WhatsApp to add voice to messaging service

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) â€" WhatsApp, the popular messaging service for smartphones thats being acquired by Facebook, will soon be offering a voice service.

CEO Jan Koum said the voice service will be deployed for Android and iPhones this spring, with Blackberry and Microsoft and Nokia phones coming later.

"We are going to introduce voice in WhatsApp in the second quarter of this year," Koum said at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. "I think we have the best voice product out there. We use the least amount of bandwidth."

WhatsApp currently has a voice function but only in note form. This new service will be live.

On Wednesday, Facebook agreed to buy WhatsApp for $19 billion in a deal that is by far the biggest by the social networking company and any other done by Google, Microsoft or Apple.

Wearing a gray shirt, jeans and a black jacket, the 38-year-old Koum quipped - "last week we added a new Facebook friend. I dont know if you guys heard."

The blockbuster deal made serious waves with those in the telecommunications industry who gathered this week in the Catalan city, but also sparked concern among users that Facebook would introduce advertising to WhatsApp.

Koum insisted that there are no designs to add "marketing" to the messaging service.

"There are no planned changes," said Koum. "Our vision and mission are aligned. We both want to make the world more connected."

Facebook is paying $12 billion in stock and $4 billion in cash for WhatsApp. Koum along with fellow founder Brian Acton and their 55 employees were also granted restricted stock worth $3 billion that will vest over four years after the deal closes.

Koum said that he didnt expect that WhatsApps staff would grow in number very much, saying that "we want to operate as a startup."

Relatively unknown until now in the U.S., WhatsApp is popular in other countries, both in Europe and in emerging economies. The Mountain View, California, startup already has almost twice as many users as the better known short messaging service, Twitter.

WhatsApp has 465 million monthly users and 330 daily users, according to Koum. It is ad-free and costs users 99 cents a year after a first free year.

Baby on the way for Jimmy Kimmel and new wife

NEW YORK (AP) â€" Jimmy Fallon may be the late night host with a new show, but Jimmy Kimmel has reason to celebrate, too.

Kimmel and his wife Molly McNearney are expecting their first child together, his representative Lewis Kay confirmed Monday.

The TV personality first made the announcement during a taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," airing Wednesday.

The 46-year-old Kimmel already has two children, a 20-year-old son and 22-year-old daughter, from a previous marriage.

It will be 35-year-old McNearneys first baby.

The couple got married last July.

McNearney also is the co-head writer of "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Barca pays 13.5M euros to tax office over Neymar

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) â€" Barcelona paid 13.55 million euros ($18.6 million) to Spanish tax authorities on Monday to cover any potential irregularities in its signing of Neymar, all the while maintaining its innocence of the fraud charges levied against it.

The Spanish champion said in a statement it paid the "complimentary" amount to cover any "eventual interpretations that could come out of the contracts signed relating to the transfer of Neymar. Meanwhile we are convinced of the legality of our initial fulfilment relating to our tax obligations."

Barcelonas actions take the price of Neymars transfer to more than 100 million euros ($138 million) after the Catalan club initially said it paid 57.1 million euros ($74 million) for the Brazil forward.

That sum does not include bonus payments made by Barcelona or the 22-year-olds salary, meaning his total cost likely exceeds the record-breaking 100 million euros-plus spent by rival Real Madrid on Gareth Bale last summer.

Spanish tax authorities charged Barcelona with fraud on Thursday, alleging it swindled the state of 9.1 million euros ($12.5 million) through payments to varying companies and false contracts.

Of the initial transfer fee, Brazilian club Santos received 17.1 million euros ($23 million) while Neymars father, who also goes by Neymar, earned 40 million euros ($55 million).

The tax authorities considered the amount paid to Neymars father as a salary, the club explained.

Barcelona said it "scrupulously" met its financial obligations in signing the player from Brazilian club Santos and it would continue to work with the state authority in the matter.

Neymars signing forced the resignation of Sandro Rosell as president last month, after one club members petition to learn more about the intricate details of what has become a club-record signing was kept in the dark.

President Josep Bartomeu, who replaced Rosell, said Mondays figures were the final, transparent sums associated to the deal, despite having said such words previously about the initial 57.1 million euros it paid out.

"We did everything we could to bring Neymar to Barca. Were very confident about our dealings, everything has been transparent," Bartomeu said. "We would do everything again exactly the same way."

Rosell has preached financial prudence while signing lucrative sponsorship deals that have put advertising on the front of Barcelonas jersey for the first time in the history of an institution that considers itself "more than a club" and a symbol of Catalan values.

Rosell was being investigated by the same Spanish court that laid the fraud charges against the club.

Barcelona said the decision to make the payment came after an emergency board meeting on Sunday.

Barcelonas on-field play has also been as erratic as its off-field distractions of late as it fell behind Madrid in the standings for the first time in nearly two years over the weekend.

US defense chief proposes big cuts for Army

WASHINGTON (AP) â€" Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Monday proposed shrinking the U.S. Army to its smallest size in 74 years, closing military bases and making other military-wide savings as part of a broad reshaping after more than a decade of war.

Hagel outlined his vision in a speech at the Pentagon, a week before President Barack Obama is to submit his 2015 budget plan to Congress.

Hagel said that U.S. forces must adjust to the reality of smaller budgets, even as he asserted that the United States faces a more volatile, more unpredictable world that requires a more nimble military.

"We are repositioning to focus on the strategic challenges and opportunities that will define our future: new technologies, new centers of power and a world that is growing more volatile, more unpredictable and in some instances more threatening to the United States," he said.

Under the Hagel plan, which Congress could change, the active-duty Army would shrink from its current 522,000 soldiers to between 440,000 and 450,000. That would make it the smallest since just before the U.S. entered World War II.

Hagel said Obamas budget proposal will include a government-wide "Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative" that would provide the Pentagon with $26 billion on top of the $496 billion it is due to receive in 2015 under terms of the budget deal passed by the Congress two months ago.

The U.S. can afford a smaller military so long as it retains a technological edge and the agility to respond on short notice to crises anywhere on the globe, Hagel said. He said the priorities he outlined reflect a consensus view among Americas military leaders, but Republicans in Congress were quick to criticize some proposed changes.

"I am concerned that we are on a path to repeat the mistakes weve made during past attempts to cash in on expected peace dividends that never materialized," said Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a possible presidential contender in 2016.

At the core of Hagels plan is the notion that after wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that proved longer and more costly than foreseen, the U.S. military will no longer be sized to conduct large and protracted ground wars. It will put more emphasis on versatile, agile forces that can project power over great distances, including in Asia.

Hagel stressed that such changes entail risk. He said, "We are entering an era where American dominance on the seas, in the skies and in space can no longer be taken for granted."

However, budget constraints demand that spending be managed differently from the past, with an eye to cutting costs across a wide front, including in areas such as military compensation that are certain to draw opposition in the Congress, he said.

"Although these recommendations do not cut anyones pay, I realize they will be controversial," Hagel said, adding that the nation cannot afford the escalating cost of military pay and benefit packages that were enacted during the war years.

"If we continue on the current course without making these modest adjustments now, the choices will only grow more difficult and painful down the road," he said.

Among the bolder moves in Hagels proposal is the elimination of the Air Forces fleet of A-10 aircraft as well as its venerable U-2 spy planes, as well as reductions in the size of the Army National Guard. Those moves are expected to draw some opposition in Congress.

Hagel said the administration will propose a new round of domestic military base closings in 2017, while noting that Congress has rejected such requests in recent years.

Army leaders have been saying for months that they expect their service to shrink as the nation prepares to end its combat role in Afghanistan this year.

Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, said recently that whatever the future size of the Army, it must adapt to conditions that are different from what many soldiers have become accustomed to during more than a decade of war. He said many have the misperception that the Army is no longer busy.

"People tend to think that the Army is out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and there is not much going on," he said Jan. 23 at an Army forum. "The Army is not standing still. The Army is doing many, many, many things in order for us to shape the future environment and prevent conflict around the world."

The last time the active-duty Army was below 500,000 was in 2005, when it stood at 492,000. Its post-World War II low was 480,000 in 2001, according to historical tables provided by the Army on Monday. In 1940 the Army had 267,000 active-duty members, and it surged to 1.46 million the following year as the U.S. approached entry into World War II.

Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said Monday that Hagel consulted closely with the military service chiefs on how to balance defense and budget-saving requirements.

"He has worked hard with the services to ensure that we continue to stand for the defense of our national interests â€" that whatever budget priorities we establish, we do so in keeping with our defense strategy and with a strong commitment to the men and women in uniform and to their families, Kirby said.

"But he has also said that we have to face the realities of our time. We must be pragmatic. We cant escape tough choices. He and the chiefs are willing to make those choices," Kirby said.

Italys new premier asks Parliament to support him

ROME (AP) â€" Italian Premier Matteo Renzi pitched for support in Parliament Monday ahead of mandatory confidence votes on his brand-new government but offered scant details to back his bet he can get the country back to work again while the last three premiers failed.

Renzi leads a broad coalition including his dominant center-left Democrats, centrists, and conservative forces which used to back Silvio Berlusconi, the scandal-scarred ex-premier.

In the Senate, Renzi should be able to muster a slim majority on his three-day-old government.

But there has been loud grumbling among his own Democrats over Renzis heavy-handed tactics to wrest the premiership from fellow Democrat Enrico Letta. His predecessor led a coalition with the same tense partners for 10 months, but Renzi engineered his ouster after industrialists and union leaders grew impatient with tentative efforts to energize the economy after years of stagnation.

Renzi said debt-laden Italy must heal its public finances not because Germanys Angela Merkel or the European Central Bank chief want that, but because "its our children" who seek a future. He said Italy must slash payroll taxes to encourage hiring, but didnt say how Italy would recoup the lower tax revenues.

The new premier faces "pressure to show swift signs of progress on his ambitious reform program," given that unemployment for January is likely to have stayed at 12.7 percent, said CMC Markets UK analyst Michael Hewson ahead of the speech. Youth unemployment hovers at 40 percent.

Noting the tepid Senate applause, Senator Paola Taverna echoed other opposition leaders when she said Renzi offered "nothing concrete."

In the second confidence vote, in the lower Chamber of Deputies Tuesday, Renzis coalition has a comfortable majority.

Angelina Jolie visits Syrian children in Lebanon

BEIRUT (AP) â€" Actress and U.N. special envoy Angelina Jolie made a surprise visit to Lebanon to draw attention to the challenges facing thousands of Syrian refugee children and to highlight the massive displacement Syrias three-year conflict has created, officials said Monday.

During a three-day visit, Jolie visited unaccompanied children living in the eastern Bekaa Valley, where much of the poorest Syrian refugees in Lebanon reside, as the United Nations Refugee Agency Special Envoy. The 3,500 children are those who were orphaned, or separated from their families as they fled into Lebanon.

They form part of the nearly one-third of all Syrians who have been displaced from their homes since an uprising against President Bashar Assad began in March 2011. About 2.5 million Syrians have become refugees; and another 4.2 million are displaced within Syria, the U.N. estimates â€" some one-third of the countrys pre-war population.

"Meeting these children was a heart-rending experience," said Jolie in a statement issued via the U.N. "They have lost their families and their childhood has been hijacked by war. They are so young, yet they are bearing the burdens of their reality as if they are adults."

The tiny Mediterranean country of Lebanon, which neighbors Syria, has absorbed nearly one million refugees, swelling the countrys population by one-fifth.

The concentrated numbers of refugees have overwhelmed Lebanons infrastructure, raised rents and flooded the public health and education systems throughout the country. The poorest refugees huddle in tents made out of old billboard advertisements on land they rent out from farmers in the Bekaa Valley; the shelters offer little against the countrys bitter winters and hot summers.

Parents of thousands of Syrian children have pulled them out of schools, because they cannot afford the modest Lebanese school fees, or because they need them to work â€" often as shoe shiners and car cleaners.

During her visit, Jolie called on the international community to ensure the implementation of a recent U.N. resolution that called for humanitarian assistance to reach Syrian civilians.

On Saturday, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding immediate access everywhere in Syria for humanitarian aid. The resolution, which marked a rare instance of unity on the security council, doesnt threaten sanctions but it does express the councils intention to take "further steps" if the resolution isnt implemented

In the statement, Jolie described the resolution as a long overdue step, but stressed that it must be implemented. She said her meeting was also to thank Lebanon for hosting the refugees.

"The generosity and solidarity shown by Lebanon and Lebanese to its neighbor serves as an example to the world for which we should all be grateful. We all need to help them bear this burden," Jolie said.

Also in Syria, activists said that military aircraft have struck a rebel-held town near Damascus, as government forces intensified their efforts to subdue opposition-held communities around the capital.

An activist who uses the name Mamoun Abu Saker said three strikes targeted homes in the town of Nashabiyeh on Monday.

Abu Saker said at least four people were killed, and others are still buried under rubble. He said two strikes first hit the homes, and then as people rushed to rescue casualties, another strike hit the same area.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the strikes, but not the death toll. The Observatory maintains a network of activists on the ground.

In recent months, Syrian forces loyal to Assad have been focusing their efforts on taking back a rebel-held ring of communities around Damascus.

Also Monday, airstrikes killed some 10 people in the northern Syrian city of Sheikh Khader, said local activist Abu Hasssan al-Marea. The strikes, but not the death toll, were also reported by the Local Coordinating Committees, an activist collective. The neighborhood lies in a contested area of the city between government and rebel-held areas, making the shelling there unusual, al-Marea said.

Children become latest victims of Thai violence

BANGKOK (AP) â€" The father grimaced and wept as he struggled to contain his grief at the death of his two children in a grenade attack during a weekend trip to a mall in downtown Bangkok â€" the latest casualties in Thailands months of political crisis.

"Im asking and pleading to every side to let my children be the last case (of violence) on Thai soil," Tayakorn Yos-ubon, 33, said, his voice shaking, before retrieving their bodies from the morgue Monday.

Korawit, 4, and his sister Patcharakorn, 6, were not part of the anti-government demonstrations. They had piled into a three-wheeled "tuk-tuk" taxi after eating at a KFC with their cousin and an aunt when the attack occurred Sunday near a busy intersection occupied by the protesters.

The siblings, along with a 5-year-old girl who died Saturday in another attack on a rally site in the eastern province of Trat, are the first children to be killed in the countrys recent political unrest, which has claimed at least 20 lives and injured more than 700 since November. Police have not arrested any suspects in the weekend attacks.

The Thai public has recoiled in shock over the childrens deaths, and yet there seems to be no sign that either side in the impasse is softening its position. City residents have braced for more violence.

"We dont know who did it but it shouldnt have happened to children, my children," Tayakorn said.

"I didnt expect my kids to be brilliant. I just wanted them to be good people and to be able to get by in this society," he added. "But this society, right now, is very cruel. Very, very cruel."

The 9-year-old boy cousin suffered brain and lung damage and is in intensive care.

UNICEF on Monday called for the protest zones to be made "child-free" and urged parents to keep their children away.

UNICEF "condemns the violence that resulted in these tragic and senseless deaths and injuries to children," it said in a statement.

The violence continued Monday night as a grenade was fired from an M79 launcher, apparently at the headquarters of the opposition Democrat Party, which is closely allied with the militant anti-government protest movement. Explosive ordnance disposal police Col. Kamthorn Auicharoen said there were no injuries but a car was damaged.

A police officer who was shot in the head during a clash with anti-government protesters last week also died Monday.

The protesters, mostly representing the urban elite and those in the south, are pressing for the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. They want her to be replaced by an appointed interim government to implement reforms they say are needed to fight corruption and permanently remove Yinglucks wealthy family from politics.

Thailand has seen sometimes-violent political conflict since 2006, when then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Yinglucks brother, was ousted by a military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power. Thaksins supporters and opponents have since taken to the streets for extended periods in an ongoing power struggle.

Yingluck, who has strong backing from the rural poor majority, condemned the weekend attacks and said the country would suffer more pain if the two sides dont negotiate.

"Its time we make an effort to talk together, and each side must stop turning away from the other," she said, adding that she has a duty to remain in her job until a new government is chosen.

The protesters have refused to negotiate.

The countrys army commander-in-chief also urged a negotiated solution to the standoff, saying the military would not intervene despite the violence.

"What needs to be done urgently is for each side to talk and discuss, to make sure they will receive fairness and move toward a solution methodically and peacefully," Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha said.

In 2010, pro-Thaksin "Red Shirts" occupied part of Bangkok for two months and were assisted by their own armed militia. More than 90 people were killed in violent confrontations, with the army finally sweeping away the demonstrators.

Dhiraagu commissioned to manage Vessel Monitoring System

Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture has commissioned Dhiraagu to sell and manage the Vessel Monitoring System, to be installed on fishing vessels to monitor, manage, and strengthen surveillance of fisheries in Maldives.

The project was handed over to Dhiraagu at a ceremony at Velaanaage today, by Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Dr Mohamed Shainee.

Minister Shainee said that the vessel locating device, once installed on vessels, will send signals once every hour to Monitoring Stations, and allow Coast Guard and Fisheries Ministry to monitor the movement of fishing vessels.

He said that it will also allow vessel owners to observe the movement of their vessels, and when in emergency situations, vessels can send signals every five minutes by using the Distress Button.

He further said that Coast Guard and Fisheries Ministry can receive location details of vessels from around the world, which will reduce the time taken by authorities to respond in emergency situations.

All work related to the sale and installation of the device will be managed by Dhiraagu. The price of the device is MVR 18,000, but Dhiraagu has decided to sell the first 289 devices for MVR 13,987. Presently, the service is only available in Male’, but Dhiraagu will expand this service to its regional posts soon.

Dhiraagu said that the device has been installed on and is being used by 13 devices for testing.

Four minors acquitted in Thinadhoo arson case

Juvenile Court has acquitted the four minors charged with terrorism following the arson attack on Gaafu Dhaalu Thinadhoo Police Station on 8 February 2012.

In its ruling today, the court said that the minors denied the terrorism charges against them filed by the State.

Two witnesses were presented against the first suspect by the State, who testified to have seen the suspect throwing stones at the Police Station and police officers in front of the Police Station.

The court said however that there was no one who saw the stones hitting any police officer, and no damage was caused to the Police Station by the hurled stones.

The State presented ten witnesses against the second suspect, who also testified to having seen the suspect throwing stones near the Police Station area; but the suspect was acquitted on the basis that there was no one who saw the stones hitting any police officer, and no damage was caused to the Police Station by the hurled stones.

Only one witness was presented against the two remaining suspects, and this witness testified to have seen the two suspects being involved in the unrest, throwing stones at the Police Station and police officers, setting fire to a motorcycle at the Police Station, and entering Gaafu Dhaalu Council Office by force.

The Court said that the suspects had not been physically involved in any unrest, but were present at the area where the unrest took place.

The four minors were charged under Articles 2 (f), 2 (g) and 6 (b) of the Terrorism Prevention Act.

According to Articles 2 (f) and (g), the following activities shall be construed as acts of terrorism: any act of or intent of arson so as to cause harm or damage to person(s) or property, and the use of terror tactics, force or making threats to cause harm or damage to persons or property orally or in writing or other means to create fear amongst the community.

Juvenile Court said that the based on witness testimonies, the four suspects had not been involved in any of the crimes mentioned in Articles 2 (f) and (g) of the Terrorism Prevention Act.

The court said that based on testimonies, the minors were guilty of obstructing the police, however, the court was not able to sentence them for obstructing the police as they had not been charged for that crime.

Ukraine: Yanukovych reportedly seen in Crimea

SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (AP) â€" Ukrainian law enforcement agencies said Monday they have no information about the whereabouts of President Viktor Yanukovych, who reportedly was seen in Sevastopol, a port on Ukraines Crimean Peninsula that is the home of Russias Black Sea Fleet.

After signing an agreement with the opposition to end a conflict that turned deadly, Yanukovych fled the capital for eastern Ukraine. Ukraines border service said he tried to fly out of the country Saturday from Donetsk but was stopped by their officials.

Opposition lawmaker Volodym Kurennoy said on his Facebook page that he had unconfirmed information that the president had been arrested in Crimea.

Ukrainain news portal Liga.net reports that Sevastopol residents saw Yanukovych in the company of Russian marines. The claim could not be independently verified.

Spokespersons for the regional and national Interior Ministry and Security Service said Monday they had no such information.

Yanukovych set off a wave of protests by shelving an agreement with the EU in November and turning toward Russia, and the movement quickly expanded its grievances to corruption, human rights abuses and calls for Yanukovychs resignation.

The speaker of parliament assumed the presidents powers Sunday, but a presidential aide told the AP on Sunday that Yanukovych plans to stay in power.

Tensions have been mounting in Crimea, where pro-Russian politicians are organizing rallies and forming protest units and have been demanding autonomy from Kiev. Russia maintains a big naval base in Crimea that has tangled relations between the countries for two decades.

Philippine Muslim rebel commander arrested

MANILA, Philippines (AP) â€" A commander of the main Muslim rebel group that recently signed a peace deal with the government has been arrested, the Philippine national police chief said Monday in a move criticized by the rebels.

Director-General Alan Purisima said police and marine forces arrested Wahid Tundok, a commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front wanted for multiple murder and other charges, on Sunday at a checkpoint in southern Cotabato city. Tundok and several of his armed followers were taken to a local military headquarters for questioning.

Another rebel leader, Ghadzali Jaafar, said immunity guarantees under the ceasefire agreement cover Tundok, and that talks were underway with the government to free the men.

He said the cease-fire mechanism should remain in place and that Tundoks arrest should not affect the gains made in the peace talks.

The government and the rebels signed a peace pact last month which calls for the 11,000-strong guerrilla force to be deactivated. Under the deal, the government will grant amnesty to Muslim rebels facing or have been convicted of rebellion-related charges.

The conclusion of the Malaysian-brokered talks has been the most significant progress made over 13 years of negotiations to tame an insurgency that has left more than 120,000 people dead and derailed development in Muslim-populated southern regions that are among the most destitute in the Philippines.

Under the deal, the Moro insurgents agreed to end violence in exchange for broader autonomy. An existing five-province Muslim autonomous region is to be replaced by a more powerful, better-funded and potentially larger region to be called Bangsamoro.

Criminal Court returns cases filed by PG Office

Criminal Court has returned several cases filed by Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office.

Criminal Court said that 60 cases have been returned, because they were not filed according to procedure.

PG Office has also confirmed that these cases have been returned.

Criminal Court earlier stopped accepting cases filed by PG Office, citing the lack of a Prosecutor General as a reason.

The court resumed accepting cases following a second order in this regard by Supreme Court last Tuesday.

One day before it resumed accepting cases, it introduced a procedure on filing, accepting and returning cases.

The 60 cases were returned for failure to follow these procedures, said Criminal Court.

Sports facilities will also be established in small islands, assures President

President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has said that the Sports Arena Project will benefit not only islands with more than 2,000 people, but also islands with smaller populations.

The President said this while speaking at a ceremony at Olympus on Sunday night to launch the Sports Arena Project.

“Sports arenas will be built only in islands with more than 2,000 people, but we will not exclude small islands with less than 2,000 people. Facilities for popular sports will be established also in those islands under this project within five years,” he said.

He said that a budget no less than MVR 300 million will be allocated for youth activities next year as well.

President Yameen said that the project will ensure the establishment of the sports infrastructure required by the country for the next ten years.

The project was inaugurated by President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Minister of Sports and Youth Mohamed Maleeh Jamal and Minister of State for Sports and Youth Ghassan Maumoon.

Sports Arena Project inaugurated

The Sports Arena Project, included in the government’s manifesto, has been inaugurated at a ceremony at Olympus on Sunday night.

The project was inaugurated by President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Minister of Sports and Youth Mohamed Maleeh Jamal and Minister of State for Sports and Youth Ghassan Maumoon.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Yameen said that the establishment of a sports infrastructure as required by youth will be completed this year, and a budget no less than MVR 300 million will be allocated for youth activities next year as well.

Maleeh said that the arena project will be forwarded to Tender Board for evaluation soon.

Under this project, the government plans to construct 34 sports arenas in 16 atolls for indoor and outdoor sports.

Samsungs new smartwatches have fitness features

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) â€" Samsung unveiled two new computerized wristwatches on Sunday, this time including health sensors and related fitness features to give people a reason to buy one.

Samsungs first Galaxy Gear smartwatch came out last fall amid much fanfare, but it landed with a thud in the marketplace. Samsung and its smartwatch rivals had failed to persuade many consumers that they need to be able to constantly check messages from their wrists. Wearable devices that succeeded tended to be fitness products such as the Fitbit.

The new Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will have a heart rate sensor, a pedometer and various tools to measure exercise, sleep and stress levels. The low-resolution, 2-megapixel camera on the Gear 2 is being moved to the main body; it was on the strap on the original Gear. The Gear 2 Neo has no camera and is slightly larger, but lighter. Available colors are also slightly different.

Its unclear whether the new watches will continually display the time. In the original Gear, that was shut off to save battery, which lasted just a day. The new watches promise two or three days under normal use, putting them more in line with what rivals offer.

Samsung didnt announce prices for the new watches, but said they would be available in April. The original cost $300.

Samsung Electronics Co. announced the new watches Sunday before the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona. Samsung has a major event Monday evening, during which it is expected to announce a successor to its popular Galaxy S4 smartphone.

The company decided to make the latest smartwatches with a little-known operating system called Tizen OS, instead of the Android system from Google used in the original Gear, as the South Korean electronics company tries to break the dominance Google has on mobile devices.

The move gives some credence to a fledging system that Samsung and other backers want to see on all sorts of devices, including televisions, refrigerators and cars. Samsung already has a Tizen camera out, but a Tizen phone has yet to emerge, despite expectations of one last year. For now, Samsung is putting Tizen on a smartwatch instead.

Although Google gives away Android for any manufacturer to use in its gadgets, its loaded with a range of Google services, including stores for apps, music and video. Samsung is trying to promote its own stores as well and ends up confusing users by including two of everything.

To prevent Google from having a similar dominance in wearable devices and other gadgets beyond phones and tablets, Samsung is pushing Tizen OS as an alternative.

But before Tizen can take off, Samsung needs the new Gear to be a success.

The original Gear worked with selected Samsung phones to display email and text alerts. It also had a camera on the strap for low-resolution photos and a speakerphone on the watch to make calls, Dick Tracy-style. The Gears 1.6-inch screen keeps the watch small enough â€" at least for men â€" to work as a fashion accessory. Straps came in six colors.

The device had many shortcomings, however.

Its $300 price tag was 50 percent higher than what Sony Corp. charges for its SmartWatch 2. And the Gear worked only with selected Samsung phones â€" in fact just one model when it launched â€" while watches from Sony and Qualcomm Inc. work with a greater pool of Android devices from a variety of manufacturers.

In addition, app selection on the Gear was limited, while the apps that were available fell short on functionality. Although the Gear was supposed to offer quick access to information so you dont have to constantly pull out your phone, many of the alerts simply tell you to return to the phone to read a new message.

Lego Movie lead builds; No. 1 for third weekend

LOS ANGELES (AP) â€" Action-packed new releases couldnt stack up to 3-D hit "The Lego Movie," which took the No. 1 slot in its third weekend at the box office.

The Warner Bros. animated film bested Relativity Medias "3 Days to Kill" and Sonys "Pompeii" on their opening weekends.

"The Lego Movie," featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Morgan Freeman, earned $31.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The domestic total has passed $183 million. Overseas, it grossed $23.1 million this weekend.

Heading into full-fledged franchise territory with a sequel set to release in May 2017, "The Lego Movie" is the highest-grossing film of 2014.

"Its been really tough for any of the newcomers to displace Lego," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. "They had such a great release date that put them in this perfect position to dominate the marketplace for several weeks. For Lego to earn $31 million in its third weekend, that would be impressive in its first weekend for any film in the first quarter."

Relativity Medias crime drama "3 Days to Kill," starring Kevin Costner and Amber Heard, came in second with $12.3 million in its first weekend at the multiplex.

"Pompeii," Sonys boiling gladiator drama starring "Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington, took third place with $10 million. There was a fairly even gender split for the Constantin-financed film, with the audience breaking down as 52 percent male and 48 percent female. The films slot in the top five was steered mostly by viewers under 30.

"Pompeii got savaged by critics," Dergarabedian said. "3 Days to Kill wasnt loved by critics either, so you had two films that didnt have a shot at taking Lego out. But these movies did about what we would expect."

The box office results for "Pompeii" were much better overseas, as the film made $22.8 million internationally.

In its second weekend, the Sony and MGM reboot "RoboCop" dropped from third to fourth with $9.4 million. Starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton, the modernized sci-fi film (the 1987 original starred Peter Weller as a cop who gains a new robotic body) is down 57 percent from last weekends domestic opener. For the second weekend in a row, the action film performed better overseas with $17.7 million.

"The time of year that were in, the movies just arent the critics darlings," Dergarabedian said. "These films give people options. But they wont necessarily set the world on fire at the box office."

Sonys "The Monuments Men," directed by George Clooney, was pushed down to fifth place from last weeks fourth-place spot with $8.1 million.

Still, Sony dominated the multiplex with four films in the top 10. "About Last Night," starring Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Joy Bryant and Regina Hall, gained $7.4 million in its second weekend after a strong Valentines Day opening. It is down a hefty 71 percent from its opening with a $38.15 million domestic total.

Kevin Harts "Ride Along," also starring Ice Cube, marks another hit for the comedian as it remains in the top 10 for the sixth weekend in a row. The Universal Pictures buddy comedy earned $4.7 million. It has made more than $123 million domestically since it opened on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

Because of its vast success, the studio has secured "Ride Along 2." Tim Story will be back to direct, while Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi will return to pen the sequel.

Disneys "Frozen," locked in at No. 8, refuses to thaw with $4.4 million over the weekend and $980 million worldwide during its run. The animated musical is the third-highest grossing domestic animated release of all-time. Rounding out the top 10, Universals "Endless Love," starring Alex Pettyfer as the romantic lead opposite Gabriella Wilde, brought in $4.3 million, while the Colin Farrell-starring drama "Winters Tale" gained $2.1 million.

Next weekend, the action releases continue as Liam Neesons "Non-Stop" hits theaters. Lupita Nyongo, nominated for a best supporting Oscar for her role in "12 Years a Slave," also appears in the film.

___

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included.

1."The Lego Movie," $31.5 million ($23.1 million international).

2."3 Days to Kill," $12.3 million.

3."Pompeii," $10 million ($22.8 million international).

4."RoboCop," $9.4 million ($17.7 million international).

5."The Monuments Men," $8.1 million ($13.6 million international).

6."About Last Night," $7.4 million.

7."Ride Along," $4.7 million.

8."Frozen," $4.4 million ($9 million international).

9."Endless Love," $4.3 million ($1.3 million international).

10."Winters Tale," $2.1 million ($2.4 million international).

Avatar actor Sam Worthington arrested in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) â€" Police say actor Sam Worthington has been arrested in New York City for punching a photographer after the man kicked Worthingtons girlfriend in the shin.

The 37-year-old "Avatar" actor was arrested on an assault charge following the incident Sunday evening.

The Australian actor was released and is due back in court on Wednesday. Police did not say what caused the scuffle.

The photographer, 37-year-old Sheng Li, was arrested on charges of reckless endangerment, assault and harassment. Hes being held pending arraignment.

It wasnt immediately clear if both had lawyers.

Ibrahimovic scores 3 as PSG wins 4-2 at Toulouse

PARIS (AP) â€" Zlatan Ibrahimovic took his tally to 37 goals in another remarkable season on Sunday, scoring a hat trick as defending champion Paris Saint-Germain won 4-2 at Toulouse to maintain its five-point lead over Monaco.

Ibrahimovic, who also helped set up the other goal for Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi, has scored 22 league goals and is closing in on his career-best total of 30 from last season. At this pace, he is on course to get 50 goals in all competitions.

"It was a good game. It wasnt easy to play on this pitch because it wasnt in a good state," said Ibrahimovic, who scored twice in the 4-0 rout of Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday. "I feel good, very good physically. I dont know how far we can go but I hope the team keeps on playing like this, and well see what we can win."

PSG is finding its best form again at just the right time and next faces bitter rival Marseille at home next weekend.

"Weve scored a lot of goals in one week. It shows our attacking talent and its going to be very hard to catch us," PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi said. "Now we can recover properly before the Marseille game."

Toulouse coach Alain Casanova promised to attack and was true to his word, with lively striker Wissam Ben Yedder scoring twice to set up a nervous finish before Ibrahimovic converted his second penalty of the match in the last minute.

"We didnt play particularly well, because the players were a bit tired (after Tuesday night)," PSG coach Laurent Blanc said. "We didnt create an enormous amount of chances but we took them, and when you score four goals the coach can only be happy."

Meanwhile, Lille fell further behind the top two after a dour 0-0 draw with Lille.

Third-place Lille is 10 points behind Monaco and one point ahead of fourth-place Saint-Etienne, while Lyon is five points behind Lille in sixth place.

PSG took the lead in the 33rd minute when Serbian defender Uros Spajic brought down Lavezzi, and Ibrahimovic drilled his spot kick down the middle with goalkeeper Zacharie Boucher guessing wrong as he dived to his right.

PSG should have scored again in the 43rd when Ibrahimovic crossed from the left and center back Thiago Silva failed to hit the target as he lunged in at the far post.

A minute later, Toulouse punished PSG for that miss when Ben Yedder volleyed in a cross from midfielder Etienne Didot.

But PSG regained the lead in the 56th when Ibrahimovic again crossed from the left, Matuidi let the ball run and Lavezzi finished with a first-time shot.

Ibrahimovic seemed to have put the result beyond doubt in the 70th, heading in substitute Yohan Cabayes free kick after the impressive Lavezzi had been fouled, but sloppy play let Toulouse back into the game three minutes later.

After PSG midfielder Thiago Motta went to challenge forward Martin Braithwate, the ball bounced into the penalty area and Ben Yedder beat goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu with a calm finish.

Not to be outdone, Ibrahimovic went close with another header from Cabayes free kick â€" which Boucher kept out â€" and then scored another penalty after Issiaga Sylla had handled his free kick.

Ibrahimovic was lucky, however, as he tried to dink it over Boucher. The goalkeeper saved the shot, only for the rebound to fall kindly into the Sweden forwards path.

Hardly anything happened at Lille until the hour mark, when Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes thwarted 18-year-old forward Divock Origi and then tipped away Salomon Kalous cross before it reached striker Nolan Roux.

The game finally started to open up and, when Lyon midfielder Clement Grenier clipped the ball over onrushing goalie Vincent Enyeama, defender Pape Souare had to make a goal line clearance.

Lopes then made an excellent finger-tip save to push Origis strike from 20 yards (meters) onto the bar, and Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette shot straight at Enyeama from a good position.

Earlier, struggling Rennes moved nine points away from the relegation zone with an impressive 3-0 win at Nantes, with Sweden forward Ola Toivonen, strike partner Paul-Georges Ntep and Norwegian midfielder Anders Konradsen getting the goals.

Porto loses 1-0 at home to Estoril in Portugal

LISBON, Portugal (AP) â€" FC Porto slipped to its first home defeat of the Portuguese league season on Sunday, losing 1-0 to Estoril.

Estoril midfielder Evandro converted a penalty for the winner in the 78th minute after he was fouled in the area by Eliaquim Mangala, who was sent off.

Porto was left in third place, two points behind Sporting Lisbon.

Leader Benfica can extend its two-point advantage over Sporting on Monday when it hosts Guimaraes.

Estoril, which has only lost once away from home this season, strengthened its hold on fourth place. It hadnt taken points from the Stadium of the Dragon since the 2004-05 season.

Also, Setubal routed Pacos Ferreira 4-0, Maritimo beat Belenenses 2-0, and Olhanense edged Gil Vicente 2-1.

Ukraine parliament head takes presidential powers

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) â€" With an ally claiming presidential powers Sunday and the whereabouts and legitimacy of the nominal president unclear, newly freed opposition icon Yulia Tymoshenko may feel her chance to take Ukraines leadership has come. But even among protesters who detest President Viktor Yanukovych, Tymoshenko sparks misgivings.

The former prime minister, who was convicted of abuse of office in a case widely seen as political revenge by her arch-foe Yanukovych, is a polarizing figure in a country staggering from political tensions that exploded into violence. Admired and even adored by many for her flair and fiery rhetoric, Tymoshenko is regarded by others as driven by intense ego and tainted with corruption.

Just a day after she left the hospital where she was imprisoned, demonstrators outside the Cabinet of Ministers expressed dismay that she could be Ukraines next president. One of them held a placard depicting Tymoshenko taking power from Yanukovych and reading, "People didnt die for this."

Ukraine is in a delicate state of uncertainty since Yanukovych and protest leaders signed an agreement to end the conflict that left more than 80 people dead last week in Kiev. Soon after signing it, Yanukovychs whereabouts are unclear after he left the capital for his support base in eastern Ukraine. Allies are deserting him.

Russias next moves in the crisis were not immediately clear, but Washington warned Moscow not to intervene militarily.

The newly emboldened parliament, now dominated by the opposition, struggled to work out who is in charge of the country and its ailing economy. Fears percolated that some regions might try to break away and seek support from neighboring Russia, particularly the Crimean peninsula where Russias Black Sea naval fleet is based.

Ukraine is deeply divided between eastern regions that are largely pro-Russian and western areas that widely detest Yanukovych and long for closer ties with the European Union.

Yanukovych set off a wave of protests by shelving an agreement with the EU in November, and the movement quickly expanded its grievances to corruption, human rights abuses and calls for Yanukovychs resignation.

The parliament on Sunday assigned presidential powers to its new speaker, Tymoshenko ally Oleksandr Turchinov, who said top priorities include saving the economy and "returning to the path of European integration," according to news agencies. The latter phrase is certain to displease Moscow, which wants Ukraine to be part of a customs union that would rival the EU and bolster Russias influence. Russia granted Ukraine a $15 billion bailout after Yanukovych backed away from the EU deal.

The Kiev protest camp at the center of the anti-Yanukovych movement filled with more and more dedicated demonstrators Sunday, setting up new tents. Demonstrators posed with an APC and two water cannon that protesters seized during last weeks clashes and carried flowers to memorialize the dead, some of whom were killed by snipers.

Tymoshenko, the blond-braided and controversial heroine of the 2004 Orange Revolution, increasingly appears to have the upper hand in the political battle, winning the backing Sunday of a leading Russian lawmaker and congratulations from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. senators on her release.

Although her spokeswoman, Maria Soroka, said its too early to discuss whether she will run for president in early elections called for May 25, Tymoshenko is possessed of adamant determination. Even from a wheelchair because of a back problem that was aggravted in 2 1/2 years of imprisonment, she was a powerful speaker Saturday to a crowd of tens of thousands at the protest camp.

"She knows how to do it. She is our hero," said Ludmilla Petrova, one of those at the square the next day.

Other demonstrators objeccted.

"She is just as corrupt as Yanukovych," said 28-year-old Boris Budinok. "We need new faces in Ukrainian politics. The old ones brought us to where we are now."

Tymoshenkos admirers remember her as the most vivid figure of the Orange Rvolution, which forced a rerun of a fraud-riddled presidential election purportedly won by Yanukovych. After the new vote, won by Viktor Yushchenko, Tymoshenko became prime minister.

But she and Yushchenko quarreled intensely and their government was a huge letdown for those who had hoped it would help integrate Ukraine into Europe. Detractors also look askance at her for her years at the helm of Unified Energy Systems, a middleman company that was the main importer of the Russian natural gas on which Ukraine depends. Nicknamed "The Gas Princess," she was accused of giving kickbacks to then-premier Pavlo Lazarenko, who is no imprisoned in the United States for fraud. Later, as deputy prime minister, she pushed through reforms of the energy sector that some said did little more than fill the pockets of her associates.

Susan Rice, President Barack Obamas national security adviser, said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a telephone conversation Friday that a political settlement in Kiev should ensure the countrys unity and personal freedoms. Rice also said Sunday on NBCs "Meet the Press" that it would be a "grave mistake" for Russia to intervene militarily in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has been largely silent about whether it still supports Yanukovych. Putin, who presided over the close of the Sochi Olympics, has not spoken about recent events in Kiev. He had developed a productive working relationship with Tymoshenko when she was Ukraines prime minister.

Russia recalled its ambassador from Kiev for consultations because of the developments in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website.

The conviction that sent Tymoshenko to prison was for allegedly negotiating an excessively high price for Russian gas.

Russian legislator Leonid Slutsky said Sunday that naming Tymoshenko prime minister "would be useful for stabilizing" tensions in Ukraine, according to Russian news agencies.

Russias finance minister urged Ukraine to seek a loan from the International Monetary Fund to avoid an imminent default.

Tensions mounted in Crimea, where pro-Russian politicians are organizing rallies and forming protest units and have been demanding autonomy from Kiev. Russia maintains a big naval base in Crimea that has tangled relations between the countries for two decades.

A crowd of pro-Russia demonstrators in the Crimean city of Kerch, following a rally Sunday at which speakers called for Crimeas secession, marched toward city hall chanting "Russia! Russia!" and tore down the Ukrainian flag. Marchers scuffled with the mayor and police officers who tried but failed to stop the crowd from hoisting a Russian flag in its place.

The political crisis in this nation of 46 million has changed with blinding speed in the past week.

In a special session Sunday, the parliament voted overwhelmingly to temporarily hand the presidents powers to speaker Turchinov. He stuck with Tymoshenko even as others deserted her in her roller coaster political career.

The legitimacy of the parliaments flurry of decisions in recent days is under question. The votes are based on a decision Friday to return to a 10-year-old constitution that grants parliament greater powers. Yanukovych has not signed that decision into law, and he said Saturday that the parliament is now acting illegally.

However, legal experts said that de facto the parliament is now in charge.

Presidential aide Hanna Herman told the AP on Sunday that Yanukovych was in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv as of Saturday night and plans to stay in power.

Protesters smashed portraits of Yanukovych and took down statues of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin in several towns and cities. On Sunday, some pro-Russian protesters took up positions to defend Lenin statues in Donetsk and Kharkiv. Statues of Lenin across the former U.S.S.R. are seen as a symbol of Moscows rule.

Ex-Venezuelan general in armed standoff at home

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) â€" One of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros most outspoken critics has become the latest rally cry for opposition protesters after engaging in an armed standoff with security forces Sunday.

Retired army Gen. Angel Vivas sported a flak jacket, assault rifle and handgun as he defiantly addressed dozens of neighbors from the balcony of his home in eastern Caracas.

"Im not going to surrender," the 57-year-old Vivas yelled to a crowd of cheering followers.

Supporters rushed to Vivas defense after he announced to his 100,000-plus followers on Twitter that a group of "Cuban and Venezuelan henchmen" had come looking for him. The officers withdrew after the crowd built barricades outside Vivas house. Vivas lawyer said they didnt have an arrest order.

Maduro on Saturday ordered Vivas arrest for allegedly encouraging students to stretch wire across streets where theyve set up barricades in recent weeks. The president blames the apparent booby trap for the death of a government supporter who raced into a barricade on a motorcycle.

Vivas, one of the governments fiercest critics in the frequently vicious world of Venezuelan social media, rose to prominence in 2007 when he resigned as head of the Defense Ministrys engineering department rather than order his subalterns to swear to the Cuban-inspired oath "Fatherland, socialism or death."

The standoff Sunday occurred after hundreds of grandparents danced and paraded their way to the presidential palace to express support for Maduro, who is struggling to contain a wave of anti-government protests that have left at least 10 people dead and more than 100 injured.

Speaking at the rally, Maduro invited sectors of the opposition as well religious and labor leaders to participate in a meeting Wednesday to discuss ways to restore calm in Venezuela.

He also said hoped that the oppositions two-time presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles, governor of Miranda state, attends a meeting Monday with local authorities to discuss ways to reduce crime, one of the main drivers of the protests.

US-South Korea war games loom over Korean reunions

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) â€" A year ago, North Korea vowed nuclear attacks to retaliate for U.S.-South Korean war games. But the start Monday of this years joint military drills comes as Pyongyang allows wrenching reunions of elderly Koreans separated since the Korean War.

As always with the rival Koreas, cold political calculations loom behind the scenes of pure emotion.

The reasons for Pyongyangs about-face are seen as having more to do with the impoverished countrys desire to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington and its need for money than with concern about the painfully brief reunions of Koreans who havent seen each other since the wars end in 1953.

"Humanitarianism is not at all what North Korea is about," Scott Snyder, a Korea specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in a recent online post. Improvements in ties "always engender doubts about how and when the other shoe will drop."

After a last-minute cancellation of reunions in September, Pyongyang allowed them to go forward this time after recent rare high-level talks with Seoul. The first reunions of North and South Koreans in more than three years have been held despite the refusal by the U.S. and South Korea to cancel what they call routine drills, but which Pyongyang says are preparations for an invasion.

The two sets of drills began Monday as scheduled, but there was no immediate reaction from North Koreas military, according to Seouls Defense Ministry.

On Sunday, about 360 South Koreans arrived at the Norths Diamond Mountain resort to meet dozens of North Korean relatives, the second and final group of Koreans to participate in reunions that began Thursday and end Tuesday. These are the lucky few. Only a fraction of the millions of Koreans separated by the Korean War have been reunited, and there have been no second meetings.

South Korean Lee Yik-kyu, 80, hadnt seen his 83-year-old North Korean brother, Ri In Gyu, since he was taken during the war by North Korean soldiers. The brothers approached each other awkwardly at first on Sunday before embracing and weeping.

"Are you my brother?" Lee asked. "Its Yik-kyu."

Lee told South Korean reporters that his mother grieved Ri In Gyus loss until she died 18 years ago, often calling out, "In Gyu, are you dead or alive?"

North Korea allowed these reunions, analysts say, largely because it wants increased aid shipments, outside investment and negotiations with Seoul over the resumption of once-lucrative jointly run tours at the Diamond Mountain resort. Those tours were put on hold after a North Korean soldier shot and killed a South Korean tourist in 2008.

After last years tumult on the Korean Peninsula, which included North Koreas third nuclear test and the last-minute cancellation of the scheduled reunions in September, Pyongyang has this year pursued a charm offensive, albeit one laced with occasional angry rhetoric.

The Koreas have resumed work at a jointly run factory park in the North that Pyongyang had shut down last spring. Seoul also says that this year it has permitted five private groups aid shipments to the North, worth about $1.4 million.

Even as Pyongyang eases its stance toward Seoul, it has repeatedly accused Washington of engineering efforts to divide the Koreas. The U.S.-South Korean military drills are an attempt by Washington to keep alive a "vicious cycle of escalated tension in the peninsula," the Norths official Korean Central News Agency said in a recent commentary.

One of the drills is 11 days of computer-simulated war games involving 5,200 U.S. and 10,000 South Korean soldiers. The second one scheduled to last until April 18 is field training exercises involving 7,500 U.S. and 150,000-200,000 South Korean troops, according to Seouls Defense Ministry and the U.S. military command in Seoul. The allies didnt disclose details of Mondays drills.

3 dead in attack on Bangkok anti-govt protesters

BANGKOK (AP) â€" Two young siblings and a woman were killed in an apparent grenade attack against anti-government protesters occupying an upscale shopping area of Thailands capital on Sunday, the latest violence in a months-long political crisis that is growing bloodier by the day.

The attack near the Ratchaprasong intersection in the heart of Bangkok, home to major shopping malls and luxury hotels, followed another assault on anti-government protesters in eastern Thailand on Saturday night that killed a young girl and wounded dozens of other people.

A 6-year-old girl, Patcharakorn Yos-ubon, died Monday from brain and liver injuries, according to Erawan emergency services center, which keeps track of protest casualties in Bangkok. She died one day after her 4-year-old brother, Korawit, and a 59-year-old woman were killed in the attack.

A 9-year-old boy suffering from brain and lung damage from the explosion remained in the intensive care unit of Ramathibodi Hospital, according to a hospital statement released Monday.

Erawan center said Sundays violence left 21 others injured.

The attacks were the latest in a spate of protest-related violence roiling Thailand over the past three months, with at least 18 people killed and hundreds hurt. The protesters, who are occupying several key intersections in Bangkok, want Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to quit to make way for an appointed interim government to implement anti-corruption reforms, but she has refused.

On Saturday night, a 5-year-old girl was killed and about three dozen people wounded in an attack on an anti-government rally in the eastern province of Trat.

The perpetrators have not been identified in either attack. Both sides in the ongoing political dispute have blamed the other for instigating violence.

A protest leader, Sathit Wongnongtoey, said Sundays explosion was caused by a grenade. Six protesters were hurt Friday night by a grenade attack in the same area.

Explosives experts from the police and army cordoned off the immediate area of the blast to search for clues amid vendors overturned tables and bloodied sandals. Protesters, meanwhile, continued to rally on streets in the area that they have occupied for several weeks, while soldiers patrolled in combat gear.

While the protesters have failed repeatedly to force Yingluck out through self-declared deadlines, they have blocked the prime minister from working at her normal offices and have sent roving mobs after her, making it difficult for her and Cabinet members to make public appearances.

The protesters also have succeeded in delaying completion of early elections called by Yingluck, undermining efforts to restore political stability.

"I strongly condemn the use of violence in recent days that has caused many deaths both in Trat province and, especially, at Ratchaprasong today, which is particularly saddening and disturbing since the lives of children were lost," Yingluck said in a statement Sunday night.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate end to the violence from any side, and urged the government to bring those responsible to justice.

Saturday nights attack in Trat, about 300 kilometers (180 miles) east of Bangkok, occurred as 500 anti-government protesters were rallying near busy food stalls.

A 5-year-old girl died in the attack, said a nurse at Trat Hospital, Nantiya Thientawatchai.

Police Lt. Thanabhum Newanit said unidentified assailants in a pickup truck shot into the crowd and two explosive devices went off. It was not clear whether the protest groups guards fought back. Thanabhum and other officials said about three dozen people were hurt, several critically.

Both supporters and opponents of the protesters, as well as police, have been victims of the political violence, which before Saturday was mostly confined to Bangkok.

Thailand has seen sometimes violent political conflict since 2006, when then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Yinglucks brother, was ousted by a military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power. Thaksins supporters and opponents have since taken to the streets for extended periods in a power struggle.

In 2010, pro-Thaksin "Red Shirts" occupied part of Bangkok for two months, and were assisted by their own armed militia. More than 90 people were killed in violent confrontations, with the army finally ordered to sweep away the demonstrators.

The Red Shirts have mostly kept a low profile during the current political unrest, but held a meeting Sunday to discuss how to respond to the crisis.

Project launched to establish water supply system in Maamigili

A project has been launched to establish an Integrated Water Supply and Distribution System in Alifu Dhaalu Maamigili.

This project, funded by the government and implemented by Male’ Water and Sewerage Company Private Limited (MWSC), was inaugurated by Minister of Environment and Energy Thorig Ibrahim and Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim at a ceremony in Maamigili today.

Speaking at the ceremony, Thorig said that it is part of the new government’s policies to ensure provision of water systems and other basic public services in all islands. He said that several water and sewerage system projects will be launched to achieve this.

He thanked Maamigili Island Council, Alifu Dhaalu Atoll Council, and the people of Maamigili for their cooperation for this project.

Environment Ministry has said that this project, worth MVR 50,322,050, will be implemented by MWSC on design and build basis.

The project includes the establishment of a Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant, an RO storage tank, a rainwater storage tank, and supply of water to all houses in Maamigili.

Bangladesh Islamist prisoners snatched from police

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) â€" Unidentified attackers in central Bangladesh on Sunday opened fire on authorities transporting three convicts who are members of a banned Islamist group, snatching the men and killing a police officer, an official said.

About 25-30 attackers arrived in two cars as a van transporting the convicts was heading from a prison in Gazipur district, near the capital, Dhaka, police official Firoz Talukdar said. The convicts are members of Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh, a group that wants to establish strict Islamic law in the Muslim-majority nation, he said.

One policeman was killed and three others were injured as the attackers took the three prisoners, Talukdar said.

The attack took place in Mymensingh district, 112 kilometers (70 miles) north of Dhaka.

The injured policemen were being treated for bullet wounds at a government-run hospital, Talukdar said.

Talukdar said two of the convicts had been sentenced to death, while the third was serving a life sentence. It was unclear what crimes the men had been convicted of.

Police said they detained at least three suspects hours after the incident.

The government says that Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh was broken up after the radical groups top six leaders were hanged in 2007, but that it is trying to regain strength.

The six were hanged after the group bombed government offices and courts.

MDP’s aim has always been to obstruct the government: Tourism Minister

Minister of Tourism Ahmed Adheeb has said that Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is a party that continuously tries to obstruct the government’s efforts to fulfil its pledges and implement developmental projects.

Adheeb, who is also Deputy Leader of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), said this while speaking at a press conference at PPM Office this afternoon.

“PPM has put forward new and young people as candidates for the Parliamentary Election. MDP, on the other hand, has candidates who have pending court cases. So I’m confident, MDP will have to face defeat this time as well,” he said.

Adheeb said that MDP calls for judicial reform because of the numerous pending court cases involving MDP members.

He said that the government will celebrate its first 100 days tomorrow, and it has thus far fulfilled all its pledges but with no cooperation from MDP.

He said that their refusal to vote for the budget and rejection of ministers are clear signs that MDP wants to obstruct the government’s projects and the country’s development.

Bombing kills 14 at northwest Pakistan bus station

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) â€" A bomb planted at a busy bus terminal near a police station in northwest Pakistan exploded Sunday, killing 14 people and wounding 15 near the countrys lawless tribal region, authorities said.

The explosion targeted passengers in a motorized rickshaw and those on a mini-bus in Kohat, some 150 kilometers (100 miles) west of the capital, Islamabad, police official Iqbal Khan said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though Kohat has seen past attacks by local Taliban fighters and allied sectarian groups against its minority Shiite population, which has a presence in the city and its outskirts.

Khan and police official Fazal Naeem said the vehicles targeted were bound for a Shiite-majority area, and suspected that the minority Muslims could have been the target of the attack.

Northwestern provincial police chief Nasir Durrani said security forces have been conducting counterinsurgency operations in the area.

Local Taliban militants have killed tens of thousands of Pakistanis in a bloody war against the state in a bid to overthrow the government and enforce their own harsh brand of Islamic Shariah law.

Pakistans government recently started peace talks with the Taliban, but negotiations were suspended after the killing of 23 soldiers by a faction of the militant group and a militant-claimed bombing in southern port city of Karachi that killed 13 police officers.

Air force jets have been pounding militants hideouts in various tribal regions near the Afghan border since the peace talks collapsed last week.

Both the Pakistani government and the local Taliban are demanding each other to initiate a cease-fire first to resume the talks.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif long has favored peace talks over military action to end the bloodshed in the northwest, but he is also under pressure from critics to retaliate for any Taliban violence.

One of the critics is an ethnic political party based in Karachi called the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The party on Sunday held an anti-Taliban rally to express solidarity with Pakistans security forces. Thousands of people demonstrated and were addressed by the party leader Altaf Hussain by phone from London.

"Taliban are cancer for Pakistan. Taliban are cancer for the humanity," he said.

Taliban checkpoint attack kills 21 Afghan soldiers

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) â€" Hundreds of heavily armed Taliban insurgents attacked army checkpoints in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said, killing 21 soldiers in the deadliest single incident for the Afghan army in at least a year.

In response to the assault â€" which also left several Afghan soldiers missing â€" President Hamid Karzai postponed a planned trip to Sri Lanka.

Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, who is spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said "hundreds" of foreign and Afghan insurgents crossed the border to mount the attack, which took place in the remote and mountainous Ghazi Abad district of Kunar Province in the early morning hours.

Azimi did not specify which border, but Kunar lies next to Pakistan. Its a militant stronghold, and many Arab and other foreign insurgents are believed to operate there alongside the Afghan Taliban.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for Sundays attack in an emailed statement, saying that one of their insurgents was killed and two were wounded.

The group has escalated attacks in recent months as it tries to take advantage of the withdrawal of foreign troops at the end of 2014. Casualties among Afghan troops have been rising significantly since they took the lead in the war against the Taliban. Since the beginning of 2014, 84 Afghan army soldiers have been killed.

Azimi said that 21 Afghan soldiers died and three others were wounded in the attack, which turned into an intense, four-hour gunbattle between the army and insurgents.

An army support unit en route to assist the operation also was targeted by a suicide bomber, he said, but there were no military casualties.

Gen. Abdul Habib Sayedkhaili â€" chief of police for Kunar Province â€" said that there were around 30 Afghan soldiers manning the outpost when insurgents attacked from three sides with rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and light weapons.

He said that of seven soldiers initially reported missing, three had been found alive and security forces continued to searching for the others.

It was not immediately clear if the soldiers had been kidnapped or had fled during the assault.

Hours after the attack, security forces were continuing to trade fire with the insurgents and chase them through difficult terrain, Saeydkhaili said.

"Our security forces are going as far as they can to chase the enemy," he added.

While neither Azimi nor Sayedkhaili specifically mentioned Pakistan, the Afghan president appeared to point a finger at the neighboring nation.

In a statement condemning the attack, Karzai called on Pakistan to take serious measures to destroy terrorist sanctuaries and fight against terrorism.

Pakistan has a complicated relationship with the Taliban. It helped the group seize control of Afghanistan in 1996, and Kabul has repeatedly accused Islamabad of providing the insurgents sanctuary on its territory following the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Girl dies, dozens hurt in Thai political violence

BANGKOK (AP) â€" A small explosion at an anti-government protest site in Thailands capital injured two dozen people Sunday, a day after a bloodier attack at a demonstration in an eastern province killed one child and left more than 30 people wounded.

A protest leader, Sathit Wongnongtoey, said the blast Sunday in central Bangkok was caused by a grenade. Six protesters were hurt Friday night by a grenade attack in the same area.

Twenty-four injured people were sent to hospitals after Sundays blast, Erawan emergency medical services said.

On Saturday night, gunmen in a pickup truck attacked an anti-government protest in eastern Thailand, killing a 5-year-old girl and wounding dozens of other people, as violence in the countrys 3-month-old political crisis spread outside the capital.

The attacks were the latest in a spate of protest-related violence roiling Thailand over the past three months, with at least 16 people killed and hundreds hurt. The protesters want Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to quit to make way for an appointed interim government to implement anti-corruption reforms, but she has refused.

While the protesters have failed repeatedly to force Yingluck out through self-declared deadlines, they have blocked the prime minister from working at her normal offices and have sent roving mobs after her, making it difficult for her and Cabinet colleagues to make public appearances. The protesters also have succeeded in delaying completion of an early election called by Yingluck, undermining efforts to restore political stability.

Saturday nights attack took place in Trat province, where about 500 anti-government protesters were rallying near busy food stalls. Trat is about 300 kilometers (180 miles) east of Bangkok.

A nurse at Trat Hospital, Nantiya Thientawatchai, said a 5-year-old girl died in the attack.

Police Lt. Thanabhum Newanit said unidentified assailants in a pickup truck shot into the crowd and two explosive devices went off. It was not clear whether the protest groups guards fought back. He and other officials said that about three dozen people were hurt, several critically.

Both supporters and opponents of the protesters, as well as police, have been victims of the political violence, which before Saturday was mostly confined to Bangkok.

A spokesman for the protesters, Akanat Promphan, described the attack in Trat as "a massacre of innocents" that was "planned and organized terror."

"The authorities must quickly find those terrorists responsible. Yingluck must show responsibility. Otherwise, we can only assume the government and ... Yinglucks involvement in this atrocity," he said.

Both sides in the ongoing political dispute have blamed the other for instigating violence.

"At this point we do not know who was behind the attack, but there are several factors to take into account in the investigation," said National Security Council chief Lt. Gen. Paradorn Pattanathuabutr.

He said the protesters in Trat have been rallying for a long time, "so they might have caused disturbance to others," adding that the "area is controlled by groups that are affiliated with the anti-government side."

Thailand has seen sometimes violent political conflict since 2006, when then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Yinglucks brother, was ousted by a military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power. Thaksins supporters and opponents have since taken to the streets for extended periods in a power struggle.

In 2010, pro-Thaksin "Red Shirts" occupied part of Bangkok for two months, and were assisted by their own armed militia. More than 90 people were killed in violent confrontations, with the army finally ordered to sweep away the demonstrators.

The Red Shirts have mostly kept a low profile during the current political unrest, but held a meeting Sunday in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima to discuss how to respond to the political crisis.