Donald Trump orders new sanctions on North Korea, praises China
US President Donald Trump ordered new sanctions on Thursday that open the door wider to blacklisting people and entities doing business with North Korea, further tightening the screws on Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.
Trump stopped short of going after Pyongyang's biggest trading partner, China, praising as "tremendous" a move by its central bank ordering Chinese banks to stop doing business with North Korea.
The additional sanctions on Pyongyang, including on its shipping and trade networks, showed that Trump was giving more time for economic pressures to weigh on North Korea after warning about the possibility of military action on Tuesday in his first speech to the United Nations.
Asked ahead of a lunch meeting with the leaders of Japan and South Korea if diplomacy was still possible, Trump nodded and said, "Why not?"
Fearing far-right surge, Angela Merkel urges Germans to vote on Sunday
Fears that apathy could boost the far-right Alternative for Germany in an election on Sunday have driven Chancellor Angela Merkel and her main rival to urge their backers to go out and vote.
With many voters viewing a fourth term for Merkel as almost inevitable and put off by a turgid campaign - occasionally punctured by heckling and tomato hurling in protest at Merkel's refugee policy - pollsters say turnout may be low.
A GMS poll on Thursday said 34 per cent were not planning to vote or were undecided, higher than the 29 per cent who did not cast ballots in the last election in 2013.
Istanbul's Ataturk airport reopens following private jet crash
A private jet crashed on landing and burst into flames while making an emergency landing at Istanbul's main international airport, leaving four injured.
The incident forced the temporary closure of Ataturk International Airport and while it later reopened passengers were still experiencing delays.
Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin said the Cessna Citation plane had two pilots on board, one crew member and one passenger, all Turkish citizens.
World's richest woman Liliane Bettencourt dies aged 94
French businesswoman and billionaire Liliane Bettencourt, whose family founded L'Oreal and still owns the largest stake in the cosmetics giant, has died aged 94, her daughter said.
Bettencourt, listed by Forbes as the world's richest woman, was the heiress to the beauty and comestics company her father founded just over a century ago as a maker of hair dye.
Her death opens a new phase for L'Oreal, France's fourth-largest listed company, altering the relationship it has with key shareholder Nestle, the Swiss food company.
Football: Tensions between Neymar, Cavani 'normal' says PSG coach
Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery has admitted that tensions mounted in the dressing room at the Parc des Princes last weekend following the penalty dispute between Neymar and Edinson Cavani against Lyon.
"They are two very competitive players. They want the best for the team first of all, but then they also have individual objectives," said Emery at a press conference on Thursday.
"I insist: There is a good atmosphere in the squad. Just after the match it was very emotional, so you can have conversations. People might call them disputes but they are normal and happen after practically every match, in one sense or another. But it doesn't break the harmony or the good atmosphere in the team."
