Bolivia's interim president Jeanine Anez moved Wednesday to fill the power vacuum left by the resignation of Evo Morales, who said he was ready to return from exile in Mexico to "pacify" the country, as riot police clashed with his supporters and one was killed.
Anez, a 52-year-old deputy senate speaker before proclaiming herself acting president on Tuesday -- a move endorsed by the Constitutional Court -- named 11 cabinet ministers and appointed a new military high command.
In a press conference at the presidential palace, she reiterated a pledge to "hold elections in the shortest possible time."
Anez named former diplomat Karen Longari as foreign minister, and a right-wing senator, Arturo Murillo, as minister for the interior.
Her economy minister Jose Luis Parada worked for the local government in the wealthy eastern province of Santa Cruz, an opposition bastion.
Rejecting Morales' claims that her presidency amounted to a coup, she said: "There is no coup in Bolivia. There is a ...

Clashes as acting Bolivia leader aims to end power vacuum

PTI Automatic

A Gaza Strip ceasefire came into effect early Thursday, an Egyptian source and a senior Islamic Jihad official told AFP, following a spike in violence and bloodshed in the Palestinian enclave.
The "ceasefire agreement comes as a result of Egypt's efforts" and has been endorsed by "Palestinian factions including Islamic Jihad", said the top Egyptian official. An Islamic Jihad source confirmed the agreement to AFP.
According to the official, the agreement stipulates that Palestinian factions must ensure a return to calm in Gaza and "maintain peace" during demonstrations, while Israel must stop hostilities and "ensure a ceasefire" during demonstrations by Palestinians.
The agreement, which entered into force at 5:30am (3:30 GMT), came after the death toll from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip rose to 32 since Tuesday after Palestinian officials said six members of the same family had been killed.
Following the targeted killing of a top militant in Gaza, the two sides had been ...

Ceasefire takes effect after spike in Israel-Gaza violence

Japan's new Emperor Naruhito will on Thursday perform an elaborate and secretive ritual dating back 1,300 years, giving thanks to the Sun Goddess Amaterasu as part of his enthronement rites.
The Daijosai, considered the most important ritual for Japan's imperial household, comes three weeks after Naruhito proclaimed his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne and is performed only once in an emperor's reign.
Later Thursday, the emperor will take a ritual bath in a specially constructed complex of wooden buildings in the imperial palace known as the Daijokyu and then slip into white silk vestments.
The main section of the ritual takes place at two halls overnight with the emperor offering newly harvested rice to Amaterasu, from whom the Japanese imperial line is considered to have descended, and other deities of heaven and earth.
He will recite prayers for peace and "share" a feast with the goddess including salmon, abalone, jujube fruit, and millet, washed down with sake.
Empress ...

Japan's emperor to perform thanksgiving rite with Sun Goddess

Seven people were killed as two passenger buses collided on a busy toll road in Indonesia Thursday, authorities said.
The fatal accident, which also left 16 people injured -- some seriously -- happened shortly after midnight on a route in West Java that connects to the capital Jakarta.
One bus driver lost control of his vehicle, which crossed a road median before slamming into another bus travelling in the opposite direction, killing seven including its driver and injuring more than a dozen onboard, according to West Java police spokesman Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko.
The driver who lost control of the bus was injured, but none of his passengers were hurt, he added.
The cause of the accident was not immediately known.
Traffic accidents are common in the Southeast Asian archipelago, where vehicles are often old and poorly maintained and road rules regularly flouted.
In September, at least 21 people died when a bus plunged into a ravine in West Java's Sukabumi region.
Several months earlier, .

Indonesia bus collision kills seven

The United States will maintain around 600 troops in Syria, Pentagon chief Mark Esper said Wednesday, despite Donald Trump's desire to end US involvement in what the president calls "endless wars".
"We're still moving troops out of northeastern Syria," the US defense secretary said onboard a plane as he travelled to Seoul, where he begins a tour of Asia on Thursday.
"We're going to have about 500 to 600-ish troops there, at the end of the day," he said.
Asked if that figure included the approximately 200 troops deployed to the Al-Tanf base near the southeastern borders with Jordan and Iraq, Esper said that he was referring to northeastern Syria, where Trump has instructed the Pentagon to secure oil fields.
There would be "600-ish" troops across the country, he then reiterated.  Esper said that the numbers could fluctuate, particularly if European allies strengthen their presence in the country.
"Things change. Events on the ground change. We could have, for example, partners and ...

US to keep around 600 troops in Syria: Pentagon chief

The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip rose to 32 in three days after Palestinian officials said on Thursday six members of the same family had been killed.
Triggered by the targeted killing of a top militant in Gaza, the two sides have been exchanging fire since Tuesday, and Israel's military said it has recorded more than 350 incoming rockets.
The Israeli military has been targeting what it said were Islamic Jihad militant sites and rocket-launching squads in the coastal Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
"Six members of the Abu Malhous family, including three children and two women, were killed in an Israeli strike on their family home in Deir al-Balah in the southern Gaza Strip," the Palestinian ministry of health said.
The previous day, Israel said it targeted two Islamic Jihad militants preparing to fire anti-tank missiles.
Air raid sirens wailed and fireballs exploded as air defence missiles intercepted rockets, sending Israelis rushing to bomb shelters.
In Gaza, ...

Death toll surges as Israel-Gaza violence enters third day

Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic confirmed his departure from the Los Angeles Galaxy, but gave no clue over his future plans or possible retirement.
The 38-year-old striker's departure from the Galaxy had been widely expected following the club's elimination from the Major League Soccer playoffs last month.
Ibrahimovic, who joined the Galaxy in the opening months of the 2018 campaign, announced the end of his Californian sojourn in a characteristically enigmatic post on Twitter.
"I came, I saw, I conquered. Thank you @lagalaxy for making me feel alive again," Ibrahimovic wrote. "To the Galaxy fans - you wanted Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan. You are welcome.
"The story continues...Now go back to watch baseball."
The Galaxy said in a brief statement the club had parted company with Ibrahimovic by mutual agreement.
"We would like to thank Zlatan for his contributions to the LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer," said LA Galaxy President Chris Klein.
"Since his arrival in 2018, Zlatan has ...

'Go back to baseball' - Ibrahimovic confirms Galaxy exit

African superstar Mohamed Salah will not play for Egypt against Kenya on Thursday in 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying because of a lingering ankle injury.
The 27-year-old forward was hurt against Leicester City last month and despite making several subsequent appearances for Liverpool, is suffering from slight discomfort in his left ankle.
Egyptian media reported that after Salah travelled from England to Mediterranean city Alexandria, national squad medical staff ruled him out of the Group G clash.
He will also miss the away fixture against the Comoros in Moroni next Monday.  Salah wore a protective boot on his left foot as he watched his Pharaohs teammates prepare in Alexandria to face the Harambee Stars at the 87,000-capacity Borg el Arab Stadium.
The absence of 2017 and 2018 African Footballer of the Year Salah is a major blow as Egypt rely heavily on him for goals.
Egypt have won the Cup of Nations a record seven times, twice more than Cameroon, but flopped as hosts of the ..

Injured Egypt superstar Salah to miss Cup of Nations qualifiers

Stefanos Tsitsipas coasted past defending champion Alexander Zverev in straight sets to advance to the last four of the ATP Finals after Rafael Nadal came back from the dead to keep his title hopes alive.
The Greek tyro, 21, broke his big-serving German opponent three times in the Group Andre Agassi match to seal a 6-3, 6-2 win and advance to the semi-finals at London's O2 Arena.
The straightforward victory, which took Tsitsipas's head-to-head record against Zverev to 4-1, was in sharp contrast to the earlier match, in which Nadal produced an astonishing comeback to beat Daniil Medvedev.
The Spaniard was on the brink of defeat when facing a match point at 5-1 down in the deciding set but stormed back to win 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
"Today is one of those days that one out of 1,000 you win and it happened today," said a delighted Nadal, the top seed in London.
The Spaniard said earning a break back in the deciding set infused him with confidence that he could battle back.
"When you ..

Tsitsipas reaches ATP Finals semis after Nadal comeback

Cameron Bancroft and Joe Burns got the nod Thursday for Australia's Test squad to face Pakistan, with Usman Khawaja and Marcus Harris axed after flopping during the Ashes series against England.
Bowling allrounder Michael Neser was also included as a back-up to the formidable pace attack of Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson.
Bancroft was only rushed into the Australia A team at the last minute this week when Nic Maddinson pulled out to deal with mental health issues.
But he made the most of his opportunity, top-scoring with 49 in their first innings total of 122 all out to put himself in the reckoning after failing to make an impact in the Ashes on his return to Test cricket after a ball-tampering ban.
He is one of three specialist openers, along with Burns and Warner, but is more likely to play down the order if selected for the two Tests starting in Brisbane next week, followed by a day-night clash in Adelaide.
Burns was unlucky to be overlooked for the 

Bancroft, Burns back as Ashes flops axed for Pakistan Tests

Unprecedented bushfires in eastern Australia have turbocharged demands the country's conservative government do more to tackle climate change, and have rekindled an ideological fight over the science behind the blazes.
The huge fires have touched communities up and down the east coast, killing four people and affecting millions of Australians -- threatening homes and blanketing major cities in hazardous smoke.
For many, the scale and intensity of the conflagrations, weeks before the Australian summer, have brought the dangers of climate change home.
"The whole east coast is on fire," said Julie Jones, who almost lost her house in the Blue Mountains. "I think it's climate change."
A group of ex-fire chiefs on Thursday warned climate change is "supercharging" the bushfire problem and they challenged Prime Minister Scott Morrison over his failure to confront the issue.
"I am fundamentally concerned about the impact and the damage coming from climate change," former fire chief Lee Johnson 

Australia bushfires renew anger over climate change

A Grigor Dimitrov-led Bulgaria was among the final six teams announced Thursday for the ATP Cup in Australia -- the new world tennis team event.
Chile, Poland, Uruguay, Moldova and Norway were the other countries to make the grade, based on the ranking of their number one singles player at the second entry deadline of November 13.
The rest of the 24-nation field was announced in September, although Switzerland later pulled out after Roger Federer opted to skip the tournament.  The field will be split into six groups across Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
As the highest-qualifying country at the second deadline, Bulgaria replace the Swiss and join Belgium and the Andy Murray-led Great Britain in Group C in Sydney.  The championship takes place from January 3-12 in the lead-up to the year's first Grand Slam, the Australian Open in Melbourne.
World number one Novak Djokovic will begin his 2020 season representing Serbia with Dusan Lajovic in Brisbane, against France, South Africa and ...

Final six teams unveiled for inaugural ATP Cup

Much of Venice was under water on Wednesday night after the highest tide in 50 years ripped through the historic Italian city, beaching gondolas, trashing hotels and sending tourists fleeing through rapidly rising waters.
The government in Rome was expected to declare a state of emergency at a cabinet meeting on Thursday after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte described the flooding as "a blow to the heart of our country".
Officials blamed climate change while shopkeepers on the Grand Canal raged against those who have failed to protect the UNESCO city from the high tide.
They said corruption had repeatedly delayed a barrier protection system that could have prevented the disaster.
"The city is on its knees," Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro said in an interview with national broadcaster RAI.
"There's widespread devastation," he said in the famed St Mark's Square, which bore the brunt of the flooding.
"In all likelihood the damage from last night runs into hundreds of millions of euros."
The ..

Climate change, corruption blamed for Venice flood devastation

Pace great Waqar Younis believes Pakistan's young and largely untested fast-bowling attack can cause big problems for Australia in their imminent Test series as the team looks to bounce back from a poor Twenty20 campaign.
Following the retirement of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz this year, Pakistan have brought 16-year-old Nasim Shah and 19-year-old pair Musa Khan and Shaheen Afridi to Australia, along with veteran seamer Imran Khan senior.
While Imran destroyed Australia A in Pakistan's warm-up match in Perth this week with 5-32 in their first innings, Nasim produced eight high-quality overs in the second innings.
Younis, Pakistan's bowling coach, said he saw enough during the match to suggest Nasim and Afridi, in particular, can shine on Australia's hard, fast pitches.
"Of course, that sort of performance (against Australia A) makes you feel that you're not naive being here and you can really do the job," he said in The Sydney Daily Telegraph newspaper Thursday.
Pakistan dismissed an 

Waqar Younis excited by Pakistan's teenage quicks

US men's doubles duo Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan said Wednesday they will retire at the end of the 2020 season, bringing the curtain down on one of the most successful pairings in tennis history.
The 41-year-old twins said in a statement they planned to hang up their racquets after taking part in next year's US Open, where they made their Grand Slam championship debut in 1995.
Since that first Slam appearance, the Bryans have racked up a record 118 trophies including 16 Grand Slam doubles titles. They also won Olympic gold at the 2012 London Games.
Bob Bryan said the duo had opted to end their 2019 season after the US Open in order to remain fresh for next year.
"We decided that it would be best to rest our minds and strengthen our bodies in preparation for 2020 which will be our final season on the ATP Tour," Bob Bryan said in a statement.
"It has truly been a magical ride," he added. "However, we want to end this great ride while we're healthy and we can still compete for titles." At ..

Bryan brothers to retire in 2020

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will dig deep for true motivation at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix when they return to action for the first time since celebrating a unique sixth drivers' and constructors' double this year.
A week after shaking off their hangovers following Hamilton's sixth title success, the team has to stay focused for two more rounds of the 2019 championship, starting in Sao Paulo and finishing in Abu Dhabi on December 1.
Unexpectedly and, perhaps, significantly, the Silver Arrows will race at the atmospheric and famous Interlagos circuit, where Hamilton won his first title with McLaren in 2008, without team boss Toto Wolff in charge.
Amid a swirl of speculation about his and the team's futures, he has decided to miss a race for the first time in six years with many observers suggesting his focus is less intense and others saying that Mercedes may be preparing to leave F1 for other challenge, including Formula E.
Wolff rejected the idea that any decision to leave .

Hamilton racing the record book for motivation after title celebrations

Young batting prodigy Will Pucovski pulled out of contention for a place in Australia's Test team to play Pakistan on Thursday as he continues to battle mental health issues.
The 21-year-old informed management of his decision during Australia A's three-day clash against Pakistan in Perth, which ended in a draw Wednesday and was seen as a "bat-off" with at least two Test spots up for grabs. Pucovski scored five in his only knock.
"We applaud Will for having the courage to discuss his situation with team management in Perth," said Cricket Australia's head of national teams Ben Oliver.
"Will's decision not to nominate for Test selection was the right one in the circumstances and one that everyone in the Australian cricket family supports." The first Test starts next week in Brisbane, with Australia's squad due to be announced later Thursday.
Pucovski's decision comes just days after middle-order batsman Nic Maddinson withdrew from the Australia A match for similar reasons.
That move ...

Australia's Pucovski out of Test contention with mental health issues

The United States recognized Jeanine Anez on Wednesday as Bolivia's interim president after the resignation of Evo Morales following weeks of turmoil.
"The United States applauds Bolivian Senator Jeanine Anez for stepping up as Interim President of State to lead her nation through this democratic transition, under the constitution of Bolivia," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
Pompeo said the United States looks forward to working with Bolivia and its people "as they prepare to hold free, fair elections as soon as possible."
He also called on Bolivians to refrain from violence amid tension between supporters and critics of Morales, who resigned on Sunday and later went into exile in Mexico.
Anez, 52, was deputy senate speaker before proclaiming herself acting president on Tuesday -- a move endorsed by the Constitutional Court.
She has already reiterated a pledge to "hold elections in the shortest possible time."
Bolivia has been in political turmoil since a ...

US recognizes Jeanine Anez as Bolivia's interim president

Six members of the same family were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip, the health ministry of the coastal Palestinian enclave said on Thursday.
The deaths bring the toll from Israeli strikes targeting Islamic Jihad militant sites to 32 since Tuesday, while 350 rockets have been fired at Israel, according to Israeli military data.

Six family members killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza: official

Two top US diplomats delivered gripping testimony Wednesday about Donald Trump's efforts to get Ukraine to investigate his potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, as the impeachment inquiry into the president shifted into a new phase of high-stakes televised hearings.
Trump dismissed the probe in the Democratic-led House of Representatives as a "witch hunt" and said he was "too busy" to watch the first public hearings, during which he received staunch backing from Republican lawmakers.
William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, began his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee with a new revelation about Trump's efforts to pressure Kiev -- the main issue of just the fourth impeachment process in US history.
Democrats accuse Trump of abusing his power by using US military assistance and a possible White House meeting to pressure President Volodymyr Zelensky into opening a probe into the Democrat Biden and his son Hunter, who served on the board of Ukrainian gas company ...

Pressure builds as Trump impeachment probe hears new claims

With a model of the Pakistani villa where he lived and a video of Barack Obama explaining his hesitancy about approving the raid, a new exhibition details the operation that killed 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.
"Revealed: The Hunt for Bin Laden", which opens Friday at the September 11, 2001 attacks museum in New York, plots the ten-year search for the brains behind the single deadliest attack ever on the United States.
"It's like being in the front row of history," Alice Greenwald, president and chief executive of 9/11 Memorial Museum, told AFP.
"We get an insider's view into ... how the raid was actually conducted from the people that were there," she added.
The US intelligence services-led manhunt culminated overnight on May 1 and 2, 2011 with operation Geronimo, the commando raid that left Bin Laden, the orchestrator of the atrocity that killed almost 3,000 people and destroyed the Twin Towers, dead.
The exhibition, which will run until May 2021, contains no shattering ...

AFP

AFP

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