US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May have not been invited to the wedding of Prince Harry and US actress Meghan Markle, British media reported today.
Contacted by AFP, a spokesman for Kensington Palace, the prince's official residence, said: "It has been decided that an official list of political leaders -- both UK and international -- is not required for Prince Harry and Ms Markle's wedding".
Then prime minister David Cameron was invited to the 2011 wedding of Harry's brother Prince William, who is second in line to the throne after their father Prince Charles.
Harry's place in the line of succession makes this wedding less politically significant and the couple have instead invited youth workers and military veterans to attend.
Harry is fifth in line to the throne and will soon find himself in sixth place after William's wife Kate gives birth as expected later this month.
Kensington Palace also said on Tuesday that 2,640 people would be invited on the day 

Trump, May not invited to royal wedding

PTI Automatic

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said today his country would not accept Iranian entrenchment in Syria after missile strikes on a Syrian regime air base blamed on Israel.
"We will not allow Iranian entrenchment in Syria no matter the price to pay," he told journalists. "We have no other option.
Allowing Iran to strengthen itself in Syria is like accepting that the Iranians strangle us." Lieberman did not confirm Israel carried out Monday's deadly strikes, which Syria and Russia blamed on Israel.
Israel has sought to avoid direct involvement in Syria's civil war, but it acknowledges carrying out dozens of air strikes there to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to its enemy Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group that is backing President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
It has also repeatedly warned it will not accept its arch-foe Iran entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.
Yesterday, Israel accused Syria of "crimes against humanity" over an alleged chemical ..

Israel will not accept Iranian entrenchment in Syria: defence minister

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said today that allies of the Syrian regime bore "particular responsibility" for a recent suspected chemical attack that has sparked international outrage.
"The use of these weapons is not neutral, it says things about the regime and our reaction to the use of these weapons will say things about who we are," Philippe told parliament.
"It reveals the capacity and the will to use weapons which are outlawed by international law," he said.
"The allies of the regime bear a particular responsibility in this massacre," he said of alleged use of toxic gas against the rebel-held enclave of Douma on Saturday, which first responders said killed more than 40 people.
"There can be no credible diplomacy if such atrocities are not met with a strong, united and resolute response from the international community," Philippe said.
Russia and Iran, the main backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in more than seven years of civil war, have dismissed the claims, .

Syria allies bear 'particular responsibility' for alleged chemical attack: France

Abu Dhabi's state energy company said today it had opened its first auction for exploration contracts, offering six major oil and gas blocks as it looks to expand output.
Successful bidders will gain access to untapped reserves estimated to hold billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas, Abu Dhabi's National Oil Company (ADNOC) said.
Home to more than 90 per cent of United Arab Emirates (UAE) oil, Abu Dhabi is auctioning off licenses in its blocks for the first time.
"The licensing strategy represents a major advance in how Abu Dhabi unlocks new opportunities and maximises value from its hydrocarbon resources," the statement said.
Those granted the licences will enter into agreements granting exploration rights and the opportunity to develop the discoveries if targets are achieved, the company said.
Bids will be accepted for the six blocks -- four onshore and two offshore -- until October.
The UAE, OPEC's fourth largest crude producer and the eighth largest 

Abu Dhabi opens first licensing auction for 6 oil, gas blocks

Scandal-hit car giant Volkswagen said today it was considering reshuffling its board and that chief executive Matthias Mueller could be replaced, although no decision has yet been made.
"The Volkswagen group is considering further evolving the leadership structure, which could be connected with changes in the board... a change to the chief executive could be involved," VW said in a statement.
Supervisory board chief Hans Dieter Poetsch had been "speaking with different members of the supervisory and executive boards" about moving or replacing some of them, it went on, adding that Mueller "signalled he was open to play a part in the changes."
Business newspaper Handelsblatt reported that Herbert Diess, head of the VW brand -- one of the group's 12 makes of cars, trucks and motorbikes -- was slated to take Mueller's place.
A Volkswagen spokesman declined to comment on the rumours when contacted by AFP.
Mueller, a former chief executive of VW subsidiary Porsche, was brought in to replace 

Volkswagen says considering board 'changes', may name new CEO

Donald Trump's administration was hit with a fresh resignation today as his top homeland security adviser, Tom Bossert - a presidential favorite - announced his departure from the White House.
"The president is grateful for Tom's commitment to the safety and security of our great country," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said of his departure.
The announcement came a day after John Bolton took over as Trump's fourth national security advisor.

Trump's top homeland security adviser resigns: White House

Russian whistleblower Alexander Perepilichny, who died while jogging near London aged 44 in 2012, was "fearful for his life", his lawyer at the time told a court today.
The lawyer, Dmitry Lipkin, spoke via video-link from Moscow at the Old Bailey court in London where an inquest is examining whether Perepilichny died of natural causes or was poisoned.
"We had information... that he did not come to Russia because he was fearful for his life," Lipkin told the court.
"He was threatened. He left Russia but who he was threatened by, I don't know," he said.
Perepilichny, a wealthy businessman, had been helping investment firm Hermitage Capital Management investigate a money-laundering operation when he was found dead near his home in Weybridge, outside London.
Two years after his death, his life insurance company ordered tests that detected a toxin from a Chinese plant called Gelsemium, which can trigger cardiac arrest, in his stomach.
The case has come under increased scrutiny following ...

Russian whistleblower was 'fearful for his life': lawyer

The White House today abruptly announced the cancellation of US President Donald Trump's first trip to Latin America, scheduled for later this week, saying he wants to "oversee the American response to Syria."
The announcement comes as the Republican president weighs military strikes in the war-wracked country -- and shortly after the FBI raided the offices of Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Peru in Trump's stead for the Summit of the Americas, press secretary Sarah Sanders announced.
"President Trump will not attend the 8th Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru or travel to Bogota, Colombia as originally scheduled," Sanders said in a statement.
Trump "will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world," she said, adding that Pence would also make the planned stop in Colombia.

Trump cancels first LatAm trip to 'oversee Syria response': WHouse

A new documentary about Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has revealed her previously unknown passion for trees.
The 91-year-old monarch has planted hundreds of trees on royal visits all over the planet and has a deep and "touching" relationship with them, according to filmmaker Jane Treays.
"She has spent her life planting trees, and so have her ancestors," the director told AFP, as the film previewed at the MIPTV market in Cannes, France.
"It was very beautiful and touching to see how she relates to them, and how much they mean to her. She has a particular love of some London plane trees (at Buckingham Palace) planted by Queen Victoria", her great, great grandmother, she said.
The Queen's secret passion emerged as she took the naturalist Sir David Attenborough on a "relaxed and funny" tour of the gardens of the Palace, which Treay's shot in what she described as "the most magical afternoon of my career".
The film, "The Queen's Green Planet", which will be broadcast on ITV in Britain on ..

British Queen's secret passion for trees revealed

Confused and frustrated Iranians flocked to exchange offices today after the government fixed a new rate for the dollar, only to find there were none to buy.
On Ferdowsi Street in central Tehran, home to dozens of banks and currency exchanges, many had hoped to find much cheaper dollars than the day before.
Overnight, the government had announced it was fixing the rate at 42,000 rials per dollar in a bid to arrest a slide in the currency, which has lost more than a third of its value against the greenback in six months.
But all along Ferdowsi Street, exchangers were turning hundreds of people away or had signs up saying: "We have no dollars to sell", while rate boards showed blank spaces for US and European currencies.
"Last night on TV I heard it's 42,000 so I came here to buy some for my son who is overseas. I've checked every exchanger but I couldn't find any dollars," said Tahmoores Faravahar, a 71-year-old retired oil sector worker.
A day earlier, some reported dollars selling at 

Iranians flock to empty exchangers after currency fix

A strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook the South American nation of Chile today but there was no tsunami alert and no reports of injuries, preliminary reports from officials said.
The United States Geological Survey also reported the quake as measuring 6.2.
Chile's National Seismological Center said the quake struck at 7:19 am, 35 kilometers north of Punitaqui at a depth of 75.8 kilometers.

Strong 6.2-magnitude quake shakes Chile: officials

North Korea's foreign minister held rare talks with his Russian counterpart in Moscow today, as Pyongyang moves to improve strained ties with its neighbours.
Ri Yong Ho's visit came ahead of planned nuclear summits between the North's leader Kim Jong Un and the presidents of South Korea and the United States in the coming weeks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomed Ri to Moscow today, saying that "Russia is as inclined as ever to develop good neighbourly relations with North Korea".
His North Korean counterpart said he hoped for further "development of our relations" in comments translated into Russian.
After the meeting, Lavrov answered questions from journalists alone, saying the ministers "examined in some detail" the nuclear situation on the peninsula.
"The Russian side confirmed that we welcome gradual normalisation of the situation, an end to mutual threats and readiness for contact between the two Koreas as well as between North Korea and the US," Lavrov said.
He ...

N Korea FM makes rare Moscow visit amid diplomatic thaw

French police battled today to evict anti-airport protesters and the creators of an alternative anti-capitalist settlement in western France during a second day of clashes.
Some 2,500 officers raided the decade-old camp at Notre-Dame-des-Landes yesterday, destroying makeshift buildings topped with corrugated iron, a giant tent, a watchtower, and a sheep shed and cheese-making area.
The assault in a wooded area near the city of Nantes has seen dozens of rounds of tear gas fired, as well as stun grenades, while the occupants and demonstrators have responded by throwing petrol bombs and rocks at the security forces.
The activists have used tractors and burning barricades of tyres, wooden pallets, hay bales and electricity poles in an effort to keep the police at bay.  Two policemen suffered minor injuries on Tuesday, a security source told AFP, while around six demonstrators were hurt.
Activists opposed to the building of an airport began squatting on the farmland in 2008 and have since .

Tear gas, petrol bombs as French police clear 'eco-camp'

welve men and two women were arrested today over a brutal attack on two officers called to a New Year's Eve party in a Paris suburb, an assault that shocked France after a video of the female officer's beating circulated on social media.
The government vowed to crack down on urban violence after the attack, which occurred after the officers became separated from the bulk of the force intervening to halt a party in Champigny-sur-Marne, east of the capital.
They had had been called to clear 300 to 400 people attempting to see in 2018 at an unauthorised warehouse party.  Footage that soon went viral showed the 25-year-old policewoman writhing on the floor as she was kicked by the crowd, as well as revellers flipping over a car.
The 14 people arrested, aged 16 to 20, are suspected of striking the officer, filming the scene or not aiding a person in danger, police sources told AFP.
During searches of their homes, some suspects were found with clothes worn by people seen in the video of the 

France arrests 14 over vicious New Year's attack on police

A group of British eurosceptics announced plans today for a "Museum of Brexit" that will trace the history of anti-EU politics in Britain, calling for the public to donate items.
Organisers said they hoped to receive objects such as campaign posters and street stalls, as well as personal photographs and diaries at collection centres dotted around Britain.
Gawain Towler, the project's secretary and a former spokesman for the UK Independence Party (UKIP), told AFP the museum would be for academics as well as the general public.
"There are a lot of institutes of European integration... The other side of the argument is well served in academia, whereas the side that won isn't," he said.
"Unless we start collecting, we're going to lose a lot of the archival evidence." The museum itself would eventually be set up in "two or three years", he said, adding that establishing it in the English city of Lincoln was a possibility.
Britain, which joined the European Economic Community in 1973, is ...

British eurosceptics unveil plan for 'Museum of Brexit'

Doctors issued a chilli warning today after an American man who ate the world's hottest pepper was struck by excruciating "thunderclap" headaches.
The 34-year-old man's symptoms began with dry heaves "immediately after participation in a hot pepper contest where he ate one Carolina Reaper," in 2016, said an article published in medical journal BMJ Case Reports.
The man then developed intense neck and head pain, and for several days experienced brief but intense "thunderclap" headaches. Each lasted several seconds.
After seeking emergency care, tests for various neurological conditions came back negative.
In the end, doctors diagnosed him with a temporary brain condition called "reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome" (RCVS), characterised by the temporary narrowing of blood vessels to the brain.
It was the first reported case of a patient being diagnosed with RCVS after eating a chilli pepper, the authors said.
Often accompanied by "thunderclap" headaches, the condition usually 

World's hottest chilli pepper gives man 'thunderclap' headaches

China today warned against military action in Syria after US President Donald Trump vowed to respond "forcefully" to the latest alleged chemical atrocity in the country's bloody civil war.
As he opened a cabinet meeting at the White House yesterday, Trump pledged "major decisions" to come within the "next 24-48 hours" after what he called a "heinous attack on innocent" Syrians in the rebel-held town of Douma that killed at least 40 people.
The Syrian regime and its ally Russia have rejected claims of a chemical attack, with President Vladimir Putin warning against any "provocation and speculation on this matter".
Trump -- who last year launched a missile strike on a Syrian regime air base after another alleged chemical attack -- warned Sunday that there would be a "big price to pay".
The crisis was discussed Monday at an urgent UN Security Council meeting, while the US also circulated a draft resolution for a new independent inquiry of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
At a regular ..

China warns against military action in Syria

The Kremlin today accused Washington of refusing to face up to reality over an alleged chemical attack on a rebel-held town in Syria, for which Moscow insists there is no evidence.
"You see the unconstructive position that some countries including the US have taken. They are a priori refusing to face reality," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
He added that "none of them is talking about the need for an unbiased investigation" and said that this limited the diplomatic options for Russia, but that it would continue "active work on the diplomatic front."
Peskov spoke after US President Donald Trump on Monday said the apparent chemical weapons attack would be "met forcefully" and indicated a decision on military action was hours away.
The Kremlin spokesman said that there was as yet no agreement on the date for a proposed meeting between Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Russia's UN ambassador on Monday warned that the use of military force against Syria could have "grave ...

Kremlin says US 'refusing to face reality' on alleged Syria attack

Hundreds of university students across Bangladesh blockaded roads today in a third day of protests against what they say are discriminatory quotas for government jobs.
Students took to the streets in Dhaka and elsewhere despite assurances from the government that it would review the controversial quota system.
The mass protests roiling campuses across the country have been among the biggest faced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her decade in power.
At Dhaka University -- where more than 100 were injured in clashes with police in recent days -- students vowed to stage sit-ins until the government reform the quota system.
"We'll continue our agitation until the authorities accept our demands," said Rahat, one of the roughly 500 students camped out at the university's main square.
The protest was largely peaceful, with no repeat so far of the tear gas and rubber bullets fired by police to disperse crowds.
But outside the camps, traffic was brought to a standstill as protesters blocked 

Student protests rattle Bangladesh for a third day

A group of 50 Vietnamese activists and rights organisations have written an open letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg suggesting his company may be colluding with communist authorities to scrub out online dissent.
Vietnam ranks among Facebook's top 10 users by numbers and the site is hugely popular among dissidents in the one-party state where independent media is banned and blog sites are routinely removed.
The letter to the head of the world's largest social media platform was signed by 50 organisations, activists and bloggers who said they have seen an uptick in "account suspensions and content takedown" since last year.
Vietnam's government said in April 2017 that Facebook has agreed to remove "bad and malicious" content that violates local laws, including fake news and imposter accounts, but made no explicit mention of anti-regime material.
"It would appear that after this high-profile agreement to coordinate with a government that is known for suppressing expression online ..

Vietnam activists accuse Facebook of censoring content

Indonesia's Lion Air is buying 50 Boeing 737 MAX 10 airplanes in a deal valued at about $6.2 billion, the firms said today, as the carrier looks to cash in on a transport boom in the Southeast Asian nation.
The new single-aisle plane is the latest incarnation of Boeing's 737 MAX series, which can accommodate between 130 and 230 passengers and fly up to 7,130 kilometres, the companies said in a statement.

AFP

AFP

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