A white woman who worked as a personal assistant to Nelson Mandela has stirred unease about race relations in South Africa after criticizing the current president for allegedly making anti-white remarks.
	Zelda la Grange has since apologized for her Twitter comments, which triggered accusations that she was herself a racist steeped in the ideology of white minority rule.
	Apartheid ended when Mandela, who died in 2013 at the age of 95, became South Africa's first black president in 1994. La Grange had accused President Jacob Zuma of making business conditions difficult for white investors and making it clear that whites "are not wanted or needed in South Africa."
	On her Twitter account, la Grange also referred to a reported 2012 remark by Zuma that having a pet is part of "white culture" and that people should focus instead on family welfare. She joked that she would ask French President Francois Hollande if he would accept her as a citizen because South Africa's ruling party ...

Former Mandela aide talks SAfrica race relations on Twitter

PTI Automatic

A low-cost airline from the United Arab Emirates says it plans to begin flying to Urumqi, China, next month becoming the first discount carrier from the Mideast to tap the Chinese market.
	Air Arabia's announcement Monday underscores the growing links between China and the oil-rich Gulf region. Urumqi is the capital of Xinjiang region, which is home to China's Muslim Uighur minority.
	The airline plans to launch non-stop return flights from its hub in Sharjah three times weekly to the western Chinese city beginning Feb. 10.
	The Emirates, home to the region's busiest airport in Dubai, has emerged as a major intercontinental aviation hub.
	Full-service UAE airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways already fly to major mainland Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai, but low-cost carrier FlyDubai does not.

UAE airline to become first Mideast budget carrier in China

A concrete wall at a warehouse being built in the Philippines collapsed today, killing at least 10 workers, police said.
	Five other workers were seriously injured in the collapse in Guiguinto town in Bulacan province just north of Manila, a police report said.
	The wall fell on a shack housing workers, and rescuers with cranes were searching for other possible victims under the concrete slabs, it said.
	Accidents at construction sites are often blamed on inadequate enforcement of safety regulations by authorities and private companies.

Wall at Philippine warehouse collapses, killing 10 workers

The European Union launched an appeal against last month's EU court ruling that ordered the Palestinian group Hamas removed from its terror list for technical reasons, the bloc's foreign policy chief said today.
	Federica Mogherini said the council of ministers would challenge some of the court's finding and consider future action to avoid similar annulments. At the same time, the EU appeal suspended the effects of the December 17 EU court ruling until a final decision is taken.
	Hamas was put on the EU terrorist list as part of broader measures to fight terrorism in the wake of the September 11 attacks and its funds were frozen. Hamas has long contested the classification.
	An EU high court said last month the reason for listing it was based too much on media and Internet reports, and not enough on acts examined by competent authorities.
	Hamas won elections in 2006 and runs Gaza. The U.S. And Israel list Hamas as a terror organization because of its history of attacks aimed at ...

EU appeals Hamas court ruling taking group off terror list

Madagascar officials say at least 14 people were killed over the weekend when the island was battered by a tropical storm.
	The National Office of Risk and Catastrophe Management said today that more than 36,000 Madagascans have been displaced by tropical storm Chedza.
	Most of the deaths were a result of landslides caused by heavy rain and building collapses as strong winds tore roofs from houses.
	Authorities said flooding was especially severe in the capital Antananarivo, where more than 30,000 people have been displaced.
	The Madagascan government has set up temporary shelters in schools and other public buildings to house those forced from their homes.
	According to NASA satellite images, tropical storm Chedza passed over the island nation from west to east on Friday and Saturday.

14 killed, thousands displaced by Madagascar tropical storm

The former Korean Air executive famous for an inflight tantrum over macadamia nuts pleaded not guilty to violating aviation safety law and other charges.
	Lawyers for Cho Hyun-ah did not dispute the major elements of the prosecutor's account of events December 5 when Cho's behavior resulted in a Korean Air jet returning to the gate. Instead they are focusing on a technical rebuttal of the aviation law charge.
	Cho spend most of the first day of her trial today with her head lowered and hair covering her face. She declined to make any comments when invited to by the judge.
	Cho achieved worldwide notoriety by kicking a crew member off the December 5 flight after being offered macadamia nuts in a bag, instead of on a dish.

Former Korean Air exec pleads not guilty in nut rage case

A local official says the Taliban have attacked Afghan troops in eastern Laghman province, triggering a gunbattle that killed two soldiers and wounded a third.
	The provincial governor's spokesman Sarhadi Zwak says the attack began around today in Alishing district.
	He says there was an explosion during the shootout, possibly from a roadside mine, which might have caused the casualties.
	The official did not provide more information. Afghan soldiers and policemen have been the main target of insurgent attacks as the Taliban and other militants have stepped up their assaults following the withdrawal of most foreign troops from Afghanistan at the end of last year.

Taliban attack Afghan soldiers in eastern province, kill 2

A shopping mall in central Florida reopened, a day after a shooting in its food court that left two people dead, including the gunman, and one injured.
	Melbourne Square Mall yesterday reopened for normal business hours at noon.
	Police said 57-year-old Jose Garcia-Rodriguez of Palm Bay shot his wife and Leonardo Coppola before turning the gun on himself in the mall's food court shortly before the mall opened Saturday morning.
	Idanerys Garcia-Rodriguez, who worked at the mall, survived and was hospitalized in good condition. Police said the 33-year-old woman was the intended victim in the shooting that apparently stemmed from a domestic violence incident.
	Coppola, 36, of West Melbourne, owned a restaurant in the food court. He was shot as he tried to move Idanerys Garcia-Rodriguez out of harm's way, police said yesterday. The mall was closed while police investigated.
	Yesterday, Florida Today reported that a half-dozen flower bouquets and several white candles were displayed on the 

Florida mall reopens after shooting that left 2 dead

A 37-year-old model and actor featured on the cover of numerous fitness magazines was struck and killed by a train while filming on the tracks in Southern California, authorities said.
	Two men were filming George Plitt Jr on the railroad track north of the Burbank train station Saturday afternoon when Plitt was hit by a southbound train, said Burbank Police Sergeant Scott Meadows.
	Investigators, who interviewed witnesses who saw Plitt standing on the track even as the train's horn was blaring, have ruled out a suicide, he said.
	It appears Plitt may have believed the train was on a nearby, parallel track, Meadows said.
	"It's like a blind turn," he said. "When the train came, you might not be able to tell which set the train is on." It was not immediately clear what the men were filming. Investigators are trying to determine who directed the men to film on the railroad track.
	Plitt also went by the name Greg and was a well-known fitness model, he said.
	The actor and West Point ...

Fitness model struck and killed by train in California

US broadcaster Fox News has issued at least two on-air apologies for comments made by a pundit who described the English city of Birmingham as "totally Muslim."
	The remarks by author Steven Emerson inspired ridicule in Britain and prompted Prime Minister David Cameron to label him "a complete idiot." Emerson, who apologized soon after the broadcast, suggested that in Britain "there are actual cities like Birmingham that are totally Muslim, where non-Muslims just simply don't go in."
	Census data shows that Britain's second-largest city has 234,411 Muslims, or 22 per cent of Birmingham's population.
	Fox News presenter Julie Banderas told viewers yesterday that "we have made some regrettable errors on air, regarding the Muslim population in Europe." Presenter Jeanine Pirro said her guest made factual errors "we wrongly let stand unchallenged.

Fox apologizes after pundit's remarks about English city

An Israeli strike in southern Syria today killed the son of a slain top Hezbollah commander and four other fighters from the Lebanese Shiite militant group, which has been fighting alongside Syrian government forces, an official said.
	The strike targeted two Hezbollah vehicles as fighters were inspecting positions in the Golan Heights, close to the Israeli-controlled frontier, in an area known as Mazare al-Amal.
	A Hezbollah official identified one of the five slain men as Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of Emad Mughniyeh, a top Hezbollah operative assassinated in 2008 in Damascus. Hezbollah blames Israel for the killing and has long vowed to avenge his death.
	The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
	Hezbollah's media wing said "a number" of fighters were killed, but did not provide names.
	"While a group of Hezbollah fighters were on a field inspection of the town, Mazare al-Amal... They faced rocket shelling from helicopters of the ..

Israeli strikes kill Hezbollah fighters in Syria

A leading Republican critic of President Barack Obama's foreign policy is pushing for new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, unswayed by a White House veto threat and lobbying by Britain's leader.
	Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina did say today that he would be willing to set aside his efforts if Obama would submit any agreement with Tehran to Congress for lawmakers to approve or reject.
	An Obama adviser scoffed at the idea as an infringement on presidential authority.
	The new Republican-led Congress has picked an early foreign policy fight with the president, with the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee holding a hearing Tuesday on possible new penalties against Tehran.
	The US and its partners in the negotiations are trying to reach a framework agreement with Iran by March and hoping to complete a longer-term deal by July that would limit Iran's ability to produce a nuclear weapon.
	Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful ...

Senator to push for Iran sanctions _ or a say on any deal

A delegation of US senators led by John McCain have met separately with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Salman and Qatar's emir, part of a regional tour focused on training Syrian rebels. As they met, hundreds of civilians fled rebel-held areas near Damascus that had been blockaded for over a year.
	Saudi Arabia and Qatar are staunch supporters of Syria's opposition, which is mired in a nearly four-year war to oust President Bashar Assad. The meetings took place Saturday, a day after the Pentagon said that as many as 1,000 US troops and support personnel would be sent to Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to help train vetted Syrian rebels.
	Rear Adm. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, said the training by a mix of US special and conventional forces could begin as early as this spring.
	But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, who accompanied McCain, told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that the rebels would be unable to defeat the Islamic State group without a no-fly zone to protect them ..

US senators in Saudi, Qatar for talks on Syrian rebels

Ukraine's president vowed today to reassert government control over eastern regions as the army unleashed a counter-offensive against Russian-backed separatist fighters vying for command over the airport in the city of Donetsk.
	The separatist stronghold was shaken by intense outgoing and incoming artillery fire over the weekend as a bitter battle rages for the air terminal and surrounding areas.
	Streets in Donetsk, which was home to 1 million people before unrest erupted in spring, were completely deserted Sunday and the windows of apartments in the center rattled by incessant rocket and mortar fire.
	The warring sides exchanged rocket fire along several points in the roughly 350-kilometer front line.
	Regional authorities loyal to the government said two children, aged 7 and 16, were killed when a rebel shell hit their home in Vuhlehirsk, a town 75 kilometers northeast of Donetsk.
	A little further west, in the rebel-controlled city of Horlivka, two were killed and another 16 ...

Ukraine leader vows to retake separatist-held east

The Secret Service says multiple gunshots were fired from a vehicle near the Delaware home of Vice President Joe Biden.
	The vice president and his wife were not at home at the time.
	The Secret Service says the shots were fired at around 8:25 pm local time on Saturday on a public road outside the secure perimeter near the home in Greenville, Delaware.
	The shots were heard by Secret Service personnel. They say the vehicle drove past the home at a high rate of speed and fled the scene.
	The incident is under investigation. Biden's office says the vice president and his wife, Jill Biden, were later briefed on the incident.

Secret Service: Shots fired outside Bidens' Delaware home

Italy has expelled nine suspected jihadis since late December, and a top minister vowed today that authorities would order more expulsions in a heightened terrorism crackdown.
	Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told reporters that the expelled include five Tunisians and citizens from Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and Pakistan. The expulsions to their countries of origin began before the Jan. 7 terror attack in Paris.
	"We said that we would have tightened controls, and we did it before Paris," Alfano said. "Those expelled ... Were here for years, and two of these involved their respective families, sending them into Syria to fight."
	Alfano said the nine all held residency permits and included people who supported, and recruited members for, the Islamic State group and who "radicalized themselves on the Web."
	In addition, Italy has identified 59 people who have traveled from Italy to Syria to fight, including five Italian citizens and two with double-citizenship, Alfano said.
	Italy has put 

Italy has expelled 9 suspected jihadis since December

An Indian-origin senior Cabinet minister in Ireland today announced he's gay, becoming the first openly homosexual government figure in the history of the traditionally conservative Catholic country.
	The announcement on state radio by Health Minister Leo Varadkar received widespread praise for its straightforward honesty.
	Varadkar said he decided to declare his sexuality before several government initiatives this year to advance gay rights. These include plans to legalize gay marriage, permit homosexual men to donate blood, and create greater parenthood rights for gays in surrogate-pregnancy cases.
	Varadkar made his announcement on his 36th birthday. He says his family, friends and many colleagues long had known or suspected he was gay.
	He said he gave his parents advance warning because he didn't want them to hear the news first at Sunday Mass.

Indian-origin Irish minister comes out as gay

A few dozen pieces of personal correspondence by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, along with photographs of the former first lady in Palm Beach, sold at a Florida auction Saturday for a total of USD 28,400.
	The items up for bidding at Palm Beach Modern Auctions included Onassis' handwritten notes to interior designer Richard Keith Langham and Bill Hamilton, then the design director at Carolina Herrera.
	Onassis corresponded with both men about clothes and furnishings she was buying from the mid-1980s through her death in 1994.
	Letters written by Onassis rarely appear at auction, and the auction house fielded "tremendous interest" in the roughly 20 lots available, said co-owner Wade Terwiller.
	"When we hold auctions of art and furniture, you don't see people engaging in dialogue at the preview. This was different. People wanted to comment on her clothes and recall where they were and what was going on when Jackie appeared in a particular outfit," he said.
	Potential bidders related to ...

Notes, photos of Jacqueline Onassis auctioned for $28,400

It's midmorning and hundreds of people are squeezed under a banyan tree's shady canopy to have blood drawn by just three nurses, working assembly-line fast.
	Others wait outside this dusty rural health centre to get their vitals taken and give urine samples.
	Most of the 1,000 villagers have come here on foot and have stood for hours under the hot sun -- not because they feel sick, but out of fear.
	They want to know if they will be the next victims of a mysterious kidney disease that has killed thousands of farmers in Sri Lanka's rice basket.
	Many have watched neighbours and loved ones -- some only in their 30s -- quickly succumb to deaths after their kidneys gave out. In the worst-hit villages, it kills as many as 10 people every month. No one knows why.
	"In some cases, you only know if a certain person died of kidney disease after the autopsy," says Kalyani Samarasinghe, 47, standing outside the health center with a handful of medical papers and a cotton ball taped to her arm. ...

Mystery kidney killer spreads fear in Sri Lanka

At least 10 people have been killed in violent protests in the West African nation of Niger over the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo's depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, the country's president said.
	President Mahamadou Issoufou said that five deaths were reported after demonstrations in Niamey, the capital, yesterday. Another five people died Friday in the town of Zinder following prayer services there. The victims were inside churches and bars that were set ablaze, he said.
	The violence erupted after Charlie Hebdo published its first issue since the Jan. 7 attack on its headquarters by Islamic extremists that left 12 people dead.
	According to mainstream Islamic tradition, any physical depiction of the Prophet Muhammad even a respectful one is considered blasphemous.
	Elsewhere in the Muslim world yesterday, Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani condemned Charlie Hebdo, calling the newest cover image of Prophet Muhammad a blasphemous and irresponsible act.
	"Freedom of ...

Charlie Hebdo protests leave at least 10 dead in Niger

Dozens of Palestinian protesters have hurled eggs and shoes at the convoy of the visiting Canadian foreign minister.
	John Baird was in Ramallah today to meet Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki.
	Protesters also held signs reading: "Baird you are not welcome in Palestine." Activists from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party earlier called for a boycott of Baird because of Canada's perceived pro-Israel stance.
	Baird is in the region for five days of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials.
	In a statement, Baird described his meeting with Malki as "cordial and constructive" and included "candid and frank exchanges on areas where we differ in opinion."
	Canada is opposed to the recent Palestinian bid to pursue war crime charges against Israel.

AP

AP

Page 2351 - Ap/pti Reuters