Lebanon banned former auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn from travelling on Thursday after questioning him over an Interpol "red notice" of charges of financial misconduct in Japan, judicial sources said.
The 65-year-old businessman -- for years venerated in Japan for turning around once-ailing Nissan -- fled while awaiting trial on charges including allegedly under-reporting his compensation to the tune of USD 85 million.
His shock arrival in his native Lebanon last month was the latest twist in a story worthy of a Hollywood plot and prompted outrage from the Japanese government as well as from Nissan.
"The state prosecution issued a travel ban for Ghosn, and asked for his file from the Japanese authorities," a judicial source told AFP.
A second judicial source said: "He has been banned from travelling until his judicial file arrives from Japan." Lebanon's judiciary received a "red notice" from Interpol last week urging Ghosn's arrest.
A "red notice" is a request to police across the world to .

Lebanon bans Ghosn from foreign travel

PTI Automatic

After years of angry arguments that toppled two governments, Britain's parliament Thursday will finally approve the terms of Brexit, clearing the divided country's exit from the European Union on January 31.
The House of Commons will rush through a final day of hearings and ratify Prime Minister Boris Johnson's divorce deal with Brussels, drawing a line under an extraordinary period of political chaos.
For much of the time since the 2016 Brexit referendum, lawmakers have been deadlocked over how, when and even if Britain should leave its closest trading partners after nearly 50 years.
Some viewed Brexit with horror, fearing that it stripped them of their European identities and turned Britain into an insular, slightly smaller, and somewhat less important nation.
Others embraced it with fervour, viewing it as a chance to "take back control" from unelected officials in Brussels and see Britain regain some of its past might.
Businesses and governments in Europe, puzzled with Britain's ...

British MPs set to finally seal Brexit deal

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a day of national mourning Thursday, promising to find the "truth" about the crash of a Ukrainian airliner in Iran which killed all 176 on board.
"January 9 has been decreed a day of national mourning," the Ukrainian leader said in a video address posted on his official Facebook account.
Zelensky on Wednesday cut short a trip to Oman and flew back to Ukraine after the Boeing 737 flying from Tehran to Kiev crashed shortly after takeoff. It was the first fatal crash of the country's largest carrier, Ukraine International Airlines.
"Ukraine's priority is to establish the causes of the catastrophe. We are undoubtedly going to get to the truth," Zelensky said.
Some 45 Ukrainian security officials and experts flew to Tehran early Thursday to participate in the investigation, including "deciphering the black boxes" discovered by Iranian authorities at the crash site, Zelensky said.
They will also seek to identify the Ukrainian victims with a ..

Ukraine in national mourning after deadly airliner crash

Forest rangers in Indonesia's Aceh province will be equipped with guns in the battle against illegal logging, an environmental agency official said on Thursday.
The jungle-clad region at the tip of Sumatra island loses some 32,000 hectares (79,000 acres) of more than two million hectares of forest annually due to deforestation, including from illegal timber activities, authorities said.
But the risks of fighting criminal elements had soared with many loggers now carrying firearms, said Aceh environmental agency head Syahrial, who goes by one name.
"Being on duty in the forest without firearms is not only risky but it's also not effective when you're facing illegal loggers (who are usually armed)," he added.
About 120 rangers would be given pistols, rifles and ammunition at a cost of about 1.39 billion rupiah (USD 93,500), Syahrial said.
"We've coordinated with local police with respect to procurement and permits," he added.
Gun ownership is uncommon in Indonesia outside of military or 

Indonesia equips forest rangers with guns in illegal logging battle

Lebanon issued a travel ban against former car magnate Carlos Ghosn Thursday, a judicial source said, after investigators questioned him about an Interpol "red notice" of financial misconduct charges in Japan.
"The state prosecution issued a travel ban for Ghosn, and asked for his file from the Japanese authorities," a judicial source told AFP.

Lebanon issues travel ban on Ghosn: judicial source

US lawmakers called on Wednesday for President Donald Trump's administration to impose sanctions over rights abuses in China as they released a report describing "crimes against humanity" towards the Uighur minority.
In a wide-ranging annual report, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which tracks human rights in the Asian power, voiced alarm at Beijing's incarceration of more than one million Uighurs and other Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang.
"The Commission believes Chinese authorities may be committing crimes against humanity against the Uighur people and other Turkic Muslims," it said.
Representative Chris Smith, a member of the commission, pointed to Uighur witnesses who said they were targeted for their Muslim faith.
"We are talking about crimes against humanity on a massive scale," Smith told a news conference.
"We are talking, with regards to what is being done to the Uighurs, something we have not seen since World War II. And the Chinese government, ...

US lawmakers urge action on 'crimes against humanity' in China

Frenzied crowds, exhaustion and blazing heat were dangers bearing down on the cadre of guards who shield one of the Philippines' most revered Catholic icons from the believers desperate to touch it.
The protectors served as human shields on Thursday, as they do every year, during the procession through Manila of the historic statue of Jesus Christ that believers say grants miracles to those who touch it.
"Our safety is at risk here. Some of the devotees are very aggressive," Steve Celestino, one of the Black Nazarene icon's guards, told AFP Tuesday at a warm-up procession.
The dangers are not theoretical: during the day-long procession temperatures hover at around 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) and hundreds of thousands of believers clamber over one another to reach the statue.
In 2015 a guard belonging to one of the groups collectively called "hijos" (sons) suffered a fatal heart attack surrounded by sweaty devotees.
Miracles attributed to the Black Nazarene have made it ...

Christ's bodyguards: the men protecting the Philippines' revered Catholic icon

A Singapore opposition party has mounted the first legal challenge against an online misinformation law that activists say is being used to silence criticism of the government ahead of elections.
The controversial legislation gives authorities the power to order corrections be placed next to posts they deem false.
Since the law came into force in October, several opposition figures and activists have been ordered to place a banner next to online posts stating that they contain false information.
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), one of a handful of small opposition groups in the city-state, has now asked the courts to overturn a government order for it to correct two Facebook posts and an article on its website.
The Facebook posts said many Singaporeans had been displaced from white-collar jobs by foreigners -- claims the government said were "false and misleading".
"We undertake this legal action because, as difficult as it may be, we must stand up for our fellow Singaporeans and 

Singapore faces first legal challenge over misinformation law

A former prosecutor who was tried following groping allegations that fuelled South Korea's #MeToo movement walked free on Thursday after his conviction was quashed by the country's top court.
Ahn Tae-geun, 53, was jailed for two years for abuse of power in January last year after being accused of repeatedly groping a female junior colleague at a funeral in 2015.
After Seo Ji-hyun filed a formal complaint, Ahn allegedly had her transferred to a provincial post, significantly impacting her career.
Seo went public with a tearful live television interview in 2018, which triggered a flood of similar accusations against powerful men in fields ranging from art to politics that grew into a South Korean #MeToo movement.
Despite its economic and technological advances the South remains a patriarchal society, and has one of the world's thickest glass ceilings for women.
Ahn -- who was separately fired for corruption in 2017 -- could not be charged with sex abuse because the one-year statute of ..

Guilty verdict overturned in South Korea #MeToo case

Three policemen and a villager died Thursday in rare violent clashes with Vietnam's communist authorities over disputed land around a military-owned Hanoi airport.
Construction of the Mieu Mon facility has been a long-running sore for villagers who say it is being built on land illegally seized by the military.
Clashes erupted on Thursday before dawn when authorities attempting to erect a perimeter fence were met by residents armed with "grenades, petrol bombs and knives", the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.
The "social disorder" led to the "deaths of three policemen and one resident", the statement said, adding other villagers were "arrested for serious violations of the law".
It was not immediately possible to confirm the toll or verify the authorities' version of events, disseminated with unusual speed in a country where secrecy and control normally trump transparency.
But a video widely circulated on Facebook by an activist at the scene appeared to show gunfire ...

Police among four dead in Vietnam land clash

China will allow foreign companies to take part in oil and gas exploration and production in the country, in what officials hailed Thursday as a "major reform" opening up the industry.
The Ministry of Natural Resources said foreign firms registered in China with net assets of not less than 300 million yuan ($43 million) will be eligible to obtain oil and gas mining rights.
The change takes place from May 1 and also applies to domestic companies.
"Opening to both domestic and foreign enterprises is a major reform measure," said Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Ling Yueming at a news conference.
In the past, international companies could only enter the industry by working with Chinese firms, such as state-owned enterprises.
The move comes as China looks to open to private firms more sectors of the economy that have been dominated by state-owned companies.
The country's oil and gas market has been dominated by state players such as the China National Petroleum Company and China ...

China opens oil and gas exploration to foreign firms

Inching across a field littered with Vietnam war-era bombs, Ngoc leads an all-women demining team clearing unexploded ordnance that has killed tens of thousands of people -- including her uncle.
"He died in an explosion. I was haunted by memories of him," Le Thi Bich Ngoc tells AFP as she oversees the controlled detonation of a cluster bomb found in a sealed-off site in central Quang Tri province.
More than 6.1 million hectares of land in Vietnam remain blanketed by unexploded munitions -- mainly dropped by US bombers -- decades after the war ended in 1975.
At least 40,000 Vietnamese have since died in related accidents. Victims are often farmers who accidentally trigger explosions, people salvaging scrap metal, or children who mistake bomblets for toys.
Part of the demilitarised zone that once divided the North and South, Quang Tri is among the worst-affected provinces.
Ngoc remembers the burnt flesh of her uncle's body when he was killed by a bomb that detonated while he scavenged ..

Vietnamese women strive to clear war-era mines

Swarms of barefoot believers thronged a revered icon of Jesus Christ on Thursday in Manila for a lumbering and raucous procession considered one of the world's largest shows of Catholic fervour.
As the tropical sun beat down on the capital, hundreds of thousands of faithful were packed along the route for the procession of the so-called Black Nazarene, which they believe grants miracles.
Devotees clad in maroon and yellow risked injury clambering over one another to touch the life-size statue, wipe a white towel on it or lay a hand on the fat ropes used to pull its metal float.
"We believe that if you pull the carriage, the Lord will cure all your diseases," 50-year-old vendor Boyet Lara told AFP. "Nothing is impossible if we believe."
Local officials' estimate put the number of participants at roughly two million, though AFP could not verify that figure.
The crush of humanity causes scores of injuries every year, and as the procession neared its final stretch authorities reported ...

Philippine Catholics swarm Christ icon hoping for miracle

Bereaved friends and families joined in mourning after a Ukrainian airliner crashed near Tehran killing all 176 on board, as heartbreaking details started emerging about the victims, most of them from Iran and Canada.
Both Canada and the United States called for a full investigation to determine the cause of Wednesday's crash, which came shortly after Tehran launched missiles at American troops in Iraq in response to the killing of a top Iranian general.
There was no immediate indication that foul play may have caused the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) plane to go down soon after take-off, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned against speculating on the crash causes.
Search-and-rescue teams combed through the smoking wreckage of the Boeing 737 flight to Kiev, but officials said there was no hope of finding survivors.
Body bags were lined up on the ground, and the passengers' personal items -- including luggage, clothes, a Santa Claus doll and a boxing glove -- were ..

Grief and mourning after Iran plane crash kills 176

After bearing the brunt of jihadist dynamite and looting by thieves, the archaeological treasures of Afghanistan's Bamiyan province are facing a new and possibly more daunting threat: climate change.
Nestled in the heart of the Hindu Kush mountains, the Bamiyan valley's picturesque cliffs -- where centuries-old Buddha statues were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 -- still contain a network of caves housing temples, monasteries, and Buddhist paintings.
The valley is also home to the silk-road era Shahr-e Gholghola fortress and the Shar-e Zohak citadel to the east.
Experts say that a pattern of dry spells followed by heavy rain, and larger than usual spring snowmelts is putting this historic art and architecture at risk of destruction.
Afghan officials warned in a 2016 United Nations report that the structures "may collapse and suffer from severe erosion"due to conditions directly linked to climate change.
"The erosion processes are much faster, the rains more devastating and the wind ..

Climate change threatens Afghanistan's crumbling heritage

The Democratic-led US House of Representatives will vote Thursday to prevent President Donald Trump from waging war with Iran after he ordered the killing of a top general, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
Pelosi said that the Democrats will move forward because their concerns were not addressed in a closed-door briefing to lawmakers Wednesday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other top officials.
"The president has made clear that he does not have a coherent strategy to keep the American people safe, achieve de-escalation with Iran and ensure stability in the region," Pelosi said in a statement.
"Our concerns were not addressed by the president's insufficient War Powers Act notification and by the administration's briefing today," she said.
Under the 1973 War Powers Act, the administration needs to notify Congress on major military actions but Trump, unusually, has kept classified his rationale for a strike that killed powerful Iranian general Qasem Soleimani while he was in ...

US House to vote on preventing Trump from Iran war

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will travel to Washington on Monday to sign the "Phase One" trade deal with the United States, the commerce ministry said Thursday.
Liu, China's top negotiator in the trade war, will be in the US capital from Monday to Wednesday, the ministry said, a week after President Donald Trump said the agreement would be signed on January 15.

China confirms negotiator to sign trade deal in US next week

Tennis prodigy Coco Gauff was quick to rebuke her father for swearing on Wednesday -- when he said "damn" while coaching her during a match.
Corey Gauff, father and coach of the 15-year-old sensation, was put in his place after his daughter took the first set against Laura Siegemund at the WTA Auckland Classic.
"You know the one thing you did in the last three games, you didn't give up no free points on her damn serve," Corey said at the changeover, earning a swift response.
"You can't curse... you said the D word," said Coco, brushing off her father's explanation that "that don't really count".
"In some places it does," she insisted with a smile.
Unfortunately for Coco neither the pep talk nor the curse helped as Germany's Siegemund bounced back to win 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
Gauff last year became the youngest player to make the main draw at Wimbledon, where she progressed all the way to the fourth round -- beating her idol Venus Williams along the way.

'You said the D word' - teen Gauff chides dad for 'curse'

World number one Ashleigh Barty remains upbeat about her Australian Open preparations despite losing her opening match of the season at the Brisbane International on Thursday.
American qualifier Jennifer Brady notched up her first ever win over a top 10 player when she beat Barty 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) on Pat Rafter Arena.
It was Barty's first match on home soil since becoming world number one, and came at the venue she trains at and in front of thousands of her adoring home fans.
Barty conceded afterwards she had simply been outplayed by Brady, who also beat former world number one Maria Sharapova in the first round.
"Jen was in control of the match -- she was in the centre of the court being the aggressor and I think you have to give credit where credit's due," Barty, who practised with Brady early this week, said.
"She came through qualifying, but she's got a ranking that's kind of well below what a lot of people give her credit for.
"She's playing some exceptional tennis, so I certainly ..

Barty not concerned despite first up loss

Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza stepped up her Australian Open preparations by battling into the semi-finals of the Shenzhen Open on Thursday.
Spain's former world number one defeated Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to reach her first semi-final since winning the title in Monterrey, Mexico in April last year.
The 26-year-old Muguruza, now ranked 35 in the world, faces China's Wang Qiang or Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia in the last four in southern China.
The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, begins in under a fortnight.

Muguruza battles into Shenzhen Open semi-finals

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will skip the World Economic Forum in Davos this month, his spokesman said Wednesday, citing logistical and political concerns.
"The president and his team of advisors have analyzed a series of issues: economic issues, security issues, political issues," said spokesman Otavio Rego Barros in Brasilia.
"And all of these issues together... led him to decide that it would not be the time to attend the forum." Rego Barros denied that the change in plans had anything to do with rising military tensions between the United States -- an important Brazilian ally -- and Iran after the killing in Iraq of powerful Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, ordered by President Donald Trump.
"There is no relationship with the recent events that have taken place between Iran, Iraq and the United States," he said.
Bolsonaro, 64, had already floated the idea of skipping the yearly conference of economic and political elites -- which is set to take place in Switzerland from ...

AFP

AFP

Page 219 - Afp/pti