significant ways to ensure that the election that is coming up in six months will be decided by Canadians," he added.
"That is what Canadians expect."
The Canadian leader echoed his foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, who said that outside interference in the country's upcoming vote was "very likely."
"We are very ...

Canada PM warns of Russian interference in parliamentary polls

Bangladesh police have prevented 115 Rohingya refugees from being smuggled to Malaysia in rickety fishing boats, officials said Saturday, but no suspected traffickers were detained.
The group from the Kutupalong camp near Bangladesh's border with Myanmar -- the biggest refugee settlement in the world -- were stopped as they headed to boats in the Bay of Bengal.
The operation, which took place late Friday, was the latest in a series involving Rohingya refugees seeking to leave squalid camps for Malaysia, a more prosperous Muslim-majority nation.
"We stopped a convoy of 15 auto-rickshaws and rescued 50 men, 39 women and 26 children," Bangladeshi police officer Anwar Hossain told AFP.  "But we could not catch any traffickers."
The officer said the Rohingya, who had already paid the traffickers some money, would be taken back to the camp.
About 740,000 of the Muslim minority Rohingya fled Myanmar for Bangladesh following a brutal military clampdown in the Buddhist-majority nation in ...

Bangladesh stops 115 Rohingya seeking to reach Malaysia

A US foundation that fights for hostages has reversed plans to present an award to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo due to his response to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Pompeo called the about-face by the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation -- named in memory of the journalist killed in Syria -- "unfortunate" and said that media organizations as well as the moderator did not want to be associated with President Donald Trump's administration.
"I regret that there was pressure applied by the media for that award to be withdrawn," Pompeo told Fox News in an interview Friday.
"I think some of the folks who were underwriting the dinner didn't want to be part of it," he said.
"Award or no award, we're going to keep working at this problem," he said of freeing US hostages abroad.
Foley, a freelance journalist, was captured in Syria in 2012 and beheaded by the Islamic State group in August 2014, with video footage of his killing sparking outrage around the world.
The Foley ...

Foundation for hostages pulls prize for Pompeo

The European Union warned German car giants BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen on Friday that a preliminary inquiry has concluded they colluded to avoid competing on emission control technology.
Already reeling in the wake of the devastating "dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal that broke in 2015, the German carmakers will have to respond to the EU's findings, which could result in stiff penalties if the European Commission decides to pursue a cartel case against them.
A BMW statement said it would earmark a sum "which is likely to exceed one billion euros" ($1.12 billion) against potential fines, while adding that it "will contest the EU Commission's allegations with all legal means if necessary." Volkswagen's admission to manipulating 11 million vehicles worldwide to appear less polluting unleashed a wave of anger at the auto industry, and the Commission launched an in-depth cartel investigation into the three companies.
On Thursday the Commission said it has concluded that BMW, Daimler 

EU accuses BMW, Daimler and VW of breaking antitrust rules By Clement

Former US vice president Joe Biden said Friday he was on the cusp of announcing his 2020 plans, acknowledging he was watching his words carefully so as not to "start the clock" on a presidential campaign.
Biden, 76, has been mulling another White House run for several months, and has been inching toward a decision.
But the Delaware Democrat's rollout might have been clouded by revelations from multiple women over the past week that Biden had touched them inappropriately or made them feel uncomfortable.
"I am very close to making a decision," Biden, who is polling as the party's frontrunner despite not officially being in the race, told reporters after a speech to union workers in Washington.
"Even if I knew for certain that I was going to run for president back in Thanksgiving, my intention from the beginning, if I were to run, would be the last person to announce." Asked about the claims made against him and whether more women might come forward with similar allegations, Biden said ..

Biden says 'very close' to announcing if he will run for president

An independent rights expert will visit WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadoran embassy in London to assess whether privacy violation claims involving him merit investigation, the UN rights office said Thursday.
"The Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, Joe Cannataci, plans to meet WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on 25 April," the UN office said in a statement.
The meeting will take place at the Ecuadoran embassy in London, where Assange has been living for more than six years, and would be facilitated by the Ecuadoran government, it said.
The announcement came after Quito filed a formal complaint to Cannataci accusing WikiLeaks of spreading private information linked to President Lenin Moreno.  Photos, videos and private conversations appeared on portals such as Twitter and Facebook.
Moreno was also forced to deny allegations of corruption which surfaced on the website inapapers.org, with the president claiming he knew who was responsible for the accusations.
An ...

UN expert to visit Assange, assess violation of privacy claims

Legendary Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger said Friday he is "on the mend" after reportedly undergoing heart valve replacement surgery in New York -- news that gave his legions of fans a fright.
Less than a week ago, the band announced they would postpone the North American leg of their upcoming tour so the 75-year-old Jagger could receive medical treatment.
Industry tracker Billboard said late Thursday that doctors performed a minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement, allowing the artist to avoid major surgery that would open his chest.
"Thank you everyone for all your messages of support, I'm feeling much better now and on the mend - and also a huge thank you to all the hospital staff for doing a superb job," Jagger tweeted.
The British rocker was resting in the hospital, according to Billboard, citing anonymous sources who said he must lay low for four to five days so he can heal.
Doctors accessed the heart valve of the flamboyant Stones lead singer through the .

Mick Jagger says 'on the mend' after medical procedure

Saudi Arabia has arrested at least nine writers and academics, including two US citizens, in an apparent crackdown on supporters of detained women activists whose trial has drawn global censure, campaigners said Friday.
News of the arrests came the morning after US lawmakers voted to end military support for a Saudi-led war in neighbouring Yemen, which has triggered what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
It also marks the first major crackdown since the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October, which sparked unprecedented international scrutiny of the kingdom's human rights record.
Campaigners identified the US-Saudi dual nationals as writer and doctor Bader al-Ibrahim and Salah al-Haidar, the son of Aziza al-Yousef -- a high-profile activist who was temporarily released last week but remains on trial along with other women campaigners.
The latest round up started on Thursday, a day after the 11 women -- ..

US citizens among nine held in Saudi crackdown: activists

Americans are fearful about the impact of social media firms such as Facebook and Twitter, with many saying they spread misinformation and divide the country, even though most people still use these networks, a new poll showed Friday.
The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found 57 per cent of Americans believe social media sites do more to divide the country, and 55 per cent said the networks are more likely to spread "lies and falsehoods" than genuine news and information.
"Social media -- and Facebook, in particular -- have some serious issues in this poll," said Micah Roberts of the Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies, which conducted the survey with the Democratic firm Hart Research Associates.
"If America was giving social media a Yelp review, a majority would give it zero stars."
According to the survey, 61 per cent think social media does more to spread unfair attacks and rumours against public figures and corporations, compared with 32 per cent who say it helps hold ...

Social media gets thumbs-down in new US poll

The head UN nuclear inspector said Friday that his agency is asking Saudi Arabia to agree to safeguards on nuclear material for its first atomic reactor that could arrive by the end of the year.
Satellite imagery recently emerged of the project on the outskirts of Riyadh, which comes amid controversy in Washington over what Democrats say is President Donald Trump's rush to approve nuclear projects with the oil-rich kingdom.
But Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said there was nothing secret about the reactor and that Saudi Arabia informed the Vienna-based UN body about its plans in 2014.
He said the IAEA has encouraged Saudi Arabia to sign a comprehensive safeguards agreement, under which the agency ensures that nuclear material is not being diverted to weapons use.
Saudi Arabia has a weaker accord designed for countries with minimal quantities of nuclear material -- which Amano said was fine until the kingdom imports significant amounts.
"We ...

IAEA asks Saudis for safeguards on first nuclear reactor

Football legend Pele said Friday he was feeling "much better" after receiving hospital treatment in Paris for a urinary infection.
"The anti-biotics are working... I feel so much better," the 78-year-old Brazilian said on his official Twitter account.
The three-time World Cup winner was admitted to a Paris hospital on Wednesday after appearing at a promotional event with France striker Kylian Mbappe.
Pele's declining health has been a cause for concern in recent times, and the meeting with Mbappe -- the only other teenager apart from Pele to score in a World Cup final -- had already been postponed last November.
Previously, Pele had admitted to not feeling robust enough to light the flame at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Pele says feeling 'much better' after medical treatment

President Donald Trump confirmed Friday he will skip the "boring" White House correspondents' dinner later this month, saying he'll hold a rally instead.
Trump, who launches almost daily verbal attacks on what he considers a hostile media, has missed the two previous sessions of the annual get-together in Washington.
Asked if he'd go to this year's gathering, on April 27, he told reporters at the White House that "the dinner is so boring and so negative that we're going to hold a very positive rally."
Trump said his rally, in a still undecided location, will be "a big one."
Appearances by presidents at the black tie occasion have previously been a tradition.
However, Trump has a uniquely combative relationship with the media, which he denounces as "fake news," except in a handful of cases, including his favoured Fox News network.
Last year the correspondents' dinner ran into controversy when the keynote speaker, comedian Michelle Wolf, tore into White House staff, especially press ...

Trump confirms will skip 'boring' correspondents' dinner

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has said he plans to offer Lionel Messi a new contract in the hope the Argentinian will stay at the club his whole career.
Messi's current deal runs until 2021, the same year he turns 34, but the Argentinian has been in brilliant form again this season.
He has 42 goals for club and country while his 32 scored in La Liga have propelled Barca to within touching distance of their fourth league title in five years.
"We would like to renew his contract, that's the idea," Bartomeu told ESPN in an interview published on Friday.
"I believe he still has many years in front of him and in the coming months we will sit down with him so that he has many more years at Barcelona."
Messi joined Barcelona's academy aged 13 and is one of the few players left from Pep Guardiola's iconic team that won the treble in 2009.
In total, he has won nine La Liga titles with the club, as well as four in the Champions League and six in the Copa del Rey.
"Messi is a one-club man," 

'We want Messi to always be at Barca' - Bartomeu

Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, said his test with Ferrari this week was an important stepping stone in his fledgling racing career.
"It was very emotional, not just for me, but for all those who were there," the 20-year-old Schumacher told AFP subsidiary SID on Friday.
"There are doors which open. It gives me opportunities to work with the Ferrari F1 engineers at Maranello. I can learn very important things there for my future, and that I can already use in F2."
On Tuesday European Formula 3 champion Schumacher, who is taking part in the Formula 2 championship this season, drove 56 laps for Ferrari at Bahrain's Sakhir circuit.
"I've been very direct and very open in my feedback that I gave, to show where I still saw potential for improvement," said Schumacher, whose father won five world titles with Ferrari.
"Even if it's difficult, as you still don't properly know the car and you don't yet know where your limits are. The speed in 

Mick Schumacher eager to build on Ferrari test

The Italian government on Friday officially provided the financial guarantees for the bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, the IOC said.
Sports minister Giancarlo Giorgetti submitted a letter to the International Olympic Committee providing "all the guarantees, signed by Giuseppe Conte's government", the Olympic body said.
The head of the IOC evaluation commission, Octavian Morariu, on Thursday described the joint bid by Italy's financial capital and Dolomites ski resort Cortina D'Ampezzo as "very, very positive".
The financial guarantee reportedly amount to 415 million euros ($465 million).  Under the bid figure skating, hockey and short-track speedskating would be held in Milan, with sliding sports and curling in Cortina; and speedskating, biathlon and Nordic sports would take place at Val di Fiemme, in Trentino.
The alpine skiing events would be in Bormio for the men and Cortina for women while the opening ceremony would be at the San Siro football ..

Italy gives financial guarantees for 2026 Winter Olympics bid

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday vowed to go ahead with a deal to purchase Russian missiles despite Washington's suspension of Turkey's participation in a US jet programme because of security concerns over Russian deal.
Turkey's agreement to buy the Russian S-400 system has further tested its relations with Washington, stoking US concern about Erdogan's burgeoning relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
United States officials have repeatedly warned of the risks the Russian system would pose to Western defences and the lack of interoperability with NATO hardware.
Relations between NATO allies US and Turkey were already on shaky ground over issues including US support to a Syrian Kurdish militia viewed by Ankara as terrorists.
The US said on Monday it was halting all deliveries and joint work with Turkey on the F-35 fighter jet programme if Ankara insisted on the deal.
"The S-400 process is complete," Erdogan said on Friday, adding that the first delivery of the system 

Erdogan says Russia missile deal to go ahead after US suspension

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused the US and Europe of "meddling" in Turkey's affairs after statements from Western allies following his ruling party's challenge to local election results.
Erdogan and his AKP suffered an upset in Sunday's ballot when results showed the party lost the capital Ankara and was narrowly defeated in Istanbul, the country's largest city and economic hub.
While the United States has called on Turkey to accept the results, the European Union urged Ankara to allow elected officials to "exercise their mandate freely".
But Erdogan rejected the remarks and told the US and Europe to "know your place".
"America and Europe are... meddling in Turkey's internal affairs," Erdogan said in his first direct remarks to journalists since Monday.
"Turkey gave a democracy lesson to the whole world," he added.
US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said "free and fair elections are essential for any democracy, and this means acceptance of legitimate ...

Erdogan accuses US, Europe of 'meddling' after Turkey vote

The Premier League voiced "significant concerns" over potential reforms to the Champions League on Friday, saying the changes would damage the thriving domestic game.
Reported reforms being put forward for further discussion include changing the current group stage from eight groups of four to four groups of eight, guaranteeing clubs far more Champions League games from 2024.
A tiered system involving relegation and promotion could see the top six teams of each group automatically qualify for the following year's competition rather than through their domestic leagues, while UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin denied reports games could be played at weekends.
"All 20 Premier League clubs today discussed their 'significant concerns' regarding reported proposals for changing the format and qualification criteria of UEFA club competitions from season 2024/25," the Premier League said in a statement.
"All clubs unanimously agreed it is inappropriate for European football bodies to create ...

Premier League voices fears over proposed Champions League reforms

Zinedine Zidane expressed his admiration for Eden Hazard on Friday ahead of an expected move for the Chelsea forward from Real Madrid this summer.
Hazard's contract expires in June 2020 and he is yet to sign a new deal, leaving Chelsea in a difficult position if they want to avoid losing the Belgian for free.
After last year's World Cup, he admitted "it might be time for something different" while in October, he said it would be a "dream" to play for Real Madrid, "the best club in the world".
Asked about Hazard at a press conference before Madrid's La Liga game against Eibar on Saturday, Zidane said: "He is a player I have always rated, as everyone knows.
"He is a player that has played in France, that I have watched a lot and that I know personally. There's nothing new about what I think of him as a player. He's a fantastic player."
Real Madrid have certainly struggled for goals this season.
They have scored 26 fewer than Barcelona in the league and rarely threatened Valencia on ...

AFP

AFP

Page 670 - Afp