Millions of Chinese have begun the annual exodus for the Lunar New Year, the world's largest annual human migration, leaving major cities to return to their hometowns for the holiday.
The most important holiday in the Chinese calendar places great emphasis on family reunions, and travellers must get home by Monday to usher in the Year of the Pig the following day.
At Beijing Railway Station early on Wednesday, thousands were milling around in the cold, wrapped up in thick coats and wheeling their luggage.
They included a group of children with brightly coloured bags emblazoned with cartoon characters, a stark contrast to the dark, wintry morning.
Readying for a 32-hour journey from Beijing to Huaihua in Hunan province, central China, passengers kept themselves entertained on mobile phones while sipping tea from flasks.
Many who bought standing-only tickets were perched on their luggage along the aisle, or on tiny foldable stools sold on the Beijing platform. Others dozed in their ...

Chinese begin Lunar holiday exodus in the millions

PTI Automatic

Malaysia and China are still in talks about a multi-billion-dollar, Beijing-backed railway project, the finance minister said Wednesday, after a week of confusing and contradictory statements about the deal.
Since the shock defeat last year of a long-ruling, corruption-plagued regime in Malaysia, the new government has suspended a series of Chinese-financed infrastructure projects, including the rail line.
Critics said the projects lacked transparency, could saddle Malaysia with debt, and were in reality aimed at quickly funnelling cash to former leader Najib Razak to help him pay back cash looted from a sovereign wealth fund.
At the weekend, Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali said the government had made a final decision to cancel the 81 billion ringgit (USD 19.7 billion) rail link, which would have connected the eastern and western coasts of peninsular Malaysia.
But hours later, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng expressed shock at the announcement.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mahathir ..

Malaysia says still in talks on China-backed rail project

French economic growth slumped in 2018 as consumer spending tapered off toward the end of the year, the victim of violent anti-government protests that kept many shoppers at home ahead of the holidays, statistics office INSEE said Wednesday.
GDP expanded by just 1.5 per cent last year after the 2.3 per cent growth chalked up in the 2017 after Emmanuel Macron swept into the presidency with his pledge to revive the French economy through pro-business reforms.
The 2018 outcome fell short of the government's growth target of 1.7 per cent and economists warn of gathering risks that could jeopardise a recovery in 2019.
INSEE said consumer spending was stagnant in the fourth quarter after edging up 0.4 per cent in the previous three months, as the "yellow vest" protests over high fuel taxes and low living standards sparked widespread disruption.
Dozens of shops were ransacked and cars burned in Paris and other cities during the weekly Saturday protests that erupted in mid-November.
Road ...

French growth slows as 'yellow vest' protests take toll

US exchange operator Nasdaq said Wednesday it was launching a friendly offer worth USD 770 million (673 million euros) for the Oslo bourse, topping a bid from rival Euronext.
In a statement, Nasdaq said it had already received acceptances from shareholders holding more than 35 per cent of the stock.
In December, European stock market operator Euronext launched a 625 million euro takeover bid to acquire the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Euronext operates stock exchanges in Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin and Lisbon.
Euronext said at the time that if the deal went through, Oslo's leading position in seafood derivatives, oil services and shipping "would further strengthen Euronext's position as the leading market infrastructure for the financing of the real economy in Europe."
Euronext said it had received acceptances from more than 50 per cent of shareholders for its offer.
The board of directors of Oslo bourse said Wednesday it considered the Nasdaq offer "the best alternative for all ...

Nasdaq bids USD 770 mn for Oslo bourse

Spain's King Felipe VI on Wednesday visited special forces helping Iraq fight jihadists, during the first trip by a Spanish monarch to the war-ravaged country in four decades, a diplomat said.
The king, whose country is a member of an international coalition battling the Islamic State group, also later met President Barham Saleh.
Iraq in 2017 declared victory over IS following a bruising months-long campaign backed by the coalition, which continues to carry out operations against the jihadists.
Spain, which took part in the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq that overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein, went on to support Iraqi troops as they battled to roll back IS, which seized a third of the country including second city Mosul in 2014.
Hundreds of Spanish military instructors remain in the country.
King Felipe is one of a series of leaders to visit Baghdad since the start of the year, including US President Donald Trump, who drew criticism for failing to meet a single Iraqi official.
Baghdad ..

King of Spain visits Iraq, first in 40 years: diplomat

Detained auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn believes his arrest and the charges against him are the result of a "plot and treason" at his former employer Nissan, he told the Nikkei newspaper Wednesday.
The Japanese business daily quoted Ghosn as saying he had "no doubt" that the charges against him were motivated by Nissan executives opposed to greater integration of the firm with its French alliance partner Renault.
This is the first press interview Ghosn has given since his stunning arrest on November 19 and it was conducted in the Tokyo detention centre where he has languished ever since.
The 64-year-old has been denied bail several times, with the court considering him a flight risk and concerned that he could attempt to destroy evidence.
But he again stressed that he "won't flee. I will defend (myself)", according to the Nikkei.
"All the evidence is with Nissan and Nissan forbids all employees to talk to me," he added.
Even his own lawyer has said it is unlikely he will be released before .

Ghosn says arrest was result of 'plot and treason': Nikkei

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called on the European Union Wednesday to level "more sanctions" against President Nicolas Maduro's government, in an interview with German daily Bild.
"We need more sanctions from the EU, like those decided by the USA," Guaido said.
"We live in a dictatorship and there must be pressure. More and more people are being murdered," he said according to the German-language article.
"There's no doubt that the regime is totally corrupt... (Maduro) is a dictator."
Venezuela, an oil-rich but economically devastated country, was plunged into uncertainty last week when Guaido, the 35-year-old head of the National Assembly, proclaimed himself "acting president".
Maduro's reelection last year was disputed by the opposition, and criticised internationally -- but the socialist leader has until now retained the loyalty of the powerful military.
Germany said last Friday it was ready to recognise US-backed opposition leader Guaido as Venezuela's interim ...

Venezuela's Guaido urges 'more sanctions' from EU: German media

A disgruntled insurance agent who took on the identity of "Lord Voldemort", Harry Potter's nemesis, and threatened to harm clients unless they paid him bitcoins has been jailed in Singapore.
Myanmar national Ye Lin Myint targeted several clients after they missed appointments or cancelled insurance policies, according to court documents.
The Singapore permanent resident also threatened people who considered buying policies but decided not to, as well as the neighbours of clients and potential clients.
The 36-year-old sent emails and letters to six individuals, which threatened that they and their families would be harmed unless one bitcoin was transferred to him.
At the time of the offences in August and September 2017, one unit of the cryptocurrency was worth about Singapore dollars 6,600 (USD 4,900).
He set up an email account for the campaign of harassment, and signed the messages "Lord Voldermort", a misspelling of the name from the Harry Potter series.
In the books, "Lord ...

'Lord Voldemort' insurance agent jailed in Singapore

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said he was prepared to hold negotiations with the US-backed opposition and added he would support early parliamentary elections, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday.
"I am ready to sit down at the negotiating table with the opposition so that we could talk for the good of Venezuela," Maduro told the Russian state news agency in an interview in Caracas.
Last week the oil-rich but economically devastated Latin American country was plunged into uncertainty when the US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself "acting president".
The United States, a dozen Latin American countries and Canada have recognised Guaido as interim president, while China and Russia -- Venezuela's two main creditors -- have urged non-interference.
In the interview with RIA Novosti, Maduro also said he would support early parliamentary elections.
"It would be very good to conduct parliamentary elections at an earlier stage, it would be a good form of political ...

Maduro 'ready to negotiate' with opposition, calls for early parliamentary polls: RIA

European leaders moved quickly Tuesday to reject an attempt by Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May to re-open talks on the Brexit divorce deal, as British lawmakers voted to demand changes.
When May signed the withdrawal agreement in November, both she and the other 27 EU leaders hailed it as the only way to avoid Britain crashing out of the bloc on March 29 without a plan.
But the embattled British premier failed to sell the agreement to her own parliament, which on Tuesday voted to send her back to demand that the deal be stripped of the "Irish backstop", a clause created to keep the border open with Ireland.
May's call got short shrift from EU Council president Donald Tusk, who called round the other 27 EU capitals to coordinate a response and issued a firm statement ruling out renegotiation.
"We continue to urge the UK government to clarify its intentions with respect to the next steps as soon as possible," Tusk's spokesman said.
"The Withdrawal Agreement is and remains the best .

Brexit deal not open to renegotiation: EU leaders

The death toll from the sinking of two migrant boats off the coast of Djibouti rose to 28 on Wednesday, the UN migration agency said.
"Twenty-three bodies were recovered this morning and the coast guard continues (its) search," Lalini Veerassamy, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) chief of mission in Djibouti told AFP, a day after five people were found dead.

Death toll up to 28 after migrant boats sink off Djibouti: IOM

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said he would support early parliamentary elections in his crisis-hit country, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday.
"It would be very good to conduct parliamentary elections at an earlier stage, it would be a good form of political discussion," Maduro told the Russian state news agency in an interview in Caracas.

Venezuela's Maduro says would support early parliamentary polls: RIA

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said he was prepared to hold negotiations with the US-backed opposition, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday.
"I am ready to sit down at the negotiating table with the opposition so that we could talk for the good of Venezuela," Maduro told the Russian state news agency in an interview in Caracas.

Venezuela's Maduro says 'ready to negotiate' with opposition: RIA

The United States called for more transparency Wednesday as it accused Russia and China of not fully reporting their nuclear programmes amid US threats to withdraw from a key arms control treaty.
A senior US official made the remarks as the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- all of them nuclear-armed powers -- met in Beijing for talks on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
Andrea Thompson, US under secretary for arms control and international security, said there were "uneven results" in efforts to advance transparency under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
"We previously agreed to set (a) format for reporting, but the gap between the reports of the United States on the one hand, and Russia and China on the other, is great," Thompson said in her opening remarks.
"I cannot overemphasise the value of transparency," she said.
"We look forward to discussing how we can enhance transparency with a view to reassuring others of the very real steps we are taking ..

US calls for Russian, Chinese nuclear transparency

Australia Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt has slammed Barcelona football star Gerard Pique over the tournament's controversial new format, saying it is "ridiculous" and would hurt the sport.
Under a plan proposed by Pique's investment group Kosmos and adopted by the International Tennis Federation, the competition will bring together 18 nations for a week at the end of the tennis season for a championship finale.
The 119-year-old Davis Cup competition is currently structured around a 16-nation World Group, contested over four weekends during the year. The remaining countries are then divided into three regional zones.
"I haven't been a supporter since they first flagged the possible changes," Hewitt said ahead of Australia's Davis Cup qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Adelaide starting Friday, Adelaide's The Advertiser newspaper reported Tuesday.
"I think it really hurts Davis Cup... In terms of the structure and format in going into the finals, I don't agree at all with ...

'It's ridiculous': Australia Davis Cup captain slams new format

US lawmakers introduced the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act on Tuesday with rare bi-partisan support to criminalize international doping fraud conspiracies, a week after the World Anti-Doping Agency decided against suspending Russia.
The proposed law would attack US sponsorship and broadcast rights money for global sports events with US competitors to ensure fraud against Americans wouldn't go unpunished, with penalties up to a USD 1 million fine and 10 years in prison.
"Now is the time to create stiff penalties for Russia's cheating and send a signal that Russia and other sponsors of state-directed fraud can't use corruption as a tool of foreign policy," US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said.
WADA decided against re-imposing a ban on Russia for missing a deadline to provide data from drug tests in the wake of the 2016 report from Richard McLaren detailing Russian state-backed doping from 2011 to 2015 involving more than 1,000 athletes across more than 30 sports.
"We know from experience we ..

US lawmakers move to criminalize global doping fraud

Krzysztof Piatek said it was "just the start" to his AC Milan career after scoring twice on his full debut as Gennaro Gattuso's side beat Napoli 2-0 at the San Siro on Tuesday to reach the Coppa Italia semi-finals.
Piatek, signed from Genoa last week as a replacement for Gonzalo Higuain, put the hosts ahead in the 11th minute before doubling the lead before the half-hour mark with a fine individual strike.
It was the second time in four days that Milan had dealt a blow to Napoli's hopes of winning a trophy this season, after a goalless draw on Saturday at the San Siro ultimately left Carlo Ancelotti's men 11 points behind Serie A leaders Juventus.
"I expected a night like this. I said that I was ready and I got a brace, but this is just the start," Piatek told Milan TV.
"Both goals were great, even if they were different. I felt good tonight and it was marvellous playing at the San Siro."
Five-time winners Milan will face either Inter Milan or Lazio, who play on Thursday, over two ...

Piatek scores twice as Milan beat Napoli to reach Coppa semis

A minute's silence was held before Cardiff's first match on Tuesday since the plane carrying the club's record signing Emiliano Sala disappeared over the Channel Islands over a week ago.
After completing a GBP 15 million (USD 20 million) move from Nantes on January 19, Sala was on his way from France to take part in his first training session with Cardiff two days later when the aircraft carrying the Argentine and pilot David Ibbotson lost contact.
Visiting Cardiff fans at Arsenal's Emirates stadium unveiled a banner reading: "We never saw you play and never saw you score but Emiliano our beautiful bluebird we will love you forever more."
The captains of both sides laid a bouquet of flowers on the pitch before kick-off, while Argentina shirts and flags were waved among the visiting support.
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock described the past week as the toughest of his career having helped broker the deal that brought Sala to the club.
"I've been in football management for 40 years and ...

Sala remembered as Cardiff make painful return to action

Manchester City handed the advantage firmly to Liverpool in the Premier League title race as they surrendered the lead in a stunning 2-1 loss away to Newcastle United on Tuesday.
Pep Guardiola's second-placed side looked likely to keep the pressure on Jurgen Klopp's leaders as Sergio Aguero got them off to an ideal start in the Spaniard's 100th league game in charge by scoring the fastest goal of the season just seconds into the action at St James' Park.
But Newcastle staged an unlikely comeback to ease their relegation fears thanks to Salomon Rondon's 66th-minute equaliser, the first goal City had conceded for more than 10 hours, before Matt Ritchie struck the winner from the penalty spot with 10 minutes remaining after Fernandinho's foul on youngster Sean Longstaff.
It means Liverpool, who could have been only a point ahead of their main rivals on their return to action, can extend their lead at the top to an imposing seven points with victory over Leicester at Anfield on ...

Man City give Liverpool title boost with shock Newcastle loss

Manchester United preserved Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's unbeaten start as manager with two goals in the final five minutes of a dramatic 2-2 draw against Burnley on Tuesday.
The result ended Solskjaer's perfect streak of eight successive victories since the Norwegian took over from the sacked Jose Mourinho before Christmas.
But Solskjaer remains unbloodied in his interim spell after Ashley Young sent over a 92nd-minute cross, Alexis Sanchez's header was saved by Tom Heaton and defender Victor Lindelof pounced to net the last-gasp equaliser at Old Trafford.
Earlier, Solskjaer's magical touch seemed to have deserted him when Andreas Pereira, handed just the third league start of his career by the manager, gifted Burnley an opening goal after 51 minutes when he received a pass from teammate Phil Jones and was immediately dispossessed by Burnley's Jack Cork.
The midfielder's through ball quickly played Ashley Barnes into space in the United area and his devastating shot gave David de Gea no ...

United held but late show rescues Solskjaer's unbeaten start

Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice barred self-declared president Juan Guaido from leaving the country and froze his bank accounts Tuesday, as leader Nicolas Maduro seeks to neutralize the American-backed opposition chief.
The 35-year-old head of the National Assembly legislature "is prohibited from leaving the country until the end of the (preliminary) investigation" for having "caused harm to peace in the republic," high court president Maikel Moreno said.
The court is stacked with Maduro loyalists.
The move came after the State Department revealed that Guaido -- the National Assembly head and self-proclaimed interim president -- has been handed control of Venezuela's US bank accounts.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed off on the order last week, which was then followed on Monday by US sanctions targeting Venezuela's state oil giant PDVSA, the cash-strapped government's main source of hard currency.
"This certification will help Venezuela's legitimate government ...

AFP

AFP

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