Spain's parliament rejected Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez's bid to be reappointed prime minister on Sunday but he appeared on track to win a second confidence vote later in the coming week.
Sanchez needed 176 votes -- an absolute majority in the 350-seat assembly -- to be confirmed as prime minister for another term.
He lost the vote as expected, with 166 in favour, 165 against and 18 abstentions. One lawmaker did not attend the vote due to illness.
Sanchez will face parliament again on Tuesday and this time he needs a simple majority -- more yes votes than no -- to be become premier for another term.
While the political math works in his favour after he struck a deal for the 13 lawmakers from Catalan separatist party ERC to abstain, the numbers still look tight.
At the latest count Sanchez could win on Tuesday by a margin of just two votes.
Spain, the eurozone's fourth-largest economy, has been in political gridlock without a proper government for most of the past year after two ...

Spain's Sanchez loses first bid to return as PM, eyes fresh vote

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South Africa's electricity utility Eskom at the weekend resumed power outages, citing a "vulnerable" generating system, just weeks after implementing the severest  rationing in recent times.
The debt-laden company which generates around 95 percent of the country's electricity, on Sunday said the cuts would last until Monday morning when factories and mines reopen after the year-end break.
It had initially announced a 10-hour rationing that kicked in late Saturday to fix a broken conveyor belt at one of the major coal-fired plants, but on Sunday it extended the outages by another day.
Known as "load shedding", the cuts are implemented to prevent a collapse of the electricity grid.
Last year they were implemented in February, October and again in December when Eskom rationed 6,000 megawatts from the national power grid -- plunging the country into its worst darkness in many years.
"The system remains constrained and vulnerable, and as such load shedding .... will unfortunately have to ..

Power cuts return to South Africa

Iran will finalise its fifth step back from a nuclear deal later Sunday, a spokesman said, in retaliation for the US withdrawing from the multilateral accord and reimposing sanctions.
"Regarding the fifth step, decisions had already been made... but considering the current situation, some changes will be made in an important meeting tonight," foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in televised remarks, two days after the US killed a top Iranian general in a drone strike.
The nuclear accord between Iran and world powers was agreed in 2015 and the US unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018.

Iran says to finalise new retreat from nuclear deal later Sunday

Seven children and four women were among 14 civilians, killed when a roadside bomb blew up their bus in northwestern Burkina Faso, the government said.
"The provisional toll is 14 dead," a statement said, adding that 19 more people were hurt, three of them seriously in Saturday's blast.
The explosion happened in Sourou province near the Mali border as students returned to school after the Christmas holidays, a security source said.
"The vehicle hit a homemade bomb on the Toeni-Tougan road," the source told AFP.
"The government strongly condemns this cowardly and barbaric act," the statement said.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack but jihadist violence in Burkina Faso has been blamed on combatants linked to both Al-Qaeda and Islamic State groups.
Meanwhile, the army reported an assault against gendarmes at Inata in the north on Friday, saying "a dozen terrorists were neutralised".
The deaths came the week after 35 people, most of them women, died in an attack on the northern 

Seven children among 14 killed in roadside bomb in Burkina Faso

A global appeal to help Australian firefighters tackling catastrophic bushfires raised almost Aus$25 million on Sunday, as swathes of the country suffered extensive damage and the death toll from the long-running crisis hit 24.
East coast seaside towns were plunged into darkness, ash rained down on rural communities and major cities were again cloaked in choking smoke, even as stunned Australians tried to regroup amid a wave of cooler air and light rain.
The weekend marked some of the worst days in the country's deadly bushfire crisis, with hundreds more properties destroyed and the overall death toll climbing to 24, including a man who died Saturday trying to save a friend's home.
Comedian Celeste Barber used her international social media fame to launch a Facebook fundraiser for firefighters that almost reached its Aus$25 million ($17 million) target in just two days with donations from all over the globe.
American pop star Pink said she would donate US$500,000 to the firefighters, .

Nearly Aus$25 mn raised as Australia reels from bushfire fury

Protesters hurled petrol bombs Sunday at a Hong Kong police station and at least 60 people were arrested following a march against so-called parallel trading near the Chinese border.
The Democratic Party said about 10,000 people marched peacefully in Sheung Shui district, but violence erupted after police ordered protesters to disperse.
Earlier, several petrol bombs were thrown at the Sheung Shui police station, about 1.5 kilometres (a mile) from where the rally took place.
The Sunday protest comes during a period of heightened anti-mainland sentiment in Hong Kong, where a pro-democracy movement demanding greater freedoms from Beijing has raged for nearly seven months.
The marchers were protesting against parallel trading, which sees thousands of mainlanders cross the border every day to bulk-buy goods such as infant formula to sell at a profit in China.
There is significant resentment against the practice, which frequently leaves goods in short supply in border towns, and has driven .

Dozens held after shopping protest at Hong Kong border town

Iran's foreign minister has been invited to Brussels, the European Union said Sunday, urging a "de-escalation of tensions" in the Gulf after US air strikes that killed a top Iranian general.
The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell made the offer to Mohammad Javad Zarif during a telephone call this weekend, a press release said.
"Borrell invited the Iranian Foreign Minister to Brussels to continue their engagement on these matters," it said.

EU invites Iranian foreign minister to Brussels

State-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corp on Sunday signed a long-term contract with Qatar Petroleum to purchase three million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year, a statement said.
Kuwait, which is rich in oil but falls short in gas production, is currently importing 2.5 million tonnes of LNG per year from BP, Shell and Qatar Petroleum.
The new agreement will run for 15 years starting in 2022 when the new USD 3 billion LNG receiving terminal at Al-Zour Port, in the south of Kuwait, becomes operational, a statement issued by the two companies said.
Kuwait, a key OPEC producer pumping some 2.7 million barrels of crude oil per day, uses natural gas imports for power generation and petrochemicals industry.
"This agreement extends Qatar's long-standing LNG supply relationship with Kuwait well into the 2030s and highlights our commitment to meeting Kuwait's LNG requirements," Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad al-Kaabi said after signing the deal with his Kuwaiti ...

Kuwait signs long-term deal to import gas from Qatar

Six Germans were killed when a car ploughed into them after they left a nightclub in the Italian Alps on Sunday, emergency services said, adding that 11 others were injured.
Media reports said the driver may have been drunk.
The accident happened at around 1:15 am (0015 GMT) in the village of Lutago near the Austrian border in the South Tyrol region, which is popular with skiers.
The group of Germans had spent the evening at the nightclub and were near their bus when the car slammed into them at high-speed.
Some of them were propelled dozens of metres by the impact.
Six Germans were killed, a fire service official in Lutago told AFP.
Eleven other people were injured, including two from the region.
Two who were in a very serious condition were flown by helicopter to a hospital in Innsbruck in Austria.
The nine others were taken to regional hospitals.
According to Rainews24, the driver was a 28-year-old man who lived locally and who "may have had a high level of alcohol in his ...

Six Germans killed as car ploughs into pedestrians in Italy

James Anderson completed a five-wicket haul and Ben Stokes set an England catching record before England stretched their lead on the third day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands on Sunday.
England were 52 for one wicket in their second innings at lunch, an overall lead of 98 runs.
Anderson took both South Africa's remaining wickets as the hosts were bowled out for 223, adding only eight runs to their overnight total.
Stokes set an England Test record for a fielder when he held his fifth catch of the innings to dismiss last batsman Anrich Nortje off Anderson's bowling.
Zak Crawley made a quick 25 before he was caught behind off Kagiso Rabada but Dom Sibley and Joe Denly saw England through to lunch.
Anderson completed the 28th five-wicket haul of his Test career. He struck with the first ball of the day when Rabada was caught behind.
It put Anderson on a hat-trick after he finished the second day with the wicket of Keshav Maharaj. Nortje survived but four overs later ..

Anderson, Stokes increase England advantage

A tide of mourners flooded the Iranian city of Ahvaz on Sunday, weeping and beating their chests in homage to top general Qasem Soleimani who was killed in a US strike in Baghdad.
"Death to America," they chanted as they packed the streets and filled a long bridge spanning a river in the southwestern city, where Soleimani's remains arrived from Iraq before dawn.
As Shiite chants resonated in the air, mourners held portraits of Soleimani, seen as a hero of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war and for spearheading Iran's Middle East operations as commander of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force.
Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike Friday near Baghdad airport, shocking the Islamic republic. He was 62.
The attack was ordered by President Donald Trump, who said the Quds commander had been planning an "imminent" attack on US diplomats and American forces in Iraq.
In the face of growing Iraqi anger over the US strike, the country's parliament was expected to vote Sunday on whether to oust the ...

Mourners flood Iran city as top general's remains return

Austria's foreign ministry has been targeted by a "serious cyber attack", officials said, warning another country could be responsible.
The attack, which began Saturday, was continuing on Sunday and "experts say it could last several days," a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP.
The interior and foreign ministries issued a statement about the attack which started shortly before 11.00 pm (2200 GMT) on Saturday.
"Due to the gravity and nature of the attack, it cannot be excluded that it is a targeted attack by a state actor," the statement said.
"In the past, other European countries have been the target of similar attacks.
Immediate measures have been taken and a "coordination committee" set up, the statement said.
The attack came as Austria's Greens on Saturday gave the go-ahead to a coalition with the country's conservatives at a party congress in Salzburg, removing the last obstacle to the unprecedented alliance.
The German government's IT network was hit by a cyber attack in ...

'Serious' cyber attack hits Austrian ministry

Nearly 1,000 tourists, mostly British, were stuck in the French Alps on Saturday night after their flights were cancelled due to bad weather, authorities said.
Heavy fog covered the ski slopes around Chambery on Saturday, leading to the cancellation of seven flights out of the local airport and delays of several others.
Some 535 holiday-makers bedded down for the night at the conference centre in the town of Aix-les-Bains, 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Chambery, while 450 others were bussed to hotels, the region's administrative authority, the Savoie prefecture, told AFP on Sunday.
"The passengers will be able to take off today from Lyon, Grenoble and Geneva airports," the prefecture said, adding that more buses had been chartered to cover the various airports.
Chambery is a popular gateway to the northern French Alps, with airlines operating direct flights from London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Bad weather strands 1,000 tourists in French Alps

Saudi Arabia was not consulted by its ally Washington over a US drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, an official said Sunday, as the kingdom sought to defuse soaring regional tensions.
Saudi Arabia is vulnerable to possible Iranian reprisals after Tehran vowed "revenge" following the strike on Friday that killed powerful commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.
"The kingdom of Saudi Arabia was not consulted regarding the US strike," a Saudi official told AFP, requesting anonymity.
"In light of the rapid developments, the kingdom stresses the importance of exercising restraint to guard against all acts that may lead to escalation, with severe consequences," the official added.
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry made a similar call for restraint at the weekend and King Salman emphasised the need for measures to defuse tensions in a phone call on Saturday with Iraqi President Barham Saleh.
In a separate phone call with Iraq's Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, Saudi Crown Prince ...

Saudi 'not consulted' over US strike that killed Iran general

Iraq's parliament was expected to vote Sunday on ousting US troops from military bases, which are threatened by pro-Tehran factions after an American strike killed top Iranian and Iraqi commanders.
Late Saturday, missiles slammed into the Baghdad enclave where the US embassy is located and an airbase north of the capital where American troops are deployed, prompting US President Donald Trump to threaten strikes on 52 sites in Iran.
The near-simultaneous attacks seemed to be the first phase of promised retaliation for the US precision drone strike that killed Iran's Major General Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi.
While no one claimed Saturday's attacks, a hardline pro-Iran faction in the Hashed, a network of Shiite-majority armed groups incorporated into the state, urged Iraqis to move away from US forces.
"We ask security forces in the country to get at least 1,000 meters away from US bases starting on Sunday at 5:00pm (1400 GMT)," said 

Iraqi MPs to meet on US troop ouster after Soleimani killing

England all-rounder Ben Stokes set an England Test record when he caught Anrich Nortje off the bowling of James Anderson on the third day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands on Sunday.
It was his fifth catch of the innings, all held at second slip.
In England's previous 1019 Test matches, there had been 23 instances of four catches in an innings, most recently by England captain Joe Root against Ireland at Lord's last year.
Stokes equalled the world Test record of five catches, which had been achieved 11 times previously, most recently by Steve Smith of Australia in 2017/18, also at Newlands.

Stokes sets catching record

Stan Wawrinka hopes the Qatar Open ends his worrying title drought although the fanfare surrounding the newly-created ATP Cup more than 10,000km away in Australia means his efforts this week may struggle to register barely a blip on the global tennis radar.
The 34-year-old Wawrinka, a three-time major winner, is top seed in Doha which boasts a respectable $1.4 million prize fund.
However, former Qatar champions Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are draw cards at the ATP Cup, currently underway in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, as are 14 other members of the world's top 20.
Wawrinka is ranked 16 but missed out on the razzmatazz 'Down Under' after 38-year-old Swiss teammate Roger Federer opted for a longer rest over the winter.
In an indication of how badly-holed the Qatar tournament has been by the ATP Cup, Russia's Andrey Rublev, the world 23, takes the second seeding.
"We have been talking with the ATP Tour for the last year and half to find a solution," Qatar Open tournament director ...

Wawrinka looks to end title drought in desert sideshow

Saudi Arabia on Sunday condemned the Turkish parliament's approval of a military deployment to Libya, which is aimed at shoring up the UN recognised government in Tripoli.
Turkey's parliament approved the deployment on Thursday following a request for assistance by the beleaguered Government of National Accord.
"Saudi Arabia expresses its rejection and condemnation of Turkey's latest escalation in the Libyan issue," the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing the foreign ministry.
The GNA has been under sustained attack since April by eastern Libyan strongman General Khalifa Haftar.
Haftar is backed by Turkey's regional rivals -- Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
"This Turkish escalation forms a threat to security and stability in Libya as well as to Arab security and regional security as it is interference in the internal affairs of an Arab country in flagrant violation of all relevant international covenants and principles," the SPA said.
Analysts warn that Turkey's 

Saudi Arabia slams Turkish approval of Libya deployment

Croatians went to the polls Sunday to elect a new president in an uncertain vote where the conservative incumbent -- trying to unite a fractured right wing -- faces a serious challenge from a leftist former prime minister.
Some 3.8 million people are eligible to vote in a poll that is being held just days after Croatia took over the European Union's helm for a six-month period, which will be dominated by Brexit and the bloc's enlargement.
At the same time, the EU's newest member is struggling with a mass exodus of its people, corruption and a lacklustre economy at home.
Centre-right incumbent, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, is campaigning on a "real Croatia" ticket, and Zoran Milanovic, a former Social Democratic premier, is promising a "normal" liberal democracy of equal citizens.
The outcome of the vote for the largely ceremonial post is uncertain, with the latest survey by Ipsos agency giving Milanovic a three-percentage-point lead over Grabar-Kitarovic.
The latter, backed by the ruling 

Croatian president faces leftist challenge in uncertain vote

Iran's army chief said on Sunday that Washington lacked the "courage" to initiate a conflict after US President Donald Trump threatened to hit dozens of targets inside the Islamic republic.
"I doubt they have the courage to initiate" a conflict in which the Americans threatened to strike 52 targets, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said, quoted by state news agency IRNA.

Iran army says US lacks 'courage' for conflict after Trump threat

A "near-death" experience off the coast of the Turks and Caicos Islands has given reigning Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka a new perspective heading into the 2020 season.
An upbeat Osaka told reporters ahead of the season-opening Brisbane International that she had tried to have a bit of fun and experience new things during the off-season, which meant her "first vacation ever".
"It was really fun -- my sister was there. She made me paddleboard, and then the current took us and I almost died," a smiling Osaka said.
Osaka said she and her sister had been in shallow waters but she noticed a current had taken them away from the shore.
"I'm like, how far out are you trying to take us, because it's black, like, the water is black now, and the house is like a tiny dot, and I can't really swim that well," she said.
"I just feel like I'm experiencing so many things in my life and everything's really fun and I'm trying to take it all into... perspective that these are things that I've ...

AFP

AFP

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