A Malaysian television show has apologised following an outcry on social media over a comedy skit featuring an actor in &quot;black-face&quot; makeup pretending to be US R&amp;B star Usher. 
 
The skit was a parody of a recent performance by popular Malaysian singer Yuna and Usher in the US in June, where they had hugged, sparking criticism in conservative Muslim-majority Malaysia. 
 
Malaysia bars hugging, kissing and foul language by performers on stage. It also prohibits women from baring skin between their shoulders and knees. 
 
In the spoof, a woman acting as Yuna bows in front of the comedian in &quot;black-face&quot; make up posing as Usher, instead of hugging him. 
 
The video, which was shared widely on social media, was broadcast on local Malay entertainment programme &quot;MeleTOP&quot; on Tuesday. 
 
The show tweeted late Wednesday: &quot;We would like to sincerely apologise to Yuna &amp; Usher for our recent parody video, which was poor judgement on our part.&nbsp;We have removed the video and would like to request everyone not to share it.&quot; 
 
Many on social media condemned the racism in the parody. 
 
&quot;Yuna made Malaysia proud all around the world and this is how you show her your appreciation,&quot; a Twitter user wrote.&nbsp;Yuna is a Muslim ethnic Malay whose soulful singing has made waves in the US.&nbsp;She recently released a new single featuring Usher called &quot;Crush&quot;. The R&amp;B star also appears in her music video for that hit track. 
 
Yuna, who swaddles her hair in a chic version of the Muslim hijab head covering worn by many Malay women, has come far since uploading her first song on Myspace in 2006. 
 
But she and other Malaysian female entertainers sometimes face criticism from religious authorities and online trolls over what they wear and what they do. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

The skit that sparked outcry was a parody of a recent performance by popular Malaysian singer Yuna and Usher in the US in June

A Malaysian television show has apologised following an outcry on social media over a comedy skit featuring an actor in "black-face" makeup pretending to be US R&B star Usher. The skit was a parody of a recent performance by popular Malaysian singer Yuna and Usher in the US in June, where they had hugged, sparking criticism in conservative Muslim-majority Malaysia. Malaysia bars hugging, kissing and foul language by performers on stage. It also prohibits women from baring skin between their shoulders and knees. In the spoof, a woman acting as Yuna bows in front of the comedian in "black-face" make up posing as Usher, instead of hugging him. The video, which was shared widely on social media, was broadcast on local Malay entertainment programme "MeleTOP" on Tuesday. The show tweeted late Wednesday: "We would like to sincerely apologise to Yuna & Usher for our recent parody video, which was poor judgement on our part. We have removed the video and would like to request everyone not to share it." Many on social media condemned the racism in the parody. "Yuna made Malaysia proud all around the world and this is how you show her your appreciation," a Twitter user wrote. Yuna is a Muslim ethnic Malay whose soulful singing has made waves in the US. She recently released a new single featuring Usher called "Crush". The R&B star also appears in her music video for that hit track. Yuna, who swaddles her hair in a chic version of the Muslim hijab head covering worn by many Malay women, has come far since uploading her first song on Myspace in 2006. But she and other Malaysian female entertainers sometimes face criticism from religious authorities and online trolls over what they wear and what they do. (AFP)

Malaysia TV show responds to social media outcry, apologises for 'black-face' Usher parody

Hawk-Eye technology will be used to decide whether the ball has crossed the goal-line at next month&#39;s Copa America Centenario in the US, the tournament&#39;s organising committee said on Wednesday.

The British&nbsp;camera-based system, utilised widely in tennis and cricket and at the 2014 FIFA World Cup final, will be installed in all 10 stadiums hosting football&#39;s oldest international championship.

Hawk-Eye was also used during the 2015 Women&#39;s World Cup, and in several of the world&#39;s leading football leagues and federations, including UEFA, the English Premier League and Germany&#39;s Bundesliga.

The system uses seven cameras to track the flight of the ball, indicating to the referee via a vibration device whether a goal has been scored. Referees will still be helped by additional assistant referees.

The Copa America is a 16-team version of the South American championship that has expanded by four teams and is being staged outside the South American CONMEBOL nations for the first time.

United&nbsp;States, who will be&nbsp;the host this yead, will launch the tournament with a Group A match against Colombia at Levi&#39;s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on June 3.

The final will be held on June 26 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The technology, which has been widely utilised in tennis and cricket, was also used at the 2014 FIFA World Cup final

Hawk-Eye technology will be used to decide whether the ball has crossed the goal-line at next month's Copa America Centenario in the US, the tournament's organising committee said on Wednesday. The British camera-based system, utilised widely in tennis and cricket and at the 2014 FIFA World Cup final, will be installed in all 10 stadiums hosting football's oldest international championship. Hawk-Eye was also used during the 2015 Women's World Cup, and in several of the world's leading football leagues and federations, including UEFA, the English Premier League and Germany's Bundesliga. The system uses seven cameras to track the flight of the ball, indicating to the referee via a vibration device whether a goal has been scored. Referees will still be helped by additional assistant referees. The Copa America is a 16-team version of the South American championship that has expanded by four teams and is being staged outside the South American CONMEBOL nations for the first time. United States, who will be the host this yead, will launch the tournament with a Group A match against Colombia at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on June 3. The final will be held on June 26 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

At Copa America, Hawk-Eye will tell if a goal has been scored

Colombia became the first side to book a spot in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals after beating Paraguay in Pasadena yesterday. The United States kept their hopes of advancing alive by thrashing Costa Rica 4-0. 
 
Colombia&#39;s 2-1 win put them top of Group A on six points, with the United States on three and the other two teams on one point each. 
 
After losing their opener 2-0 to Colombia, the United States were in clinical form against the Costa Ricans in Chicago and scored three times in the first half through Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Bobby Wood. 
 
Substitute Graham Zusi added a fourth in the 86th minute to cap the win and improve the hosts&#39; goal difference. 
 
&quot;It was important for us to get off to an early start,&quot; said Dempsey. &quot;Once the second went in and the third we got into a bit of a rhythm.&quot; 
 
Dempsey got the first, his 50th international goal, from the penalty spot after Cristian Gamboa was adjudged to have pushed Wood in the box with six minutes gone. 
 
Dempsey was involved in the Americans&#39; second after 36 minutes when his run at the Costa Rica defence saw the ball fall to Jones, who struck a low shot from the edge of the box past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton. 
 
The third goal came five minutes later and once again it was Dempsey who set it up. Wood won the ball in midfield and played a one-two with Dempsey before turning to strike home a low drive from 15 yards out. 
 
Costa Rica, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014, improved in the second half with captain Bryan Ruiz playing a more influential role, but they were ineffective in the last third of the field. 
 
Ruiz hit the post with a header midway through the second half but Costa Rica lost a fourth goal in the dying moments when Zusi stole the ball in midfield and strode forward before slotting the ball home from 15 yards. 
 
In the second Group A game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Colombia took a 2-0 lead in the first half but were pushed hard in the second. 
 
Carlos Bacca scored the opener in the 12th minute with a header before James Rodriguez doubled Colombia&#39;s lead with a left-foot strike on the half-hour mark. 
 
Paraguay gradually played their way back into the match and hit the woodwork before half-time before forcing David Ospina into a world-class save in the 62nd minute. Colombia&#39;s goalkeeper dived full stretch to turn a header around the post. 
 
Paraguay continued to dominate the second half and were rewarded when midfielder Victor Ayala scored with a stunning 30-yard rocket in the 71st minute. 
 
However, they could not force an equaliser and Colombia hung on to take all three points and claim a berth in the next round. Paraguay must now beat the United States on Saturday to have any chance of advancing to the quarters.

United States player Clint Dempsey scored his 50th international goal in this match apart from assisting two other goals

Colombia became the first side to book a spot in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals after beating Paraguay in Pasadena yesterday. The United States kept their hopes of advancing alive by thrashing Costa Rica 4-0. Colombia's 2-1 win put them top of Group A on six points, with the United States on three and the other two teams on one point each. After losing their opener 2-0 to Colombia, the United States were in clinical form against the Costa Ricans in Chicago and scored three times in the first half through Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Bobby Wood. Substitute Graham Zusi added a fourth in the 86th minute to cap the win and improve the hosts' goal difference. "It was important for us to get off to an early start," said Dempsey. "Once the second went in and the third we got into a bit of a rhythm." Dempsey got the first, his 50th international goal, from the penalty spot after Cristian Gamboa was adjudged to have pushed Wood in the box with six minutes gone. Dempsey was involved in the Americans' second after 36 minutes when his run at the Costa Rica defence saw the ball fall to Jones, who struck a low shot from the edge of the box past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton. The third goal came five minutes later and once again it was Dempsey who set it up. Wood won the ball in midfield and played a one-two with Dempsey before turning to strike home a low drive from 15 yards out. Costa Rica, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014, improved in the second half with captain Bryan Ruiz playing a more influential role, but they were ineffective in the last third of the field. Ruiz hit the post with a header midway through the second half but Costa Rica lost a fourth goal in the dying moments when Zusi stole the ball in midfield and strode forward before slotting the ball home from 15 yards. In the second Group A game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Colombia took a 2-0 lead in the first half but were pushed hard in the second. Carlos Bacca scored the opener in the 12th minute with a header before James Rodriguez doubled Colombia's lead with a left-foot strike on the half-hour mark. Paraguay gradually played their way back into the match and hit the woodwork before half-time before forcing David Ospina into a world-class save in the 62nd minute. Colombia's goalkeeper dived full stretch to turn a header around the post. Paraguay continued to dominate the second half and were rewarded when midfielder Victor Ayala scored with a stunning 30-yard rocket in the 71st minute. However, they could not force an equaliser and Colombia hung on to take all three points and claim a berth in the next round. Paraguay must now beat the United States on Saturday to have any chance of advancing to the quarters.

US hammer Costa Rica, Colombia advance at Copa America

The White House on Wednesday denied renewed accusations that it paid Iran ransom for the release of four American prisoners, carrying a tidal wave of condemnations from Republicans. 
 
Amid revelations that the US helped airlift $400 million worth of Swiss Francs and Euros to Iran after a prisoner release, the White House 
insisted the two were not linked. 
 
In January, five American prisoners were released as Washington granted clemency to seven Iranians and withdrew arrest warrants for 14 others. 
 
Within hours President Barack Obama announced he had also agreed to repay $1.7 billion owed to Tehran -- one of a string of agreements that followed a deal to curb Iran&#39;s nuclear program. 
 
The White House said it was returning cash from a 1970s Iranian military order that was not fulfilled because of the Islamic Revolution. 
 
On Tuesday the Wall Street Journal reported a chunk of that cash was loaded on wooden pallets and secretly airlifted to Iran in an unmarked cargo plane.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;This $400 million is actually money that the Iranians had paid into a US account in 1979 as part of a transaction to procure military equipment,&quot; said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. 
 
&quot;The fact of the matter is the United States does not have a banking relationship with Iran,&quot; Earnest said, explaining the airlift. 
 
Earnest heatedly denied accusations that a ransom was paid. 
 
&quot;It is against the policy of the United States to pay ransom for hostages.&quot; 
 
Republicans, who have spent weeks reeling from scandals over the party&#39;s presidential nominee Donald Trump, leapt at the opportunity to go on the attack. 
 
&quot;If true, this report confirms our longstanding suspicion that the administration paid a ransom in exchange for Americans unjustly detained in Iran,&quot; said house speaker Paul Ryan. 
 
&quot;It would also mark another chapter in the ongoing saga of misleading the American people to sell this dangerous nuclear deal.&quot; 
 
&quot;Yet again, the public deserves an explanation of the lengths this administration went to in order to accommodate the world`s leading state sponsor of terrorism.&quot; 
 
Republicans had alleged that Iran would use a sanctions windfall worth hundreds of billions of dollars to fund terrorism. 
 
Trump issued a statement on what he called the &quot;terror money airlift,&quot; saying the money would &quot;undoubtedly find its way into the hands of terrorists.&quot; 
 
Earnest pushed back on Republicans&#39; assertions. 
 
&quot;People who made that prediction were either badly misinformed or lying to the American public, and I`ll leave it to them to explain why their predictions didn`t come true,&quot; he said. 
 
The White House and independent experts have insisted the funds would be much less than Republicans predicted and most of the cash would have to be spent on fixing Iran`s economy. 
 
&quot;We know that Iran supports Hezbollah and the Assad regime, and it certainly is possible that some of the money that Iran has is being used for those purposes, too,&quot; said Earnest. 
 
&quot;But the bulk of the money we know has been going to shoring up their economic weakness, and that`s exactly what we predicted.&quot; 
 
&quot;They used that money to prop up their currency that had been significantly devalued by the sanctions regime.&quot; 
 
The House Oversight Committee Wednesday requested in a letter to secretary of state John Kerry that he testify before the panel about the &quot;contemporaneous hostage release and cash delivery.&quot; 
 
The State Department said it had received the note and would respond. 
 
(AFP)

Iran had transferred $400 million into US account in 1979 when states had no banking relations with it, explained White House spokesperson

The White House on Wednesday denied renewed accusations that it paid Iran ransom for the release of four American prisoners, carrying a tidal wave of condemnations from Republicans. Amid revelations that the US helped airlift $400 million worth of Swiss Francs and Euros to Iran after a prisoner release, the White House insisted the two were not linked. In January, five American prisoners were released as Washington granted clemency to seven Iranians and withdrew arrest warrants for 14 others. Within hours President Barack Obama announced he had also agreed to repay $1.7 billion owed to Tehran -- one of a string of agreements that followed a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program. The White House said it was returning cash from a 1970s Iranian military order that was not fulfilled because of the Islamic Revolution. On Tuesday the Wall Street Journal reported a chunk of that cash was loaded on wooden pallets and secretly airlifted to Iran in an unmarked cargo plane. "This $400 million is actually money that the Iranians had paid into a US account in 1979 as part of a transaction to procure military equipment," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. "The fact of the matter is the United States does not have a banking relationship with Iran," Earnest said, explaining the airlift. Earnest heatedly denied accusations that a ransom was paid. "It is against the policy of the United States to pay ransom for hostages." Republicans, who have spent weeks reeling from scandals over the party's presidential nominee Donald Trump, leapt at the opportunity to go on the attack. "If true, this report confirms our longstanding suspicion that the administration paid a ransom in exchange for Americans unjustly detained in Iran," said house speaker Paul Ryan. "It would also mark another chapter in the ongoing saga of misleading the American people to sell this dangerous nuclear deal." "Yet again, the public deserves an explanation of the lengths this administration went to in order to accommodate the world`s leading state sponsor of terrorism." Republicans had alleged that Iran would use a sanctions windfall worth hundreds of billions of dollars to fund terrorism. Trump issued a statement on what he called the "terror money airlift," saying the money would "undoubtedly find its way into the hands of terrorists." Earnest pushed back on Republicans' assertions. "People who made that prediction were either badly misinformed or lying to the American public, and I`ll leave it to them to explain why their predictions didn`t come true," he said. The White House and independent experts have insisted the funds would be much less than Republicans predicted and most of the cash would have to be spent on fixing Iran`s economy. "We know that Iran supports Hezbollah and the Assad regime, and it certainly is possible that some of the money that Iran has is being used for those purposes, too," said Earnest. "But the bulk of the money we know has been going to shoring up their economic weakness, and that`s exactly what we predicted." "They used that money to prop up their currency that had been significantly devalued by the sanctions regime." The House Oversight Committee Wednesday requested in a letter to secretary of state John Kerry that he testify before the panel about the "contemporaneous hostage release and cash delivery." The State Department said it had received the note and would respond. (AFP)

US says it did not pay ransom to Iran

North Korea fired a ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters for the first time today, drawing an outraged response from Tokyo and ramping up tensions with the United States and South Korea. 
 
The US military said the North had actually launched two Rodong intermediate-range missiles simultaneously, but one appeared to have exploded on take-off. 
 
The launches followed a North Korean threat of &quot;physical action&quot; over the planned deployment of a sophisticated US anti-missile system in South Korea, and came just weeks before the start of large-scale, joint South Korea-US military exercises. 
 
Abe: Serious threat against national security 
 
Japan said the one missile had landed in the Sea of Japan, some 250 kilometre off its northern coast and within the country&#39;s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a serious threat against our country&#39;s security,&quot; Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters. &quot;This is an outrageous act that cannot be tolerated.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The United States condemned what it called a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea&#39;s use of ballistic missile technology. 
 
&quot;This provocation only serves to increase the international community&#39;s resolve to counter (North Korea&#39;s) prohibited activities,&quot; said Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross. 
 
US strategic command said the two missiles were launched from a site in western North Korea at around 7.50 am Seoul time (22:50 GMT Tuesday). 
 
&quot;Initial indications reveal one of the missiles exploded immediately after launch, while the second was tracked over North Korea and into the Sea of Japan,&quot; it said in a statement. 
 
It was the first time a North Korean missile has been fired direct into Japanese waters. The second stage of a medium-range missile fired over Japan had splashed down inside the EEZ off Japan&#39;s Pacific Ocean coast in 1998. 
 
 
Japan slams&nbsp;Pyongyang 
 
Japan&#39;s top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga slammed Pyongyang for providing no advance warning of today&#39;s test. 
 
&quot;From the perspective of the safety of aircraft and ships, it is an extremely problematic, dangerous act,&quot; Suga said. 
 
The Rodong is a scaled-up Scud variant with a maximum range of around 1,300 kilometres. 
 
Pyongyang has conducted a series of missile tests this year in defiance of UN sanctions imposed after its fourth nuclear test in January. 
 
On July 19, it launched three ballistic missiles - including one Rodong - in an exercise that the North said simulated a nuclear strike on the South. That came just days after Washington and Seoul announced an agreement to deploy the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence, or THAAD, system in South Korea by the end of next year - a move condemned by Pyongyang and also vehemently opposed by China and Russia. 
 
South Korean foreign minister Yun Byung-Se said today&#39;s missile test only served to &quot;underline the need to deploy THAAD.&quot; 
 
Tensions building up on divided Korean peninsula&nbsp; 
 
Tensions on the divided Korean peninsula are also building up ahead of an annual South Korea-US military exercise later this month that involves tens of thousands of troops. 
 
North Korea says such drills are a provocative rehearsal for invasion, while Washington and Seoul insist they are purely defensive in nature. 
 
&quot;Our commitment to the defence of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, is ironclad,&quot; Ross said today. 
 
&quot;We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation,&quot; he added. 
 
There are nearly 30,000 US troops permanently stationed in South Korea. 
 
Pyongyang has repeatedly warned of pre-emptive nuclear strikes against the South and US targets there and elsewhere, although the main focus of its nuclear weapons programme is to develop a credible strike threat against the US mainland. 
 
Since its fourth nuclear test, North Korea has claimed a series of technical breakthroughs for its weapons programme. 
 
It said it had miniaturised a nuclear warhead and successfully tested an engine designed for an inter-continental ballistic missile that could reach the US mainland.&nbsp; 
 
While some experts say the claims are exaggerated, most acknowledge that the North&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes have made significant strides. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

US says actually two missiles had been fired, but one appeared to have exploded on take-off

North Korea fired a ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters for the first time today, drawing an outraged response from Tokyo and ramping up tensions with the United States and South Korea. The US military said the North had actually launched two Rodong intermediate-range missiles simultaneously, but one appeared to have exploded on take-off. The launches followed a North Korean threat of "physical action" over the planned deployment of a sophisticated US anti-missile system in South Korea, and came just weeks before the start of large-scale, joint South Korea-US military exercises. Abe: Serious threat against national security Japan said the one missile had landed in the Sea of Japan, some 250 kilometre off its northern coast and within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). "It's a serious threat against our country's security," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters. "This is an outrageous act that cannot be tolerated." The United States condemned what it called a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology. "This provocation only serves to increase the international community's resolve to counter (North Korea's) prohibited activities," said Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross. US strategic command said the two missiles were launched from a site in western North Korea at around 7.50 am Seoul time (22:50 GMT Tuesday). "Initial indications reveal one of the missiles exploded immediately after launch, while the second was tracked over North Korea and into the Sea of Japan," it said in a statement. It was the first time a North Korean missile has been fired direct into Japanese waters. The second stage of a medium-range missile fired over Japan had splashed down inside the EEZ off Japan's Pacific Ocean coast in 1998. Japan slams Pyongyang Japan's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga slammed Pyongyang for providing no advance warning of today's test. "From the perspective of the safety of aircraft and ships, it is an extremely problematic, dangerous act," Suga said. The Rodong is a scaled-up Scud variant with a maximum range of around 1,300 kilometres. Pyongyang has conducted a series of missile tests this year in defiance of UN sanctions imposed after its fourth nuclear test in January. On July 19, it launched three ballistic missiles - including one Rodong - in an exercise that the North said simulated a nuclear strike on the South. That came just days after Washington and Seoul announced an agreement to deploy the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence, or THAAD, system in South Korea by the end of next year - a move condemned by Pyongyang and also vehemently opposed by China and Russia. South Korean foreign minister Yun Byung-Se said today's missile test only served to "underline the need to deploy THAAD." Tensions building up on divided Korean peninsula Tensions on the divided Korean peninsula are also building up ahead of an annual South Korea-US military exercise later this month that involves tens of thousands of troops. North Korea says such drills are a provocative rehearsal for invasion, while Washington and Seoul insist they are purely defensive in nature. "Our commitment to the defence of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, is ironclad," Ross said today. "We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation," he added. There are nearly 30,000 US troops permanently stationed in South Korea. Pyongyang has repeatedly warned of pre-emptive nuclear strikes against the South and US targets there and elsewhere, although the main focus of its nuclear weapons programme is to develop a credible strike threat against the US mainland. Since its fourth nuclear test, North Korea has claimed a series of technical breakthroughs for its weapons programme. It said it had miniaturised a nuclear warhead and successfully tested an engine designed for an inter-continental ballistic missile that could reach the US mainland. While some experts say the claims are exaggerated, most acknowledge that the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes have made significant strides. (AFP)

North Korea fires missile into Japan waters for first time, draws Tokyo ire

Florida will conduct an aerial insecticide spraying campaign at dawn today in an effort to kill mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus, officials in Miami-Dade County said. 
 
The campaign will cover a 10-mile area that includes the one-mile-square area just north of downtown Miami that health officials have identified as the hub of Zika transmission in the state, the officials said on Tuesday. 
 
On Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an unprecedented travel warning, urging pregnant women to avoid travel to the Miami neighbourhood at the center of the investigation. 
 
The Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The virus has spread rapidly through the Americas and Caribbean and its arrival in the continental United States has been widely anticipated. 
 
Florida health officials announced another non-travel related case of Zika on Tuesday, bringing the total to 15. 
 
The aerial spraying campaign was recommended by the CDC in conjunction with the Florida Health Department to reduce adult mosquito populations that might be capable of carrying the Zika virus. 
 
In a conference call on Tuesday, CDC director Dr Thomas Frieden expressed concern that vector control efforts so far have not been as effective as hoped. A CDC expert is currently conducting tests in Miami to see if mosquitoes in the area have developed insecticide resistance. 
 
Florida had been using two products in the pyrethroid class of insecticides. In its aerial campaign, the state will use a chemical called Naled that has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency, according to Joseph Conlon, a spokesman for the American Mosquito Control Association. 
 
Naled is from a different class of insecticides known as organophosphates. According to the CDC, the chemical has been widely used to control mosquito populations in the United States, including in Miami, Tampa and New Orleans. 
 
The CDC recommended the same chemical for aerial spraying in Puerto Rico, but the recommendation has been met with protests from residents concerned about its impact on health, bees, agriculture and the environment. 
 
Miami-Dade health officials said residents do not need to take special precautions during the aerial spraying activities, but it has recommended that people with known allergies remain indoors. 
 
(Reuters)

The aerial insecticide spraying campaign will cover a 10-mile area identified as the hub of Zika transmission by health officials

Florida will conduct an aerial insecticide spraying campaign at dawn today in an effort to kill mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus, officials in Miami-Dade County said. The campaign will cover a 10-mile area that includes the one-mile-square area just north of downtown Miami that health officials have identified as the hub of Zika transmission in the state, the officials said on Tuesday. On Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an unprecedented travel warning, urging pregnant women to avoid travel to the Miami neighbourhood at the center of the investigation. The Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The virus has spread rapidly through the Americas and Caribbean and its arrival in the continental United States has been widely anticipated. Florida health officials announced another non-travel related case of Zika on Tuesday, bringing the total to 15. The aerial spraying campaign was recommended by the CDC in conjunction with the Florida Health Department to reduce adult mosquito populations that might be capable of carrying the Zika virus. In a conference call on Tuesday, CDC director Dr Thomas Frieden expressed concern that vector control efforts so far have not been as effective as hoped. A CDC expert is currently conducting tests in Miami to see if mosquitoes in the area have developed insecticide resistance. Florida had been using two products in the pyrethroid class of insecticides. In its aerial campaign, the state will use a chemical called Naled that has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency, according to Joseph Conlon, a spokesman for the American Mosquito Control Association. Naled is from a different class of insecticides known as organophosphates. According to the CDC, the chemical has been widely used to control mosquito populations in the United States, including in Miami, Tampa and New Orleans. The CDC recommended the same chemical for aerial spraying in Puerto Rico, but the recommendation has been met with protests from residents concerned about its impact on health, bees, agriculture and the environment. Miami-Dade health officials said residents do not need to take special precautions during the aerial spraying activities, but it has recommended that people with known allergies remain indoors. (Reuters)

Florida to spray insecticides in attempt to control Zika

Lashing out at American media, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump termed CNN as &quot;Clinton News Network&quot; and called the New York Times &quot;dishonest&quot; for allegedly favouring his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. 
 
&quot;You look at CNN, it&#39;s called the Clinton news network. All day long, Trump, Trump -- all day long, CNN, Trump, Trump, such a bad guy,&quot; Trump yesterday said at a town hall in Columbus, Ohio.&nbsp; 
 
Targeting the New York Times, Trump said, &quot;The New York Times is really, really dishonest, and it&#39;s failing. I don&#39;t think they&#39;ll be in business more than two or three years. Look at their numbers. They&#39;re failing.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The Republican presidential nominee alleged these newspapers write stories favouring his rival Hillary Clinton. &quot;Crooked Hillary they write beautifully about,&quot; he alleged. 
 
Trump accused CNN of &quot;inaccurate information&quot;, and said he won&#39;t be doing any of their shows until they &quot;straighten up&quot;. &quot;I think their ratings are going to go down really sharply now. They&#39;ve been asking me to go on for months. I won&#39;t do their shows.When people finally realise that I&#39;m not doing their shows they stop watching.That&#39;s what happens,&quot; Trump said.&nbsp; 
 
Trump alleged media outlets, except Fox are very tough on him. 
 
&quot;Fox has at least been fair. So at some point, at some point we&#39;re just gonna keep barrelling through,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
Referring to the recent decision of his campaign to revoke the press credentials of the Washington Post, Trump said the newspaper &quot;got a little bit better lately&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
The billionaire from New York who claims to have 22.5 million followers on Twitter and Facebook, said that he would continue to use Twitter. &quot;You know who says don&#39;t use Twitter? Your enemies. Why wouldn&#39;t I use it? Why wouldn&#39;t I -- if I have all these millions of people, and it&#39;s a great way to get a message out. &quot;So when they write falsely, or say something totally false on the Today Show, or Good Morning America, I&#39;ve put out a tweet. And you&#39;ll see all over television -- we have breaking news,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I may be tweeting from bed. OK? It&#39;s true. It&#39;s instantaneous. If I put out a beautiful, long, perfectly scripted press release like I did yesterday nobody puts it out. If I put out a 140-character tweet they go crazy. They break into every story. So you got to use it,&quot; Trump added. 
 
(PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'Crooked Hillary they write beautifully about,' the Republican presidential nominee alleged adding the newspapers favour his rival

Lashing out at American media, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump termed CNN as "Clinton News Network" and called the New York Times "dishonest" for allegedly favouring his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. "You look at CNN, it's called the Clinton news network. All day long, Trump, Trump -- all day long, CNN, Trump, Trump, such a bad guy," Trump yesterday said at a town hall in Columbus, Ohio. Targeting the New York Times, Trump said, "The New York Times is really, really dishonest, and it's failing. I don't think they'll be in business more than two or three years. Look at their numbers. They're failing." The Republican presidential nominee alleged these newspapers write stories favouring his rival Hillary Clinton. "Crooked Hillary they write beautifully about," he alleged. Trump accused CNN of "inaccurate information", and said he won't be doing any of their shows until they "straighten up". "I think their ratings are going to go down really sharply now. They've been asking me to go on for months. I won't do their shows.When people finally realise that I'm not doing their shows they stop watching.That's what happens," Trump said. Trump alleged media outlets, except Fox are very tough on him. "Fox has at least been fair. So at some point, at some point we're just gonna keep barrelling through," he said. Referring to the recent decision of his campaign to revoke the press credentials of the Washington Post, Trump said the newspaper "got a little bit better lately". The billionaire from New York who claims to have 22.5 million followers on Twitter and Facebook, said that he would continue to use Twitter. "You know who says don't use Twitter? Your enemies. Why wouldn't I use it? Why wouldn't I -- if I have all these millions of people, and it's a great way to get a message out. "So when they write falsely, or say something totally false on the Today Show, or Good Morning America, I've put out a tweet. And you'll see all over television -- we have breaking news," he said. "I may be tweeting from bed. OK? It's true. It's instantaneous. If I put out a beautiful, long, perfectly scripted press release like I did yesterday nobody puts it out. If I put out a 140-character tweet they go crazy. They break into every story. So you got to use it," Trump added. (PTI)

Trump attacks American media, calls CNN 'Clinton News Network'

US&nbsp;health officials on Monday recommended pregnant women avoid travelling to a 1-square-mile (2.6 square km) area of Miami with active Zika virus transmission after the state of Florida identified 10 more cases caused by local mosquitoes.

The US&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a conference call with reporters said local mosquito control efforts have not worked as well as hoped.

It said pregnant women who live or work in the mixed-use area north of downtown Miami and their partners should make every effort to avoid mosquito bites.

The CDC said people returning from the affected area of Florida should use mosquito repellent for three weeks to protect their families and guard against further transmission at home.

It also recommended that women avoid getting pregnant for up to eight weeks after returning from the affected area.

The agency said that pregnant women who live in or travelled to the affected area after June 15 be tested for Zika.

The focus on pregnancy stems from that fact that Zika has been found to cause microcephaly and other potentially devastating birth defects.

Florida now has 14 cases of Zika caused by locally transmitted mosquitoes, according to a statement issued on Monday by Florida Governor Rick Scott.

The current Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of the microcephaly, and has since spread rapidly through the Americas.

Scott said the state has called on the CDC to activate a CDC Emergency Response Team (CERT) to assist the Florida Department of Health and other partners in their investigation, sample collection and mosquito control efforts.

CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said a full eight-person CERT team should be in place by Tuesday.

&quot;Nothing we have seen suggests widespread Zika virus transmission,&quot; Frieden said.

Florida had reported hundreds of cases of Zika in people who had travelled to areas with active outbreaks, such as Brazil and Puerto Rico. CDC said the first evidence of possible local Zika transmission in Florida goes back to mid-June. 
 
Concerns about the spread

&quot;To assume that it&#39;s just restricted to these few square blocks is presumptuous,&quot; said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Hotez believes there are other likely local outbreaks occurring and that more can be expected in the next six weeks in Florida and other Gulf Coast states where the mosquito that carries the virus is common.

Reuters was first to report that as of last Friday, Florida had not activated a CERT team to help with its investigation, raising concerns from infectious disease experts that the state was not taking every step it could to contain the spread of Zika in the continental United States.

The state said it began investigating its first suspected case of locally transmitted Zika on July 7. According to CDC spokeswoman Kathy Harben, the CDC first became aware of the investigation on July 18, a day before the state announced its investigation into possible local transmission.

Florida on Friday said the first four cases of Zika in the state likely were caused by mosquitoes, the first sign that the virus is circulating locally, although it has yet to identify mosquitoes carrying the disease.

Scott said in a statement the 10 new cases of Zika also were likely caused by bites from local mosquitoes.

The Florida Department of Health said six of the 10 new cases are asymptomatic and were identified through the door-to-door community survey and testing that it is conducting.

The state health department has been testing individuals in three locations in Miami-Dade and Broward counties for possible local transmissions through mosquito bites. It said two locations have been ruled out for possible local transmission of Zika.

Dr. William Schaffner, infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt Medical School in Nashville, said there is concern that people infected in Florida will travel to other areas of the country where Zika could then be spread through local mosquitoes there.

Schaffner and Hotez said the government must come up with proper funding to fight Zika.

&quot;Local and state health department budgets are very tight,&quot; Schaffner said. 
 
(Reuters)

A health agency said that pregnant women who live in or travelled to the affected area after June 15 would be tested for Zika

US health officials on Monday recommended pregnant women avoid travelling to a 1-square-mile (2.6 square km) area of Miami with active Zika virus transmission after the state of Florida identified 10 more cases caused by local mosquitoes. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a conference call with reporters said local mosquito control efforts have not worked as well as hoped. It said pregnant women who live or work in the mixed-use area north of downtown Miami and their partners should make every effort to avoid mosquito bites. The CDC said people returning from the affected area of Florida should use mosquito repellent for three weeks to protect their families and guard against further transmission at home. It also recommended that women avoid getting pregnant for up to eight weeks after returning from the affected area. The agency said that pregnant women who live in or travelled to the affected area after June 15 be tested for Zika. The focus on pregnancy stems from that fact that Zika has been found to cause microcephaly and other potentially devastating birth defects. Florida now has 14 cases of Zika caused by locally transmitted mosquitoes, according to a statement issued on Monday by Florida Governor Rick Scott. The current Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of the microcephaly, and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. Scott said the state has called on the CDC to activate a CDC Emergency Response Team (CERT) to assist the Florida Department of Health and other partners in their investigation, sample collection and mosquito control efforts. CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said a full eight-person CERT team should be in place by Tuesday. "Nothing we have seen suggests widespread Zika virus transmission," Frieden said. Florida had reported hundreds of cases of Zika in people who had travelled to areas with active outbreaks, such as Brazil and Puerto Rico. CDC said the first evidence of possible local Zika transmission in Florida goes back to mid-June. Concerns about the spread "To assume that it's just restricted to these few square blocks is presumptuous," said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Hotez believes there are other likely local outbreaks occurring and that more can be expected in the next six weeks in Florida and other Gulf Coast states where the mosquito that carries the virus is common. Reuters was first to report that as of last Friday, Florida had not activated a CERT team to help with its investigation, raising concerns from infectious disease experts that the state was not taking every step it could to contain the spread of Zika in the continental United States. The state said it began investigating its first suspected case of locally transmitted Zika on July 7. According to CDC spokeswoman Kathy Harben, the CDC first became aware of the investigation on July 18, a day before the state announced its investigation into possible local transmission. Florida on Friday said the first four cases of Zika in the state likely were caused by mosquitoes, the first sign that the virus is circulating locally, although it has yet to identify mosquitoes carrying the disease. Scott said in a statement the 10 new cases of Zika also were likely caused by bites from local mosquitoes. The Florida Department of Health said six of the 10 new cases are asymptomatic and were identified through the door-to-door community survey and testing that it is conducting. The state health department has been testing individuals in three locations in Miami-Dade and Broward counties for possible local transmissions through mosquito bites. It said two locations have been ruled out for possible local transmission of Zika. Dr. William Schaffner, infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt Medical School in Nashville, said there is concern that people infected in Florida will travel to other areas of the country where Zika could then be spread through local mosquitoes there. Schaffner and Hotez said the government must come up with proper funding to fight Zika. "Local and state health department budgets are very tight," Schaffner said. (Reuters)

US health officials warn pregnant women on Zika in Florida, issue travel warning

The pilot killed along with 15 other people in the crash of a hot air balloon in central Texas on Saturday had numerous convictions for drunk driving and at least one drug-related charge dating back to 1990, according to online records.

The balloon, flown by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides chief pilot and owner Alfred &quot;Skip&quot; Nichols, hit a power line, setting its basket on fire, and plummeted into a pasture near Lockhart, about 30 miles (50 km) south of the state capital Austin, killing all aboard.

Authorities have not yet issued findings of their investigation into the cause of the crash.

Online records in Missouri&#39;s St. Louis County show Nichols pleaded guilty to drunk driving charges at least three times between 1990 and 2010, as well as several other vehicular charges.

In 2000, he also pleaded guilty to a drug-related charge and spent time in prison, according to criminal records.

Following his 2010 conviction for drunk driving, Nichols was sentenced to seven years in prison and was released on parole in January 2012 after less than a year and a half.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the company expressed its condolences to those killed in the crash.

&quot;There are simply no words to express our profound sadness at this event that has taken away so many of our loved ones,&quot; it said in a Facebook post.

The company said it has not been in contact with the relatives of those killed in the crash as it is being probed by US&nbsp;investigators. It could not be reached for further comment.

The names of the passengers killed have not been officially released but social media posts and local media reports indicate the victims included a couple celebrating their 23rd wedding anniversary with a balloon ride at sunrise.

Aerial television footage showed flattened remnants of the red, white and blue balloon, adorned with a yellow smiley face wearing sunglasses.

The US&nbsp;National Transportation Safety Board two years ago recommended greater oversight of the hot air balloon industry, said Robert Sumwalt, who is heading the federal agency&#39;s investigation of the accident.

It was the deadliest crash involving a hot air balloon in the Western Hemisphere, according to the Balloon Federation of North America. 
 
(Reuters)

Online records show Nichols had pleaded guilty to drunk driving charges at least three times between 1990 and 2010

The pilot killed along with 15 other people in the crash of a hot air balloon in central Texas on Saturday had numerous convictions for drunk driving and at least one drug-related charge dating back to 1990, according to online records. The balloon, flown by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides chief pilot and owner Alfred "Skip" Nichols, hit a power line, setting its basket on fire, and plummeted into a pasture near Lockhart, about 30 miles (50 km) south of the state capital Austin, killing all aboard. Authorities have not yet issued findings of their investigation into the cause of the crash. Online records in Missouri's St. Louis County show Nichols pleaded guilty to drunk driving charges at least three times between 1990 and 2010, as well as several other vehicular charges. In 2000, he also pleaded guilty to a drug-related charge and spent time in prison, according to criminal records. Following his 2010 conviction for drunk driving, Nichols was sentenced to seven years in prison and was released on parole in January 2012 after less than a year and a half. In a statement on its Facebook page, the company expressed its condolences to those killed in the crash. "There are simply no words to express our profound sadness at this event that has taken away so many of our loved ones," it said in a Facebook post. The company said it has not been in contact with the relatives of those killed in the crash as it is being probed by US investigators. It could not be reached for further comment. The names of the passengers killed have not been officially released but social media posts and local media reports indicate the victims included a couple celebrating their 23rd wedding anniversary with a balloon ride at sunrise. Aerial television footage showed flattened remnants of the red, white and blue balloon, adorned with a yellow smiley face wearing sunglasses. The US National Transportation Safety Board two years ago recommended greater oversight of the hot air balloon industry, said Robert Sumwalt, who is heading the federal agency's investigation of the accident. It was the deadliest crash involving a hot air balloon in the Western Hemisphere, according to the Balloon Federation of North America. (Reuters)

Pilot in Texas balloon crash had drunk driving, drug convictions

&nbsp;The United States called on Russia and the Syrian government on Monday to refrain from offensive operations in Syria, as fighting continued on the day US&nbsp;Secretary of State John Kerry hoped a political transition could begin.

Asked if he was dismayed August&nbsp;1 had come without a political transition to help end Syria&#39;s five-year civil war, Kerry said the target date was set earlier this year when there were hopes political talks could take hold amid a reduction in violence.

However, a &quot;cessation of hostilities&quot; that began in February has now all but unravelled. In the latest incident, a Russian military helicopter was shot down in Syria&#39;s rebel-held Idlib province, killing all five people on board.

&quot;It is critical, obviously, that Russia restrain both itself and the Assad regime from conducting offensive operations, just as it is our responsibility to get the opposition to refrain from engaging in those operations,&quot; Kerry told reporters.

&quot;These are important days to determine whether or not Russia and the Assad regime are going to live up to&quot; the effort to end the violence and to resume peace talks, Kerry said. &quot;The evidence thus far is very, very troubling to everybody.&quot;

US&nbsp;officials have suggested that a Russian and Syrian &quot;humanitarian operation&quot; for the besieged city of Aleppo is a ruse to evacuate civilians so that their forces can go after militants in the city who oppose Assad&#39;s rule. 
 
(Reuters)

In the latest incident, a Russian military helicopter was shot down in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province, killing all five people on board

The United States called on Russia and the Syrian government on Monday to refrain from offensive operations in Syria, as fighting continued on the day US Secretary of State John Kerry hoped a political transition could begin. Asked if he was dismayed August 1 had come without a political transition to help end Syria's five-year civil war, Kerry said the target date was set earlier this year when there were hopes political talks could take hold amid a reduction in violence. However, a "cessation of hostilities" that began in February has now all but unravelled. In the latest incident, a Russian military helicopter was shot down in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province, killing all five people on board. "It is critical, obviously, that Russia restrain both itself and the Assad regime from conducting offensive operations, just as it is our responsibility to get the opposition to refrain from engaging in those operations," Kerry told reporters. "These are important days to determine whether or not Russia and the Assad regime are going to live up to" the effort to end the violence and to resume peace talks, Kerry said. "The evidence thus far is very, very troubling to everybody." US officials have suggested that a Russian and Syrian "humanitarian operation" for the besieged city of Aleppo is a ruse to evacuate civilians so that their forces can go after militants in the city who oppose Assad's rule. (Reuters)

Russia must restrain itself, Assad from offensive Syria strikes: John Kerry

Florida now has 14 people who likely contracted the Zika virus from mosquitoes in the Miami area, and the state needs emergency help from the federal government, officials said on Monday. 
 
Governor Rick Scott announced 10 new cases of locally transmitted Zika, in addition to four made public by the department of health on Friday. 
 
The cases mark the first time the Zika virus, which can cause birth defects and is considered particularly dangerous for pregnant women, is known to be spreading via local mosquitoes in the United States. 
 
Over 1,600 cases of Zika have been previously reported in the US, but most were brought by travelers who were infected elsewhere. The virus can also spread by sexual contact. 
 
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are expected to issue &quot;a notice to women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant to avoid unnecessary travel to the impacted area that is just north of downtown Miami,&quot; Scott added in a statement. 
 
Officials still believe the transmission is confined to a square-mile area north of Miami, a popular arts and restaurant district known as Wynwood. 
 
Scott asked for the CDC to dispatch an emergency team of specialists &quot;to augment our response efforts to confirmed local transmissions of the Zika virus.&quot; 
 
Two of the 14 cases involve women and the rest are men. 
 
Funding for the Zika response has been a source of dispute among US lawmakers. 
 
President Barack Obama asked for $1.9 billion in February, but Republicans protested, saying the money should be taken from funds previously set aside for Ebola. Congress went on summer recess last month without approving any legislation for Zika funds. 
 
(AFP)

Over 1,600 cases of Zika have been previously reported in the US, most of which were brought by travelers who were infected elsewhere

Florida now has 14 people who likely contracted the Zika virus from mosquitoes in the Miami area, and the state needs emergency help from the federal government, officials said on Monday. Governor Rick Scott announced 10 new cases of locally transmitted Zika, in addition to four made public by the department of health on Friday. The cases mark the first time the Zika virus, which can cause birth defects and is considered particularly dangerous for pregnant women, is known to be spreading via local mosquitoes in the United States. Over 1,600 cases of Zika have been previously reported in the US, but most were brought by travelers who were infected elsewhere. The virus can also spread by sexual contact. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are expected to issue "a notice to women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant to avoid unnecessary travel to the impacted area that is just north of downtown Miami," Scott added in a statement. Officials still believe the transmission is confined to a square-mile area north of Miami, a popular arts and restaurant district known as Wynwood. Scott asked for the CDC to dispatch an emergency team of specialists "to augment our response efforts to confirmed local transmissions of the Zika virus." Two of the 14 cases involve women and the rest are men. Funding for the Zika response has been a source of dispute among US lawmakers. President Barack Obama asked for $1.9 billion in February, but Republicans protested, saying the money should be taken from funds previously set aside for Ebola. Congress went on summer recess last month without approving any legislation for Zika funds. (AFP)

Florida encounters 14 Zika cases, requests for aid

The US State Department said yesterday that Nusra Front militants remained a fair target for US and Russian warplanes in Syria despite a decision to cut ties with al Qaeda and change its name to Jabhat Fatah al Sham, and it was seeking clarification from Turkey on detentions of journalists following an attempted coup there. 
 
State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a news conference that the Nusra Front&#39;s announcement could simply be a rebranding exercise and the United States would judge it by its actions, goals and ideology. 
 
&quot;Certainly see no reason to believe that their actions or their objectives are any different, and they are still considered a foreign terrorist organisation,&quot; Kirby said. 
 
&quot;They are still not a party to the cessation of hostilities and therefore are still a fair target for coalition operations,&quot; he added. 
 
Kirby also said the Russian and Syrian humanitarian exercise around Aleppo on Thursday appeared to actually be an attempt to force the evacuation of civilians and the surrender of militant groups. 
 
&quot;What needs to happen is the innocent people of Aleppo should be able to stay in their homes, safely, and to receive the humanitarian access which Russia and the regime have agreed, in principle have agreed, certainly according to the UN Security Council resolution, to provide,&quot; Kirby said. 
 
The United States understands Turkey&#39;s need to hold perpetrators of the recent attempted coup to account but the detention of more journalists is part of a worrisome trend that discourages public discourse, Kirby told reporters. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re obviously deeply concerned by the reports and were seeking additional information from Turkish authorities. As you well know and as I&#39;ve said many many times from the podium the United States supports freedom of expression around the world. And we have concerns when any country makes a move to close down media outlets and restrict this universal value. We expect Turkish authorities to uphold their assurances that the Turkish government will protect the rule of law and fundamental freedoms,&quot; he said. 
 
The moves follow a failed coup on July 15 in which at least 246 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured. 
 
Western governments and human rights groups have condemned the coup, but they have also expressed disquiet over the scale and depth of the purges, fearing that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan may be using them to get rid of opponents and tighten his grip on power. 
 
(Reuters)

State Department spokesman said the Front is still considered a terrorist organisation and their actions will be no different than before

The US State Department said yesterday that Nusra Front militants remained a fair target for US and Russian warplanes in Syria despite a decision to cut ties with al Qaeda and change its name to Jabhat Fatah al Sham, and it was seeking clarification from Turkey on detentions of journalists following an attempted coup there. State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a news conference that the Nusra Front's announcement could simply be a rebranding exercise and the United States would judge it by its actions, goals and ideology. "Certainly see no reason to believe that their actions or their objectives are any different, and they are still considered a foreign terrorist organisation," Kirby said. "They are still not a party to the cessation of hostilities and therefore are still a fair target for coalition operations," he added. Kirby also said the Russian and Syrian humanitarian exercise around Aleppo on Thursday appeared to actually be an attempt to force the evacuation of civilians and the surrender of militant groups. "What needs to happen is the innocent people of Aleppo should be able to stay in their homes, safely, and to receive the humanitarian access which Russia and the regime have agreed, in principle have agreed, certainly according to the UN Security Council resolution, to provide," Kirby said. The United States understands Turkey's need to hold perpetrators of the recent attempted coup to account but the detention of more journalists is part of a worrisome trend that discourages public discourse, Kirby told reporters. "We're obviously deeply concerned by the reports and were seeking additional information from Turkish authorities. As you well know and as I've said many many times from the podium the United States supports freedom of expression around the world. And we have concerns when any country makes a move to close down media outlets and restrict this universal value. We expect Turkish authorities to uphold their assurances that the Turkish government will protect the rule of law and fundamental freedoms," he said. The moves follow a failed coup on July 15 in which at least 246 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured. Western governments and human rights groups have condemned the coup, but they have also expressed disquiet over the scale and depth of the purges, fearing that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan may be using them to get rid of opponents and tighten his grip on power. (Reuters)

US: Nusra Front military target despite name change, break with Qaeda

Volkswagen AG&#39;s $14.7 billion settlement of its US diesel emissions cheating scandal cleared another legal hurdle yesterday, as a federal judge gave the automaker preliminary approval to buy back up to 475,000 vehicles. 
 
US District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco set an October 18 hearing for final approval. Preliminary approval means Volkswagen will soon enable owners of the 2.0 liter diesel-powered vehicles to access a website to learn how much they are eligible to receive. 
 
The settlement, announced in June, centers around the largest-ever automotive buy-back offer in the United States. Coupled with possible vehicle repairs and payments to governmental agencies, that component of the settlement carries a $10 billion price tag. 
 
Volkswagen said it continues to work with regulators to get fix approvals. VW told dealers last week that a planned fix could consist of software upgrades and some new catalytic converters. 
 
Volkswagen also plans to offer a new proposal to fix 85,000 polluting 3.0 liter vehicles after regulators rejected an earlier plan, a Justice Department lawyer said on Tuesday. Earlier this month, the California Air Resources Board rejected as insufficient a plan to fix the vehicles, which include VW and Audi luxury cars from model years 2009-2016. 
 
At the hearing, Justice Department lawyer Joshua Van Eaton said the German automaker had been meeting with regulators in recent weeks and planned to offer a new fix proposal in August. 
 
Breyer said he wants another update on the 3.0 liter vehicle talks at an August 25 hearing. 
 
German carmaker set to make hirings to process claims&nbsp; 
 
VW plans to hire between 250 to 300 people in Michigan to process settlement claims and will be overseen full-time by 40 VW Group of America employees. If needed VW could double the number of people it is hiring to process claims, said VW lawyer Sharon Nelles. VW is contracting for storage space to house vehicles it repurchases, she said. 
 
German carmaker admitted in September that it installed secret software that allowed US vehicles to emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution. 
 
Under the Justice Department deal, VW will provide $2 billion over 10 years to fund programs to promote construction of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and development of zero-emission ride-sharing fleets and other efforts. 
 
VW also agreed to put up $2.7 billion over three years to enable government and tribal agencies to replace old buses or to fund infrastructure to reduce diesel emissions. 
 
Separately, VW reached a settlement with 44 US states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico that will cost at least $600 million, bringing the total to as much as $15.3 billion. 
 
Last week, three states filed new lawsuits, saying that VW violated state environmental laws and seeking hundreds of millions in additional penalties. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The settlement, announced in June, centers around the largest-ever automotive buy-back offer in the United States?

Volkswagen AG's $14.7 billion settlement of its US diesel emissions cheating scandal cleared another legal hurdle yesterday, as a federal judge gave the automaker preliminary approval to buy back up to 475,000 vehicles. US District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco set an October 18 hearing for final approval. Preliminary approval means Volkswagen will soon enable owners of the 2.0 liter diesel-powered vehicles to access a website to learn how much they are eligible to receive. The settlement, announced in June, centers around the largest-ever automotive buy-back offer in the United States. Coupled with possible vehicle repairs and payments to governmental agencies, that component of the settlement carries a $10 billion price tag. Volkswagen said it continues to work with regulators to get fix approvals. VW told dealers last week that a planned fix could consist of software upgrades and some new catalytic converters. Volkswagen also plans to offer a new proposal to fix 85,000 polluting 3.0 liter vehicles after regulators rejected an earlier plan, a Justice Department lawyer said on Tuesday. Earlier this month, the California Air Resources Board rejected as insufficient a plan to fix the vehicles, which include VW and Audi luxury cars from model years 2009-2016. At the hearing, Justice Department lawyer Joshua Van Eaton said the German automaker had been meeting with regulators in recent weeks and planned to offer a new fix proposal in August. Breyer said he wants another update on the 3.0 liter vehicle talks at an August 25 hearing. German carmaker set to make hirings to process claims VW plans to hire between 250 to 300 people in Michigan to process settlement claims and will be overseen full-time by 40 VW Group of America employees. If needed VW could double the number of people it is hiring to process claims, said VW lawyer Sharon Nelles. VW is contracting for storage space to house vehicles it repurchases, she said. German carmaker admitted in September that it installed secret software that allowed US vehicles to emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution. Under the Justice Department deal, VW will provide $2 billion over 10 years to fund programs to promote construction of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and development of zero-emission ride-sharing fleets and other efforts. VW also agreed to put up $2.7 billion over three years to enable government and tribal agencies to replace old buses or to fund infrastructure to reduce diesel emissions. Separately, VW reached a settlement with 44 US states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico that will cost at least $600 million, bringing the total to as much as $15.3 billion. Last week, three states filed new lawsuits, saying that VW violated state environmental laws and seeking hundreds of millions in additional penalties. (Reuters)

VW emission scandal: Car giant clears hurdle with $14.7 billion settlement

US consumer sentiment held steady in July, helped by soaring stocks and undeterred by global worries over Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union (EU), the Conference Board reported today. 
 
The Board&#39;s monthly consumer confidence index stood at 97.3, down from 97.4 in June, with a rise in consumer views of the current situation in the economy. 
 
That was above the 91.0 level of one year ago, but still below last September&#39;s 12-month high of 101.3. 
 
In July, there was a slight fall in views of the picture six months down the road, with more people expecting business conditions to slow somewhat. 
 
Fewer of the consumers surveyed said they planned to buy cars or homes or take vacations over the next six months, suggesting caution in the market. 
 
&quot;Consumers were slightly more positive about current business and labour market conditions, suggesting the economy will continue to expand at a moderate pace,&quot; said Lynn Franco, director of indicators at The Conference Board. 
 
&quot;Expectations regarding business and labour market conditions, as well as personal income prospects, declined slightly as consumers remain cautiously optimistic about growth in the near-term.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Fewer of the consumers surveyed, however, said they planned to buy cars or homes over next 6 months, suggesting caution in market

US consumer sentiment held steady in July, helped by soaring stocks and undeterred by global worries over Britain's vote to leave the European Union (EU), the Conference Board reported today. The Board's monthly consumer confidence index stood at 97.3, down from 97.4 in June, with a rise in consumer views of the current situation in the economy. That was above the 91.0 level of one year ago, but still below last September's 12-month high of 101.3. In July, there was a slight fall in views of the picture six months down the road, with more people expecting business conditions to slow somewhat. Fewer of the consumers surveyed said they planned to buy cars or homes or take vacations over the next six months, suggesting caution in the market. "Consumers were slightly more positive about current business and labour market conditions, suggesting the economy will continue to expand at a moderate pace," said Lynn Franco, director of indicators at The Conference Board. "Expectations regarding business and labour market conditions, as well as personal income prospects, declined slightly as consumers remain cautiously optimistic about growth in the near-term." (AFP)

Undeterred by Brexit, US consumer confidence steady in July?

The Obama administration on Tuesday released a new directive outlining how the US&nbsp;government intends to respond to significant cyber attacks. 
 
The United States will use sanctions against those behind cyber attacks that target transportation systems or the power grid, the White House said on Tuesday, citing Russia and China as increasingly assertive and sophisticated cyber operators.

The sanctions will be used &quot;when the conditions are right and when actions will further US&nbsp;policy,&quot; White House counter-terrorism adviser Lisa Monaco said in prepared remarks to a cyber security conference.

Monaco cited an &quot;increasingly diverse and dangerous&quot; global landscape in which Iran has launched denial-of-service attacks on U.S. banks and North Korea has shown it would conduct destructive attacks.

&quot;To put it bluntly, we are in the midst of a revolution of the cyber threat - one that is growing more persistent, more diverse, more frequent and more dangerous every day,&quot; she said.The United States is working with other countries to adopt voluntary norms of responsible cyber behaviour and work to reduce malicious activity, she said. At the same time, it will use an executive order authorizing sanctions against those who attack US&nbsp;critical infrastructure. 
 
Monaco introduced a new directive from President Barack Obama that establishes a &quot;clear framework&quot; to coordinate the government&#39;s response to cyber incidents.

The directive provides for the first time public guidance on the specific roles different federal agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security, should play in coordinating efforts to investigate and response to cyber incidents that hit both government and the private sector. 
 
&quot;It will help answer a question heard too often from corporations and citizens alike, &#39;In the wake of an attack, who do I call for help?&#39;&quot; she said. 
 
The directive includes a five-point scale detailing how it grades the severity of an incident. 
 
A significant cyber incident is defined as one that is likely to result in harm to national security or economic interests, foreign relations, or the public confidence, health safety or civil liberties of the American people, according to a White House fact sheet. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

US is working with other countries to adopt voluntary norms of responsible cyber behaviour and work to reduce malicious activity

The Obama administration on Tuesday released a new directive outlining how the US government intends to respond to significant cyber attacks. The United States will use sanctions against those behind cyber attacks that target transportation systems or the power grid, the White House said on Tuesday, citing Russia and China as increasingly assertive and sophisticated cyber operators. The sanctions will be used "when the conditions are right and when actions will further US policy," White House counter-terrorism adviser Lisa Monaco said in prepared remarks to a cyber security conference. Monaco cited an "increasingly diverse and dangerous" global landscape in which Iran has launched denial-of-service attacks on U.S. banks and North Korea has shown it would conduct destructive attacks. "To put it bluntly, we are in the midst of a revolution of the cyber threat - one that is growing more persistent, more diverse, more frequent and more dangerous every day," she said.The United States is working with other countries to adopt voluntary norms of responsible cyber behaviour and work to reduce malicious activity, she said. At the same time, it will use an executive order authorizing sanctions against those who attack US critical infrastructure. Monaco introduced a new directive from President Barack Obama that establishes a "clear framework" to coordinate the government's response to cyber incidents. The directive provides for the first time public guidance on the specific roles different federal agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security, should play in coordinating efforts to investigate and response to cyber incidents that hit both government and the private sector. "It will help answer a question heard too often from corporations and citizens alike, 'In the wake of an attack, who do I call for help?'" she said. The directive includes a five-point scale detailing how it grades the severity of an incident. A significant cyber incident is defined as one that is likely to result in harm to national security or economic interests, foreign relations, or the public confidence, health safety or civil liberties of the American people, according to a White House fact sheet. (Reuters)

US outlines government response to major cyber attacks in fresh directive

With a chicken sandwich, hot coffee and donuts, aviation history was made Friday. 
 
These were among the items in the first drone delivery on US soil approved by aviation officials, made by convenience retailer 7-Eleven and the drone startup Flirtey. 
 
The delivery took place in Reno, Nevada, with the items loaded into a special box for hot and cold food and flown to a local family. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re absolutely thrilled to have 7-Eleven, the largest convenience chain in the world, embracing new technologies and working with us at Flirtey to make drone delivery a reality for customers all over the world,&quot; said Flirtey chief executive Matt Sweeny. 
 
&quot;This is just the first step in our collaboration with 7-Eleven. Flirtey&#39;s historic drone deliveries to date have been stepping stones to store-to-home drone delivery, and today is a giant leap toward a not-too-distant future where we are delivering you convenience on demand.&quot; 
 
Others include US online giant Amazon are also working on drone deliver, but this was the first in what could become a broader trend. 
 
Flirtey also working on humanitarian missions&nbsp; 
 
Flirtey is also working with drones to deliver relief supplies as part of humanitarian missions around the world. 
 
But it also hopes to expand its partnership with 7-Eleven for convenience deliveries. Friday&#39;s delivery also included store candy and its Slurpee iced drinks. 
 
&quot;Drone delivery is the ultimate convenience for our customers and these efforts create enormous opportunities to redefine convenience,&quot; said Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, the retailer&#39;s chief marketing officer. 
 
&quot;This delivery marks the first time a retailer has worked with a drone delivery company to transport immediate consumables from store to home. In the future, we plan to make the entire assortment in our stores available for delivery to customers in minutes.&quot; 
 
The Federal Aviation Administration this year updated rules allowing for some commercial drone operations in US airspace. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

'This delivery marks the first time a retailer worked with a drone delivery company to transport immediate consumables from store to home'

With a chicken sandwich, hot coffee and donuts, aviation history was made Friday. These were among the items in the first drone delivery on US soil approved by aviation officials, made by convenience retailer 7-Eleven and the drone startup Flirtey. The delivery took place in Reno, Nevada, with the items loaded into a special box for hot and cold food and flown to a local family. "We're absolutely thrilled to have 7-Eleven, the largest convenience chain in the world, embracing new technologies and working with us at Flirtey to make drone delivery a reality for customers all over the world," said Flirtey chief executive Matt Sweeny. "This is just the first step in our collaboration with 7-Eleven. Flirtey's historic drone deliveries to date have been stepping stones to store-to-home drone delivery, and today is a giant leap toward a not-too-distant future where we are delivering you convenience on demand." Others include US online giant Amazon are also working on drone deliver, but this was the first in what could become a broader trend. Flirtey also working on humanitarian missions Flirtey is also working with drones to deliver relief supplies as part of humanitarian missions around the world. But it also hopes to expand its partnership with 7-Eleven for convenience deliveries. Friday's delivery also included store candy and its Slurpee iced drinks. "Drone delivery is the ultimate convenience for our customers and these efforts create enormous opportunities to redefine convenience," said Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, the retailer's chief marketing officer. "This delivery marks the first time a retailer has worked with a drone delivery company to transport immediate consumables from store to home. In the future, we plan to make the entire assortment in our stores available for delivery to customers in minutes." The Federal Aviation Administration this year updated rules allowing for some commercial drone operations in US airspace. (AFP)

In a first, US-approved drone delivers donuts to doorstep

The Dallas Police Department, which was struggling to recruit officers, has seen a surge in job applications after the ambush shooting this month that killed five officers and brought global attention to the Texas city, officials said on Friday. 
 
During the 12 days following the July 7 shooting, the department said it got 467 job applications, a 344 per cent increase compared with the 136 in a similar period in June.&nbsp; 
 
That is an average of 38.9 requests per day to become a police recruit compared with an average of 11.3 submissions a day for 12 days in June. 
 
In recent months, the police department has had to cancel academy classes because there were not enough applicants. 
 
Potential officers in the north Texas region have often opted for departments in fast-growing cities surrounding Dallas where starting pay is typically higher than in Dallas. 
 
Dallas police chief David Brown put out the call for new recruits at a news conference last week where he spoke of the deaths of five officers and the actions of others to save lives at a rally in the city in the incident that marked the deadliest day for US law enforcement since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. 
 
&quot;We are hiring. Get out of that protest line and put an application in,&quot; Brown said. 
 
US police forces have been the target of protests following the fatal shootings of black men by patrolmen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and outside St. Paul, Minnesota, that were caught on video. 
 
Further, the series of high-profile police killings of black men in the past two years have sparked the most intense debate on race and justice in America in years. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a shame it took a tragedy to get people to apply, but glad to see so many people willing to serve their community,&quot; Dallas resident Ben Shaw wrote on the department&#39;s Facebook page on Friday. 
 
(Reuters)

Potential officers in north Texas usually opted for departments in fast-growing cities surrounding Dallas where starting pay is higher

The Dallas Police Department, which was struggling to recruit officers, has seen a surge in job applications after the ambush shooting this month that killed five officers and brought global attention to the Texas city, officials said on Friday. During the 12 days following the July 7 shooting, the department said it got 467 job applications, a 344 per cent increase compared with the 136 in a similar period in June. That is an average of 38.9 requests per day to become a police recruit compared with an average of 11.3 submissions a day for 12 days in June. In recent months, the police department has had to cancel academy classes because there were not enough applicants. Potential officers in the north Texas region have often opted for departments in fast-growing cities surrounding Dallas where starting pay is typically higher than in Dallas. Dallas police chief David Brown put out the call for new recruits at a news conference last week where he spoke of the deaths of five officers and the actions of others to save lives at a rally in the city in the incident that marked the deadliest day for US law enforcement since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. "We are hiring. Get out of that protest line and put an application in," Brown said. US police forces have been the target of protests following the fatal shootings of black men by patrolmen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and outside St. Paul, Minnesota, that were caught on video. Further, the series of high-profile police killings of black men in the past two years have sparked the most intense debate on race and justice in America in years. "It's a shame it took a tragedy to get people to apply, but glad to see so many people willing to serve their community," Dallas resident Ben Shaw wrote on the department's Facebook page on Friday. (Reuters)

Dallas police job applications surge after fatal ambush attacks

President Barack Obama on Friday denied any US role in Turkey&#39;s failed coup and insisted that an extradition request for a US-based Muslim cleric accused of orchestrating the putsch would have to go through normal channels. 
 
Obama, speaking at a news conference, said he told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a call earlier this week that the United States had no prior knowledge of the abortive coup. 
 
&quot;Any reports that we had any previous knowledge of a coup attempt, that there was any US involvement in it, that we were anything other than entirely supportive of Turkish democracy are completely false, unequivocally false,&quot; Obama said. 
 
&quot;He (Erdogan) needs to make sure that, not just he but everybody in his government, understands that those reports are completely false,&quot; Obama added. &quot;Because when rumours like that start swirling around, that puts our people at risk on the ground in Turkey and it threatens what is a critical alliance and partnership between the United States and Turkey.&quot; 
 
Reports of US involvement in the coup attempt, which were also denied earlier this week by the US ambassador to Turkey, appear to be partly fuelled by the fact that cleric Fethullah Gulen lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania&#39;s Pocono Mountains. 
 
Erdogan accuses Gulen, a charismatic former ally, of masterminding the plot against him. In a crackdown on Gulen&#39;s suspected followers, more than 60,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended, detained or placed under investigation. 
 
Gulen has condemned the attempted coup and denied any involvement in it. 
 
Obama, reiterating what US officials had said earlier this week, said he told Erdogan his government must first present evidence of Gulen&#39;s alleged complicity in the failed coup. An extradition request would then receive the review required by the Justice Department and other government agencies just like any other petition. 
 
&quot;America&#39;s governed by rules of law, and those are not ones that the president of the United States or anybody else can just set aside for the sake of expediency,&quot; Obama said. &quot;We&#39;ve got to go through a legal process.&quot; 
 
Serdar Kilic, the Turkish ambassador to the United States, told a news conference on Friday that his country had submitted the &quot;necessary documentation&quot; for Gulen&#39;s extradition. But US Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said he could not yet give a &quot;hard yes or no&quot; on whether the materials submitted by Turkey constituted a formal extradition request. 
 
(Reuters)

Reports of US involvement in the failed coup is fuelled by the fact that cleric Fethullah Gulen lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania

President Barack Obama on Friday denied any US role in Turkey's failed coup and insisted that an extradition request for a US-based Muslim cleric accused of orchestrating the putsch would have to go through normal channels. Obama, speaking at a news conference, said he told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a call earlier this week that the United States had no prior knowledge of the abortive coup. "Any reports that we had any previous knowledge of a coup attempt, that there was any US involvement in it, that we were anything other than entirely supportive of Turkish democracy are completely false, unequivocally false," Obama said. "He (Erdogan) needs to make sure that, not just he but everybody in his government, understands that those reports are completely false," Obama added. "Because when rumours like that start swirling around, that puts our people at risk on the ground in Turkey and it threatens what is a critical alliance and partnership between the United States and Turkey." Reports of US involvement in the coup attempt, which were also denied earlier this week by the US ambassador to Turkey, appear to be partly fuelled by the fact that cleric Fethullah Gulen lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. Erdogan accuses Gulen, a charismatic former ally, of masterminding the plot against him. In a crackdown on Gulen's suspected followers, more than 60,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended, detained or placed under investigation. Gulen has condemned the attempted coup and denied any involvement in it. Obama, reiterating what US officials had said earlier this week, said he told Erdogan his government must first present evidence of Gulen's alleged complicity in the failed coup. An extradition request would then receive the review required by the Justice Department and other government agencies just like any other petition. "America's governed by rules of law, and those are not ones that the president of the United States or anybody else can just set aside for the sake of expediency," Obama said. "We've got to go through a legal process." Serdar Kilic, the Turkish ambassador to the United States, told a news conference on Friday that his country had submitted the "necessary documentation" for Gulen's extradition. But US Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said he could not yet give a "hard yes or no" on whether the materials submitted by Turkey constituted a formal extradition request. (Reuters)

US had no hand in Turkey coup: President Obama

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O&#39;Neill survived a no-confidence vote today, EMTV reported, an outcome unlikely to end upheaval in a country developing lucrative projects with energy majors ExxonMobil Corp and French giant Total SA. 
 
The Supreme Court last week ordered parliament to reconvene, for the first time since June protests between students and police boiled over into violent clashes, for the express purpose of allowing the opposition to lodge a no-confidence motion against O&#39;Neill. 
 
Deputy opposition leader Sam Basil moved the motion at the opening of the session today, detailing numerous accusations of corruption against O&#39;Neill since he took office in 2010. 
 
&quot;To make the wrong decision here would be a mistake,&quot; Basil told parliament. &quot;Today, it is up to us on the floor to make a change.&quot; 
 
But Basil only secured 21 of the 56 lawmakers needed to oust O&#39;Neill, leaving unclear how long a strike by aviation, maritime and public transport workers that has effectively cut off the rugged, mountainous nation, would continue. 
 
Anti-incumbency sentiment prevails&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Australia&#39;s Oil Search Ltd yesterday cleared the way for ExxonMobil to take over InterOil Corp for $2.2 billion, giving the US giant access to a rich new gas field to expand its exports from Papua New Guinea. 
 
The move could lead ExxonMobil and Total to tie together their competing gas interests in the South Pacific nation, cooperating to reduce costs as they battle cheap oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices. 
 
However, despite the growing resource wealth, corruption and violence are endemic in the island nation of seven million people, raising concern about its long-term stability and the ability to deliver a higher quality of life to its citizens. 
 
Martyn Namorong, head of the PNG Resource Governance Coalition, urged protesters to respect the decision in order to avoid a further descent into chaos and violence. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m a little bit deflated personally, but I respect the decision of parliament,&quot; he told Reuters. 
 
&quot;Papua New Guineans have suffered a lot more than the politicians, and we should not create more suffering for ourselves.&quot; 
 
Student protest leader Noel Anjo urged Australia, which has said little about the crisis, to speak out. 
 
&quot;They should come out and say something, because this country, the leadership, is not right,&quot; he said. &quot;Under O&#39;Neill, the leadership has gone from bad to worse.&quot; 
 
Namorong argued that Australia&#39;s traditional role as the indispensable nation in the Asia-Pacific region was eroding. 
 
&quot;I think the Australian influence in PNG has declined and that is reflected in how indifferent Australia is to what happens in Papua New Guinea,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

?Deputy opposition leader Sam Basil moved the motion today detailing numerous accusations of corruption against PM O'Neill

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill survived a no-confidence vote today, EMTV reported, an outcome unlikely to end upheaval in a country developing lucrative projects with energy majors ExxonMobil Corp and French giant Total SA. The Supreme Court last week ordered parliament to reconvene, for the first time since June protests between students and police boiled over into violent clashes, for the express purpose of allowing the opposition to lodge a no-confidence motion against O'Neill. Deputy opposition leader Sam Basil moved the motion at the opening of the session today, detailing numerous accusations of corruption against O'Neill since he took office in 2010. "To make the wrong decision here would be a mistake," Basil told parliament. "Today, it is up to us on the floor to make a change." But Basil only secured 21 of the 56 lawmakers needed to oust O'Neill, leaving unclear how long a strike by aviation, maritime and public transport workers that has effectively cut off the rugged, mountainous nation, would continue. Anti-incumbency sentiment prevails Meanwhile, Australia's Oil Search Ltd yesterday cleared the way for ExxonMobil to take over InterOil Corp for $2.2 billion, giving the US giant access to a rich new gas field to expand its exports from Papua New Guinea. The move could lead ExxonMobil and Total to tie together their competing gas interests in the South Pacific nation, cooperating to reduce costs as they battle cheap oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices. However, despite the growing resource wealth, corruption and violence are endemic in the island nation of seven million people, raising concern about its long-term stability and the ability to deliver a higher quality of life to its citizens. Martyn Namorong, head of the PNG Resource Governance Coalition, urged protesters to respect the decision in order to avoid a further descent into chaos and violence. "I'm a little bit deflated personally, but I respect the decision of parliament," he told Reuters. "Papua New Guineans have suffered a lot more than the politicians, and we should not create more suffering for ourselves." Student protest leader Noel Anjo urged Australia, which has said little about the crisis, to speak out. "They should come out and say something, because this country, the leadership, is not right," he said. "Under O'Neill, the leadership has gone from bad to worse." Namorong argued that Australia's traditional role as the indispensable nation in the Asia-Pacific region was eroding. "I think the Australian influence in PNG has declined and that is reflected in how indifferent Australia is to what happens in Papua New Guinea," he said. (Reuters)

Papua New Guinea PM survives no-confidence vote?amid     strikes

German carmaker Volkswagen will suspend sales of most of its models in South Korea from July 25 as pressure builds on the company over its falsified emissions tests. 
 
South Korea is the latest country forcing Volkswagen to take drastic measures to repair its image since the carmaker admitted to cheating US diesel emissions tests and said that up to 11 million vehicles worldwide could be fitted with illegal software. 
 
&quot;We have decided to suspend sales of the affected models to reduce confusion among dealers and customers,&quot; a spokesman for Volkswagen&#39;s South Korean business said. 
 
The move comes ahead of an environment ministry review this month or in early August on whether to revoke certification of the 32 vehicle types offered for sale by Volkswagen and its Audi brand, which would lead to a sales ban. Volkwagen is due to present its case on July 25. 
 
South Korean prosecutors last month issued the first warrant for the arrest of a VW executive in connection with the emissions scandal. 
 
Globally, the company has already set aside about 16.2 billion euros ($17.85 billion) to cover the cost of the scandal and this week said that it had set aside a further 2.2 billion euros. 
 
&quot;The latest costs show that the dieselgate scandal is far from dealt with,&quot; NordLB analyst Frank Schwope said. 
 
Schwope raised his estimate for the cost of the scandal to between 25 billion euros and 35 billion euros, up from a range of 20 billion euros to 30 billion euros. 
 
Volkswagen has been struggling with a sales slump in South Korea, Asia&#39;s second-biggest diesel car market. Sales of VW-branded cars in South Korea slumped 33 per cent to 12,463 vehicles in the first half of this year, industry association data shows. 
 
The group&#39;s top-selling vehicles in Korea last year were the Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI BlueMotion, with 9,467 vehicles, and the Audi A6 TDI, with 7,049 vehicles, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association. 
 
German car sales in South Korea have soared since a 2011 free-trade deal eliminated duty on vehicles imported from Europe. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The German carmaker has been struggling with a sales slump in South Korea, Asia's second-biggest diesel car market

German carmaker Volkswagen will suspend sales of most of its models in South Korea from July 25 as pressure builds on the company over its falsified emissions tests. South Korea is the latest country forcing Volkswagen to take drastic measures to repair its image since the carmaker admitted to cheating US diesel emissions tests and said that up to 11 million vehicles worldwide could be fitted with illegal software. "We have decided to suspend sales of the affected models to reduce confusion among dealers and customers," a spokesman for Volkswagen's South Korean business said. The move comes ahead of an environment ministry review this month or in early August on whether to revoke certification of the 32 vehicle types offered for sale by Volkswagen and its Audi brand, which would lead to a sales ban. Volkwagen is due to present its case on July 25. South Korean prosecutors last month issued the first warrant for the arrest of a VW executive in connection with the emissions scandal. Globally, the company has already set aside about 16.2 billion euros ($17.85 billion) to cover the cost of the scandal and this week said that it had set aside a further 2.2 billion euros. "The latest costs show that the dieselgate scandal is far from dealt with," NordLB analyst Frank Schwope said. Schwope raised his estimate for the cost of the scandal to between 25 billion euros and 35 billion euros, up from a range of 20 billion euros to 30 billion euros. Volkswagen has been struggling with a sales slump in South Korea, Asia's second-biggest diesel car market. Sales of VW-branded cars in South Korea slumped 33 per cent to 12,463 vehicles in the first half of this year, industry association data shows. The group's top-selling vehicles in Korea last year were the Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI BlueMotion, with 9,467 vehicles, and the Audi A6 TDI, with 7,049 vehicles, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association. German car sales in South Korea have soared since a 2011 free-trade deal eliminated duty on vehicles imported from Europe. (Reuters)

Falsified emission tests: Volkswagen halts sales in South Korea ahead of ministry review

Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller received approval for their $107 billion merger from US antitrust regulators on Wednesday after the companies agreed to unload beer assets and preserve competition from independent craft brewers. 
 
The department of justice (DOJ) approval comes with a number of stipulations and is notable after the regulatory authority derailed several recent mega-mergers over antitrust concerns. 
 
The Belgian brewer will make concessions beyond its publicly stated offer to sell it stake in MillerCoors, its US joint venture with London-based SAB, as part of the deal. AB InBev will also have to curb its use of incentive programs to limit competition. 
 
Reuters previously reported that the department was investigating AB InBev&#39;s practice of financially rewarding beer distributors for selling more of its own beer than its competitors. Craft beer companies had vocally objected to the practice, which they argued hurt their ability to sell. 
 
&quot;Independent distributors that sell (AB InBev&rsquo;s) beer will have the freedom to sell and promote the variety of beers that many Americans drink,&quot; deputy assistant attorney general Sonia Pfaffenroth of the justice department&#39;s antitrust division said. 
 
The world&#39;s top two brewers hold brands Budweiser, Stella Artois, Miller and Pilsner Urquell. 
 
&quot;While we will make some adjustments to certain aspects of our US sales programs and policies, our fundamental approach and commitment to this market will not change,&quot; said AB InBev chief executive Officer Carlos Brito in a statement. 
 
AB InBev will also be required to secure the DOJ&#39;s approval before acquiring any beer distributors or craft beer brands. 
 
AB InBev has already acquired several regional craft beer companies, looking to benefit from a rapidly growing niche market in the slowing beer industry. Recent deals include Colorado-based Breckenridge Brewing, Oregon-based 10 Barrel Brewing and Virginia-based Devil&rsquo;s Backbone Brewing Company. 
 
&quot;The DOJ&rsquo;s significant requirements... appear to address some of our major apprehensions with the merger. With effective enforcement of these provisions, small brewers can rely on their independent distributor partners to access the market,&quot; Bob Pease, president and chief executive officer of the Brewers Association, said in a statement on Wednesday. 
 
Terms of AB InBev&#39;s agreement with the DOJ expire in 10 years. 
 
AB InBev will also divest the rights to all SABMiller beer brands currently imported or licensed for sale in the United States. 
 
Denver-based Molson Coors Brewing Co will buy SAB&#39;s 58 per cent stake in their US joint venture, MillerCoors. Molson closed up 3 per cent at $100.8 on Wednesday. 
 
The deal changes little within the US market, according to Adam Fleck, equity analyst with Morningstar in Chicago. Still, he added &quot;There&#39;s a chance to increase the profitability for Molson Coors and MillerCoors enterprises that will make MillerCoors more competitive.&quot; 
 
Globally, the deal positions the combined companies to produce almost a third of the world&#39;s beer, dwarfing other major producers like Heineken and Carlsberg. InBev will have more breweries in Latin America and Asia and an entrance to Africa, as major markets such as the United States weaken due to craft beer popularity. 
 
Australia, Europe and South Africa have cleared the deal. The companies are waiting for China to approve it although a proposed sale of SABMiller&#39;s stake in CR Snow was expected to lead to clearance. 
 
AB InBev reaffirmed its plan to close the deal by the end of the year. Shares of the company rose earlier after the DOJ announcement but were down less than 1 per cent at $112.95 in late trade in New York. SABMiller closed up less than 1 per cent in London. 
 
(Reuters)

The companies agreed to unload beer assets and preserve competition from independent craft brewers

Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller received approval for their $107 billion merger from US antitrust regulators on Wednesday after the companies agreed to unload beer assets and preserve competition from independent craft brewers. The department of justice (DOJ) approval comes with a number of stipulations and is notable after the regulatory authority derailed several recent mega-mergers over antitrust concerns. The Belgian brewer will make concessions beyond its publicly stated offer to sell it stake in MillerCoors, its US joint venture with London-based SAB, as part of the deal. AB InBev will also have to curb its use of incentive programs to limit competition. Reuters previously reported that the department was investigating AB InBev's practice of financially rewarding beer distributors for selling more of its own beer than its competitors. Craft beer companies had vocally objected to the practice, which they argued hurt their ability to sell. "Independent distributors that sell (AB InBev’s) beer will have the freedom to sell and promote the variety of beers that many Americans drink," deputy assistant attorney general Sonia Pfaffenroth of the justice department's antitrust division said. The world's top two brewers hold brands Budweiser, Stella Artois, Miller and Pilsner Urquell. "While we will make some adjustments to certain aspects of our US sales programs and policies, our fundamental approach and commitment to this market will not change," said AB InBev chief executive Officer Carlos Brito in a statement. AB InBev will also be required to secure the DOJ's approval before acquiring any beer distributors or craft beer brands. AB InBev has already acquired several regional craft beer companies, looking to benefit from a rapidly growing niche market in the slowing beer industry. Recent deals include Colorado-based Breckenridge Brewing, Oregon-based 10 Barrel Brewing and Virginia-based Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company. "The DOJ’s significant requirements... appear to address some of our major apprehensions with the merger. With effective enforcement of these provisions, small brewers can rely on their independent distributor partners to access the market," Bob Pease, president and chief executive officer of the Brewers Association, said in a statement on Wednesday. Terms of AB InBev's agreement with the DOJ expire in 10 years. AB InBev will also divest the rights to all SABMiller beer brands currently imported or licensed for sale in the United States. Denver-based Molson Coors Brewing Co will buy SAB's 58 per cent stake in their US joint venture, MillerCoors. Molson closed up 3 per cent at $100.8 on Wednesday. The deal changes little within the US market, according to Adam Fleck, equity analyst with Morningstar in Chicago. Still, he added "There's a chance to increase the profitability for Molson Coors and MillerCoors enterprises that will make MillerCoors more competitive." Globally, the deal positions the combined companies to produce almost a third of the world's beer, dwarfing other major producers like Heineken and Carlsberg. InBev will have more breweries in Latin America and Asia and an entrance to Africa, as major markets such as the United States weaken due to craft beer popularity. Australia, Europe and South Africa have cleared the deal. The companies are waiting for China to approve it although a proposed sale of SABMiller's stake in CR Snow was expected to lead to clearance. AB InBev reaffirmed its plan to close the deal by the end of the year. Shares of the company rose earlier after the DOJ announcement but were down less than 1 per cent at $112.95 in late trade in New York. SABMiller closed up less than 1 per cent in London. (Reuters)

AB InBev, SABMiller deal wins US approval, adds craft beer protections

Netflix shares plunged Monday after its latest quarterly update showed subscriber growth below expectations for the streaming television giant. 
 
Netflix shares tumbled 15 per cent in after-hours trade after the quarterly report. 
 
The company said it ended the second quarter with 83 million subscribers, adding 1.7 million. That was well below Netflix&#39;s own forecast of 2.5 million additions and lower than many analyst forecasts. 
 
Netflix said growth was hurt, especially in the United States, when it raised rates on many long-time subscribers who had been &quot;grandfathered&quot; when it hiked most prices. 
 
&quot;We think some members perceived the news as an impending new price increase rather than the completion of two years of grandfathering,&quot; the company said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Churn of members who were actually ungrandfathered is modest and conforms to our expectations.&quot; 
 
Net profit for the quarter was $41 million, up from $26 million a year earlier. Revenue rose to $2.1 billion from $1.6 billion. 
 
Netflix said its march to becoming a global television provider was making progress, projecting gains of some two million subscribers outside the US in the third quarter. 
 
&quot;Our approach in expanding our global footprint in January was to launch a service targeting early adopters and then to listen, learn and iterate quickly,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;Now that we are six months in, we will localize Netflix in Poland and Turkey with the addition of local language in the user interface, subtitles and dubbing. Localization in other markets will take place over time as economically prudent.&quot; 
 
The streaming television pioneer in January significantly expanded its global footprint to 190 countries, making its Internet TV service available in 130 new markets, including India -- but not China. 
 
(AFP)

Netflix shares tumbled 15 per cent in after-hours trade following the quarterly report

Netflix shares plunged Monday after its latest quarterly update showed subscriber growth below expectations for the streaming television giant. Netflix shares tumbled 15 per cent in after-hours trade after the quarterly report. The company said it ended the second quarter with 83 million subscribers, adding 1.7 million. That was well below Netflix's own forecast of 2.5 million additions and lower than many analyst forecasts. Netflix said growth was hurt, especially in the United States, when it raised rates on many long-time subscribers who had been "grandfathered" when it hiked most prices. "We think some members perceived the news as an impending new price increase rather than the completion of two years of grandfathering," the company said in a statement. "Churn of members who were actually ungrandfathered is modest and conforms to our expectations." Net profit for the quarter was $41 million, up from $26 million a year earlier. Revenue rose to $2.1 billion from $1.6 billion. Netflix said its march to becoming a global television provider was making progress, projecting gains of some two million subscribers outside the US in the third quarter. "Our approach in expanding our global footprint in January was to launch a service targeting early adopters and then to listen, learn and iterate quickly," it said. "Now that we are six months in, we will localize Netflix in Poland and Turkey with the addition of local language in the user interface, subtitles and dubbing. Localization in other markets will take place over time as economically prudent." The streaming television pioneer in January significantly expanded its global footprint to 190 countries, making its Internet TV service available in 130 new markets, including India -- but not China. (AFP)

Netflix shares plunge after quarterly report reveals cooler growth

Traders in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market face a &quot;career-ruining&quot; glut that has led to millions of dollars in losses as Chinese buyers, far from coming to the rescue, are in a stand-off with oil companies to cancel deals. 
 
LPG, a historically niche and dislocated market, has ballooned with the advent of US exports due to the shale boom. The United States went from an importer to the largest single exporter of propane in just a few years, rivalling the West Asia Gulf producers. 
 
&quot;I can&#39;t remember it being this bad. There was massive new production out of the US and people hoped the Chinese market might absorb it,&quot; one LPG trader said. 
 
&quot;There was strong buying in the first four months of the year with low oil prices but that stopped and the market is now a few million tonnes long.&quot; 
 
Traders scrambling to mitigate losses&nbsp; 
 
A glut was expected, but its severity caught most by surprise and will likely serve as a warning to those trading liquefied natural gas, which is increasingly oversupplied. 
 
LPG is the collective term for propane and butane. The United States exports mostly propane used for heating and in the petrochemical industry to make propylene, a base for plastics manufacturing. 
 
Traders have been left scrambling to mitigate losses as China has failed to be the driver of demand. 
 
At least five companies- Vitol, Gunvor, Shell, BP and EDF Trading cancelled July-loading cargoes out of the two major Texas LPG terminals, preferring to pay penalties of up to $1 million per cargo. 
 
Many LPG traders signed up for multi-year contracts but premiums to the US benchmark on a spot basis sunk by about $40 a tonne this year, undercutting the term lifters. 
 
The contracts were also signed when the US benchmark was around a $150 to $200-per-tonne discount to the European benchmark and Saudi Arabia&#39;s official selling price. But spreads shrunk dramatically in 2016, making US exports suddenly unappealing to Asia. 
 
Chinese end-users are now cancelling or renegotiating their term contracts, taking advantage of product overhangs in the Middle East and a cheaper alternative feedstock, naphtha. 
 
Asian demand slowed earlier this year on weak propylene margins, which led to run cuts and delayed new plant start-ups. After hitting a trough, the market is expected to rebalance by the year-end though supply will continue to outpace demand. 
 
&quot;Non-associated gas output means there will be a steady rise in natural gas liquids output despite the oil price doldrums. This trend will continue in the medium term,&quot; Al Troner, head of Asia Pacific Energy Consulting in Houston, said. 
 
Showdown in Court 
 
The disputes have, in some cases, devolved into open altercations and tanker stand-offs. 
 
At an LPG conference earlier this year in China, one trader said he saw &quot;serious arguments between the Chinese and the US suppliers outside the hall at the caf? ... Everyone pretended not to be eavesdropping but stopped chatting and just stood still&quot;. 
 
Targa Resources, operator of an export terminal in Texas, has been stung by contracts with Chinese buyers and is seeking &quot;damages in excess of $1,000,000&quot; from China Soft Packaging Group, documents filed by Targa at a Texas county court showed. 
 
China Soft Packaging declined to comment and Targa did not respond to requests for comment. 
 
&quot;The US suppliers already made fat margins earlier (in 2015) and they should be ready for price negotiations,&quot; a senior source with one of the east China-based LPG buyers said. 
 
Hong Kong-based Oriental Energy International Trading has also had disputes with Targa and Greek LPG trader Naftomar. Targa let Oriental&#39;s Kikyo tanker languish for weeks offshore Texas in June. Naftomar&#39;s Constellation ship is now stuck outside China&#39;s Ningbo port, a senior trader at Naftomar said. 
 
Singapore-based SK Chemical Trading recently cancelled contracts with Naftomar, Petredec and Shell after its end-user Zhejiang Shaoxing Sanyuan Petrochemical Co reneged on its orders. The companies did not respond to requests for comment. 
 
One trader said the price rout was ruining careers and had &quot;gunfight at the O.K. Corral-type implications&quot;, referring to one of the most famous shootouts from the days of the American Wild West. 
 
(Reuters)

A glut was expected but its severity caught most by surprise and will likely serve as a warning to those trading liquefied natural gas

Traders in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market face a "career-ruining" glut that has led to millions of dollars in losses as Chinese buyers, far from coming to the rescue, are in a stand-off with oil companies to cancel deals. LPG, a historically niche and dislocated market, has ballooned with the advent of US exports due to the shale boom. The United States went from an importer to the largest single exporter of propane in just a few years, rivalling the West Asia Gulf producers. "I can't remember it being this bad. There was massive new production out of the US and people hoped the Chinese market might absorb it," one LPG trader said. "There was strong buying in the first four months of the year with low oil prices but that stopped and the market is now a few million tonnes long." Traders scrambling to mitigate losses A glut was expected, but its severity caught most by surprise and will likely serve as a warning to those trading liquefied natural gas, which is increasingly oversupplied. LPG is the collective term for propane and butane. The United States exports mostly propane used for heating and in the petrochemical industry to make propylene, a base for plastics manufacturing. Traders have been left scrambling to mitigate losses as China has failed to be the driver of demand. At least five companies- Vitol, Gunvor, Shell, BP and EDF Trading cancelled July-loading cargoes out of the two major Texas LPG terminals, preferring to pay penalties of up to $1 million per cargo. Many LPG traders signed up for multi-year contracts but premiums to the US benchmark on a spot basis sunk by about $40 a tonne this year, undercutting the term lifters. The contracts were also signed when the US benchmark was around a $150 to $200-per-tonne discount to the European benchmark and Saudi Arabia's official selling price. But spreads shrunk dramatically in 2016, making US exports suddenly unappealing to Asia. Chinese end-users are now cancelling or renegotiating their term contracts, taking advantage of product overhangs in the Middle East and a cheaper alternative feedstock, naphtha. Asian demand slowed earlier this year on weak propylene margins, which led to run cuts and delayed new plant start-ups. After hitting a trough, the market is expected to rebalance by the year-end though supply will continue to outpace demand. "Non-associated gas output means there will be a steady rise in natural gas liquids output despite the oil price doldrums. This trend will continue in the medium term," Al Troner, head of Asia Pacific Energy Consulting in Houston, said. Showdown in Court The disputes have, in some cases, devolved into open altercations and tanker stand-offs. At an LPG conference earlier this year in China, one trader said he saw "serious arguments between the Chinese and the US suppliers outside the hall at the caf? ... Everyone pretended not to be eavesdropping but stopped chatting and just stood still". Targa Resources, operator of an export terminal in Texas, has been stung by contracts with Chinese buyers and is seeking "damages in excess of $1,000,000" from China Soft Packaging Group, documents filed by Targa at a Texas county court showed. China Soft Packaging declined to comment and Targa did not respond to requests for comment. "The US suppliers already made fat margins earlier (in 2015) and they should be ready for price negotiations," a senior source with one of the east China-based LPG buyers said. Hong Kong-based Oriental Energy International Trading has also had disputes with Targa and Greek LPG trader Naftomar. Targa let Oriental's Kikyo tanker languish for weeks offshore Texas in June. Naftomar's Constellation ship is now stuck outside China's Ningbo port, a senior trader at Naftomar said. Singapore-based SK Chemical Trading recently cancelled contracts with Naftomar, Petredec and Shell after its end-user Zhejiang Shaoxing Sanyuan Petrochemical Co reneged on its orders. The companies did not respond to requests for comment. One trader said the price rout was ruining careers and had "gunfight at the O.K. Corral-type implications", referring to one of the most famous shootouts from the days of the American Wild West. (Reuters)

Oil traders lose millions as LPG glut shocks market

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro threatened Monday to seek the arrest of Kimberly-Clark representatives after the US paper products company shut down production in the country amid a deep economic crisis. 
 
The company, which halted operations two weeks ago, produced items that are in extremely short supply in Venezuela like toilet paper, diapers and feminine hygiene products. 
 
Maduro accused the company of failing to fund social benefits that its workers had been promised. About 900 workers were laid off by the company.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The ones who must go to jail will go to jail, no matter where they are,&quot; Maduro said, adding that alerts for their arrests would be issued through Interpol. 
 
The company&#39;s factory in the city of Maracay has been turned over to its workers, and Maduro insisted that all production lines were in operation. 
 
But one worker at the plant, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP only one of 11 production lines was active. 
 
Fedecamaras, a national business group, estimates that 85 per cent of the country&#39;s industries were paralysed in May due to a lack of raw materials. 
 
The country has been mired in a deepening economic crisis under Maduro&#39;s leftist government, with widespread shortages of basic goods, soaring inflation and rising insecurity. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

He accused paper products company Kimberly-Clark of failing to fund social benefits that its workers had been promised

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro threatened Monday to seek the arrest of Kimberly-Clark representatives after the US paper products company shut down production in the country amid a deep economic crisis. The company, which halted operations two weeks ago, produced items that are in extremely short supply in Venezuela like toilet paper, diapers and feminine hygiene products. Maduro accused the company of failing to fund social benefits that its workers had been promised. About 900 workers were laid off by the company. "The ones who must go to jail will go to jail, no matter where they are," Maduro said, adding that alerts for their arrests would be issued through Interpol. The company's factory in the city of Maracay has been turned over to its workers, and Maduro insisted that all production lines were in operation. But one worker at the plant, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP only one of 11 production lines was active. Fedecamaras, a national business group, estimates that 85 per cent of the country's industries were paralysed in May due to a lack of raw materials. The country has been mired in a deepening economic crisis under Maduro's leftist government, with widespread shortages of basic goods, soaring inflation and rising insecurity. (Reuters)

Venezuela President threatens arrest of officials after US company shuts down production

Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz has said that the decision of a US Congressional panel to cut aid to the country is inspired by &#39;baseless concerns&#39; of &#39;a section of US lawmakers&#39;.&nbsp; 
 
Last week, a US Congressional panel met to hold discussions regarding foreign aid provided to Pakistan. Congressman Matthew Salmon, during the meet, gave opening statements against giving further aid to &lsquo;terrorism abetting&rsquo; Pakistan. &nbsp; 
 
Salmon further added that Pakistan was holding Dr Shakil Afridi in jail for helping the US capture and kill Osama Bin Laden in 2011 and that this kind of relation is not acceptable to the US.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;This country (Pakistan) poses challenges that has plagued the United States for decades,&rdquo; he added. 
 
Another Congressman, Bill Keating, argued during the meet held on July 12 that Pakistan supports the Taliban, Haqqani network and other terrorist organisations, and that &ldquo;these things undermine critical US national security interests.&rdquo; &nbsp; 
 
This discussion paved the way for some of the strongest remarks to come out of US Congress on Pakistan in recent years. Pertinently, earlier this year, the sale of F-16 fighter jets was blocked by the US government for fear of Pakistan misusing them for terrorism-related activities.&nbsp; 
 
The panel also proposed that Pakistan be added to a list of countries that are &lsquo;state sponsors of terrorism&rsquo;.&nbsp; 
 
It may be recalled, however, that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Barack Obama have previously vowed to work together to step up &#39;fight against terrorism&#39;.&nbsp; 
 
Also, Operation Zarb-e-Azb, carried out by the Pakistani military has so far killed more than 2,500 militants across 9,000 intelligence operations in various parts of Pakistan.&nbsp; 
 
Titled &#39;Pakistan: Friend or Foe&#39;, the discussion was mostly against further financial support of Pakistan due to the various terrorist havens that the Congress believes are untouched by the Pakistani military.&nbsp; 
 
What remains to be seen is if the US Congress would pass such a move in near future.&nbsp;

The US Congressional panel also suggested last week that Pakistan be added to a list of countries that are ?state sponsors of terrorism?

Pakistan’s foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz has said that the decision of a US Congressional panel to cut aid to the country is inspired by 'baseless concerns' of 'a section of US lawmakers'. Last week, a US Congressional panel met to hold discussions regarding foreign aid provided to Pakistan. Congressman Matthew Salmon, during the meet, gave opening statements against giving further aid to ‘terrorism abetting’ Pakistan. Salmon further added that Pakistan was holding Dr Shakil Afridi in jail for helping the US capture and kill Osama Bin Laden in 2011 and that this kind of relation is not acceptable to the US. “This country (Pakistan) poses challenges that has plagued the United States for decades,” he added. Another Congressman, Bill Keating, argued during the meet held on July 12 that Pakistan supports the Taliban, Haqqani network and other terrorist organisations, and that “these things undermine critical US national security interests.” This discussion paved the way for some of the strongest remarks to come out of US Congress on Pakistan in recent years. Pertinently, earlier this year, the sale of F-16 fighter jets was blocked by the US government for fear of Pakistan misusing them for terrorism-related activities. The panel also proposed that Pakistan be added to a list of countries that are ‘state sponsors of terrorism’. It may be recalled, however, that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Barack Obama have previously vowed to work together to step up 'fight against terrorism'. Also, Operation Zarb-e-Azb, carried out by the Pakistani military has so far killed more than 2,500 militants across 9,000 intelligence operations in various parts of Pakistan. Titled 'Pakistan: Friend or Foe', the discussion was mostly against further financial support of Pakistan due to the various terrorist havens that the Congress believes are untouched by the Pakistani military. What remains to be seen is if the US Congress would pass such a move in near future.

US lawmakers' plan to cut aid for Pakistan inspired by baseless concerns: Aziz

Wall Street was set to open higher today, setting the stage for the Dow and S&amp;P 500 to hit fresh highs, as US corporate reports continue to top expectations. 
 
Equity futures, which dipped after the close on Friday, shrugged off the impact of an attempted coup in Turkey. 
 
With the S&amp;P and Dow hitting record intraday highs almost everyday last week, investors will assess the quality of second-quarter earnings to justify stock valuations. 
 
&quot;The markets are going to be driven by earnings reports while geopolitical problems take a backseat for now,&quot; said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at First Standard Financial in New York. 
 
Bank of America profits show corporations making money&nbsp; 
 
Bank of America, the number 2 US bank by assets, and fellow S&amp;P component Hasbro posted better than expected profit for the second quarter, mirroring the results of the few companies, including big banks, that reported last week. 
 
&quot;The handful of results that we have got have been okay and earnings have mostly beaten expectations. It shows that corporations are still making money, and that&#39;s what counts,&quot; Cardillo said. 
 
Dow e-minis were up 32 points, or 0.17 per cent at 8:27 a.m. ET (1227 GMT), with 28,500 contracts changing hands. 
 
S&amp;P 500 e-minis were up 5.75 points, or 0.27 per cent, with 186,056 contracts traded. 
 
Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 10.5 points, or 0.23 per cent, on volume of 25,766 contracts. 
 
Bank of America shares rose nearly 1 per cent to $13.79 premarket. Hasbro was off 0.6 pe rcent. 
 
Investors favouring riskier assets? &nbsp; 
 
British chip designer ARM&#39;s US-listed shares surged 43.5 per cent to $67.64 premarket, after Japan&#39;s SoftBank agreed to buy the company for $32.2 billion. 
 
A host of US chip stock such as Micron, Nvidia and Broadcom were up between 1.0 and 1.5 per cent. 
 
Earnings of S&amp;P 500 companies are now estimated to have declined 4.7 per cent in the second quarter, less than the 5 per cent drop estimated earlier, according to Thomson Reuters data. 
 
That adds to hopes that earnings contraction bottomed out in the previous quarter, a view that could be reinforced when IBM, Yahoo and Netflix report results after markets close. 
 
Gold prices have fallen, while the yen was lower, indicating investors&#39; favour for more riskier assets has been growing after weeks of uncertainty. Low Treasury yields in recent weeks have also helped steer investors to equities. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Equity futures, which dipped after the close on Friday, shrugged off the impact of an attempted coup in Turkey

Wall Street was set to open higher today, setting the stage for the Dow and S&P 500 to hit fresh highs, as US corporate reports continue to top expectations. Equity futures, which dipped after the close on Friday, shrugged off the impact of an attempted coup in Turkey. With the S&P and Dow hitting record intraday highs almost everyday last week, investors will assess the quality of second-quarter earnings to justify stock valuations. "The markets are going to be driven by earnings reports while geopolitical problems take a backseat for now," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at First Standard Financial in New York. Bank of America profits show corporations making money Bank of America, the number 2 US bank by assets, and fellow S&P component Hasbro posted better than expected profit for the second quarter, mirroring the results of the few companies, including big banks, that reported last week. "The handful of results that we have got have been okay and earnings have mostly beaten expectations. It shows that corporations are still making money, and that's what counts," Cardillo said. Dow e-minis were up 32 points, or 0.17 per cent at 8:27 a.m. ET (1227 GMT), with 28,500 contracts changing hands. S&P 500 e-minis were up 5.75 points, or 0.27 per cent, with 186,056 contracts traded. Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 10.5 points, or 0.23 per cent, on volume of 25,766 contracts. Bank of America shares rose nearly 1 per cent to $13.79 premarket. Hasbro was off 0.6 pe rcent. Investors favouring riskier assets? British chip designer ARM's US-listed shares surged 43.5 per cent to $67.64 premarket, after Japan's SoftBank agreed to buy the company for $32.2 billion. A host of US chip stock such as Micron, Nvidia and Broadcom were up between 1.0 and 1.5 per cent. Earnings of S&P 500 companies are now estimated to have declined 4.7 per cent in the second quarter, less than the 5 per cent drop estimated earlier, according to Thomson Reuters data. That adds to hopes that earnings contraction bottomed out in the previous quarter, a view that could be reinforced when IBM, Yahoo and Netflix report results after markets close. Gold prices have fallen, while the yen was lower, indicating investors' favour for more riskier assets has been growing after weeks of uncertainty. Low Treasury yields in recent weeks have also helped steer investors to equities. (Reuters)

Wall Street gears up for upbeat earnings

Amid heightened racial tension in the United States following a series of police shootings of African-American men, the New Black Panthers were preparing on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention on Saturday to make their voices heard about the injustices of racism. 
 
The New Black Panthers are a black power movement which has its roots in the original Black Panthers Party founded by the civil rights activist Huey P Newton, which advocated the arming of its members to counter the power of the police and law enforcement. 
 
The chairman of the New Black Panthers, Hashim Nzinga, told Reuters in a telephone interview earlier this week that it members would openly carry firearms at its rallies planned to coincide with the Republican convention. 
 
At a small kickoff rally on Saturday, none of the two dozen New Black Panther Party members seemed to be armed. A larger rally is planned for Monday. 
 
(Reuters)

Members of the black power movement plan to make their voices heard as Trump and Pence descend on Cleveland

Amid heightened racial tension in the United States following a series of police shootings of African-American men, the New Black Panthers were preparing on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention on Saturday to make their voices heard about the injustices of racism. The New Black Panthers are a black power movement which has its roots in the original Black Panthers Party founded by the civil rights activist Huey P Newton, which advocated the arming of its members to counter the power of the police and law enforcement. The chairman of the New Black Panthers, Hashim Nzinga, told Reuters in a telephone interview earlier this week that it members would openly carry firearms at its rallies planned to coincide with the Republican convention. At a small kickoff rally on Saturday, none of the two dozen New Black Panther Party members seemed to be armed. A larger rally is planned for Monday. (Reuters)

New Black Panthers march before Republican convention

The Dow industrials ended at a record high on Friday and major indexes closed a third consecutive week of gains as upbeat economic data and the start of earnings season gave investors confidence. 
 
But equity futures fell after the closing bell following reports of a coup in Turkey. The military said it had seized power, but the Turkish Prime Minister later asserted the attempted coup was put down. 
 
&quot;US (Treasury) yields have fallen, the Turkish lira plummeted, gold is up, you could call it a textbook response to this kind of situation,&quot; said Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. 
 
&quot;How it plays out depends on what the effects are by the time markets open on Monday. It is unclear right now who is in control,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
A US exchange-traded fund that follows the Turkish stock market dropped sharply near the end of the session and was down 6 per cent after the bell. 
 
S&amp;P 500 e-mini futures hit a session low down 0.65 per cent after the reports, but pared the loss and were down 0.5 per cent. 
 
Jacobsen added: &quot;I don`t think this spills over to other countries. This isn&rsquo;t like the Arab Spring of 2011 where there was a cascade of anti-government protests in favour of democratic reforms. The issues Turkey is wrestling with seem unique to Turkey.&quot; 
 
&#39;US retail sales rose more than expected in June&#39;&nbsp; 
 
During the normal-hours session, consumer stocks led declines on the S&amp;P 500 while the financial sector posted a less than 0.2 per cent drop, even as Wells Fargo, whose profits fell in the second quarter, fell 2.5 per cent to $47.71 to rank as the largest weight on the S&amp;P. 
 
But expectations for S&amp;P earnings ticked up to a 4.7 per cent decline from a view of a 5-per cent drop earlier in the week, cementing hopes that an earnings contraction bottomed in the first quarter. 
 
Adding to investor confidence, US retail sales rose more than expected in June, bolstering views that economic growth picked up in the second quarter. 
 
&quot;When you go into earnings season with negative bias in the market it bodes well for stocks. Any positive surprises will force shorts to cover and gives an upbeat tone,&quot; said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Newark, New Jersey. 
 
Three major indexes close their third week of gains&nbsp; 
 
The Dow Jones industrial average, DJI, rose 10.14 points, or 0.05 per cent, to 18,516.55, the S&amp;P 500 lost 2.01 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 2,161.74 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 4.47 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 5,029.59. 
 
The Dow closed at a record high and joined the S&amp;P 500 in posting fresh intraday historic highs. The three major indexes closed their third week of gains, a period in which the S&amp;P advanced more than 6 percent. 
 
Market reaction on Friday to a Thursday attack in France that killed more than 80 people was limited to declines in travel and leisure company shares. 
 
Herbalife jumped 9.9 percent to $65.25 after the weight-loss products maker agreed to pay $200 million and change the way it does business to avoid being labelled a pyramid scheme by regulators. 
 
Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 1.20-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.12-to-1 ratio favoured advancers. 
 
The S&amp;P 500 posted 26 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 77 new highs and 18 new lows. 
About 6.1 billion shares changed hands in U.S. exchanges, below the 7.8 billion daily average over the past 20 sessions.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

'US (Treasury) yields have fallen, the Turkish lira plummeted, gold is up, you could call it a textbook response to this kind of situation'

The Dow industrials ended at a record high on Friday and major indexes closed a third consecutive week of gains as upbeat economic data and the start of earnings season gave investors confidence. But equity futures fell after the closing bell following reports of a coup in Turkey. The military said it had seized power, but the Turkish Prime Minister later asserted the attempted coup was put down. "US (Treasury) yields have fallen, the Turkish lira plummeted, gold is up, you could call it a textbook response to this kind of situation," said Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. "How it plays out depends on what the effects are by the time markets open on Monday. It is unclear right now who is in control," he said. A US exchange-traded fund that follows the Turkish stock market dropped sharply near the end of the session and was down 6 per cent after the bell. S&P 500 e-mini futures hit a session low down 0.65 per cent after the reports, but pared the loss and were down 0.5 per cent. Jacobsen added: "I don`t think this spills over to other countries. This isn’t like the Arab Spring of 2011 where there was a cascade of anti-government protests in favour of democratic reforms. The issues Turkey is wrestling with seem unique to Turkey." 'US retail sales rose more than expected in June' During the normal-hours session, consumer stocks led declines on the S&P 500 while the financial sector posted a less than 0.2 per cent drop, even as Wells Fargo, whose profits fell in the second quarter, fell 2.5 per cent to $47.71 to rank as the largest weight on the S&P. But expectations for S&P earnings ticked up to a 4.7 per cent decline from a view of a 5-per cent drop earlier in the week, cementing hopes that an earnings contraction bottomed in the first quarter. Adding to investor confidence, US retail sales rose more than expected in June, bolstering views that economic growth picked up in the second quarter. "When you go into earnings season with negative bias in the market it bodes well for stocks. Any positive surprises will force shorts to cover and gives an upbeat tone," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Newark, New Jersey. Three major indexes close their third week of gains The Dow Jones industrial average, DJI, rose 10.14 points, or 0.05 per cent, to 18,516.55, the S&P 500 lost 2.01 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 2,161.74 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 4.47 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 5,029.59. The Dow closed at a record high and joined the S&P 500 in posting fresh intraday historic highs. The three major indexes closed their third week of gains, a period in which the S&P advanced more than 6 percent. Market reaction on Friday to a Thursday attack in France that killed more than 80 people was limited to declines in travel and leisure company shares. Herbalife jumped 9.9 percent to $65.25 after the weight-loss products maker agreed to pay $200 million and change the way it does business to avoid being labelled a pyramid scheme by regulators. Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 1.20-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.12-to-1 ratio favoured advancers. The S&P 500 posted 26 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 77 new highs and 18 new lows. About 6.1 billion shares changed hands in U.S. exchanges, below the 7.8 billion daily average over the past 20 sessions. (Reuters)

Dow ends at record high but futures fall flat after attempted coup in Turkey

Microsoft on Thursday scored a big victory on a keenly watched privacy battlefront, with a US appeals court exonerating the company for refusing to give police user data stored overseas. 
 
A three-judge panel in a US court of appeals in New York City ordered that a finding of contempt against Microsoft be tossed out along with the warrant in the case. 
 
The December 2013 warrant directed Microsoft to turn over the contents of an email account used by a suspected drug trafficker. 
 
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft handed over account information it kept on US soil, but said the content of emails was off-limits because it was stored on servers in Ireland, according to a summary of the case. 
 
The citizenship and location of the suspected drug trafficker were not revealed. 
 
The warrant had been issued under provisions of Stored Communications Act (SCA) legislation enacted as part of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986. 
 
Judge Susan Carney of the appeals court said that the SCA does not give US courts authority to force internet companies in the United States to seize customer email contents stored on foreign servers. 
 
&quot;We conclude that Congress did not intend the SCA&#39;s warrant provisions to apply extraterritorially,&quot; the judges said. 
 
&quot;The focus of those provisions is protection of a user&#39;s privacy interests.&quot; Microsoft welcomed the decision, saying it helped insure people&#39;s privacy rights are protected by laws in their own countries. 
 
The case had been closely watched by those who feared that a ruling against Microsoft would pave the way for countries to force internet firms to disclose user data no matter where in the world it was kept. 
 
&quot;This decision provides a major victory for the protection of people`s privacy rights under their own laws rather than the reach of foreign governments,&quot; Microsoft chief legal officer Brad Smith said in an email. 
 
&quot;It makes clear that the US Congress did not give the US Government the authority to use search warrants unilaterally to reach beyond US borders.&quot; 
 
Knowing personal information will be protected by local law is also imperative for people to trust technology companies, Smith reasoned. 
The long-running case has been a key point of concern for online service providers and their users. 
 
If the Department of Justice had triumphed over Microsoft in the case, other countries would have easily seen it as a green light to use their own laws to demand data stored in the US, said Greg Nojeim, a project director at Washington-based nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology. 
 
&quot;It would have been like the Wild West and disaster for privacy,&quot; Nojeim said.The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington-based tech policy think tank which supported Microsoft&#39;s case, said data stored in other countries should be sought under auspices of a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty designed to let police agencies around the world to help one another. 
 
&quot;The question here isn&#39;t whether the US government can gain lawful access to this data, but rather the process it should use to do so,&quot; said ITIF vice president Daniel Castro. 
 
The US has such mutual assistance treaties with more than 50 countries, including Ireland, according to Castro. 
 
Microsoft&#39;s legal win came with the risk that foreign governments would begin forcing tech companies to rely on local servers to keep information away from US authorities, the ITIF warned. 
 
The group was among several urging US political leaders to speed efforts to improve the MLAT process and create a global framework for governments to legally access data stored in the cloud. 
 
(AFP)

The December 2013 warrant directed Microsoft to turn over the contents of an email account used by a suspected drug trafficker

Microsoft on Thursday scored a big victory on a keenly watched privacy battlefront, with a US appeals court exonerating the company for refusing to give police user data stored overseas. A three-judge panel in a US court of appeals in New York City ordered that a finding of contempt against Microsoft be tossed out along with the warrant in the case. The December 2013 warrant directed Microsoft to turn over the contents of an email account used by a suspected drug trafficker. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft handed over account information it kept on US soil, but said the content of emails was off-limits because it was stored on servers in Ireland, according to a summary of the case. The citizenship and location of the suspected drug trafficker were not revealed. The warrant had been issued under provisions of Stored Communications Act (SCA) legislation enacted as part of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986. Judge Susan Carney of the appeals court said that the SCA does not give US courts authority to force internet companies in the United States to seize customer email contents stored on foreign servers. "We conclude that Congress did not intend the SCA's warrant provisions to apply extraterritorially," the judges said. "The focus of those provisions is protection of a user's privacy interests." Microsoft welcomed the decision, saying it helped insure people's privacy rights are protected by laws in their own countries. The case had been closely watched by those who feared that a ruling against Microsoft would pave the way for countries to force internet firms to disclose user data no matter where in the world it was kept. "This decision provides a major victory for the protection of people`s privacy rights under their own laws rather than the reach of foreign governments," Microsoft chief legal officer Brad Smith said in an email. "It makes clear that the US Congress did not give the US Government the authority to use search warrants unilaterally to reach beyond US borders." Knowing personal information will be protected by local law is also imperative for people to trust technology companies, Smith reasoned. The long-running case has been a key point of concern for online service providers and their users. If the Department of Justice had triumphed over Microsoft in the case, other countries would have easily seen it as a green light to use their own laws to demand data stored in the US, said Greg Nojeim, a project director at Washington-based nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology. "It would have been like the Wild West and disaster for privacy," Nojeim said.The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington-based tech policy think tank which supported Microsoft's case, said data stored in other countries should be sought under auspices of a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty designed to let police agencies around the world to help one another. "The question here isn't whether the US government can gain lawful access to this data, but rather the process it should use to do so," said ITIF vice president Daniel Castro. The US has such mutual assistance treaties with more than 50 countries, including Ireland, according to Castro. Microsoft's legal win came with the risk that foreign governments would begin forcing tech companies to rely on local servers to keep information away from US authorities, the ITIF warned. The group was among several urging US political leaders to speed efforts to improve the MLAT process and create a global framework for governments to legally access data stored in the cloud. (AFP)

Microsoft wins appeal to protect overseas data

The Philippines urged Beijing today to respect an international tribunal&#39;s ruling that rejected Chinese claims to most of the South China Sea, escalating a row that has raised the prospect of conflict. 
 
China reacted furiously to the verdict by a UN-back tribunal on Tuesday, insisting it will ignore the decision while warning its rivals too much pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich and strategically vital waterway into a &quot;cradle of war&quot;. 
 
Dispute to remain talking point during at ASEM&nbsp; 
 
The Philippines, which launched the legal challenge, had initially refrained from asking China to abide by the ruling. This followed President Rodrigo Duterte`s directive to achieve a &quot;soft landing&quot; with the Philippines&#39; much more powerful Asian neighbour. 
 
But Manila hardened its stance today with a statement detailing Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay&#39;s priorities when he attends an Asia-Europe summit, known as ASEM, in Mongolia this week along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. 
 
&quot;Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of ASEM&#39;s agenda the Philippines&#39; peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision,&quot; the foreign affairs department said in a statement. 
 
Even just raising the issue at the two-day summit starting on Friday will anger China, which has long bridled at Philippine efforts to have the dispute discussed at multilateral events. 
 
Chinese assistant foreign minister Kong Xuanyou insisted on Monday the ASEM summit was &quot;not an appropriate venue&quot; to discuss the South China Sea. 
 
But China appears to be in the minority -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said today as he left for Mongolia that he wanted to discuss the South China Sea at the summit. 
 
China claims nearly all of the sea -- which is of immense military importance and through which about $5 trillion worth of shipping trade passes annually -- even waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. 
 
US, China call on China to respect Hague ruling&nbsp; 
 
China justifies its claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the sea, and outlines its territory using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. 
 
However the tribunal, in The Hague, ruled China&#39;s claimed historic rights to resources within the nine-dash map had no legal basis. 
 
It also declared that China had acted unlawfully by violating the Philippines` sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone -- waters extending 200 nautical miles from the Filipino coast. 
 
China had done so by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration within the exclusive zone, as well as by building artificial islands there. 
 
China has in recent years undertaken giant land reclamation works in the Spratlys archipelago, one of the biggest island groups in the sea which partly falls within the Philippines&#39; exclusive economic zone. 
 
The United States and Australia were among Philippine allies this week to call on China to respect the ruling.&nbsp; 
 
China mulling over introducing air defence zone over the sea&nbsp; 
 
But the Chinese government and state media instead unleashed a tirade of vitriol against the tribunal, and vowed never to give up its claims to the sea. 
 
&quot;Do not turn the South China Sea into a cradle of war,&quot; vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday in a warning to rivals. 
 
He also said China may introduce an air defence zone over the sea, which would give its military authority over foreign aircraft, depending on the &quot;threat&quot; level. 
 
The English-language China Daily said: &quot;Beijing certainly should, and has to, ready itself for worst-case scenarios, including potential military collisions&quot;. 
 
China and the United States had already deployed significant naval firepower in the sea ahead of the verdict.&nbsp; 
Taiwan, which has a very similar claim to the waters as China, sent a warship into the waters on Wednesday to protect its interests.&nbsp; 
 
The Philippines filed the legal challenge against China in 2013 under Duterte`s predecessor, Benigno Aquino. Relations between Beijing and Manila plummeted over the row. 
 
Duterte, who took office on June 30, has said he wants better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects.&nbsp; 
 
Unlike Aquino, Duterte has said he wants to talk directly with China over the issue. Beijing also wants to negotiate, but at the same time insists it will never concede on sovereignty. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Philippines' Foreign Secretary will discuss country's rules-based approach on South China Sea with Chinese Premier at ASEM this week

The Philippines urged Beijing today to respect an international tribunal's ruling that rejected Chinese claims to most of the South China Sea, escalating a row that has raised the prospect of conflict. China reacted furiously to the verdict by a UN-back tribunal on Tuesday, insisting it will ignore the decision while warning its rivals too much pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich and strategically vital waterway into a "cradle of war". Dispute to remain talking point during at ASEM The Philippines, which launched the legal challenge, had initially refrained from asking China to abide by the ruling. This followed President Rodrigo Duterte`s directive to achieve a "soft landing" with the Philippines' much more powerful Asian neighbour. But Manila hardened its stance today with a statement detailing Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay's priorities when he attends an Asia-Europe summit, known as ASEM, in Mongolia this week along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. "Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of ASEM's agenda the Philippines' peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision," the foreign affairs department said in a statement. Even just raising the issue at the two-day summit starting on Friday will anger China, which has long bridled at Philippine efforts to have the dispute discussed at multilateral events. Chinese assistant foreign minister Kong Xuanyou insisted on Monday the ASEM summit was "not an appropriate venue" to discuss the South China Sea. But China appears to be in the minority -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said today as he left for Mongolia that he wanted to discuss the South China Sea at the summit. China claims nearly all of the sea -- which is of immense military importance and through which about $5 trillion worth of shipping trade passes annually -- even waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. US, China call on China to respect Hague ruling China justifies its claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the sea, and outlines its territory using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. However the tribunal, in The Hague, ruled China's claimed historic rights to resources within the nine-dash map had no legal basis. It also declared that China had acted unlawfully by violating the Philippines` sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone -- waters extending 200 nautical miles from the Filipino coast. China had done so by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration within the exclusive zone, as well as by building artificial islands there. China has in recent years undertaken giant land reclamation works in the Spratlys archipelago, one of the biggest island groups in the sea which partly falls within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. The United States and Australia were among Philippine allies this week to call on China to respect the ruling. China mulling over introducing air defence zone over the sea But the Chinese government and state media instead unleashed a tirade of vitriol against the tribunal, and vowed never to give up its claims to the sea. "Do not turn the South China Sea into a cradle of war," vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday in a warning to rivals. He also said China may introduce an air defence zone over the sea, which would give its military authority over foreign aircraft, depending on the "threat" level. The English-language China Daily said: "Beijing certainly should, and has to, ready itself for worst-case scenarios, including potential military collisions". China and the United States had already deployed significant naval firepower in the sea ahead of the verdict. Taiwan, which has a very similar claim to the waters as China, sent a warship into the waters on Wednesday to protect its interests. The Philippines filed the legal challenge against China in 2013 under Duterte`s predecessor, Benigno Aquino. Relations between Beijing and Manila plummeted over the row. Duterte, who took office on June 30, has said he wants better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects. Unlike Aquino, Duterte has said he wants to talk directly with China over the issue. Beijing also wants to negotiate, but at the same time insists it will never concede on sovereignty. (AFP)

Manila hardens stance, tells China to respect Hague ruling

The US missile defense system to counter attacks from rogue states like North Korea has no proven capability to protect the United States and is not on a credible path to achieve that goal, a science advocacy group said today. 
 
The ground-based midcourse missile defense system, which has deployed 30 interceptors in Alaska and California, has been tested under highly scripted conditions only nine times since being deployed in 2004, and failed to destroy its target two-thirds of the time, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) said in a report. 
 
&quot;After nearly 15 years of effort to build the GMD homeland missile defense system, it still has no demonstrated real-world capability to defend the United States,&quot; said Laura Grego, a UCS physicist who co-authored the report. 
 
Missile defense system has faced criticism from other quarters 
 
Deficiencies in the program, which has cost $40 billion so far and is being expanded to include 44 interceptors by 2017, are due largely to a Bush administration decision to exempt the system from normal oversight and accountability, to rush it into service by 2004, Grego said in an interview. 
 
&quot;Instead of getting something out to the field that worked well or worked adequately, in fact this has been a disaster. It&#39;s done the opposite,&quot; she said. 
 
The Obama administration&#39;s efforts to improve oversight while keeping the system outside the normal development and procurement process have contributed to the problems, she said. 
 
&quot;The lack of accountability has had and will have real lasting effects, especially for a system ... that&#39;s strategically important. It should be held to the highest standards, the highest rigour,&quot; she added. 
 
The Missile Defense Agency said in a statement the rapid deployment requirement in the law that created the system was &quot;a driving factor&quot; in the delivery of a ground-based interceptor with &quot;reliability challenges.&quot; 
 
The agency said the problems had led to changes in the interceptor&#39;s design and a program to improve reliability, including use of more mature technologies. The MDA said it was seeking ways to reduce the risks of deploying equipment still under development. 
 
The UCS report echoed criticisms the homeland missile defense system has faced from other quarters. A Pentagon assessment in 2015 found that flight testing of the system was still &quot;insufficient to demonstrate that an operationally useful defense capability exists.&quot; 
 
A February report by Congress&#39;s Government Accountability Office said the MDA was taking a &quot;high-risk&quot; approach by buying interceptors still under development for operational use. 
 
(Reuters)

'The missile defense system, tested only 9 times since being deployed in 2004, failed to destroy its target two-thirds of the time'

The US missile defense system to counter attacks from rogue states like North Korea has no proven capability to protect the United States and is not on a credible path to achieve that goal, a science advocacy group said today. The ground-based midcourse missile defense system, which has deployed 30 interceptors in Alaska and California, has been tested under highly scripted conditions only nine times since being deployed in 2004, and failed to destroy its target two-thirds of the time, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) said in a report. "After nearly 15 years of effort to build the GMD homeland missile defense system, it still has no demonstrated real-world capability to defend the United States," said Laura Grego, a UCS physicist who co-authored the report. Missile defense system has faced criticism from other quarters Deficiencies in the program, which has cost $40 billion so far and is being expanded to include 44 interceptors by 2017, are due largely to a Bush administration decision to exempt the system from normal oversight and accountability, to rush it into service by 2004, Grego said in an interview. "Instead of getting something out to the field that worked well or worked adequately, in fact this has been a disaster. It's done the opposite," she said. The Obama administration's efforts to improve oversight while keeping the system outside the normal development and procurement process have contributed to the problems, she said. "The lack of accountability has had and will have real lasting effects, especially for a system ... that's strategically important. It should be held to the highest standards, the highest rigour," she added. The Missile Defense Agency said in a statement the rapid deployment requirement in the law that created the system was "a driving factor" in the delivery of a ground-based interceptor with "reliability challenges." The agency said the problems had led to changes in the interceptor's design and a program to improve reliability, including use of more mature technologies. The MDA said it was seeking ways to reduce the risks of deploying equipment still under development. The UCS report echoed criticisms the homeland missile defense system has faced from other quarters. A Pentagon assessment in 2015 found that flight testing of the system was still "insufficient to demonstrate that an operationally useful defense capability exists." A February report by Congress's Government Accountability Office said the MDA was taking a "high-risk" approach by buying interceptors still under development for operational use. (Reuters)

US missile defense has no proven capability to protect: Science group

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