Arrested car boss Carlos Ghosn resigned his position as chief executive and chairman of Renault, ending his leadership roles in the auto industry and signalling the start of new era for the French manufacturer.
Ghosn, the most powerful man in car-making until his sensational arrest in Japan last November on financial misconduct charges, had already been sacked as chairman of Japanese auto groups Nissan and Mitsubishi.
But the 64-year-old had held on to the top job at Renault, which has been run on an interim basis by one of his deputies while he languishes in a Japanese jail.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire confirmed to AFP that Ghosn tendered his resignation late Wednesday -- ahead of a Renault board meeting in Paris that would have seen him replaced.  A senior director from the firm "received last night the letter of resignation from Carlos Ghosn," Le Maire said.
As head of Renault since 2005, Ghosn was the keystone of its alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi, forging an ...

Ghosn resigns as Renault boss as French group enters new era

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Japan's supreme court has upheld a law that effectively requires transgender people to be sterilised before their gender can be changed on official documents.
The court acknowledged "doubts" were emerging over whether the rule reflects changing social values, but said the law was constitutional.
The decision, issued Wednesday but published on Thursday, upholds a law that requires any individual wishing to change their documents have "no reproductive glands or reproductive glands that have permanently lost function," referring to testes or ovaries.
It also requires the person to have "a body which appears to have parts that resemble the genital organs of those of the opposite gender." The appeal was filed by Takakito Usui, a transgender man who wants to change official documents that identify him as female.
The panel of four justices ruled unanimously to throw out Usui's appeal, declaring the law constitutional.
They said the measure was intended to prevent "problems" in parent-child ..

Japan court upholds 'sterilisation' rule for gender change

The United States and major South American nations recognised Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim leader Wednesday while the UN urged dialogue in Caracas to avoid "disaster", leaving President Nicolas Maduro increasingly isolated.
Major regional players Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Argentina all gave their backing to Guaido's self-proclamation as acting president, which he made in front of crowd of tens of thousands of supporters in the capital Caracas.
The European Union called for free elections to restore democracy.
Russia however lashed out at Western countries and Cuba and Turkey expressed "solidarity" with Maduro while Mexico extended lukewarm support to him.
In Moscow, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticised the international community saying events in Venezuela "show clearly the attitude of the progressive international community towards international law, sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of a country where it seeks .

US, regional powers recognise Maduro opponent as Venezuela leader

Negotiations between the Taliban and US officials in Qatar entered a fourth straight day Thursday, according to the insurgents, as the two sides pursue a potential deal to bring an end to Afghanistan's 17-year conflict.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed to AFP that "discussions are still ongoing".
"We will talk in detail later when we reach agreement," the spokesman added.
Washington has been stepping up efforts for a peace deal that could pave the way for the Taliban's participation in the next government.
"Both sides are discussing the various aspects of the US troops' withdrawal," a senior Taliban commander based in an unknown location in Pakistan told AFP, adding that a statement could be released later in the day or on Friday.
The Pakistan foreign ministry also confirmed that talks were ongoing between the two sides. However there was no immediate comment from the US embassy or NATO in Kabul.
The US said Tuesday it had resumed talks with the insurgents in Qatar, ...

Taliban says talks with the US enter fourth day in Qatar

A UN Special Rapporteur on human rights visited on Thursday an island off Bangladesh where Dhaka aims to move Rohingya refugees despite worries it will be vulnerable to extreme weather.
Some 750,000 Muslim Rohingyas flooded into Bangladesh in late 2017 after an offensive by Myanmar's military that the United Nations has said could have amounted to genocide, joining 250,000 already there.
Bangladesh is spending USD 280 million transforming Bhashan Char, a muddy silt islet that only emerged from the sea two decades ago, into a camp for some of the refugees.
But the island, in a coastal region where weather has killed hundreds of thousands of people in recent decades, is one hour by boat from the nearest land over a stretch of sea prone to violent storms.
Some of the Rohingya themselves, living in overcrowded and squalid camps in southeastern Bangladesh border district of Cox's Bazar, have expressed unease about moving, while the UN has insisted that any relocation must be ...

UN expert visits Bangladesh Rohingya 'relocation' island

Israeli prosecutors on Thursday charged a Jewish 16-year-old with manslaughter after he allegedly threw a stone at a car in the occupied West Bank and killed a Palestinian woman.
Prosecutors announced the indictment for the October incident in a statement, alleging the unnamed suspect threw the stone in an anti-Arab attack "as part of an act of terror".
He was also charged with stone-throwing and intentional sabotage of a vehicle, both "under terrorist circumstances".
Aisha Rabi, 48, died after the stone broke through the windshield of the car she was travelling in with her husband and nine-year-old daughter in the West Bank on October 12.
The mother of nine was struck on the head and died later at a hospital in the city of Nablus. The stone weighed about two kilograms, according to prosecutors.
Her husband managed to continue driving and make it to a Palestinian clinic, prosecutors said.
Israeli authorities arrested the suspect on December 30. Four other suspects arrested as part of .

Israel charges Jewish teen over Palestinian's killing

Airbus chief Tom Enders warned Thursday that a no-deal Brexit could prompt the European aerospace giant to make "very harmful decisions" for Britain, branding the government's handling a "disgrace".
The aircraft manufacturer currently employs 14,000 people in Britain, including sites at Filton in southwest England and Broughton in north Wales, designing and manufacturing wings.
"If there is a no-deal Brexit, we at Airbus will have to make potentially very harmful decisions for the UK," Enders warned in a video published on the group's website.
Airbus, which has repeatedly warned that Brexit could mean pulling investment out of Britain, also expressed growing frustration over Prime Minister Theresa May's faltering Brexit strategy.
"It is a disgrace that more than two years after the result of the 2016 referendum, businesses are still unable to plan properly for the future.
"We, along with many of our peers, have repeatedly called for clarity.
"But we still have no idea what is really ..

Airbus boss warns no-deal Brexit could spark 'very harmful decisions for UK'

China said Thursday that Chinese-Australian author and democracy advocate Yang Hengjun was detained on national security grounds, becoming the latest Western citizen to face such accusations from Beijing.
Yang's detention comes at a moment of heightened tension between Western countries and an increasingly muscular Beijing, prompting fears that he may be the victim of a dragnet by Chinese security services targeting foreigners.
Yang -- a novelist, democracy advocate and former Chinese diplomat -- was detained shortly after he made a rare return to China from the United States last week.
"Beijing state security took compulsory measures against" Yang Hengjun and are "investigating because he is suspected of engaging in criminal activities that endanger China's national security," said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
Such accusations in China often imply espionage allegations. Similar allegations were made against two Canadians who were detained in December.
Australian 

China says Australian held on national security grounds

Malaysia's royal families on Thursday picked a sports-loving sultan as the country's new king after the last monarch abdicated in a historic first following his reported marriage to a Russian ex-beauty queen.
The previous king, Sultan Muhammad V, stepped aside this month following just two years on the throne after reports surfaced he had married the former Miss Moscow while on medical leave.
There was great shock across Malaysia at the first abdication of a monarch in the Muslim-majority country's history.
Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, a keen athlete who holds a string of positions on sporting bodies, including at world football governing body FIFA, was elected as the new king during a special meeting of Malaysia's Islamic royalty.
Sultan Abdullah "has been chosen as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (king) for a period of five years starting from January 31, 2019," said a statement from the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal, Syed Danial Syed Ahmad.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, .

Sports-loving sultan picked as Malaysian king after shock abdication

Taiwan's navy showed off its latest long-range surveillance drone Thursday as the island's outgunned armed forces push to counter China's increasingly muscular rhetoric and military exercises.
China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides being ruled separately since they split in 1949 after a civil war.
Beijing has said it will not hesitate to use force if Taipei formally declares independence, or in the case of external intervention -- including by the United States, the island's most powerful unofficial ally.
The already terse relationship between the two sides got off to an even rockier start in the new year after Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a landmark speech describing the island's unification with the mainland as "inevitable".
Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen hit back saying her people would never relinquish their democratic freedoms, an unusually robust response that saw her receive a bump in the polls after a gruelling few months .

Taiwan unveils new drone as China tensions mount

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Thursday warned that the world is "losing the race" on climate change as he demanded that governments make bolder commitments beyond the Paris accord.
"Climate change is the defining issue of our time. We are losing the race," he said on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"It is absolutely central to reverse this trend." Guterres said he was "not hopeful" that nations would find the resolve but stressed:
"We need political will and we need governments who understand that this is the most important priority of our times." The Paris climate accord has been shaken by the withdrawal of the United States under President Donald Trump, and by threats to do the same by Brazil's new hard-right leader Jair Bolsonaro.
The UN secretary-general said the commitments made in Paris were already "not enough".
"If what we agreed in Paris would be materialised, the temperature would rise more than 3.0 degrees (Celsius)," he said on a Facebook Live broadcast ...

UN chief warns 'we are losing the race' on climate change

Fourth seed Naomi Osaka outgunned Karolina Pliskova Thursday to set up an Australian Open final against Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova.
The 21-year-old Japanese star overcame the seventh seed 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to reach a second straight Grand Slam decider after her breakthrough triumph over Serena Williams at last year's US Open.
Osaka started strongly to take the first set as the match began with the roof of Rod Laver Arena closed amid sweltering temperatures exceeding 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 Farenheit).
But Pliskova, who ousted American great Williams with an epic comeback to make the semi-finals on Wednesday, roared back in the second before Osaka edged past her in the third.
"I expected it, I expected a really hard battle," Osaka said of Pliskova's attempt to come back from a set and a break down.
"I just told myself to regroup in the third set and try as hard as I could no matter what, and I managed to win." She said her win at Flushing Meadows helped settle her nerves against the .

Osaka edges Pliskova to set up Open final with Kvitova

Newcomer Jhye Richardson took three wickets as Australia had Sri Lanka in huge trouble at 122 for eight at the dinner break on the opening day of their day-night Test in Brisbane on Thursday.
The 22-year-old West Australian bowled with real pace and found just enough movement to trouble the Sri Lankans, who struggled to come to terms with the bouncy Gabba wicket despite winning the toss and choosing to bat.
Richardson, who only came into the side after Josh Hazlewood was ruled out with injury, had figures of 3-26 to lead an impressive Australian display with the ball.
The only Sri Lankan batsman to show any resistance was wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, who was not out 42 at the break after a combination of resolute defence with some audacious attacking shots.
Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal had elected to bat first on a hot and humid Brisbane afternoon but the visitors were forced to battle hard against the Australian attack.
The Sri Lankans moved the score along to 26 before ...

Australia rookie Richardson rips through Sri Lanka

Petra Kvitova said she had proved the doubters wrong Thursday by reaching her maiden Australian Open final and the first in a Grand Slam since a knife attack derailed her career.
The two-time Wimbledon champion stormed past debutant Danielle Collins 7-6 (7/2), 6-0 in their semi-final after the closure of the roof in searing Melbourne heat gave the Czech a boost.
Collins was matching Kvitova until play was interrupted late in the first set while the roof on Rod Laver Arena was closed as the temperature soared past 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 Farenheit).
Czech eighth seed Kvitova said until then she was struggling to find her best form.
"I'm really glad that it (form) came in the tie-break and in the second set," she said.
"I think I was happier than the fans when the roof closed, I like to play indoors and I think that helped me a little bit."
Collins, who had a dream run to make the final four on her Australian debut, became flustered after Kvitova won a first-set tie-breaker and her ...

Red-hot Kvitova makes Open final to prove doubters wrong

Iraqi lawmakers on Thursday approved the government's 2019 budget, which at USD 111.8 billion is one of the oil-rich country's largest ever spending bills.
It represents a nearly 45 per cent increase from last year and awards even more money for public salaries, including those of the northern Kurdish region.
Nearly 90 per cent of the budget comes from oil revenues.
Iraq expects to export 3.9 million barrels per day in 2019, including 250,000 bpd from the Kurdish region, at an average of USD 56 per barrel.
The current price of crude sits at USD 63 per barrel.
The deficit is expected to more than double to USD 23.1 billion, while investments increase to USD 27.8 billion.
The draft bill was originally submitted to parliament in October but has been fiercely debated since then.
MPs from provinces ravaged by the fight against the Islamic State group criticised it for not allocating enough reconstruction funds to their regions.
Another debate raged over the share that would be allotted to .

Iraq parliament approves 2019 budget, one of largest ever

Defence lawyers in the murder trial of the North Korean leader's half-brother won a challenge Thursday to get access to witness statements but the prosecution appealed, signalling more delays in the long-running case.
Siti Aisyah from Indonesia and Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam have been on trial since October 2017, accused of murdering Kim Jong Nam by smearing nerve agent VX on his face at Kuala Lumpur airport.
The brazen assassination in February 2017 shocked the world but the women have denied murder, saying they believed they were taking part in a prank and were tricked by North Korean agents.
Proceedings in the trial of the women, in their 20s, have moved slowly due to the large numbers of witnesses and the fact that hearings are held infrequently.
Aisyah's case was temporarily halted late last year after her lawyers lodged an appeal to get access to some key witness statements, which prosecutors argue should not be made public.
The seven statements are from individuals including ..

Kim Jong Nam trial delayed further over witness statement row

Embattled Renault boss Carlos Ghosn has resigned, France's economy minister said Thursday ahead of a board meeting at which the French car maker is to appoint his successors.
A senior director from the firm "received last night the letter of resignation from Carlos Ghosn", who remains detained in Japan, Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told AFP.
The Renault board is to meet Thursday at its headquarters near Paris and is tipped to name interim chief executive Thierry Bollore as CEO and the head of tyre manufacturer Michelin, Jean-Dominique Senard, as chairman.
Ghosn, who had held both roles, is expected to stay behind bars for several months after seeing a second bail request denied on Tuesday.
He faces three separate charges: two of under-declaring his income by tens of millions of dollars over eight years and another of seeking to shift personal investment losses onto Nissan.

Renault boss Carlos Ghosn has resigned: French economy minister

South Korea's largest automaker Hyundai Motor reported its first quarterly loss in eight years on Thursday, with currency swings sending it USD 180 million into the red in October-December despite improved sales.
Operating profit fell 35 per cent from a year earlier to 501 billion won (USD 443 million), the firm said in a statement, and it made a net loss of 203 billion won.
"Due to weakened currency in emerging markets coupled with other external factors... profitability fell in 2018 compared to the previous year," said Hyundai, which together with its subsidiary Kia is the world's fifth-largest automaker.
The company sold 1.23 million cars worldwide in the fourth quarter, up 0.6 per cent from the same period a year earlier, mainly due to rising demand from Europe and key emerging markets including Brazil and Russia.
It forecast business conditions to remain grim in 2019 owing to an ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing and slowing growth in China -- once a major market ...

Hyundai Motor sees first quarterly loss in eight years

Library and Archives Canada announced Wednesday it had acquired a rare 1944 book that once belonged to Adolf Hitler.
Written in German, "Statistics, Media, and Organizations of Jewry in the United States and Canada" is a 137-page report produced in 1944 by Heinz Kloss, a famed German linguist who had contact with US Nazi sympathizers.
The book details certain cities' population statistics along with organizations and media outlets key at the time to North America's Jewish communities, Library and Archives Canada said in a statement.
"This work hints at the story of what might have happened in Canada had the Allies lost World War II. It also demonstrates that the Holocaust was not a purely European event, but rather an operation that was stopped before it reached North America," it added.
The bookplate bears an eagle, and swastika, and the words "Ex Libris Adolf Hitler," indicating it was part of his personal library.  "It is fundamental ... to acquire, preserve and make available ...

Canada acquires rare book previously owned by Adolf Hitler

The death toll from flash floods and landslides in Indonesia jumped to 26, a disaster agency official said Thursday, as rescuers race to find still-missing victims.
Thousands have been evacuated from their homes as heavy rain and strong winds pounded the southern part of Sulawesi island, swelling rivers that burst their banks and inundating dozens of communities in nine southern districts.
Parts of the provincial capital Makassar have also been affected.
"As of this morning, 26 people are confirmed to have died and 24 others are missing," said Syamsibar, the head of the local disaster mitigation agency, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.  The death toll had stood at eight on Wednesday.
More than 3,000 people have been evacuated and at least 46 are being treated at local hospitals and health clinics.  The floods also damaged houses, government buildings, schools and bridges.
"The search and rescue teams are still looking for missing victims and evacuating people whose homes ...

Indonesia flood, landslide death toll rises to 26

Australia had the upper hand at tea on the opening day of the day-night Test at the Gabba as Sri Lanka crawled to 54 for three at the first break.
After Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal won the toss and elected to bat on a hot and humid Brisbane afternoon, the visitors were forced to battle hard against the Australian attack.
Kusal Mendis was on 14 at the break alongside Roshan Mendis, who was yet to score.
Sri Lanka's openers had weathered the early storm from the Australian pace attack, although Lahiru Thirimanne, playing his first Test since 2017, looked uncomfortable at times.
At 17 for no wicket, umpire Richard Illingworth adjudged him lbw to Mitchell Starc, but the Sri Lankans reviewed the decision and ball-tracking showed the delivery missing leg stump, denying Starc his 200th Test wicket.
The Sri Lankans moved the score along before Thirimanne on 12 tried to drive Pat Cummins, only to edge a comfortable catch to Marnus Labuschagne at third slip.
Debutant Jhye Richardson ...

AFP

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