France yellow vest

The weekend's protests against Macron's tax and social policies came as divisions appeared among the yellow vests -- named after the high-visibility vests they wear -- as to where to take the movement

France's 'yellow vest' movement back on streets, despite divisions

Press Trust of India

An alarm warning of an imminent mining dam rupture was activated early Sunday in Brumadinho, the same Brazilian community where a dam collapsed killing 34 and leaving some 300 missing, firefighters and the mining company said.
The alarm went off at 5:30 am (0730 GMT) warning of dangerously high water levels at a dam that is part of the Corrego do Feijao mining complex, a statement by the Vale mining company said. A dam at the same mining site burst Friday, spewing millions of tons of sludge, sweeping away and burying buildings and people in its path.
Firefighters said they were evacuating communities near the dam.

Risk of imminent rupture at another Brazil mining dam

PTI Automatic

Japanese Catholics on Sunday urged Pope Francis to send an anti-nuclear message from Hiroshima and Nagasaki when he travels to the country later this year.
The Argentine pontiff said last Wednesday that he would visit Japan in November, becoming the first pope do so since John Paul II nearly 40 years ago.
During his stay in the country, Francis reportedly plans to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki to pray for the victims of the 1945 nuclear bombings, which killed some 220,000 people instantly.
"I believe he will have sympathy for the movement to abolish nuclear arms," Keiko Ichikawa said after attending her first mass since the pope announced his trip to Japan, home to some 450,000 Roman Catholics.
"I hope the pope's visit will be an opportunity to encourage the movement," the 77-year-old told AFP.
Francis has repeatedly voiced a desire to visit Japan and wanted to work as a missionary there in his youth but abandoned the plan after a lung operation.
In January of last year, Francis issued 

Japanese Catholics urge Pope to send anti-nuclear message

The sound of music fills the halls at a school in Yemen's Taez, where little Nazira al-Jaafari sits at a keyboard as a teacher takes her through the notes.
"I love music," said Jaafari, a pupil at the Al-Nawras school where tutors are trying to help students temporarily forget the ongoing war.
"Whenever I feel sad or uncomfortable, I play music." She has built up an eclectic repertoire, including happy birthday and cult songs by Arab icons Fairuz and Umm Kalthoum.
"I just hope that Yemen will win this war," she said before exhaling deeply, then smiling and adding: "And that we can live a new life." Taez, a city in the southwestern Yemeni highlands, was once known for its coffee beans, grown at high elevation and exported through the famed port of Mokha.
Today, the city is home to some of the most intense fighting in a war between Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels and rival government forces allied with a regional military coalition led by powerhouse Saudi Arabia.
The United Nations has 

In wartime Yemen, children find solace in music

A painting in homage to terror victims by famous street artist Banksy has been stolen from the Bataclan concert hall in Paris, where 90 people were killed in 2015 in a jihadist attack.
The white stencilled oeuvre showing a sad-faced girl on one of the emergency doors of the famed Parisian venue was cut out and taken away.
"Banksy's work, a symbol of recollection and belonging to all: locals, Parisians, citizens of the world has been taken from us," the establishment said, stressing the staff's "deep indignation."
A source close to the investigation told LCI television that "a group of hooded individuals armed with angle grinders cut the painting and took it away in a truck" on the night of Friday to Saturday.
This work along with other similarly-themed paintings popped up in Paris last June and has been attributed to the reclusive British street artist.
Banksy, whose identity is known to only a handful of friends, caused a sensation in October when one of his paintings began shredding 

Banksy work stolen from Paris terror attack venue

Nine Japanese companies, including drugmakers and a newspaper, have received blackmail letters containing white powder suspected to be cyanide, police and local media said Sunday.
The letters were sent under the names of executed members of the Aum Shinrikyo -- the Japanese doomsday cult behind the deadly 1995 sarin gas attack in Tokyo -- and demanded 35 million won ($31,000) in bitcoins, a police spokesman told AFP.
"Major pharmaceutical and other companies... received envelopes with threatening letters and a powdery substance" suspected to be cyanide, he said, without identifying the companies.
"I will make fake medicine containing potassium cyanide and distribute it," the letter said, according to the spokesman, and warned "a tragedy will happen" if the money was not transferred by February 22.
Local media said the names on the letters -- which were received on Friday -- included Shoko Asahara, the charismatic leader of the sect who was executed with 12 of his one-time followers in 

Blackmail letters with suspected cyanide sent to Japanese firms

Russian President Vladimir Putin will on Sunday preside over ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the World War II siege of Leningrad that claimed over 800,000 lives.
Saint Petersburg -- formerly known as Leningrad -- will plunge into the atmosphere of a wartime city under siege, with authorities broadcasting air-raid warnings, radio announcements and the ticking of a metronome.
The centrepiece of the commemorations will be a military parade in the city's Palace Square featuring more than 2,500 servicemen in modern and period uniforms, tanks and multiple-launch rocket systems.
Many in Saint Petersburg, including some siege survivors, have denounced the planned parade as misplaced sabre-rattling and militaristic propaganda.
Putin, a native of Saint Petersburg, is not expected to attend the controversial parade itself. His itinerary includes a visit to the famed Piskaryovskoe cemetery and a memorial concert, said the Kremlin.
"This is a very important date for our ...

Russia marks 75th anniversary of end of Leningrad siege

Venezuela Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza

Britain, France, Germany and Spain told Maduro that he had eight days to organise elections or they would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president

Venezuelan FM rejects EU's 8-day ultimatum for new election, slams US

World number one Justin Rose shook off two double bogeys to card a three-under par 69 and maintain a three-shot lead in the US PGA Farmers Insurance Open.
Six birdies and an eagle on the South Course at Torrey Pines saw England's Rose maintain his grip on the tournament with an 18-under par total of 198.
"I'm playing well and just need to keep producing," said Rose, whose 20 birdies this week are the most in the field.
"It would be a great way to start 2019."
Rose was three strokes clear of Australian Adam Scott, who had seven birdies and an eagle in his five-under par 65 for a 15-under total of 201.
First-round leader Jon Rahm of Spain was alone in third on 202 after a four-under 68.
American Doug Ghim followed on 203 and Talor Gooch on 204, with Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama heading a group of five players on 205 -- McIlroy after a 69 and Matsuyama, who started the day in second place, with a one-over par 73.
Rose led by as many as six strokes, but his second double bogey of the 

Top-ranked Rose maintains 3-shot lead at Torrey Pines

Antoine Griezmann struck again as Atletico Madrid kept the pressure on Barcelona at the top of La Liga by beating in-form Getafe 2-0.
Griezmann now has eight goals in as many games, his latest helping Atletico register their sixth win in seven league matches. The only dropped points came in a respectable draw away to Sevilla.
Saul Niguez tapped in a second before half-time at the Wanda Metropolitano to complete an impressively smooth victory over a Getafe side that had lost only once, to Barcelona, in 12 outings.
Renowned for their tenacity, Getafe strayed in the final minutes, when Djene Dakonam and Leandro Cabrera were both sent off.
"From the beginning of January the team has been playing well," coach Diego Simeone said Saturday.
"We have injuries and I'm excited to think what we can do when they're all fit again."
"We were not good," Getafe coach Jose Bordalas said.
"I didn't like my team, we weren't like us."
Griezmann could have been playing for Barca had his decision been ...

Griezmann on target again as Atletico edge closer to Barca

US indoor champion Katie Nageotte upset reigning world and Olympic women's pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi and Ethiopians won two distance crowns at Boston Indoor Grand Prix athletics meet.
Nageotte cleared 4.86 meters to Stefanidi's best of 4.71 in the early season affair, the opening event of the six-meet IAAF World Indoor Tour.
"The first couple meets is just getting the rust off. It was just working out the kinks," said Nageotte, who hopes to dethrone the Greek star at the World Championships at Doha in September.
"That's what I'm gunning for," said Nageotte. "I want to come after this indoor season and attack it and get ready for worlds."
Ethiopia's distance crowns went to Hagos Gebrhiwet, capturing the 3,000 in 7:37.41, and Yomif Kejelcha, taking the mile in 3:51.70.
Gebrhiwet, a 5,000m bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, denied Kenya's Edward Cheserek a Boston repeat title by 5.52 seconds while two-time world indoor 3,000 champion Kejelcha defeated 2018 world ...

Stefanidi beaten, Ethiopians win at Boston indoor athletics

Everton were shocked 3-2 by Championship Millwall in controversial circumstances as Manchester City's quest for four trophies continued with a 5-0 thrashing of Burnley to march into the FA Cup fifth round.
League One Shrewsbury also narrowly missed out on a big upset as Wolves scored a 93rd-minute equaliser to rescue a  2-2 draw at New Meadow.
Everton twice led at The Den, but were left to rue the lack of VAR at the game as Millwall's second goal, from Jake Cooper, was allowed to stand despite coming off the defender's arm.
However, Marco Silva's men also only have themselves to blame after dire defending saw them concede from three set-pieces.
Richarlison's long range effort squirmed through Jordan Archer's grasp to give the visitors a lead that lasted just four minutes when Lee Gregory's header levelled in first-half stoppage time.
Substitute Cenk Tosun restored Everton's advantage before the moment of controversy when the ball ricocheted off Cooper's arm and into an unguarded ...

Millwall stun Everton, Man City continue quadruple quest

Marco Reus shone as Borussia Dortmund opened a nine-point lead over Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga table with a 5-1 rout of strugglers Hanover.
With defending champions Bayern hosting Stuttgart on Sunday, Dortmund grabbed the chance to thump second-from-bottom Hanover with Reus causing havoc on his return from an ankle injury.
"We took our time to find the gaps, but after we changed ends and went 2-0 up it was much easier," said Dortmund coach Lucien Favre after his side floored Hanover with three goals in seven minutes.
Achraf Hakimi, on loan from Real Madrid, Reus, Mario Goetze and Raphael Guerreiro scored Dortmund's goals to keep them on course for their first Bundesliga title since 2012.
The rout piles pressure on Hanover coach Andre Breitenreiter, but his side showed spirit when Marvin Bakalorz scored a late consolation against his former club before Witsel grabbed Dortmund's fifth goal on 90 minutes.
"It's up to others in the club to decide now where we go from ...

Dortmund go nine points clear of Bayern Munich by thumping Hanover

The United States pressed all nations Saturday to "stand with the forces of freedom" in Venezuela, encouraged by a tougher European line as Russia stood in the minority in backing embattled leader Nicolas Maduro.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a forceful case at a special session of the United Nations Security Council, where he described Maduro as part of an "illegitimate mafia state" responsible for Venezuela's economic collapse.
With mounting protests over Venezuela's crisis in which more than two million have fled shortages of basic food and medicine, Pompeo asked all nations to follow the US in recognising opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president.
"Now it is time for every other nation to pick a side. No more delays, no more games. Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you're in league with Maduro and his mayhem," Pompeo said. He also urged all countries to end financial transactions with Maduro's government, which has struggled to pay bills despite 

US calls to 'stand with freedom' in Venezuela as EU gives ultimatum

Roston Chase proved the unlikely bowling hero as the off-spinner destroyed England with career-best figures of eight for 60 as the West Indies crushed the visitors by 381 runs to win the first Test at Kensington Oval on Saturday.
Set the improbable target of 628 to win, the tourists slid to ignominious defeat in bright sunshine on the fourth day, losing their last six wickets for 31 runs either side of the tea interval to be dismissed for 246, ending a winning streak of five matches.
It was the largest margin of victory by the West Indies on home soil and third largest anywhere in their 91 years as a Test-playing nation.
Chase made the most of a fourth day pitch showing more signs of wear but also benefited from poor shot selection by an England side that looked shell-shocked from the events of the previous two days when they were routed for just 77 in their first innings.
They then saw the West Indies mass 415 for six declared in the second innings with captain Jason Holder starring .

Eight-wicket Chase stars as Windies humiliate England by 381 runs

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday said he had sought and accepted the resignation of Ottawa's ambassador to China, days after the diplomat sparked controversy with criticism of the US extradition request for a top Huawei executive.
"Last night I asked for and accepted John McCallum's resignation as Canada's Ambassador to China," Trudeau said in a statement that did not explain why the decision had been taken.
McCallum has been making headlines in recent days over comments regarding Meng Wanzhou, Chinese giant Huawei's chief financial officer who was arrested in Vancouver on December 1 and is facing extradition to the United States.
Accused of fraud linked to violations of American sanctions on Iran, she is out on bail, but her arrest has sparked an escalating diplomatic crisis between Ottawa and Beijing.
McCallum briefed lawmakers Tuesday on the plight of two Canadians detained in China and a third placed on death row in what are widely seen as retaliatory moves by ...

Trudeau sacks Canadian envoy to China after Huawei controversy

Thirty-four people were confirmed dead and nearly 300 missing Saturday, with hopes fading of them being found alive, after a dam collapsed at a mine in southeast Brazil.
The disaster struck Friday at the Vale mine near the city of Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais state, spewing millions of tons of muddy sludge across the facility and down towards farmland alongside the nearby town of Brumadinho.
Dozens of helicopters were used in the rescue operation Saturday because the released mud engulfed buildings, vehicles and roads with a deep, treacherous layer.
Rescue officials announced the death toll had more than tripled through the day as more and more bodies were pulled from the mud.
By the last count, nearly 300 people were missing, virtually all of them mine workers listed by Vale. Among the more than 170 survivors rescued, 23 were hospitalised with injuries.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro flew over the devastated zone, later tweeting that it was "difficult to not be emotional before 

Brazil dam disaster leaves 34 dead, hundreds missing

Roston Chase took three wickets with his off-spin in the afternoon session as the West Indies closed in on a massive victory over England on the fourth day of the first Test at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday.
Set the improbable target of 628 to win, or more hopefully required to bat two days to save the match, the tourists lost four wickets in the middle period of the day to limp to tea at 217 for six.
Chase, who ended opening batsman Rory Burns' quest for a maiden Test century off the final delivery in the morning period of play, was persisted with by captain Jason Holder for the next two hours and earned the reward of the wickets of England skipper Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali.
Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who would have had the wicket of Root but was called for a no-ball when the batsman gloved a sharp lifted to Holder in the slips, made amends by dismissing Jonny Bairstow to a leg-side catch by stand-in wicketkeeper Shai Hope.
Regular wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich has .

Chase stars as West Indies close in on dominant win

An explosion wounded at least one person in central Nairobi on Saturday, a police source said, with the Kenyan capital still on edge nearly two weeks after a jihadist attack that killed 21 people.
The wounded person was one of the street-cart vendors who sell their goods in the centre of the city, the source said.
"We have one person injured in this incident. From what he is telling us... he had been given a luggage to transport and that is what exploded. We suspect it is an improvised explosive device, that is what we are trying to confirm," one of the police officers at the scene said.
An AFP journalist at the scene said the area had been cordoned off by police, who were conducting a search near a metal handcart.
Islamist militants carried out an attack and almost 20-hour siege this month of the DusitD2 hotel and office complex in Nairobi involving a suicide bomber and four gunmen who were all killed by security forces.

Explosion wounds one in Kenyan capital: police source

Eleven people were confirmed dead and nearly 300 missing, many also feared dead, on Saturday after a dam collapsed at a mine in southeast Brazil.
The disaster struck Friday at the Vale mine near the city of Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais state, spewing out millions of muddy sludge across the facility and down towards farmland alongside the nearby town of Brumaldinho.
Dozens of helicopters were being used in the rescue operation Saturday because the released mud engulfed buildings, vehicles and roads with a deep, treacherous layer.
"We still have hopes of finding people alive," the head of the state's fire service, Colonel Edgard Estavao, told reporters.
The latest count listed 296 people as missing, all of them mine workers listed by Vale.
A total 176 survivors have been rescued so far, 23 of whom were hospitalised.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro flew over the devastated zone, but said nothing to reporters when he returned from the flight.
Instead, he tweeted that it was ...

Eleven dead, 296 missing in Brazil dam disaster

Protestors shut down a border road between Ireland and Northern Ireland on Saturday, erecting a concrete wall with mock-military checkpoints to illustrate the violent unrest a hard Brexit could bring to the fragile region.
Locals hauled towering concrete barriers into place and installed a customs hut defended by a watchtower manned by men dressed as armed British troops -- evoking haunting memories of the three decades of bloodshed known as "the Troubles".
"It's actually to remind some of our younger generation exactly the way things were 25 years ago," said John McNamee, an activist with group Border Communities against Brexit.
"This is what it was about and we certainly don't want it back," he said -- dressed as a customs agent which were once a common sight at the border.
During the Troubles the area was militarised as republican and unionist paramilitaries and the British military vied for control.
More than 3,600 were killed before the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 ended the ...

AFP

AFP

Page 781 - Afp