Chinese, Japanese and South Korean leaders will discuss a potential free-trade deal and tensions over the North Korean nuclear issue when they meet in southern China next week, officials said Thursday.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will host South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for the meeting in Chengdu on Tuesday.
The visiting leaders will also hold separate talks with President Xi Jinping, Chinese vice foreign minister Luo Zhaohui told reporters at a briefing.
The meeting of regional powers comes as tensions have risen between Washington and Pyongyang after North Korea carried out a series of rocket launches.
Nuclear talks between the North and the United States have been largely stalled since the collapse of a February summit in Hanoi between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Pyongyang has issued a year-end ultimatum, promising an ominous "Christmas gift" if Washington does not come up with some concessions.
China, an old 

China, S. Korea and Japan leaders to discuss N. Korea tensions

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One of China's top universities has removed references to "freedom of thought" from its official charter, triggering a rare act of student defiance, while two other institutions have moved to strengthen their allegiance to President Xi Jinping.
A video that circulated this week showed students at Shanghai's Fudan University gathering to sing the school song -- which extols "academic independence and freedom of thought" -- in an apparent protest against the move.
Fudan's charter change was announced by the Ministry of Education on its website late Tuesday and quickly became a hot topic on social media, with posts questioning the move before China's ever-vigilant online censors acted to delete posts and block discussion.
As well as removing the "freedom of thought" reference, the new version inserts "arming the minds of teachers and students with Xi Jinping's new era of socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics".
It also obliges the school's faculty and teachers to adhere to "core 

China students protest as university charter cuts 'freedom of thought'

Australian police are hunting for thieves who stole 300,000 litres (79,000 gallons) of water amid the worst drought to hit the east of the country in decades, officials said Thursday.
The thieves drained the water from two tanks on a property in Evans Plains, a hamlet about three hours west of Sydney in New South Wales state, police said.
The theft was discovered Sunday, but could have occured anytime in the previous two weeks, they said.
"Police wish to speak with anyone who saw water trucks or vehicles fitted with equipment/ability to cart water in the Evans Plains area," they said in a statement.
A police spokeswoman said the prolonged drought and water shortages suffered across parts of outback New South Wales likely prompted the crime.
"I would think that the recent conditions with drought etc had something to do with it," she said.
Australia is the most arid inhabited continent and has just gone through it's driest southern spring on record, with no significant rain forecast in .

As drought drags on in Australia, water thieves step in

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has been deleted from Chinese versions of the popular Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) mobile game, the title's China distributor has said, as the fallout continued over his criticism of the country's treatment of its Uighur minority.
US-listed Chinese internet company NetEase said it removed Ozil from the game due to his "extreme comment about China."
Ozil, a German national of Turkish origin, condemned China's crackdown on Muslim minorities in the western region of Xinjiang in a tweet last Friday and criticised Muslim countries for failing to speak up about the alleged abuses.
Arsenal has distanced itself from his comments, while China said his tweets were "untruthful" and that he was "deceived by fake news".
China has faced growing international condemnation for setting up a vast network of camps in Xinjiang, where critics say Uighurs are pressured to renounce Islam, support the ruling Communist Party, and integrate with China's majority Han culture.
Rights .

Ozil cut from video game in China over Xinjiang comments

Bayern Munich's Joshua Zirkzee scored on his Bundesliga debut, just two minutes after coming onto the pitch in his team's last-gasp 3-1 win away at SC Freiburg.
The 18-year-old Dutchman came on in the 90th minute on Wednesday before breaking a 1-1 deadlock, becoming the youngest player to score a goal this Bundesliga season.
Bayern's Serge Gnabry added another in the final minute of injury time to put the result beyond doubt, crushing the hopes of a dogged and determined home side.
"When you score two goals with just minutes remaining to win the game, of course the bus ride home will have a different feel than if it had gone otherwise," said Bayern caretaker boss Hansi Flick.
It was business as usual early for Bayern, with Philippe Coutinho's chip over goalkeeper Mark Flekken cleared off the line after just two minutes.
In the 16th minute, 19-year-old Canadian Alphonso Davies put in a superb cross from the left wing, with Robert Lewandowski on the spot to open the scoring.
It was ...

Teenage Zirkzee sparks Bayern's winning late show

A Paris Saint-Germain without a rested Neymar cruised into the last eight of the French League Cup with a 4-1 victory at second-tier Le Mans on Wednesday.
Pablo Sarabia, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di-Maria scored for the record eight-time tournament winners inside the opening 48 minutes as Harisson Manzala responded for the hosts in the final edition of the competition.
PSG coach Thomas Tuchel chose to leave the world's most expensive player, who has suffered with injuries since the start of the season, in Paris as the German made eight changes from the side which hammered Saint-Etienne on Sunday.
"I think it was a game that we had to win," said Tuchel.
"We played with players who lacked rhythm. I didn't expect too much from my team. We could have scored more goals.
"But we are happy -- no injuries and now is the time to prepare to play Amiens at the weekend."
Le Mans coach Richard Dezire handed the club's record goal-scorer Vincent Crehin a start after the ...

PSG cruise into League Cup quarters without rested Neymar

Holders Manchester City will face Manchester United in the semi-finals of the League Cup after both sides saw off lower league opposition to make the last four on Wednesday.
Raheem Sterling's second half double ensured City warded off a shock to win 3-1 at League One Oxford, while United ended fourth-tier Colchester United's fairytale run with a 3-0 win at Old Trafford.
Leicester set up a semi-final meeting with Aston Villa after the Foxes survived a second half fightback from Everton to secure their place in the last four 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw at Goodison Park.
City have won this competition for the past two seasons with Pep Guardiola's only defeat in the League Cup coming to United three years ago.
Guardiola's men will have a chance to avenge their 2-1 Premier League defeat to the Red Devils earlier this month when the sides clash over two legs in January.
"You always want to win trophies. We've got a nice little draw coming up, it'll be exciting times," said United ...

Man City to face Man Utd in League Cup semis

Cuba is to resurrect the position of prime minister in a parliamentary session at the end of the week, with President Miguel Diaz-Canel nominating a candidate to the post which has remained dormant for more than 40 years.
The last time Cuba had a prime minister, it was revolutionary hero Fidel Castro.
However, the position was abolished in 1976 when Castro transitioned to the presidency, taking over from Osvaldo Dorticos after the country's constitution was restructured.
No one knows yet who will be appointed, and the general public is in the dark as to what the role will even entail.
"I don't know what his functions will be, I imagine that he'll be helping that poor Diaz-Canel who never stops, going here and there trying to sort out the country," said Maria Fernandez, a 65-year-old pensioner.
Parliament will meet on Friday and Saturday before appointing the prime minister based on a proposal by Diaz-Canel.
The new official will become "head of government" for a five-year ...

Cuba to name first prime minister in 40 years

Russia's anti-doping agency will on Thursday decide whether to launch an appeal against a four-year ban from major sporting events over systematic violations, a prohibition denounced by the country's leadership as politically motivated.
The supervisory board of RUSADA will hold a meeting and is widely expected to announce its formal rejection of the December 9 decision by WADA to ban Russia for non-compliance.
This formal disagreement with WADA would trigger the process of appeal against the ban at the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.
RUSADA supervisory board chairman Alexander Ivlev is due to announce the decision at 1000 GMT.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on December 10 banned Russia for four years from major global sporting events, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, over manipulated doping data.
Under the sanctions, Russians will still be allowed to compete at the Olympics next year and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but only ..

Russia to decide on appeal against doping ban

In the Libyan capital Tripoli, where war casts a long shadow over everyday life, a church offers something of a sanctuary for Christian migrants like Nigerian engineer Jonathan Joshua.
"I find life very difficult but here at the church... I forget I am in Libya, if only for a few hours", he told AFP in the run-up to Christmas at Saint Francis Catholic Church in Tripoli.
Arriving in the country four years ago, the 30-year-old lives and works in the capital's eastern suburbs.
"If the situation allows", he makes the trip to the church in the city centre to attend mass, making himself useful as an usher.
During Advent, the church is a place of comfort and hope -- this year, more than ever.
In early April, strongman Khalifa Haftar -- who has long held sway in eastern Libya -- launched a military offensive against the capital, seat of the UN recognised Government of National Accord.
Deadly fighting in Tripoli's southern reaches has hit civilians, and left migrants more vulnerable than ...

Christians seek seasonal solace in war-torn Libya

A state of emergency was declared in Australia's most populated region on Thursday, as a record heat wave fanned unprecedented bushfires.
About 100 fires have been burning for weeks in drought-plagued New South Wales (NSW) with half of them uncontained, including a "mega-blaze" ringing Sydney, covering Australia's biggest city in a haze of toxic smoke.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the seven-day state of emergency, the second declared in the state since the bushfire season began early in September, was due to "catastrophic weather conditions".
Temperatures are expected to near 50 degrees celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in South Australia and peak at 45 degrees in the western suburbs of Sydney, while turbulent winds of up to 100 kilometres (60 miles) are expected to fan bushfires burning ever-closer to the city.
The country experienced its hottest day on record Tuesday, with the average nationwide temperatures reaching 40.9 degrees Celsius (105.6 degrees Fahrenheit), which is expected ..

State of emergency declared as bushfires rage in Australia

President Donald Trump was impeached for abuse of power in a historic vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, setting up a Senate trial on removing him from office after three turbulent years.
By a 230 to 197 vote in the Democratic-majority House, the 45th US president becomes just the third occupant of the White House in American history to be impeached.
Democrats said they had "no choice" but to formally charge the Republican president, whose impeachment along stark party lines places an indelible stain on his record while driving a spike ever deeper into the US political divide.
"What is at risk here is the very idea of America," said Adam Schiff, the lawmaker who headed the impeachment inquiry, ahead of the vote.
Trump will now stand trial in the Senate, where his Republicans hold a solid majority and are expected to exonerate him.
The House vote came four months after a whistle blower blew open the scandal of Trump pressuring Ukraine's president to investigate his ...

Trump impeached for abuse of power

A  majority of members of the US House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of power, setting up a Senate trial on removing him from office.
A simple majority is required for the Democratic-controlled House to make the 45th US president the third White House occupant in American history to be impeached.
The House will then vote on the second article of impeachment facing Trump -- for obstructing the congressional probe into his attempt to have Ukraine investigate his potential 2020 Democratic presidential opponent Joe Biden.

Majority of US House votes to impeach Trump for abuse of power

Masked protesters set bins on fire and threw rocks and glass bottles at police who responded with foam bullets in a street near Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium as Barcelona and Real Madrid faced off Wednesday in the first Clasico of the season.
Forty-six people were lightly injured in the clashes, including eight who needed to be taken to hospital for extra care, local emergency services said.  Nine people were arrested, Catalonia's regional police force said. They face charges of affront to authority and causing public disorder.
The protesters, many of them carrying Catalan separatist flags, began setting up barricades in the middle of the street, which they then set on fire after police arrived in dozens of vans, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.
Demonstrators rocked a police van and took down street signs that they added to the barricade, while some people sought shelter inside a bar.  Calm returned to the street as fans began to leave the stadium at the end of the match, ...

Dozens injured in clashes outside Camp Nou stadium during Clasico

- The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday called on the US -- which hosts the organization's headquarters -- to lift restrictions on Iranian diplomats.
The resolution also condemned the denial of visas to Russian diplomats.
Since the summer, Iranian diplomats and ministers have been under strict movement restrictions when they are in the US. They are limited largely to the area around the UN headquarters in New York, the Iranian mission and the ambassador's residence.
The UN resolution, proposed by Cyprus on behalf of Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica and Ivory Coast, was approved by consensus without being put to a vote.
Unlike those passed by the Security Council, General Assembly resolutions are not binding but do have political weight.
Without naming specific countries, the text was mainly aimed at the restrictions imposed on Iran, as well as the visa denials to Russia's delegation during last September's General Assembly, diplomats said.
The resolution said the UN "urges the .

UN calls for lifting restrictions on Iran diplomats

Thousands of people took to the streets across Poland Wednesday to protest government proposals aimed at punishing judges critical of controversial judicial reforms.
The rallies erupted a day after the country's top court warned the reform plans would risk EU membership if they were enacted.
The Supreme Court said the plans appeared to be an attempt to force judges to apply all regulations even if they were "incompatible with higher legal norms", which would be a breach of EU rules.
The ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) insists the reforms will tackle corruption but the opposition says PiS wants to gag critical magistrates.
"We live at a time where they don't only drag us through the mud and gag us, but also... try to put us in jail," Polish judge Igor Tuleya, a key opponent of the reforms, told a large crowd in Warsaw on Wednesday evening.
"That risks happening if this bill passes."
Campaign groups had called for the protests in Warsaw and outside courts in dozens of other ...

Poles protest bill aimed at punishing judges

Bolivia's attorney general on Wednesday ordered the arrest of exiled former president Evo Morales after the interim government accused him of sedition and terrorism.
Public prosecutors in La Paz signed a warrant for police to detain the 60-year-old and take him to the attorney general's office.
Morales fled Bolivia for Argentina last month after civil unrest broke out following his controversial re-election in an October 20 poll widely denounced as rigged.
The former trade union leader denounced the arrest order as "illegal, unfair and unconstitutional" on Twitter.
"I'm not worried, as long as I'm alive I'll continue with greater strength in the political and ideological struggle for a free and sovereign Bolivia," he said.
Morales ruled the South American country for almost 14 years before resigning last month and leaving Bolivia to accept asylum first in Mexico and then Argentina, where he arrived last week.
October's poll was annulled following an Organization of American States ...

Bolivia orders arrest of ex-president Morales

The United Nations on Wednesday condemned a deadly uptick in violence in Syria's last opposition bastion.
Najat Rochdi, senior humanitarian adviser to the UN's Syria envoy, called for "immediate de-escalation" a day after a war monitor reported that regime air strikes and artillery fire had killed 23 civilians.
Rochdi condemned "the recent intensification of hostilities in northwest Syria, in particular aerial bombardments and the reported use of barrel bombs, killing tens of civilians including women and children," her office said in a statement.
The jihadist-dominated region of Idlib is supposed to be protected by a months-old ceasefire deal to prevent a broad regime offensive, but bombardment has continued.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday about 30 were wounded, including some seriously.
An AFP correspondent said strikes continued in the area on Wednesday, and the Observatory reported that four civilians had been killed by bombardment on the area .

UN calls for 'de-escalation' in Syria's northwest

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Wednesday mounted a veiled attack on a Muslim summit in Malaysia shunned by Saudi Arabia, saying such gatherings would weaken Islam.
Leaders of Muslim nations, including Saudi rivals Iran, Turkey and Qatar, will attend the summit this week in Kuala Lumpur, which analysts say is aimed at rivalling the OIC, a 57-member pan-Islamic body headquartered in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad dismissed those concerns in a phone call Tuesday with Saudi Arabia's King Salman, insisting the summit was not intended to create a new bloc.
But in thinly veiled criticism of the four-day summit starting on Wednesday, OIC Secretary General Yousef al-Othaimeen said such gatherings would divide Muslims.
"It is not in the interest of an Islamic nation to hold summits and meetings outside the framework of the (OIC), especially at this time when the world is witnessing multiple conflicts," Othaimeen told Sky News Arabia, ...

OIC criticises Malaysia's Muslim summit

French MPs on Wednesday approved a law forcing domestic violence offenders to wear electronic bracelets to ensure they stay away from current or former partners who have reported abuse.
The legislation "will prevent an important number of femicides," Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet told lawmakers Wednesday.
The voluntary measure will require offenders to wear the bracelet either "after being convicted or ahead of sentencing, or as part of protective action taken outside of any criminal complaint," Belloubet said.
The French Senate passed the bill unanimously after it had already been fast-tracked through the lower house of parliament in October.
The move is part of a wider government crackdown on domestic violence after a rise in killings of women by their male partners this year.
Officials will also create 1,000 new places in emergency shelters.
The ankle bracelets are already used in other European countries like Spain and in some US states, where they have contributed to ...

French MPs back e-tag for domestic violence offenders

Rival gang members opened fire in a crowded Panamanian prison killing 14 inmates and wounding around a dozen others, the government announced Wednesday.
The gunbattle, involving AK-47 automatic rifles and other firearms, erupted late Tuesday in La Joyita penitentiary, one of the country's largest prisons, east of Panama City.
"After the fight yesterday in Hall 14 of the La Joyita penitentiary we can report that 14 prisoners have died," the interior ministry said on Twitter, updating an earlier toll of 12 dead.
The country's prisons director Walter Hernandez said 14 prisoners were wounded, one seriously.
The shooting broke out among young inmates in a section of the prison known as Hall 14, which houses around 500 prisoners, authorities said.
Deputy Director of National Police Alexis Munoz said the shooting arose from "disputes" between inmates -- mostly members of criminal gangs.  Police seized eight firearms, including three AK-47 rifles, after the incident, according to ...

AFP

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