China's sole aircraft carrier has passed through the Taiwan Strait, the island's defence ministry said today, as Beijing warned against any move to "separate the country".
The Liaoning and accompanying vessels entered Taiwan's air defence zone on Tuesday and left around noon Wednesday, the ministry said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a blistering nationalist speech on Tuesday, warning against what he called any attempts to split China.
"All acts and tricks to separate the country are doomed to fail and will be condemned by the people and punished by history," Xi said in an address ending the annual session of the National People's Congress.
China still sees Taiwan as its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary, even though the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war and have been ruled separately ever since.
Ties have turned frosty since Taiwan's Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen came to power. Her government refuses to acknowledge that the island is ...

China's aircraft carrier sails by Taiwan as tensions rise

PTI Automatic

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy returned to police custody today for a second day of questioning over allegations the late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi financed his 2007 election campaign, sources close to the inquiry told AFP.
Sarkozy arrived just before 8:00 am at the bureau of officers specialising in corruption, money laundering and tax evasion in the western Parisian suburb of Nanterre, an AFP journalist said.
He was first taken into custody yesterday, but left the police building around midnight.
His lawyers did not respond to requests for comment.
Since 2013, investigating magistrates have been probing media reports, as well as statements by Kadhafi's son Seif al-Islam, that claimed funds were provided for Sarkozy's run at the presidency.
The case is France's most explosive political financing scandal and one of several legal probes that have dogged the rightwing politician since he left office after one term in 2012.
Brice Hortefeux, a Sarkozy ally who was a top ...

Sarkozy returns for police questioning in Libya probe: sources

Daniel Ricciardo faces a pivotal year in his Formula One career with expectations of a much-improved Red Bull performance and mounting speculation over where he will drive next season.
The 28-year-old Australian, who embarks on his eighth F1 season under the suffocating pressure and hype of competing at a home Grand Prix in Sunday's opener in Melbourne, endured a frustrating 2017 campaign.
He retired from three races with engine-related problems -- including the misery of failing to finish in last year's Melbourne race -- and amassed 70-places-worth of grid penalties stemming from the unreliability of the team's Renault engines.
But Ricciardo is considered a championship threat with Red Bull's new RB14 car expected, along with Ferrari, to threaten the Lewis Hamilton-led Mercedes' domination.
The optimism comes from winter testing in Barcelona when Ricciardo consistently registered fast lap times, suggesting Red Bull may have overcome the teething issues of last year.
"It feels like we 

Opportunity knocks for Ricciardo in new F1 season

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said today a 2007 strike on a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor was a message to his country's enemies, after the military acknowledged the raid for the first time.
"The motivation of our enemies has increased in recent years, but the strength of our army, our air force and our intelligence capabilities have increased compared with the capabilities we had in 2007," Lieberman said in a statement.
"This equation should be taken into account by everyone in the Middle East.

Israel defence minister says 2007 Syria strike message to enemies

Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said that Neymar's recovery from foot surgery "is going well", as the star forward bids to be fit for the World Cup in Russia.
Lasmar, who operated on Neymar on March 3, said he speaks "two or three time a day" with the physiotherapists working with the Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain player.
"For now, everything is going well, they tell me every detail of Neymar's recovery," Lasmar told French sports daily L'Equipe.
"They are working hard and in a very professional way so that he can return as quickly as possible and, above all, so there won't be any further problems for his foot or posture."
He added that he planned to reassess the injury in mid-April.
Neymar, who missed Brazil's 7-1 semi-final thrashing on home soil by Germany through injury four years ago, is key to his country's hopes at this year's World Cup, which starts on June 14.
At the time of the operation, Lasmar said Neymar would be out for between "two-and-a-half to three months".
The ...

Surgeon says Neymar's recovery is 'going well'

Shortly after sunrise, a group of young women arrives at a football pitch in Mogadishu, where they shrug off their hijabs -- some changing underneath the billowing veil -- to reveal their team kit.
Young Somali men stand nearby, some disapproving but all watching closely, as the women jog up and down, dribble a worn-out ball between colourful cones and do sit-ups, less than 200 metres (656 feet) from a heavily guarded security checkpoint.
The sight of young women playing football is highly unusual in Somalia, due to societal pressures as well as fear of Al-Shabaab.
The Al-Qaeda linked Islamist group launches regular attacks in Mogadishu and considers forms of entertainment, such as football, to be evil, worse still if women are involved.
"It is obvious that we are scared despite the fact that we put on heavy clothes over our shorts and T-shirts (until) we get to the pitch. It is very difficult to walk normally with sports clothes -- we never wear sports clothing in society," said ...

In Somalia, women defy strict rules to play football

Lionel Messi joined up with his Argentina team-mates as they trained at Manchester City ahead of their World Cup warm-up against Italy.
Messi's side are based at the Football Academy of Premier League leaders City while they prepare for the friendly at Eastlands on Friday.
The Barcelona forward arrived to start working with the rest of the squad on Tuesday and was present at a training session open to media in the afternoon.
Also present but not participating was City striker Sergio Aguero, who has been sidelined with a knee injury recently.
Another City player, defender Nicolas Otamendi, was involved along with the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria, Javier Mascherano and Marcos Rojo.

Messi joins Argentina training ahead of Italy clash

French Open director Guy Forget hit out at the ATP's plans to restart the World Team Cup, saying it could hurt the fortunes of the historic Davis Cup.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced last month a plan to run the Davis Cup -- traditionally played over four weekends spread across the season -- over a single week in November from next year.
Separately the ATP is hoping to revive the World Team Cup to be played for the first time in eight years in January 2020, possibly only two months after the Davis Cup.
"We could end up with two strictly identical competitions a few weeks apart, which I think would be dangerous," said former world number four Forget.
"There is no place in the calendar to have two competitions of this kind. Whatever the format of the Davis Cup, I hope it will have the edge."
The ITF is hoping the possible change to a one-week format improves the appeal of the Davis Cup, as leading players, including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, skip ties over ...

Forget slams ATP plans to reintroduce World Team Cup

England were guarded over whether injury-hit Ben Stokes would bowl against New Zealand when he makes his Test comeback from suspension tomorrow.
Speaking on Wednesday, ahead of the first day-night Test to be held in New Zealand, captain Joe Root said the all-rounder would "play a part" but would not discuss what role he would fill.
"There's still stuff that needs to come out of today to be very sure of that," Root said, when asked whether Stokes, 26, had recovered sufficiently from a back strain to bowl normally.
"But I'm quite happy that Ben will play a part in the game."
Stokes, suspended after a nightclub incident last September which left him facing a charge of affray, was sorely missed by England in their 4-0 trouncing by Australia in the Ashes series.
He returned to international cricket in the recent limited-overs series against New Zealand, which England won 3-2, but has been hampered by back stiffness.
Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said senior batsman Ross ...

England guarded over Stokes bowling in Test comeback

Myanmar's President Htin Kyaw resigned suddenly today leaving the country's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi without a close confidant and political ally as she faces rising international opprobrium over the Rakhine crisis.
The president is an old school friend of Suu Kyi, serving as her proxy in an office she was barred from occupying according to Myanmar's military-drafted constitution.
His role was largely ceremonial given Suu Kyi had awarded herself the title State Counsellor and called the shots within her civilian administration.
But he was nonetheless the country's head of state and a key domestic ally for Suu Kyi within her party.
Speculation had swirled for months about the health of Htin Kyaw, 72, who had recently lost weight and has had heart problems in the past.
"Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw resigned on March 21, 2018," a statement on the president's official Facebook page said.
His office did not give many details for why he resigned today, only saying that "he wanted ..

Myanmar president and Suu Kyi confidant Htin Kyaw resigns

Australia recommended opening more of its marine parks, including near the Great Barrier Reef, to commercial fishing today in a decision slammed as the worst downgrading of a protected area in the world.
The government said the move, affecting 44 parks, was made after an independent scientific review and allowed a more balanced approach to ocean protection, maintaining sustainable fishing while promoting eco-tourism.
"By being more targeted with restrictions and integrating marine park management with world-class fisheries management, we have not only increased conservation protection, but also ensured regional economies are supported," said Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg.
Australia is home to the second largest area (3.3 million square kilometres) of marine parks in the world, with 36 per cent of its waters protected. This compares to the international benchmark "Aichi target" of 10 per cent by 2020.
Under the proposals, which must go to parliament, 17 per cent more of the ...

Australia to open more marine parks to commercial fishing

Russia's foreign minister threatened today to retaliate against Britain for "anti-Russian measures", with the two countries at loggerheads over the poisoning of a spy in southern England.
Speaking after a meeting with Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, Lavrov said: "If the British government continues taking some anti-Russian measures, we will hit back under the principle of reciprocity."
Lavrov urged the British government to "respond calmly" over the March 4 attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who remain in critical condition.
Britain says only Russia had the capability, motive and intent to be behind the attack, which used the nerve agent Novichok reportedly developed by the former Soviet Union.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed this as "nonsense".
Britain reacted by expelling 23 Russian diplomats and their families -- around 80 people in total -- and has also cut off high-level contacts.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said London was ..

Russian FM threatens to 'hit back' at Britain over spy poisoning

For days Hamida Barmaki's smiling face stared out over traffic in Kabul, painted in a towering mural near the home of the warlord blamed for her death before it was mysteriously covered over in white.
The short-lived image on a concrete blast wall marked the beginning of a provocative campaign by social activist group ArtLords, whose artists are calling out Afghanistan's most powerful by depicting people killed by warlords in giant murals in public places.
They have been threatened on social media, branded infidels, and told by gunmen and mullahs to stop painting -- but are unrepentant.
"This was a warning shot to everyone that we will not let you sleep at night, we will come after you, we will paint in front of your homes," ArtLords co-founder and president Omaid Sharifi told AFP at his studio in the Afghan capital.
Rather than seek justice for the countless victims -something that is not realistic given the huge number of them and the country's weak judicial system - the group hopes 

Afghan street artists haunt warlords with graffiti campaign

San Francisco today became the largest US city to ban sales of fur as a way to protect animals.
The vote by the Board of Supervisors in the politically liberal California city was 10-0.
Humane Society International hailed the vote, saying "this is an exciting and historic vote both for animals and compassionate consumerism, and we hope that the world is watching."
Two smaller California cities --  West Hollywood and Berkeley -- have already banned sales of fur.
Bans on fur sales and imports exist in India and Brazil's Sao Paulo, HSI said on its blog.
Two Italian fashion houses, Versace and Furla, under pressure from HSI, recently announced they would no longer use fur, joining other designers who have made such a pledge -- Armani, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors and Gucci.
Katy Tang, the San Francisco supervisor who sponsored the fur ban bill, said each year an estimated 50 million animals "are slaughtered in gruesome ways so that we can wear their fur and look ...

San Francisco bans fur sales

Myanmar's president and Aung San Suu Kyi's right-hand man Htin Kyaw stepped down on Wednesday after two years in the position, his office said.
"Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw resigned on March 21, 2018," a statement on the president's official Facebook page said, adding that a new leader would be selected "within seven working days".

Myanmar President Htin Kyaw resigns

Dutch voters go to the polls today in local elections with far-right parties seeking gains and all eyes on a referendum on plans to broaden government online spying powers.
Most polling stations across the Netherlands open at 7:30 am with more than 12 million voters eligible to pick councillors in the 380 municipalities. Ballots close at 9:00 pm.
But political analysts say the local vote is being dwarfed by a simultaneous referendum over whether to back a new online security law giving Dutch intelligence services sweeping powers to tap online data.
"The consultative referendum on the law concerning the Dutch secret services ... is dominating the news," said Ruud Koole, political science professor at Leiden University.
The referendum on the new security laws -- which would allow the Dutch secret service AIVD to trawl for information by tapping into internet fibre-optic cables -- was conceived by Amsterdam students.
Angered by what they see as a bid to hand the authorities over-arching .

Dutch vote in local polls, referendum on spying powers

K-pop stars will play the first concerts by South Korean artists in the North for more than a decade, officials said, as the dramatic thaw in relations kicked off by the recent Winter Olympics gathers pace.
Seoul will send a total of 160 performers to Pyongyang for a four day visit from March 31 to April 3, according to a statement issued after inter-Korean talks at the border truce village of Panmunjom.
The group will include local pop legends Cho Yong-pil and Choi Jin-Hee, five-member K-pop group Red Velvet and Seohyun, a member of the famous K-pop group Girls' Generation.
They will stage the first performances by South Korean acts in the North since 2007.
"It was not easy to select songs that are wanted by both sides," Yoon Sang, South Korea's chief delegate to the talks, told a press briefing yesterday.
Seoul said the North had invited the art troupe "in order to keep the momentum for peace and reconciliation", which was galvanised by the Winter Olympics and built on when South ...

S Korea musicians to play first concert in North since 2007

The US Federal Trade Commission, a consumer and competition watchdog, is investigating Facebook after a major data scandal that affected 50 million users, US media has reported.
A probe by the FTC would add further pressure on the social media giant which faces calls by Britain's Parliament and the European Commission for urgent investigations, while US lawmakers have called on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to appear before Congress.
At the center of the scandal is a British firm, Cambridge Analytica, which worked for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
According to a joint investigation by The New York Times and Britain's Observer, Cambridge Analytica was able to create psychological profiles using data from  50 million Facebook users through the use of a personality prediction app that was downloaded by 270,000 people, but also scooped up data from friends. The goal was to be able to predict the behavior of individual US voters.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the ...

US FTC probing Facebook data scandal: media

North Korea has broken its silence on the diplomatic thaw with Washington and Seoul, saying it is driving the "peace offensive" and rejecting suggestions that sanctions forced it to the negotiating table.
The commentary from the state-run KCNA news agency came with a rapid rapprochement on the Korean peninsula under way, after a period of heightened tensions stoked by missile and nuclear tests.
But as diplomats scurry to arrange two proposed summits -- North-South talks followed by a face-to-face meet between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un -- the North's silence had raised concerns over its intentions.
The KCNA commentary late Tuesday did not directly mention the summits but noted the "dramatic atmosphere for reconciliation" with the South and "a sign of change" with the US.
It said Pyongyang's overtures came from a position of strength, not from weakness, even as it confronts intense international pressure as well as biting economic sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme.
"The ...

N Korea denies sanctions prompted diplomatic thaw

New Zealand received a boost today, on the eve of the first Test against England at Auckland's Eden Park, with confirmation senior batsman Ross Taylor is fit to play.
Taylor, who has a Test average of 48.04, had been battling a groin injury and a stomach bug but captain Kane Williamson said he had completed a full training session without problem.
"He's good to go so that's great news for us," Williamson said.
"Roscoe has played beautifully every time he's walked out to the crease, the calmness at the crease, the confidence.
"It's reflected in how much success he's had this year. It's important for us as a team that he's there."
The clash will be the ninth day-night Test and the first to be played in New Zealand.
Williamson described it as a "slightly unique and an exciting opportunity", but did not want to over-think the possible pitfalls of heading into the unknown.
"There is probably a danger of over complicating some of the finer parts of the pink-ball game," he said, pointing to .

Black Cap Taylor fit for first Test against England

Israel's military admitted for the first time today it was responsible for a 2007 air raid against a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor, a strike it was long believed to have carried out.
The admission along with the release of newly declassified material related to the raid comes as Israel intensifies its warnings over the presence of its main enemy Iran in neighbouring Syria.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also repeatedly called for the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran to be changed or eliminated.
US President Donald Trump, who met Netanyahu at the White House this month, has said that the nuclear deal must be "fixed" by May 12 or the United States will walk away.
An Israeli military spokesman declined to respond to questions related to the admission and the release of the documents, including over the timing, which could be seen as a warning regarding Iran's activities.
The declassified material includes footage of the strike, video of a speech by military ...

AFP

AFP

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