North Korea on Monday slammed US President Trump for "bluffing" and called him "an old man bereft of patience" as Pyongyang ramps up pressure on Washington over stalled nuclear talks.
Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un engaged in mutual insults and threats of devastation in 2017, sending tensions soaring before a diplomatic rapprochement the following year.
Pyongyang has set Washington an end-of-year time limit to offer it new concessions in deadlocked nuclear negotiations, and has said it will adopt an unspecified "new way" if nothing acceptable is forthcoming.
Denuclearisation negotiations have been at a standstill since a summit in Hanoi broke up in February.
Trump has indicated that the option of military action was still on the table while downplaying Pyongyang's actions, saying the North's leader would not want to "interfere" with the upcoming US presidential elections.
"I'd be surprised if North Korea acted hostiley," Trump said Saturday.
But Kim Yong Chol, who served as 

'Old man' Trump is 'bluffing' says North Korea: KCNA

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England will step up their preparations for the Euro 2020 finals with a friendly against Italy at Wembley in March, the Football Association announced on Monday.
Gareth Southgate's men will face the four-time world champions on Friday, March 27 before a match four days later against Denmark, also at Wembley.
England will then travel to play Austria in Vienna on June 2 before hosting Romania on June 7 at a venue in England that has yet to be confirmed.
The Italy game is designated as "The Heads Up International" in support of the FA's charitable partnership with Prince William's Heads Together mental health initiative.
England will face Croatia and the Czech Republic in Group D at Euro 2020 as well as the winner of the play-off path featuring Scotland, Israel, Norway and Serbia.  All three fixtures will be played at Wembley.
Italy, European champions in 1968, have been placed in Group A at next year's finals and will play all three of their pool games, against Turkey, Switzerland and ..

England to host Italy in Euro 2020 warm-up

Iran said Monday it was open to more prisoner swaps with the US while stressing an exchange at the weekend was not the result of formal negotiations with its arch-foe.
US President Donald Trump thanked Iran for what he called a "very fair negotiation" after an American scholar was released Saturday in exchange for an Iranian scientist held in the United States.
The exchange involved Xiyue Wang, a Chinese-born American held in Iran since 2016, and Massoud Soleimani, an Iranian scientist detained in the United States since 2018.
But Iran's government dismissed the idea that it was the result of any negotiations between the two countries, which have not had diplomatic ties since 1980.
"This was only an exchange and... regarding exchanges we are ready to act but there are no negotiations," spokesman Ali Rabiei said on state television.
"Negotiations or any kind of talks" can only take place "within the framework of the 5+1 and after America has refrained from sanctions and economic ...

Iran says ready for more US prisoner swaps

At Bangkok's Reclining Buddha temple Krairath Chantrasri says he is a proud custodian of a 2,000-year-old skill - the body-folding, sharp-elbowed techniques of Thai massage, which this week could be added to UNESCO's prestigious heritage list.
From upscale Bangkok spas and Phuket beach fronts to modest street-side shophouses, "nuad Thai" -- or Thai massage -- is ubiquitous across the kingdom, where an hour of the back-straightening discipline can cost as little as $5.
This week it may be added to UNESCO's list of "Intangible Cultural Heritage" when the body meets in the Colombian capital of Bogota (December 9-14).
Krairath, who teaches at the Reclining Buddha School inside the famed Wat Pho temple, helps thousands of Thai and foreign students who flock to the centre each year.
The son of a masseuse, he takes great pride in his role sharing the ancient discipline at a temple whose certification is a proud banner for any massage shop.
"I'm a continuation of our collective knowledge," ...

No pain, no fame: Thai massage could get UNESCO status

The Russian flag and national anthem were banned from next year's Tokyo Olympics and other major sports events for four years on Monday.
Russia's hosting of world championships in Olympic sports also face being stripped after the World Anti-Doping Agency executive committee approved a full slate of recommended sanctions as punishment for state authorities tampering with a Moscow laboratory database.
Russian athletes will be allowed to compete in major events only if they are not implicated in positive doping tests or if their data was not manipulated, according to the WADA ruling.
Still, it is unclear how the ruling will affect Russian teams taking part in world championships such as soccer's World Cup.
Russia's anti-doping agency can appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days.
Legal fallout from the WADA ruling seems sure to dominate preparations for the Tokyo Olympics, which open on July 24.
Evidence shows that Russian authorities tampered with a Moscow 

World Anti-Doping Agency imposes 4-year ban on Russia

Actor-singer Briana Cuoco has joined her sister Kaley Cuoco in HBO Max's thriller "The Flight Attendant".
According to Deadline, Briana will feature in a recurring role on the upcoming series, which stars and is executive produced by Kaley.
It features Kaley in the title character as Cassie, who wakes up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a dead man and is clueless about how it all happened.
Briana will play Cecilia, a quirky and ambitious assistant who is obsessed with organisation and eavesdropping on calls.
Based on a novel by Chris Bohjalian, the show also stars Sonoya Mizuno, Michiel Huisman, Colin Woodell, Zosia Mamet, Merle Dandridge and Griffin Matthews.
Susanna Fogel of "The Spy Who Dumped Me" fame is attached to direct the first two episodes.

Briana Cuoco to star in recurring role in 'The Flight Attendant'

Young Indian shuttlers will look to put up a good show and better the country's medal tally when they start their campaign at the Asia Junior U-17 and U-15 championships here on Wednesday.
India had won one gold medal in the last championships held in Myanmar last year with Gujarat's Tasnim Mir and Meghana Reddy of Telangana emerging champions in U-15 girls doubles.
All eyes will be on Tasnim Mir as he has been given the top seedings in the U-15 girls draw in the five-day competition, which is scheduled from December 11-15.
Maharashtra's Varun Kapur and Tanmoy Boruah of Assam also got top seeding in the U-17 and U-15 boys singles draws respectively.
Varun will lead the Indian attack along with India U-17 No. 1 Pranav Rao Gandham in boys category, while India No. 1 Uttar Pradesh's Mansi Singh will be among the main attractions in the U-17 girls singles.
Squads:
(U-15)
Boys Singles: Raghav (HAR), Lokesh Reddy (TS), Lakshay Sharma (PNB), Ankit Mondal (WB), Tonmoy Baruah (ASM), Gagan ...

India gear up for Asian Junior Badminton C'ships

It might be the most Japanese of political scandals: a furore over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's guest list at a party to mark the annual cherry blossom season.
As scandals go, it has plenty of juicy elements -- alleged mafia guests, disappearing evidence, even gaffes by Abe, who appeared to lay blame for shredded documents on a disabled worker.
It's the latest headache for Japan's longest-serving premier, who has already weathered two cronyism scandals in recent years and has faced an almost daily drubbing by opposition lawmakers since the scandal emerged in early November.
The outcry involves a tradition that dates back to 1952 -- a publicly funded cherry blossom party intended to honour the great and the good for their achievements.
The seemingly innocuous gathering become a lightning rod for criticism after claims Abe stacked the guest list with some 850 supporters from his local constituency -- with the party costing 55 million yen (USD 504,000) in public money.
When the opposition 

Cherry blossoms prompt full-blown scandal for Japan's

France's transport chaos deepened on Monday on the fifth day of a nationwide strike over pension reforms, ramping up tensions at the start of a crucial week in President Emmanuel Macron's battle with trade unions.
With only two of the Paris metro's 16 lines running as normal and suburban trains also heavily disrupted, many commuters slipped behind the wheel to try to get to work in torrential rain, causing major gridlock.
By 9 am, the tailbacks in the Paris area ran to 600 kilometres, twice the normal level, the Sytadin monitoring website said.
Large queues formed at bus stops following an announcement that one out of two buses would be running but striking workers blocked seven out of 25 bus depots, leaving more travellers stranded.
With many having opted to work from home last week and only now returning to the workplace, this week will test public support for the strike.
A poll on Sunday in the Journal du Dimanche newspaper showed 53 per cent of the French supporting the strike or .

French strike chaos deepens in crucial week for Macron

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says he has never doubted the quality of midfielder Naby Keita despite the Guinea international's limited impact since his arrival at Anfield last year.
Keita has been confined to a bit-part role since his ?52.75 million ($69 million) move from RB Leipzig in July 2018 and before Saturday had played just 14 minutes of Premier League football this season.
But the 24-year-old, whose Anfield career has been disrupted by injuries, gave a reminder of his ability with a goal and an assist on his first top-flight start of the campaign in Saturday's 3-0 win at Bournemouth.
Klopp, who has reassured Keita about his lack of first-team opportunities, admits the relentless form of his league leaders and a series of tight matches have made it difficult to give him minutes.
"Naby had injuries, the team is in really good shape, so then do you change?," said Klopp.
"We are not flying, it's not like we won all of the games 4-0, or 5-0, so we had to bring on a player who helps 

Klopp says he never doubted Keita's quality

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City may no longer be able to match the standards of the best teams after a painful defeat against Manchester United left them 14 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Guardiola's City have been the Premier League's outstanding side over the past two years, clocking up 100 points in 2017/18 and retaining the title last term during their treble-winning campaign.
Guardiola hopes City, who have now lost four of their 16 league games this season, will be able to learn from their setbacks.
"United have the quality to defend and the quality to attack on the counter-attack and you have to accept that," said the City boss.
"That is the level we face against Liverpool, United, Barcelona, Madrid, Juventus. They are the teams we have to face and the reality is maybe we are not able now to compete with them.
"We have to improve and accept it and move forward. Maybe we need to live that as a club to improve, to accept the reality now and improve."
Guardiola, 

Guardiola admits Man City standards have slipped

Harry Maguire has the top four in his crosshairs after Manchester United's thrilling derby triumph at Manchester City lifted them to fifth in the Premier League table.
A week that started with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer under pressure after a below-par performance in a home draw against promoted Aston Villa ended with a second memorable victory in a matter of days.
Fresh from deservedly seeing off Jose Mourinho's Tottenham 2-1 on Wednesday, United won by the same scoreline at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday thanks to a breathtaking start and impressive gameplan.
Solskjaer's side could have added to goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in a fine first half that laid the foundation for the 2-1 victory, which moved them to within five points of fourth-placed Chelsea.
"I think you need to look after your own results, don't look elsewhere, keep winning games," said Maguire, the world's most expensive defender.
"We've won back-to-back games against Spurs and City. We've got ...

Maguire says top four in sight for improving Man Utd

A day after North Korea said it had performed a very important test at its long-range rocket launch site, there is wide speculation that it involved a new engine for either a space launch vehicle or a long-range missile.
Whatever it was, the North Korean announcement suggests that the country is preparing to do something to provoke the United States if Washington doesn't back down and make concessions in deadlocked nuclear negotiations.
A look at the North Korean test, which comes as a year-end deadline set by North Korea for the US to salvage the nuclear talks is approaching.
According to the North's Academy of National Defence Science, the test was conducted on Saturday at its Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the northwest, where North Korea has conducted banned satellite launches and missile engine tests in recent years.
When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in last year, he promised to dismantle this facility, ..

N Korea believed to test new rocket engine to provoke US

A Pakistani woman has died after she was set on fire by her husband and his accomplices in Punjab province, the latest case of violence against women in the country, according to a media report on Monday.
Humaira, a resident of Kabirwala tehsil, was doused in petrol and set on fire by her husband and others on December 6. She sustained severe burn injuries and was shifted to the Tehsil Headquarter Hospital. She died a day later on December 7, Dawn newspaper reported.
Police in Jhang district registered a case on Monday.
The motive behind the crime is not clear, the report said.
According to the medical report, the victim sustained 90 per cent burn injures.
Ahmedpur Sial police station SHO Mohamad Yousuf said that officials have recorded the statements of the victim's family.
"The suspects will soon be apprehended," he said.
Meanwhile, the victim's family appealed to the Punjab chief minister and higher authorities to take notice of the shocking incident and ensure justice for the ...

Pakistani woman dies after being set on fire by husband

The EU's powerful anti-trust authority on Monday approved billions of euros in subsidies from seven member states as Europe seeks to make up lost ground in the highly strategic sector of electric batteries.
The mega subsidy of 3.2 billion euros (USD 3.5 billion) from Germany, France, Italy, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Sweden and Finland will go to 17 companies and will help generate an extra 5 billion euros in private investment, a statement said.

EU okays billions in state aid to develop electric battery champion

Beyonce has shot down speculation that she will be on a Las Vegas residency in 2020.
A representative of the 38-year-old actor told Variety that such reports are "absolutely not true".
The speculation started after a celebrity gossip site posted the news from "sources" close to the star.
They said to expect an official announcement during the first half of the year and that she would be the "highest-paid entertainer" in Vegas.

Beyonce not going on Las Vegas residency

Pakistan's ailing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently undergoing treatment in London, has shown no improvement in his platelet count and the doctors have advised that he be shifted to the US for better medical care, a top PML-N official said on Monday.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said the 69-year-old Sharif's medical reports showed there was an 88 per cent blockage in the arteries circulating blood to his brain.
"Doctors have advised him to consult an expert in the United States. However, transporting him there poses an immense challenge for the medical team," she said.
"There has been no improvement in his platelet count despite the high doses of steroids, which were also causing his blood sugar levels to rise," Aurangzeb was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.
The reason for the decreasing platelet count was yet to be ascertained, the spokesperson said, adding that Sharif is also expected to undergo a biopsy in light of .

No improvement in Sharif's health, docs advise ex-Pak PM be shifted to US

A Pakistani court on Monday directed the federal government to decide within seven days about removing the name of PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz from the no-fly list so she can visit her ailing father in London, according to media reports.
Maryam, the 46-year-old daughter of Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was placed on the no-fly list in August 2018 in an alleged corruption case.
Maryam has sought a one-time permission to travel abroad for six weeks from the date of departure. Another petition has been filed seeking release of her passport which is currently confiscated by the high court.
Before obtaining bail last month, she had been in custody following an investigation into the Chaudhry Sugar Mills corruption case. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Maryam on August 8.
On Saturday, Maryam filed a petition in the Lahore High Court seeking the removal of her name from the the Exit Control List (ECL) or the no-fly list.
The Lahore High Court on ...

Pak govt given seven days by court to decide on removal of Maryam's name from no-fly list

Restaurants and cafes in Saudi Arabia are no longer required to have gender-segregated entrances, officials said, in a further easing of social restrictions in the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom.
Eateries have long required one entrance for single men and another for women and families, in a country where the once-powerful religious police zealously enforced sex segregation in public places for decades.
The ministry of municipalities and rural affairs said on Twitter Sunday it was eliminating several requirements for restaurants, including the need for "an entrance for bachelors and a separate entrance for families".
It was unclear whether a restriction on seating inside restaurants will also be removed.
Restaurants are currently segregated into a "family" section for those accompanied by women and a "singles" area for men, though many have quietly taken down the barriers in recent years amid the kingdom's sweeping liberalisation drive.
The latest reform was hailed by young Saudis 

Saudi eliminates gender-segregated entrances for eateries

Five people were killed, 18 were injured and several more were left stranded after an island volcano popular with tourists erupted unexpectedly in New Zealand on Monday.
Police said some 50 people were visiting White Island when it exploded suddenly in the early afternoon -- hurling ash and rock high into the air.
Two dozen people made it off the island, five of whom have since died. The rest are being treated for injuries, including severe burns.
Nothing is yet known about a group -- now estimated to number in the double digits -- who are still trapped on the island.
"We're unsure of the exact numbers on there and we're unsure of their wellbeing," said deputy commissioner John Tims.
As night fell, he said volcanic activity made a rescue attempt too dangerous.
"The island is unstable, there's a danger of further eruptions, it is physically unsafe for us to return to the island" "I've got to consider the safety of our people and emergency services staff." The eruption occurred at ...

Five dead, many injured after New Zealand volcano eruption

More than 600 institutional investors managing a whopping $37 trillion in client assets called Monday for governments to step up their efforts against climate change.
The investors, including banks, pension funds and insurance companies, directed their message to countries participating in a two-week UN climate conference in Madrid.
Firms such as Britain's Aviva, the California Public Employees' Retirement System and Zurich Insurance Group demanded an end to thermal coal power plants worldwide, the introduction of a meaningful price on carbon, an end to fossil fuel subsidies and for governments to increase planned emissions cuts beyond what has already been pledged.
Similar appeals have been issued by investment companies before, but Monday's is the biggest so far.
The 631 companies involved held assets worth more than the GDP of the United States and China together last year.
Separately, a financial research group said major companies themselves can significantly cut emissions of ...

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