Nobel literature laureate Peter Handke, who backed Serbia during the wars in ex-Yugoslavia, receives his prize at a gala ceremony Tuesday in Stockholm, where hundreds are expected to protest.
The Swedish Academy's pick for the 2019 prize, announced in October, triggered outrage in the Balkans and beyond because of Handke's support for late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic.
The 77-year-old Austrian author is to receive his Nobel Prize from the hands of Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf at a formal ceremony with this year's other laureates, followed by a gala banquet attended by more than 1,200 special guests.
The Academy honoured Handke "for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience." It called him "one of the most influential writers in Europe after the Second World War."
The choice of Handke came as the Academy struggles to recover from a rape scandal that resulted in the 2018 prize being postponed and ...

Handke to receive Nobel Prize at ceremony amid controversy

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Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi arrived at the UN's top court Tuesday to personally defend Myanmar against accusations of genocide, in a remarkable fall from grace for the woman once hailed worldwide as a rights icon.
Wearing traditional Burmese dress, Myanmar's civilian leader arrived at the International Court of Justice in The Hague in a motorcade with police outriders without speaking to waiting media.
The case, brought by the west African state of The Gambia, is the first attempt to bring Myanmar to justice over its bloody 2017 military crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority.
Suu Kyi was once mentioned in the same breath as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, but her international reputation has been tarnished by her silence over the plight of the Rohingya, and her defence of the same generals who once kept her under house arrest.
The case will also be watched in Bangladesh, where around 740,000 Rohingya were forced to flee into sprawling camps by the bloody campaign in ..

Myanmar's Suu Kyi arrives at Hague court for genocide showdown

Iraq's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani urged parliament on Friday to drop its support for the current cabinet after two months of anti-government protests that have left nearly 400 dead.
"The parliament, from which this current government is drawn, is asked to reconsider its choice in this regard and act according to Iraq's interest...(to) preserve the blood of its children," Sistani said in a weekly sermon delivered by his representative in the holy city of Karbala.

Iraq's top cleric calls on parliament to end support for cabinet

South Korean singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young was convicted Friday of gang rape and distributing videos of the assaults and other sexual encounters, and was jailed for six years in a scandal that has rocked K-pop.
Jung and Choi Jong-hoon, a former member of boy band FT Island, were found guilty of gang-raping two different victims on two occasions in 2016.
Separately, 30-year-old Jung was also convicted of filming himself having sex with other women without their knowledge and sharing the footage without their consent.
It is the highest-profile example of an epidemic of spycam crimes in South Korea, which have prompted widespread anger and seen women demonstrating in Seoul, chanting: "My life is not your porn".
Jung distributed his videos in mobile chatrooms with recipients including fellow K-pop star Seungri of BIGBANG, who has been accused of illegal gambling in connection with a sex and drugs scandal.
Jung was jailed for six years and Choi, 29, for five, the Seoul Central District 

K-pop star jailed for six years for gang rape, spycam crimes

Hundreds of Amazon workers in Germany walked off the job as the US online retailer kicked off its "Black Friday" sales bonanza, escalating a long-simmering battle for better pay and working conditions.
The strike called by the powerful Verdi union is set to last until Tuesday morning and will also cover "Cyber Monday", another extravaganza of online discounts in what is a crucial sales period for Amazon.
Verdi spokeswoman Eva Voelpel told AFP "several hundred" employees had started the stoppage at Amazon distribution centres in Leipzig, Bad Hersfeld, Koblenz, Rheinberg, Werne and Graben.
"Their work cannot be had at rock-bottom prices," Verdi said in a statement, demanding a collective labour agreement to ensure "a living wage and good, healthy jobs".
The union accused Amazon of "withholding basic rights" from staff and of making them work "under extreme pressure".
"As a result, many employees become ill," Verdi said.
Amazon played down the strike's impact, saying "packages will ...

German Amazon workers strike on 'Black Friday'

Thousands of defiant Iraqi protesters regrouped on Friday across the country's south, the morning after nearly 45 protesters were killed in one of the bloodiest days of anti-government rallies yet.
Thursday's violence marked a dangerous new turn for the anti-government movement rocking the country for nearly two months, as men dressed in civilian clothes shot at demonstrators and tribal fighters deployed in the streets in their defence.
Nearly 400 people have died and some 15,000 have been wounded since the protests erupted in Iraq's capital and Shiite-majority south on October 1 against a government accused of corruption and inefficiency.
The demonstrations have been the bloodiest grassroots protests in strife-torn Iraq in decade and the single bloodiest days was Thursday, when 44 were killed and nearly 1,000 wounded, most of them across the south, according to medics and rights groups.
The bulk of the dead, 26, fell in the southern protest hotspot of Nasiriyah, and thousands hit the 

Iraqi protesters regroup after bloody crackdown

Bangladesh's anti-corruption commission has barred a top cricket official from leaving the country as it steps up an investigation into the sport's national body, a spokesman said Friday.
Mahbubul Anam is one of at least two senior Bangladesh Cricket Board directors under suspicion.
"An investigation is underway against him (Anam) for amassing illegal wealth. The concerned authorities have been instructed to ensure he cannot leave the country," commission spokesman Pranab Kumar Bhattacharjee told AFP The commission told immigration police in a letter on Thursday that Anam was under investigation for manipulating tenders and appointments and abusing his power in the selection of cricket board sponsors.
"It was learnt that this person is trying to flee the county with his family. For proper investigation it is essential to stop him from going abroad," said the letter, which was seen by AFP.
Anam, a former BCB general secretary and vice-president, denied any wrongdoing.
"I am not ...

Top cricket official barred from leaving Bangladesh over corruption probe

David Warner plundered an unbeaten 72 and Marnus Labuschagne was not out 60 as Australia asserted their authority on the opening day of the day-night second Test in Adelaide Friday.
At the dinner break on a rain-interrupted day, Australia were 139 for one with the two batsmen building an ominous 131-run partnership, with Pakistan facing an uphill battle to stay in touch.
Pakistan need to win to square the two-match series, but the odds are heavily stacked against them, having lost 13 consecutive Tests in Australia.
Over the years, taking wickets in Australia has been a challenge for Pakistan and they shuffled their bowling attack for the pink-ball Test.
Veteran seamer Mohammad Abbas, who tormented Australia when he took 17 wickets in two Tests in the UAE last October, returned in place of Imran Khan while 16-year-old pace sensation Naseem Shah was rested.
That handed a debut to 19-year-old medium-fast right-armer Muhammad Musa, but, like in the first Test at Brisbane, none of them ...

Warner, Labuschagne plunder 50s in day-night Pakistan Test

German energy giant EON on Friday said it planned to restructure its UK division Npower, sparking concern among British unions that up to 4,500 jobs could be cut.
"The UK market is currently particularly challenging," EON chief executive Johannes Teyssen said in a statement.
"We've emphasised repeatedly that we'll take all necessary action to return our business there to consistent profitability.
"For this purpose, we've put together proposals and already begun discussing them with British unions," Teyssen added.
EON said its planned restructuring over two years would cost the company 500 million pounds (USD 645 million, 586 million euros).
Unions said call-centre jobs were particularly at risk.
Dave Prentis, head of British union Unison, described the announcement as "cruel", adding that as many as 4,500 jobs could be axed.
"This is a cruel blow for Npower employees. They've been worried about their jobs for months. Now their worst fears have been realised, less than a month before ..

Germany's EON says to restructure UK energy unit

Two Japanese restaurants have shot to the top of the La Liste ranking of best places to eat in the world, with a third one getting the second highest mark from the authoritative "guide of guides".
Yosuke Suga's tiny Tokyo restaurant Sugalabo, which has only 20 tables, does not have a Michelin star but shares the top spot on the French-based list alongside the reigning leaders, Guy Savoy in Paris and New York's Le Bernardin.
The famously innovative Ryugin restaurant in the Japanese capital run by chef Seiji Yamamoto jumped 30 places to also reach the shared number one spot.
Kyoto's Kitcho Arashiyama was one of seven restaurants including Alain Ducasse's Monaco base that split second place.
The French celebrity chef's Paris table at the Plaza Athenee hotel was ranked fourth by the classification, which aggregates reviews from guides, newspapers and websites including TripAdvisor.
But it is the rapid rise of Suga, 43, once a personal assistant to the legendary late French superchef Joel .

Japanese restaurants rocket to top of best in world list

Ousted president Omar al-Bashir's party on Friday condemned Sudan's new "illegal government" for ordering its closure and the dismantling of his regime that ruled the country for 30 years.
The National Congress Party accused the authorities of trying to confiscate NCP properties to help tackle Sudan's economic crisis, which it said the new government had failed to tackle.
"To rely on the assets of the party, if there are any, is nothing more than a moral scandal, an act of intellectual bankruptcy and a total failure on the part of the illegal government," the Islamist NCP said on its Facebook page.
"The party is not bothered by any law or decision issued against it as the NCP is a strong party and its ideas will prevail."
The authorities late Thursday approved a law ordering the NCP to be dissolved, its assets confiscated and the regime dismantled as demanded by the protest movement that led to the veteran leader's fall in April.
They also slapped a ban on any "symbols" of the former .

Bashir's NCP condemns Sudan 'illegal govt' move to scrap party

Singapore authorities Friday ordered Facebook to correct an article on a fringe news site containing "scurrilous accusations" of election rigging, ramping up their use of a controversial law against misinformation.
The social media giant, which has previously expressed concerns about the legislation, did not respond to requests for comment and the article was still on the site without any changes.
The order is a test of the new law, which gives ministers powers to tell platforms to put warnings next to posts authorities deem false, but which activists fear could be used to curb free speech.
On Thursday authorities ordered Alex Tan, who runs anti-government website the States Times Review, to put up a correction next to a November 23 post on elections.
But Tan -- who is based overseas -- refused, saying he is an Australian citizen and would not comply with requests from a "foreign government".
A body overseeing the law then said it had ordered Facebook to put up a "correction notice" ..

Singapore tells Facebook to correct post under disinformation law

Electric appliance pioneer Dyson said Friday its new global headquarters will be in a sprawling, colonial-era Singapore building originally constructed as a power station and until recently used as a nightlife complex.
British inventor James Dyson's company, famous for its bagless vacuum cleaners, announced this year it was shifting its headquarters from England to the city-state to be closer to Asian markets.
The move prompted fury that the tycoon was not investing more in British manufacturing after vocally supporting the country's exit from the European Union.
Announcing the latest stage of the move, Dyson said it had picked the former St. James Power Station for its headquarters.
The red-brick building was constructed in 1927 during British colonial rule as Singapore's first coal power plant, and has been designated as a national monument.
After it was decommissioned, it was used first as a warehouse and until last year as an entertainment complex, housing clubs and ...

Dyson picks Singapore former nightlife hub as HQ

The Taliban said it was "way too early" Friday to speak of resuming direct talks with Washington, a day after President Donald Trump stated during a surprise visit to Afghanistan that the US was again meeting with the militants.
"It is way too early to talk about the resumption of talks for now. We will give our official reaction later," the Islamist group's official spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told AFP in a WhatsApp message.

Taliban say 'way too early' to speak of resuming talks with US

A South African court on Friday dismissed former president Jacob Zuma's attempts to appeal against his corruption trial related to a 1990s arms deal.
The High Court in the southeastern city of Pietermaritzburg ruled that "Mr Zuma's leave to appeal is dismissed with costs".
He is alleged to have taken bribes worth four million rand (USD 270,000, 240,000 euros) related to a USD 3.4 billion arms deal in 1999 when he was deputy president.

S Africa's Zuma loses bid to appeal against bribe trial

Atletico Madrid's La Liga title challenge has been floundering for a while and if they lose at home to Barcelona on Sunday, it could be over before it really began.
Barca sit three points ahead of Atletico in the table and have a game in hand to come against Real Madrid, after their match in October was postponed until December 18.
It means defeat for Atleti this weekend would give their opponents a six-point advantage, with the possibility of either Real Madrid or Barcelona extending that to nine with a victory in next month's Clasico.
That would be a formidable gap to close, particularly given Diego Simeone's side have to play away at the top two in the second half of the season, limiting their ability to cut any deficit in head-to-heads.
There has also been little so far to suggest they could put together a consistent run of results.
In their 1-0 defeat to Juventus on Tuesday, Atletico failed to convert from 15 shots, which according to Opta is their second highest in any Champions 

Crunch time for Atletico as Barca test leaves no room for error

Bayern Munich are eyeing a return to top spot in the Bundesliga this weekend with interim boss Hansi Flick enjoying the best start in the club's impressive history.
They are third in the Bundesliga table ahead of Saturday's home game against Bayer Leverkusen, only a point behind leaders Moenchengladbach, who host fourth-placed Freiburg on Sunday.
Bayern underlined their form in Tuesday's 6-0 win at Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League when Robert Lewandowski scored four goals in 15 stunning minutes.
The romp handed Flick a fourth straight win, with 16 goals scored and none conceded, in the three weeks since being made interim coach after Niko Kovac was sacked.
No other coach has enjoyed a better start at Bayern.
"It's a tremendous series, we are on an incredible run," enthused club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who has said Flick will remain in charge until at least January.
With a game to spare, Bayern are through to the last 16 of the Champions League as guaranteed group ...

Bayern eye top spot as feel-good factor returns under Flick

The draw for Euro 2020 takes place on Saturday in Bucharest amid much head-scratching and criticism about the complex format for a competition which for the first time will be held in 12 cities in 12 different nations across the continent.
It is just the second 24-team Euro after 2016 in France, and the decision to do away with having just one, or two, hosts will not be repeated with the tournament heading to Germany in 2024.
It can be politely described as an ambitious move by ex-UEFA president Michel Platini to mark the 60th anniversary of the first European Championship.
The Frenchman, who has just completed a four-year ban from football, championed the concept, saying in 2012: "It is perhaps a bit of a zany idea but it is a good idea."
The coaches of all qualified nations will be in attendance for the draw ceremony beginning at 1700 GMT on Saturday at the Romexpo exhibition centre in Romania's capital, which will host four matches at the finals.
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman ...

Euro 2020 draw begins countdown to controversial tournament

Unai Emery is fighting for his future at Arsenal while Everton boss Marco Silva and West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini are running out of time.
Emery is the bookies' favourite to be the third Premier League manager to lose his job this season after the dismissals of Watford's Javi Gracia and Mauricio Pochettino by Spurs.
His future looked even bleaker on Thursday with a 2-1 home defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League.
Everton, according to reports, have held board-level discussions about Silva's position while Pellegrini has gone two months without a win in any competition for his misfiring Hammers.
AFP Sport looks at the three managers fighting for their lives in the Premier League this weekend.
Emery stumbles
==============
Unai Emery was supposed to be the man to take Arsenal back to the top of the English game after years of underachievement under Arsene Wenger.
But the former Paris Saint-German manager is teetering on the brink after five Premier League matches ...

Emery favourite for the chop as Premier League pressure mounts

Asian markets fell on Friday as investors wound down for the end of the month, while awaiting news of progress on China-US trade talks but with optimism tainted by the row over Hong Kong.
Donald Trump's decision to sign a bill in support of pro-democracy protesters in the city and back their rights sparked warnings of retaliation from Beijing and fuelled fears for negotiations on a mini trade deal that are in their final straight.
However, China has not detailed what its response to the Hong Kong law will be and observers say it is unlikely to do anything to derail a tariffs agreement owing to its weakening economy.
"China's threats to retaliate over the US Hong Kong law will probably remain just that; threats," said Jeffrey Halley at OANDA.
"China has its own issues, especially around corporate debt and regional bank credit quality. It can ill-afford to waste any progress so far. Pragmatism should overcome anger."
Still, the threat of serious measures continues to weigh on sentiment .

Asia markets end week with losses as dealers await trade progress

Light drizzle in Adelaide delayed play after the opening session of the day-night second Test between Australia and Pakistan on Friday.
The weather forced the teams off the field five minutes early for tea with Australia on 70 for one, and the covers remained on the wicket an hour after they were due to resume.
Saturday is forecast to be fine, although more rain is due on Sunday.
David Warner is not out 45 and Marnus Labuschagne is on 18.

AFP

AFP

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