The dispute settlement body in WTO has agreed to establish a panel, which will soon start the hearing. | Photo: Reuters

Trump has specifically blasted the WTO for slighting US trade interests to the benefit of China.

Ministers from 75 countries launch WTO talks to establish e-commerce rules

Press Trust of India

A hunger striking pro-Kurdish lawmaker was released under supervision from prison by a Turkish court and sent home on Friday, after an 11-week fast that has left her gravely ill.
Crowds of supporters gathered at a jail in the Kurdish majority southeastern city of Diyarbakir to cheer Leyla Guven, 55, who launched her hunger strike on November 8 to protest the prison conditions for outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Guven, from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), was freed a few hours after the Diyarbakir court ordered her release under judicial supervision, which includes an overseas travel ban.
She was taken from the prison by an ambulance.
Guven, whose party says she has a "life-threatening" medical condition, did not attend the hearing.
The MP was arrested in January 2018 for her criticism of Turkey's military operation against a Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara considers an offshoot of the PKK.
She started the hunger strike in prison and .

Turkey court orders release of hunger striking Kurdish MP

PTI Automatic

Afghanistan is investigating reports that at least 16 civilians including women and children were killed in an air strike in southern Helmand province, the defence ministry said in a statement Friday.
The reports come as civilian deaths from air strikes have risen sharply in the past year, after the Afghan and US forces intensified their aerial bombardment of Taliban and Islamic State group militants.
Afghan forces backed by US air power were conducting counter-terrorism operations in Sangin district late Wednesday when the air strike was carried out, the ministry and NATO said.
"Some reports have been published that civilians were killed and wounded, and the defence ministry formed a delegation to conduct a serious investigation into the civilian casualties," the ministry statement said.
NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan said the "large Afghan-led, multi-day operation... supported by US advisors and coalition air strikes" was ongoing, and that it was still looking into ..

Afghanistan investigates claims civilians killed in air strike

Ministers from 75 countries -- including the US and China -- agreed Friday to launch talks towards establishing global rules on e-commerce at the WTO in a rare victory for international cooperation.
The talks were announced by the EU's top trade official, Cecilia Malmstrom, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos where leaders all week called for pushback against the protectionism embraced by Washington.
The announcement by roughly half of the 164-member World Trade Organization is a rare win for international cooperation, with Beijing and Washington locked in a trade war amid repeated "America First" threats by US President Donald Trump.
Trump has specifically blasted the WTO for slighting US trade interests to the benefit of China.
Malmstrom in a tweet hailed a "historical morning in Davos" that showed that the WTO "can take on challenges of the 21st century." The talks are to formally begin in March and will try "to make it easier and safer to buy, sell and do ...

WTO talks launch in rare win for global order

Tourists visiting Nepal will not get insurance coverage from next month onward unless Kathmandu cracks down on fraudulent helicopter rescues of trekkers in the Himalayan nation, international firms warned Friday.
A mass pull-out by the insurers would seriously dent Nepal's vital tourism industry, which just celebrated welcoming over a million tourists for the first time last year.
An AFP investigation last year exposed a racket where dodgy trekking outfits pressure tourists into needless and costly airlifts, or bill multiple times for a single flight.
Nepal's government launched an enquiry in June after insurers were billed more than $6.5 million on 1,300 helicopter rescues in the first five months of 2018.
The government's probe identified 15 companies -- including helicopter firms, trekking agencies and hospitals -- linked to the lucrative racket. But no action has been taken against any of the alleged perpetrators.
In a letter to Nepal's minister of tourism, Traveller Assist, an ...

Insurers give Nepal ultimatum over chopper scammers

The self-proclaimed "president" of an Austrian group which rejects the authority of the state was jailed for 14 years Friday after being convicted of several charges including inciting high treason.
The 42-year-old woman, named in media reports as Monika Unger, created an organisation called the Staatenbund ("Federation of States") in 2015, which counts around 2,600 members.
She had attempted to "order" the Austrian army to overthrow the government as well as asking for military assistance from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The judge in the court in the southern city of Graz justified the heavy penalty, saying it gave a "clear signal that anti-state activities will not be tolerated".
Unger went on trial along with 13 other members of the movement who were arrested in a wave of arrests in April 2017 involving more than 450 police officers.
Her second-in-command, a 71-year-old former police officer, was also found guilty of inciting high treason and sentenced to 10 years.  Twelve ...

'President' of Austrian anti-state group jailed for 14 years

Venezuela's disputed president Nicolas Maduro must refrain from cracking down on the opposition, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned Friday.
"We firmly urge Mr Maduro to refrain from any form of repression against the opposition, any resort to violence against peaceful demonstrators," he told reporters.
"We intend to fully back Venezuela's national assembly and its president as democratically-elected institutions which (...) must fully play (their) role," Le Drian said.
Venezuela national assembly head and opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself acting president on Wednesday in a bid to oust Maduro.  New presidential elections should be quickly organised, Le Drian added.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday voiced support for Venezuela's opposition, saying Europe favoured "the restoration of democracy" in the country after the "illegitimate" election of Maduro in May last year.

France urges Maduro not to 'repress' opposition

Roger Stone, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, was arrested Friday under an indictment issued by special counsel Robert Mueller, US news outlets reported.
Stone was charged with seven counts, including obstruction of an official proceeding, making false statements and witness tampering, according to The New York Times and other news organizations quoting the office of Mueller, who is conducting the Russia investigation.

Former Trump adviser Stone arrested on indictment by Mueller: media

Half-centuries from Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne put Australia firmly in command of the day-night Test against Sri Lanka at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday.
Head hit a Test best 84 and Labuschagne posted 81 as Australia amassed 323 to hold an imposing 179-run innings lead over the Sri Lanka after the second day.
Sri Lanka suffered further indignity losing the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne on the last ball of the day by Pat Cummins for three as the tourists had to negotiate a tricky six overs facing the pink ball under lights.
Karunaratne was snapped up behind by Tim Paine as Sri Lanka reached stumps at 17 for one with Lahiru Thirimanne on six to trail by 162 runs overall and battling to avoid defeat with three days left.
Head was trapped leg before wicket by Suranga Lakmal, meaning no Australian batsman has scored a Test century in nine innings against India and Sri Lanka this summer.
Head sought a review but it sided with the umpire's call and he was on his way, shaking his ...

Australia in command of day-night Test against Sri Lanka

More than 350 people in Venezuela have been arrested this week during demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro's government, the UN rights chief said Friday, calling for "immediate talks" to ease tensions.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said her office had "reports of large-scale detention of demonstrators -- well over 350 in total (this week), including 320 on 23 January alone".

More than 350 protesters detained in Venezuela this week: UN

Billionaire investor George Soros on Thursday said Chinese President Xi Jinping was "the most dangerous enemy" of free societies for presiding over a high-tech surveillance regime.
"China is not the only authoritarian regime in the world but it is the wealthiest, strongest and technologically most advanced," he said, noting concerns too about Vladimir Putin's Russia.
"This makes Xi Jinping the most dangerous opponent of open societies," Soros told a dinner audience on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The Hungarian-born philanthropist said US tech giants such as Facebook must be reined in by authorities for the good of democracy.
He pointed "to the mortal danger facing open societies from the instruments of control that machine learning and artificial intelligence can put in the hands of repressive regimes".
Soros dwelt on concerns in the West about Chinese tech giants ZTE and Huawei, as countries roll out next-generation 5G wireless networks.
He said US President ...

Soros calls China's Xi 'most dangerous' foe of free societies

Novak Djokovic on Friday continued his quest for a record seventh Australian Open crown by swatting aside French 28th seed Lucas Pouille 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 to set up a final against Rafael Nadal.
It was a flawless display on Rod Laver Arena by the world number one who moves into a first Melbourne decider since 2016.
"It is definitely one of the best matches I've ever had on this court, definitely," said Djokovic, who hit 24 winners and had just five unforced errors.
"You know, everything worked the way I imagined it before the match and even more so.
"Tough one for Lucas, but he had a great tournament, and I wish him all the best for the rest of the season," he added.
Djokovic lost in the fourth round last year, followed by elbow surgery and poor form until he won Wimbledon and turned his season around.
"It was highly unlikely 12 months ago that I would be where I am today, a year later," said the Serbian top seed.
"But I've said it before, and I always have plenty of belief in myself, and 

Dominant Djokovic demolishes Pouille to set up Nadal final

Travis Head led the way as Australia built an imposing 105-run lead over Sri Lanka on the second day of the day-night Test at the Gabba on Friday.
Head was unbeaten on 71 with Test debutant Kurtis Patterson yet to score and Australia going to dinner at 249 for five.
Head, named one of Australia's new vice-captains earlier this week, was attempting to score his maiden Test century after passing his previous highest Test score of 72 twice against Pakistan and India last year.
Head had some luck along the way and was dropped on 29 on the third ball after tea when wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella dived late and put down the one-gloved chance off Suranga Lakmal.
Marnus Labuschagne was out shortly before dinner with a maiden Test century beckoning on 81.
His patient 150-ball knock ended when he skipped down the wicket to lift a drive only to find the bottom of his bat and was taken at short mid-on by Lahiru Thirimanne off Dhananjaya de Silva.
Yet again an Australian batsman failed to reach ..

Head, Labuschagne bat Australia into strong position against Sri Lanka

Czech Petra Kvitova is aiming to rock Japan's 'on fire' Naomi Osaka with an early onslaught in the Australian Open final, predicting the decider will be more slugfest than tactical masterclass.
The final on Saturday features two of the game's biggest hitters in a showdown for both the Australian crown and the world number one ranking.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova is on an 11-match winning streak and has been in imperious form at Melbourne Park, where she is yet to drop a set or even be stretched to a tie-break.
The 28-year-old is jubilant about making a Grand Slam final for the first time since a burglar sliced her racquet hand in a terrifying attack in late 2016 at her home in the Czech Republic.
"It's probably a bit more special because of everything I've been through," said Kvitova, who feared she would never rejoin the game's elite after suffering permanent nerve damage.
But to make her comeback complete, the eighth seed needs to overcome US Open champion Osaka, one of the .

Kvitota aims to hit Osaka with early onslaught in Open final

Wounded Chinese football was searching for a new national coach on Friday after an angry Marcello Lippi ended his reign with a humiliating exit at the Asian Cup.
The 70-year-old Italian World Cup winner confirmed after Thursday's 3-0 quarter-final defeat to Iran in Abu Dhabi that he would not extend his contract.
Lippi made no effort to hide his displeasure at the nature of the defeat, which came from some calamitous Chinese defending.
"You cannot afford to gift a team like Iran three goals," an exasperated Lippi, fondly known in China as "Silver Fox" on account of his hair, said.
Lippi, appointed coach of China in October 2016, won 12 of his 31 games in charge, losing 11 and drawing eight.
He was reportedly among the best-paid coaches in world football, but the meek defeat of his ageing side underlined the limited quality of the squad at his disposal.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, a known football fan, has vowed to make the country of 1.4 billion people a competitive force in ...

China hunts for Lippi successor after Asian Cup 'fiasco'

Tens of thousands of people sweltering through a brutal heatwave in southern Australia were left without power Friday, as the grid struggled with surging demand.
Authorities said about 60,000 customers were experiencing blackouts, after it ordered forced outages to reduce the risk of the entire grid failing.
"We have asked for 100 megawatts of involuntary load reduction, we have notified the networks, they're in process of doing that," Australian Energy Market Operator chief executive Audrey Zibelman told reporters.
The disruption comes as temperatures in Melbourne soared to 42.8 Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) just after lunch.
Planned power interruptions began at midday and would likely last about two hours, authorities said.
"We may have to do more over the course of the afternoon as the demand continues to increase," Zibelman added.
There were reports of up to 100 traffic lights without power in Melbourne, as some shops and cafes were forced to close.
In other parts of Victoria state ...

Power outages as Australia swelters through extreme temperatures

The death toll from a fiery pipeline explosion in central Mexico reached 107 Thursday, the government announced, with 40 people also injured in the blast last week.
Last Friday, the fuel-line in Hidalgo state was deliberately punctured, drawing hundreds of people looking to gather gasoline before it ignited.
The disaster occurred as the government wages a huge effort to clamp down on fuel theft, which costs Mexico an estimated $3 billion in 2017.
So-called "huachicol" -- as the stolen fuel is known in Mexico -- costs about half of market price.
Mexico is regularly rocked by deadly explosions at illegal pipeline taps, a dangerous but lucrative business whose players include powerful drug cartels and corrupt Pemex insiders.

Mexico fuel explosion death toll rises to 107

Seoul on Friday sent aircraft over the Yellow Sea to carry out cloud-seeding experiments in an effort to tackle air pollution many South Koreans blame on China.
Air quality in South Korea is generally better than in its giant neighbour, the world's biggest polluter, which is periodically affected by choking bouts of filthy air and according to the International Energy Agency uses coal to generate around three quarters of its energy.
Beijing has been seeking to tackle the scourge, which causes widespread public anger, and a recent study found urban levels of PM2.5 -- the tiny airborne particles considered most harmful to health -- had been cut by almost a third on average over four years.
But they remain far above World Health Organization norms, and pollution levels in Korea sometimes spike as the prevailing winds blow PM2.5 particulates -- referred to as "fine dust" in the South -- across the sea between the two countries.
Many South Koreans accused China when pollution surged for ...

S Korea in airborne fight against 'Chinese' pollution

Thierry Henry was suspended from his role as coach of struggling Ligue 1 side Monaco with the former French international striker expected to be quickly axed.
"Henry has been suspended until a definitive decision is made," Monaco said in a statement on Thursday, adding assistant coach Franck Passi would oversee training on Friday ahead of their trip to fellow strugglers Dijon.
Henry, 41, was suspended by Monaco, who are second-from-bottom in the French top division with 15 points, after the former Arsenal and France striker earned the Principality club just two league wins since his arrival in October.
He took up the post with the 2017 French champions in October following the sacking of title-winner Leonardo Jardim but failed to improve on the poor start to the campaign by his predecessor.
Ironically, Jardim was already being tipped on Thursday as Henry's successor as Monaco battle to beat the drop.
The club's decision to dispose off Henry would have come as a shock if his comments ..

Monaco coach Thierry Henry suspended, faces axe

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri hopes victory on penalties over Tottenham to reach the League Cup final can prove a turning point in his first season in charge.
Sarri had questioned the mental strength of his squad and demanded star forward Eden Hazard delivered more on his abundant potential in the wake of a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, and the Italian got the response he desired against an injury-ravaged Spurs.
First-half goals from N'Golo Kante and Hazard handed Chelsea a 2-1 win on the night to overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit and the hosts prevailed 4-2 in the shootout at Stamford Bridge to set up a final meeting with holders Manchester City on February 24th.
"I think that in the last three or four matches we had a problem. One problem was the motivation and the other problem was the players stopped having fun on the pitch. Now with the performance and the result we can find enthusiasm again," said Sarri.
Chelsea's new number nine Gonzalo Higuain was presented to the home ...

Sarri hopes League Cup final spot will be 'turning point'

Sergio Ramos scored twice to put Real Madrid on the brink of the Copa del Rey semi-finals as they came from behind to beat Girona 4-2 in a thrilling first leg.
Ramos' chipped penalty gave Madrid a 2-1 half-time lead at the Santiago Bernabeu after Lucas Vazquez had cancelled out Anthony Lozano's early strike on Thursday.
Girona, however, came again, Alex Granell scoring from the spot, only for Ramos to head home with 13 minutes left before Benzema added a fourth to extend the advantage ahead of next week's second leg.
Ramos now has nine goals in all competitions this season and these two were key as Madrid maintained what it is beginning to look like a second revival under coach Santiago Solari.
After a blistering start, Solari oversaw a dip at the turn of the year but his team have now won four out of their last five, the only slip coming in a second leg defeat to Leganes when progress was already all-but secured.
"Football never lets up, now comes Espanyol on Sunday and we want to ...

AFP

AFP

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