Author: AFP

Activist jailed for five Years, say rights groups

BEIJING: The founder of a prominent Chinese civil and human rights website was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday for inciting state subversion, according to human rights organisations. Liu Feiyue created and ran the Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch website, which covers a range of civil and human

Australian researchers test shark-bite resistant wetsuit

SYDNEY: An Australian university is testing new materials designed to lessen the impact of shark bites, researchers said Tuesday, in a project aimed at reducing fatalities and easing the nerves of swimmers. Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide have received government funding to test a new neoprene – a synthetic

Canadian lawmakers move to new chambers during parliament renovation

OTTAWA: Canadian lawmakers on Monday began their last session before elections later this year in new temporary digs to make way for a huge renovation of parliament and other government buildings that will last a decade. The MPs moved out of the old Gothic Revival style parliament at the end

Kvitova hails end to Grand Slam issues

PRAGUE: Australian Open finalist Petra Kvitova hailed the end of her Grand Slam bad luck – and of a two-year transition following a knife attack that almost ended her career. Having played only two Grand Slam quarter-finals since her Wimbledon triumph in 2014, Kvitova joked last year that she might

Sharapova off to winning start at St Petersburg

SAINT PETERSBURG: Russian star Maria Sharapova made a victorious debut at the WTA Saint Petersburg indoor tournament, beating Daria Gavrilova of Australia in straight sets on Monday. The 31-year-old Sharapova prevailed 6-0, 6-4 in one hour 45 minutes to chalk up her third win in four head-to-head meetings with Russian-born

Olympic and world badminton champ Marin ruptures knee ligament

MADRID: Spain’s Olympic badminton gold medallist Carolina Marin is a doubt for the world championships in August after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee. The 25-year-old, a winner of three of the past four world titles, hurt herself in Sunday’s Indonesia Masters final and was forced to

Alonso takes aim at Indy 500 after rainy Daytona win

WASHINGTON: Spain’s Fernando Alonso is getting ready for another unique challenge at the Indianapolis 500 after adding Daytona to his list of prestigious racing titles. The two-time Formula One champion was part of the winning effort at the rain-hit 24 Hours of Daytona that concluded Sunday, becoming only the third

Three dead, 172 injured in Havana tornado

HAVANA : A rare and powerful tornado that struck Havana killed three people and left 172 injured, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said early yesterday. Diaz-Canel, who toured the darkened streets of Havana in the pre-dawn hours visiting emergency crews, wrote on Twitter that damage to the Cuban capital from the late

Search resumes for hundreds missing in Brazil dam disaster

BRUMADINHO (Brazil): Fears of a second dam breach at a Brazilian mining complex receded yesterday, enabling a search to resume for the more than 300 people still missing two days after a dam collapse that has killed at least 58 people. Loudspeakers rang out at 5.30 am (0730 GMT) among

Church attack puts fresh pressure on peace efforts

MANILA: The Islamic State-claimed bombing of a Catholic cathedral that killed 20 in the Philippines’ restive south put fresh pressure yesterday on peace efforts aimed at ending decades of separatist violence. Two explosions tore through the cathedral, shattering pews and windows, on the Muslim-majority island of Jolo, killing worshippers at