The US government shutdown that has left 800,000 federal employees without salaries as a result of President Donald Trump's row with Democrats over building a Mexico border wall entered a record 22nd day Saturday.
The Democrats' refusal to approve $5.7 billion demanded by Trump for the wall project has paralyzed Washington, with the president retaliating by refusing to sign off on budgets for swaths of government departments unrelated to the dispute.
As a result, workers as diverse as FBI agents, air traffic controllers and museum staff, did not receive paychecks Friday.
The partial shutdown of the government became the longest on record at midnight Friday (0500 GMT Saturday), when it overtook the 21-day stretch in 1995-1996, under president Bill Clinton.
Trump on Friday backed off a series of previous threats to end the deadlock by declaring a national emergency and attempting to secure the funds without congressional approval.
"I'm not going to do it so fast," he said at a White ...

Government shutdown becomes longest in US history

PTI Automatic

Former WADA president Dick Pound is against imposing fresh sanctions on Russia for missing a deadline to allow World Anti-Doping Agency experts access to its Moscow laboratory.
"It's not the end of the world," former WADA president told AFP on Friday.
Experts began copying data at Russia'a tainted testing centre on Thursday, at the second attempt after a failed first visit in December.
Moscow subsequently missed the December 31 deadline to give WADA full access to the lab data vital to implicate or clear athletes in doping cases.
WADA's critics led by US anti-doping chief Travis Tygart have called for Russia to be punished anew, but Pound disagreed.
"The real objective in all of this was to get access to the lab and the data, and if it's a few days late it's not the end of the world.
"I think it's more important to concentrate on the information and test it to make sure that it's complete and it's not been altered and then to see if there are cases of anti-doping that need to be ...

Pound says 'not end of world' Russia missed lab testing deadline

England begin a 2019 that England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tom Harrison believes represents a "once in a generation" opportunity with a West Indies tour that could yet prove uncomfortably awkward.
With both a World Cup -- a tournament the England men's team have never won -- and an Ashes on home soil on the horizon, it will be a challenge for England's leading cricketers in both the one-day and Test formats to maintain their focus on the challenge in front of them rather than be distracted by the bigger prizes ahead.
A three-Test tour and five-match one-day series in the Caribbean, which gets underway with a warm-up fixture against a West Indies Board XI in Barbados next week, should provide a good barometer of England's progress.
Joe Root's Test side are second in the world rankings, while Eoin Morgan's men top the equivalent one-day standings.
By contrast, the West Indies are currently eighth in the Test table and ninth in the ODI list.
England, fresh from an ...

England's 'biggest year in a generation' starts with Windies test

President Donald Trump attaches great importance to the US-India ties, India's new Ambassador to America Harsh Vardhan Shringla said.
Shringla, a 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service diplomat, presented his diplomatic credentials to the US President at the Oval Office of the White House Friday.
He succeeded Navtej Sarna who retired on December 31. Shringla is the youngest Indian ambassador to the US.
Reflective of the growing trust and warmth between India and the US, the new Indian envoy presented his credentials to Trump in less than 50 hours after arriving in Washington.
Such a quick credentials ceremony for a foreign diplomat is rare in the American capital, given that in the past, envoys of other countries, including those from India, have waited for weeks to formally present their diplomatic credentials.
Diplomatic credentials is a letter that formally appoints a diplomat as the ambassador to another country. The letter is addressed from one head of state to another. It is ...

Trump attaches great importance to US-India ties: New Indian envoy

US Open winner Naomi Osaka admitted on Saturday that she was naturally shy and said one of her key goals in the off-season had been to work on her confidence and become more mature.
The likable 21-year-old Japanese was catapulted into the global spotlight when she won the US Open last year, beating Serena Williams, whose tantrum at the umpire in the final almost overshadowed her achievement.
The breakthrough made her a new standard bearer for tennis in her homeland, Asia and the next generation of women, and she is working hard on living up to the hype.
While focusing on her game during the off-season, she has also been concentrating on better dealing with the off-court responsibilities that come with being a major winner.
"For me one of my biggest goals is to be more mature, like to mature as a person," she said ahead of her opening round clash at the Australian Open against Poland's Magda Linette next week.
"And I feel like in a way I am, but in other parts I'm very, like, three ...

Shy Osaka working to be more mature

Indian rider CS Santosh crashed out in the fifth stage of the 41st edition of the Dakar Rally even as his Hero MotorSports teammates Oriol Mena and Joaquim Rodrigues dished out gritty performances to reach the finishing line on an incident-filled day, here.
The stage 5 of Dakar 2019 turned out to be an extremely tough and dangerous day for the competitors, claiming its fair share of casualties on Friday.
Santosh suffered a nasty crash between the waypoint 4 and 5, scuttling his chances to pursue the stage further.
The crash brought a premature end to Santosh's attempt to conquer a record fifth Dakar by an Indian.
According to last received reports, his condition is stable and is currently being attended to by the medical team at a hospital in Tacna.
Not just Santosh, his teammates Mena and Rodrigues too had a rough outing with both crashing once in the stage.
Mena's crash was quite bad as he lost his bearings for some time after the crash, but miraculously made it to the finish ...

Santosh crashes out; Mena, Rodrigues clear stage 5 of Dakar

Parties supporting outgoing Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila won a majority in long-delayed legislative elections, according to an AFP tally of results released Saturday, as the opposition sought a recount of the disputed presidential poll.
Pro-Kabila parties had passed the 250-seat threshold required to secure a majority in the 500-seat national assembly, according to collated results from the Independent National Election Commission (CENI).
More than 15,000 candidates were running in the poll, which determines who will control parliament for the next five years.
Pro-Kabila candidates had secured 288 of the 429 seats so far declared, with 141 going to the opposition.
The huge central African country, which straddles an area the size of western Europe, has been in the grip of a two-year political crisis triggered by Kabila's refusal to step down when his two-term constitutional limit expired at the end of 2016.
A presidential election to choose a successor was ...

Pro-Kabila camp wins DRC legislative poll, recount sought for presidency

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a golden opportunity to further his credentials for the permanent manager's job at Manchester United when he goes head to head against Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino on Sunday.
The Norwegian interim manager has enjoyed a perfect start to his Old Trafford career, winning all five matches and transforming the mood among players and fans.
But in the opposite dugout at Wembley will be Pochettino, who remains the favourite to be named to the United hot seat after keeping Spurs on the fringes of the Premier League title race against considerable odds.
United have beaten Cardiff, Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Newcastle in the league and Reading in the FA Cup since Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho last month.
But third-placed Tottenham in London will be a different proposition and the match will be a severe examination of how far United have come under their temporary leader.
Solskjaer has revitalised a number of players including Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford, ..

Solskjaer, Pochettino face off in Man United 'audition'

World number one Simona Halep Saturday admitted losing the 2018 Australian Open final was a painful moment, but it taught her how to better handle pressure situations which she has since put to good use.
The Romanian was targeting a first ever Grand Slam title in that match against Caroline Wozniacki and looked on track to win before folding in the third set.
Halep had won her service game and then broke the Dane to get a 4-3 lead.  She served for what would have been a 5-3 advantage but Wozniacki broke then held serve for lead 5-4.
The fired-up Dane went on to break again and win 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-4, leaving Halep crushed.
"I didn't want to think that much about that match because it was really painful to lose it," she said at Melbourne Park when asked to reflect on what went wrong.
"But I learned some things from that match. That break (at 4-3) broke me a little bit in that moment.
"Now I know how to manage better if that happens again.
"She was better at that moment and maybe ...

Quick learner Halep ready for Slam crown number two

Australian Open home hope Nick Kyrgios declared Saturday that he could break into the world's top 10 if he can get "right physically and mentally".
But first the world number 51 will need to get past the "unbelievably tough" Canadian 16th seed Milos Raonic in a blockbuster first-round encounter when the year's opening Grand Slam begins on Monday.
Kyrgios rose to a career-high 13th in 2016, but has steadily slipped down the pecking order since.
He cut short last season in October after an elbow injury, admitted he was working on mental health issues and then suffered a spider bite over Christmas.
But he was in an upbeat mood as he spoke to reporters at Melbourne Park on Saturday ahead of squaring off against the former world number three.
"If I get right physically and mentally... realistically I could be top 10. That's a fact," said Kyrgios.
"Right now I'm not even thinking about that. I want to just enjoy my time in Australia, the Aussie summer. I want to play good tennis and be ...

Top 10 target for Kyrgios, but Raonic comes first

Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress, has said that she is running for the White House in 2020.
Gabbard, 37, is the second woman after Senator Elizabeth Warren to enter the presidential race from the Democratic party.
More than 12 Democratic leaders including Indian-origin Senator from California Kamala Harris are expected to announce their White House run to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020.
Gabbard, a four-time Democratic lawmaker in the US House of Representatives from Hawaii, told CNN Friday: "I have decided to run and will be making a formal announcement within the next week".
The Iraq war veteran has become the first-ever Hindu to be running for the presidency in the US.
Gabbard, who converted to Hinduism early in her life, is highly popular among Indian-Americans.
If elected, she would be the youngest ever and first woman President of the United States. She would also be the first non-Christian and first Hindu to occupy the top post. However, at ...

Tulsi Gabbard announces 2020 presidential run to take on Trump

The head of the US Navy will visit his Chinese counterpart next week, officials said Friday, as the two powers seek to reduce military risks amid ongoing trade tensions.
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson will travel to Beijing and Nanjing from January 13-16, when he will meet with Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong, who commands the People's Liberation Army Navy.
"A routine exchange of views is essential, especially in times of friction, in order to reduce risk and avoid miscalculation," Richardson said in a statement.
"Honest and frank dialogue can improve the relationship in constructive ways, help explore areas where we share common interests, and reduce risk while we work through our differences."
The visit comes after tensions spiked last fall between China and the US over financial sanctions, an ongoing trade dispute and the sale of US military aviation parts to the self-governing island of Taiwan.
Amid the spat, China pulled the plug on a US warship's scheduled visit to .

US Navy chief heads to China

Authorities in the western US state of Oregon have euthanised four sea lions in the last month as part of a program to protect salmon runs and steelhead trout that are at risk of going extinct.
A spokesman for the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife told AFP the lethal removals of the California sea lions began in mid-December and would continue through May.
Rick Swart said the killings were necessary to save migrating steelhead that have been ravaged by the sea lions in recent years as they swim upstream from the ocean to spawn.
"Our scientists believe that if these sea lions aren't removed, that run of steelhead could go extinct anytime," Swart said.
He said salmon were also threatened by the sea mammals, whose population has exploded since the Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed in 1972.
"What's going on here is we have a run of wild native Oregon steelhead and they are moving right now from the ocean upstream to spawn," Rick Swart said.
"And when they get to Willamette ...

California sea lions killed to protect migrating fish

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that Chinese officials are not respecting the diplomatic immunity of one of the Canadians detained in China last month as he ramped up efforts to get them released.
China arrested former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor on vague national security allegations.
The arrests came after a top Chinese executive was arrested in Canada on December 1 at the request of Washington, which wants Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou extradited to face charges that she misled banks about the company's business dealings in Iran. She is out on bail in Canada and awaiting a bail extradition proceeding next month.
Kovrig is an analyst on northeast Asia for the International Crisis Group think tank who took a leave of absence from the Canadian government.
Canadian authorities haven't previously said he was protected by diplomatic immunity. But Trudeau asserted that Friday.
"It is unfortunate that China has arbitrarily and ...

Trudeau says China not respecting diplomatic immunity

An 18-year-old Saudi woman who said she was abused by her family and feared for her life if deported back home left Thailand on Friday night for Canada, which has granted her asylum, officials said.
The fast-moving developments capped an eventful week for Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun. She fled her family while visiting Kuwait and flew to Bangkok, where she barricaded herself in an airport hotel to avoid deportation and grabbed global attention by mounting a social media campaign for asylum.
Her case highlighted the cause of women's rights in Saudi Arabia, where several women fleeing abuse by their families have been caught trying to seek asylum abroad in recent years and returned home. Human rights activists say many similar cases go unreported.
Alqunun is flying to Toronto via Seoul, South Korea, according to Thai immigration Police Chief Surachate Hakparn. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed his country had granted her asylum.
"That is something that we are pleased to do ...

Saudi woman fleeing alleged abuse heads for asylum in Canada

China is seeking consular access for Huawei employee Wang Weijing who was arrested in Poland over espionage allegations, state media reported on Saturday.
Citing China's foreign ministry of affairs, state broadcaster CCTV said Beijing is "closely following" the detention of Wang Weijing and has asked to arrange a consular visit "as soon as possible".
The Chinese embassy in Poland has also asked Warsaw to "effectively ensure the legitimate rights and interests, and humanitarian and safe treatment of the person involved."
A Polish man was also arrested for alleged espionage along with Wang on Tuesday. Both men are suspected of having "worked for Chinese services and to the detriment of Poland," said Polish special services spokesman Stanislaw Zaryn.
He said their apartments and workplaces were searched, adding that the Polish suspect had worked "for several state institutions".
The arrest of Wang is the latest setback for Huawei.
The firm's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, was ...

China seeks consular access for Huawei employee arrested in Poland: state media

Australia skipper Aaron Finch won the toss and elected to bat in the first One-day International against India, here Saturday.
The hosts have handed debut to Jason Behrendorff.
India won the preceding four-match Test series 2-1.
Teams:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Khaleel Ahmed.
Australia: Aaron Finch(c), Alex Carey(w), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle, Jhye Richardson and Jason Behrendorff.

Finch wins toss, elects to bat in first ODI

Twelve civilians were killed on Thursday during a jihadist attack in the north of Burkina Faso, which has been battling a wave of Islamist violence, officials said Friday.
The west African country declared a state of emergency in several provinces at the end of last year and on Thursday replaced its army chief as it struggled to put a stop to a spate of such attacks.
In the latest violence, gunmen attacked a village market in broad daylight, the security ministry said in a statement issued late Friday.
"Around 30 armed individuals perpetrated... a terrorist attack in the village of Gasseliki," it said, giving a toll of 12 dead and two wounded.
"A barn, a cart and six shops were also set alight," it added.
A local source told AFP that the attackers "ransacked stores and opened fire on people who had gathered for the weekly market".
Jihadist attacks began in northern Burkina Faso in 2015 but then spread to the east, near the border with Togo and Benin.
The country is part of the vast ...

12 civilians killed in jihadist attack in Burkina Faso

A 31-year old Indian was sentenced to 13 years in jail and 12 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault of a minor and two charges of attempted statutory rape, according to a media report.
Udhayakumar Dhakshinamoorthy, a minimart worker, courted a 12-year-old girl with gifts and called her his "wife", grooming her to engage in progressively intrusive sexual acts with him over a period of three months, reported The New Paper.
Four other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing at the High Court on Thursday.
The offence, which took place between September and December 2016, came to light after the convict's pregnant adult girlfriend discovered a video of the naked minor girl on his phone.
In the sentencing, Judicial Commissioner Pang Khang Chau noted that Udhayakumar had exploited the innocence and naivety of the minor and morally corrupted her.
When Dhakshinamoorthy first asked the girl for sexual intercourse after taking her to the ...

Indian sentenced to 13-year jail, 12 strokes of cane in Singapore for sex with minor

A double-deck city bus smashed into a transit shelter during Friday's rush hour, and Ottawa authorities said three people were killed and 23 injured.
Police Chief Charles Bordeleau said the bus driver was arrested after the crash, but he declined to provide details on why she has been detained. He said police were still investigating the cause of the crash.
Mayor Jim Watson said two of those who died were on the bus and the other was in the shelter.
Ottawa Hospital's trauma centre said it had received nine patients "in critical condition" from the crash.
The accident happened at the Westboro station in a neighbourhood west of downtown Ottawa.
Photos posted on Twitter shows extensive damage to the front of the bus, with the roof of a shelter pushed well into the bus' second deck.
The bus has a capacity of 90 people, both sitting and standing.
The crash snarled afternoon traffic as emergency crews descended on the scene.
In 2013, an Ottawa bus collided with a Via Rail train in suburban .

3 dead, 23 injured in Ottawa bus crash

President Donald Trump attaches great importance to the bilateral relationship between India and the United States, the new Indian ambassador to the country, Harsh V Shringla, has said.
Shringla, who arrived here on January 9, presented his diplomatic credentials to the US president in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday.
Reflective of the growing trust and warmth between India and the US, the new Indian envoy presented his credentials to Trump in less than 50 hours after arriving in Washington.
Such a quick credentials ceremony for a foreign diplomat is rare in the American capital, given that in the past, envoys of other countries, including those from India, have waited for weeks to formally present their diplomatic credentials to the US president.
Diplomatic credentials is a letter that formally appoints a diplomat as the ambassador to another country. The letter is addressed from one head of state to another. It is presented by the ambassador to the receiving head of ...

Page 3625 - PTI Stories National