A significant number of Mexican travellers stayed away from the US, a traditional getaway destination for the families in the neighbouring country during the Easter holidays, the media has reported.

Headlined "Mexican tourists say no to the US in Holy Week", an editorial published in the daily El Economista on Friday said, "there are fewer Mexicans visiting their 'favourite' places in the US", Xinhua news agency reported.

While the drop in the US-bound tourism was evident in the first quarter of 2017, the trend "became clear during the Holy Week and Easter vacations" as Mexicans reacted to the hostile policies of US President Donald Trump, the daily said.

On January 25, Trump signed an executive order for a "physical barrier" to be built along the US-Mexico border of nearly 3,200 km.

However, "international experts point out that our country, along with Canada, would benefit the most from travellers losing interest in the US," El Economista said.

Data published earlier this week by the Mexican Ministry of Tourism appears to bear this out, with statistics indicating more Mexicans chosing to travel domestically.

"Preliminary figures… show the 2017 Holy Week vacation period set a record, achieving a general average of 91 per cent" domestic hotel occupancy, the ministry said on Wednesday.

Some Caribbean beach destinations, such as Cancun, Holbox and Puerto Morelos, even hit 100 per cent hotel occupancy.

The US tourism industry has taken note of the fall in visitor numbers, not only from Mexico, but also Europe and the Middle East.

"On the web, flight searches for trips heading to the US out of all international locations was recently down by 17 per cent," according to a recent article in US travel-planning website Frommer's.
 

Ivanka Trump's brand intensified its work in China as her father closed in on the Republican nomination for US president, with her company applying for nearly twice as many trademarks in a five-month span as it had in the preceding eight years.

Ivanka Trump Marks LLC applied for 36 trademarks in China between March and July of last year. From 2008 through 2015, it applied for a total of just 19 trademarks, China's trademark database showed.

Three of the 2016 applications were granted preliminary approval on April 6, the same day Ivanka Trump dined with China's President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago, the Associated Press revealed this week in an article that documented how Ivanka Trump's brand has continued to expand even as she builds a new political career in her father's administration.

Ivanka Trump still owns her brand, but has stepped back from management and put its assets in a family-run trust.

China's foreign ministry has said that the government treated Ivanka's trademarks just like everyone else's.

Ethics experts have questioned whether that's possible, particularly in a country where the ruling Communist Party influences the courts and bureaucracy.

Politically sensitive decisions on, for example, the intellectual property of the family of the US president, may well have been subject to high-level political review.

“She needs to be very careful to make sure she's on the right side of the law,” said Norman Eisen, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under Barack Obama.

“Personally, I find it unlikely that there is no element of Chinese favoritism in the handling of her requests.”

Eisen is part of a lawsuit brought by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group, against President Trump for alleged violations of the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, involving, among other things, his China trademarks.

Eisen argues that if President Trump or his daughter received special treatment from China in winning intellectual property protection, it would be a violation of the Constitution, which bars federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments unless approved by Congress.
An attorney for Ivanka Trump said she has no role in her company's trademark filings.

“She left her company in January and she does not know what is filed, where it is filed, or whether it is approved or rejected,” attorney Jamie Gorelick said. “She has not sought, and would not want, any special treatment for the company.”

“The brand has filed, updated, and rigorously protected its international trademarks over the past several years, which included those filed in China” since 2016, Abigail Klem, the president of Ivanka Trump's brand, said in a statement yesterday.

She said a surge in trademark filings by “unrelated third parties trying to capitalize on the name” emphasizes the need to protect the trademark. 

The makers of Rajinikanth's 2.0 have postponed the film's release date from Diwali this year to January 25, 2018.

“We are working on world class VFX, and it is taking time. An extensive portion of the visual effects work will be carried out in the USA, and our team is working in full swing now. So, we have zeroed in on January 25th, 2018 as the worldwide release date,” Raju Mahalingam of Lyca Productions said.

Also featuring Bollywood star Akshay Kumar in the role of an antagonist, 2.O, which is directed by Shankar, is a sequel to his 2010 blockbuster Enthiran.

The Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman has scored the music for the project, which also stars Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey and Adil Hussain in important roles.

Tipped to be India's most expensive project at a budget of Rs.450 crores, 2.O has National award-winning visual effects supervisor Srinivas Mohan managing the VFX work.

US Vice President Mike Pence said here on Saturday that an aircraft carrier strike group led by USS Carl Vinson will arrive in the Sea of Japan by the end of April, a media report said.

"Our expectation is that they will be in position in the Sea of Japan in a matter of days, before the end of this month," he told at a joint presser with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Xinhua news agency reported.

The aircraft carrier will arrive in waters near the Korean peninsula early next week. 

The carrier and its strike group is to sail to areas near North Korea after completing its training mission with the Australian Navy, Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported. 

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is currently stationed at the US military base in Yokosuka, Japan, but is undergoing maintenance and would not be able to be deployed immediately in the event of an emergency.

Maintenance work on the carrier is one of the reasons why the US military is keen to "leave no gap" in Northeast Asia, the report stated.

The US is also strengthening its reinforcements ahead of April 25, when North Korea is expected to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army.

Experts have stated there is a possibility North Korea could conduct a sixth nuclear test, the Japanese media reported.

North Korea has said it is not afraid of the Carl Vinson, following reports the aircraft carrier and its strike group had not been deployed to the Korean peninsula as announced.

"The closer it approaches, the greater the impact of the effect of annihilating punishment," the Pyongyang statement read. "We will not allow survival for those who threaten our existence."

The US Navy said on Friday a Carl Vinson fighter pilot was safely ejected during training in the Celebes Sea. The pilot suffered no injuries and was rescued by helicopter, according to CNN.

Australian authorities are preparing to put major cities on 'terror lockdown' for the country's national day of remembrance, a media report said on Saturday.

Celebrated on April 25 every year, Anzac Day commemorates members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) who served and died in all wars and conflicts, Xinhua news agency reported.

Australian counter-terrorism agencies would be on high alert for the day following the lone-wolf terror attacks being carried out by the Islamic State terror group.

The latest one in Paris in which a police officer was shot dead on Thursday night.

Frontline police and specialist officers will spend the eve of Anzac Day in Melbourne scouring streets, gardens and buildings for anything suspicious.

Hi-tech cameras would be used by authorities throughout the day to monitor persons of interest in the city.

Peter O'Neill, Acting Commander of Victoria Police, said a "bubble" would be placed around the city to ease community fears after the Paris attack and a foiled terror plot on Anzac Day in 2015.

He said that while no direct threat had emerged, police could not afford to be complacent.

"There is nothing on the radar but as we have watched, there have been events unfolding over the last three to four years and we are not immune to them," O'Neill told the media on Saturday.

"We will maintain a strong police presence and have a bubble around parts of the city to provide a safe environment – it's something that we have to do. We want people to embrace the day – and not be intimidated."

More than 60,000 people are expected in the city on Tuesday for the dawn service and Anzac Day match while the traditional Anzac Day Aussie Rules match between Collingwood and Essendon is expected to draw a crowd of more than 90,000.

Sevdet Ramadan Besim was jailed for 10 yeas in 2016 after pleading guilty to planning a terrorist attack in Melbourne on Anzac Day in 2015.

Besim intended to run down and behead a police officer before using a gun to go on a rampage throughout the city. 

At least 434 militants have layed down arms in Quetta, the capital city of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Friday.

The Geo TV said that a ceremony was held in Balochistan assembly to mark the inclusion of the militants in the national mainstream.

Chief Minister of Balochistan Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, senior army officers, provincial ministers and other government officials attended the ceremony, Xinhua news agency reported.

The militants belonged to different groups including Baloch Republican Army, Baloch Liberation Army, and different districts of the province.

Addressing the ceremony, Zehri said that the provincial government will provide all possible support to those laying down arms.

"It is our national and moral obligation," he said.

He said that extremist elements used innocent people of the province to kill other innocent people.

Balochistan government spokesperson Anwarul Haq Kakar said that so far over 1,500 militants have surrendered.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday highlighted the need to invest in prevention, which he believes is the best way to prevent conflicts.

The UN chief made the remarks at the World Bank Spring Meetings along with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, Xinhua news agency reported.

The UN chief stressed that the best and most necessary investment was an investment in prevention and in addressing the problems of fragility before it turns into conflict.

"It is absolutely essential to find a way to divert the massive use of resources in managing crises to what is necessary to do to prevent them and to build the capacity of societies to solve their own problems," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres, said.

The UN chief also said that the international community must combine the peace and security approach with the sustainable development and human rights approaches.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stressed that the alleged chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun town was fabricated, and a bunch of lies.

There was no toxic attack in Khan Sheikhoun town, Xinhua news agency quoted Assad as saying.

Charging that the US and the Western powers have prevented an investigation team from coming into Syria to look into the allegation, "because the team will find that all the narrative about what happened in Khan Sheikhoun was mere lies."

Two weeks ago, the US launched 59 missiles on a Syrian air base in Homs province in central Syria, in retaliation to an alleged chemical attack launched by the Syrian air force on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province, during which over 70 people were said to had been killed.

The Syrian government completely rejected the accusations, saying it is not in possession of chemical weapons and that there was no need to resort to such option as the Syrian army was advancing and using such tactic will do a big harm.

Asked about the Syrian air defenses, prior to the American strike against the Shayrat air base in Homs two weeks ago, Assad said the rebels' main target was the Syrian air defenses, noting that the country lost 50 per cent of the air defense capacity during the war.

He noted, however, that negotiations are ongoing with Russia to buy new air defense systems.

"This is the case always, before and through the war, of course we have become in need for more weapons after the war, and this is part of the daily relations between the Syrian and Russian defense ministries," the president said.

Actor Zac Efron, who turns 30 in October, says he is looking to find the right girl to settle down with after seeing some of his friends in "great relationships".

Efron, who split from model Sami Miro last year, is now looking forward to get married soon, reports dailymail.co.uk.

"I didn't think much about settling down until recently. Now that I'm getting closer to my 30s, I'm around some great relationships and I've seen expert couples at work," Efron told Cosmopolitan magazine.

"I'm realising that you have to find your own happiness before you can make somebody else happy," he added.

Cuba and Morocco has signed an agreement to reestablish diplomatic ties after a gap of 37 years, the Cuban Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Guided by the mutual will to develop friendly relations, the two governments agreed to reestablish ties as well as political, economic and cultural cooperation," said the agreement, signed on Friday by the two countries' envoys to the UN in New York.

Relations will be restored with ambassadors being exchanged, Xinhua news agency reported. 

Morocco's King Mohamed VI has already ordered the opening of an embassy in Havana, one of the few Latin American capitals where Rabat was not represented to date.

Morocco cut ties with Havana in 1980 after Cuba recognised Western Sahara as the independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco claims the territory as its own.

King Mohamed VI travelled to Cuba earlier in April for a private family visit, but it was widely believed that he maintained diplomatic contacts with the Cuban government during his stay there.

Back to winning ways riding on its power-packed batting unit, Gujarat Lions captain Suresh Raina today said the team needs to work on its inexperienced bowling department to be a force to reckon with in the ongoing Indian Premier League.

Raina led from the front with a sublime half-century as laggards Gujarat Lions returned to winning ways with a comprehensive four-wicket away win over leaders Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Friday.

Chasing a challenging 188-run target after opting to bowl, Gujarat Lions were off to a brisk start, thanks to Aaron Finch (31 off 15 balls; 4x2s, 2x6s) and Brendon McCullum (33 off 17; 5x4s, 1×6) who stitched a quick-fire 42-run opening stand that came off just 21 balls.

"It was an important game for us and we bowled pretty well (towards the end). We came back pretty strongly.

"I think the batting looks good, but we can still improve on our bowling. We have been giving away lots of runs in the first six overs. If we are looking to finish on top, we need to minimise our mistakes," Raina said at the post-match press conference.

Raina praised his colleagues and said it was team effort that sealed the easy win for the visitors in the crucial match.

"Then, me, Baz (Brendon McCullum) and Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) had a good partnership. It was important to play proper cricketing shots, there was no need to play cross-batted shots," he said.

"Basil (Thampi) is a very good prospect for Gujarat. (James) Faulkner was also great, got Gautam Gambhir out. Overall, it was a great team effort. It was important for me to be out there and keep calm when wickets fell," concluded Raina, who was declared the man-of-the-match for his brilliant knock.

Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir said the explosive start by Aaron Finch and McCullum made life easier for Gujarat Lions middle-order to chase down the target with consummate ease.

"I thought we batted really well, but they are a dangerous side. I thought the total was enough, especially with the attack we have, but the way Finchy and McCullum batted, they removed the entire pressure from the middle order," Gambhir said.

"The wicket was still a bit sticky in the first innings, but Lions are a batting-heavy side.

"We still have a lot of positives to take from the match.

We need to give credit to the opposition at times," he said.

Skipper Suresh Raina conjured up a tenacious rearguard action to lead Gujarat Lions to a four-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League game at the Eden Gardens on Friday.

Raina (84; 46b; 9×4, 4×6) brought up his second fifty of the season's IPL also eclipsing Virat Kohli as the highest run-getter in the cash-rich T20 league. This was the former Chennai Super Kings batsman's 30th half century.

The dashing left-hander, who was dropped on 1 by wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa, smashed Chris Woakes and Nathan Coulter-Nile for 18 and 16 runs respectively but fell to Kuldeep Yadav. Ravindra Jadeja, who was unbeaten on 19 with James Faulker for company at 4, hit the winning runs with a boundary.

At the beginning, Aaron Finch (31;15b 4×4 2×6) lost his wicket just when he was looking good. Coulter-Nile undid the world's second-best T20 batsman with a fast bouncer that the Aussie tried to pull, holing out to Manish Pandey at deep square leg.

Play was stopped for half an hour after a light drizzle, helping KKR stem the flow of runs just when Brendon McCullum was looking dangerous on 27 off 13 balls and his team on 62/1. Gujarat were ahead by 21 runs by Duckworth-Lewis method.

The big-hitting Kiwi fell to Woakes with Pandey snaffling it at sweeper cover.

Dinesh Karthik (3), Ishan Kishan (4) and Dwayne Smith (5) followed suit soon after, Coulter-Nile, Kuldeep Yadav and Umesh Yadav removing the trio.

Earlier, a brilliant half century by Uthappa (72; 48b 8×4 2×6) and a quickfire 17-ball 42 (9×4, 1×6) by makeshift opener Sunil Narine helped KKR post 187/5.

For the visitors, skipper Raina was the pick of the bowlers conceding just 11 runs in his two overs and taking the crucial wicket of Narine, who eclipsed Sri Lanka batting great Sanath Jayasuriya's tally of 36 runs scored in boundaries when the dashing southpaw was playing for Mumbai Indians against Deccan Chargers.

Along with skipper Gautam Gambhir (33; 28b 2×4 1×6), he engineered a 45-run partnership, finding the fence every three balls taking Praveen Kumar, James Faulkner and Thampi to the cleaners.

Faulkner — playing his first match for Gujarat this season — suffered the most, going for three back-to-back fours in his last three deliveries as the allrounder, who was dropped from the Champions Trophy squad, went for 17 runs in his first over.

Courtesy the Narine blitzkrieg, the hosts were 65/1 after the powerplay.

Uthappa, in his new found No. 3 role, seamlessly blended with Gambhir to stitch together a 69-run stand for the second wicket as the men in purple tore their weak counterpart's bowling attack to shreds.

Jadeja missed a run out opportunity off Smith's bowling, throwing at the wrong end when Uthappa was halfway down the crease at the non-striker's end. Gambhir benefitted from the gaffe, bagging four overthrows.

The in-form home team skipper fell to Faulkner soon after with KKR well set for a big score at 114/2, top edging a good length delivery to Raina at midwicket.

Uthappa was finally taken by Praveen Kumar but the damage was already done.

Pandey (24; 21b 2×4 0x6) and Suryakumar Yadav (1) departed soon while Yusuf Pathan remained unbeaten on 11.

FIFA's ex-president Sepp Blatter said on Friday that a comeback was possible for his former ally Michel Platini, declining to hit back after the Frenchman savaged him in an interview in March.

Blatter said that Platini's name may be cleared by "new elements" concerning the infamous two million Swiss franc payment ($2 million, €1.9 million) that triggered both men's ouster from football.

"I think he should be back and I think it is not all over," Blatter said, suggesting that former UEFA boss Platini could again take charge of the European confederation, or even FIFA.

Blatter is currently serving a six-year ban from football over the payment he authorised to Platini in 2011. Platini's suspension was cut to four years on appeal.

The pair are united in claiming the transaction was legitimate, but bitter words have been swapped since details of the payment emerged in September 2015.

In an interview with French newspaper Le Monde in March, Platini called Blatter "the biggest egoist I've ever seen in my life.

"He always said I would be his last scalp", the former Juventus star said of Blatter.

Platini, 61, claimed there was a campaign to "destroy" him waged by Blatter loyalists inside FIFA.

Blatter on Friday expressed confusion over Platini's harsh tone.

"If he sees me as an egoist, I accept … but I helped him become president of UEFA in 2007 and we had good relations, so I don't understand his attitude. Saying I wanted to harm him doesn't hold up," Blatter, 81, said.

Both claim the payment was compensation for consulting work Platini did for FIFA between 1998 and 2002.

There has been media speculation that Blatter approved the money a decade later to buy Platini's support for his reelection as FIFA president.

There have also been suggestions that Marco Villiger, a close associate of Blatter and a FIFA legal director, leaked details of the controversial payment to Swiss prosecutors, who have ongoing criminal probe into the case.

Separately, Blatter took a jibe at the signature achievement of his successor Gianni Infantino, branding the new FIFA president's 48-team World Cup a dangerous move.

Infantino eagerly wanted to expand the cash-cow tournament beyond its current 32-team format, and has secured support from FIFA's powerful Council for a larger competition in 2026.

The council has endorsed a format of 16 groups, each with three teams.

"To play in groups by three is not recommendable," Blatter said. "One team is always a spectator."

When a nation has no chance of moving on, "arrangements .. could be done," Blatter continued.

Blatter's FIFA tenure ended in spectacular disgrace, after US prosecutors opened corruption probes against dozens of his top allies in world football.

He remains the target of an investigation in his native Switzerland over criminal mismanagement. 

Track legend Usain Bolt will be missing as Justin Gatlin spearheads an American team seeking to repeat their rare sprint relay triumph over Jamaica at the weekend's IAAF World Relays in Nassau.

Gatlin was in the American quartet who inflicted a loss on a Bolt-led Jamaican team at the last edition of the competition in 2015, also in the Bahamian capital.

The 2004 Olympic 100m champion, a silver medallist at the 2016 Rio Games, has rebounded from a drugs ban to arguably discover the form of his life when most athletes have hung up their spikes.

The American, who still harbours dreams of competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when he will be 38, honed his relay skills by racing the 4×100 and 4x200m at this month's Florida Relays.

Canada, powered by triple Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse won the blue riband 4x100m, but Gatlin is anything but overwhelmed by his younger rivals.

"I try to beat back the years," he said. "That's what I give on the track. I want to be a better person, a better athlete.

"For me it's almost already a success to have come back at such a high level, to be able to be in all the championships and battles with Usain Bolt."

Bolt was left fuming after his Jamaican team came in second to the Americans two years ago, even questioning Gatlin's presence because of his doping past.

Bolt will be absent from the Thomas A Robinson stadium this time around as he prepares for his swansong world championships in London in August, but former world record holder Asafa Powell and 2011 world 100m champion Yohan Blake headline a strong-looking Jamaican team.

Their female teammate Elaine Thompson, double Olympic sprint champion in Rio, will be joined in the women's 4x100m squad by Gayon Evans, Simone Facey, Sashalee Forbes, Natasha Morrison and Christania Williams.

Thompson, 24, ran a blistering curve at the 2015 world championships in Beijing as the Jamaicans won their second consecutive gold medal before helping the team to silver in Rio and in the absence of pregnant seven-time world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic 100m champion, much will be expected of her.

"I have never been to the World Relays before and I am looking forward to it this year because I know that when Team Jamaica steps out in the relays we are always looking to give a great performance," she said.

"It's a long season but the preparation has been going well for the world championships this year and my main focus is to stay focused and injury-free."

A total prize purse of $1.26 million will be up for grabs a the World Relays, the third edition of the IAAF's gamble at an innovative track event, with the top eight finishers in the men and women's 4×100 and 4x400m guaranteed spots at the world championships.

This year's format also sees 4×200 and 4x800m races as well as a mixed sex 4x400m as the two-day event welcomes 35 teams and more than 500 athletes.

"Head to heads are what bring people into our stadiums, and there are some of the greatest relay teams on the planet about to compete," said IAAF president Sebastian Coe.

"We looked at relays a few years ago as something that takes place at the end of the world championships and perhaps didn't quite afford them quite the respect they deserve, but eventually the people who love athletics have spoken.

"There are some exceptional battles ahead this weekend," said the former middle-distance runner who won two Olympic 1500m gold for Britain.

Serena Williams has no intention of calling time on her tennis career after her shock announcement that she is pregnant and will not play again this year, her coach said on Friday.

The 35-year-old American, one of the greatest players of all time, revealed on Wednesday that she is expecting her first baby, triggering speculation that she may never return to tennis.

Kelly Bush Novak, Williams' publicist, said this week that she "looks forward to returning in 2018" and that was echoed by her coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

"Saying exactly when she will come back (2018) is not something she cares about right now, but she does not want to stop there," he told AFP.

"She won the last Australian Open (in January when she would have been eight weeks pregnant) and will probably become world number one next week. She feels she can still dominate tennis."

Overtaking Australia's Margaret Court for the all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles crowns — Williams is on 23 — is also "a determining factor" in her motivation to plough on, the Frenchman said.

Williams is due to give birth in September. 

A graffiti portraying Lionel Messi on tiptoes kissing arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo has caused a stir in Barcelona, just two days before the seaside city's team faces Real Madrid in a crux game.

The graffiti on a bus stop in central Barcelona shows the Argentina and Barcelona star embracing and tenderly kissing his Portuguese Real Madrid rival, a football at their feet and a rose in Messi's hand, drawing many camera-wielding tourists.

The artist Tvboy said he had been inspired by the fact that Sunday's El Clasico game happens to fall on April 23 — which is when people in Barcelona and the wider region of Catalonia celebrate their very own Valentine's Day.

"I'm looking for a message of hope and positivity. With all the clashes there have been in football between hooligans, I want to say: 'be calmer'," he said.

"Messi and Cristiano are opponents, I know they would never kiss. But art must portray an ideal world, it must astonish, provoke."

Tvboy is an Italian from Milan who has lived for 13 years in Barcelona, whose streets have become his canvas.

His latest project dubbed "Love is blind" started during the US election campaign, during which he drew Republican candidate and current president Donald Trump kissing his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton.

At least 50 Afghan troops were killed on Friday and around 70 others were injured when a group of Taliban insurgents launched an attack on an army base in northern Afghanistan, a military official said.

Ten Taliban militants were also killed, an Afghan Army Commander told EFE on condition of anonymity for security reasons.