Israeli authorities demolished homes in Palestinian areas of east Jerusalem at a significantly higher rate in 2019 than the previous year, according to an Israeli advocacy group.
In a new report, Ir Amim said 104 housing units were demolished in 2019, compared() to 72 units in 2018. The 44% spike also ends what had been a decline in demolitions between 2016 and 2018.
Aviv Tatarsky, the Ir Amim researcher who wrote the report released Wednesday, said the group found that only 7% of housing units advanced by city planners last year were for Palestinian neighborhoods. Palestinians make up about a third of Jerusalem's population.
The situation in east Jerusalem has been very bad last year, he said.
Israel says the houses being demolished were built illegally, and it says the demolitions are court sanctioned. But the Palestinians say they face a severe housing crisis fueled by Israel's reluctance to issue building permits.
In a statement, the city of Jerusalem said all of its enforcement ..

Report: Israeli home demolitions in east Jerusalem spiked

PTI Automatic

A government committee reviewing how the Federal Aviation Administration certifies new passenger planes for flight has determined that the system is safe and effective but small changes need to be made.
The committee was appointed by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in April after two deadly crashes involving Boeing's 737 Max. The crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people.
The committee found in a report released Thursday that the FAA's system of delegating some inspections to aircraft manufacturers is effective and allows the U.S. industry to thrive.
But the findings conflict with legislators who are investigating the crashes. Last week Democratic leaders of the House Transportation Committee accused Boeing of deceiving regulators and said they will introduce legislation to strip the company of all or part of its authority to help approve its own aircraft as safe to fly.
Transportation Committee chairman Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., were ...

Group finds US aircraft approval process effective and safe

An Australian journalist based in Japan says he is a victim of Japanese child custody laws that allow only one parent access to children of broken marriages, a day after he was convicted of trespassing at the apartment building of his estranged wife's parents to try to find his children.
Scott McIntyre was arrested in November, a month after he entered the apartment building. He says he was attempting to make sure his two children, aged eight and 11, were safe after a typhoon hit the country. He was detained for 44 days until last week, when he was released on bail.
The Tokyo District Court on Wednesday sentenced McIntyre, a former sports journalist for Australia's SBS network, to six months in prison. The sentence was suspended for three years, meaning that he will not have to serve time if his conduct is good during that period.
He told reporters on Thursday that his children had been abducted by his wife without any explanation. He did not discuss why his wife disappeared with the .

Japan convicts Australian who sought to see his children

Prosecutors in Panama said Thursday they have found the corpses of six children and one adult in a clandestine burial pit where a religious sect was found torturing indigenous people in exorcism rituals.
Prosecutors said the dead minors found in the pit ranged in age from one to 17, and that the adult was a pregnant woman who was the mother of five of the kids.
The pit was found at a remote camp near the Caribbean coast where on Wednesday police arrested 10 members of an evangelical sect known as The New Light of God. In that raid, police also freed 14 members of the Ngab Bugl indigenous group who had been tied up and beaten with wooden cudgels and Bibles.
The Ngab Bugl are Panama's largest indigenous group, and suffer from high rates of poverty and illiteracy.
It was not clear exactly what the rituals consisted of, but they appeared to involve some form of conversion and exorcism.
Nor was it clear what belief or affiliations The New Light of God church has. A well-established ...

7 killed, 14 tortured in Panama exorcism terror rituals

Europe's top-division clubs generated a combined profit for the second successive year in 2018, but the gap between the wealthiest sides and the rest continues to grow, according to a new report published by UEFA.
The annual "benchmarking" report from European football's governing body calculates that the combined profit of the 700 top-tier clubs across the continent was 140 million euros ($156 million) with total revenues up to 21 billion euros, an increase of one billion euros.
However, 75 percent of all revenues were generated by the so-called "Big Five" leagues of England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France.
In addition, more than half of all top-division revenues for 2019 will be generated by just the top 30 clubs, according to preliminary reporting for the year.
That underlines the power wielded by the continent's very biggest sides, notably England's so-called "Big Six" and the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
However, UEFA also ...

UEFA report lays bare growing wealth gap in European football

Xavi said it was "too early" for him to coach Barcelona as he confirmed on Thursday that he had received an offer from his former club but would remain at Qatari side Al-Sadd.
World Cup winner Xavi, 39, said Barcelona's director of football Eric Abidal made him the offer, before settling on Quique Setien to replace Ernesto Valverde as coach.
"I received an offer from Barcelona in the presence of Eric Abidal... but I did not agree to this offer, especially as it is too early for me to coach Barcelona," he said in a statement issued by Al-Sadd.
"But it will still be my dream to coach the team in the future.
"I love the new Barcelona coach, I love the way he works, and I expect him to succeed with the team."
Valverde left Barcelona after his sacking on Monday, closing the page on a brutal few days.
Barcelona confirmed Setien's appointment following a board meeting that lasted more than four hours on Monday.
His contract runs until 2022 although there is a break clause in 2021, to allow ..

Xavi says it was 'too early' for Barcelona top job

The suspicion that World Athletics could ban Nike's Vaporfly shoes over fears they give runners an unfair edge gave a boost to the performance of some of the sportswear giants' rivals on Thursday.
A World Athletics spokeswoman said that a committee composed of officials, athletes, doctors, scientists and legal experts, was still looking at the shoes, which athletes have worn to set a string of records in recent months, but is expected to make recommendations by the end of January.
"The panel is still deliberating but we hope to be able to make an announcement by the end of the month," the spokeswoman told AFP, adding that any changes to the rules would then have to be approved by the World Athletics council.
After renewed speculation on Wednesday that the Vaporfly could be banned, Japanese sports shoe makers Asics, which has launched its own elite running shoe, and Mizuno surged on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday before sinking back. Asics still closed up 2.52 percent.
Later in ..

Anticipation of Nike 'miracle shoe' ban lifts commercial rivals

Scores at close of play on the first day of the third Test between South Africa and England at St George's Park on Thursday:
England, first innings
Z Crawley c Van der Dussen b Nortje 44
D Sibley c Elgar b Rabada 36
J Denly lbw b Maharaj 25
J Root b Rabada 27
B Stokes not out 38
O Pope not out 39
Extras (lb8, nb3, w4) 15
Total (4 wkts, 90 overs) 224
Fall of wickets: 1-70, 2-103, 3-134, 4-148
Bowling: Philander 11-5-15-0, Paterson 15-1-46-1, Rabada 17-3-48-2, Nortje 15-4-52-1, Maharaj 32-11-55-1.

South Africa v England 3rd Test scoreboard

World cricketer of the year Ben Stokes survived three reviews by South Africa as he and Ollie Pope regained the initiative for England on the first day of the third Test at St George's Park on Thursday.
England were 224 for four at the end of an attritional day during which South Africa had briefly claimed the advantage.
England were 148 for four when Stokes and Pope came together, in danger of failing to capitalise on batting first on a placid pitch on a hot, sunny day.
But the pair added 76 without being parted and were able to lift a slow scoring rate after England were able to score only 117 for two in 58 overs before tea. Stokes was unbeaten on 38 at the close while Pope made 39 not out.
Stokes came into the match a day after being named player of the year by the International Cricket Council and on the back of a man-of-the-match performance when England levelled the four-match series by winning the second Test in Cape Town by 189 runs.
Stokes made a shaky start, surviving a leg .

Stokes, Pope regain advantage for England in third Test

Top officials at the European Central Bank say economic growth remains weak though they see a few upbeat signs after the US and China moved toward lowering trade tensions.
Recent data point to a stabilization in euro area growth, according to an account of the December 12 policy meeting released on Thursday.
It was the first policy meeting under new ECB head Christine Lagarde, who succeeded Mario Draghi on November 1.
But members of the 25-person governing council still see continued weak euro area growth dynamics.
The big concerns remain developments outside the 19 countries that use the euro. The eurozone depends heavily on trade and manufacturers in the region have been hard hit by uncertainty over the outcome of U.S.-China trade negotiations.
The possibility of new tariffs, or import taxes, has cast a shadow over investment plans and the fate of the intertwined supply chains in the global economy.
The US and China signed a deal resolving some issues on Wednesday but global ...

European Central Bank officials say economy remains weak

Dozens of fighters and civilians were killed in Syria's Idlib province as the government pressed a deadly offensive on Thursday towards a key town in the country's last rebel bastion.
The latest violence, which followed air strikes that killed 19 civilians on Wednesday, buried a ceasefire deal announced by Russia and rebel backer Turkey that never really took hold.
"Clashes broke out around midnight on Wednesday south of the city of Maaret al-Numan, together with heavy bombardment despite the Russian-Turkish truce," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said.
According to the Britain-based war monitor, the fighting raged in areas south of Maaret al-Numan, the key target of the Syrian government's latest military offensive.
At least 26 anti-government fighters were killed, most of them members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group that includes fighters from the former Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
The Observatory said 29 government troops and allied militia ...

Dozens killed as Damascus presses Idlib offensive

Southwest Airlines announced Thursday it will once again delay resumption of Boeing 737 MAX flights until June 6, because of continued uncertainty over the troubled aircraft's return to service.
The airline thereby joins American Airlines and United Airlines which also have taken the 737 MAX out of their flight schedules until June 4.
"By proactively removing the MAX from scheduled service, we can reduce last-minute flight cancellations and unexpected disruptions to our customers' travel plans," Southwest said.
Southwest has 34 737 MAX's in its fleet, the most of any airline.
The delay affects about 330 weekday flights, or about eight percent of the airline's total flights on peak travel days, it said, promising to transfer concerned customers to other flights.
"We offer our apologies to our customers impacted by this change, and we thank them for their continued patience," the company said.
The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide March 13, 2019 after two crashes claimed the lives of 346 ..

Southwest delays resumption of Boeing 737 MAX flights

Bangladesh's wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim has declined to visit Pakistan for the forthcoming series, a team official said on Thursday.
"Mushfiq(ur) rang me today to inform that he will not go to Pakistan. We are now waiting for his formal letter. Once he does that, we will leave him out of the series," chief selector Minhajul Abedin told AFP.
Bangladesh are scheduled to play three Twenty20 internationals, two Tests and one one-day international in Pakistan between January and April.
Mushfiqur's absence could be a blow for Bangladesh who are already without suspended all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
Minhajul said they are likely to announce the squad for the series in a day or two.
International cricket has gradually returned to Pakistan in the last four years after it was suspended in the wake of terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009.

Bangladesh's Mushfiqur declines to visit Pakistan

Greece will elect its first woman president on January 22 after leading opposition parties on Thursday approved the government's nomination of top judge Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou.
Main opposition leftist leader Alexis Tsipras said Sakellaropoulou was an "exceptional judge" and a defender of human rights.
The socialist KINAL party also said it would support the nomination of the 63-year-old current head of the Council of State, Greece's top administrative court.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had announced Sakellaropoulou's candidacy in a surprise televised address on Wednesday.
"The time has come for Greece to open up to the future," Mitsotakis said, emphasising that the selection breaks with tradition not only because Sakellaropoulou is female, but also because she is not a member of a political party.
He said the choice "embodies unity and progress".
A total of 200 votes is required to elect the new president for a five-year term.  Sakellaropoulou, a French-educated expert in ...

Greece to elect first woman president on January 22

The White House budget office "violated the law" by freezing military aid to put political pressure on the government of Ukraine, a US congressional watchdog announced on Thursday as President Donald Trump's impeachment trial looms.
The damning report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office says it "issued a legal decision concluding that the Office of Management and Budget violated the law when it withheld approximately USD 214 million appropriated to DOD (Department of Defense) for security assistance to Ukraine."
The House impeachment inquiry concluded that Trump's administration improperly withheld the aid as leverage in an effort to get Ukraine to open investigations that would help Trump politically.
"OMB withheld funds for a policy reason, which is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act," the GAO said.

White House 'violated the law' on Ukraine aid: watchdog

Four Nigerian soldiers have been killed in an attack by IS-affiliated jihadists in the country's restive northeast, two security sources said on Thursday.
Fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in trucks fitted with machine guns late Wednesday launched a "surprise attack" on troops in Auno village, 25 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, they said.
"Four soldiers were killed in the attack and seven were injured," said the first security source.
Another security official confirmed the attack.
"The terrorists came through the bush at the rear instead of the usual highway, taking troops by surprise," said the source who gave the same casualty toll.
The jihadists were said to have overwhelmed the troops, and went into the village, looting and burning shops before withdrawing.
It was not immediately clear whether the militants suffered any casualties.
ISWAP, which split from Boko Haram in 2016 has intensified attacks against the military since the ...

4 Nigerian troops killed in jihadist attack

Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's lawyers on Thursday exchanged heated arguments with the prosecution in a Pakistani anti-terrorism court which is hearing terror financing charges against the JuD chief.
While the arguments against Saeed continued, a similar case against Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) spokesperson Yahya Mujahid and others was adjourned till January 23.
Saeed's lawyers Naseeruddin Nayyar and Imran Fazal Gull, and Deputy Prosecutor General of Punjab Abdur Reauf presented their arguments for more than five hours in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), Lahore, a court official told PTI.
"Heated arguments were exchanged between the defence and prosecution lawyers during the hearing on Thursday," he said.
The hearing in Saeed's case was adjourned till Friday, the official said.
The ATC-II also held hearing in terror financing case against senior JuD leader Abdul Rehman Makki and its spokesperson Mujahid and adjourned the proceedings till January 23, he said.
Saeed was produced before 

Hafiz Saeed's lawyers, prosecution spar in Pak anti-terrorism court

Over 10,000 Pakistani nationals are jailed in different countries, nearly half of them convicted on criminal charges, the country's foreign office said on Thursday.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said Pakistan was fully aware of its responsibilities and was making effort to get the Pakistani prisoners released.
"Around half the number are convicted on criminal charges that range from an entire gamut of criminal activities, including violations of immigration law, among others," she said.
"Our embassies are consistently engaged with local governments to facilitate our prisoners," she said, adding that in the last few years, embassies held over 13,000 consular access meetings in various countries to assist Pakistani prisoners.
As a result of these efforts, in the last one year alone over 4,637 prisoners have been released, the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Farooqui said Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum was on the cards and details 

Over 10,000 Pakistani nationals jailed in foreign countries

Hundreds of parents picketed a top Bangladesh school and blocked a major road in the capital to protest against a decision to make Islamic dress optional for students.
Some 200-300 parents held hands and blocked a road in front of an Ideal School and College campus in Dhaka's Banasree neighbourhood on Wednesday, said local police chief Abdul Kuddus.
Ideal is one of the country's best private school chains, with branches in several middle-class neighbourhoods. Its students regularly top nationwide exam tables.
Parents said the school this year dropped a requirement for boys to wear Islamic skull caps and for girls to wear an "orna", a loose scarf-like shawl that covers the chest.
"It has been a tradition of this school since 1973 and we don't have any problem with it," said Tofazzal Hossain, a parent.
"Why did the authorities suddenly take such an anti-Islamic decision without discussing it with us?"
College principal Shahan Ara Begum said neither item of clothing had been banned, but .

Parents picket Bangladesh school for 'un-Islamic' dresscode

The Taliban have offered a brief ceasefire to the US, two insurgent sources said on Thursday, a move which could allow for the resumption of talks seeking a deal for Washington to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
Washington has for weeks been calling on the militants to reduce violence, posing it as a condition for resuming formal negotiations on an agreement that would see US troops begin to leave the country in return for security guarantees, after a near two-decade fight.
"It is an offer for a ceasefire either for seven or 10 days," a senior Taliban official who requested anonymity told AFP, adding that the offer was made to US negotiators in Doha.
"It has been finalised and given to the Americans. It is going to pave the way for an agreement."
A second insurgent source, based in Pakistan, confirmed that the offer had been handed to the US.
The Taliban have yet to release an official statement, and Washington has not said whether it has received any offer from the insurgents or ...

Taliban propose brief Afghan ceasefire, say insurgent sources

Model Gigi Hadid was excused Thursday from serving as a juror in former film producer Harvey Weinstein's rape and sexual assault trial, US media reported.
The 24-year-old was greeted by a crowd of photographers as she returned to a New York court on the eighth day of jury selection in the proceedings key to the #MeToo movement.
Hadid strolled into the Manhattan courthouse wearing sunglasses just before 09:00 am (1400 GMT).
She left discreetly about ten minutes afterwards, according to police officers outside.
US media reported that the prosecution and defense had agreed to dismiss the famous model and Instagram star, excusing her from serving on the 12-person jury or as one of six alternates.
The move was expected, owing to her fame.
Hadid, who has modeled for top fashion brands including Chanel, first appeared for the pre-screening of potential jurors on Monday, adding a fresh celebrity twist to the high-profile trial.
She told Judge James Burke that although she knew Weinstein -- ...

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