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The Philippine government faced a backlash Monday over claims it was trying to whitewash the history of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Critics said a series of edits to the Facebook page of the country's official government record were an attempt to put a positive gloss on years of authoritarian rule. Among changes that sparked fury over the weekend was the claim that Marcos imposed martial law in 1972 to deal with Muslim secessionists and a communist insurgency. Opponents charge Marcos declared martial law to keep himself in power. They also say he threw opposition figures in jail and plundered state coffers. The gazette also said he gave up his role in 1986 to "avoid bloodshed"; historians agree he reluctantly fled in the face of massive popular opposition. "The caption should have been "Ferdinand Marcos stole $10 billion dollars worth from Filipinos, had 34,000 Filipinos tortured, had 3,240 Filipinos murdered, and was so hungry for power he tried to stay dictator for life," one angry commentator posted on Facebook. The furore is the latest chapter in a struggle over the national narrative in a fiercely partisan country, where power has traditionally been passed among a small number of elite families. Controversial President Rodrigo Duterte -- a Marcos ally -- has reignited squabbles over Marcos' legacy with a plan to bury his embalmed body in the "Cemetery of Heroes". Mainstream historians agree that Marcos's 21-year rule was a dark period for the Philippines; a time when extra-judicial killings, disappearances and corruption were the norm. Most Filipinos lived in grinding poverty, even as the president and his family grew wealthy -- a gulf symbolised by the discovery of thousands of pairs of luxury shoes in the first lady's living quarters. "We are not in the business of revising history," assistant press secretary Ramon Cualoping insisted Monday in response to the outcry. "The Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines is devoid of any political colour and affiliations," he added. The government later revised the entry to say only that Marcos declared martial law in 1972 and went into exile in the United States in 1986. Marcos died in 1989 and his family was later allowed to return to the Philippines where they have made a remarkable political comeback, with several members getting elected to major positions. Duterte, who styles himself as an anti-corruption crusader, is a close ally of the Marcos family and credits them for his election as president in May.</s>MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – In just the span of a few hours on Sunday, September 11, the government's Official Gazette posted a photo of Ferdinand Marcos on Facebook, edited the photo's caption, deleted the photo altogether, and then reposted the photo with a shorter caption. The changes were prompted by a barrage of comments from social media users, who accused the Philippine government of historical revisionism and downplaying the Martial Law era under Marcos, which saw rampant human rights abuses and corruption. The Official Gazette's photo was meant to be a tribute for the late dictator on his 99th birth anniversary. It featured a quote, taken from Marcos' inaugural address on December 30, 1965, that read: "There are many things we do not want about our world. Let us not just mourn them. Let us change them." It wasn't the quote, however, that angered social media users. It was the last part of the original caption, which read: "In 1972, he declared Martial Law to suppress a communist insurgency and secessionism in Mindanao. In 1986, Marcos stepped down from the presidency to avoid bloodshed during the uprising that came to be known as 'People Power.'" (READ: Martial Law 101: Things you should know) After receiving negative comments, the Official Gazette then removed 3 words – "to avoid bloodshed." Facebook's Edit History feature showed the difference between the first and the second captions: The post, however, continued to receive negative comments, with people pointing out that the government seemed to set aside the suffering of Filipinos under the Marcos regime. The Official Gazette then deleted the photo. It later reposted the same photo, but with a shorter caption. This shorter caption made no mention of Martial Law or of Marcos' ouster through the 1986 People Power Revolution. It merely said that the late strongman was "the longest-serving President of the country for almost 21 years." This triggered another flurry of comments from social media users. Very early on Monday, September 12, the caption was edited yet again. This time, the caption mentioned the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, and that Marcos "went to exile to the United States in 1986 at the height of the People Power Revolution." The latest caption ended by saying that Marcos was "succeeded by Corazon Cojuangco Aquino." Below is the latest Edit History comparing the most recent version of the caption with the one right before it. 'Not revising history' On Sunday, shortly before midnight, the Official Gazette issued a statement, denying it committed historical revisionism. "The Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines is the repository of government documents as stated by law. We are not in the business of revising history. We only convey what is documented in the official records," said the statement, attributed to Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Assistant Secretary Ramon Cualoping III. Cualoping added: "We continually update materials to keep it as historically accurate as possible. The Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines is devoid of any political color and affiliations." The statement was met with more negative reactions, with Facebook users saying that the Official Gazette's photo caption was clearly "pro-Marcos" and "conveniently left out key info" about the dictatorship. Abuses, corruption Marcos had cited the increasing threat of communism to justify the declaration of martial law. According to his diary entry for September 22, 1972, the alleged ambush of then defense secretary Juan Ponce Enrile made the "martial law proclamation a necessity." In 1986, however, Enrile himself disclosed that the supposed ambush was staged to justify Martial Law. (READ: Enrile's tale: Hypocrisy and contradictions) According to Amnesty International, about 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 were tortured, and 3,240 were killed during Martial Law from 1972 to 1981. People deemed to be subversive were tortured by various means, including electrocution, water cure, and strangulation. (READ: Worse than death: Torture methods during martial law) Various estimates also put the Marcoses' ill-gotten wealth at between $5 billion and $10 billion. The late dictator's son and namesake, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, has repeatedly said his family will not apologize for his father's rule. The Official Gazette's controversial Facebook post comes amid heated debate on whether or not Marcos should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes' Cemetery) – a battle that has reached all the way to the Supreme Court. – Rappler.com

The communication channel of the Philippine government is under scrutiny after an apparent whitewash and historical revisionism of the abuses of the Marcos dictatorship.

The outgoing Miss America, Betty Cantrell,second left, reacts as she tries to put a Miss America sash on winner Miss Arkansas Savvy Shields during the Miss America 2017 pageant, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) Shields was crowned the new Miss America at the conclusion of the live finals Sunday night in Atlantic City. The 21-year-old, an early front-runner this week after winning a preliminary talent competition, topped a field of 52 contestants to nab the title. A senior at the University of Arkansas, Shields grabbed attention earlier this week with her jazz dance to They Just Keep Moving The Line from the series Smash. She became the new Miss America on a night where she referenced Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park in her introduction, performed a jazz dance routine and was cut off while responding to a question about her thoughts on Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. She was asked what she thought of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton; she answered that while both Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have done a good job thus far, "They also need to watch what they're doing." The runners-up were as follows: Fourth runner-up, Miss Mississippi Laura Lee Lewis; third runner-up, Miss Washington Alicia Cooper; second runner-up Miss New York Camille Sims; first runner up Miss South Carolina Rachel Wyatt. The first openly gay contestant in the Miss America pageant, Miss Missouri Erin O'Flaherty, was eliminated Sunday night when the top 15 finalists were chosen. Miss Missouri Erin O'Flaherty, the first openly gay contestant in the history of the pageant, was not among the top 15 picked to advance during the pageant's nationally televised finale. The pageant from Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall included contestants from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The pageant began in Atlantic City in 1921 as a way to extend the summer tourist season beyond Labor Day weekend.</s>Savvy Shields, the 21-year-old Miss Arkansas, won the title of Miss America 2017 — as well as a $50,000 college scholarship — on Sunday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. The 2016 titleholder, Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell, crowned Shields, who took the iconic first walk wearing a black gown while waving and crying like her many predecessors. Shields energized the at-time raucous crowd — which was studded with young women wearing gowns, crowns, and sashes from local pageants and from Miss America’s Outstanding Teen state levels — by performing a jazz dance to “They Just Keep Moving the Line.” During the question and answer period, Shields gave a safe response to a question about Hillary Clinton as posed to her by celebrity judge Gabby Douglas. “It is unreal and I am so grateful for this,” Shields told reporters of her win immediately following the broadcast. “I am so honored and very humbled to be standing in front of you today as your Miss America. And that feels so weird to say out loud!” The 1st runner-up was Miss South Carolina, Rachel Wyatt, who earned a $25,000 scholarship. Her talent was dance. The 2nd runner-up was Miss New York, Camille Sims, who sang the jazz standard “Sway” and won a $20,000 scholarship. But judges — which included Olympic gold-medal gymnast Douglas, singer Ciara, actress Laura Maurano, Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban, Miss America 1985 Sharlene Wells Hawkes, and actress Sara Foster — ultimately landed on Shields, whose total high scores (comprised of 25 percent for a composite rating from the preliminaries, 10 percent for swimsuit, 15 percent for evening wear, 30 percent for talent, and 20 percent for the final question) nabbed her the crown. After the broadcast, the judges spoke at a press conference about their decision, with Cuban telling Shields he was inspired to choose her because of his two daughters. “I think it’s important for them to have…women they can look up to. And you set the bar so high,” he said. Douglas added that she had a great time during the competition, noting, “It was kind of different because I’ve been judged all my life.” Wells Hawkes welcomed Shields to the “sorority,” praising her for her skills and grace. “She’s already got it that the role of Miss America is to shine the light on others,” the former titleholder said. “She understands the whole package.” During her 2017 reign, Shields, who is an art major at the University of Arkansas, will promote her platform of “Eat Better, Live Better.” The Miss America contest was started in 1921 as a bit of a marketing ploy — by a group of Atlantic City businessmen who created a week of festivities including the Atlantic City Bathing Beauty Contest as a way to extend the summer resort season past Labor Day. It was a success, and went through various permutations until evolving into a scholarship competition that now has a heavy focus on contestants’ social platforms, which ranged this year from childhood cancer awareness to anti-bullying. In 2004, the pageant left its seaside New Jersey home for Las Vegas, where it would remain until its return to Atlantic City in 2013, when the Miss American Organization then formed a partnership with Dick Clark Productions. A contract with the state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority will now keep the iconic pageant in Atlantic City through the 2019 competition. During the preliminaries in the week leading up to Sunday’s final competition, 23-year-old Arianna Quan, Miss Michigan, won the talent portion; the Beijing native also spoke out about immigration as part of her platform, called “Being American: Immigration & Citizenship Education.” Miss Ohio, Alice Magoto, in the Lifestyle and Fitness (Swimsuit) category in her black bikini. At 18 years old, she was this year’s youngest contestant. And Miss Missouri Erin O’Flaherty also made history (and many headlines) by being the first openly lesbian Miss America contestant. She had hoped to use the title to spread a message of diversity and of suicide prevention. “There is a little girl out there who maybe is struggling with her identity and doesn’t know who she, is or where she fits in, and maybe she will see me and realize that she could also be Miss America, even though she might be gay,” O’Flaherty, who was eliminated from the start of Sunday’s final competition, told Yahoo Beauty days earlier. “I just want to reach people who are struggling… And my message will really be that there is a place for everyone.” Let’s keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

The Miss America 2017 pageant is held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with Savvy Shields, currently Miss Arkansas, winning the event.

The man was at fault for the deadly accident near Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei, law enforcement investigators told Taiwan's Central News Agency. He planned to kill himself by self-immolation due to "family pressure and because he had been sentenced to prison in a sexual assault case," Taiwan's CNA agency reported Saturday. Story highlights Investigators: Driver planned to kill himself due to "family pressure" The driver set fire to the vehicle after dousing it in gasoline (CNN) The driver of a bus that crashed in Taiwan in July, killing 26 people, was suicidal and intentionally set the vehicle ablaze before ramming it into a guardrail, state media reported. Of those killed, 24 were tourists from China, including three children. A Taiwanese tour guide also perished in the blaze.</s>The Latest: Lanes open after bus crash at Denver airport DENVER (AP) — The Latest on the crash of a school bus at Denver International Airport (all times local): Traffic is flowing at Denver International Airport after a school bus crash that killed the driver and injured 18 students and staff members forced the closure of a major passenger pickup area. An Adams County school bus driver who had just picked up members of the Legacy High School football team at Denver International Airport inexplicably Sunday afternoon circled back to the airport and crashed into a concrete pillar. The bus driver had picked up 28 students, and four adults were on the bus, including the bus driver, DIA spokeswoman Stacy Stegman said. Police spokesman John White says the female bus driver died after the bus veered off a roadway Denver International Airport Sunday afternoon and crashed into a concrete wall. The Latest: School bus driver dies in crash at airport DENVER (AP) — The Latest on the crash of a school bus at Denver International Airport (all times local): Denver police say the driver of a school bus that crashed at Denver International Airport died at the scene. (KMGH/THEDENVERCHANNEL.COM via AP) Officials at Denver Health told KUSA TV station that they have five patients: two are in critical condition, two are in serious condition and one is in fair condition. Police have not released any information on the cause of the crash, which occurred at 4:08 p.m., and White said they don't know why the driver was returning to the airport after picking up the team. The driver's name and age have not been released. Adams 12 Five Star Schools says 15 students suffered minor injuries, with three staffers suffering more serious injuries because they were sitting toward the front of the bus. The Denver Post reports that the football team from Legacy played Chino High School on Friday night in California. The Adams 12 Five Star schools is a public district that serves suburbs north of Denver, including Broomfield, Federal Heights, Northglenn, Thornton and Westminster.

Authorities find that the July 19 bus crash in Taiwan that killed 26 people was an intentional suicide by the bus driver.

BEIJING, Sept 13 (Reuters) - China has appointed former Communist Party secretary of Hubei province Li Hongzhong as the new party chief for the northeastern city of Tianjin, the official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday. The move comes days after China's ruling Communist Party said that Huang Xingguo, the mayor and acting Communist Party chief in Tianjin was being investigated on suspicion of corruption. Huang was also removed from his post as mayor, Xinhua said in a brief article.</s>This article is more than 2 years old This article is more than 2 years old The mayor of the major northern port city of Tianjin is being investigated on suspicion of corruption, China’s ruling Communist party said on Saturday, the latest senior official to be caught up in a war on deep-seated graft. Huang Xingguo, 61, was suspected of “serious discipline breaches”, the party’s central commission for discipline inspection said, using the party’s normal euphemism for corruption. Huang, who is also Tianjin’s acting Communist party chief, became mayor in 2008. Tianjin is an important port city about an hour’s drive from Beijing that has ambitions to become a financial hub for northern China. It is one of four conurbations – along with Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing – termed a municipality, giving it the same high status as a province. 'It's getting worse': China's liberal academics fear growing censorship Read more In August last year, a series of massive explosions at a chemicals warehouse in Tianjin killed about 170 people, sparking anger nationwide that it had been built so close to residential areas. Last month, the party announced it was investigating Yin Hailin, a long-time city planning official who became Tianjin’s deputy mayor in 2012, also on suspicion of corruption. Dozens of senior people have been investigated or jailed since President Xi Jinping assumed power almost four years ago, vowing to go after corruption and warning, like others before, that the problem threatens the party’s grip on power. Huang’s fall from grace appears to have come out of the blue. On Saturday, the official Tianjin Daily covered his visit to a middle school on its front page and praised teachers for their work. Critics have accused Xi of using the corruption campaign as a cover to root out political rivals, though he has denied this. Last year, a Chinese court jailed former domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang for life for bribery, leaking state secrets and abuse of power. He was the most senior Chinese official to be ensnared in a graft probe since the party swept to power in 1949. It was not possible to reach Huang for comment and unclear if he had retained a lawyer.

In China, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection places under investigation Tianjin mayor Huang Xingguo, who is also serving as acting Communist Party Secretary.

Croatia holds snap vote with no clear winner in sight ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croats have begun casting ballots in an early parliamentary election that is unlikely to produce a clear winner and could pave the way for more political uncertainty in the European Union's newest member state. The snap vote was called after the previous conservative-led coalition government collapsed in June, triggering the biggest political turmoil in the nation of 4.2 million people since it joined the European Union in 2013. With no party winning a majority in the weekend vote, the deadlock that has stalled much-needed social and economic reforms in is likely to continue. Opinion polls suggest that neither the conservative Croatian Democratic Union, known as HDZ, nor the left-leaning Social Democrats and their People’s Coalition, will win enough votes to rule alone, though the leftist alliance has been projected taking a slight lead. This means that that some of the smaller groups could play the role of kingmakers, as was the case with the Most group in the previous government. Political analyst Zarko Puhovski said there was no doubt that HDZ will form the new government with Most — just as the two right-wing parties did after the previous election in November. Also, many voters apparently turned away from HDZ and Social Democrats who intermittently ruled the country since it split from former Yugoslavia in 1991, triggering a civil war that killed some 10,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Zoran Milanovic, leader of Croatia’s opposition Social Democrats and a former prime minister, said Monday he will step down after a poor result of his coalition in weekend’s snap national election. Although more advanced than other Balkan countries, Croatia has one of the weakest economies in the EU following years of crisis after the split from the former Yugoslavia and the 1991-95 war.</s>ZAGREB, Croatia — The conservative Croatian Democratic Union won the most seats in parliamentary elections held in Croatia on Sunday, but the country looked set for long negotiations among potential coalition partners after voters once again declined to return a clear governing majority. The conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) came second with 57 seats, while the centre-right Most ("Bridge") party, widely seen as a potential kingmaker, came third with 11 seats.

Voters in Croatia go to the polls for a parliamentary election with the conservative Croatian Democratic Union taking an early lead.

Hillary Clinton is being treated for pneumonia and dehydration, her doctor said on Sunday, hours after she abruptly left a ceremony in New York honoring the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and had to be helped into a van by Secret Service agents. Dr. Lisa R. Bardack released a statement through her campaign team after she performed a check-up on the presidential candidate at her home in Chappaqua, New York, on Sunday, after the 'medical episode'. The physician said Clinton has had an allergy-related cough, and that during a follow-up examination Friday, the candidate was diagnosed with pneumonia, put on antibiotics, advised to rest and modify her schedule. Republicans have focused on Clinton’s health on the campaign trail, with GOP nominee Donald Trump repeatedly questioning her strength and stamina. “It’s a beautiful day in New York.” Mrs. Clinton left in her motorcade without the group of reporters that is designated to travel with her in public. Fox News reporter Rick Levanthal, who broke the initial story, quoted one person who was standing 15ft away from Clinton who saw her stumble off the curb. Beyond Giuliani and Trump, Clinton's health also became front-and-center when Dr Drew Pinsky said he was 'gravely concerned not just about her health, but her health care.' Clinton spent about 90 minutes at the 9/11 event Sunday, standing alongside numerous other dignitaries, including New York's Democratic senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand. The incident, which occurred after months of questions about her health from her Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, and his campaign, is likely to increase pressure on Mrs. Clinton to address the issue and release detailed medical records, which she has so far declined to do.</s>The fact that Mrs Clinton was still following a busy schedule on Sunday, some 48 hours after being diagnosed, suggests a hard campaigning politician who was possibly reluctant to take medical advice to rest. Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi that target the lungs. Each year, about 1 million people in the United States seek hospital care because of pneumonia. Smokers, as well as people with underlying medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease, are particularly vulnerable, according to the US Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC). A presidential candidate is at high risk for such an infection, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University. Recovery time depends on the severity of the symptoms before treatment but in most cases, patients feel better after a course of medicines and a week of rest. Even if she recovers rapidly, Mrs Clinton can expect to feel tired for a number of weeks. All types of pneumonia share similar symptoms including cough and fever, with wheezing being more common in viral cases. Sometimes a sharp pain in the side, worsened by breathing, can occur if the infection also involves the lining of the lung, a condition called pleurisy. More than 100 different microbes have been linked with pneumonia; however the most common culprits are Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. The cough which has been bothering her will persist for up to four weeks after the bacteria has been eliminated from her lungs. Doctors usually diagnose pneumonia by conducting a physical exam, checking symptoms and carrying out a chest X-ray to ensure that the patient is not suffering from bronchitis or other respiratory infections. Footage of Hillary Clinton prematurely leaving a 9/11 memorial event on Sunday show someone who was feeling weak and unwell. And like any other infection in the body, the bugs causing the pneumonia can invade the blood stream causing septicaemia. As the infection sets in, it can cause oxygen levels in the body to fall. The normal treatment includes antibiotics for bacterial cases, while viral pneumonia is treated with antiviral drugs and the occasional prescription of corticosteroid medicines. Speaking generally and not about Clinton's case, Schaffner said patients with a mild pneumonia can recover with antibiotics, a few days of rest and good hydration. When an otherwise healthy adult under 65 years of age gets pneumonia, his or her body can usually fight off the infection.

Hillary Clinton's doctor says she is being treated for pneumonia and dehydration after the Democratic Party presidential candidate fell ill and abruptly left a ceremony in New York City honoring the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

HIGHLIGHTS-Tennis-Day 14 at the U.S. Open Sept 11 (Reuters) - Latest news from the 14th day of the U.S. Open tennis championships on Sunday (all times GMT): Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the U.S. and Czech Lucie Safarova, the 12th seeds, battled back from a set and break down to oust top-seeded French pair Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4 to clinch the women's doubles title.</s>The 31-year-old Wawrinka, seeded third, lost the first set, rallied to take the next two and waited through two medical timeouts in the fourth set by the top-seeded Djokovic before finishing off a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 victory, in a match lasting nearly four hours. I was suffering on the court.” He also revealed that he was a mess in the locker room when he was going over match details beforehand with his coach, former tour player Magnus Norman. Djokovic knew he was in trouble. “It was never a dream because for me it was way too far.” He said on the court during the trophy ceremony that he was “completely empty.” Wawrinka elaborated on that in his post-match news conference. Patrick McEnroe, commentating in the ESPN box, shared the cynical displeasure of most onlookers when the defending champion, who appeared to be cramping, was granted a dubious medical timeout to have his toes tended to midway through the fourth set, shortly after being broken. “We played almost four hours,” said Djokovic, “and I think I can speak in the name of Stan, as well: We both felt it.” Wawrinka has won only five of his 24 career meetings against Djokovic, but has now beaten the 12-time major champion on the way to each of his own Grand Slam titles, including in the 2014 Australian Open quarterfinals and 2015 French Open final. Wasn’t always, though: Playing in the shadow of his far-more-accomplished Swiss countryman and good pal, Roger Federer, Wawrinka needed until his 35th appearance at a major, at age 28, just to get to the semifinals for the first time. But the only thing I was convinced with myself was my game was there.” Wawrinka is unbeaten in his last 11 finals, going back to 2014. Stan Wawrinka’s tennis career has been a textbook study of persistence and patience, with his Grand Slam championship success delayed until age 28 and continuing into his 30s. And he did it Sunday by coming back against Djokovic, whose French Open title in June completed a career Grand Slam and made him only the third man — and first in nearly a half-century — to win four consecutive major tournaments. This was the first time since round one Djokovic had not been ahead in sets but more unnerving was that he had lost control, Wawrinka unleashing at will while his opponent was left protesting at his box and smiling in disbelief. Djokovic saved one of them to win a tense rally with a deft volley, but he shoved a forehand wide and they were a set apiece. Just like Karolina Pliskova, who lost in the women’s final, Stan Wawrinka was one point away from exiting the U.S. Open long before championship weekend. The world number three had been match point down against Britain's Dan Evans in the third round but he grew into the tournament and now stands one Wimbledon title away from completing a career grand slam. When Wawrinka beat Djokovic to win the French Open last year, he trusted his strong right arm, the one tattooed with Beckett’s famous “fail better” quote. Novak, you’re a great champion,” Wawrinka said after the match. I had to bring everything today.” Djokovic paid tribute to his opponent after the match. “We know each other (for) many, many years, and I had the chance to practice many times with him and to play him on a big stage.” With that Djokovic threw his left arm around Wawrinka’s shoulders, knowing which was more up to the task on this day.

In tennis, Swiss Stan Wawrinka defeats Serbian Novak Djokovic in four sets to claim the 2016 US Open men's singles title.

Chris Froome's attacks come up short as Nairo Quintana all but seals Vuelta win Chris Froome failed in his bid to eat into Nairo Qiuintana's overall lead as the Colombian effectively claimed race victory on the penultimate stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday. The Colombian has not officially won the race yet but Sunday's sprint stage is virtually a formality and the Movistar rider's time of five hours 23 minutes 44 seconds, which enabled him to finish 10th in stage 20, kept him ahead of Team Sky's Froome. Frenchman Pierre Latour (AG2R-La Mondiale) won the stage from a breakaway inspired by Esteban Chaves (Orica-BikeExchange), who succeeded in wresting overall third place from home favourite Alberto Contador and denying the Tinkoff team a podium place in their final Grand Tour. The Briton had cut his deficit on Colombian Quintana after a sensational display in Friday's individual time trial, but was unable to dethrone his rival on the 193.2km ride from Benidor to Alto de Aitana. But Quintana matched the Briton's best efforts to all but end his quest to become the first man to win both the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year since the great Bernard Hinault in 1978.</s>• Colombian adds crown to his victory in the 2014 Giro d’Italia • Tour de France winner came second with Esteban Chaves third This article is more than 2 years old This article is more than 2 years old Nairo Quintana won the Vuelta a España on Sunday, adding the title to the 2014 Giro d’Italia on his Grand Tour list of honours. Nairo Quintana is poised to win the Vuelta a España after protecting his lead over Chris Froome in a gruelling penultimate stage in the southern mountains on Saturday. Following custom, Froome did not challenge Quintana on the traditional ride into the Spanish capital on the 21st and final stage. Latour, who rides for AG2R La Mondiale, edged Darwin Atapuma at the line for his first win at a major race. Quintana has twice finished runner-up to Froome at the Tour, most recently in July when he couldn’t mount a serious challenge to Froome and his dominant Sky team. Froome finished second at the Vuelta for a third time, after also coming close in 2011 and 2014. “Of course I was here to fight for the victory, but after the season I have had, the Tour, the Olympic games, the Vuelta, this has been the best season for me.” Quintana was leading the 2014 Vuelta when he was forced to withdraw with a broken shoulder after falls on consecutive days. Quintana, who became the second Colombian to win this race after Luis Herrera in 1987, said winning the Tour remained his main goal. “I have tried to win the Vuelta so many times and I finally did so today,” he said.

In bicycle racing, the 71st edition of the Vuelta a España concludes with Nairo Quintana of Colombia winning the general classification.

On Sunday Indian soldiers killed four militants as they tried to cross the de-facto border that divides the disputed Himalayan region between India and Pakistan in Kupwara, an army official said. On Saturday, two people were killed in new protests in Kashmir, taking the death toll to 75 since protesters took to the streets following the killing of Burhan Wani, the commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen group. The clashes with militants came as stone-pelting residents protesting against Indian rule of the region clashed with security forces in Pulwana and two other places in the southern Kashmir valley, leaving many injured, police said.</s>A militant was killed in a gun battle in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Monday. A senior police official told IANS that a gunfight started again at the site of Sunday’s firing in Poonch town. “The building and adjacent areas were surrounded and exchange of fire was continuing between the security forces and some surviving militants still holed up in the building,” the official said. In Pir Panchal Valley, militants, believed to be Lashkar-e-Taiba’s fresh infiltrators, opened fire around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday when a policeman spotted their movement. The militants, were hiding in a school and an under construction government building near the Army's 93 Brigade headquarters. One policeman, identified as Raj Kumar, died in the attack in which three militants were killed. Three persons, including a soldier, sustained injuries.

Clashes in Kashmir kill eight militants and a policeman.

The Arctic Research Foundation, a private group that sent a vessel to help look for the ship, found it in pristine condition at the bottom of a bay earlier this month, a spokesman told the paper. Sir John Franklin and his 128-member crew in the Terror and HMS Erebus all died after the vessels became stuck in ice during a search for the fabled Arctic passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The fate of the ships remained one of the great mysteries in Canadian history for almost 170 years until a team found the wreck of the Erebus in September 2014. Canada's federal parks ministry - which is coordinating the search for the Terror - said it was working to verify the report. Reuters was not immediately able to contact the foundation. The expedition has become part of Canadian folklore, in part because of the crew's appalling fate. Legend has it - backed up by folktales from the Inuit people who lived in nearby Nunavut - the stranded sailors tried to escape by crossing the ice and perished but only after some had resorted to cannibalism.</s>Everything suggested these could be parts of Erebus or Terror, the ships in which Franklin sailed, in 1845, to find the fabled Northwest Passage between the North Atlantic and the Pacific before vanishing with all his crew. British ship from 1845 Franklin expedition found by Canada Read more All 129 men on the Franklin expedition died, in the worst disaster to hit Britain’s Royal Navy in its long history of polar exploration. Adrian Schimnowski, Arctic Research Foundation “We have successfully entered the mess hall, worked our way into a few cabins and found the food storage room with plates and one can on the shelves,” Adrian Schimnowski, the foundation’s operations director, told the Guardian by email from the research vessel Martin Bergmann. “Resting proud on 24 metres of water, we found HMS Terror — 203 years old, it is perfectly preserved in the frigid waters of the Northwest Passage,” Arctic Research Foundation spokesman Adrian Schimnowski says in the video. Adrian Schimnowski, Arctic Research Foundation The Arctic Research Foundation was set up by Jim Balsillie, a Canadian tech tycoon and philanthropist, who co-founded Research in Motion, creator of the Blackberry. “I was working in our ship, which was towing a sonar detector in order to survey an area of relatively shallow seabed around Queen Maud Gulf, one of the southern areas we had marked as promising search zones,” says Harris. Schimnowski said that mystery might have remained if not for a late-night conversation on one of the search vessels between himself and Sammy Kogvik, an Inuk and Canadian Ranger from Gjoa Haven. The ship's helm is still there "in perfect condition," said Schimnowski. Photograph: Arctic Research Foundation About six years ago, Kogvik said, he and a hunting buddy were headed on snowmobiles to fish in a lake when they spotted a large piece of wood, which looked like a mast, sticking out of the sea ice covering Terror Bay. When Schimnowski heard Kogvik’s story, he didn’t dismiss it, as Inuit testimony has been so often during the long search for Franklin’s ships.

The Arctic Research Foundation discovers the wreck of the Royal Navy's HMS Terror almost completely intact off the southern coast of King William Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, 168 years after being abandoned during Franklin's lost expedition in 1848.

U.S. stocks pare losses, oil up as markets reassess central banks NEW YORK, Sept 12 (Reuters) - U.S stock prices were slightly higher at midsession Monday after a Federal Reserve policymaker expressed caution about the need to raise U.S. interest rates, though European and Asian equities finished lower after the biggest fall on Wall Street since June on Friday. Down Under, the ASX 200 closed down 2.24 percent, or 119,582 points, at 5,219.1, weighed heavily by the energy sector, which was down 3 percent, the materials subindex, which shed 3.23 percent, and the financials sector, which was lower by 2.01 percent. The euro dipped to $1.12200, a slight decline on the day and the week while the dollar also gained to 102.99 yen from Tuesday's low of 101.42 yen.</s>How the Dow Jones industrial average fared on Monday U.S. stocks surged Monday after a Federal Reserve official said the central bank shouldn't raise interest rates too soon, which came as a big relief to investors. Asian shares mostly down on worries about global growth, Fed TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly sagged Wednesday, although oil prices regained overnight drops, amid the possibility of a weaker global economy and guess work about the U.S. Federal Reserve's plans for interest rates. THE QUOTE: "Another nail in the coffin overnight, as both OPEC and the International Energy Agency, revised their oil demand figures for 2017 down," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at Oanda. WALL STREET: The Dow Jones industrial average gave up 258.32 points, or 1.4 percent, to 18,066.75. The Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped 32.02 points, or 1.5 percent, to 2,127.02. The Nasdaq composite leaped 85.98 points, or 1.7 percent, to 5,211.89. The Dow is down 18.70 points, or 0.1 percent. The Shanghai Composite fell 0.6 percent to 3,005.35. The S&P 500 is up 115.10 points, or 5.6 percent. It fell $1.39, or 3 percent, to $44.90 a barrel in New York Tuesday.

Asian stock markets open lower following the fall in the Dow Jones amid speculations about the Federal Reserve's target interest rates.

NEW YORK (AP) — The sugar industry began funding research that cast doubt on sugar's role in heart disease — in part by pointing the finger at fat — as early as the 1960s, according to an analysis of newly uncovered documents. The findings come from documents recently found by a researcher at the University of San Francisco, which show that scientists at the Sugar Research Foundation (SRF), known today as the Sugar Association, paid scientists to do a 1967 literature review that overlooked the role of sugar in heart disease. By November 2, Hickson had approved the latest draft as “quite what we had in mind.” The two-part review, concluding that the only change necessary to prevent heart disease was to reduce dietary fat intake, was published in the NEJM the following year, with no mention of the SRF’s participation. A 1967 literature review in The New England Journal of Medicine pointed to fat and cholesterol as the dietary culprits of heart disease, glossing over evidence from the 1950s that sugar was also linked to heart disease. SRF set an objective for the review, funded it and reviewed drafts before it was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which did not require conflict of interest disclosure until 1984. Schmidt, Kearns and Glantz have done the science community "a great public service" by resurfacing the history of funded heart disease research, said Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, in an editorial accompanying the new paper in JAMA Internal Medicine. In recent years, the link between fat and heart disease has become a more contentious topic – a 2010 review of scientific studies of fat in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that “there is no convincing evidence that saturated fat causes heart disease”.</s>Know Your Value

A researcher from the University of California, San Francisco discovers that the sugar industry may have manipulated studies about heart diseases.

Some 107,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the area along the Tumen River, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement received on Monday (Sept 12), citing Pyongyang government figures. SEOUL, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Flooding from heavy rain in North Korea has killed 133 people in its northeast while 395 are missing, with many homes and critical infrastructure destroyed, a U.N. agency said on Monday. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in April that North Korea's chronic food shortages were expected to worsen, given the tight food supplies last year and this year when "most households were already estimated to have poor or borderline food consumption levels". The U.N. report said the government "is urgently working” to reopen roads, distributing relief goods and preparing to rebuild 20,000 houses by early October, before the onset of North Korea’s bitterly cold winter. It added that the government had allowed U.N. agencies, the North Korean Red Cross and International Federation of the Red Crescent, along with private international aid groups to conduct a joint assessment of needs in the affected areas last week, but they were unable to access Musan and Yonsa. A UN report last week, citing Pyongyang government data, said 60 people had been killed and over 44,000 were homeless along the Tumen River, which partially marks the border with China and Russia. A series of floods and droughts was partially responsible for a famine that killed hundreds of thousands between 1994 and 1998, with economic mismanagement and the loss of Soviet support exacerbating the situation.</s>North Korea said on Sunday a push for further sanctions following its fifth and biggest nuclear test was “laughable”, and vowed to continue to strengthen its nuclear power. The isolated state on Friday set off its most powerful nuclear explosion to date, saying it had mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile, ratcheting up a threat that its rivals and the United Nations have been powerless to contain. A U.S. special envoy met with Japanese officials on Sunday and said later the United States may launch unilateral sanctions against North Korea, echoing comments by U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday in the wake of the test. North Korea has completed preparations for another nuclear test, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on Monday, citing South Korean government sources who said the North may use a previously unused tunnel at its mountainous test site. The U.N. Security Council denounced North Korea’s decision to carry out the test and said it would begin work immediately on a resolution. The United States, Britain and France pushed for the 15-member body to impose new sanctions. South Korea said on Saturday that the latest test showed North Korea’s nuclear capability was expanding fast and that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was unwilling to alter course. It said that Friday’s test had been of a “nuclear warhead that has been standardised to be able to be mounted on strategic ballistic rockets”.

The United Nations estimates that the death toll from severe flooding in North Korea reaches 133 with another 395 missing and tens of thousands homeless.

In their new musical “La La Land,” Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling perform a six-minute, single-take, tap-dance number while their characters search for a parked Toyota Prius atop a hill in Griffith Park, the sun setting behind them, the Prius key fob occasionally beeping in time with the music. It’s a moment infused with nostalgia for classic musicals like “Singin’ in the Rain” and “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg,” but informed by the youthful spirit of its stars and 31-year-old writer-director, Damien Chazelle. “They figured something out in the older musicals in terms of how to shoot dance and we’ve unlearned it,” Chazelle said in an interview with Stone as “La La Land” screened for enthusiastic Telluride Film Festival audiences over Labor Day weekend after receiving an equally warm reception in Venice. “People talk about shorter attention spans these days and maybe that’s why dance isn’t filmed the same way. I find it a lot more involving when I can see something that’s real and not tinkered with… That is how the sky looks. That is Ryan and Emma dancing. Those are their voices, their feet.” “La La Land,” Chazelle’s follow-up to his 2014 jazz drama “Whiplash,” will premiere Monday for a wider audience at the Toronto International Film Festival before distributor Lionsgate opens it in theaters starting Dec. 2. The melancholic romance stars Stone as Mia, an aspiring actress serving coffee on a studio lot, and Gosling as Sebastian, a stubborn jazz pianist who dreams of opening his own club. Both are making their way as members of Los Angeles’ artistic underclass, a life of temp jobs, auditions and freeway traffic jams, when they meet and serve as each other’s creative catalysts. John Legend plays a supporting role, as a more successful, mainstream jazz performer. With a score by Justin Hurwitz, Chazelle’s Harvard University classmate and “Whiplash” collaborator, and choreography by Mandy Moore (“So You Think You Can Dance” Mandy Moore, not singer/actress Mandy Moore), “La La Land” is a modern rarity: an original musical, with no pre-existing intellectual property or marquee name songwriters. The mix of fantastical music numbers and naturalistic acting feels as if someone had plopped John Cassavetes on the MGM lot in the 1940s. “I saw this story as so romantic,” Stone said. “These two people somehow find each other when they’re each in a rut, and inspire each other to follow the paths they’ve been dreaming about all along. In a way, that is a kind of soulmate.” The characters represent different sides of Chazelle, he said, particularly a lonely period when he first moved to Los Angeles in 2008 hoping to begin his filmmaking career. (It didn’t take long -- the director’s first feature, the jazz romance “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench,” hit theaters in 2010). Stone said she and Gosling brought their own excruciating, real-life audition experiences to the movie, including one incident Stone’s character endures that happened to Gosling, when he was performing a crying scene and the casting director took a phone call in the middle of his audition. “I’ve had it where no one looks up from their paper, ‘cause they’ve written you off the moment you walk in the room,” said Stone, who, despite having acted since she was a teenager and earned an Oscar nomination for 2014’s “Birdman,” said she auditioned as recently as the past year. “It feels pretty nuts, especially if you really want the part. ‘Thanks for coming in’ means it’s never gonna happen. It is a little heartbreaking.” Chazelle wrote the script for “La La Land” in 2010, and began a process of hearing what he called, “very harsh nos” from potential financiers. They said “no one wants to see an original musical,” Chazelle said. “It’s this weird movie that needs to be both a fantastical musical at a certain scale and yet this realistic love story... All that, plus it’s a pretty young team in terms of me and Justin, unknown and unproven. It’s one thing if it’s an original musical with a songwriter people know. This is me and my college friend saying, ‘Hey, trust us.’” The tide of “no” changed after “Whiplash,” which earned five Oscar nominations, including a screenplay nomination for Chazelle and a supporting actor win for J.K. Simmons, and grossed nearly $40 million worldwide off a $3.3 million production budget. Chazelle said his budget for “La La Land” was “somewhere in the 20s” and the money shows on the screen, in scenes like an ambitious dance sequence set on an EZ Pass ramp connecting the 105 and 110 freeways, and in a flying number inside the Griffith Observatory. Stone, who first met with Chazelle while she was playing Sally Bowles in “Cabaret” on Broadway, had studied some dance as a child, but had to learn tap and ballroom dancing for the role. “I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the Laker girls?” Stone said, when asked to describe the style of dance she took as a child. “It’s called ‘pom dancing.’ And a year of ballet. But they told me in ballet class that I smiled too much.” During a four-month rehearsal period at their production offices in Atwater Village, Chazelle held cast and crew screenings of classic films, including “Umbrellas of Cherbourg,” a primary inspiration. Stone, whose favorite film is the 1931 Charlie Chaplin romantic comedy “City Lights,” relished the chance to dive into Hollywood history, but found some of her most helpful inspiration in clips from old musicals where the actors flubbed a note or a dance move. “We aren’t Fred and Ginger, even though Ryan is an incredible dancer,” Stone said. “It was nice to know that if we fell on our feet or if we laughed -- in the song ‘City of Stars’ I laughed twice because I was out of tune -- Damien was celebrating rather than yelling ‘Cut! We’re going back. Make it perfect!’” Moore, the choreographer, echoed the idea that emotion was more important than technique, which Stone said was key when they shot the Prius scene, which had to be completed during the brief magic-hour window at sunset, leaving a total of eight takes to get it right over two days of shooting.

The Piton de la Fournaise (Peak of the Furnace) shield volcano on France's Réunion island in the Indian Ocean erupts for the second time this year. It is one of the world's most active.

President Obama plans to veto a bill Congress approved without objection that would allow families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to sue the government of Saudi Arabia, a White House spokesman said Monday. Obama did not mention his opposition to the bill, which would let courts waive claims to foreign sovereign immunity in cases involving terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, during brief remarks to reporters after meeting with congressional leaders. Administration officials cited fears that foreign governments might exploit the legislation to drag American officials into court. Yet the White House’s effort to stop the widely popular measure from becoming law might be short-lived: congressional leaders have suggested that they would try to override a veto, and they probably have sufficient support in both chambers to do so. “It’s not hard to imagine other countries using this law as an excuse to haul U.S. diplomats, U.S. service members or even U.S. companies into courts all around the world,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. “The president feels quite strongly about this.” The announcement came hours before Obama held a bipartisan meeting in the Oval Office with congressional leaders in a bid to forge agreement on averting a government shutdown and funding to combat the Zika virus. Obama’s first meeting with both House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) since February came a week after lawmakers returned to Washington from a seven-week summer recess. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) also attended. The president laid out his priorities — including federal funding for flood relief in Louisiana, an Asia Pacific trade deal and criminal-justice reform — at a time when most in Washington expect there is little chance for collaboration on major legislation before the November presidential election. “There’s still business to be done,” Obama said. “My hope is that we can make some modest progress.” Foremost on the agenda, Obama said, is averting a partial federal government shutdown at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. That effort has been complicated by Republican Party infighting over how long to extend funding. McConnell and a majority of House Republicans want to set a new deadline in December to craft a year-long spending bill — a position also supported by the White House and congressional Democratic leaders. But a minority of House conservatives favor a stopgap measure that would extend current funding levels into next year, giving a new president and Congress the opportunity to craft long-term spending plans. The budget issue appears on track to get resolved in tandem with a compromise on Zika funding. The Senate agreed on a $1.1 billion Zika funding package in May, but the House passed an alternative $1.1 billion measure that Democrats oppose because it blocks funding to a Planned Parenthood affiliate in Puerto Rico. That bill has been filibustered by Senate Democrats since June, but negotiators say there has been progress toward a resolution. The House passed the 9/11 victims’ legislation by voice vote on Friday, with members calling it a “moral imperative” to allow families to seek justice for the deaths of loved ones. The Senate had approved the legislation in May. On Sunday, a group of Sept. 11 attack victims’ relatives sent an open letter to Obama, imploring him not to “slam the door shut and abandon us” by vetoing the bill. But the White House has long argued there are bigger issues at play than the pending lawsuit. Officials have emphasized the need to maintain the tradition of extending sovereign immunity to foreign officials, for the sake of ensuring that American officials don’t become subject to foreign lawsuits, or worse. There are also concerns about how the measure might complicate relations with Saudi Arabia. Earlier this summer, Congress released a set of previously classified pages from a congressional inquiry into the Sept. 11 attacks, exploring allegations that Saudi officials supported the perpetrators. But the pages shed no significant new light on Saudi Arabia’s alleged ties to the attack. Saudi Arabia has been lobbying hard against the legislation, even threatening to sell off U.S. assets. Earnest acknowledged that Obama’s stance could anger the families of Americans who died in the terrorist attacks 15 years ago. But he added that Obama’s “words and deeds when standing up for the interests of the 9/11 families speak for themselves,” citing the U.S. military raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011, among other things.</s>Seven children were among 11 people who died when a horrific fire trapped them inside a one-story Memphis home early Monday morning. Pictures of the devastation showed the innards of the brick building torched. The outside of the house was left largely untouched. Metal bars remained over almost all the windows. Only one was broken open, by the fire crew that tried in vain to save the people inside. “I’ve never seen firemen cry, but they were bawling like babies when they brought the children out,” neighbor Shoundra Hampton told The Tennessean. Authorities said at a Monday morning news conference that nine people had died, but family members told reporters that 11 people perished. The cause of the fire was not immediately determined, though Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said the blaze began in the living room. The home had only two doors, both in the front of the house, leaving the family without an escape route, FOX13 reported. Some of the victims had signs of smoke inhalation, while others had burns, Memphis Fire Services Director Gina Sweat said. Sweat said it was not clear if those inside tried to escape through the windows. Sweat said window bars present a danger for people trying to escape a house fire, though many window bars have releases that can open them from the inside. "They could have been simply overcome by smoke and never had an opportunity to escape," she said. A smoke detector was found in the building, but it was damaged and officials didn't immediately know if it was working at the time of the fire, Sweat said. The children who died ranged in age from 3 to 16 years old, The Tennessean reported. The four adults were Eloise Futrell, 61; Carol Collier, 56; Lakeisha Ward, 27; and an unidentified 18-year-old man. Collier lived in the house with her 6-year-old son, Alonzo, who died in the fire; Futrell, who was the grandmother of all seven children who died; and several friends, Collier’s sister, Mary Whitmore, told The Tennessean. "She always tried to help everybody," Whitmore said. "I can't believe this." Collier called 911, The Tennessean reported, but, by the time first responders arrived around 1:20 a.m., the residents were unable to escape the six-room dwelling. Officials said the blaze was the deadliest in Memphis since the 1920s. A total of 10 people died in house fires across all of Tennessee in 2015, authorities told FOX13. "They are all gone," Futrell's niece, Elisa Weathersby, told The Tennessean. "Our hearts are ripped in two." The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A house fire in Memphis kills at least 11 people.

Philippine president wants US forces out of restive south MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine president says he wants U.S. forces out of his country's restive south and blamed America for the restiveness of Muslim militants in the region and for the killings of Muslim Filipinos during a U.S. pacification campaign in the early 1900s. Duterte's order came a week after he called US President Barack Obama "a son of a whore", causing Obama to cancel their scheduled bilateral meeting at a summit in Laos. "These US special forces, they have to go in Mindanao," he told a gathering of government employees. "The (Muslim) people will become more agitated. If they see an American, they will really kill him.” The Pentagon said it was aware of Duterte’s statements but had not been contacted by authorities on the issue. The U.S. Embassy did not immediately issue any reaction. Video provided by AFP Newslook Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte holds up a photo -- and cites accounts of U.S. troops who killed Muslims during the U.S. occupation of the Philippines in the early-1900 -- during a speech in Manila on Sept. 12, 2016. His comments were in sharp contrast to an initial explanation by Duterte spokesman Ernesto Abella, who said the demand "reflects (Duterte's) new direction towards coursing an independent foreign policy. Duterte also criticized President Barack Obama for raising human rights concerns about the Philippine leader's bloody crackdown against drugs when the U.S. leader, he says, has not apologized for the American atrocities against local Muslims.</s>Duterte says he wants U.S. special forces out of southern Philippines MANILA, Sept 12 (Reuters) - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday called for the withdrawal of U.S. special forces troops from a group of islands in the southern Philippines, saying their presence could complicate offensives against Islamist militants notorious for beheading Westerners. Duterte, who was in the spotlight last week over a televised tirade against the United States and President Barack Obama, said the Americans still in Mindanao were high-value targets for the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf militants as counter-insurgency operations intensify. "They have to go," Duterte said in a speech during an oath-taking ceremony for new officials. "I do not want a rift with America. He added: "Americans, they will really kill them, they will try to kidnap them to get ransom." The comments by Duterte, a former southern mayor known for his terse words and volatile temperament, add to uncertainty about what impact his rise to the presidency this year will have on one of Washington's most important alliances in Asia. A spokesman for the U.S. State Department, John Kirby, said it was not aware of any official communication by Manila calling for a withdrawal. He said Washington remained committed to the alliance. Another U.S. official said there were only a "handful" of special forces in the Mindanao acting in limited liaison roles. White House spokesman Josh Earnest emphasised shared concerns and interests with the Philippines, before taking a thinly veiled swipe at Duterte, appearing to compare him to Donald Trump, the outspoken Republican candidate in the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election. "I think it's an indication of how important elections are," Earnest told a regular news briefing. "Elections have consequences. Elections do say a lot about what kind of person is going to represent your country on the international stage. "And it's why you are going to prize qualities like decorum and temperament and judgment in casting votes in elections, because you know that person is going to represent you on the international stage. That's certainly something that the Filipino people are well aware of." Obama cancelled a planned meeting with Duterte at last week's ASEAN summit after Duterte appeared to call him a "son of a bitch". The two did eventually meet briefly and on Friday Duterte said he told Obama the remark was not directed against him. Washington deployed special forces soldiers to Mindanao in 2002 to train and advise Philippine units fighting Abu Sayyaf militants in a program that once involved 1,200 Americans. It was discontinued in 2015 but a small presence has remained for logistics and technical support. Washington has since shifted much of its security focus in the Philippines towards the South China Sea, where the two countries have shared concerns about China's territorial claims. As a counter to China, shortly before Duterte came to office, Washington and Manila enacted the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement giving the United States rotational access to five bases in the Philippines. Commander Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman, said on Monday that it would "consult closely with our Filipino partners to appropriately tailor our assistance to whatever approach the new administration adopts" on counter-terrorism measures. (Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton, David Brunnstrom, Phil Stewart, Ayesha Rascoe, Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Martin Petty and Grant McCool)

In response to criticism of his government's extrajudicial killings of 1,800 people since July, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte says that U.S. forces advising the Armed Forces of the Philippines against an Islamic insurgency in Mindanao are doing more harm than good and must leave the country, saying, ”I do not want a rift with America, but they have to go," during a speech in Manila.

The Philippines has traditionally leaned on the U.S., its longtime treaty ally, and other Western allies for its security needs. The remarks were the latest from a Philippine president who has had an uneasy relationship with the U.S. but also has tried to mend relations with China strained over South China Sea disputes. 'I do not want a rift with America — but they have to go,' the Filipino president added. I just want to patrol our territorial waters.” Like other security pronouncements, Duterte did not provide details, but his rejection for joint patrols apparently goes against such an arrangement announced in April by the U.S. and the Philippine defense chiefs. Carter insisted that the U.S. did not intend to be provocative and was “trying to tamp down tensions here.” But Gazmin said he expected that U.S. forces, “with their presence here, will deter uncalled-for actions by the Chinese.” On Monday, Duterte said he wanted U.S. military forces out of the southern Philippines and blamed America for inflaming local Muslim insurgencies, in his first public statement opposing the presence of American troops in a part of the country.</s>MANILA: The United Nations has said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has a “striking lack of understanding” of its human rights institutions in a rebuke over his crime war that has killed more than 3,000 people. The fresh criticism came from UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein after Duterte called UN head Ban Ki-moon a “fool” and threatened to pull out of the organization in response to the global body’s condemnation of alleged extra judicial killings in his anti-drug campaign. The sharp-tongued Duterte has said he does not “give a shit” about a wave of international criticism, including from the UN and US President Barack Obama. “The President of the Philippines’s statements of scorn for international human rights law display a striking lack of understanding of our human rights institutions and the principles which keep societies safe,” Zeid said at a speech in Geneva on Tuesday. Duterte, 71, has launched an unprecedented crime war since taking office on June 30, warning the Philippines is in danger of becoming a “narco-state”. He was elected in a landslide in May after pledging to kill 100,000 criminals and promising to protect police from prosecution if they are charged over the deaths. Last month, Duterte announced a “shoot-to-kill” order against drug dealers. “This campaign (of) shoot-to-kill will remain until the last day of my term if I’m still alive by then,” he said. Zeid said such an order “undermines justice”. But on Wednesday, Philippine Ambassador to the UN Cecilia Rebong said Duterte never empowered police to shoot to kill anyone. “What he said was the police have the right to defend themselves when their lives are in danger,” Rebong told the UN Human Rights Council. Duterte’s spokesman Ernesto Abella added that Duterte did not tolerate extra judicial killings but that “human rights cannot be used as an excuse to let the spread of drugs in the country run rampant”. Police reported Wednesday killing 1,506 people in anti-drug operations in just over two months since Duterte took office. Another 1,715 were classified as "deaths under investigation", referring to people killed in suspicious circumstances including those shot by suspected vigilantes or found dead with crude cardboard signs labelling them as drug traffickers. Zeid urged the Philippines to invite a UN human rights expert to investigate the killings. Philippine foreign affairs spokesman Charles Jose was non-committal, saying UN rights experts already “jumped to conclusions”. Duterte last month lashed out at UN special rapporteur on summary executions Agnes Callamard for saying his directives amounted to an international crime. AFP

In last week's meeting between Indonesian president Joko Widodo and Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, Widodo today says that Duterte allegedly said that he '(would) not interfere' in the execution of accused drug smuggler and Philippine national Mary Jane Veloso. However, today a Manila Bulletin article says that Manny Piñol, the Philippines Agriculture Secretary, states that Duterte actually asked for clemency for Veloso.

Hundreds of thousands of separatist-minded Catalans have rallied in Barcelona to show their support for an independent nation that would break away from Spain, leaving it without its powerful and prosperous northeastern region. Barcelona police estimated on their Twitter account that about 540,000 people attended the rally in support of a legally-binding referendum that would achieve an independent Catalonia. Spain, which opposes secession, argues that an independent Catalonia would be ejected from the European Union and left out from using the euro currency. Catalan National Day has long been used to mobilize the masses in support of secession from Spain, which has said any referendum on the issue would be unconstitutional. The economically-powerful Catalonia has a thriving population of 7.5 million and accounts for 18 percent of Spain’s economic output.</s>BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi scored a hat trick and Neymar excelled as a playmaker to lead Barcelona to a record-setting 7-0 win over Celtic in their Champions League opener on Tuesday.

In a protest in Barcelona, an estimated 800,000 people (370,000 in the government claim) demand secession from the Madrid-based Spanish government.

David Cameron quits as MP for Witney May: 'I was proud to serve under David Cameron' By-election to take place in Oxfordshire seat 'I'm at risk of becoming a diversion' says former PM Why did he quit - and what will he do next? Mr Cameron told the chairman of his Conservative Association and constituency agent before making the announcement, which comes two months after he quit as prime minister on July 13th in the wake of defeat in the EU referendum. I wish him the very best for the future.” The former PM had previously said he was “very keen to continue” as MP for Witney, which he has represented in the House of Commons since 2001, and said it was “very much my intention” to seek re-election in 2020. But Mr Cameron has now said in a statement: "Having fully considered my position over the summer, I have decided that I am going to stand down as the Member of Parliament for Witney. “There will now be a by-election and I will do everything that I can to help the Conservative candidate win that election. “As a former prime minister it is very difficult, I think, to sit as a backbencher and not be an enormous diversion and distraction from what the Government is doing.” Asked if Mrs May’s plans to introduce a new wave of grammar schools was linked to his decision, he replied: “This decision has got nothing to do with any one individual issue. “I fully support Theresa May and have every confidence that Britain will thrive under her strong leadership.” William Hague, one of Mr Cameron’s predecessors as Conservative leader, praised the decision, backing the assessment that former PMs can become a “diversion” while sitting on the backbenches.</s>(CNN) From world leader to the wilderness in just under three months. David Cameron, the former British Prime Minister has announced he will stand down as a member of parliament for his constituency of Witney immediately, triggering a by-election. Cameron, who has worked in Parliament since 2001, stepped down as Prime minister in the aftermath of the Brexit vote i n which the UK decided to leave the European Union. He had previously said that he was "keen to continue" in his role as a backbench MP after stepping away from Downing Street but has since decided such a role is untenable. The Camerons walk back into 10 Downing Street after David Cameron announces his resignation following the UK's decision to leave the European Union on June 23. Cameron attends a remembrance service for Labour MP Jo Cox, who was murdered in her constituency in June. Cameron tries to get the youth vote in April 2016, ahead of the referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union. Cameron puts on a pair of wellington boots after severe flooding hit large parts of northern England in December 2015. The Prime Minister talks with Theresa May during the state visit of China's Xi Jinping in October 2015. Cameron is captured on camera eating a hot dog with a knife and fork during the 2015 general election campaign. Cameron bows as he greets Queen Elizabeth II during the Mexican President's state visit on March 3, 2015. Cameron speaks at a memorial service for Sir Winston Churchill in January 2015, commemorating the 50th Anniversary of his state funeral. Cameron urges Scotland not to vote to leave the UK during a pre-referendum speech in Aberdeen ahead of the 2014 vote. Cameron stands beside the then London Mayor Boris Johnson as the Olympic cauldron is lit for the Paralympic Games on August 24, 2012 in London. Cameron and his wife Samantha wave on the steps of Downing Street on May 11, 2010 after he took office. The newly-elected Cameron leaves his parliamentary office on December 7, 2005 in London. Cameron was a fresh-faced candidate for leadership of the Conservative Party when he beat David Davis, Liam Fox and Kenneth Clarke to the post in October 2005. David Cameron's time as British prime minister is coming to a close as he hands over the reins to Theresa May. "In my view, the circumstances of my resignation as Prime Minister and the realities of modern politics make it very difficult to continue on the backbenches without the risk of becoming a diversion to the important decisions that lie ahead for my successor in Downing Street and the Government," he said in a statement Monday. "I fully support Theresa May and have every confidence that Britain will thrive under her strong leadership. "I now look forward to a life outside of Westminster, but hope to continue to play a part in public service and to make a real and useful contribution to the country I love." Cameron, 49, became Conservative leader in 2005 and Prime minister in 2010. He revealed that he spoke with his successor before making the decision public. "I spoke to Theresa May and she was very understanding about this decision," Cameron told ITV. "I support her. I support what she's doing. She's got off to a cracking start. Obviously I'm going to have my own views about different issues; people would know that. And that's really the point. "As a former prime minister it is very difficult, I think, to sit as a backbencher and not be an enormous diversion and distraction from what the government is doing. "I don't want to be that distraction. I want Witney to have an MP that can play a full role in parliamentary and political life in a way that I think I would find very difficult, if not impossible." Under Cameron's leadership, the Conservatives won the 2010 general election, ending Labour's 13 years in government, although the party was forced into entering a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. During his time as Prime minister, he introduced same-sex marriage in 2013 and held off the threat of Scottish independence after a referendum in 2014. In the end, Cameron's undoing was his belief that he could end the constant infighting within the Conservative Party over the UK's position in Europe. His decision to call a referendum proved an unnecessary and costly gamble. Mrs May, who is now tasked with dealing with the fallout from Brexit, said she was "proud" to have served alongside her predecessor. "Not just stabilizing the economy, but also making great strides in delivering serious social reform. "His commitment to lead a one nation Government is one that I will continue -- and I thank him for everything he has done for the Conservative party and the country. "I wish him and his family well for the future."

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron resigns as MP for Witney, triggering a by-election.

Four of the mayors are accused of having ties to the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization, which Erdogan has claimed was behind the failed coup attempt, and 24 were allegedly linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency The mayors, who include 24 district mayors, two provincial mayors and two county mayors, most of them from the eastern portion of the country, are being prosecuted on charges of assisting the two groups, the Interior Ministry said. The private Dogan news agency reported that a group of about 200 people gathered in front of city hall in the southeastern town of Suruc to protest the government-installed officials and were dispersed with tear gas and water cannons. The mayors represent a small fraction of people fired or arrested since the July 15 coup attempt that killed at least 240 people and 40 coup plotters.</s>Kurdish militant group says it was behind car bombing in Turkey's Van ISTANBUL, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Kurdish militants on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a car bombing in Turkey's southeastern city of Van a day earlier and said it was a response to the removal from office of two dozen mayors from Kurdish-run municipalities. The blast, close to local government offices, wounded around 50 people, including four police officers and four Iranian citizens thought to have been visiting during the Muslim Eid holiday, officials said. DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey appointed new administrators in two dozen Kurdish-run municipalities on Sunday after removing their elected mayors over suspected links to militants, triggering pockets of protest in its volatile southeastern region bordering Syria and Iraq. Erdogan said last week that the campaign against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, which has waged a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy, was now Turkey's largest ever and that the removal of civil servants linked to them was a key part of the fight. ISTANBUL, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Turkey has proof that mayors removed from two dozen Kurdish-run municipalities on Sunday had sent support to Kurdish militants and they should have been stripped of office sooner, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

Turkish authorities remove two dozen elected Kurdish mayors in southeast Turkey.

Bawtry’s Crown Hotel has become the latest patron of Doncaster Chamber after the two organisations worked on a successful campaign to promote the town. Craig Dowie, managing director of the four star hotel, has been working with the chamber on a ‘place marketing’ campaign to raise Doncaster’s profile as the place to live, work and visit. As a result, chamber bosses saw it as an optimum time for the two organisations to work more closely together and the hotel became the latest chamber patron. Mr Dowie said: “Being a patron will allow us to effectively network with the other Doncaster Chamber patrons, and also host and be involved with key chamber events. “I’m heading up the new place marketing board for Doncaster, and with this in mind, it seemed a great time to look at patronage with Doncaster Chamber where we will work alongside each other and other members to raise the profile and growth of business in Doncaster. “Doncaster is buzzing with transformational projects including the iport, the Great Yorkshire Way, the HS2 rail college, the new Doncaster Sheffield Airport routes and the forthcoming PGA golf course.” He added: “It’s a great time to do business and encourage inward investment on a regional, national and international stage. “The Crown already has key strategic partnerships with other chamber members, including Doncaster Racecourse, Doncaster Rovers Football Club and the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, and the patronage will help us to continue to build our brand and venue as one of the best in Yorkshire.” Dan Fell, chief executive officer of Doncaster Chamber, welcomed them to the team. He added: “We are delighted to welcome the Crown Hotel as patron members – they are great advocates for what a great place Doncaster is to do business and we will continue to work alongside the team and other chamber members to keep growing the economy and ensure that Doncaster is recognised for its attractive investment opportunities.” In 2013 the hotel won two Doncaster Business Awards for Marketing Strategy of the Year and Business of the Year under £3m turnover. The business is also entering this year’s awards and the winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony at Doncaster Racecourse on Thursday, December 8. The Origin Broadband-sponsored event counts the Doncaster Free Press as an official media partner and it will be hosted by ITV’s Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins. For tickets and further information about attending visit www.doncaster-chamber.co.uk</s>In May, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice determined that Eduardo Cunha, the former President of the Chamber of Deputies, a position equivalent to the Speaker of the House in the U.S., should have his term suspended. As speaker, Eduardo Cunha was the main driver behind the impeachment process that led to the Senate trying left-leaning President Dilma Rousseff and removing her from office last month. Lawmakers decided overwhelmingly that Cunha had lied during the investigation into corruption at Brazil's state-run oil company, Petrobras, and had hid millions of dollars in offshore accounts. But the issue before the Chamber of Deputies was only whether he lied about having secret banking accounts in Switzerland. By being voted out, Cunha loses partial immunity from prosecution offered to members of Congress and high-ranking politicians.

Eduardo Cunha, former President of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies loses his position as a Deputy following a vote of the Chamber as a result of a series of corruption scandals.

President Obama waves as he boards Air Force One after the closing ceremony of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images) Other presidents have mountains named after them. They're the namesakes for high schools, boulevards, space centers, libraries, airports, and elk. George Washington has the capital of our country named for him, for crying out loud. But how many of them have the dubious honor of being the namesake for a parasitic worm? World, meet Baracktrema obamai, a deadly turtle pathogen named in honor of our current president. Believe it or not, it's supposed to be a compliment. The new genus and species of parasitic flatworm was introduced this week in an article in the Journal of Parasitology. The tiny creatures, which are the thickness of a human hair, invade the lungs of freshwater turtles in Malaysia, often with deadly consequences. Thomas Platt, a turtle disease expert who discovered the new species shortly before his recent retirement from St. Mary's College, said that the name is meant to honor President Obama — not gross him out. Though most people (understandably) aren't big parasite fans, Platt has a deep respect for the resilient little creatures. They “face incredible obstacles to complete their [life cycles] and must contend with the immune system of the host in order to mature and reproduce,” he said in a statement. [To save Darwin's finches from devastation, scientists breed hordes of blood-sucking maggots] Platt's research also revealed that the worm is a relative of members of the genus Unicaecum, another turtle parasite. And both are more distant relatives of the worms that cause the disease schistosomiasis in humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, schistosomiasis infects as many as 200 million people in the year, second only to malaria as the world's most devastating parasitic illness. The worms crawl into their hosts' blood vessels and lay eggs, which can become lodged in victims' organs and cause fever, muscle pain, liver problems, even seizures or cancer. Understanding Baracktrema obamai's relationship to Unicaecum can help scientists understand the evolutionary history of these parasitic diseases, Platt and his colleagues write. In turn, that will help researchers figure out how to treat them. As he was delving into the phylogenetic tree of parasites, Platt had been conducting research on his own family history. In the process, he discovered that he shares a not-so-distant common ancestor with the president. “I have named a number of species after people I admire, from my father-in-law, my PhD adviser, and good friends who are academics and/or amateur naturalists,” Platt said. “Baracktrema obamai will endure as long as there are systematists studying these remarkable organisms.” The turtle worm joins a long list of creatures named for Obama, which includes a lichen, an extinct lizard (the "obamadon"), a species of trapdoor spider and another parasite. At this rate, perhaps the president is looking forward to leaving office. Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly characterized the genus Unicaecum. It is a parasite that infects turtles. Read more: Giraffes aren't just giraffes. Turns out there are four species. NASA's OSIRIS-REx blasts off on ambitious mission to visit asteroid, bring a piece home Five times 'Star Trek' brought out the science nerd in all of us for #StarTrek50 Beer yeast is tame. Wine yeast is wild. Draw your own conclusions. Why bats ‘waggle’ their heads like adorable little puppies</s>Last week, a new species of flatworm discovered in Malaysia was named after President Barack Obama as Baracktrema obamai. The scientist making this designation, Thomas R. Platt, chose Mr. Obama, a distant relative, and a person Mr. Platt admires. Right away another new flatworm has been discovered, in New York waters, and it will be named after former mayor of New York, Mr. Rudy Giuliani. This time the honor is bestowed by Dr. Vertiginal Waymouth, with scientific designation for the new worm Giuliatrema nonsequituriai. Dr. Waymouth has explained that his choice of Mr. Giuliani is based on two factors: a) the former mayor's logic on Iraq, recently expounded on ABC News; and b) metaphorical applications of the worm's habits to national security. The new species is again a parasite infecting a host target and implanting eggs that endure and allow reproduction of the worm itself. Part a) of the honor for Mr. Giuliani derives from his saying to ABC's George Stephanopoulus that the US should have seized Iraq's oil when it had a chance, before leaving in 2011, because in war "Anything's legal." That is, taking the oil and putting the U.S. in charge of distributing it would have prevented its being used by the terrorists. This theft would be legal, Mr. Giuliani believes, because war allows it. But legal experts have pointed out that seizing Iraq's oil would have been illegal, based on international law for at least the last 100 years. Nonetheless, Mr. Giuliani argues that with Iraq's oil under the invader's lock and key, the defeated Sunnis would have been content to sit back and watch TV. Having no oil to peddle to places like Turkey, ISIS would have been without supporting funds and ability, probably causing wide-spread sighing plus wringing of hands in the sense of "Nothing to be done." The new governing class Shia in Iraq would have been happy to have the question of who controls and owns the oil off their hands. They would have sat back, saying, "The Americans have taken this burden of our oil off our hands! What a relief! And of course we accept their decisions on how our oil should be shared out to the oil companies and so forth." In part b) of Dr. Waymouth's reasoning, the remarkable similarity of the policy Mr. Guiliani is proposing for the US, and the flatworm's behavior, is almost startling. That is, the flatworm sneaks into its host, attacks and occupies it, and seizes its resources for growth and reproduction. The host withers. Pentagon strategists are reported interested in these developments, with Flatworm Stealth Programs and Flatworm Special Forces under study.

Baracktrema obamai, a new species of parasite is named after Barack Obama.

Denying any of its aircraft had been lost, the Israeli military said in a statement: “Overnight two surface-to-air missiles were launched from Syria after the mission to target Syrian artillery positions. At no point was the safety of (Israeli) aircraft compromised.” The seven-day truce in Syria, brokered by Russia and the United States, is their second attempt this year by to halt the bloodshed. Syrian army says it shot down Israeli warplane and a drone - state media BEIRUT, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The Syrian army said on Tuesday it had shot down an Israeli warplane and a drone in Syria after an Israeli attack on a Syrian army position in southern Syria, state media reported. "Our air defences blocked the attack and shot down the military aircraft in (the southern province of) Quneitra and a drone" in the province of Damascus, said the Syrian army statement carried by state news agency SANA.</s>Israeli warplanes have conducted several raids on Syrian army positions over the past weeks after stray shells hit the Israeli-controlled Golan. Story highlights Syria claims it shot down an Israeli warplane and drone near Israeli border Tuesday But Israel says none of its aircraft were struck, calling the claim "completely false" (CNN) The Israel Defense Forces have rejected Syrian military claims to have downed an Israeli warplane and drone over southwest Syria Tuesday morning as "completely false." “At no point was the safety of IDF (Israel Defense Forces) aircraft compromised,” it said. JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military struck artillery positions in Syria on Tuesday after a projectile from that country’s civil war hit the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights, but denied a Syrian claim that Syrian forces shot down two Israeli aircraft. Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.

Syria reports its air defense shot down an Israeli warplane that attacked a Syrian army position in al-Quneitra, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Israel Defense Forces say that missiles were fired at their aircraft but none hit.

KARACHI: At least 13 people, including five policemen, were on Tuesday injured in two separate suicide bombings during Eid prayers targeting minority Shias in Pakistan’s relatively peaceful southern Sindh province. The district police said four suicide attackers infiltrated Khanpur and reached SHIKARPUR – At least 13 people, including five cops, were injured after one of the two suicide bombers struck the Eid congregation in a Shikarpur mosque, police said Tuesday. The attack took place in Shikarpur in Sindh province, around 470 kilometres (300 miles) north of Karachi and the same district where at least 61 were killed in a suicide attack on another Shiite mosque in 2015. “If the policemen had not prevented these suicide bombers from entering the prayer venues there would have been large-scale casualties because of the large gathering because of Eid prayers,” he said. The other attacker fled, police sources said. He said the attackers at the Shia mosque were stopped by policemen as they looked suspicious and when confronted one of them detonated himself. Two other suicide bombers targeted a Shia mosque but they were stopped at the entrance by policemen, which led to one of the attackers to blow himself up while the other was arrested. The second attacker, a would-be suicide bomber, was shot and wounded at the scene, after which the officers arrested him. "Four of our men are injured of whom one is critical," Umar Tufail, a senior local police officer told AFP. Those injured in the blast have been admitted to hospitals in Shikarpur for treatment. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Police were able to stop him at the gate outside the mosque," A.D. Khawaja, chief of police for Sindh province said.</s>Monday 12 September marks the start of an auspicious week for millions of Muslims around the world, as devotees commence the annual Eid al-Adha celebrations following the end of Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. It's also known as the Feast of Sacrifice or the Greater Eid and honors Prophet Abraham's sacrifice of his son Ishmael, as an act of submission to God's command. Sacrifice is also part of the tradition - in some countries, Muslim families buy, keep and slaughter their own animal, anyone the UK wishing to sacrifice an animal has to do so humanely.

Two attackers of Eid al-Adha prayers in an Imambargah at Shikapur district, Sindh, injure at least ten people including five policemen. One assailant blew himself up and authorities arrested the other one.

Karachi: At least two policemen were killed in a roadside blast in the troubled Balochistan province while 13 people were injured in two separate suicide bombings during Eid prayers on Tuesday targeting minority Shias in Pakistan's relatively peaceful southern Sindh province. Two police officials were killed and 10 other injured in a blast near a police training centre on Quetta's Sariab road when militants targeted a police patrol vehicle in the area, police said. Also, four suicide attackers infiltrated Shikarpur district's Khanpur tehsil, 470 kilometres north of Karachi, police said. Two of the attackers targeted an Eid prayer ground where one assailant blew himself up, injuring 10 people, two of whom were policemen. The other attacker managed to flee, they said. Two other suicide bombers targeted a Shia mosque but they were stopped at the entrance by policemen, which led to one of them blowing himself up while the other was arrested. Three policemen were injured in the attack, one of whom was critical. Last year, at least 61 people were killed in a suicide attack on a mosque in the district. "Alert" policemen at the venues prevented huge casualties, police officer Beherdin Kehrio told reporters. "If the policemen had not prevented these suicide bombers from entering the prayer venues there would have been largescale casualties because of the large gathering because of Eid prayers," he said. He said the attackers at the Shia mosque were stopped by policemen as they looked suspicious and when confronted one of them detonated himself. "The other attacker was brought down and arrested," he added. Those injured in the blast have been admitted to hospitals in Shikarpur for treatment. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan has been frequently hit by sectarian violence in recent years, most of them perpetrated by hardline Sunni Muslim groups against minority Shia Muslims. However, Sindh is considered a relatively peaceful of Pakistan's four provinces and is highly influenced by Sufi doctrines and principles.</s>Mr. Kirby was responding to a question on growing clarion calls from both inside and outside Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on its independence and violation of human rights by the Pakistani security forces there. The U.S. respects the unity and territorial integrity of Pakistan and does not support independence for Balochistan, a state department official has said. “The government policy is that we support the territorial integrity of Pakistan and we do not support independence for Balochistan,” State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference on Monday. Mr. Kirby was responding to a question on growing clarion calls from both inside and outside Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on its independence and violation of human rights by the Pakistani security forces there. “Where does the U.S. stand on Balochistan? Because Indian Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] has raised this subject,” Mr. Kirby was asked. “The U.S. Government respects the unity and territorial integrity of Pakistan and we do not support independence for Balochistan,” he reiterated. In his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, Modi talked about the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Gilgit and Balochistan and said people from there have thanked him for raising their issues.

A roadside blast in the Balochistan Province kills two policemen and injures eight people.

Super Typhoon Meranti is the strongest recorded since Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and almost 1800 tourists have already been evacuated from smaller islands off Taiwan. Low) ENDITEM/ke For latest flight information around Taiwan: ●Taipei Songshan Airport (Airport code: TSA, for domestic services and flights to Tokyo Haneda, Seoul Kimpo and several Chinese cities) ●Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE, for most international flights) ●Taichung airport (RMQ, domestic flights and services to Hong Kong, China, and regional destinations in Asia) ●Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH, for both international and domestic services)</s>Chinese state media reported one death and one person missing, as high winds and rain shattered windows on tall buildings, knocked down trees and disrupted water supplies in China's Fujian province, causing a widespread blackout in the coastal city of Xiamen. Dozens of flights and train services have been cancelled, state television said, inconveniencing people at the start of the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. In eastern Guangdong province, authorities ordered trawlers to return to harbour and fishermen to shelter on land from Meranti, which the official China News Service said could be the strongest typhoon to hit that part of China since 1969. Tens of thousands of people had already been evacuated as the storm approached and fishing boats called back to port. One person died and 38 were injured in Taiwan, the Central Emergency Operation Centre said, as the typhoon hit the southern part of the island on Wednesday night. Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau warned that the Category 5 storm would threaten several southern and eastern cities, including Kaohsiung and Hualien, with strong winds, torrential rain and flooding. Meranti, which grew in strength the closer it got to Taiwan on Wednesday night, was carrying maximum winds of 227kmh as it clipped the south of the island, the weather bureau said. TAIPEI, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of homes lost power across Taiwan on Wednesday as Super Typhoon Meranti hit the island, a storm seen as the strongest in the world so far this year, forcing schools and businesses to close and flights to be cancelled. Taiwan's Central Emergency Operation Centre said many power lines were brought down, some by falling trees, cutting electricity to 550,000 households. Companies and schools in Kaohsiung and other cities have closed and almost 1,500 residents have been evacuated, the Central Emergency Operation Centre said in a statement. Typhoons are generated at this time of year, picking up strength as they cross the warm waters of the Pacific before bringing strong winds and violent rainstorms when they hit land. Meranti will continue to lose strength as it pushes inland and up towards China's commercial capital of Shanghai, but will bring heavy rain. Chinese meteorologists downgraded Meranti from a super typhoon to a tropical depression on Thursday afternoon and said they expect it to fade further as it moves north. Meranti is expected to make landfall in the southern Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Fujian on Thursday, where authorities were already cancelling train services and preparing to evacuate people, state media said. Meranti comes just over two months after the deadly typhoon Nepartak cut power, grounded flights and forced thousands to flee their homes across central and southern areas of Taiwan. In 2009, Typhoon Morakot cut a swath of destruction through southern Taiwan, killing about 700 people and causing up to US$3 billion of damage.

Taiwan issues land and sea warnings for Typhoon Meranti which is expected to hit tomorrow the southern part of the island.

The official KCNA news agency did not give exact numbers of those killed or unaccounted for, but a UN report said 138 people have died and 400 are missing after torrential rains caused devastation in the country's far north. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in April that North Korea's chronic food shortages were expected to worsen, due to tight food supplies last year and this year when "most households were already estimated to have poor or borderline food consumption levels". “The people there are in a very desperate situation.” Staines was part of a group of 22 international and local staffers from 13 aid agencies stationed in Pyongyang who last week visited the northern city of Hoeryong, across the Tumen River from China.</s>North Korea floods a 'major, complex disaster', Red Cross says Updated North Korea is experiencing a "major and complex disaster", according to the Red Cross, after floods killed scores of people and left more than 100,000 homeless and in need of urgent help. The charity said rescue workers were struggling to reach stricken communities in the country's far north, where thousands have been left homeless and the risk of disease is looming. "From what we saw, it is clear that this is a very major and complex disaster," head of the Pyongyang office of the International Federation of the Red Cross, Chris Staines, said after visiting the affected areas. At least 133 people are known to have died after torrential rains triggered massive floods that tore through villages, devastating entire communities and washing away buildings. Hundreds more are missing and 140,000 people are in urgent need of food and shelter. "The floods came through with such force they destroyed everything in their path," Mr Staines said. "People were salvaging whatever possessions they could from piles of debris that used to be their homes." Some 24,000 houses have been totally destroyed and thousands more damaged, with the full extent of the disaster still emerging as rescue workers battle to reach areas that have been totally cut off, the Red Cross said. Mr Staines said there was barely a building left unscathed in some villages they had visited on the outskirts of Hoeryong City, which lies on the Tumen River on North Korea's border with China. "People displaced from the floods are now in a very difficult situation and there are real risks of secondary disasters, particularly relating to people's health," Mr Staines added. At least 100,000 people in Hoeryong City do not have safe drinking water, with up to 600,000 people in the affected area facing disruptions to their water supply, the Red Cross said. The disaster is set to worsen North Korea's already chronic food shortages, with about 40,000 hectares of farmland inundated just weeks before the local maize and rice crops were due to be harvested. "Their loss is another disaster that will be felt in the coming weeks and months," the Red Cross warned. The impoverished nation is vulnerable to natural disasters, especially floods, due partly to deforestation and poor infrastructure. At least 169 people were killed by a massive rainstorm in the summer of 2012. Major state resources are swallowed up by a missile and nuclear weapons programme Pyongyang says is essential to deter US aggression. AFP Topics: korea-democratic-peoples-republic-of First posted

The Red Cross warns that North Korea faces a "major, complex disaster" after recent floods kill scores of people and leave more than 100,000 homeless.

</s>SEOUL: A powerful 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit the southern region of South Korea Monday evening, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, following an earlier quake of 4.9-magnitude. The Korea Meteorological Administration put the second tremor higher than USGS, at 5.8-magnitude. The quake hit at around 8:30 pm (1130 GMT), with the epicentre near the southeastern city of Gyeongju. No casualties or injuries have been reported yet, Yonhap news agency quoted the ministry of public safety as saying.

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake hits near the Colombian city of Medellin.

Story highlights One person killed, four injured in accident on Harmony of the Seas Accident happened during lifeboat drill while ship docked in the south of France (CNN) Investigators are trying to determine how a lifeboat fell during a training exercise on the world's largest cruise ship Tuesday, leaving one crew member dead and four others injured. A 42-year-old Philippines national died after the lifeboat fell about 33 feet (10 meters) during the exercise on board Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas, which was docked in Marseille, France, Deputy Mayor Julien Ruas told CNN. The four other crew members are being treated at a hospital. At 362 meters (1,187 feet) long, the 16-deck ship is longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower. The Paris icon stands at 984 feet (300 meters).</s>A Filipino crewman was killed Tuesday during a safety drill on the world's biggest cruise liner, the Harmony of the Seas, while it was docked in Marseille, a city official said. One person is dead and four are injured, including two whose lives are in danger," a spokesman for the fire service told the AFP news agency. A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said in a statement: "We are sorry to share the sad news that a crew member aboard Harmony of the Seas has died of injuries suffered during a lifeboat drill conducted while docked at the port of Marseille, France. The record-breaking ship, which is operated by Royal Caribbean, is docked in the French port of Marseille. At 66 metres (217 feet), it is the widest cruise ship ever built, while its 362-metre length makes it 50 metres longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower. Built in the STX shipyard in the northwestern French port of Saint-Nazaire, the Oasis-class liner has 16 decks and can carry more than 6,000 passengers and 2,400 crew.

One crew member of the MS Harmony of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, is killed and four other crew members are injured after a lifeboat fell on them during a training exercise on the ship that was docked in Marseille, France.

The agency said it was not its policy to give out the exact number of diagnosed Zika cases, because the figure was fewer than five and doing so could identify those affected. Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly - a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized - as well as other brain abnormalities.</s>Four new local cases of Zika virus has been reported in Cayman, bringing the total number of locally transmitted cases to nine, according to public health officials. Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said in a press release that of 14 new test results from the Caribbean Public Health Agency, known as CARPHA, five returned positive. “Four females, all local residents of George Town, have no reported travel history to any of the countries where there is currently an outbreak of the Zika virus, thus bringing local transmission of the Zika virus within the Cayman Islands to nine cases,” Dr. Williams-Rodriguez said. The fifth positive result involved a woman from George Town who had traveled to a country between July 27 and Aug. 1 where there is an established outbreak of the Zika virus. Her case brings the total number of imported cases to seven. “None of the five patients are related and neither are they pregnant,” Dr. Williams-Rodriguez said. For advice on mosquito control, contact the Mosquito Research and Control Unit on 949-2557. For information on Zika, contact the Public Health Department at 244-2648 or 244-2621.

The Department of Health of the Philippines discover an additional two cases of Zika virus infections bringing the total to eight.

The Austrian and German foreign ministers joined Hungaryʼs Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó today in firmly rejecting a suggestion by their Luxembourg colleague Jean Asselborn that Hungary should be temporarily or permanently ejected from the European Union, the Hungarian media reported widely today. Responding to his Luxembourg colleague’s comments, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said the Hungarian people have a right to express their opinion, and to decide with whom they wish to live. The EU could not tolerate "such inappropriate behaviour", he said, and any state that violated such basic values "should be excluded temporarily, or if necessary for ever, from the EU''. Asselborn was quoted Tuesday as saying: “Anyone who, like Hungary, builds fences against refugees from war or who violates press freedom and judicial independence should be excluded temporarily, or if necessary for ever, from the EU.” He argued it’s the only way to “preserve the cohesion and values of the European Union.” Hungary is holding a government-sponsored referendum Oct. 2 seeking support for rejecting any future EU plan to resettle migrants among member states. He added that this is “the only way to preserve the cohesion and values of the EU.” Asselborn expressed the view that if Hungary were to apply for EU membership today, then it would have no chance of being accepted. He said that the fence which Hungary has built to keep out refugees “will only get longer, higher and more dangerous,” adding that, in his view, “Hungary is now not so far away from giving the order to fire on refugees.” Asselborn said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has caused a major problem for Europe, because while the EU would like to present a united front to the outside world and to stand up for certain values, it is no longer able to maintain these values within its borders. Hungary is holding a government-sponsored referendum October 2nd seeking support for rejecting any future EU plan to resettle migrants among member states. “He wants to exclude Hungary from the EU but he has long excluded himself from among the politicians who can be taken seriously,” Mr Szijjarto said in a statement, accusing Mr Asselborn of “working tirelessly to demolish European security and culture”. Szijjártó added that “we already knew that Jean Asselborn is not a serious figure,” and described him as “a proper nihilist” who is “sermonizing, conceited and frustrated.” By contrast, Szijjártó said, Hungary has always protected Europe throughout its history, and is doing so now, adding that the Hungarian people will deliver their opinion in the referendum on October 2 on illegal immigration, the Brussels quota package, and “figures like Jean Asselborn.” “Hungary is a European state, a member of the EU and Austria’s neighbor,” Kurz stressed, adding that "we need respect, so that peace in Europe in not endangered.” “I can understand, looking at Hungary, that some people are increasingly impatient in Europe because of the constant squabbles between the European Commission and the Hungarian government.</s>Hungary should be excluded from EU, Luxembourg For Min tells paper BERLIN, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Hungary should be excluded from the European Union because of its tough anti-migrant policies, including erecting a razor-wire fence, which undermine the EU's values, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told the Germany's newspaper Die Welt on Tuesday. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Gederts Gelzis; Writing by Madeline Chambers in Berlin; Editing by Michelle Martin)

Luxembourg's foreign minister Jean Asselborn calls for Hungary to be expelled from the European Union for its treatment of migrants.

Courtesy U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. soldier Chelsea Manning, serving a 35-year prison term for passing classified files to WikiLeaks, ended her hunger strike on Tuesday after the Army said she would be allowed to receive gender transition surgery, the American Civil Liberties Union said. This is all that I wanted – for them to let me be me.” The army private formerly known as Bradley Manning revealed after being convicted of espionage that she identified as a woman. Ms Manning’s treatment would begin with the surgery that was recommended by her psychologist in April, said the ACLU, which represented Ms Manning, who is held in Kansas. No transgender inmate has ever before received gender affirming surgical treatment in prison, the ACLU said. • Teen transgender Kim Kardashian lookalike who was born a boy returned to school after holidays as a girl In a statement, Manning said: "I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted — for them to let me be me," Manning said in a statement, though she went on to criticize the government for taking "so long." In July, Manning tried to take her own life over what her representatives said was the government's denial of appropriate treatment for her gender dysphoria, a condition in which a person feels their physical gender is the opposite of the one he or she identifies with. The army announced later that month that it would investigate Ms Manning for misconduct in connection with the attempt to take her own life, a probe that could lead to indefinite solitary confinement, reclassification into maximum security or additional prison time. According to Ms Manning’s representatives, doctors have recommended that as part of her treatment for gender dysphoria the soldier, who began hormone therapy in 2015, be allowed to follow “female hair grooming standards”. • Caitlyn Jenner is NOT a figurehead for the transgender community says Transparent star ACLU staff attorney Chase Strangio said in Tuesday's statement that the government plans to still enforce the male hair standards. Bradley Manning, a former intelligence analyst in Iraq, was sentenced in 2013 to 35 years in prison after a military court conviction of providing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks. The case ranked as the biggest breach of classified materials in U.S. history. Among the files Bradley Manning leaked in 2010 was a gunsight video of a US Apache helicopter firing on suspected Iraqi insurgents in 2007, an attack that killed a dozen people including two Reuters news staff.</s>(CNN) Imprisoned former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning has learned that she will receive gender transition surgery, her lawyer told CNN, in what could make her the first US prison inmate to undergo such a procedure. Arrested originally as Bradley Manning, she was convicted in 2013 of six Espionage Act violations and 14 other offenses for leaking more than 700,000 secret military and State Department documents, plus some battlefield video. The former US Army soldier is serving a 35-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, an all-male Army prison in eastern Kansas, despite her request to transfer to a civilian prison. Under the policy, "service members with a diagnosis from a military medical provider indicating that gender transition is medically necessary will be provided medical care and treatment for the diagnosed medical condition." "It is nonetheless troubling that the government continues to insist that they will enforce the male hair-length standards against her and subject her to a disciplinary board over administrative charges related to her suicide attempt in July, which was precipitated by the government's refusal to adequately treat her for gender dysphoria," Strangio said. A transgender soldier imprisoned in the US for leaking classified information to WikiLeaks will end a hunger strike after the Army agreed to allow her to receive medical treatment for her gender dysphoria. 'Let me be me' “I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that,” said Mannig, who attended Tasker Milward school in Pembrokeshire for four years. This is all that I wanted -- for them to let me be me," Manning said in a statement released by the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued the Pentagon in 2014 over Manning's medical treatment. Manning herself has since taken to Twitter, posting: 'I am okay. The American Civil Liberties Union said in a news release Tuesday that Manning's treatment will begin with surgery that her psychologist recommended in April. She filed a lawsuit in 2014 against the Department of Defense so she could grow out her hair, use cosmetics and receive hormone treatment "in order to express her female gender."

Imprisoned former American Army intelligence analyst and transgender person Chelsea Manning, who is serving a 35-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, will have the military provide the costs of gender reassignment surgery. She was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses, after disclosing to WikiLeaks nearly three-quarters of a million classified or unclassified but sensitive military and diplomatic documents.

Arsonist who killed 87 in 1990 NYC club fire dies in prison NEW YORK (AP) — The man who started the fire that killed 87 people at a New York City nightclub 26 years ago has died at an upstate prison. The Daily News reports (http://nydn.us/2c7tHtd ) a state corrections spokesman says 61-year-old Julio Gonzalez died Tuesday at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh. Gonzalez had been serving a 25-years-to-life sentence in the maximum-security Clinton Correctional Facility in nearby Dannemora. Authorities say Gonzalez was taken to the hospital after suffering what appeared to be a heart attack. An autopsy will be conducted Wednesday. Gonzalez set fire to the illegally operated Happy Land social club in the Bronx in March 1990 after getting into an argument with his former girlfriend and being thrown out of the club. Only six people inside the two-story club escaped, including his ex-girlfriend.</s>"You know, maybe he got what he deserved," said Juan Laguna, 55, whose mother, Minerva Duprey, died in the inferno. "I'm not going to feel sad about it or anything. You know what? He had it coming to him."

The Cuban-born American arsonist who torched 87 people in March 1990 at The Bronx Happy Land fire, Julio González, dies in prison at the age of 61.

National WATCH | Duterte accuses 'yellow' forces of using human rights to sow intrigue InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5 MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday virtually accused forces loyal to his predecessor of fanning "intrigues" against him by blaming him for the killings of nearly 3,000 people in his tough campaign on illegal drugs. He said these "Yellow" people, whom he did not name - but was obviously referring to certain people in the Liberal Party - could this early be laying the groundwork for his impeachment. For this, he said, he was prepared, adding that for his controversial campaign against crime and drugs, "I'm ready to lose my life, my honor and my presidency." He began his remarks after the swearing in of dozens of new government bureaucrats by swinging out again at the United States, calling the American leaders "hypocrites" for criticizing him for human rights violations while infringing on the rights of other people. He then showed his audience some of the photos he had used to shock delegates at the ASEAN-East Asia Summit in Laos last week, to illustrate America's history of violating human rights while assailing other countries' records. He held up photos of American soldiers standing over a pile of bodies in the Bud Dajo massacre in Sulu during the US pacification campaign in Mindanao. He reiterated that he never called Obama a "son of a bitch" but attacked him nonetheless for openly advising him in Laos to fight crime "the right way" and not short-circuit due process. Duterte lamented that Obama, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, "rode" on the human rights issues against him without bothering to get evidence that he had ordered the killings. Duterte and National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa have been saying that many of the killings since he took office July 1 were the result of rivalries between drug syndicates or vigilantes. Just about half of the 3,000 deaths are attributed to official police operations. "Sumakay itong si Obama. Sumakay si Ban Ki Moon. Dito sumakay. Alam mo kung kaninong laro ito? Yellow yan [This Obama and Mr. Ban rode on this human rights issue. You know who's fanning this intrigue and playing this? The yellow forces]." The Liberal Party is associated with the color yellow because the previous president, Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and the middle-class forces associated with his family's democracy campaign in the 70s and 80s, have taken yellow as their signature color. In the past two weeks, Duterte has publicly excoriated an LP senator, the Senate's Justice committee chair Leila de Lima, for pushing a congressional inquiry into re extra-judicial killings that have marred his anti-drugs campaign. Duterte said Monday he won't back down in case the "yellow" forces are already paving the way for an impeachment case against him. It was an apparent reference to the conspiracy theory that made the rounds during the May 9 election campaign - when it became clear Duterte was headed for a landslide - that the LP will actively work to have Duterte impeached so their vice-presidential candidate, Leni Robredo, will assume the presidency. US special forces out Meanwhile, Duterte declared at the same Palace occasion Monday that he would order the US special forces out of Mindanao, saying the south would never have peace for as long as the Americans are there. According to Duterte, intervention by the US and its allies has damaged so many countries around the world. "Kaya yung mga [That's why the US] special forces, they have to go. They have to go in Mindanao. Maraming mga puti doon [There are so many white people there], they have to go. I don't want to have a rift with America but they have to go." He added, "for as long as we stay with America we will not have peace." HERE'S JV ARCENA'S VIDEO REPORT: </s>VICE PRESIDENT Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and her Liberal party mates on Tuesday denied a plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte, with Robredo calling the accusation that came from the President himself “misinformation.” Duterte on Monday said the “yellows” were out to discredit and impeach him, claiming they were behind the international media play-up of his expletive-laden outburst against the United States and US President Barack Obama amid last week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations summits in Laos. Yellow is the color associated with the Liberal Party (LP) of former President Benigno Aquino 3rd. Robredo, the LP’s highest-ranking elected official who was given the Social Welfare and Development portfolio by Duterte, said in a statement: “There are no moves from the Liberal Party to unseat the President.” “In fact, the leadership of the party has been consistently demonstrating its support to this administration. Members of the party coalesced with the majority in the House and the Senate,” she added. Robredo was referring to the LP lawmakers who belong to the “Super Majority” bloc led by Duterte’s allies from PDP-Laban, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Nacionalista Party, National Unity Party and Lakas-CMD in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Rep. Romero Quimbo of Marikina, a Liberal, is one of the 12 deputy speakers of the House. Robredo said she would “clarify” the “misinformation” on the supposed impeachment plot with the President and assure him of the party’s commitment to his reform measures, particularly on poverty and the fight against illegal drugs. “We’ve offered the anti-poverty programs and policies that I’ve been pushing for to complement the government’s priorities on poverty alleviation. We’ve been coordinating with the relevant government agencies so that our office can help in the rehabilitation effort that needs to accompany the campaign against illegal drugs,” she added. Liberal congressmen Feliciano Belmonte Jr. of Quezon City, Edcel Lagman of Albay, Raul Daza of Northern Samar and Edgar Erice of Caloocan City echoed Robredo. Belmonte said it would be hard to impeach Duterte, who controls Congress. “He (Duterte) is overwhelmingly popular which amounts to a public approval of his programs. Secondly, he has overwhelming majority in the House where impeachment starts,” Belmonte said. Daza agreed that impeachment was definitely off the table. “As you already know, 28 of the 33 LP members are with the Super Majority [bloc]. We [in the LP]have not even talked about impeachment. Impeachment, under the Constitution, begins in the House and I am sure there has not been any talk about that,” Daza said. ‘Impeaching himself’ For Lagman, a Liberal stalwart who chose to be part of the House minority, the President had no one to blame but himself for what happened last week. “It is the President who is … impeaching himself with ill-conceived statements that are unmindful of adverse effects and compromising consequences,” Lagman told reporters, referring to the President’s tirades against the US, expletives against world leaders, and controversial statements against political opponents. At least five LP members belong to the House opposition bloc that has called itself the “Legitimate 8” following the installation of Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez as minority leader. Lagman’s group, which claims the Suarez-led minority is friendly to the Super Majority, includes Daza, Erice, Teodoro Baguilat of Ifugao and Emmanuel Billones of Capiz. Erice clarified that being in the opposition did not mean support for Duterte’s ouster. “We don’t talk about impeachment because it is bad for our country and for our economy. We do not wish impeachment for the President,” Erice said. “We want President Duterte to succeed, and our role [in the opposition]is to provide check and balance. The President should also try to appreciate that what we are doing here [as opposition lawmakers]is also good for the country,” Erice added.

Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte accuses the Liberal Party of former president Benigno Aquino III and their allies of orchestrating an impeachment complaint against him regarding his anti-drug campaign.

The team studied nearly two-thirds of the world’s 6,000-plus languages using word lists covering about 100 shared basic concepts, checking to see if similar sounds kept cropping up. The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, run counter to a long-held idea in linguistics and could complicate the work of researchers trying to trace the history and evolution of the world’s languages. “These sound symbolic patterns show up again and again across the world, independent of the geographical dispersal of humans and independent of language lineage,” said Morten Christiansen, professor of psychology at Cornell University. “There does seem to be something about the human condition that leads to these patterns. We don’t know what it is, but we know it's there,” added Mr. Christiansen, director of Cornell’s Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. Sifting through two-thirds of the world’s languages, scientists have discovered a strange pattern: Words with the same meanings in different languages often seem to share the same sounds — even when those two languages are completely unrelated. Pronouns, body parts, animals, adjectives and verbs to describe motion were all included. Strong association Not all, but “a considerable proportion of the 100 basic vocabulary words have a strong association with specific kinds of human speech sounds,” said the study. Of course, plenty of languages share words that have similar sounds because they’re either “descended” from the same original language (such as Spanish “hospital” and French “hopital,” both of which arose from Latin) or because they’ve borrowed heavily (as English did after the French invaded in the Norman Conquest of 1066). The word for tongue was “likely to have ‘l’ – as in ‘langue’ in French. The word for “sand” was likely to include the “s” sound. “R” sounds were likely to included in the words for “red” and “round.” “It doesn’t mean all words have these sounds, but the relationship is much stronger than we’d expect by chance,” Christiansen said.</s>Humans across the globe may be actually speaking the same language after scientists found that the sounds used to make the words of common objects and ideas are strikingly similar. The discovery challenges the fundamental principles of linguistics, which state that languages grow up independently of each other, with no intrinsic meaning in the noises which form words. But research which looked into several thousand languages showed that for basic concepts, such as body parts, family relationships or aspects of the natural world, there are common sounds - as if concepts that are important to the human experience somehow trigger universal verbalisations.

Researchers from the Americas and Europe discover that sounds in 40–100 basic vocabulary words in around 3,700 languages are similar.

LOS ANGELES -- The World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday slammed Russian hackers who breached its database and published confidential records of U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. WADA said in a statement that the Russian cyber-espionage group Tsar Team (APT28), also known as Fancy Bears, had broken into its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) database. 'WADA has been informed by law enforcement authorities that these attacks are originating out of Russia.' "WADA is very mindful that this criminal attack, which to date has recklessly exposed personal data of 29 athletes, will be very distressing for the athletes that have been targeted and cause apprehension for all athletes that were involved in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games," said Olivier Niggli, the agency's director general. GENEVA -- Russian hackers broke into a World Anti-Doping Agency database and posted confidential medical data online Tuesday of some United States female athletes who competed at the Rio Olympics -- including gymnast Simone Biles, tennis players Serena and Venus Williams and basketball player Elena Delle Donne. WADA said the attack was carried out by a "Russian cyber espionage group" called "Fancy Bears," who revealed records of "therapeutic use exemptions" -- which allow athletes to use substances that are banned if there is a verified medical need. Biles responded on Twitter, saying that she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and has "taken medicine for it since I was a kid." ‘Please know, I believe in clean sport, have always followed the rules, and will continue to do so as fair play is critical to sport and is very important to me.’ While more leaks may follow — and reopen the debate about the number of athletes who use banned substances under the therapeutic use system, WADA saw it on Tuesday as a blatant attempt to undermine the fight against drug cheats. An International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokeswoman said the leaked information was "clearly aimed at tarnishing the reputation of clean athletes" while stating that no anti-doping violation had occurred. In fact in each of the situations, the athlete has done everything right in adhering to the global rules for obtaining permission to use a needed medication.’ A spokesman for Russian president Vladimir Putin rejected WADA’s statement blaming Russian hackers. "All TUEs granted under the Tennis Anti-Doping Program are for the legitimate therapeutic use of medications and are in no way indicative of doping or a breach of the anti-doping rules,'' International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty said in a statement. USA Gymnastics statement regarding Simone Biles and WADA hack: pic.twitter.com/YTq2iVS7Vu — USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) September 13, 2016 The Williams sisters did not test positive in Rio, according to the records posted by the hackers, but had been granted multiple certificates of approval, authorized by the International Tennis Federation, for specified periods since 2010. Let it be known that these criminal acts are greatly compromising the effort by the global anti-doping community to re-establish trust in Russia.’ The US Anti-Doping Agency condemned the attempt to smear American athletes, with chief executive Travis Tygart branding them as ‘cowardly and despicable’. Last month, hackers obtained a database password for Russian runner Yuliya Stepanova, a whistleblower and key witness for the WADA investigations.</s>WADA confirmed a second round of leaked data posted online, after medical records of gold medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams were among four American female Olympians whose data was revealed Tuesday. WADA said Wednesday that the Russian hacking group known as Fancy Bears had illegally gained access to its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System, or “ADAMS,” and said it included confidential medical data. The records were held by the World Anti-Doping Agency and relate to “therapeutic use exemptions” granted to certain athletes so they can take medication — prescribed by a doctor and verified by an independent panel — that would normally be banned because of its performance-enhancing qualities. In fact in each of the situations, the athlete has done everything right in adhering to the global rules for obtaining permission to use a needed medication.” Venus Williams said she was “disappointed” that her medical data has been “compromised by hackers and published without...permission”. This followed the publication of the TUE data, including the drugs that were prescribed, for tennis sisters Serena and Venus Williams, four-time Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles and US women’s basketball player Elena Delle Donne on a recently registered website, fancybear.net. While Biles added in a short statement on her Twitter page: “Please know, I believe in clean sport, have always followed the rules, and will continue to do so as fair play is critical to sport and is very important to me.” Wada revealed that hackers had illegally gained access to its anti-doping administration and management system database via an IOC-created account for the Rio Games. “To those athletes that have been impacted, we regret that criminals have attempted to smear your reputations in this way; and, assure you that we are receiving intelligence and advice from the highest level law enforcement and IT security agencies that we are putting into action.” Niggli said WADA had “no doubt that these ongoing attacks are being carried out in retaliation against the agency, and the global anti-doping system,” because of independent investigations that exposed state-sponsored doping in Russia. WADA said it “extended its investigation with the relevant law enforcement authorities.” Last month, hackers obtained a database password for Russian runner Yuliya Stepanova, a whistleblower and key witness for the WADA investigations. She and her husband, a former official with the Russian national anti-doping agency, are now living at an undisclosed location in North America. “There can be no talk about any official or government involvement, any involvement of Russian agencies in those actions. “Such unfounded accusations don’t befit any organization, if they aren’t backed by substance.” The International Olympic Committee said it “strongly condemns such methods which clearly aim at tarnishing the reputation of clean athletes.” “The IOC can confirm however that the athletes mentioned did not violate any anti-doping rules during the Olympic Games Rio 2016,” the Olympic body said. United States Anti-Doping chief Travis Tygart said: “It’s unthinkable that in the Olympic movement hackers would illegally obtain confidential medical information in an attempt to smear athletes to make it look as if they have done something wrong. Their chosen name, “Fancy Bears,” appears to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to a collection of Russia—linked hackers that security researchers have blamed for a recent spate of attacks and which WADA holds responsible for the current breach. In a statement posted to its website early Tuesday, the group proclaimed its allegiance to Anonymous, the loose-knit movement of online mischief-makers, and said it hacked WADA to show the world “how Olympic medals are won.” “We will start with the U.S. team which has disgraced its name by tainted victories,” the group said, adding that more revelations about other teams were forthcoming.

The World Anti-Doping Agency reveals that Russian hackers broke into one of its databases and published confidential medical information on several prominent American female athletes who competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics, among them, gymnast Simone Biles, tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, and basketball player Elena Delle Donne. The named individuals all received "therapeutic use exemptions" from WADA allowing them to use otherwise banned substances to treat documented medical conditions.

Davao City (CNN Philippines) — The death toll of the Davao City Night Market bombing on September 2 has risen to 15, following the death of a pregnant woman Monday evening. Vicenta Asperin died at the Metro Davao Medical and Research Center (MDMRC) at around 10:17 p.m. Monday — 11 days after she went into a coma. She sustained severe head injuries from the blast. Asperin was 21 years old and six months pregnant. Her unborn child also died. Read: Police hunt down possible Davao City bombing suspect The City Social Services and Development Office, quoting a medical report, said Asperin passed away from heart failure and brain damage. The bomb exploded near a massage parlor where Asperin was working. She sustained very severe shrapnel wounds in her head. A few minutes before her dying breath, she was declared brain-dead by her attending physician. Asperin was the massage therapist of a 12-year old victim, who was among those who died on the spot. According to CSSDO chief Ma. Luisa Bermudo, the deaths of Asperin and her unborn child should be counted as one. Bermudo explained, this is because the mother and child were not separated, as the unborn baby remained inside the mother's womb. Related: Reward for Davao blast culprits now at ₱3M Asperin's husband, John Lord, was in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley Province when the blast happened. The two married in March this year and were expecting their first baby girl.

The death toll of the September 2 bombing rises to 15.

It was not immediately clear if the video, which was technically superior to previous ones, was shot in Boko Haram's Sambisa forest stronghold in the northern state of Borno or elsewhere.</s>There were 41 cross-border attacks this year until the end of August with Niger bearing the brunt of the violence, including a raid on a military base near the southeastern town of Bosso in June in which at least 26 soldiers were killed.

Clashes near the village of Toumour in Niger's southeast Diffa Region kill at least 30 Boko Haram militants and five Niger Armed Forces soldiers.

FRANKFURT/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chemicals and healthcare group Bayer AG (BAYGn.DE) is poised to announce the acquisition of U.S. seeds company Monsanto Co MON.N on Wednesday for more than $66 billion, clinching the biggest deal of the year, people familiar with the matter said. Bayer’s bid to combine its crop chemicals business, the world’s second-largest after Syngenta AG SYNN.S, with Monsanto’s industry leading seeds business, is the latest in a series of major consolidation moves in the agrochemical sector. American industrial giants Dow Chemical and DuPont pioneer struck a merger in December last year, and Swiss-based chemical and seed company Syngenta agreed to a takeover by Chinese industrial giant ChemChina in February this year.</s>FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German drug and farm chemical maker Bayer AG says it has agreed to acquire seed and weed-killer company Monsanto in an all-cash deal valued at $66 billion. Bayer says it is paying Monsanto shareholders $128 per share, which represents a 44 percent premium over Monsanto's closing price on May 9, the day before a proposed deal was announced. The deal is subject to approval by Monsanto shareholders and anti-trust regulators. Bayer said Wednesday the transaction brings together two different but complementary companies. Bayer makes a wide range of crop protection chemicals, while Monsanto is known for its seeds business. Leverkusen-based Bayer said the merged companies' agriculture business would have its seeds business and North American business headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, where Monsanto is currently based. Bayer initially offered $122 per share, only to be rebuffed by Monsanto management, and then $125 per share before reaching the deal announced Wednesday. Monsanto Chairman and CEO Hugh Grant said the deal "represented the most compelling value for our shareholders, with the most certainty through the all-cash consideration." Bayer said it would raise the cash to pay for Monsanto by issuing debt and $19 billion in equity, including a mandatory convertible bond and a rights issue.

German chemicals company Bayer AG will announce that it has acquired American seeds company Monsanto Co. for US$66 billion.

TAIPEI: Parts of Taiwan were brought to a standstill Wednesday as super typhoon Meranti skirted past the island’s southern tip, bringing the strongest winds in 21 years and disrupting traffic ahead of a major holiday. The powerful storm first raked southern Taiwan, bringing torrential rains and winds of up to 230 mph (370 kilometers per hour) -- faster than a Formula One race car. At 0500 GMT, Meranti was 90 kilometers (56 miles) west-northwest of southernmost Hengchun township, packing gusts of up to 234 kilometers per hour. Hengchun’s observation station recorded the strongest winds in its 120 year history earlier Wednesday, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau. “Meranti will have its most significant impact on Taiwan today,” said forecaster Hsieh Pei-yun. Television footage showed flooded streets and violent winds in southern Kenting, a tourist destination known for its white-sand beaches. There are severe travel disruptions for the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend which starts Thursday, as over 300 domestic and international flights have been cancelled and trains running along the east coast have been halted. More than 130 ferry services to offshore islets and to several Chinese coastal cities have also been suspended, officials said. The storm is expected to dump as much as 800 millimeters (31.5 inches) of rain in mountainous areas, potentially triggering landslides. Close to 1,500 people have been evacuated from at-risk areas, with about half in temporary shelters, according to the Central Emergency Operation Center. Meranti was moving northwest into the Taiwan Strait at 18 kilometers an hour. Another storm brewing east of the Philippines may also affect Taiwan later this week. The weather bureau’s Hsieh said tropical storm Malakas was expected to be closest to the island on Friday and Saturday, but was unlikely to make landfall. Despite weakening to a tropical storm, Nepartak and its associated heavy rainfall of up to 10 inches killed more than 80 people.</s>Tens of thousands of homes lost power across Taiwan on Wednesday as Super Typhoon Meranti hit the island, a storm seen as the strongest in the world so far this year, forcing schools and businesses to close and flights to be cancelled. Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau warned that the Category 5 storm would threaten several southern and eastern cities, including Kaohsiung and Hualien, with strong winds, torrential rain and flooding. Meranti, which grew in strength as it neared Taiwan, was carrying maximum winds of 216 km per hour (134 mph), meteorologists said. Fallen power cables and trees were among some of the early damage reported. “This typhoon is the world's strongest so far this year,” weather bureau spokeswoman Hsieh Pei-yun said. ‘Its impact on Taiwan will peak all day today.’ Companies and schools in Kaohsiung and other cities have closed and almost 1,500 residents have been evacuated, the Central Emergency Operation Center said in a statement. Nearly 200,000 households were without power, according to the Taiwan Power Co. Most domestic flights have been cancelled, including all of those from Kaohsiung airport, where international flights were also severely affected. Taiwan will feel the full force of the typhoon through Wednesday and into Thursday before the storm barrels into China, meteorologists said. Meranti is expected to make landfall in the southern Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Fujian on Thursday, where authorities were already cancelling train services and preparing to evacuate people, state media said. Typhoon Meranti comes just over two months after the deadly typhoon Nepartak cut power, grounded flights and forced thousands to flee their homes across central and southern areas of Taiwan. In 2009, Typhoon Morakot cut a swath of destruction through southern Taiwan, killing about 700 people and causing up to $3 billion of damage.

Typhoon Meranti hits southern Taiwan with record breaking winds and heavy rains, disrupting transport and knocking out power to tens of thousands of people.

ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — The four original nations of South America's Mercosur trading bloc announced Tuesday that they are giving Venezuela until Dec. 1 to comply with its commitments when it joined in 2012 that it would comply with all the group's requirements. “The presidency of Mercosur in the current semester will not be passed on to Venezuela, but rather exercised through coordination between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay,” read a joint statement by the four countries — Mercosur’s founding states — that Brazil released at dawn. But Paraguayan Foreign Minister Eladio Loizaga recently said that among the requirements unmet by Venezuela are the protection of human rights and enactment of a law guaranteeing free movement by citizens of the member nations. He also said Venezuela was not allowing opposition groups to protest freely. Mercosur took in Venezuela as a member in an effort to link the region’s most powerful agricultural and energy markets.</s>The ultimatum will further isolate the socialist-led nation, which has been at the center of a fight over the rotating presidency of Mercosur, which has turned to the right after years dominated by leftist governments. Mercosur lays down ultimatum for Venezuela to meet membership terms BRASILIA, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The founding members of Mercosur will give Venezuela until Dec. 1 to meet its membership requirements or be suspended from the trade bloc, Brazil said on Tuesday, in the latest twist in a row that has exposed ideological divisions. "Trying to destroy MERCOSUR via illegal ruses is a reflection of intolerant politics and the desperation of bureaucrats," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said on Twitter. All Mercosur members but Uruguay blocked Venezuela from assuming the rotating presidency in June, accusing the OPEC nation of failing to incorporate a joint economic accord and a commitment to protect human rights. Brazil's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the ultimatum for Venezuela was meant to "preserve and strengthen Mercosur." The bickering over leadership has stalled Mercosur's everyday operations and trade negotiations with other countries, ultimately forcing Uruguay to accept a tougher stance against Venezuela, a Brazilian official familiar with the matter said. (Additional reporting by Alexandra Ulmer; Writing by Alonso Soto; Editing by Leslie Adler and Nick Macfie)

The South American trading bloc Mercosur threatens to suspend Venezuela if it does not protect human rights and enact a law guaranteeing the free movement of Mercosur citizens. The bloc sets a deadline of December 1, 2016, for Venezuela to comply with their requirements.

Brazil prosecutors say Lula was 'general' of vast Petrobras graft scheme SAO PAULO, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Brazilian prosecutors on Wednesday denounced former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as the 'general' in command of a vast corruption scheme at state oil company Petrobras aimed at keeping his leftist Workers Party in power. REUTERS/Jamil Bittar/File Photo It was the first time that Lula, still Brazil’s most popular politician despite corruption accusations against him and his Workers Party, was charged by federal prosecutors for involvement in the political kickbacks scheme at Petroleo Brasileiro (PETR4.SA), as the company is officially known. Related Coverage Brazil prosecutors say Lula was 'general' of vast Petrobras graft scheme Lula’s case will go before crusading anti-corruption Judge Sergio Moro, who has jailed dozens of executives and others involved in the scheme. Lula, a charismatic former union leader who was a two-term president from 2003 to 2010, has separately been indicted by a court in Brasilia for obstruction of justice in a case related to an attempt to persuade a defendant in the Petrobras scandal not to turn state's witness. ($1 = 3.3405 Brazilian reais) (Reporting by Sergio Spagnuolo; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Daniel Flynn)</s>RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian federal investigators have charged former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva with money laundering and corruption. The charges announced Wednesday are in connection with a sprawling corruption investigation at state-run oil giant Petrobras. Silva, his wife and five others are accused of illegally benefiting from renovations at a beachfront apartment in the coastal city of Guaruja, in Sao Paulo state. The improvements were made by constructors involved in the kickback scheme emanating from Petrobras. FILE - In this Aug. 29, 2016 file photo, Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends the impeachment trial of suspended President Dilma Rousseff in Brasilia, Brazil. Federal investigators charged Lula with money laundering and corruption on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016 in connection with a sprawling corruption investigation at state-run oil giant Petrobras. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File) Silva acknowledges having visited the penthouse but says he never owned it. Police recommended the charges last month. Judge Sergio Moro must now decide whether Silva will stand trial. In a separate case related to Petrobras, Silva will go on trial charged with obstruction of justice.

Brazilian prosecutors file corruption charges against former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his wife, Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva. Federal judge Sérgio Moro will preside over his case.

Washington (AP) — President Barack Obama said Wednesday the U.S. is lifting economic sanctions and restoring trade benefits to former pariah state Myanmar as he met with Aung San Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner who is now the nation’s de facto leader. “The United States is now prepared to lift sanctions that we have imposed on Burma for quite some time,” he said, adding that the move would come “soon.” “It is the right thing to do to ensure that the people of Burma see rewards for a new way of doing business,” he added. The White House is keen to help the country’s economy and Suu Kyi’s administration — which is managing a difficult transition from military-run pariah to full-fledged democracy. Suu Kyi’s party swept historic elections last November, and the visit by the 71-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, deeply respected in Washington, is a crowning occasion in the Obama administration’s support for Myanmar’s shift to democracy, which the administration views as a major foreign policy achievement. Washington started paring back sanctions in 2012 under the previous quasi-civilian regime, led by former president Thein Sein, and rolled them back further in May after Suu Kyi’s party took office. Leverage and sanctions Obama did not say when he would rescind an executive order underpinning broader sanctions that declares Myanmar a “national emergency.” Although some curbs on ties to the military and some individuals will probably stay in place, scrapping the order would bring clarity to US companies considering business there. Washington lifted a host of financial and trade embargoes on state-owned banks and businesses in May, but US firms have remained cautious. While the latest lift was celebrated in the business world, rights groups cautioned Obama was forgoing crucial leverage over the military, which still holds a quarter of parliament seats and controls several powerful ministries. Global Witness and other human rights groups have criticized Obama’s move as “a major setback for efforts to clean up Myanmar’s notoriously corrupt and abusive business environment.” “Lifting restrictions before the new government’s reforms have borne fruit effectively invites US companies to do business with some of the worst figures from the country’s past,” it added.</s>Obama Says U.S. Is Prepared To Lift Sanctions Against Myanmar Enlarge this image toggle caption Carolyn Kaster/AP Carolyn Kaster/AP President Obama has announced that the U.S. is ready to lift economic sanctions against Myanmar in light of political reforms in the Southeast Asian nation. President Barack Obama announced the plan to lift remaining sanctions and restore trade benefits after meeting at the White House with Aung San Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner who is now Myanmar's foreign minister and the country's de facto leader. Here is a look at some details and implications of the plan to lift most sanctions: WHAT SANCTIONS ARE BEING LIFTED The U.S. eased broad sanctions since Myanmar began political reforms five years ago, but kept in place targeted restrictions on military-owned companies and officials and associates of the former ruling junta.

The Obama administration plans to lift sanctions against Myanmar.

Official: US sets goal to take in 110,000 refugees next year WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will strive to take in 110,000 refugees from around the world in the coming year, a senior Obama administration official said Wednesday, in what would be a nearly 30 percent increase from the 85,000 allowed in over the previous year. It represents a 57 percent increase in refugee arrivals since 2015, as ongoing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere have spurred an exodus of migrants seeking asylum in Europe, Canada and other regions. Secretary of State John Kerry briefed Congress on Tuesday about the administration's decision and has stated over the past year that the United States would seek to welcome 100,000 refugees in 2017 -- and if possible, would accept more. Secretary of State John F. Kerry briefed lawmakers Tuesday on the new goal, which is an increase from 85,000 in fiscal 2016 and 70,000 in the previous three years. The White House has tried to emphasize that the refugee program is safe and doesn't pose a major threat to national security. The announcement comes two weeks after the U.S. announced it had met President Barack Obama's goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees despite early skepticism that it would reach its goal. Nearly five million Syrians have fled their country since war broke out in 2011, and the United States has committed to resettling 10,000 this year, an issue that has inflamed the 2016 presidential election race. The United Nations on September 19 will host the first summit on refugees and migrants, which will be followed the next day by a pledging conference for new offers of aid to refugees hosted by Obama.</s>Obama plans to increase number of refugees admitted to U.S. - media Sept 13 (Reuters) - The Obama Administration plans to increase the number of refugees admitted to the United States by 30 percent in fiscal year 2017, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited an annual refugee report submitted to Congress. Secretary of State John Kerry presented the new target of 110,000 in the 2017 fiscal year starting Oct. 1, up from 85,000 in 2016, during a closed session to members of the House and Senate judiciary committees on Tuesday, according to the newspaper. Kerry has said repeatedly over the past year that the United States would admit at least 100,000 refugees in fiscal 2017 and try to admit more if it were able. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

The Obama administration plans on increasing refugees admitted to the United States to 110,000.

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has presented the legislation to parliament which would allow a public vote to go ahead on February 11 next year asking the Australian public if they approve of the legalisation of same-sex marriage. “They don’t want to run the risk of the Australian people giving them the wrong answer,” Turnbull told Parliament. He has no idea of the harm this could inflict on so many people and their families.” The PM also confirmed $170 million dollars in funding for the plebiscite, $160 million which will go to holding the vote and $7.5 million each for the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ campaigners. At his most animated when berating Labor for its opposition to the public vote, Mr Turnbull argued a plebiscite was the best way to decide a matter on which Australians had such deeply-held personal convictions.</s>(CNN) The chances of Australians having their say on same-sex marriage are fading rapidly after strong hints from the main opposition party that it'll block the vote. The country's conservative Liberal government had planned to hold a national plebiscite, similar to a referendum, on whether or not to allow gay couples to marry in February 2017. But the opposition Labor Party said the government should simply make same sex marriage legal without a national vote, avoiding a vicious debate over LGBT rights and savings millions of dollars in election funding. Australia is one of the last Western countries without legal same sex marriage, which has already been introduced in the United States, New Zealand, France, Canada and the United Kingdom. About 57% of Australians support same sex marriage, according to a recent Essential polling survey "This will be the 22nd marriage equality bill in Australia and we still haven't got (LGBT) marriage and at a certain point we have to think, what are we doing wrong here?" Australian Marriage Equality director Tiernan Brady told CNN. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull brought the legislation before Parliament for the first time on Wednesday after months of negotiation. Australian National University School of Politics professor John Warhurst said it was now very likely the national vote would not happen, and no other moves on gay marriage may be made for years. "I think there's a high likelihood that the issue will not be proceeded with for at least two and a half years, and it's not clear even beyond the next election (2019) exactly what the dynamic will be," he said. Warhurst said the plebiscite had originally been the policy of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, as a way to defer the introduction of same sex marriage, and when he became leader Turnbull had been forced to keep it by his party's conservatives. Both Turnbull and Shorten are publicly in favor of marriage equality. A major criticism of the Australian government's plebiscite plan has been it would inflict several months of aggressively negative campaigning on LGBT people. "No matter how positive or inclusive (our campaign) is there are still the voices on the 'no' side who will inflict terrible damage with their words," Brady said. "The idea that any group of people would have their relationships measured and discussed and have people talk about whether they have a value at all to society -- there's no way anyone could conceive that wouldn't be a difficult journey." Brady said even if the plebiscite failed, LGBT rights group would not be content to wait years for marriage equality and would attempt to pass it in this parliament.

Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull plans to introduce a plebiscite on the legality of same-sex marriage in the country.

As a lawyer, he has cautiously abstained from criticising the handling of UEFA’s affairs but this month he lost his temper when a Norwegian paper accused him of being “the (FIFA) president’s man” in the race, an allegation he attributed to his main rival, the Dutch Michael van Praag. Ceferin, 48, beat Dutchman Michael van Praag, the only other candidate, by 42 votes to 13 and will succeed Frenchman Michel Platini, who announced his resignation in May after being banned from football for four years for ethics violations. Ceferin already surprised people when he took over the presidency of Slovenia’s football association, the NZS, in 2011 and quickly joined FIFA’s disciplinary committee and UEFA’s legal committee.</s>A page is turning and this is a new chapter for UEFA," he said, before pledging FIFA's support to whoever the members elect: Dutch veteran Michael Van Praag or Slovenia's Aleksander Ceferin, two men with very different backgrounds and styles to their predecessor Platini. Ceferin, who has only five years of top level football administrative experience, having been boss of Slovenia's FA, the NZS, since 2011, is expected to see out the remainder of Platini's term - which lasts until 2019. Aleksandar Ceferin, the Slovenian FA Chief with a background in Law, romped to victory at the polls, securing 42 out of 55 member nation votes - a whopping 14 votes more than the majority quota of 28 votes required to lead European Football's governing body. Disgraced former UEFA president Michel Platini insisted he had done nothing wrong and said his conscience was clear as he gave a farewell speech to European soccer's governing body at their extraordinary Congress on Wednesday. The 61-year-old Frenchman has been banned from all football-related activities since December for receiving what Swiss investigators called a 'disloyal payment' from former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2011, but was given special permission to say goodbye to his former colleagues by FIFA's ethics committee. "I have a clear conscience, I am certain not to have made any mistake and will continue to fight this in the courts." "You are going to continue this beautiful mission without me, for reasons that I do not wish to come back on."

Members of European football's governing body, UEFA, elect Aleksander Čeferin, president of the Football Association of Slovenia since 2011, president of UEFA. Čeferin will serve the remainder of former UEFA president Michel Platini's term of office, until 2019, who was banned by the FIFA Ethics Committee for corruption last year.

Great Britain has surged beyond the gold medal haul from the London Games on another glorious night in Rio. Cyclist Sarah Storey reinforced her status as Great Britain's most decorated female Paralympian with her second gold in Rio, while Kadeena Cox became the first British athlete to win gold medals in separate sports since 1984. Watched by her parents, husband Barney and three-year-old daughter Louisa, draped in a Union flag, Storey grinned as she crossed the line in 27:22.42 to win the C5 road time-trial.</s>“I have been working very hard to reach my best possible shape ahead of this Paralympic Games, training every day except Sundays in the morning and the afternoon. Swimming, in the beginning, was a way to turn that on its head.” Australian rower Erik Horrie was 7 years old when his parents dropped him off at an orphanage. “I’ve only been really focused on the 50m for a season now, so the improvement I’ve made in the year I can’t believe it.” Wylie’s win followed hot on the heels of Stephanie Millward who stormed to gold in the women’s 100m backstroke S8 final, while there was also a silver for Ollie Hynd in the men’s equivalent and bronze for Ellie Simmonds in the 400m freestyle S6 in yesterday’s evening session.

Iranian powerlifter Siamand Rahman cleared the bar at 310kg in the men's over 107kg, setting a new world Paralympic record and claiming his second consecutive Paralympic gold.

In late 2013, Deutsche Bank agreed to pay $1.9-billion to settle claims that it defrauded U.S. government-controlled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, America’s biggest providers of housing finance, into buying $14.2-billion in mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. “Deutsche Bank has no intent to settle these potential civil claims anywhere near the number cited,” the company said in a statement early Friday in Frankfurt. "The negotiations are only just beginning. The bank expects that they will lead to an outcome similar to those of peer banks which have settled at materially lower amounts.” Germany’s largest lender confirmed that it had started negotiations with the justice department to settle civil claims the US may consider over the bank’s issuing and underwriting of residential mortgage-backed securities from 2005 to 2007. The $14 billion is considered an “opening bid” that could go “much lower,” according to the Wall Street Journal, which reported the figure shortly before Deutsche Bank issued its statement. The Department of Justice has taken a tough stance in settlement negotiations with other banks, requesting sums higher than the eventual fine. “But because of the election campaign it may end up higher – at maybe 6 or 7 billion.” In 2014, the DoJ asked Citigroup to pay $12-billion to resolve an investigation into the sale of shoddy mortgage-backed securities, sources said. In 2013, JPMorgan Chase & Co ( ) agreed to pay $13 billion to settle allegations by the U.S. authorities that it overstated the quality of mortgages it was selling to investors in the run-up to the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Deutsche Bank chief executive John Cryan has struggled to boost profits as unresolved legal probes and claims compound concerns that the lender will be forced to raise capital or sell assets.</s>Deutsche Bank AG DB, +3.57% shares fell in the extended session Thursday following a report that the Justice Department was proposing the bank pay $14 billion in fines to resolve a probe into mortgage securities.

The Obama administration through the U.S. Justice Department seeks a fine of $14 billion against Deutsche Bank in regards to mortgage securities.

WASHINGTON – The White House is lifting economic sanctions and restoring trade benefits to former pariah state Myanmar, officials said Wednesday, as Aung San Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner and now the nation's de facto leader, met with President Barack Obama. View Sample Sign Up Now Sanctions were imposed on the country, formerly known as Burma, in 1997 after decades under a military dictatorship that stifled dissent and showed little regard for human rights. Ahead of Aung San Suu Kyi’s visit, Human Rights Watch said the sanctions targeted military officials, and “shouldn’t be fully lifted until the democratic transition is irreversible.” Ms Suu Kyi, who as opposition leader was kept under house arrest for 15 years, led her National League for Democracy party to victory in Myanmar’s first openly contested election for decades in November 2015. “In some ways it is a risk, it as much a political risk as an economic risk, because there are those who believe it is not yet time for us to remove the sanctions, but we think that it is time now for our people to depend on themselves, to go forward with the help of our friends,” Suu Kyi said of the decision. Suu Kyi says that lifting sanctions entails some political and economic risk, but adds, “It is time now for our people to depend on themselves.” Obama aide Ben Rhodes says the so-called “national emergency” with respect to Myanmar that authorizes the sanctions will be terminated in the “coming days.” A U.S. official says that by terminating the emergency, 111 Myanmar individuals and companies will be dropped from a Treasury blacklist and restrictions will be lifted on new investment with the military and on the imports of rubies and jade.</s>Obama says U.S. is prepared to lift Myanmar sanctions "soon" WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Wednesday the United States was prepared to lift sanctions on Myanmar "soon" and that democratic progress in the country was incomplete but on the right track. During a meeting with Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi at the White House, Obama said the U.S. moves would give incentives to businesses to invest in the Asian country. Suu Kyi, visiting the White House for the first time since her party won a sweeping victory in last year's election, said it was time for all sanctions that hurt her country economically to be lifted. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Paul Simao)

Burmese State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi asks U.S. businesses to invest in Myanmar after Barack Obama agrees to lift U.S. sanctions.

MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — At least six passengers were killed and more than 100 others were hurt Thursday when a passenger train collided with a freight train near the central Pakistan city of Multan, rescuers and a railway officials said. Bashir said the freight train had stopped so its driver could remove the body of the man who had been crushed to death while crossing the railway track, The freight train was then hit from behind by the passenger train. In the mean time, 14-Down Awam express, that had left Multan fifteen minutes after the goods train, hit the stationary goods train, he added. Rescue official Kalim Ullah said six bodies and more than 100 injured passengers were taken to hospitals, and that some of the injured passengers were listed in a critical condition.</s>Pakistan train crash kills at least six, injures more than 150 - Geo TV ISLAMABAD, Sept 15 (Reuters) - A Karachi-bound express train collided with a freight train in Pakistan's central Punjab region early on Thursday, killing at least six people and injuring more than 150, Geo TV said. The Awam Express hit a stationary cargo train about 25 km (15 miles) from the city of Multan, Geo TV said, citing local officials. Four carriages were overturned. There was a delay in the emergency response due to Eid holidays in Pakistan, a mainly Muslim nation of 190 million people. Pakistan’s colonial era railway network has fallen into disrepair in recent decades due to chronic under investment and poor maintenance. About 130 people were killed in July 2005 when a train rammed into another at a station in Sindh province, and a third train hit the wreckage.

The Awam Express train collides with a freight train near the Pakistani city of Multan killing at least six people and injuring another 150.

Police rule out attack as cause of Bali boat explosion BALI, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian police said Friday there is no indication that a terror attack was the cause of a tourist boat explosion in Bali that killed two people and injured about 20 others. The explosion occurred at 9:35 a.m. local time just after the Gili Cat 2 speed boat departed from Padangbai Port in Karangasem, Bali, for several destinations, including Gili Trawangan in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Sudarso said the explosion, which occurred when the boat was about 200 meters (220 yards) from the port of departure, shattered its rear windows and upended seating. Twenty people were taken to hospital for injuries sustained in a boat explosion, which killed one other passenger, on Thursday, according to the Denpasar Port Health Office (KKP).</s>The blast hit the speedboat carrying about 35 mostly European tourists shortly after it departed the Indonesian holiday island Thursday, smashing the rear window and sending debris flying through the vessel. The blast in the speedboat carrying about 30 passengers appeared to have happened in the fuel tank, said police, adding it was not caused by a bomb. Indonesia has a poor maritime safety record and regularly suffers fatal boat accidents but serious incidents around Bali — which attracts millions of foreign visitors each year — are rare. Authorities said the woman killed on the boat, which was heading for the nearby holiday island of Gili Trawangan, was a foreigner but that they were verifying her identity before releasing more details. Dazed passengers, many covered in cuts and bruises, were taken to medical centres on the Indonesian holiday island after the blast, with TV footage showing them being carried on stretchers to ambulances and lying in hospital beds. A total of 23 foreign tourists were injured in the blast on the boat, which was also carrying nationals from countries including Britain, France, Italy, Portugal and Ireland. The speedboat, which was carrying four crew, had just left Padang Bai port in Bali on Thursday morning en route to the holiday island of Gili Trawangan when the blast occurred. “The explosion happened five minutes after the boat departed,” local police chief Sugeng Sudarso told Agence-France Presse, adding the vessel had been about 200 meters (yards) from the port. The Indonesian archipelago of more than 17,000 islands is heavily dependent on ferry services but the industry has a poor safety record and fatal accidents are common. Last year, dozens of tourists were injured when small explosions hit a ferry crossing between Bali and the neighbouring holiday island of Lombok. The explosions, determined to be an accident, were thought to have come from the fuel tank of the ferry, which was carrying 129 passengers, most of them tourists. A pocket of Hinduism in Muslim-majority Indonesia, Bali attracts millions of foreign visitors every year because pf its palm-fringed, tropical beaches and picture-postcard temples.

An explosion on a tourist speed boat kills two people and injures 20 others shortly after departing from the Indonesian port of Padangbai in Karangasem, Bali.

From left, Crimean leader Sergei Aksyonov, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev listen to Crimean Museum director Tatyana Umrikhina in Kerch, Crimea on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016.</s>Author: European Council. The Council prolonged by 6 months the application of EU restrictive measures targeting actions against Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. These sanctions consist of an asset freeze and a travel ban against 146 persons and 37 entities. They have been extended until 15 March 2017. The measures had been introduced in March 2014 and were last extended in March 2016.The assessment of the situation did not justify a change in the regime of sanctions nor in the list of persons and entities under restrictive measures. Information and statement of reasons for listing related to these persons and entities were updated as necessary. The legal acts are available in the EU Official Journal of 16 September 2016. The decision was adopted by written procedure. Several EU measures are in place in response to the crisis in Ukraine including: – economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy, currently in place until 31 January 2017; – restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, limited to the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol, currently in place until 23 June 2017.

The European Union extends the asset freeze and travel ban against 146 persons and 37 entities, including close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin, by six months until 15 March 2017 for the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

During this year's campaign Duterte did not shy away from his "death squad" moniker, promising he would kill 100,000 criminals in six months. Following the 1993 bombing of Davao’s San Pedro cathedral, in which seven were killed and more than 150 wounded, Matubato said Duterte ordered them to carry out grenade attacks on mosques in the city. When asked by a reporter if he thought Duterte was capable of giving such directive, Martin Andanar said: "The Commission on Human Rights already conducted an investigation years ago, when the President was still a Mayor, and charges were not filed, they did not see any direct evidence."</s>PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has tagged the Alcala clan of Quezon, whose ranks include former President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s Agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala, as among the most influential personalities involved in the illegal drug trade. Duterte said he was convinced the Alcalas were involved in the illegal drug trade and took advantage of their political connections. “In Quezon, the Alcalas, publicly I will tell you, that’s true,” Duterte said before Philippine Air Force personnel at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Tuesday evening. Last month, Cerilo “Athel” Alcala and son Sajid turned themselves in to the police to clear their names after being tagged as Quezon’s top drug suspects in a police watchlist. Cerilo is the brother of Quezon Rep. Vicente Alcala and of former agriculture chief Proceso Alcala. On Sunday, Cerilo’s wife Maria Fe and daughter Toni Ann were arrested in a buy-bust in the family’s house in Tayabas. The President said he won’t let the Alcalas off the hook. “Let them be, I said, so I can time it well. Because if they find out too soon, we won’t get anything out of them because of their connections: a mayor here, a governor,” Duterte said. “And to think if I didn’t become President, you would never be able to go after them,” he added. “They are surrounded by bodyguards, police, hoodlums. Even the police are scared.” Duterte has tagged a number of politicians, including Sen. Leila de Lima and a long list of mayors, governors and congressmen, of being involved in the illegal drug business in the country. In his speech, Duterte said he will release another “thick” list of alleged drug personalities, which went through “final validation.” “I have the third round and final round. Validation, it’s being done,” the President said.

A former militiaman claims while testifying at a hearing by the Philippine Senate that President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte ordered the deaths of criminals and political opponents, allegedly Leila de Lima, critic and journalist Juan Pala, and unidentified Filipino Muslims in 1993, while he was mayor of Davao City. The witness also revealed that Duterte's son Paolo may also have been involved in the murders as an accomplice to his father.

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept 15 (Reuters) - The family of a black motorist found hanged in her Texas jail cell after being held in police custody following a traffic stop has reached a $1.9 million settlement in a wrongful death suit against law enforcement, their lawyer said on Thursday. The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Waller County Jail, run by the local sheriff, will pay the family of Sandra Bland, Chicago-based lawyer Cannon Lambert said in an interview. The county jail will also step up staff training and inmate monitoring, and have a nurse or emergency medical technician available for all shifts as part of the settlement, he said. "This is the beginning, not the end," said Lambert, who added that Bland's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, had insisted that jail reform be included in the settlement. Bland, 28 and an African-American, was found dead in her cell three days after her July 2015 arrest, with a trash bag around her neck. Critics said race was a factor in her being pulled over while driving, and for her arrest, which they said was sparked by the trooper escalating tensions. The Texas Department of Public Safety said it had not settled litigation regarding Bland and was not a party to any agreements between the plaintiffs and Waller County defendants. The sheriff in Waller County, outside of Houston, has denied any mistreatment of Bland. In the settlement, the Department of Public Safety, whose liability is capped by state statutes, will pay $100,000 and the jail will pay $1.8 million, KTRK station reported, citing attorneys for Bland. Bland, 28, was pulled over in her car on July 10 by then- state trooper Brian Encinia for failing to signal a lane change in Waller County, about 50 miles northwest of Houston. She was charged with assaulting an officer. The Texas Department of Public Safety faulted Encinia for his conduct during the stop and subsequently fired him. A dashcam video showed him shouting at Bland and failing to answer her when she asked numerous times why she was being arrested. Shortly after the incident, Bland's family filed a wrongful death suit against Encinia, the Waller County sheriff's office and her jailers, accusing them of being responsible for her hanging. They also questioned an autopsy report that described her death as a suicide by hanging. Encinia has been indicted on a misdemeanor charge of lying in the arrest report he had written of the incident. The Waller County jail, where Bland was held, had been cited by a state monitor for not doing enough to keep an eye on inmates and properly filling out intake forms, Brandon Wood, the executive director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, told a Texas House of Representatives committee in July 2015.</s>Key events in case of black woman found dead in Texas jail HEMPSTEAD, Texas (AP) — The family of Sandra Bland, a Chicago-area black woman who died in a Texas jail cell after a contentious traffic stop last summer, has settled a wrongful death lawsuit for $1.9 million, according to the family's attorney. Attorney Cannon Lambert said combined settlements with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Waller County jail will pay the family $1.9 million. Here are some key events in the Bland case: — July 10, 2015: Bland is pulled over in Prairie View, northwest of Houston, for changing lanes without signaling. The stop grows confrontational and state trooper Brian Encinia orders her from the car before forcing her to the ground and taking her into custody on a charge of assaulting a public servant. The traffic stop became heated when Bland refused the officer’s request to put out a cigarette and his subsequent order to get out of the car. Encinia threatened to shoot Bland with a stun gun unless she obeyed his order and said she kicked him during the tussle. Bland was later taken to the jail in Hempstead, where she was later found hanging from a cell partition. Attorney Cannon Lambert said the settlement includes a provision that the Waller County Jail have a 24-hour nurse or emergency medical technician on duty, told KTRK-TV of Houston reported Thursday.

Texas authorities agree to pay $1.9 million to the family of Sandra Bland, the woman who was found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas, in July 2015. A grand jury did not issue an indictment.

(Photo illustration: Yahoo News, photos: Brendan McDermid/Reuters, U.S. House) A new bipartisan report by the House Intelligence Committee depicts former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden as a “serial exaggerator and fabricator” who only began downloading highly classified documents after being reprimanded over a “workplace spat” with his bosses. Snowden’s attorney denounced the committee’s report, released on the eve of the opening of the movie “Snowden,” and called him a “genuine American hero.” Separately, all members of the committee sent a bipartisan letter to President Barack Obama on Thursday urging him not to pardon Snowden. Even by a conservative estimate, it says, “the U.S. Government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars and will eventually spend billions, to attempt to mitigate the damage Snowden caused.” Disputing Snowden’s contention that he was a whistleblower, the committee said that it “found no evidence that Snowden took any official effort to express concerns about U.S. intelligence activities — legal, moral, or otherwise, noting that he never took his purported concerns about government surveillance to any oversight officials within the U.S. Government, despite numerous avenues for him to do so.” (Snowden has said that he knew that any such protests over highly classified programs would have been shut down before they saw the light of day.) Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said the probe revealed that the vast majority of what Snowden took had nothing to do with Americans’ privacy. “The majority of what he took has to do with military secrets and defense secrets,” Schiff said in an interview Thursday for C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers.” ”I think that’s very much at odds with the narrative that he wants to tell that he is a whistleblower.” Snowden was an NSA contract employee when he took the documents and leaked them to journalists who revealed massive domestic surveillance programs begun in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Snowden fled to Hong Kong, then Russia, to avoid prosecution and now wants a presidential pardon because he says he helped his country by revealing secret domestic surveillance programs. Justice Department spokesman Marc Raimondi has said “there is no question his actions have inflicted serious harms on our national security.” The committee report says that he was a “disgruntled employee who had frequent conflicts with his managers.” Publicly revealing classified information does not qualify someone as a whistleblower, the report said. “He put our service members and the American people at risk after perceived slights by his superiors,” Nunes said in a statement. “In light of his long list of exaggerations and outright fabrications detailed in this report, no one should take him at his word.” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), ranking member of the committee, said the investigation found that Snowden’s claims that he acted to defend Americans’ privacy were “self serving and false” and that he did “profound” damage to national security. Earnest maintained the long-held position of the US government that Snowden will be “afforded the rights that are due to every American citizen in our criminal justice system.” “But we believe that he should return to the United States and face those charges,” he said, adding that there is no communication between Snowden and the US president. “Snowden insists he has not shared the full cache of 1.5 million classified documents with anyone; however, in June 2016, the deputy chairman of the Russian parliament’s defense and security committee public conceded that ‘Snowden did share intelligence’ with his government.” The intelligence committee has carried out multiple reviews to assess the damage caused by Snowden’s disclosures, according to the report. Ben Wizner, Snowden’s attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, blasted the report, saying it was an attempt to discredit a “genuine American hero.” “After years of investigation, the committee still can’t point to any remotely credible evidence that Snowden’s disclosures caused harm,” Wizner said. “In a more candid moment, the NSA’s former deputy director, who was directly involved in the government’s investigation, explicitly said he didn’t believe Snowden had cooperated with either China or Russia.” The committee, on the other hand, called Snowden a “disgruntled employee who had frequent conflicts with his managers.” According to the committee, Snowden began mass downloads of classified material two weeks after he was reprimanded for engaging in a spat with NSA managers. Speaking by video link from Moscow, Snowden said Wednesday that whistleblowing “is democracy’s safeguard of last resort, the one on which we rely when all other checks and balances have failed and the public has no idea what’s going on behind closed doors.” The 33-year-old addressed a New York City news conference where advocates from the ACLU, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International announced an online petition drive to urge Obama to pardon Snowden before he leaves office.</s>House Intel Panel: Edward Snowden 'Was No Whistleblower' Enlarge this image toggle caption Charles Platiau/AP Charles Platiau/AP Summarizing its investigation of Edward Snowden, the House Intelligence Committee says the former National Security Agency contractor did tremendous damage to the U.S. The House of Representatives Intelligence Committee report declared that Snowden was "not a whistleblower" as he has claimed in interviews and that most of the material he stole from NSA outposts was about intelligence and defense programs of great interest to U.S. foreign adversaries. The committee only released a four-page summary of what it said was a 36-page investigative report by committee staff that remains highly classified.

The U.S. House Intelligence Committee releases a summary of its two-year investigation into former NSA contractor Edward Snowden which downplays his alleged status as a whistleblower while acknowledging "tremendous damage to national security" as a result of the classified documents he stole.

The Democratic Party made history Thursday, electing Renho as the first female leader of the main opposition force. Prime minister Shinzo Abe’s dominance over Japanese politics is under threat for the first time since 2012 after the main opposition party elected a charismatic former TV star as its new leader. Born to a Taiwanese father and a Japanese mother, the 48-year-old Renho is the first person of mixed-ethnic heritage to lead a big political party in Japan, and has sought to cast herself as a voice for the country’s younger generation. The Japan NewsThe Democratic Party on Thursday elected acting party chief Renho as its new president with the majority support of its rank and file, making her the first woman to lead the DP. Renho Murata – who goes by her first name, Renho – swept to victory with 503 votes out of 849 in the Democratic Party’s electoral college. Renho’s signature issue is support for young families, including free pre-school and higher pay for nursery teachers, but she is regarded as fairly centrist on policy. Other women recently to have made it big include LDP lawmaker Tomomi Inada, who is now defense minister, and Yuriko Koike, who was elected Tokyo governor. Renho, a third-term Upper House lawmaker, served as state minister in charge of government revitalization in 2010, when the Democratic Party of Japan, the DP’s predecessor, held power. She has 400,000 followers on Twitter and won more votes than any other candidate in the Tokyo district in this summer’s upper house elections.</s>New party leader gives Japan troika of top women in politics TOKYO (AP) — Dressed in a white pants suit, the new head of Japan's main opposition party stood out as she raised her hands on stage with three other dark-suited party leaders. Born to a Japanese mother and Taiwanese father, the former TV announcer and mother of twins was embarrassed this week when she discovered she held Taiwanese as well as Japanese citizenship.

Japan's Democratic Party elects Sha Renhō as President. The House of Councillors member becomes the first female to head the opposition party.

China to launch second space lab module, another manned mission BEIJING, Sept 14 (Reuters) - China will launch its second experimental space laboratory late on Thursday and another manned space mission next month, the government said, part of a broader plan to have a permanent manned space station in service around 2022. Advancing China's space programme is a priority for Beijing, with President Xi Jinping calling for the country to establish itself as a space power, and apart from its civilian ambitions, Beijing has tested anti-satellite missiles. China insists its space programme is for peaceful purposes, but the U.S. Defense Department has highlighted its increasing space capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed to prevent adversaries from using space-based assets in a crisis. In a manned space mission in 2013, three Chinese astronauts spent 15 days in orbit and docked with an experimental space laboratory, the Tiangong 1, or "Heavenly Palace". China will launch the Tiangong 2 just after 10 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Thursday, a space programme spokeswoman told a news conference carried live from the remote launch site in Jiuquan, in the Gobi desert. The Shenzhou 11 spacecraft, which will carry two astronauts and dock with Tiangong 2, will be launched sometime next month, mission spokeswoman Wu Ping said on Wednesday. The Tiangong 2 module will be used for "testing systems and processes for mid-term space stays and refueling," and will house experiments in medicine and various space-related technologies. The smooth launch imparts a high-tech sheen to week-long celebrations of China’s National Day, starting on Oct. 1, as well as this week’s shorter Mid-Autumn Festival holiday that coincides with the full moon. China will launch a "core module" for its first space station some time around 2018, a senior official said in April, part of a plan for a permanent manned space station in service around 2022. China has been working to develop its space programme for military, commercial and scientific purposes, but is still playing catch-up to established space powers the United States and Russia. China's Jade Rabbit moon rover landed on the moon in late 2013 to great national fanfare, but soon suffered severe technical difficulties. The rover and the Chang'e 3 probe that carried it there were the first "soft landing" on the moon since 1976. Both the United States and the Soviet Union had accomplished the feat earlier.</s>Story highlights Space lab precursor to a 20-ton space station China pressing ahead with ambitious space plans Hong Kong (CNN) China is set to launch a second space lab into orbit Thursday, a crucial step in Beijing's ambition to have a permanent space presence. The Shenzhou-11 spaceship will ferry two astronauts to dock with the lab and stay in space for 30 days to conduct a range of scientific experiments covering areas such as fundamental physics, biology, fluid mechanics in micro gravity and aerospace medicine. Once inside Tiangong-2, the two astronauts will carry out key experiments related to aerospace medicine, space physics and biology as well as on-orbit equipment repairs in areas such as quantum key transmission, space atomic clock and solar storm research. Construction on a space station will start in as early as 2017 and take around three years, before it enters into service in 2022, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing Zhu Zongpeng, chief designer of the space lab system. The Chinese space station will weigh over 60 tonnes -- much smaller than the 420-tonne International Space Station -- and consist of a core module attached to two space labs, Xinhua said.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) launches the Tiangong-2 space laboratory from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia.

"The Friday prayer was in progress at the mosque when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the main room killing at least 16 worshippers and wounding 35 others," a senior tribal administration official told AFP. The attack took place at one of the biggest mosques in Mohmand Agency, a district in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas north of Peshawar, said Naveed Akbar, assistant administrator for the agency. "The suicide bomber was in a crowded mosque, he shouted 'Allahu akbar' (God is greatest) and then there was a huge blast," Naveed Akbar, deputy administrator of Mohmand Agency, told Reuters. Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, condemned the bombing and said “attacks by terrorists cannot shatter the government's resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country.” The military says security is improving, with recorded “terrorist incidents” dropping from 128 in 2013 to 74 last year - but Islamist extremists continue to stage major attacks. Local tribal elder Haji Subhanullah Mohmand said the attack may have been carried out by Islamist militants seeking revenge after local tribesmen gathered a volunteer force and killed one and captured another insurgent. In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack 1/10 A man reacts after his relative was killed in a bomb blast in restive Quetta EPA 2/10 Residents light candles to honour victims of the blast in Quetta during a candellight vigil in Peshawar Reuters 3/10 People carry the coffin of a victim of suicide bomb attack at a hospital for burial in Quetta REUTERS 4/10 Pakistani victims injured in a suicide bombing are treated at a hospital in Quetta AFP/Getty Images 5/10 A lawyer who was injured in a bomb blast wait to receive medical treatment in restive Quetta EPA 6/10 A doctor treats an injured lawyer at the scene of a bomb blast in restive Quetta EPA 7/10 People comfort a man mourning the death of a family member who was killed in suicide bombing, at a funeral in Quetta AP 8/10 People transfer an injured man from the blast site in Quetta Rex Features 9/10 Pakistani security officials and lawyers gather around the bodies of victims killed in a bomb explosion at a government hospital premises in Quetta AFP/Getty Images 10/10 The scene following a bomb blast outside a hospital in Quetta Naseer Ahmed/Reuters 1/10 A man reacts after his relative was killed in a bomb blast in restive Quetta EPA 2/10 Residents light candles to honour victims of the blast in Quetta during a candellight vigil in Peshawar Reuters 3/10 People carry the coffin of a victim of suicide bomb attack at a hospital for burial in Quetta REUTERS 4/10 Pakistani victims injured in a suicide bombing are treated at a hospital in Quetta AFP/Getty Images 5/10 A lawyer who was injured in a bomb blast wait to receive medical treatment in restive Quetta EPA 6/10 A doctor treats an injured lawyer at the scene of a bomb blast in restive Quetta EPA 7/10 People comfort a man mourning the death of a family member who was killed in suicide bombing, at a funeral in Quetta AP 8/10 People transfer an injured man from the blast site in Quetta Rex Features 9/10 Pakistani security officials and lawyers gather around the bodies of victims killed in a bomb explosion at a government hospital premises in Quetta AFP/Getty Images 10/10 The scene following a bomb blast outside a hospital in Quetta Naseer Ahmed/Reuters Friday's bombing came a day after a woman was killed by a grenade in Lower Mohmand Agency when militants attacked a pro-government tribal elder's home. Its Jamaat ul-Ahrar faction claimed responsibility for a bombing targeting lawyers that killed 74 people in the city of Quetta last month, as well as the the Easter Sunday blasts in Lahore that killed 72 people, many of them children.</s>KHAR, Pakistan — A Pakistani official says the death toll from a suicide bombing at a mosque has risen to 36 after several of those wounded in the attack died in hospitals. Pashin Gul, the head of the tribal police in the northwestern Mohmand region, provided the updated toll on Saturday, a day after the bombing. Several children were among those killed and wounded in the attack, which targeted weekly Friday prayers. The initial toll provided by officials was 24 dead and 28 wounded. Some 200 worshippers were inside the mosque when the bomber struck. A breakaway Taliban faction knows as Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying it targeted members of a pro-government militia.

A suicide bombing at a mosque in Mohmand Agency kills at least 28 people and injures 31 others. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claims the responsibility.

BEIJING (AP) — At least eight people have been reported dead after a powerful typhoon lashed much of southeastern China and Taiwan. China's Ministry of Civil Affairs on Friday updated the number of deaths to seven as a result of Typhoon Meranti, which struck Fujian province early Thursday. Nine people in China are still missing. Typhoon Meranti, labeled the strongest storm so far this year by Chinese and Taiwanese weather authorities, made landfall in southeastern China early Thursday after previously affecting Taiwan. According to Chinese officials, Meranti forced the relocation of 33 million people and destroyed 1,600 homes. Images shared by state news media showed power lines and destroyed vehicles downed on streets in the coastal city of Xiamen. Taiwanese media reported that parts of southern Taiwan remain flooded. The typhoon killed one person and injured 38 on Taiwan where people were on Friday preparing for another, Typhoon Malakas, which was forecast to bring heavy rain on Saturday.</s>Taiwan is about to be soaked by its second severe storm in just three days, with typhoon Malakas forecast to pass by the northern end of the island early on Saturday. The tropical storm will tear past Taiwanese capital Taipei at around midday and is forecast to reach as high as a category four hurricane, with wind speeds exceeding 125 miles per hour (200 kilometers per hour). It comes just two days after typhoon Meranti made landfall on the southern coast, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power. On Friday afternoon, typhoon Malakas was hovering off the eastern coast of Taiwan and is forecast to curve up the country's coastline, growing stronger and passing Taipei, before heading towards Japan. "Even though the storm is not forecast to make a direct landfall on Taiwan at the moment, areas towards the north of Taitung county are forecast to receive tropical storm force winds beginning Saturday afternoon and lasting into Sunday morning," CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said. "Once the storm begins its track towards the northeast it will impact the Ryuku Islands with high surf, winds and rain." Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau issued a typhoon warning for parts of the country on Friday, ahead of the storm's arrival. Typhoon Malakas was tracked at position 20.1,124.7 with 105mph NW winds #Malakas #hurricane https://t.co/Gux4BwJZHL pic.twitter.com/OkB9nk5JMP — My Hurricane Tracker (@myhurricaneapp) September 16, 2016 The new storm arrives as Taiwan's southern communities are still recovering from typhoon Meranti's arrival on Wednesday, which left two people dead and 63 injured on the island. Hundreds of thousands of homes were left without power and water, while another half a million were in need of repairs. In Xiamen province, China, at least seven people had been reported dead on Friday afternoon, while another nine were missing, after heavy rain and wind from typhoon Meranti smashed windows, uprooted trees and destroyed an 800-year-old bridge. While typhoon Malakas has been classified as a "severe typhoon" by the Hong Kong Observatory, it still cannot match the strength of Meranti, which was the region's most powerful tropical storm since typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

Typhoon Meranti hits mainland China and Taiwan killing at least eight people and destroying 1,600 houses.

The provincial government of Batanes has declared a state of calamity after Typhoon Ferdie (international codename: Meranti) affected more than 10,000 people and damaged P55.5 million worth of crops and infrastructure. Gov. Marilou Cayco also appealed for potable water, food items, generator sets for water pumps, transformers, galvanized iron, construction materials and ropes. “With the calamity funds, we will be able to restore heavily damaged facilities by the strong typhoon as well as facilitate the delivery of services to affected families and individuals,” Cayco said. She said families whose houses were totally damaged by strong winds will be given priority. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Region 2 estimated P37 million worth of vegetables, root crops and corn crops were damaged by the typhoon. Meanwhile, 28 school buildings were also destroyed by the typhoon. Norma Talosig, OCD-Region 2 director, said at least 10,214 people were affected. She added that 292 houses were totally damaged and 932 partially damaged in the towns of Basco, Ivana and Uyugan. In Basco town, the buildings of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Provincial Capitol and the Santo Domingo Church were destroyed. The province had no power since Tuesday because electric posts were toppled. Officials said electricity may be restored after a week. Telecommunication lines in the towns of Basco, Mahatao and Itbayat were also down since Wednesday except in Uyugan town. However, communication lines were established on Thursday through SSB Radio of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) and through VSAT of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) connecting Tuguegarao City in Cagayan and Basco town in Batanes. Meanwhile, another typhoon, locally named Gener, was forecast to leave the country today, Sunday. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), however, said that some parts of Luzon will still experience rains because of the southwest monsoon. Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains accompanied by thunderstorms are expected over the provinces of Ilocos, Batanes, Apayao, Zambales, Bataan, Palawan, and Babuyan Group of Islands. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers will be experienced in Metro Manila and certain parts of the country. Moderate to strong winds will blow in Luzon and Visayas, while the coastal waters will be moderate to rough.</s>AFTERMATH. Photo by Aeron Mayor CAGAYAN, Philippines – Batanes province has been placed under a state of calamity due to the onslaught of Typhoon Ferdie (Meranti). Norma Talosig, chief of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) in Cagayan Valley region, confirmed to Rappler on Friday, September 16, that the provincial board declared the province under a state of calamity on Thursday, September 15. The declaration follows the recommendation of the provincial disaster management agency, according to Talosig. Governor Marilou Cayco said on Friday that the declaration will allow the provincial government to "immediately respond to the restoration needs of some facilities which were greatly affected by strong the typhoon and to enable quick response and service delivery to the affected families." Cayco said the provincial government will prioritize families whose houses were totally damaged by strong winds. On Thursday, Batanes Representative Henedina Abad said the province was "heavily" damaged by Ferdie. Abad said the province still had no power supply, and the communication lines in the towns of Basco, Itbayat, and Mahatao had been cut. “Our communities at the moment do not have access to water or electricity, and communication across the province is difficult to establish,” Abad said, adding that there was also great damage in agriculture and infrastructure. She said she's "thankful" that there were no casualties reported. Talosig, meanwhile, reported 50 houses were totally damaged while 100 were partially damaged. The buildings of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Technical Education Development Authority (TESDA), Basco Central School, Batanes National High School, Provincial Capitol building and Sto Domingo Church also suffered damages. 'No help yet' In a Facebook post, Rachel Ponce, Abad's aide who is a resident of Itbayat, pleaded for help as they have yet to contact some towns. Ponce lamented the lack of media coverage on the aftermath of Ferdie in Batanes, saying the damage had left some town islands isolated. "Nakakalungkot na [sobra ang] media coverage [sa] Senate samantalang ang mga kahilyan (kababayan) sa Itbayat eh nagiiyak na sa pag aalala sa Itbayat Island," Ponce said. (It is saddening that the Senate is receiving a huge media coverage while our countrymen in Itbayat are crying and worried of what had happened to our families in Itbayat Island.) "Ilang araw na kaming walang naririnig na communication sa kanila. We are so worried. We just want to know if there are casualties, kung buhay pa ba sila? Sa Itbayat kasi ang eye ng typhoon. The last text we received eh nilipad na yung mga bubong, nag evacuate na sa mga may concrete houses ang mga iba. Binaha na daw po sa plaza. First time po na nangyari yun," Ponce added. (We have not received any communication from them for days. We are so worried. We just want to know if there are casualties, or if they are still alive. The eye of the typhoon passed through Itbayat. The last text we received is that their roofs were blown away and that they are already evacuating to those with concrete houses. Our plaza was flooded and that never happened before.) Ponce said they "badly" need attention because Batanes had never experienced a typhoon of such strength until then. She said that since the C130 could not land in Itbayat, they are requesting a helicopter for the town. "We do not have a voice. Kahit aerial view lang po, kahit ibagsak niyo na lang po yung satellite phone and relief goods (Reach Itbayat even if it's only an aerial view, or even if you just drop a satellite phone and relief goods,) she said. The regional disaster management agency said it is set to fly to Basco on Saturday via a C-130 plane. The agency will assess the damage of the typhoon and to deliver relief goods. The team supposedly fled to Batanes on Thursday but they were not given clearance due to the bad weather. – Rappler.com

The storm cuts power and communications in the Philippine province of Batanes as it undergoes a "state of calamity."

Story highlights Japan also plans to give aid to other South China Sea nations There are competing claims to vast areas of sea by countries in the region (CNN) Japan is planning on upping its activities in the South China Sea through joint training patrols with the United States and exercises with regional navies, Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said. Japan would also be giving military aid to countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam as it increases its role in the contested waters of the South China Sea, Inada said Thursday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington, DC, Inada also welcomed the US's plan to allocate 60% of its Navy and Air Force assets to the Asia Pacific region by 2020.</s>The reaction comes after a speech Thursday by Defense Minister Tomomi Inada to a Washington think tank in which she said Japan would “increase its engagement in the South China Sea through … Maritime Self-Defense Force joint training cruises with the U.S. Navy.” The state-run Global Times, known for its strident nationalist stance, blasted the speech in an editorial Saturday, calling any joint patrols of the contested waters the “gunboat diplomacy of the 21st century.” “The joint patrol, once it begins, is the ‘gunboat policy’ of the 21st century against China,” the editorial said. Chinese warplanes may take sophisticated actions like low-altitude flyby against the ships to pressure Japan.” In her speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, Inada said Japan would also continue its program of helping coastal nations bolster their maritime capabilities while conducting bilateral and multilateral exercises with regional navies. Inada visited Washington last week for her first meeting with U.S. defense chief Ash Carter, where they discussed issues including North Korea and the South and East China seas. Duterte has signaled that he’s open to bilateral negotiations with China, which is at the center of the disputes, and he hasn’t pressured Beijing to comply with a ruling in his country’s favor from an international tribunal based in The Hague. “In this context, I strongly support the U.S. Navy’s Freedom of Navigation operations,” she added, referring to maritime maneuver in which the United States since last October has sent warships near artificial islets that China has built in the South China Sea. The Japanese-administered islands, located about 400 km west of Okinawa’s main island, are claimed by China and Taiwan, which call them Diaoyu and Tiaoyutai, respectively. This echoed the Global Times commentary, which urged China to increase the frequency of coast guard patrols near the Senkakus since Japan is likely using the South China Sea dispute “to create space for itself in the East China Sea.” Inada slammed Beijing’s moves near the Senkakus in her speech, saying Chinese maritime law enforcement vessels have maintained a sustained presence in the waters surrounding the islets, which she called an inherent part of Japanese territory. “These Chinese actions constitute its deliberate attempt to unilaterally change the status quo, achieve a fait accompli, and undermine the prevailing norms,” she said in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Obama administration agrees to have the United States Armed Forces assist Japan on conducting joint patrols in the South China Sea.

Lauri Love, 31, who has Asperger's syndrome, is accused of involvement in a series of hacks in 2012 and 2013 into computers at agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. army, the Missile Defense Agency and the Federal Reserve. Ahead of Friday's hearing, Mr Love said he held little hope of justice if he was extradited, and suggested a jail term in the US could cause his health to deteriorate and would lead to a mental breakdown or suicide. Earlier he stood in the dock as district judge Nina Tempia ruled he could be extradited to the US, where he could face trials in three different states. American authorities have been fighting for the 31-year-old, who lives with his parents near Newmarket in Suffolk, to face trial over charges of cyber-hacking, which his lawyers say could mean a sentence of up to 99 years in prison if found guilty. Judge Tempia said Mr Love's rights under article eight of the European Convention on Human Rights - the right to a private and family life - were "clearly engaged". "I accept Mr Love suffers from both physical and mental health issues but I have found the medical facilities in the United States prison estate ... are such that I can be satisfied his needs will be comprehensively met by the U.S. authorities," judge Nina Tempia said in her ruling. She added: "I am satisfied Mr Love's extradition would be compatible with his convention rights and I send this case to the Secretary of State for her decision as to whether or not Mr Love should be extradited."</s>A hacker who allegedly infiltrated the computer systems of the FBI, the American Missile Defence Agency and Nasa is to be extradited to the US where he might face up to 99 years in jail if convicted – despite a British court hearing he has Asperger’s and may kill himself in prison. “If any crimes were committed, they were committed in the UK … I can’t imagine anything worse than being in a US prison.” On Friday afternoon the judge Nina Tempia will decide whether Love should be extradited to face the possibility of three separate trials in different American courts. He was granted bail on condition that he reports regularly to a police station and that his passport remains surrendered. There were gasps in the court room as Mr Love was read the ruling, which followed a case hearing in June at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Ten days ago, Mr Love himself told a BBC interviewer: “If I went into a US prison, I don't think I'd leave again.” But, in a case with strong echoes of hacker and Asperger’s sufferer Gary McKinnon’s ten-year fight against extradition, District Judge Nina Tempia told Westminster Magistrates’ Court: “I am going to extradite Mr Love.” The McKinnon case had ended in 2012 when Theresa May, who was then Home Secretary, blocked Mr McKinnon’s extradition, saying he was a suicide risk. The computer science graduate’s father Rev Alexander Love, who himself works with vulnerable prisoners at risk of suicide, told Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London he feared his son might take his own life. She pledged to appeal against the decision, initially at the high court and, if necessary, to the supreme court and eventually the European court of human rights in Strasbourg. “I’m going to extradite Mr Love but what I mean by that is I’m going to send his case to the Secretary of State,” Judge Tempia told the hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, London. Mr Love thanked “everyone for their support”, and said it is “unfortunate” for him and his family that they have to go through another six to 12 months of “legal stuff”. Love and his family want him to face justice in the UK rather than the US, which he said “coerces” people into pleading guilty to get reduced sentences. The case was considered to be the first substantive test of the “forum bar”, which was introduced by Theresa May when she was home secretary to allow courts to block extradition if it is in the interests of justice to have a person tried in Britain instead.

The United Kingdom agrees to allow alleged hacker Lauri Love to be extradited to the United States.

DEFENDING President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs right in the US capital, Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. called on the United States to stop lecturing the Philippines on human rights, saying Filipinos “cannot forever be the little brown brothers of America.” “At one point in time, we have to make sure … we have to grow and become the big brother of our own people, of the next generation of Filipinos,” Yasay said in a forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Thursday. His address came amid strains in the relationship because of recent remarks by the Southeast Asian nation's new president, Rodrigo Duterte, who has waged a bloody war on the drug trade that has been criticized by the U.S. More than 3,000 suspected drug users and dealers have been killed since he assumed the presidency in June. The latter patrols, aimed at preserving the territorial integrity of the Philippines, "must continue, because this is our commitment to the United States," Yasay said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. But Yasay confirmed the Philippines does not want to undertake joint patrols with the U.S. beyond its territorial waters in disputed waters near the South China Sea — a step taken by the last government. "I am asking our American friends, American leaders, to look at our aspirations," he said. This article is more than 2 years old This article is more than 2 years old The Philippines cannot “forever be the little brown brothers of America”, the country’s top diplomat has said, making it clear the country will not accept foreign criticism for a deadly crackdown on drugs. But he added: “You do not go to the Philippines and say, ‘I’m going to give you something, I’m going to help you develop and I’m going to help you grow but these are the checklists that you must comply with.</s>Philippines Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay made the comments after a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington Thursday, during which he described the US relationship with the Philippines as cooperative and symbiotic. "We will always view the United States as an esteemed and trusted ally with whom we share not just a common history and shared values, but a common destiny as well." The "little brown brothers" comment came during a Q+A session. Here's what he said:

In response to American criticism of the Duterte regime, Filipino foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay says the Philippines cannot remain as the "little brown brother" of the United States.

Ciampi spent 14 years as governor of the Bank of Italy and later served as a treasury minister, a role in which he was the principal architect of Italy’s adoption of the euro as one of the founder members of the single currency. Ciampi, who also served as Italian prime minister and head of the country’s central bank, was a ”generous, just, and visionary man” committed to anti-fascism and fundamental democratic values, she wrote.</s>Your feedback is important to us! We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article. Comments submitted by third parties on this site are the sole responsibility of the individual(s) whose content is submitted. The Daily Star accepts no responsibility for the content of comment(s), including, without limitation, any error, omission or inaccuracy therein. Please note that your email address will NOT appear on the site. If you are facing problems with posting comments, please note that you must verify your email with Disqus prior to posting a comment. follow this link to make sure your account meets the requirements. (http://bit.ly/vDisqus)

Former Prime Minister and President of Italy Carlo Azeglio Ciampi dies at the age of 95.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption New UKIP leader Diane James tells PM to 'stop the faff' Diane James has been elected as the UK Independence Party's new leader and has told Prime Minster Theresa May to "get on with" getting the UK out of the EU. Ms James had been regarded as the favourite to succeed Nigel Farage, who quit as leader following the UK's vote to leave the EU. The MEP won with 8,451 votes. ahead of Lisa Duffy, who received 4,591. She said UKIP was "the opposition party in waiting" and said the Tories "cannot be trusted with true Brexit". "The threats to the referendum outcome are increasing by the day," she said, adding she would reject "Brexit-lite". LIVE: New UKIP leader as Farage bows out Profile: Who is Diane James? Analysis: Can Diane James unite UKIP? Farage: I have given UKIP my all To applause at the UKIP conference, she said: "Yes to a 100% European Union exit. Can I be any clearer? Yes to a sovereign independent UK. Yes to a UK free to make trade deals with whoever and whenever we want and yes to an immigration policy that allows entry regardless of origin to those with the skills and the expertise and the social values that this country wants." On the referendum vote, Ms James warned that "we have only just won a heat" in a "28-member state Olympic competition to leave the European Union". She praised her predecessor and said she was "not Nigel-lite" and would not pretend to be so but would be "stepping into his leadership shoes" to try to continue his political success. Image copyright AFP Image caption This photo attracted much comment on social media Later, in a news conference, she said Mr Farage would not be a "back seat driver" and she would be "making my own decisions" but she would seek his opinion on some matters: "Why wouldn't I? The legacy he bequeathed to this party, the experience, the knowledge he has got - I would be absolutely nuts to ignore that." She was also asked about comments by outgoing deputy leader Paul Nuttall that he "fears for the very future of our party" if in-fighting that had plagued the party for more than a year could not be resolved. Votes in UKIP contest Diane James 8,451 Lisa Duffy 4,591 Bill Etheridge 2,052 Phillip Broughton 1,544 Elizabeth Jones 1,203 Ms James said she was surprised he had said that as it was an "opposition narrative" that suggested UKIP was not united and she was happy with way UKIP MEPs had worked together. She said UKIP had "moved mountains on the political landscape" and was the "change movement of the United Kingdom" and added: "I believe in UKIP's values of liberty, common sense, democracy and pragmatic approaches to the challenges this country faces." She told the party conference in Bournemouth that she might use different language and be less frank than Mr Farage, but she would be honest and "uphold all the beliefs and values that this party stands for". And, in a message to the prime minister, she said: "If you're watching this afternoon, you'll be watching the opposition party in waiting." Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Diane James addresses the UKIP party conference after being elected its new leader She accused Mrs May of stealing some of UKIP's policies - such as grammar school expansion - adding: "Mrs May: from one grammar school girl to another, stop the faff, stop the fudge and the farce, get on with it - invoke Article 50 and give UKIP the best Christmas present we could ever have." She added later: "My view is the Tory Party cannot be trusted with true Brexit." Asked about her decision, within an hour of becoming leader, to remove Neil Hamilton from the list of speakers at the conference on Saturday, she said it was "my prerogative and I chose to change the programme", but denied it was a "purge". Mr Hamilton has been replaced on the agenda by Nathan Gill, the man he ousted as leader of the UKIP group on the Welsh Assembly. Mr Hamilton said it was a "rather bizarre way" to unite a party and criticised another decision to reduce the time allocated to UKIP's sole MP, Douglas Carswell. Earlier, Ms James said Mr Gill, who now sits as an independent member of the Welsh Assembly, "has my 100% support". UKIP MEP Steven Woolfe, who had been expected to stand but was ruled ineligible after submitting his papers late, told BBC News that Ms James had been "very clear that she wants to make UKIP a winning machine". "I hope and I believe that she will take the party forward," he said. Questions remain But Labour MP Pat McFadden, a member of Open Britain - born out of the unsuccessful Remain campaign during the referendum - said: "UKIP may have a new leader but the same questions apply about the UK's future outside the EU. "Will she press for the £350m a week extra pledged by the Leave campaign for the NHS? Will she campaign for their other promises to be met?" Mr Farage stood down following the UK's vote to leave the European Union, saying his "political ambition has been achieved". The face of Euroscepticism in the UK for nearly two decades, he helped turn UKIP from a fringe party into the third biggest in UK politics - in terms of votes at the 2015 general election. He also helped persuade more than 17 million people to vote to leave the EU. Ms James, a former businesswoman and healthcare professional, saw off four other contenders: Bill Etheridge, Lisa Duffy, Liz Jones and Phillip Broughton.</s>UK's anti-EU party elects new leader as Brexit talisman Farage steps aside BOURNEMOUTH, England, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Britain's anti-European Union UK Independence Party elected deputy chairwoman Diane James its new leader on Friday to replace Brexit talisman Nigel Farage who stepped down after helping to win the referendum on EU membership in June. James, currently a member of the European parliament, was announced as the party's new head at its annual conference in the southern English coastal town of Bournemouth after a ballot of UKIP's 40,000 members. A former business analyst with a long career the healthcare sector, James has pledged to ensure the government delivers an exit from the EU that meets the demands of UKIP voters: namely tighter immigration controls and more free trade. (Reporting by William James; editing by Michael Holden)

Members of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) elect Diane James as their new leader.

But as the GOP presidential nominee put that conspiracy theory to rest, he stoked another, claiming that the "birther movement" was begun by his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. That would require slashing about 20 percent of federal spending, a massive cut on a scale not seen since just after World War II. He wants an open policy on immigration, saying we should embrace anyone who wants to come here and work. “I care about these issues because I don’t want our men and service women maimed or killed.” Johnson favors legalized marijuana, same-sex marriage and abortion rights. Also addressing the youth vote for Clinton was her primary rival, Bernie Sanders. A day after he learned he would be left out of the first presidential debate, Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson called it “a rigged game” as he campaigned on his platform of social liberalism and fiscal conservatism in downtown Seattle. So far, very little consideration—from the media, the public in general or anyone else—has been given to the next two viable candidates as far as poll numbers go—Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein of the Green Party. According to the Los Angeles Times, the 15 percent mark is problematic because the CPD draws that average from five national polls conducted by traditional media outlets that often restrict themselves to head-to-head match-ups between Trump and Clinton, leaving Johnson and Stein out. Only Clinton and Trump have been invited as they're the only two candidates polling above 15 percent nationally, which is the threshold set by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The visit came a day after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced he did not qualify for the first presidential debate — a major blow to his campaign — after he failed to reach the required 15 percent polling threshold. It’s Democrats and Republicans not wanting a Ross Perot on the stage again.” Johnson is polling at an average 8 percent nationally, the commission said, although he was as high as 16 percent in a Washington Post poll of Washington state conducted in August. According to the CBS News/New York Times poll, on Thursday Johnson was polling about 8 percent and Stein about 4 percent. Should Johnson's and Stein's numbers not rise to 15 percent nationally after that debate, they don't make the second round.</s>Hofstra University’s debate stage will be set for only the two major-party candidates later this month, as the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced Friday it has excluded Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein. The decision means Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump will be the only two candidates on the stage on September 26, and Tim Kaine and Mike Pence, their respective running mates, will be the only participants on October 4. The commission’s criteria for participation will be reapplied to all candidates before the second and third presidential debates, scheduled Oct. 9 at Washington University in St. Louis and Oct. 19 at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. The Commission on Presidential Debates said Friday afternoon in a statement that its 'Board determined that the polling averages called for in the third criterion are as follows: Hillary Clinton (43%), Donald Trump (40.4%), Gary Johnson (8.4%) and Jill Stein (3.2%). There will be actions you can take with us at Hofstra that do not risk arrest.” The campaign said it is “organizing nonviolent civil resistance training for this.” Johnson said in a statement that: “I would say I’m surprised that the CPD has chosen to exclude me from the first debate, but I’m not.” The commission was a private organization created by the Republican and Democratic parties “for the clear purpose of taking control of the only nationally televised presidential debates voters will see,” Johnson said.

The Commission on Presidential Debates officially announces the invitation of Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton, and GOP nominee Donald Trump, to the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on September 26. However, third party candidates, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, have not met the criteria, and will not be participants in the debate.

Syrian army says U.S.-led coalition jets bombed it in support of Islamic State BEIRUT, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Syria's army general command said warplanes from the U.S.-led coalition bombed a Syrian army position at Jebel Tharda near Deir al-Zor airport on Saturday, paving the way for Islamic State fighters to overun it. Jebel Tharda is where on Saturday U.S.-led coalition air strikes reportedly killed dozens of Syrian soldiers, endangering a U.S.-Russian brokered ceasefire and prompting an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting as tensions between Moscow and Washington escalated. The city's airport and some government-held districts have been entirely surrounded by Islamic State since last year, with the airport providing the only external access.</s>President Assad’s Political and media adviser Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban told RT, “None of the facts on the ground show that what happened was a mistake or a coincidence.” US-led coalition jets bombed Syrian government forces’ positions near the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor, killing troops and “paving the way” for ISIS militants to launch their offensive, according to Syria’s official news agency Shaaban said: “The moment the American planes struck the Syrian army, the terrorists came from the same side that the Americans struck, and occupied the place [that] the Syrian army was in. The air strike killed Syrian soldiers who had been preparing for an attack against ISIS, and was “conclusive evidence” that the U.S. and its allies support the terrorist group, the Syrian army said in a statement Sixty-two Syrian soldiers were killed and over 100 injured in the airstrike by the US-led coalition, Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, said, citing information received from the Syrian General Command. “If this airstrike was carried out due to an error in the coordinates of the targetm it is a direct consequence of US side’s unwillingless to coordinate its actions against terrorist groups with Russia,” the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman emphasized. The Defense Ministry also confirmed a report by SANA that an Islamic State offensive began right after Syrian Army positions were hit from the air.

The United States acknowledges that its warplanes may have hit a Syrian Army position near Deir ez-Zor Airport in eastern Syria, while conducting an operation against ISIL, killing more than 60 Syrian troops.

Russia says U.S. refuses to share Syria truce deal with UN council UNITED NATIONS, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday that a U.N. Security Council endorsement of a Syria ceasefire deal between Moscow and Washington appeared unlikely because the United States does not want to share the documents detailing the agreement with the 15-member body. During the scheduled meeting, US and Russian envoys were to present details of the joint agreement that calls for a ceasefire, the delivery of aid and joint targeting of Islamist rebels in Syria. "The main problem ... which in my mind makes it impossible to produce any resolution, is that they are refusing to give those documents to members of the Security Council or even to read those documents to the members of the Security Council," Churkin told reporters.</s>U.N. Security Council likely to meet on U.S.-led Syria strikes -diplomats UNITED NATIONS, Sept 17 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet on Saturday at the request of Russia, diplomats said, to discuss air strikes by the U.S.-led coalition in Syria, which Moscow said had targeted and killed Syrian military personnel. The Russian defense ministry said Isis militants were emboldened by the airstrikes, which hit an airport near Deir al-Zor, and that the forces of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad were now fighting a pitched battle against those of the terror group. (Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) holds an emergency session to discuss the U.S. airstrikes in Deir ez-Zor.

National Abu Sayyaf releases kidnapped Norwegian for P30-million ransom InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5 MANILA - Reports reaching Manila indicated that the Al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) released late Friday night their Norwegian kidnap victim Kjartan Sekkingstad at a remote village in Indanan, Sulu. The area where Sekkingstad was released is one of the sites where government forces have been conducting a massive offensive against the ASG in the past few months, police and military intelligence reports said on Saturday. A police and military intelligence report seen by journalists in Manila indicated that Kjartan Sekkingstad was released by his captors at around 10:30 p.m. Friday in the vicinity of Brgy. Buanza in Indanan, Sulu. The intelligence report informed that Sekkingstad was set free after ASG received an estimated PhP30 million in ransom money. The intelligence report said that the release was facilitated by Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Commander Tahil Sali. Sekkingstad was immediately bought to the house of Sulu Governor Sakur Tan, in the middle of an electricity outage. Sekkingstad, along with Canadians John Risdel and Robert Hall, and Filipina Marites Flor, were snatched in late 2015 while they were on vacation at Oceanview resort in Samal Island in Davao del Norte. A few weeks after the kidnapping, the ASG demanded ransom for the safe release of their kidnap victims. The two Canadians were beheaded by the ASG after they failed to receive the ransom money.

Abu Sayyaf frees a Norwegian hostage for a ransom of ₱30 million (US$638,000) and releases three kidnapped Indonesians from Sabah.

NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities are looking for a naturalized Afghanistan citizen for questioning in a weekend explosion in a Manhattan neighborhood that injured 29 people as the governor conceded Monday that investigators could no longer rule out international terrorism. She wouldn’t provide further details, but a government official and a law enforcement official who were briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press that five people in the car were being questioned at an FBI building in Manhattan. Cellphones were discovered at the site of both bombings, but no Tannerite residue was identified in the New Jersey bomb remnants, in which a black powder was detected, said the official, who wasn’t authorized to comment on an ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Police spokesman J. Peter Donald said on Twitter that the explosion happened at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday on West 23rd Street, which is a major thoroughfare with many restaurants. Authorities said that 25 people were injured, but most are minor injuries and none life-threatening. Donald tweeted a warning to residents near the second site that officials are investigating, saying: “As a precautionary measure, we are asking residents who live on West 27th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan to stay away from windows facing 27th Street until we clear the suspicious.” A number of New York City subway routes have been affected by the earlier explosion. “It sounded like fireworks, but a thousand times stronger, and it shook everything … like I was in Iraq and a bomb dropped.” The woman said that the blast did not seem to come from inside a building, but, “it just was like in the middle of the street; that’s what it seemed like to me.” She said that people who were inside buildings in the neighborhood and were running after the explosion told her that the explosion even shook the buildings. “It was an extremely loud noise, everything was shaking, the windows were shaking, it was crazy,” he said. “It wasn’t like jolting or anything, everyone just went quiet.” Witnesses say FBI and Homeland Security officials, along with the ATF arson and explosive task force are also at the scene. Hillary Clinton says she has been briefed “about the bombings in New York and New Jersey and the attack in Minnesota.” She says the nation needs to support its first responders and “pray for the victims.” “We have to let this investigation unfold,” she said. The reports of a possible blast come hours after a pipe bomb exploded in Seaside Park, New Jersey, shortly before thousands of runners participated in a charity 5K race to benefit Marines and sailors. “This is a bomb.” Caldwell reported from Washington.</s>NEW YORK, Sept 17 (Reuters) - A loud explosion shook the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan on Saturday night, prompting New York City police and fire department personnel to swarm the area, a Reuters witness said.

A bombing occurs in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan injuring 29 people.

The European council president, Donald Tusk, said British prime minister Theresa May had told him article 50 was “likely” to be triggered in January or February next year, dashing remain voters’ hopes of delaying the UK’s EU exit. “There is a clear interlink as we made clear at the very beginning between the access to the internal market and the basic principles of the internal market – namely the free movement of workers and we are sticking to that position," he said. Speaking of his meeting with Ms May in London last week, Mr Tusk said the prime minister had been “open and honest” about her difficulties in launching EU exit talks this year. “She declared that it's almost impossible to trigger Article 50 this year, but it's quite likely that they will be ready maybe in January, maybe in February, next year.” He admitted Britain’s vote to leave was a “sad moment” for Europe, but said Brexit negotiations must prioritise the interests of the countries that remain members of the EU and “not the leaving country”, Sky News reported. In his state of the union address on Wednesday, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker called for EU countries “to pool their defence capabilities in the form of a permanent structured co-operation”, and proposed a European Defence Fund by the end of the year. “We are sticking to that position and this is not a game between prime ministers leaving and prime ministers remaining, this is about people in Europe. “It is about the rights of ordinary people, of workers in Europe, so I can’t see any possibility of compromising on that very issue.” Brexit was not top of the agenda at the one-day summit in Bratislava, as European leaders concentrated on charting a way forward for a bloc that has stumbled from crisis to crisis in recent years. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said the EU was in “a critical situation” not only because of the Brexit referendum but also “because of other difficulties that we have”. The same splits were on display, as Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, slammed the EU’s migration policy as “self-destructive and naive”. “That is not going to happen,” he told The Times.</s>Image copyright EPA Image caption Theresa May met European Council president Donald Tusk last week in London UK Prime Minister Theresa May is likely to trigger the formal process of leaving the European Union early next year, according to a top EU official. EU's Tusk: May indicated could trigger Brexit talks in Jan-Feb BRATISLAVA, Sept 16 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May has signalled that she could be ready to launch formal Brexit negotiations in January or February next year, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Friday, citing a recent talk with May. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that the European Union was in a "critical situation" as EU leaders met Mr Tusk spoke from the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, where Europe's 27 other leaders are gathered for an informal summit without the UK. Speaking about his meeting with the PM, Mr Tusk told a summit press conference: "Prime Minister May was very open and honest with me. "She declared that it's almost impossible to trigger Article 50 this year but it's quite likely that they will be ready maybe in January maybe in February next year." But former Liberal Democrat leader Lord (Menzies) Campbell said there was nothing the UK can do after Brexit to protect Nato from the potentially damaging effect of an EU army because it will not be able to veto its creation from outside the union. Tusk said following an EU summit held without Britain that he had met recently with British Prime Minister Theresa May, who told him it was not going to happen as soon as many EU leaders had hoped after the June 23 referendum to leave the EU. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told the same news conference that Britain could not achieve full access to the EU market that it would ideally like if it closed off free immigration for EU citizens: "I cannot see any possibility of compromising on that very issue," he said.

President of the European Council Donald Tusk states that the UK could begin its formal process of withdrawing from the European Union early next year, after a meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May last week.

Venezuela, an OPEC member and home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves, will seek backing for its campaign to slash abundant global crude production in a bid to raise prices. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was expected to fly into Margarita, along with Latin American leftist leaders from Bolivia and Ecuador, but overall turnout could be a record low for the Cold War-era group.</s>It appears only around a dozen heads of state from the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement made it to the meeting held on the Caribbean island of Margarita, just off Venezuela's coast, in a blow for a government keen to bolster its international legitimacy. Yet the turnout from the 120-nation Cold War-era bloc has paled compared with past meetings, including the previous summit in Iran in 2012, attended by some 35 heads of state. Maduro revels in support from Zimbabwe, Iran as critics decry failed summit MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reveled in support from leftist allies during a summit of a Cold War-era bloc that wrapped up on Sunday, but critics pilloried him for hosting unpopular leaders such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and for failing to draw many world leaders. Study says Venezuelans world's most miserable The half-century old movement formed by nations wanting to avoid aligning with the United States or Soviet Union has dwindled in relevance over the years. But it appears that heads of states' attendance at the summit in recession-stricken Venezuela is particularly low, possibly even in single digits, although the government did not respond to a request for a list of attendees. Venezuela's opposition, vying to remove Maduro in a recall referendum, has jumped on low attendance as a sign of his isolation. "Millions of dollars of Venezuelans' money spent for the government's ego," said opposition leader Henrique Capriles. "Many of the countries didn't come to the show!" In one glaring absence, co-founder and key member India did not send Prime Minister Narendra Modi, only the second time the country's head of state has missed a summit since its 1961 founding. Venezuela is undergoing a major economic crisis that has sparked worsening food shortages and triple-digit inflation. Venezuela: Anti-Maduro protesters flood Caracas Margarita was once known as the "Pearl of the Caribbean", a tourist haven that drew visitors from around the world, but hotel occupancy is under half what it was last year and some islanders recently humiliated Maduro by chasing him in a poor neighbourhood, banging pots and pans. The delegates who did come complained privately of a lack of organization, delays and shabby hotels, despite Venezuela's efforts to make Margarita shine by repainting roads, stocking supermarket shelves and boosting security on the crime-ridden island. ] [L2N1BR1XV]] Venezuela unveiled a statue of Chavez near the summit on Friday, took over the group's presidency on Saturday, and the summit's final document was set to express solidarity with Maduro.

Around ten heads of state attend the 17th Non-aligned Movement summit in Isla Margarita, Venezuela, including Evo Morales of Bolivia, Raúl Castro of Cuba, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Hassan Rouhani of Iran, Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, and Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro.

The Sandiganbayan Fourth Division dismissed what is left of the graft charges against former president and current Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in connection with the anomalous National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with ZTE. The decision made by the anti-graft court to grant Arroyo demurrer to evidence officially dismissed all of the cases she is facing for her nine-year term as president. Arroyo, together with her husband former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and former Commission on Election chair Benjamin Abalos, was charged with two counts of graft for allowing the NBN-ZTE deal to push through despite not going through the proper process. Arroyo and company were slapped with charges of violation of Section 3(g) of R.A. 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for reportedly taking advantage of their positions and fast-tracking the deal to the prejudice of the government.</s>“IT ain’t no sin if you crack a few laws now and then, just so long as you don’t break any.” That was how the Sandiganbayan concluded its decision junking the remaining corruption case against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over the $329-million national broadband network (NBN) project involving the Chinese multinational company ZTE Corporation. The court’s fourth division quoted the 1937 American movie “Every Day’s A Holiday” in granting two demurrers to evidence in the graft and ethics cases lodged against Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo and former elections chief Benjamin Abalos. The former leader’s lawyer Lawrence Arroyo said Arroyo was deeply grateful for the decision that was filed against her in 2011, a year into the adminisration of former President Benigno Aquino III. “[Mrs. Arroyo] has always kept her faith in the judiciary and our courts have not failed to fearlessly render justice. Our courts have not allowed themselves to be swayed by public opinion or perception,” the lawyer said in a statement. He said the courts’ decisions to grant their demurrers in the NBN-ZTE case, PCSO case, and the P5.4-million civil suit filed against her by a religious group proves the charges she faced were all weak. In its decision, the Sandiganbayan said the prosecution failed to prove that Arroyo was interested in personal gain from the NBN project, which required the discretionary approval of the National Economic and Development Authority board which Mrs. Arroyo chaired when she was President. The Sandiganbayan said the cancellation of the contract on Oct. 2, 2007 proved that Arroyo was not interested in seeing the implementation of the project because she was looking forward to personal gain. Even the fact that Arroyo met with officials of ZTE Corp. in Shenzhen, China in November 2006 did not prove that she accepted favors or gifts from foreign officials.“There was no clear and indubitable proof presented by the prosecution that accused PGMA was the recipient. As a matter of fact, there was no evidence introduced on who made the payment,” the ruling read. The court said the prosecution failed to prove that the NBN-ZTE contract was “grossly and manifestly disadvantageous” to the government. The Sandiganbayan likewise took the prosecution to task for failing to establish the supposed conspiracy between the three officials and then-transportation secretary Leandro Mendoza for the contract to be signed. “This failure to specify the circumstances establishing conspiracy among the four accused is violative of their right to be informed of the accusations hurled against them,” the court said. With the project cancelled during the Arroyo administration, the Sandiganbayan said there was no longer any contract to refer to when the Ombudsman filed the cases against the former President in 2011. Arroyo was charged with one count each of violation of Section 3 (g) and 3 (i) of Republic Act (RA) 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Section 7 (d) of RA 6713 of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees in connection with the NBN deal, which was allegedly overpriced by more than 50 percent of its actual cost of $130 million. The dismissal of the graft case against Mrs. Arroyo came barely two months after the Supreme Court junked the plunder case filed against her in connection with the alleged misuse of the P366-million intelligence fund of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The Sandiganbayan court clears former Philippines president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the national broadband corruption scandal.

Nate Pike, a spokesman for Calgary EMS, told reporters that the officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries while the second individual was in critical condition. One of the patients was a Calgary police officer, EMS said, adding the officer was taken to the Foothills Medical Centre in stable, non-life threatening condition with soft tissue injuries. An unidentified person in serious, potentially life-threatening condition, while one cop was sent to hospital in stable condition. A Calgary EMS duty officer later declined further comment, referring to all inquiries to police.</s>A member of the Calgary Police Service remained in hospital Sunday in serious but stable condition after he was severely injured in a machete attack at Marlborough Mall Saturday afternoon. Hughson has Edmonton investigators in Calgary helping out the local ASIRT team as the province’s police watchdog has a look at the Marlborough Mall incident as well as another unrelated incident occurred just an hour earlier. Most of the battle between the Calgary cop and the 20-year-old suspect at the Marlborough Mall Sears store was captured by video surveillance cameras. “I was coming off the bus to go on the train and I saw an altercation and all of a sudden a guy was chasing some people with a knife and he ran into the mall and a bunch of cops showed up,” Kayla Perrin, who witnessed part of the ordeal, said Saturday. Susan D. Hughson, the executive director of ASIRT, said the police officer used his Taser on the suspect but “it appeared to have no observable effect on the man.” When the officer pulled out his gun, the suspect struck him with a machete, Hughson said Sunday. Deputy Chief Trevor Daroux said after hitting the suspect with a taser failed and the suspect had struck the officer with a large bladed weapon, the lone officer shot the suspect inside a department store at crowded Marlborough Mall in the city’s northeast. A police news release was unclear as to whether the suspect was wounded by a bullet only saying he was taken to hospital and is in stable condition. “She had very little involvement in the incident,” Hughson said, adding it’s not clear what her relationship with the suspect is.

An unidentified suspect chases people with a machete outside the Malborough CTrain station in Calgary, Alberta and injures 2 inside the nearby Marlborough Mall, including a police officer. The injured officer shoots the suspect who remains in critical condition.

17-year-old is first minor to be granted euthanasia in Belgium BRUSSELS, Sept 17 (Reuters) - A 17-year-old has committed doctor-assisted suicide in Belgium, the first minor to do so under rules adopted in 2014 allowing euthanasia for people of all ages, the head of the national committee for euthanasia said on Saturday. Wim Distelmans, who chairs Belgium's Federal Control and Evaluation Committee on Euthanasia, told Reuters that the minor was 17 and that a local doctor had reported the case to his committee last week, but he gave no other details. Belgium legalised euthanasia in 2002, and two years ago amended the rules to permit doctor-assisted death for minors in a hopeless medical situation and with their explicit consent. It is the only country in the world that allows euthanasia for minors of all ages. In the neighbouring Netherlands the practice is possible for children aged at least 12. Between 2003 and 2013, the number of patients being euthanized in Belgium rose nearly eight-fold to a total number of 8,752 cases, according to records of the national euthanasia control committee.</s>Image copyright AFP Image caption Belgium is the only country that permits euthanasia without age restrictions A terminally ill 17-year-old has become the first minor to be helped to die in Belgium since age restrictions on euthanasia requests were removed two years ago, officials say. Jacqueline Herremans, head of the Belgian Association for the Right to Die with Dignity and a member of Belgium’s federal euthanasia commission, confirmed to RTBF television that such a statement had been made. Wim Distelmans, who chairs Belgium’s federal control and evaluation committee on euthanasia, said that the case was reported by a local doctor last week. He said doctors used "palliative sedation", which involves putting patients into an induced coma, as part of the process, Assisted dying around the world Belgian Paralympian 'not ready' for euthanasia "Fortunately there are very few children who are considered [for euthanasia] but that does not mean we should refuse them the right to a dignified death," he told the Het Nieuwsblad newspaper. The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg permit euthanasia and assisted suicide Switzerland permits assisted suicide if the person assisting acts unselfishly Colombia permits euthanasia California last year joined the US states of Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana in permitting assisted dying Canada passed laws allowing doctor-assisted dying in June of this year How old must the patient be? It is the only country that allows children of any age to undergo euthanasia, as long as they are able to make rational decisions and are in the last stages of an incurable disease A terminally ill child has become the first minor to be euthanised in Belgium since age restrictions on such mercy killings in the country were lifted in 2014, a newspaper reported on Saturday. The Belgian amendment, which was passed after heated debate — notably over the meaning of a required “capacity of discernment” — offers the possibility of euthanasia to children “in a hopeless medical situation of constant and unbearable suffering that cannot be eased and which will cause death in the short term“. Any request for euthanasia must be made by the minor, be studied by a team of doctors and an independent psychiatrist or psychologist, and have parental consent. Competent patients aged between 12 and 16 may also qualify, but only if their parent or guardian consents.

A local doctor in Belgium grants euthanasia to a terminally-ill minor, marking the first case of such procedure performed since the 2014 removal of age restrictions.

Rio de Janeiro (AP) — An Iranian cyclist died after crashing in a road race at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics on Saturday. He was Bahman Golbarnezhad, aged 48, the International Paralympics Committee said. It said he received emergency treatment on the course and was transported to a Rio hospital where officials said he died. “This is truly heart-breaking news, and the thoughts and condolences of the whole Paralympic Movement are with Bahman’s family, friends, and teammates, as well as the whole of the National Paralympic Committee of Iran,” IPC President Philip Craven said in a statement. The IPC said it believes this is the first death in a Paralympics. The IPC said Golbarnezhad crashed about 10:40 a.m. local time on a mountainous stretch of the road cycling course. The IPC said he suffered cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital. The cause of the crash was not clear, and officials said it was being investigated. “The Paralympic family is united in grief at this horrendous tragedy, which casts a shadow over what have been great Paralympic Games,” Craven added. The Iranian flag was lowered to half-staff in the Paralympic Village, and at the venue where Iran faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in a men’s sitting volleyball final on Sunday. A moment of silence will also be held at Sunday’s closing ceremony in Maracana Stadium. “This is very sad news for sport and for the Paralympic movement.” Carlos Nuzman, head of the Rio Olympic organizing committee, said in a statement. “Our hearts and prayers are with Bahman’s family, his teammates and all the people of Iran.” A Paralympic biography said Golbarnezhad was born in Shiraz, Iran. He also competed in the London Paralympics but didn’t medal. He was competing in the C4-5 races for athletes with lower limb impairments or amputations. This was his second race in Rio. On Wednesday, he finished 14th in a time trial.</s>The cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad has died following a crash in the men’s C4/C5 road race at the Rio Paralympics, Iran’s national Paralympic committee has announced. He lost his left leg in a land mine explosion and took up the sport in 2002, competing in events for athletes with lower limb impairments or amputations. According to the IPC, Golbarnezhad was involved in a crash at around 10:35 local time on the first section of the Grumari loop, a mountainous stretch of the course, on a curved descent. Mr Golbarnezhad received emergency treatment on the course and suffered cardiac arrest while he was being transported to a Rio hospital, where he died. Bahman Golbarnezhad (left, chasing South Africa's Dane Wilson) in action earlier in Saturday's race IPC president Sir Philip Craven said: "This is truly heartbreaking news and the thoughts and condolences of the whole Paralympic movement are with Bahman's family, friends, and team-mates as well as the whole of the National Paralympic Committee of Iran. “The Paralympic family is united in grief at this horrendous tragedy, which casts a shadow over what have been great Paralympic Games.” The Iranian flag has been lowered to half-mast in the athletes' village and Mr Golbarnezhad's family, who are in Iran, were informed this afternoon, according to the IPC. The Iranian flag has been lowered to half-mast in the Paralympic Village and a period of silence will be observed during Sunday's closing ceremony. According to a Paralympic biography, Mr Golbarnezhad was born in Shiraz, Iran's sixth most populous city. United States Olympic Team: "Our thoughts are with the friends, family and team-mates of Team Iran's inspirational cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad." The race was Golbarnezhad's second at the Rio Paralympics, after he finished 14th in the C4 time-trial race on Wednesday. Golbarnezhad was 14th in the time-trial on Wednesday and also competed at the London 2012 Paralympics. “This is very sad news for sport and for the Paralympic movement," Rio 2016 Organising Committee President Carlos Nuzman told Associated Press. “Our hearts and prayers are with Bahman's family, his team-mates and all the people of Iran.” Saturday's race was won by Daniel Abraham of Holland, with Brazil's Lauro Chaman second and Andrea Tarlao of Italy third. The road races began at Pontal and included the Grumari circuit incorporated in the Rio Olympics cycling road races.

Iranian Para-cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad dies after being involved in a crash during the men's C4-5 road race.

SRINAGAR, India -- Suspected rebels using guns and grenades sneaked into an army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir early Sunday and killed at least 17 soldiers in the deadliest attack on a military base in the disputed Himalayan region in recent years, the army said. Four rebels were killed as the soldiers returned gunfire after the surprise assault before dawn on the base, located near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Loud explosions were heard and several barracks caught fire in the initial hours of the attack. Afterwards, military helicopters hovered over the base as the army conducted what it described as "mopping up" operations. Officials said at least 30 soldiers were wounded in the attack, including about a dozen who were in a critical condition. At the time of the attack, the army base in the heavily forested garrison town of Uri had a large number of troops because soldiers were handing over duties to a new battalion, the Indian army said in a statement. The base, located in the town of Uri, west of the region's main city of Srinagar, houses the Indian army's regional brigade headquarters along the de facto border separating Indian- and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. Soldiers were conducting searches in the area, but army officials said it appeared that they had killed all four rebels involved in the attack. Army officials said the rebels had infiltrated into the Indian side of Kashmir from the Pakistani-controlled part. Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh, the army's director general of military operations, said that all four gunmen killed were "foreign terrorists," and that initial investigations suggested that they belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed, a militant group that has been active in Kashmir for more than 15 years. India blames the outlawed group, which is based in Pakistan, for a series of attacks in the Himalayan region and Indian cities, including the attack on India's Parliament in 2001 that brought nuclear rivals India and Pakistan to the brink of war. Lt Gen Singh said the gunmen were carrying "some items that had Pakistani markings". He said he had spoken to his Pakistani counterpart and conveyed India's "serious concerns." The army officials said the rebels entered the sprawling camp after crossing a stream and breaching the fencing Saturday night. What made Sunday's attack different from earlier attacks in the region was that instead of storming into the camp, the rebels quietly entered the base and later launched their attack, said a senior army officer who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack and tweeted, "I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished." Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh called an emergency meeting of top defense officials and blamed Pakistan for the attack. "I am deeply disappointed with Pakistan's continued and direct support to terrorism and terrorist groups," he tweeted. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but is claimed by both in its entirety. Most people in the Indian-controlled portion favor independence or a merger with Pakistan. A militant uprising and subsequent army crackdown since 1989 have killed more than 68,000 people. India accuses Pakistan of training the militants in its territory then helping them to infiltrate into the Indian side. Islamabad denies the charge, saying it only gives political and diplomatic support to the rebels. The attack came with Kashmir in the midst of its largest anti-India protests against Indian rule in recent years, sparked by the July 8 killing of a popular rebel commander by Indian troops. A sweeping military crackdown and near-constant curfew have been in effect since the protests began. Rock-throwing protesters have clashed with troops firing live ammunition and shotgun pellets, and more than 80 people have been killed in the violence. The last major attack on an Indian military installation was in January, when six gunmen entered an air force base in the town of Pathankot in the state of Punjab. The rebels managed to paralyze the massive base for nearly four days, killing seven soldiers. We could not go back to sleep after that," said Irfan Wadoo, a 28-year-old student in Uri who lives close to the army base.</s>India accused Pakistan of being behind Sunday’s separatist attack on an army base near their disputed frontier that killed 17 soldiers, in one of the most deadly attacks in Kashmir in a quarter-century-old insurgency.Four commando-style gunmen, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and grenades, burst into the brigade headquarters in Uri at 5:30 a.m. (midnight GMT) and were killed after a three-hour gunfight, a senior Indian army officer said. The raid came as tensions were already running high in India’s only Muslim-majority region, which has faced more than two months of protests following the July 8 killing of the commander of another Pakistan-based separatist group. Since Indian security forces killed Burhan Wani, a young Kashmiri militant, on July 8, the Himalayan territory — which both countries claim in its entirety — has erupted in protests. He had informed his Pakistani counterpart of his findings, which linked the attack on Uri to a similar raid in January on an Indian Air Force base in Punjab that India also blames on Jaish-e-Mohammed. India blamed that attack in the northern state of Punjab on a Pakistani-based militant group and it came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a landmark visit to Pakistan, raising hopes of improved ties. Most of the soldiers died Sunday after their tents and other housing caught fire during the raid on the brigade headquarters near the border known as the Line of Control (LoC), said Ranbir Singh, the army's director-general of military operations. Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh, the director of military operations, said he contacted his Pakistani counterpart to convey “serious concerns.” Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh was more pointed, saying on Twitter: “Pakistan is a terrorist state, and it should be identified and isolated as such.” Pakistan denied involvement in the attack, which came amid escalating violence in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.

Four Jaish-e-Mohammed militants attack an Indian Army base near the Pakistan border with at least 17 soldiers and four militants killed.

Islamic State, Pakistani Taliban faction say kill three soldiers in Pakistan PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Three Pakistani soldiers were killed in an ambush in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Sunday, militants said, in an attack for which both Islamic State and a Pakistani Taliban faction claimed responsibility. Militants said they ambushed an unmarked vehicle ferrying soldiers on Sunday morning near the congested Daudzai area of Peshawar. Military sources confirmed the attack but said the killed men were army employees and not soldiers. The Pakistan army often uses unmarked vehicles for transportation of soldiers and other employees in volatile areas around Peshawar to avoid being identified and attacked. "They were travelling in a civil van when unknown armed men opened fire at them," said a security official who declined to be named. "Three of them died on the spot." Pakistan's military this month declared that it had foiled Islamic State's attempts to establish operations in the country. But the group's Amaq news agency said Islamic State was behind the ambush, also claimed by Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, an offshoot of the Islamist militant Pakistani Taliban group. Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, which carried out the Easter Sunday bombing in Lahore in which 70 people were killed, at one time swore fealty to Islamic State's Middle East leadership, but later switched back to the Taliban. The two groups also both claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a hospital in the Pakistani city of Quetta that killed 74 people last month. Pakistan's military said on Sept. 1 it had arrested more than 300 Islamic State militants and sympathizers, thwarting the ultra-hardline group's attempts to expand there. But concern has been growing that Islamic State - which controls parts of Iraq and Syria and is known for especially brutal treatment of religious minorities - might replicate their model in Pakistan, especially after Islamic State loyalists seized small pieces of territory in neighboring Afghanistan. On Friday, Pakistani authorities said they arrested four Islamic State militants plotting attacks in the city of Lahore. The four men had 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) of explosives as well as fuses and detonators, officials said. Most Islamic State recruits in the region are believed to be Pakistani or Afghan defectors from other Islamist movements. Pakistan is home to several militant groups including the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, al Qaeda and the Haqqani network, giving Islamic State both a rich pool of potential recruits but also fierce competition. Islamic State last year declared Afghanistan and Pakistan as the state of "Khorasan", part of its self-declared global caliphate, and appointed longtime militant Hafiz Saeed Khan as its regional leader. A U.S. drone strike killed Khan last month in eastern Afghanistan. (Writing by Mehreen Zahra-Malik; editing by Drazen Jorgic and Ros Russell)

Two gunmen kill three Pakistani Army soldiers near the city of Peshawar.

(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – ISIS confirmed on Sunday about shooting down a Syrian warplane in Deir al-Zour in eastern Syria. Media reports, quoting ISIS news affiliate al-Amaq, said, “A fighter jet belonging to the Syrian forces was downed by ISIS in Deir al-Zour.” The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, “The pilot of the Syrian fighter jet died, indicating that the plane was shot down in Tharde Mount area southern Deir Ezzor air base.” The Observatory had earlier reported of intense air strikes during the last 24 near Deir ez-Zor.</s>BEIRUT, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Islamic State shot down a Syrian military plane in the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zor, the Islamic State-affiliated news agency Amaq said on Sunday. “A Syrian warplane belonging to the Syrian regime was brought down when targeted by fighters from the Islamic State in the city of Deir al-Zor,” Amaq said in an online statement. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syrian conflict now in its sixth year, said the pilot of the MIG Syrian warplane was killed.

Amaq News Agency claims ISIL is responsible for shooting down a Syrian Air Force fighter jet over Deir ez-Zor. The London-based SOHR says the MiG pilot was killed.

SYDNEY, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The Australian Department of Defence has offered its condolences to the families of Syrian soldiers killed or wounded in a U.S.-led bombing campaign on Saturday, in which Australia participated and Russia said hit Syrian military personnel and vehicles. Australian aircraft were among the warplanes that struck what were believed to be Islamic State fighting positions around Deir al-Zor in Eastern Syria. However, shortly after the bombing started Russian officials advised the multinational Combined Air Operations Centre that the targets may have been Syrian military personnel. The Australian Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that it would fully cooperate with a Coalition review of the incident. "While Syria remains a dynamic and complex operating environment, Australia would never intentionally target a known Syrian military unit or actively support Daesh (also known as ISIL)," the ministry said in a statement. "Defence offers its condolences to the families of any Syrian personnel killed or wounded in this incident," the ministry said on Sunday. (Reporting by Harry Pearl; Editing by Eric Meijer)</s>Australian aircraft were among a group of international planes taking part in an operation near Dayr Az Zawr when Russian officials advised the targets may have been Syrian military personnel, a statement said on Sunday. The Australian Department of Defense said in a statement on Sunday that it will cooperate fully with the review of the incident by the alliance, asserting that while Syria remains a dynamic and complex operating environment, Australia would never intentionally target a known Syrian military unit, nor would it provide support for ISIS, offering condolences to the families of the victims of the attack. Officials have offered condolences to the families of Syrian soldiers who may have been killed during a bombing raid on what was believed to be Islamic State targets. "Warplanes from the international anti-jihadist coalition carried out four air strikes today (Sunday) against Syrian forces surrounded by IS in the Deir Ezzor air base," a Russian army statement said. A Russian Defense Ministry official said Syria informed them that 62 of its soldiers were killed in the airstrike. He did not identify the planes' country affiliation, but said they were part of the international coalition. The IS-linked Amaq news agency said coalition strikes also hit Islamic State positions around the airport, while there were also reports of Russian planes bombing Islamic State targets.. Situation worsening, says Russian general Russian military officials meanwhile lashed out at both the United States and mainstream rebels over the ceasefire struck last week in Geneva. The apparently errant strike could deal a blow to a fragile US and Russian-brokered cease-fire that has largely held for five days despite dozens of alleged violations on both sides.

Australia's Department of Defence acknowledges its participation "among a number of international aircraft" in the Deir ez-Zor air raid. It says it would "never intentionally target a known Syrian military unit or actively support Daesh (ISIS)" and offers its condolences.

Game Of Thrones had a record-breaking night at the Emmys, where the stars of The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story were honoured with a host of acting awards. The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, the television drama based on the murder trial of OJ Simpson, was named outstanding limited series, while Sarah Paulson, Courtney B Vance and Sterling K Brown won awards for their roles in the show. It was large-scale and small-scale, from Tatiana Maslany’s win to the fact that Last Week Tonight With John Oliver won best variety talk show, a category that has almost automatically been won by The Daily Show for years. British TV was everywhere at the Emmy Awards – there were Brit contenders in many categories, including the John le Carré adaptation The Night Manager, Luther, Sherlock, War and Peace, Downton Abbey and Catastrophe, and it was a very big night for the BBC, which had 22 nominations, but the old principle that prestigious wards in acting and writing went to British productions did not hold up. Her show Veep also received the biggest honour in comedy, Outstanding Comedic Series, as Executive Producer David Mandel had a hilarious speech and had an interesting dedication as he said: 'This is for chubby jews from the Upper Westside wherever you are' Another repeat winner with Transparent's Jeffrey Tambor who took home the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series gong for the second year in a row. This was her first win at the Emmys after being nominated five times previously in various American Horror Story miniseries along with a 2012 nomination for TV Movie Game Change. The emotional high-note occurred when the People vs. OJ Simpson's Sarah Paulson apologised to Marcia Clark directly while accepting the gong for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. Read more: Game of Thrones, Veep take honours at Emmys Read more: Canadian Tatiana Maslany wins Emmy for best lead actress in a drama There was some expectation that many of the deserving recent performances and new nominees would be left looking on as Game of Thrones, Veep and Modern Family took home tons of awards. Tom Hiddleston, who starred in The Night Manager, presented the award for outstanding directing in a limited series or movie to the show's director Susanne Bier. Meanwhile, Game Of Thrones earned the Outstanding Drama Series prize at the 68th annual event, held in downtown Los Angeles.</s>LOS ANGELES — “Game of Thrones” conquered the Emmy kingdom Sunday, honored as top drama for the second consecutive year and becoming the most honored prime-time TV series ever on a night of surprises and sharp political jabs. The HBO series already has nine statuettes from last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, which mainly reward behind-the-scenes personnel, giving it a total haul over the years of 35 — more than any other drama series. When Emmys in top categories are handed out at a glitzy evening ceremony in downtown Los Angeles, experts predict the show will pass the 37 won by long-running sitcom “Frasier.” HBO’s saga about noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne is the odds-on favorite in the coveted best drama category according to Gold Derby, a website pooling experts’ awards predictions. Three of its stars — Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke and Maisie Williams — dominated the betting in the supporting actress category, but the statuette went to Maggie Smith of “Downton Abbey.” Peter Dinklage missed out on a supporting actor trophy, as did co-star Kit Harington, the category’s favorite, with Ben Mendelsohn picking up the prize for “Bloodline.” “The People v. O.J. “With all the nominations it has in those five categories, it’s going to take home at least three trophies, and break the record.” The all-time Emmy list of winners — which includes non-fiction — is topped by NBC comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live,” with 44 awards. FX’s hotly tipped “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” has 13 nominations — more than any other show — in multiple categories on Sunday, having already won four technical Emmys. Its victory for best limited series is seen as the surest thing of the night while Sarah Paulson and Courtney B. Vance are expected to be rewarded for their acclaimed portrayals of sparring attorneys Marcia Clark and Johnnie Cochran. Sterling K. Brown is odds-on for his supporting actor role while Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski lead a writing category in which three of the six episodes nominated are from “The People v. O.J. “I want everyone to know that after careful consideration, I decided I’m going with Trump — which is why I’m saying we should get rid of all Hispanic and Muslim actors,” said award-winning comedian and writer Aziz Ansari. “We are always talking about the fact that no matter what we write for them, they do something with it that we hadn’t expected.” Russell is running third in the betting for tightest race of the night, with Robin Wright (“House of Cards”) expected possibly to squeak past last year’s victor Viola Davis (“How to Get Away with Murder”). Kevin Spacey, who has never won an Emmy, missed out again in for outstanding actor in a drama, which went to Rami Malek, the start of cyberspace security thriller “Mr. But the top drama acting trophies were far from predictable: Rami Malek of “Mr. In the best actress in a comedy category, Julia Louis-Dreyfus won a fifth consecutive Emmy for her role as the hapless acting president on HBO’s “Veep.” “I would like to dedicate this to my father who passed away on Friday, and I’m so glad that he liked ‘Veep’ because his opinion was the one that really mattered,” she said in an emotional tribute, her voice breaking. FX, which scored the most nominations in history for a basic cable network, ended the night on 18 in total — twice as many as third-placed Netflix. – AFP

The 68th Primetime Emmy Awards is held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles with Game of Thrones winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, Veep winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story winning the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series.

The most nominated show of 2016, The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, picked up five wins to add to its four technical Emmys. Key points: Game of Thrones has won 38 Emmy Awards, surpassing Frasier HBO series won this year in three categories The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story won five awards, nominated in 13 categories The show broke the record after winning Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series. This brings "Game of Thrones’" Emmy haul to 35 overall wins, officially crowning the gang from Westeros with the title of most overall Emmy wins for a drama series. The all-time Emmy list of winners — which includes non-fiction — is topped by NBC comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live, with 44 awards. Game of Thrones could well make history at this year's Emmy awards by becoming the biggest award-winning show since the awards ceremony began; the show has so far clocked up 35 wins over six series - picking up nine wins at last weekend's Creative Arts Emmys, which encompasses many of the technical awards - already making it the biggest-winning dramas series of all time.</s>David Benioff and DB Weiss were quizzed about the hit HBO fantasy shows’s future at the Emmy Awards on Sunday, where the series became the most decorated drama in the ceremony’s history. They were up for 24 total awards and walked away with 12 at Sunday night’s 2016 Emmy awards in Los Angeles for a total of 38 now, breaking a record set by the also very past successful sitcom Frasier with a total haul of 37 Emmys. The series already became the most-honored drama series after picking up nine Emmys at the Creative Arts ceremony last weekend, surpassing longtime title holders Hill Street Blues and The West Wing.

Game of Thrones wins three Emmy Awards to become the most successful narrative series of all time beating the record previously held by Frasier.

(Dailynews via AP) Thai rescue teams search for victims after a boat capsized at Chao Phraya River in Ayuthaya Province, Thailand, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. At least 13 reported to be killed in Thailand boat accident BANGKOK (AP) — Thai news reports say at least 13 people were killed when a double-decker passenger boat carrying more than 100 people capsized in the Chao Phraya River north of Bangkok. Some people were still missing after the accident, which occurred when the boat was involved in a collision Sunday afternoon, but it was not immediately clear how many. (Dailynews via AP) A Harbor Department official, Surasak Sansombat, was quoted earlier by ThaiPBS television as saying that the boat's listed capacity was 50 passengers and it probably capsized from overloading.</s>At least 12 dead in Thailand as tourist boat capsizes, dozens missing BANGKOK, Sept 18 (Reuters) - At least 12 people have died and dozens are missing in Thailand after a boat carrying 150 Thai Muslims capsized in the ancient tourist city of Ayutthaya, officials said on Sunday. Dailynews/via REUTERS The accident happened on Sunday on the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage site located some 80 km (50 miles) north of the Thai capital of Bangkok. Eleven people are still missing and police divers resumed their search early on Monday. “Fourteen people are still in hospital,” he said, adding “the rescue operation resumed this morning to find those missing.” No foreigners were believed to be among the dead. “The death toll is now confirmed at 15, with 11 people still missing,” Ayutthaya deputy governor Rewat Prasong told media, updating the overnight toll from 13 dead.

A tourist boat carrying about 150 people capsizes on the Chao Phraya River in Thailand, killing at least 12 people with dozens missing.

The ruling United Russia party is expected to win even greater dominance over Russia’s lower house in a parliamentary election on Sunday, showing that support for President Vladimir Putin is holding up despite sanctions and a deep economic slowdown. At least they [United Russia] have done their stealing.” United Russia, led by prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin loyalist, has 238 of 450 Duma seats, dominates the more than 80 regional parliaments, and is routinely depicted in a favourable light by state television, where most Russians get their news. “And we did a lot for that.” For the first time since Moscow seized the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014, residents there voted for Russia’s parliament, in a poll slammed by Ukraine as illegal.</s>MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on Russia's parliamentary election (all times local): Russian President Vladimir Putin says that the ruling United Russia party, which early results show is winning in the parliamentary election, has produced a good result. Moreover in these elections there is a wild card in that only half the seats in the Duma are being allocated according to proportional representation, with the other half being allocated in first past the post voting in single member constituencies. If these exit polls are correct then it would suggest that the balance of forces in the new Duma will be very similar to that of the outgoing Duma, though the nationalist Liberal Democrat party of Vladimir Zhirinovsky seem to have gained ground at the expense of the two left wing parties, the Communist Party and A Just Russia. With polling stations closing the first exit polls from the Russian parliamentary elections give the government party United Russia a comfortable lead. Polls closed at 9 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) in Russia's westernmost region while Russia's regions in the Far East and Siberia have been counting the ballots for several hours now. Less than 7 percent of the ballots counted show United Russia getting about 44 percent of the vote, with the Liberal Democrat Party trailing behind with 18 percent of the vote.

Russian voters head to the polls to elect all 450 MPs to the 7th State Duma of the Russian Federation. Exit polls show the governing United Russia party with a comfortable lead.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday she would turn back time if she could to better prepare Germany for last year’s migrant influx, striking a conciliatory tone and taking some blame for her party’s drubbing in a Berlin city vote on Sunday. Merkel’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won only 17.5 percent — its worst post-war result in the city, before or after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall — likely spelling the end of its term as junior coalition partner to the Social Democrats (SPD), who won around 22 percent. Berlin’s SPD Mayor Michael Mueller had dramatically warned before the polls that a strong AfD result would be “seen throughout the world as a sign of the resurgence of the right and of Nazis in Germany.” ‘Zero to double-digits’ The vote marked another milestone for the upstart AfD, which has campaigned on a xenophobic platform, similar to France’s National Front or far-right populists in Austria and the Netherlands. But jubilant AfD leaders, including the party’s top candidate for Berlin Georg Pazderski, said they were confident they had found a winning election formula – tapping into public concern over migration and the consequences for German domestic security. Mueller has rejected a new coalition with the CDU and was seen likely to team up with the ecologist Greens and the far-left Die Linke party, each of whom scored around 15 percent.</s>BERLIN (AP) — The Latest on state elections in Berlin (all times local): Exit polls show the Social Democrats and Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Party emerged from Berlin state elections as the strongest two parties, but lost enough support they won't be able to continue a coalition government together. ARD public television reported Sunday that the SPD won 23 percent of the vote, dropping 5.3 percent, while the CDU won 18 percent, down 5.4 percent. The anti-immigrant nationalist Alternative for Germany party won 11.5 percent of the vote, behind the Greens and the Left party, each with 16.5 percent, but with more than enough to enter Berlin's state parliament, its 10th nationwide. Without enough support for the governing SPD-CDU "grand coalition" to continue, the most likely new governing alliance appeared to be a combination of the SPD, Greens and Left party. Voters in the German state of Berlin are casting ballots in a state election predicted to result in a fresh setback for Chancellor Angela Merkel's party. Her Christian Democratic Union has been the junior coalition partner to the center-left Social Democrats in the capital for the past five years. The city of 3.5 million has experienced a population boom during that time, putting pressure on housing, schools and its transport infrastructure. The influx of tens of thousands of migrants over the past year has also become a campaign issue, though to a lesser degree than in other, less cosmopolitan parts of the country. Pollsters forecast that the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany will easily pass the 5-percent threshold to enter the Berlin state assembly for the first time, its 10th nationwide.

Voters head to the polls in Berlin, Germany, to elect members to the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin. Latest polling indicates the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) are expected to make strong gains.

RIO DE JANEIRO: An Iranian Paralympic cyclist died Saturday in Rio after an accident in the road race on the penultimate day of the Games, a Paralympic official said. Bahman Golbarnezhad, 48, fell during the event and died of his injuries after being taken to hospital, officials said.</s>RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) – Iranian cyclist Sarafraz Bahman Golbarnezhad has died after crashing in the C4-5 event at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, the first such death at the games since they began in 1960, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has said. 'It is with deep sadness and regret that the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirms the death of the Iranian Para cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad,' a spokesman said. “This is truly heart-breaking news, and the thoughts and condolences of the whole Paralympic Movement are with Bahman’s family, friends, and teammates, as well as the whole of the National Paralympic Committee of Iran,” IPC President Philip Craven said in a statement. "The athlete received treatment at the scene and was in the process of being taken to the athlete hospital when he suffered a cardiac arrest," the IPC said in a statement. “The Paralympic family is united in grief at this horrendous tragedy which casts a shadow over what has been a great Paralympic Games here in Rio.” A moment of silence will be held during Sunday’s closing ceremony. The Iranian flag was lowered to half-mast in the Paralympic Village, while the Paralympic flag was to be at half mast during Sunday's sitting volleyball gold-medal match between Iran and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The closing ceremony took place at Rio's famed Maracana stadium on Monday (AEST), with festivities highlighted by a giant conga-line of athletes snaking its way around to the cheers of thousands of fans, who danced in the stands to Brazilian funk music. “Our hearts and prayers are with Bahman’s family, his teammates and all the people of Iran.” A Paralympic biography said Golbarnezhad was born in Shiraz, Iran. Fearnley had ended his Paralympics career earlier in the day, with the wheelchair racing veteran finishing second in the men's marathon, missing out on a fairytale gold-medal finish by one second.

The 2016 Summer Paralympic Games close in Rio de Janeiro.

Two days after explosions in New York and New Jersey, investigators in both cases say they want to talk with one man: Ahmad Khan Rahami. Soon, they could have a chance. Rahami is in custody after a shootout Monday morning with police in Linden, New Jersey, sources said. Authorities haven't publicly detailed why they believe he's connected to the bombings. Here's what we know so far about Rahami: • According to multiple officials, investigators want to question Rahami because they believe he's the man seen on surveillance video dragging a duffel bag near the site of the New York explosion, and the location where police eventually found a suspicious device four blocks away. This image apparently taken from surveillance footage shows Rahami, says New Jersey State Police Sgt. Jeff Flynn. • The 28-year-old was born in Afghanistan and is a naturalized U.S. citizen, according to the FBI. • His last known address was in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the FBI says. That's the same city where a backpack with multiple bombs inside was found Sunday night , but so far authorities haven't publicly said whether they believe Rahami has any connection to those explosives. Sources say they believe Rahami also is connected to those bombs. • Authorities had warned earlier Monday that Rahami should be considered armed and dangerous.</s>• Police in America release picture of Ahmad Rahami who is wanted in connection with explosion in New York Police described the explosion on Saturday in New York and a stabbing attack in Minnesota on Saturday that injured nine people as acts of terrorism.

Linden, New Jersey police shoot and arrest Ahmad Khan Rahami, the suspected perpetrator. Two police officers are reportedly injured.

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A U.S. air strike killed as many as eight Afghan policemen outside the embattled provincial capital of Uruzgan province, Afghan officials said on Monday, as security forces, supported by U.S. strikes, battle resurgent Taliban militants. Local highway police commander Haji Rahimullah said the attacks hit a police checkpoint on the main highway near Uruzgan’s provincial capital of Tirin Kot, killing a police officer in the first strike and, in a second run, at least seven more officers who responded to the scene. The first attack killed our colleagues and while we were trying to pull-out our colleagues from the check post than another attack happened.” The US military command in Kabul has confirmed its warplanes conducted an airstrike in the area, but said those targeted were “individuals firing on, and posing a threat to” Afghan national security forces. Gen. Charles Cleveland, spokesman for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, said the strikes targeted “individuals firing on, and posing a threat to, our Afghan partners.” “We don’t have any further information on who those individuals might have been or why they were attacking ANDSF (Afghan national defense and security forces),” Cleveland said. “U.S., coalition and Afghan forces have the right to self-defense, and in this case were responding to an immediate threat.” The Afghan forces have taken on the primary responsibility for fighting the Taliban, who have waged a 15-year war against the Western-backed Kabul government. Afghan forces have primary responsibility for their country’s security in the fight against the 15-year Taliban insurgency, but U.S forces are authorized to conduct strikes to prevent strategic losses as well as to protect the Afghans and their allies, such as international advisers.</s>Afghan official: US airstrikes kill 8 policemen in south KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan official says at least eight Afghan police officers have been killed in two U.S. airstrikes in southern Uruzgan province in what was apparently a friendly-fire incident. Rahimullah Khan, a provincial operational commander, says the first airstrike killed one policeman at a security outpost outside the provincial capital of Tirin Kot, while the second, which struck the same area, killed seven others.

Afghan officials say yesterday's U.S. airstrikes killed up to eight Afghan policemen in Lashkar Gah, Uruzgan.

The government earlier said that at least 17 had died in the violence in Kinshasa ahead of a planned opposition rally, but had warned that the death toll could rise. It also called on people to gather on Tuesday “to keep up without hesitation the demands made today.” The rally, which the authorities cancelled, had been called to demand the resignation of President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2001. Some view the election delay as a way for him to prolong his rule beyond the end of his mandate in late December, as he is able to stay in power in the event there is no election to choose a successor. A fringe opposition group has been meeting with the government in a bid to organise a schedule for elections, but veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi has refused to participate in the talks which are due to end on Saturday.</s>Au moins 31 personnes ont été tuées, lundi 19 septembre, dans des violences et pillages survenus à Kinshasa avant une manifestation hostile à Joseph Kabila, le président de la République démocratique du Congo. La manifestation a été annulée par les autorités congolaises après le début des débordements. Un policier « brûlé vif » En faisant un premier bilan provisoire, Lambert Mende, porte-parole du gouvernement congolais a déclaré que « deux policiers ont été tués » dans l'attaque d'une permanence du parti présidentiel à Limete, au centre-ouest de la capitale de la République démocratique du Congo, raison pour laquelle « on a annulé la manifestation ». Un peu plus tard dans la journée, le ministre de l'Intérieur, Évariste Boshab, est revenu sur ce premier bilan pour préciser que les émeutes avaient fait « 17 morts » parmi les forces de l'ordre, « dont un policier brûlé vif » et « 14 civils [tués] parmi les pillards ». Du côté de l'opposition, le porte-parole de l'Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social, Bruno Tshibala assure que « nous enregistrons plusieurs morts », affirmant avoir vu quatre cadavres « amenés au siège » d'une formation alliée. « Kabila doit partir » Réuni autour d'Étienne Tshisekedi, le fondateur de l'UDPS, un « rassemblement » des principaux partis d'opposition a appelé à manifester lundi dans tout le Congo pour signifier au président Joseph Kabila son « préavis », trois mois avant l'expiration de son mandat, le 20 décembre. Ses opposants exigent également la convocation de la présidentielle avant cette date. À Kinshasa, la manifestation devait commencer à 13 heures, mais plusieurs heurts ont opposé des jeunes armés de pierres à la police antiémeute dans la matinée à Limete, quartier où l'UDPS a son siège. Très véhéments, des groupes de quelques dizaines à plusieurs centaines de jeunes ont affronté des policiers antiémeutes en lançant en français ou en lingala des « Kabila akende » (Kabila dégage !) ou « Kabila doit partir ». À Limete et près du Palais du peuple, la police a répliqué aux jets de pierre à coup de grenades lacrymogènes. Les autorités dénoncent « des pillages ciblés » Selon des sources de sécurité privées, il y a eu quelques pillages épars dans des quartiers sud de la capitale ayant visé des agences bancaires ou des magasins tenus par des Chinois. De source diplomatique, on signalait des échauffourées en « divers endroits » dans ces zones. Les autorités ont dénoncé plusieurs pillages et incendies criminels ayant visé des permanences de formations politiques de la majorité. « Il y a eu des pillages ciblés, il y a des gens qui se sont préparés pour faire tout ce désordre », a déclaré Lambert Mende, accusant l'UDPS, principal parti de l'opposition, d'être à l'origine de la violence. Le calme semblait revenir en milieu d'après-midi, mais la capitale avait tout d'une ville morte. Dans plusieurs quartiers, les écoles étaient désertées par les élèves, les parents préférant les garder à la maison. De nombreuses boutiques étaient fermées, la circulation était presque inexistante. Une atmosphère semblable régnait à Lubumbashi, la deuxième ville du pays, dans le sud-est, où des soldats sont venus renforcer en masse la police autour des principaux bâtiments publics et dans les quartiers réputés acquis à l'opposition. Lors de ces événements, un photographe de l'Agence France Presse et une journaliste de RFI qui couvraient les manifestations ont été interpellés par la police militaire. Les autorités congolaises ont assuré qu'ils seraient libérés rapidement, mais les deux reporters n'avaient pas recouvré leur liberté à 15 h 30.

A Democratic Republic of the Congo protest calling for the resignation of President Joseph Kabila turns violent in Kinshasa, leaving at least 17 people dead, including three police officers. Opposition groups say that 50 people died.

ALEPPO, Syria -- A convoy delivering aid to Syrians in Aleppo province was hit by a deadly air strike hours after the Syrian military declared an end to a week-long ceasefire, with an outraged UN warning it could amount to a war crime. The UN said at least 18 trucks in the 31-vehicle convoy were destroyed late on Monday en route to deliver humanitarian assistance to the hard-to-reach town of Orum al-Kubra. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 12 Red Crescent volunteers and drivers had died in the strike while UN aid chief Stephen O’Brien said initial reports indicated “many people” were killed or seriously wounded. “Let me be clear: if this callous attack is found to be a deliberate targeting of humanitarians, it would amount to a war crime,” O’Brien said. The Observatory was unable to confirm if the planes responsible were Syrian or Russian. The UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent humanitarian mission had sought to take advantage of the cease-fire, which collapsed on Monday night as shells and bombs rained down on Aleppo city and the surrounding province. The Observatory said a total of 36 people had died in the violence across the battleground region. An AFP correspondent inside Aleppo city reported almost non-stop bombardment and constant sirens. Syria’s military announced the end to the truce earlier on Monday, accusing rebels of more than 300 violations and failing to “commit to a single element” of the US-Russia deal. The cease-fire, which came into force on September 12, saw an initial drop in fighting but violence began to escalate late last week and the deal came under severe strain over the weekend. US Secretary of State John Kerry had warned that the truce could be the “last chance” to save the country. 'Enormous outrage' The attack on the convoy is likely to provoke anger at the UN General Assembly in New York, with the delivery of aid to desperate Syrian civilians in rebel-held areas stressed as a key condition of the deal by Washington. The US, Russia and other key players are set to gather there on Tuesday for talks aimed at ending the five-year conflict that has killed more than 300,000 people and displaced millions. “Our outrage at this attack is enormous,” the UN envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, told reporters. “The convoy was the outcome of a long process of permission and preparations to assist isolated civilians.” The United States said it was outraged at the attack and stressed that the destination of the convoy was known to the Syrian regime and its ally, Russia. Aid distribution to Syrian civilians caught up in the conflict had already faced severe difficulties. The UN held back deliveries destined for Aleppo city because it was unable to obtain security guarantees. Jan Egeland, head of the UN humanitarian task force for Syria, said the convoy was bombed despite aid agencies coordinating their movements with all sides on the ground. A Syrian Arab Red Crescent warehouse was also hit, a UN spokesperson said. 'Temporary relief' Inside Aleppo, residents in rebel-held areas hunkered down after the end of the cease-fire which had brought only temporary relief to the population of up to 275,000 people trapped there. Sirens wailed as ambulances zipped through the eastern half of the divided city, an AFP correspondent reported. The Observatory said that military planes had carried out more than 40 strikes since the Syrian army announced the end of the truce. Chief US diplomat Kerry will try to speak to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York before yesterday’s meeting of the International Syria Support Group but statements from Syrian and Russian military officials on the ground appeared to bury the deal. “Considering that the conditions of the ceasefire are not being respected by the rebels, we consider it pointless for the Syrian government forces to respect it unilaterally,” said Russian Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoy. The cease-fire deal had three key components: fighting between government and rebel forces across Syria would halt, although strikes on Islamic State and other jihadists could continue. Humanitarian aid would reach desperate civilians, particularly in devastated eastern Aleppo. And if the cease-fire held, the US was to have set up a joint military cell with Russia to target jihadists. It came under massive strain on Saturday when a US-led coalition strike hit a Syrian army post near the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, where government forces are battling the Islamic State jihadist group. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday blasted the air strikes, which he said showed world powers supported “terrorist organisations” like IS. His adviser Buthaina Shaaban went further, telling AFP that Damascus believed the raid which killed at least 62 Syrian soldiers had been intentional. The bloodiest day for civilians was on Sunday, when a barrel bomb attack killed 10 in a southern rebel-held town and one woman died in the first raids on Aleppo since the truce started.</s>Syrian or Russian warplanes bombed aid trucks near Aleppo late on Monday after a week-long ceasefire ended, killing 12 people, including Red Crescent workers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and opposition activists said. Image copyright EPA/SYRIAN RED CRESENT Image caption The 31 trucks were pictured earlier preparing to set off to deliver aid A convoy of aid trucks has been hit by an air strike near the Syrian city of Aleppo, reports say, hours after the military declared the current cessation of violence was over. The United Nations and Red Cross said they were investigating the reports, and did not say whether the aid convoy belonged to them. The Observatory reported at least 40 strikes in and around Aleppo since the truce ended, and said some 32 people had been killed in all.

Hours after the Syrian military declares the end of the ceasefire, an airstrike hits a convoy of United Nations OCHA aid trucks near the town of Urum al-Kubra, in the Aleppo Governorate, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting that at least 12 people have been killed.

A Chinese EXIM Bank delegation is due in the capital soon to negotiate the financing of some important projects, including purchase of six vessels, ahead of President Xi Jinping's October tour. The President of China is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in mid-October before or after attending a BRICS summit in India. Sources said the EXIM Bank delegation, during its visit in the first week of October, would sit with ministries concerned to complete the negotiations as some deals are expected during the presidential tour of Bangladesh. Earlier in April, another delegation of the Chinese government's loan-providing bank, had visited some project sites, including that of Karnaphuli tunnel in Chittagong, to find potential of the projects in funding. They also sat with the officials concerned in doing the spadework. The Bangladesh Bridge Authority, which is implementing the Karnaphuli Tunnel project, signed a commercial agreement with a Chinese company last year. However, a letter received by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) indicated negotiations on two projects during the Exim Bank delegation's visit. These are six vessel purchases and a water-treatment project. It was reported earlier that a deal of US$ 6.0 billion is likely to be signed for implementing six mega projects in rail, road, port and power sectors during the upcoming visit of the Chinese head of state. A source said though the Karnaphuli Tunnel was one of the potential projects for getting Chinese government funds, confirmation in this regard was not yet received. The Bangladesh Bridge Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese firm CCCC during the Bangladesh Prime Minister's visit to China in June 2014. Mr Xi Jinping is due in Dhaka before or after the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) Summit which will be held in India on October 15-16 as the Chinese president is also scheduled to attend the summit meet of the Beijing-sponsored bloc based on a new global bank. Under the deals to be negotiated in early October, China is to provide US$184.50 million in concessional loan to Bangladesh for the procurement of six new vessels for Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC). The Bangladesh government has cleared the project to procure the six vessels-three oil tankers and another three bulk carriers, each with 39,000DWT capacity—in a bid to enhance the BSC fleet capacity. Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) is to finance the construction of Dasherkandi sewerage-treatment plant. The agency estimates a cost of around Tk 3,317 crore in building the plant, on 60 acres of land in Dasherkandi, Khilgaon. The project is expected to be completed by 2019. smunima@yahoo.com [Read More] —– Source: The Financial Express</s>Commuters pass by the front of the Bangladesh central bank building in Dhaka March 8, 2016. REUTERS/Ashikur Rahman/File Photo MANILA (Reuters) - A Philippine regional trial court has ordered the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to return to the Bangladesh central bank a recovered portion of the $81 million that was stolen from the bank earlier this year, a government lawyer said on Monday. The court has declared Bangladesh as the rightful owner of the funds, totaling $15 million, Ricardo Paras III, chief state counsel of the Philippines’ Department of Justice, said while reading a copy of the court’s ruling to a Reuters reporter. Unknown hackers tried to steal nearly $1 billion from the Bangladesh central bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in early February, and succeeded in transferring $81 million to four accounts at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp in Manila. During a Philippine Senate hearing into the heist which ended in May, a casino junket operator claimed to have received $35 million of the stolen funds but only returned $15 million. It is not clear what happened to the remainder of the money. Bangladesh had to file a petition staking its claim to the money before it could be turned over to them. “(The) court ordered the release of the cash now in the BSP vault in favor of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh,” Paras told Reuters. Bangladesh is also seeking to recover another $2.7 million frozen by the Philippines’ casino regulator.

A court in the Philippines orders the central bank to return US$15 million back to Bangladesh.

It could have flowed down through Alabama and into the Mobile Bay.” The leak was discovered Friday when a mining inspector detected a strong odor of gasoline at a mining property in a remote area of Shelby County, about 30 miles south of Birmingham. Alpharetta, Georgia-based Colonial has acknowledged that between 252,000 gallons and 336,000 gallons of gasoline leaked from a pipeline near Helena, Alabama, since the spill was first detected Sept. 9. “… As a result, following around-the-clock operations to effect this contingency plan, supplies of gasoline have been delivered and/or are in route to terminal locations in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina.” As of Monday morning, more than 400 consumers had filed complaints online or via a toll-free hotline to report potential gasoline price gouging to Attorney General Roy Cooper’s Consumer Protection Division. Retail gasoline prices in Georgia, one of the hardest hit states, jumped nearly 6 cents overnight to Monday, or more than 20 cents higher than a week ago, to $2.316 a gallon on average, according to motorists' advocacy group AAA. Last week, the governors of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia issued executive orders that temporarily suspended various state and federal regulations to allow truck drivers to work longer shifts to deliver gasoline. “I tried getting gas yesterday and a lot of the stations had no gas at all, except diesel,” Wargo said Monday.</s>Please enable Javascript to watch this video Drivers in the Southeast are feeling the effects of the region's big pipeline problem. Commuters risk sticker shock at the pump, and some may have a headache finding any gas at all. A leak earlier this month caused the closure of a key pipeline that carries gas to the eastern United States, a disruption that's already causing inconveniences for consumers in the region. On Sunday night, a number of service stations in Metro-Atlanta and north Georgia had run out of gas. At others that still had some left, cars were lined up -- even for premium. Click here for our gas price tracker Gas prices are up on average 16 cents in Georgia and 10 cents in Tennessee since last weekend, according to AAA. In North Carolina, the Department of Public Safety said the state was experiencing "spotty" shortages. Similar issues were reported in parts of Tennessee. And authorities in South Carolina said they had heard of "isolated cases" of gas stations running out of fuel. Six states across the region -- Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia -- have declared states of emergency, relaxing limits on fuel transportation to try to stave off shortages and price spikes. The problems so far don't appear too severe, however. Authorities in Tennessee and South Carolina said there have been no widespread fuel shortages. Officials in other states were unable to provide more details on the situation Sunday. A section of the Colonial Pipeline, which runs from Houston to New York, has been closed since Sept. 9 after a spill of roughly 250,000 gallons was discovered in rural Shelby County, Ala. The Colonial Pipeline provides gasoline for an estimated 50 million people on the East Coast each day, according to company estimates. The cause of the leak has yet to be determined. The company has been scrambling to get the pipeline back online. On Saturday night, it said it was building a bypass line to get fuel flowing again. The closure has set off an industry-wide scramble as suppliers seek alternative ways to transport gasoline to the East Coast. State Emergency Response Team activates JIC re: impacts to NC from #ColonialPipeline leak https://t.co/FywdSjP5un pic.twitter.com/OkzhcgYikP — NC Emergency Managem (@NCEmergency) September 19, 2016 The North Carolina Emergency Response Team activated a Joint Information Center to coordinate release of information regarding impacts from the leak. Follow @NCEmergency and @WTKR3 on Twitter for the latest. Please enable Javascript to watch this video

The U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia declare a state of emergency over gas shortages as a result of the Colonial pipeline leak in Shelby County, Alabama.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a speech to graduating students Monday that the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party should speak politely and make a positive gesture if they want to ease tensions. In response to the government actions, Kem Sokha said last week that the party is considering calling for nationwide protests.</s>Cambodian court gives 2 Chinese life in prison for drugs PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A Cambodian court has sentenced two Chinese nationals to life in prison after convicting them of production and trafficking of heroin and methamphetamine in one of the country's biggest drug trafficking cases. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court found the two men guilty Tuesday of smuggling 55 kilograms (121 pounds) of methamphetamine and heroin worth an estimated $3 million from Laos in June last year. The drugs were believed destined for both Cambodia and third countries. Two Cambodian men involved in the case also received life sentences, one in absentia as police are still seeking him. A report earlier this year from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime described Cambodia as an increasingly important hub for smuggling heroin and methamphetamine as well as chemicals used in their manufacture.

Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen says that he will continue his campaign against protests from the Cambodian opposition while Kem Sokha of the Cambodian National Rescue Party vows to remain as their leader.

"Those who launched these so-called protests may be afraid of the outcome of any election that may be held," Omalanga said, adding that the situation was currently calm in Kinshasa. READ MORE: * DR Congo clashes leave 17 dead * Nigeria gripped with 'catastrophic' famine * At least 21 Hutus killed in 'alarming' east Congo violence * UN warns Congo campaign against Rwandan rebels will take time * Up to 80 people killed by rebels in Congo Overnight, several people were killed when security forces burned down the headquarters of the main opposition party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), and attacked buildings of other opposition parties, HRW Africa researcher for the New York-based group, Ida Sawyer, said. At least two burnt bodies could be seen in the fire-ravaged offices of the main opposition Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), while two other people were burnt alive and one person injured, they said. Congo's government spokesman, Lambert Mende, condemned the burning of opposition party buildings as well as attacks on other buildings, including two ruling party buildings and a school, by opposition protesters. The fresh violence came after a bloody day on Monday during which opposition groups said more than 50 people had died in protests calling for Kabila's resignation. The opposition said security forces had fired live ammunition at protesters and urged supporters to pour onto the streets again to demand Kabila step down on schedule. Kabila's mandate ends on December 20 and although the constitution bans him from running for a third term, he has made no effort to schedule elections which would be practically impossible to organise in the vast country before the year is up. The fire - a criminal act - started between 2am and 4am on Monday (1200-1300 NZ time), said opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi, a UDPS official and son of veteran opposition figure Etienne Tshisekedi, who lost to Kabila in a 2011 presidential run-off after five decades of active involvement in Congolese politics.</s>The uniformed attackers struck the morning after security forces had clashed with party members and other opposition activists protesting against what they say is a bid by President Joseph Kabila to extend his rule over Africa's top copper producer. Two charred bodies could be seen inside the offices of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) in Kinshasa on Tuesday, next to empty gasoline cans strewn across the floor, a Reuters witness said. "We were sleeping when men came and forced in the door ... I saw men in military uniform," said Jean Toumba, a UDPS member who had been sleeping in the building. "They threw petrol and set fire to the office. I ran out to hide," he told Reuters. The armed men burst in to the office in the capital's Limete neighborhood at around 3 a.m. (0200 GMT), he added. Witnesses had initially said three bodies were inside the building. However one was found to be alive, though he was badly burnt. Another person was also injured in the fire. The UDPS is led by Etienne Tshisekedi, an opposition stalwart who lost against Kabila in a 2011 presidential run-off. The party is one of the main political groupings calling for Kabila to step down when his term expires in December

A day after street violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between protesters opposed to President Joseph Kabila and security forces left at least 44 dead, armed men in military uniforms burn down the headquarters of the main opposition Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) in Kinshasa, DR Congo, killing at least two people.

Angelina Jolie has reportedly filed for divorce from Brad Pitt in a move which will leave Hollywood stunned. TMZ reports that the actress filed papers on Monday citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split and asking for physical custody of the couple's six children. A source close to the couple said Jolie, 41, made the decision to file because of the way ‘Brad was parenting the children,’ adding that ‘she was extremely upset with his methods.’ That same source claims Jolie became ‘fed up’ with Pitt’s consumption of ‘weed and possibly alcohol’ mixed with his ‘anger problem.’ The pair began dating in 2004 and were married in August 2014. Jolie, who is being repped by Laura Wasser, is not asking for spousal support in the divorce. The Maleficent star is apparently being represented by divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, who helped in her divorce from Billy Bob Thornton and is representing Johnny Depp in his divorce from Amber Heard. Jolie has listed the separation date as September 15, 2016 , just last Thursday. The couple had not been seen together in months and were last photographed at a event together in November of last year while promoting their film By the Sea. This will be the third divorce for Jolie, who was previously married to Sherlock star Johnny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton. ‘We’ve always liked putting ourselves through challenges, even though it was maybe a little more dangerous for us as a couple.’ She then added: ‘I don’t think we want to go through it again though.’ Jolie adopted her first son Maddox in March 2002, two years before she met Pitt on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith back in 2004.</s>NEW YORK — Angelina Jolie Pitt has filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, bringing an end to one of the world's most star-studded, tabloid-generating romances. She is seeking physical custody of the couple's six children while granting Pitt visitation, the outlet reported. Jolie once told the New York Times she was excited about eventually showing the film to their kids because "not a lot of people get to see a movie where their parents fell in love." "This decision was made for the health of the family," Robert Offer, an attorney for Jolie told CNN in a statement Tuesday. Offer said the decision to divorce was made “for the health of the family.” The couple has six children together: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne. According to the court documents, the pair separated on September 15, two years and one month after they married in August 2014. Jolie later adopted daughter Zahara from Ethiopia and in early 2006 she announced that she and Pitt were expecting a baby. In January 2005, Pitt and Aniston announced they were splitting and Aniston filed for divorce a few months later. The infatuation between Pitt and Jolie (or "Brangelina," as they were better known) famously began on the set of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" in 2004. Their daughter Shiloh was born in May 2006 and son Pax was adopted from Vietnam in March 2007. Jolie Pitt, a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, became an outspoken voice for refugees and various causes in Africa, as well as for breast cancer treatment after undergoing a double mastectomy. More recently, Jolie has taken up directing, including 2014's "Unbroken" and 2015's "By The Sea," the latter of which starred Pitt and Jolie as a troubled married couple.

Citing irreconcilable differences, Angelina Jolie files for divorce from Brad Pitt and seeks full custody of their six children. The couple married in 2014 and had been in a relationship since 2005.

A military helicopter crashed in eastern Libya on Tuesday, killing five people including officers loyal to authorities that have refused to cede power to a unity government, parliament said. It was not immediately clear why the aircraft came down. The victims included General Idris Yunis al-Dressi, chief of staff for Aguila Saleh, speaker of the internationally recognised parliament based in Tobruk in eastern Libya. His son Ahmed Idris al-Dressi, who worked in the parliament, was also killed along with two air force colonels and one lieutenant. The four officers belonged to the forces under the command of military strongman Khalifa Haftar, who has refused to get behind a UN-backed unity government and supports the parallel authority based in eastern Libya near the border with Egypt aligned with the Tobruk parliament. According to a statement posted on parliament's website, the helicopter was returning from an official visit to Ras Lanuf, a key oil export terminal. Last week, forces led by Haftar seized Ras Lanuf and three other ports in the so-called "oil crescent". They later handed them over to the National Oil Corporation. On Sunday fighters loyal to the unity government launched an attack aimed at retaking two of the ports but were repelled.</s>Libyan medics say a helicopter crashed near the eastern city where the internationally-recognized parliament is based, killing all six people on board, including the military adviser of a powerful general. Tobruk Medical Center says in a statement Tuesday that the son of the adviser to Gen. Khalifa Hifter was also on board the helicopter, which crashed the night before. The Libyan news portal al-Wasat quoted Col. Al-Safi al-Sanini as saying that the MI8 helicopter was on an official mission to Ras Lanuf oil terminal, once of three such facilities captured by Hifter's forces last week. The debris was found 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Tobruk, where the parliament is based. Hifter is allied with the parliament, which has rejected a U.N.-backed government based in the capital, Tripoli.

An Mi-8 transport helicopter crashes near the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk, killing at least six people.

He said Air Force officials were reaching out to family members of the pilots, who were not identified. Hector Amezcua, Sacramento Bee/TNS SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Tribune News Service) — A pilot from Beale Air Force Base was killed and a second was injured Tuesday after a U-2 spy plane, one of the most famous aircraft of the Cold War era, crashed Tuesday morning near the Sutter Buttes. The board is expected to consist of officers from Beale Air Force Base and from the Air Force Safety Center, which oversee all inspection and safety functions for the Air Force. Air Force officials had initially reported the pair had safely ejected from the plane but later confirmed Eadie’s death. Charity Barrett of Beale Air Force Base confirmed one pilot’s death. The other pilot suffered injuries that were not life-threatening; on Wednesday, the Air Force said the pilot remains hospitalized in stable condition. “I would match the safety and maintenance record of the U-2 with any of the apparatus the Air Force flies.” The crash occurred about 9 a.m., and the pilots were participating in a training mission, according to the Air Force. The aircraft was assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, part of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, where the U-2 fleet is based and its 33 planes are deployed to military detachments around the world. The last time a U-2 Dragon Lady crashed in the area was Aug. 7, 1996, in Oroville, about 40 miles north of Beale Air Force Base. The spy plane crashed into a parking lot outside the offices of the Oroville Mercury Register, killing the pilot and a woman on the ground. The U-2, a sleek black jet known as the Dragon Lady, became known for an international incident in 1960 when American Capt. Randy Roby, an instructor assigned to Beale Air Force Base, was piloting the plane over the city on a routine mission when it burst into flames, then crashed. Geraldine Marie “Jerri” Vering, 49, of Oroville, a customer who had just finished renewing a subscription at the newspaper office, was killed on the ground. “I would match the safety and maintenance record of the U-2 with any of the apparatus the Air Force flies.” The Beale air base, about 45 miles north of Sacramento, is home to America's fleet of high-altitude spy planes. All Others We Monitor.” The U-2 flies to 70,000 feet — higher than any other U.S. military aircraft. 12:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information on the aircraft’s unit and timing of the crash. The spy plane was first designed during the Eisenhower administration to breach the Iron Curtain and, as engineers said, snap “picture postcards for Ike” of hidden military strongholds in the Soviet Union. There have been 33 updated versions of the jet that still flies today. The U-2 is perhaps best known for the plane that was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960 and the subsequent capture of pilot Francis Gary Powers. Pilot Francis Gary Powers was captured and traded for a Soviet spy nearly two years later, but the embarrassing incident convinced U.S. officials that manned spy planes posed too many risks. The military now relies more heavily on drones for reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering. The crash set off a 250-acre wildfire.</s>BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on the crash of a U.S. Air Force U-2 spy plane in California (all times local): A senior officer at Beale Air Force Base says military personnel recovering the two pilots who ejected from a stricken U-2 spy plane found that both their parachutes had deployed. The Air Force said the plane was conducting a training mission on a routine flight path before something went wrong and the high-flying aircraft slammed into a mountainous area about 20 miles west of the runway. Officials have not released the identity of the pilot who died or information about the condition of the surviving airman. The aircraft, assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, crashed in the Sutter Buttes, a mountain range about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Sacramento. “I am confident that the U-2 squadrons here and the U-2 squadrons around the world are going to come off the mat stronger than they were before.” The U-2 “Dragon Lady” is a surveillance and reconnaissance plane capable of flying above 70,000 feet (21,336 meters), an extremely high altitude that’s twice as high as a typical commercial airliner flies. Officers from Beale Air Force Base and from the Air Force Safety Center, which oversee all inspection and safety functions for the Air Force, will seek to identify “the root cause” of the crash, Keith Wright, a spokesman for the safety center, told The Sacramento Bee. Col. Danielle Barnes, a senior officer who oversees base operations, said military personnel recovering the two pilots found that both their parachutes had deployed.

A United States Air Force U-2 reconnaissance aircraft crashes in Northern California, shortly after takeoff from Beale Air Force Base, killing one pilot and injuring another.

Total number of Zika infections in Singapore rises to 381 SINGAPORE — Singapore confirmed 12 new cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection over the weekend, bringing the total number of Zika infections in the city state to 381, according to the update of National Environment Agency (NEA) on Monday. An additional seven cases of the Zika virus were confirmed as having been imported to Cayman, the department said, bringing the total number of Zika cases in the islands to 19.</s>THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has intensified its campaign in disseminating information on how to prevent the spread of Zika virus in the country. According to a recent report from the Department of Health (DOH), six people have tested positive for the virus. Four of the patients are from IloIlo province while the other two came from the provinces of Cebu and Laguna. This brings to nine the total number of confirmed cases in the Philippines this year. It was also reported that the four new recently confirmed Zika virus cases in Iloilo are more than 10 kilometers away from the three cases earlier recorded in the city. “As the World Health Organization (WHO) considered Zika as a global health threat, I immediately advised all our staff and the Red Cross’ 143 volunteers nationwide to lead the campaign to prevent the spread of the virus by closely monitoring affected areas and providing all necessary information and preventive measures to the public,” Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon said. He added that they have mobilized all its chapters nationwide to make available helpful guides on how to prevent and deal with the disease through social media sites and other information sources, especially in Central Visayas where the recently confirmed cases were recorded. Zika virus infection is characterized by mild symptoms such as mild fever, skin rashes, joint pain, fatigue, headache and red eyes. So far, there is no vaccine yet against the virus. Zika virus is transmitted directly by Aedes aegypti, the same mosquito species that transmits dengue and chikungunya. It can also be passed on through blood transfusion and sexual intercourse with an infected person. The Zika virus may cause a severe birth defect called microcephaly where babies are born with abnormally small heads. The Red Cross urged the public to be more vigilant by protecting themselves against mosquito bites. Wearing light-colored clothes and using mosquito nets at home and insect repellents authorized by health authorities are highly advised. The public is enjoined to eliminate all possible mosquito-breeding sites such as flower pots, old tires, bottles and any other containers where water can accumulate. Soon after a Zika infection case was first monitored in the country in 2012, the Red Cross initiated various preventive activities like clean-up drives and public-health campaigns. It also advised blood donors to defer their blood donations for one month if they are at risk of Zika virus exposure or have traveled to Zika-affected areas, to lessen the risk of passing the virus in the locality.

Authorities diagnose six more cases of the Zika virus in the provinces of Cebu and Iloilo in the Visayas and Laguna province near Metro Manila, Philippines.

The European Court has turned down a civil action filed by private bank depositors and businesses against the Eurogroup which met on 25 March 2013, saying the lawsuit was targeting the wrong body. The court held a hearing on Tuesday to examine a civil action brought against the European Commission, whose decisions in 2013 were followed by a banking haircut in Cyprus where individuals and businesses lost a portion of their savings. The legal recourse was based on the argument that the decision violated a charter that enshrines certain political, social, and economic rights for EU citizens and residents into EU law. But the court did not accept the basis of the argument. “The European Commission did not contribute to violating property rights, as provided for in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,” the decision read. The ruling essentially backs the logic of the European Commission that decision in the Eurogroup did not constitute executive action on behalf of the Commission or the European Central Bank. In 2013, the then newly elected President Nicos Anastasiades accepted a haircut on deposits of over €100,000 in Laiki and Bank of Cyprus, and consequently Laiki Bank was dissolved. Depositors have been fighting for what they view as a violation of their rights to their own property, basically their money in the bank, after they were affected by the haircut.</s>BRUSSELS, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The European Union's 28 member states on Tuesday accepted Bosnia's membership application, taking a step forward in what is certain to be a long process that Sarajevo hopes will eventually give it a place in the bloc. EU nations on Tuesday ordered the European Commission to establish whether Bosnia has earned candidate status, a process that could take a year. A senior Slovak foreign ministry official, Ivan Korcok, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said "this is a good day for Bosnia, but for us as well. We are showing that the enlargement strategy and approach to the aspiring countries works." The Commission will send a questionnaire asking for answers to thousands of queries on the country's suitability to join the EU. It will assess Bosnia's economy, the state of democracy in the country, its adherence to the rule of law and human rights, and its ability to respect the obligations of membership. Bosnia's complex political system and the on-going quarrels between its Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats have prevented the country from moving faster and catching up with neighbouring countries on the EU path. While it accepted the application, the EU states called on Bosnia to continue "socio-economic reforms (and) reforms in the area of rule of law and public administration." Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic said the acceptance of the country's application constituted a "historic moment for the European path and European future of Bosnia-Herzegovina." "This is really some of the most positive news for Bosnia-Herzegovina ... especially for young people," he said.

The European Union's 28 member states formally accept Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership application. The European Commission (EC) will now determine whether Bosnia meets the criteria to join the union, a process that is expected to take a year.

President Barack Obama speaks during a bilateral meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 19, 2016. Carolyn Kaster/AP UNITED NATIONS — Standing before the United Nations for the last time as president, Barack Obama will reassure foreign leaders that the world is better equipped to tackle its challenges than at almost any point in history despite a cascade of harrowing crises that seem devoid of viable solutions. Obama's speech is always a focal point of the annual U.N. General Assembly, but his address Tuesday also marks Obama's swan song on the international stage. He stepped into his role eight years ago with sky-high expectations and has struggled to deliver when it comes to solving global problems partially beyond America's control. Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser, said the president was cognizant of the fact that bright spots such as economic growth and climate change cooperation are offset by the "great deal of unease" in the world, including Syria's civil war and concerns about Russia's aggression toward Ukraine. "The way the president will approach this is trying to apply what we have done that's worked in the last eight years as a template for how we deal with other crises," Rhodes said. He cited diplomatic achievements on Iran and global warming and outreach to former U.S adversaries Cuba and Myanmar as illustrative of the approach Obama hoped would continue after he leaves office. Yet it will be hard for world leaders to look beyond the pressing problems that are shadowing this year's U.N. confab. Just as Obama and fellow heads of state were gathering Monday, Syria's military declared the week-old cease-fire over following numerous breaches and airstrikes hitting an aid convoy to a distressed part of Syria, which the U.S. blamed on Syria or Russia. The setbacks were fresh indicators that even the most hard-fought diplomatic gambles have failed to lessen the violence in Syria for any lasting stretch of time. And hanging over the U.N. gathering was a weekend bombing a short subway ride away that New York's mayor has declared an act of terror. Security in Manhattan, already high in light of the U.N. summit, was further tightened. Despite these concerns, the White House has cast Obama's address as one of his final opportunities to define how his leadership has made the planet safer and more prosperous. Obama's aides have focused on how the U.S. has a fraction of the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan than it had when Obama took office and how nations are finally poised to act in concert to reduce greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. Obama's other major priority at the U.N. this year is to force more aggressive action to mitigate the worst refugee crisis since World War II, stemming in large part from the Syria war. In addition to his speech, Obama on Tuesday planned to host a summit on refugees. The idea is for nations to show up with concrete commitments to accept and support more refugees, and Obama's U.N. ambassador, Samantha Power, said the U.S. told several nations that their initial offers were insufficient. The Obama administration has emphasized that a half-dozen other countries including Germany and Jordan are co-hosting the summit, but it's largely been a U.S.-driven endeavor. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in New York contributed to this report.</s>Obama, in final UN speech, calls for world course correction UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Barack Obama conceded Tuesday that the United States and other world powers have limited ability to solve the most profound challenges facing the world, while calling for a "course correction" for globalization to ensure that nations don't retreat into a more sharply divided world. Obama, in his final speech to the U.N. General Assembly, acknowledged that the extremist and sectarian violence wreaking havoc in the Middle East and elsewhere "will not be quickly reversed." But I do believe we have to be honest about the nature of these conflicts, and our international community must continue to work with those who seek to build rather than to destroy. In a less-than-subtle jab at Donald Trump, the Republican running to replace him, Obama said, "The world is too small for us to simply be able to build a wall and prevent (extremism) from affecting our own societies." Obama, in his final speech to the U.N. General Assembly, lamented that the world has become safer and more prosperous at the same time that nations are struggling with a devastating refugee crisis, terrorism and a breakdown in basic order in the Middle East.

In his final speech as President of the United States to the United Nations General Assembly, Barack Obama calls for a renewed commitment to collaborative efforts in facing many of the challenges confronting “an integrated world” community.