The US Treasury Department lifted sanctions Sunday on Russian aluminum giant Rusal and two related companies after blacklisted billionaire Oleg Deripaska took action to sharply cut his stake in them.
The tycoon is known to have friendly relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and had business ties with US President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was convicted in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Deripaska is one of several oligarchs sanctioned last year in retaliation for what the US called "the Russian government's ongoing and increasingly brazen pattern of malign activity across the world", citing its interference in Syria and its seizure of Crimea.
Rusal, EN+ Group Plc and EuroSibEnergo JSC have "reduced Oleg Deripaska's direct and indirect shareholding stake... and severed his control", the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in a statement.
"The companies have also ...

US lifts sanctions on blacklisted Russian tycoon's companies

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Sudanese police fired tear gas at protesters in Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman on Sunday, witnesses said, after organisers called for further demonstrations against President Omar al-Bashir's three decades of rule.
Bashir, on a visit to Cairo to meet his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said the media were exaggerating the size of the problems he faced at home.
Deadly protests sparked by a government decision to raise the price of bread have rocked the east African country for weeks. The demonstrations have mushroomed into nationwide rallies against the government of Bashir, who swept to power in 1989 in an Islamist-backed coup.
Officials say 30 people have died in the violence since the protests first erupted on December 19 in the farming town of Atbara, before spreading to Khartoum and other regions. Rights groups say more than 40 people have been killed.
On Sunday, protesters came onto the streets in Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman to hold sit-ins in ...

Sudan police confront rallies as Bashir blames media

Thousands of people took to the streets across Honduras on Sunday to protest against the president a year after his controversial inauguration.
Police used tear gas against protesters rallying against conservative President Juan Orlando Hernandez as marchers set tires on fire and blocked two key highways heading north and south of the capital.
"There are people who have been gassed and beaten" by police, ex-president Manuel Zelaya told UNE TV.
Demonstrators waved red and black flags and some wore red vests, as shows of support for Zelaya's Freedom and Refounding Party, known as Libre for short. Some chanted "GET OUT J.O.H.," before setting bonfires out of police sight.
"People need a fair government, not a dictatorship," Zelaya told reporters on a bus with supporters in the Colonia San Miguel neighbourhood of the capital Tegucigalpa. "Like wasps, we have launched a wave of escalating protests that will end in a national strike until this dictatorship falls."
Police hurled tear gas to .

Protests in Honduras against president heat up

A suspected gas explosion in The Hague has caused a home to partially collapse, injuring at least nine people including four who were plucked from the rubble, Dutch emergency services said Sunday.
The blast ripped off part of the front of a residential building in the densely populated Laakkwartier suburb. Neighbours said they heard a loud bang around 4.30 pm (1530 GMT).
Dozens of emergency vehicles rushed to the scene, and a trauma helicopter hovered above as firefighters searched for victims. "Nine people were injured including three people who were rescued from the rubble," The Hague fire department said in a tweet early on Sunday evening.
A few hours later, shortly after midnight (2300 GMT), the fire department added: "A fourth person has just been rescued alive from the rubble. He has been taken to an ambulance." There were "no indications that anybody else is trapped," the department added.
Resident Wiekash Ramgolam, 39, told AFP the last trapped person was a nephew who was in ..

Nine injured in Dutch gas blast building collapse

Australia "recognises and supports" Venezuela's National Assembly head Juan Guaido as interim leader, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Monday, following similar endorsements from the United States and Canada.
"Australia recognises and supports the President of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, in assuming the position of interim president... until elections are held," Payne said in a statement. She called for a "transition to democracy in Venezuela as soon as possible".
"We now urge all parties to work constructively towards a peaceful resolution of the situation, including a return to democracy, respect for the rule of law and upholding of human rights of the Venezuelan people," Payne added.
There have been mass protests in Venezuela against President Nicolas Maduro amid a severe economic and political crisis.
Canberra's decision follows declarations on Saturday by Spain, Britain, France, the Netherlands and Germany that said they would recognise Guaido as interim president ...

Australia recognises Venezuela opposition leader as president

Fears of a second dam breach at a Brazilian mining complex receded Sunday, enabling a search to resume for the more than 300 people still missing two days after a dam collapse that has killed at least 58 people.
Loudspeakers rang out at 5:30 am (0730 GMT) among homes surrounding the Corrego do Feijao mining complex in southeastern Brazil, warning of dangerously high water levels, according to mine owner Vale.
Workers at the complex are still reeling after a barrier at the site burst on Friday, spewing millions of tons of treacherous sludge and engulfing buildings, vehicles and roads.
Firefighters halted the search for survivors and immediately began evacuating communities near the dike, which contains at least 800 million gallons of water. But several hours later, civil defense officials gave the all clear.
"There is no more risk of a break," said Lieutenant Colonel Flavio Godinho, a spokesman for the state civil defense agency, explaining that the high water levels had been drained ..

Search resumes at Brazil mine disaster site

Ten people were killed Sunday in northern Burkina Faso in a "terrorist attack", according to a security source and a local elected official.
"Around 10 armed individuals in the morning carried out a terrorist attack in the village of Sikire," which left "10 dead and two seriously wounded," a security source told AFP. Sikire is in the Sahel region and is frequently a target of jihadist attacks.
According to a local official in Arbinda, about 20 kilometres away, contacted by phone from Ouagadougou, "the assailants armed with Kalashnikovs made several tours of the village opening fire on the inhabitants." "They ransacked and set fire to shops and other businesses and took motorbikes," added the official who requested anonymity.
He said the inhabitants had stayed holed up in the homes "in panic over these attacks which have been increasing in the area".
On January 10, 12 people were killed in attack in Gasseliki, a village around 30 kilometres south of Arbinda. Burkina Faso lies in the ...

10 dead in 'terrorist attack' in Burkina Faso: security source

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro was in hospital in Sao Paulo on Sunday for surgery to remove a colostomy bag put in after he was attacked by a man with a knife during his election campaign.
His spokesman, General Otavio Santana do Rego Barros, said Saturday that Bolsonaro would be operated on Monday, after which he would be on strict bed rest for two days.
Vice President Hamilton Mourao will assume the president's duties during that time, he said.
The 63-year-old president entered the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein on Sunday morning for tests before the surgery.
He was stabbed in the stomach on September 6 during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais.
Adelo Bispo de Oliveira was arrested and a police investigation concluded he acted out of political motivations, but that no one else was involved.
Bolsonaro supporters have questioned that conclusion, and the president himself highlighted Bispo's past links to the leftist Socialism and Liberty Party.
In a .

Brazil's Bolsonaro admitted to hospital for surgery

The wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has undergone a "successful" operation as part of treatment for early-stage breast cancer, the presidency said on Sunday.
"Asma al-Assad continues her treatment against the malignant tumour," it said on its Facebook page.
"Breast surgery at the Damascus military hospital has been successful," it added.
The presidency announced in August that the first lady had begun treatment for "a malignant tumour in the breast that was discovered at an early stage".
Since then, the presidency's social media accounts have often showed her with a scarf knotted elegantly around her head, visiting children cancer patients, wounded soldiers, or attending charity events.
On Saturday, it published a video of her visiting a triple amputee wounded in Syria's nearly eight-year conflict, inside what appeared to be his family home.
Born in 1975, the British-born former investment banker styled herself as a progressive rights advocate and was seen as the modern side .

Syria's first lady undergoes operation over cancer: Presidency

Veteran Republican consultant Roger Stone said Sunday his predawn arrest by US federal agents as part of the Russia collusion probe amounted to "Gestapo tactics" intended to prejudice a potential jury in his prosecution.
Stone was raided at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday, becoming the sixth campaign associate of President Donald Trump indicted in the investigation headed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into possible collusion with Moscow in the 2016 election.
"I'm 66 years old. I don't own a firearm, I have no prior criminal record, my passport has expired," Stone told ABC's "This Week" news magazine program.
He complained that it was "extraordinary" for a 29-member SWAT team with numerous cars, amphibious vehicles and a helicopter to make the arrest, adding that he was forced to look "down the barrel of assault weapons" as he opened his front door in bare feet.
"They could have called my lawyers and I would have turned myself in," he said.
"It was an expensive show 

Ex-Trump advisor accuses Russia probe of 'Gestapo tactics'

A student and a policeman were killed on Sunday in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo after a protest over water and electricity outages at a university turned violent, police said.
Lubumbashi university, whose student body numbers nearly 10,000, and the surrounding neighbourhood have been without power or water for three days after cables and pipes were damaged in torrential rain.
Clashes broke out after police used tear gas and warning shots to try to disperse crowds of students returning from the governor's residence in Upper Katanga.
"I just lost a police officer hit by an anti-riot vehicle," said General Paulin Kyungu, head of the police in Upper Katanga.
"I also learn that a student died from gunshot wounds," he added.
University president Kishiba Fitula said another three students were injured, adding that the "situation is calm again."
The violence came after new President Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in on Thursday, marking DR Congo's first peaceful handover of power ...

Two dead in student protests in DR Congo: police

At least 18 people were killed Sunday when a double bomb attack hit a Catholic church on a southern Philippine island that is a stronghold of Islamist militants, the military said, days after voters backed expanded Muslim self-rule in the region.
A powerful first blast shattered pews, broke windows and left bodies strewn inside the cathedral in the Catholic-majority nation's restive south as mass was being celebrated.
Just moments later a second explosion outside killed troops who were rushing to help the wounded in the smoking and heavily damaged church on Jolo, which is overwhelmingly Muslim.
It is one of the deadliest bomb attacks to strike the insurgency-plagued southern Philippines in years, and shows the insurgency in the region is still a threat despite recent steps toward peace, experts said.
The bloodshed came less than a week after voters' decisive approval of giving Muslims in the south more control over their own affairs, which sparked hopes of quelling long-time ...

Twin bomb attack on Philippine church kills at least 18 By

A series of blaring loudspeaker announcements repeatedly silenced Iran coach Carlos Queiroz on Sunday -- just as he was urging his team to express themselves in their Asian Cup semi-final against Japan.
"Shut up!" The 65-year-old Portuguese  said to giggles after the fifth interruption, before he was finally able to conclude his remarks on Monday's game at Al Ain's Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.
"What's important is, we have a great team, great players, but we cannot lose our identity," he said.
"We need to be ourselves and play with confidence and trust."
The technical hitch is far from the only problem faced by Iran, who are dealing with nuclear sanctions and internal discord.
Iran, who won the last of their three titles in 1976, have also dealt with injuries and AFC warnings over government interference as they bid to end their 43-year drought.
Although Queiroz has dismissed talk that Iran are favourites, and went out of his way to praise Japan's "brilliant football", the ex-Manchester ..

Iran coach Quieroz refuses to be drowned out by background noise

Eight civilians were killed and 30 others wounded in a "shocking" bomb attack against a centre for displaced people in Yemen, the UN said Sunday.
The bombing hit the centre in the Haradh district in the northwestern province of Hajja on Saturday, according to the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Lisa Grande. She did not name the party behind the attack.
"Any attack on a civilian site is unconscionable and a clear violation of international humanitarian law," Grande said in a statement.
"An attack like this cannot be justified -- ever." The centre is in an area under government control in Hajja, but the Huthi rebels control other parts of the province.
The Iran-backed Huthis have battled a pro-government military coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, for control of the impoverished country for four years, triggering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Both parties are accused of failing to protect civilians. The Saudi-led alliance, which controls Yemeni 

Eight civilians killed in Yemen displaced centre bombing

Saudi Arabia on Sunday executed four Yemenis found guilty of murdering a security guard, the kingdom's interior ministry said.
The four men robbed and killed a Pakistani man who worked as a security guard at a company, said a ministry statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
The execution took place in Mecca, the statement added.
Twenty people have been executed in the kingdom since the beginning of the year, according to the authorities.
The ultra-conservative kingdom has one of the world's highest rates of execution, with suspects convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking facing the death penalty.
In 2018, Saudi Arabia carried out the death sentences of 120 people.

Saudi Arabia executes four Yemenis for murder

Brazilian judicial authorities have frozen USD 3 billion in assets of the Vale mining company after a dam collapse at one of its sites left at least 37 dead and more than 250 missing.
The public prosecutor's office of the state of Minas Gerais announced late Saturday that it had frozen a total of 11 billion reales -- about USD 3 billion -- in Vale assets.
The dam break Friday at the Corrego do Feijao mining complex in southeastern Brazil unleashed a torrent of sludge that swept across buildings, roads and vehicles.
The order freezing Vale's assets said the company's real estate and vehicles would be embargoed if it could not come up with the full amount.
The company also has been hit with fines by the federal and state government totaling some USD 92.5 million. Vale share prices fell Friday more than 8 per cent on the New York Stock Exchange.

Brazil puts USD 3 billion freeze on Vale assets after dam disaster

Malaysia has been stripped of the right to host the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships for threatening to refuse to allow Israeli athletes to take part, the International Paralympic Committee said on Sunday.
The decision was taken after the Malaysian authorities "failed to provide the necessary guarantees that Israeli Para swimmers could participate, free from discrimination, and safely in the Championships," the IPC said in a statement.
IPC President Andrew Parsons said: "When a host country excludes athletes from a particular nation, for political reasons, then we have absolutely no alternative but to look for a new Championships host.
"All World Championships must be open to all eligible athletes and nations to compete safely and free from discrimination."
The championships, a qualifying event for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, were due to take place in Kuching on July 29-August 4.
Parsons said that in September 2017, the IPC received assurances that all eligible athletes and ...

Malaysia stripped of world para swim event over Israel stance

Israel on Sunday officially recognised Venezuela's National Assembly chief Juan Guaido as president, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, following close ally Washington in endorsing the opposition leader.
Netanyahu announced in an online video that Israel was joining the United States, Canada and a host of South American countries "in recognising the new leadership in Venezuela".
Guaido proclaimed himself acting president of Venezuela on Wednesday during a mass opposition rally against leader Nicolas Maduro.
Since then, the United States, Canada and many South American countries including Brazil and Colombia have backed his self-proclamation.
Maduro rejected demands by European countries to call elections within eight days in an interview broadcast on Sunday.
Nations including France, Britain, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany warned they would recognise Guaido as president unless there are snap polls.
The US has pressed all countries to "stand with the forces of freedom" in ...

Israel recognises Venezuela opposition leader as president

Israel on Sunday officially recognised Venezuela's National Assembly chief Juan Guaido as president, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, following close ally Washington in endorsing the opposition leader.
Netanyahu announced in an online video that Israel was joining the United States, Canada and a host of South American countries "in recognising the new leadership in Venezuela".

Israel recognises Venezuela opposition leader as president: Netanyahu

A prominent French anti-government "yellow vest" activist, badly injured in the eye at a protest, was struck with one of the controversial rubber bullets used by police, his lawyer said Sunday.
Jerome Rodrigues' lawyer fears he will be "handicapped for life" after he was injured in clashes with police in Paris on Saturday during an 11th straight weekend of protests against President Emmanuel Macron.
Rodrigues, a 40-year-old construction worker, was placed in an artificial coma overnight after the incident at the Bastille monument in central Paris.
"He is in shock. He will be handicapped for life. It is a tragedy for him and his family," lawyer Philippe de Veulle told BFM television, adding that he was lodging a complaint against police.
The bearded Rodrigues, who has become a well-known figure in the "yellow vest" movement with 50,000 followers on Facebook, was live-streaming the protest on the website when he was hit.
De Veulle said Rodrigues was struck with a "flashball", referring .

'Yellow vest' leader 'handicapped for life' by protest injury: lawyer

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro rejected demands by European countries to call elections within eight days in an interview broadcast on Sunday, insisting that his country was "not tied" to Europe.
"They should withdraw this ultimatum. No one can give us an ultimatum," Maduro told CNN Turk in an interview dubbed into Turkish from Spanish.
"Venezuela is not tied to Europe. This is complete insolence," Maduro added, as he described the European countries' actions as a "mistake".
European powers including France, Netherlands and Germany on Saturday warned they would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as president unless Maduro calls elections within eight days.
The United Kingdom and Spain had also given a similar ultimatum.
National Assembly chief Guaido proclaimed himself acting president of Venezuela on Wednesday during a mass opposition rally against Maduro.
Since then, the United States, Canada and many South American countries including Brazil and Colombia have backed Guaido's 

AFP

AFP

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