The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalise on an international court ruling that denied China&#39;s claims to the South China Sea, several US administration officials said on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally,&quot; said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. 
 
Some were sent through US embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defence Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said. 
 
&quot;This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the US is leading a coalition to contain China,&quot; the official added. 
 
The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan&#39;s maritime territory. 
 
The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba, also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Aba but the tribunal called it a &quot;rock&quot;, according to the legal definition. 
 
The US officials said they hoped the US diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims, and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels. 
 
Unknown Quantity 
 
One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains &quot;somewhat of an unknown quantity&quot; who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China. 
 
Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said that China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the US government made the same assurance. 
 
Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added. 
 
China, for its part, repeated pleas for talks between Beijing and Manila, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying the it is time to get things back on the &quot;right track&quot; after the &quot;farce&quot; of the case. 
 
Today, the official newspaper of China&#39;s ruling Communist Party said China had shown it can fix territorial issues via talks, pointing to agreement reached with Vietnam over their maritime boundary in the Gulf of Tonkin and ongoing talks with South Korea. 
 
&quot;China is a faithful defender of the principle that countries large and small are equal and has consistently upheld using consultations to resolve border issues on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect,&quot; the People&#39;s Daily said in a commentary. 
 
Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed on Wednesday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t have a dog in this fight other than our belief ... in freedom of navigation,&quot; State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Wednesday. &quot;What we want to see in this very tense part of Asia, of the Pacific, rather, is a de-escalation of tensions and we want to see all claimants take a moment to look at how we can find a peaceful way forward.&quot; 
 
Contingency Plan 
 
However, if that effort fails, and competition escalates into confrontation, US air and naval forces are prepared to uphold freedom of maritime and air navigation in the disputed area, a defence official said on Wednesday. 
 
Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think China wants a confrontation with the United States,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;They don&rsquo;t mind a confrontation with a Vietnamese fishing boat, but they don&rsquo;t want a confrontation with the United States.&quot; 
 
The court ruling is expected to dominate a meeting at the end of July in Laos of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.&nbsp;US Secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang, will attend the ministerial. 
 
Sino-American relations suffered two fresh blows on Wednesday as a congressional committee found China&#39;s government likely hacked computers at the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States challenged China&#39;s export duties on nine metals and minerals that are important to the aerospace, auto, electronics and chemical industries. 
 
(Reuters)

Confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own

The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalise on an international court ruling that denied China's claims to the South China Sea, several US administration officials said on Wednesday. "What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally," said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. Some were sent through US embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defence Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said. "This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the US is leading a coalition to contain China," the official added. The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan's maritime territory. The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba, also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Aba but the tribunal called it a "rock", according to the legal definition. The US officials said they hoped the US diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims, and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels. Unknown Quantity One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains "somewhat of an unknown quantity" who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China. Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said that China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the US government made the same assurance. Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added. China, for its part, repeated pleas for talks between Beijing and Manila, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying the it is time to get things back on the "right track" after the "farce" of the case. Today, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party said China had shown it can fix territorial issues via talks, pointing to agreement reached with Vietnam over their maritime boundary in the Gulf of Tonkin and ongoing talks with South Korea. "China is a faithful defender of the principle that countries large and small are equal and has consistently upheld using consultations to resolve border issues on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect," the People's Daily said in a commentary. Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed on Wednesday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them. "We don't have a dog in this fight other than our belief ... in freedom of navigation," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Wednesday. "What we want to see in this very tense part of Asia, of the Pacific, rather, is a de-escalation of tensions and we want to see all claimants take a moment to look at how we can find a peaceful way forward." Contingency Plan However, if that effort fails, and competition escalates into confrontation, US air and naval forces are prepared to uphold freedom of maritime and air navigation in the disputed area, a defence official said on Wednesday. Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own. "I don't think China wants a confrontation with the United States," he told reporters. "They don’t mind a confrontation with a Vietnamese fishing boat, but they don’t want a confrontation with the United States." The court ruling is expected to dominate a meeting at the end of July in Laos of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. US Secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang, will attend the ministerial. Sino-American relations suffered two fresh blows on Wednesday as a congressional committee found China's government likely hacked computers at the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States challenged China's export duties on nine metals and minerals that are important to the aerospace, auto, electronics and chemical industries. (Reuters)

US launches quiet diplomacy to ease South China Sea tensions

Oil prices sank in Asia today after data indicated a rise in US stockpiles, reigniting concerns about a supply glut, while profit-takers stepped in after the previous day&#39;s rally. 
 
The American Petroleum Institute reported a 2.2 million barrel rise in reserves last week, confounding expectations of a dip at the height of the crucial summer holiday driving season. 
 
The figures rattled traders as the Department of Energy prepares to release official data later today, which is considered a key gauge of demand in the world&#39;s top oil consumer. 
 
At about 0645 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell 51 cents, or 1.09 per cent, to $46.29 while Brent was 60 cents, or 1.24 per cent, lower at $47.87. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s bearish for oil if stockpiles gain because seasonally speaking, inventories tend to decline at least until mid-August,&quot; Hong Sung Ki, a commodities analyst at Samsung Futures Inc., told Bloomberg News. 
 
&quot;But of course, we need to see whether this will be a one-time gain or not,&quot; the analyst added.&nbsp; 
 
Both contracts surged almost five per cent on Tuesday from two-month lows after The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said it expected the global supply glut to ease this year and next thanks to reductions in output from producers outside the cartel, particularly the United States. 
 
Prices have fluctuated between $44 and $52 a barrel over the past month after hitting near 13-year lows below $30 in February, but a surge in OPEC production in June revived fears about oversupply. 
 
Energy information provider S&amp;P Global Platts said production from the OPEC climbed 300,000 barrels per day in June, close to an eight-year high of 32.73 million barrels per day. 
 
This is due to a tentative recovery in production in Nigeria and Libya, and a &quot;steady&quot; rise in output from Saudi Arabia and Iran, it said. 
 
&quot;We had the bulls for a couple of weeks and the bears are starting to step in,&quot; David Lennox, an analyst at Fat Prophets in Sydney, said. 
 
&quot;The market has realised that surplus that we had was disrupted, and that it is coming back because those disruptions are going away,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Canadian producers are also gradually coming back online, restoring supply for the biggest crude supplier to the US market, after wildfires swept through the Alberta oil sands region from May to July. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The figures rattled traders as the Department of Energy prepares to release official data later today

Oil prices sank in Asia today after data indicated a rise in US stockpiles, reigniting concerns about a supply glut, while profit-takers stepped in after the previous day's rally. The American Petroleum Institute reported a 2.2 million barrel rise in reserves last week, confounding expectations of a dip at the height of the crucial summer holiday driving season. The figures rattled traders as the Department of Energy prepares to release official data later today, which is considered a key gauge of demand in the world's top oil consumer. At about 0645 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell 51 cents, or 1.09 per cent, to $46.29 while Brent was 60 cents, or 1.24 per cent, lower at $47.87. "It's bearish for oil if stockpiles gain because seasonally speaking, inventories tend to decline at least until mid-August," Hong Sung Ki, a commodities analyst at Samsung Futures Inc., told Bloomberg News. "But of course, we need to see whether this will be a one-time gain or not," the analyst added. Both contracts surged almost five per cent on Tuesday from two-month lows after The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said it expected the global supply glut to ease this year and next thanks to reductions in output from producers outside the cartel, particularly the United States. Prices have fluctuated between $44 and $52 a barrel over the past month after hitting near 13-year lows below $30 in February, but a surge in OPEC production in June revived fears about oversupply. Energy information provider S&P Global Platts said production from the OPEC climbed 300,000 barrels per day in June, close to an eight-year high of 32.73 million barrels per day. This is due to a tentative recovery in production in Nigeria and Libya, and a "steady" rise in output from Saudi Arabia and Iran, it said. "We had the bulls for a couple of weeks and the bears are starting to step in," David Lennox, an analyst at Fat Prophets in Sydney, said. "The market has realised that surplus that we had was disrupted, and that it is coming back because those disruptions are going away," he added. Canadian producers are also gradually coming back online, restoring supply for the biggest crude supplier to the US market, after wildfires swept through the Alberta oil sands region from May to July. (AFP)

Oil prices sink in Asia triggering supply glut concerns

Authorities in Louisiana -- already rocked by the deadly police shooting of an African American man -- said Tuesday they have arrested three black youths for stealing guns they planned to use to kill officers. 
 
Police responded around 2:00 am (0700 GMT) on Saturday as the suspects were trying to steal weapons from a pawn shop, and surveillance video showed the trio breaking in through the roof, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department. 
 
Antonio Thomas, 17, &quot;stated that he and three other suspects stole the firearms and were going to get bullets to shoot police,&quot; a police statement said. 
 
He was booked into prison on charges of simple burglary and theft of a firearm. It was not immediately clear whether the fourth suspect not in prison was on the run. 
 
Eight weapons were stolen. Authorities have recovered six of them and are working to find the other two. 
 
The other two robbery suspects -- Malik Bridgewater, 20, and an unidentified 13-year-old male -- were charged with burglary and theft of a firearm. 
 
Police also arrested Trashone Coats, 23, who police said allegedly purchased two handguns illegally on the street. He was charged with illegal possession of a stolen firearm. 
 
The suspects were arrested at various times during the investigation, though Thomas was arrested on the scene. 
Police said they worked in collaboration with the Louisiana State Police, East Baton Rouge Sheriff`s Office and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 
 
Thousands of people have demonstrated across the United States against the latest fatal police shootings of two African American men, whose dying moments were captured in shocking video footage that went viral online. 
 
One of those killed was Alton Sterling, shot dead at point-blank range by a police officer in Baton Rouge. 
 
Most of the protests were peaceful, though a riot broke out over the weekend in Saint Paul, Minnesota -- where the second of last week`s fatal shootings took place -- resulting in more than 100 arrests. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

?Thousands of people have demonstrated across the United States against the latest fatal police shootings of two African American men

Authorities in Louisiana -- already rocked by the deadly police shooting of an African American man -- said Tuesday they have arrested three black youths for stealing guns they planned to use to kill officers. Police responded around 2:00 am (0700 GMT) on Saturday as the suspects were trying to steal weapons from a pawn shop, and surveillance video showed the trio breaking in through the roof, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department. Antonio Thomas, 17, "stated that he and three other suspects stole the firearms and were going to get bullets to shoot police," a police statement said. He was booked into prison on charges of simple burglary and theft of a firearm. It was not immediately clear whether the fourth suspect not in prison was on the run. Eight weapons were stolen. Authorities have recovered six of them and are working to find the other two. The other two robbery suspects -- Malik Bridgewater, 20, and an unidentified 13-year-old male -- were charged with burglary and theft of a firearm. Police also arrested Trashone Coats, 23, who police said allegedly purchased two handguns illegally on the street. He was charged with illegal possession of a stolen firearm. The suspects were arrested at various times during the investigation, though Thomas was arrested on the scene. Police said they worked in collaboration with the Louisiana State Police, East Baton Rouge Sheriff`s Office and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Thousands of people have demonstrated across the United States against the latest fatal police shootings of two African American men, whose dying moments were captured in shocking video footage that went viral online. One of those killed was Alton Sterling, shot dead at point-blank range by a police officer in Baton Rouge. Most of the protests were peaceful, though a riot broke out over the weekend in Saint Paul, Minnesota -- where the second of last week`s fatal shootings took place -- resulting in more than 100 arrests. (AFP)

Three held in Louisiana gun plot against police

Thousands of Dallas residents attended a candlelight vigil yesterday outside of the police department to honour five officers gunned down in an ambush last week. 
 
Authorities have named former US Army Reserve soldier Micah Johnson, a 25-year-old African-American, as the lone gunman in last Thursday&#39;s sniper attack in Dallas, which came at the end of a march by hundreds of demonstrations decrying the fatal shootings by police of black men earlier in the week.&nbsp; 
 
Officials said Johnson had embraced militant black nationalism and expressed anger over shootings by police as well as a desire to &quot;kill white people, especially white officers.&quot; 
 
Johnson killed Lorne Ahrens, 48; Michael Krol, 40; Brent Thomson, 43; Mike Smith, 55: and Hispanic officer Patrick Zamarripa, 32, a Navy reservist and a US Marine veteran. 
 
Dallas police officials said they grieved for the officers&#39; families and would always support them. 
 
&quot;We want these families, my brothers in blue, sisters in blue, for the citizens of this city, to feel love in powerful way, a way that will provide healing to us all in a time when we most need it,&quot; Dallas Police chaplain Sean Pease said during a prayer. 
 
&quot;Families, we love you. We love you with everything we have. We are now your surrogate family members. We&#39;re your brothers and your sisters. When you need us, you call. Because we&#39;ll not only be loving you today, we&#39;ll be loving you always,&quot; Chief David Brown said. 
 
Each officer was memorialised by a representative at the vigil. 
 
Smith&#39;s longtime partner on the beat entreated Dallas residents to use Smith as an example to better their city. 
 
&quot;I and those who loved Mike the most choose to honour his legacy by choosing -- because it is a choice -- not to let our anger darker place, but instead to we choose to continue Mike&#39;s fight for good and to not let the evil prevail. We will continue to protect and serve this wonderful city that Mike loved so much,&quot; Corporal St. John said. 
 
Thursday&#39;s rally in Dallas followed the fatal police shootings of Philando Castile, 32, near St. Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesday (July 6), and Alton Sterling, 37, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Tuesday. &nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

'We want these families, to feel love in powerful way, a way that will provide healing to us all in a time when we most need it'

Thousands of Dallas residents attended a candlelight vigil yesterday outside of the police department to honour five officers gunned down in an ambush last week. Authorities have named former US Army Reserve soldier Micah Johnson, a 25-year-old African-American, as the lone gunman in last Thursday's sniper attack in Dallas, which came at the end of a march by hundreds of demonstrations decrying the fatal shootings by police of black men earlier in the week. Officials said Johnson had embraced militant black nationalism and expressed anger over shootings by police as well as a desire to "kill white people, especially white officers." Johnson killed Lorne Ahrens, 48; Michael Krol, 40; Brent Thomson, 43; Mike Smith, 55: and Hispanic officer Patrick Zamarripa, 32, a Navy reservist and a US Marine veteran. Dallas police officials said they grieved for the officers' families and would always support them. "We want these families, my brothers in blue, sisters in blue, for the citizens of this city, to feel love in powerful way, a way that will provide healing to us all in a time when we most need it," Dallas Police chaplain Sean Pease said during a prayer. "Families, we love you. We love you with everything we have. We are now your surrogate family members. We're your brothers and your sisters. When you need us, you call. Because we'll not only be loving you today, we'll be loving you always," Chief David Brown said. Each officer was memorialised by a representative at the vigil. Smith's longtime partner on the beat entreated Dallas residents to use Smith as an example to better their city. "I and those who loved Mike the most choose to honour his legacy by choosing -- because it is a choice -- not to let our anger darker place, but instead to we choose to continue Mike's fight for good and to not let the evil prevail. We will continue to protect and serve this wonderful city that Mike loved so much," Corporal St. John said. Thursday's rally in Dallas followed the fatal police shootings of Philando Castile, 32, near St. Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesday (July 6), and Alton Sterling, 37, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Candlelight vigil honours police officers gunned down in Dallas ambush

Two bailiffs were shot dead during a scuffle with a prisoner-turned-gunman inside a southwest Michigan courthouse yesterday that also wounded two people before police officers killed the shooter, a county sheriff said. 
 
Larry Darnell Gordon, 44, fatally shot bailiffs identified as Joseph Zangaro, a retired Michigan state police lieutenant, and Ron Kienzle, a retired Benton Township police sergeant, the Detroit Free Press newspaper reported. 
 
The shootings of the bailiffs and the deputy came four days after four Dallas police officers and a Dallas transit police officer were killed by a sniper who claimed to be motivated by the use of lethal force by police against African-Americans. 
 
Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey told a news conference that the shooting took place at about 2:25 pm local time on the third floor of the St. Joseph, Michigan, courthouse. 
 
Bailey said Gordon was a prisoner who took a gun from one of two bailiffs escorting him to a courtroom and then began shooting as he tried to escape from custody. A sheriff&#39;s deputy and civilian were also wounded, he said. 
 
&quot;Our hearts are torn apart. They were our friends,&quot; Bailey told reporters. &quot;It&#39;s a sad day.&quot; 
 
Bailey said the deputy and civilian who were shot were taken to hospital and were expected to survive. 
 
The suspect was shot and killed by police officers, he said. 
 
Chris Gautz, public information officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections, said on Twitter all Department of Corrections staff were safe and accounted for. 
 
A witness, Gretta Volkenstein, told CNN that buildings and government agencies in the area were placed on lockdown as the incident unfolded. 
 
It was not immediately known why the prisoner was being escorted to the courtroom but Bailey said that was being investigated. 
 
&quot;MSP (Michigan State Police) has secured the scene at the Berrien County courthouse and started its investigation into the shooting that occurred this afternoon,&quot; Governor Rick Snyder said on Twitter. 
 
Bailey said the courthouse would be closed on Tuesday. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The shootings of the bailiffs and deputy came four days after 4 Dallas police officers and a transit police officer were killed by a sniper

Two bailiffs were shot dead during a scuffle with a prisoner-turned-gunman inside a southwest Michigan courthouse yesterday that also wounded two people before police officers killed the shooter, a county sheriff said. Larry Darnell Gordon, 44, fatally shot bailiffs identified as Joseph Zangaro, a retired Michigan state police lieutenant, and Ron Kienzle, a retired Benton Township police sergeant, the Detroit Free Press newspaper reported. The shootings of the bailiffs and the deputy came four days after four Dallas police officers and a Dallas transit police officer were killed by a sniper who claimed to be motivated by the use of lethal force by police against African-Americans. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey told a news conference that the shooting took place at about 2:25 pm local time on the third floor of the St. Joseph, Michigan, courthouse. Bailey said Gordon was a prisoner who took a gun from one of two bailiffs escorting him to a courtroom and then began shooting as he tried to escape from custody. A sheriff's deputy and civilian were also wounded, he said. "Our hearts are torn apart. They were our friends," Bailey told reporters. "It's a sad day." Bailey said the deputy and civilian who were shot were taken to hospital and were expected to survive. The suspect was shot and killed by police officers, he said. Chris Gautz, public information officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections, said on Twitter all Department of Corrections staff were safe and accounted for. A witness, Gretta Volkenstein, told CNN that buildings and government agencies in the area were placed on lockdown as the incident unfolded. It was not immediately known why the prisoner was being escorted to the courtroom but Bailey said that was being investigated. "MSP (Michigan State Police) has secured the scene at the Berrien County courthouse and started its investigation into the shooting that occurred this afternoon," Governor Rick Snyder said on Twitter. Bailey said the courthouse would be closed on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Prisoner opens fire in Michigan courthouse killing 2 bailiffs, gets fatally shot by police

Israel&nbsp;adopted a law on Monday that critics say targets&nbsp;Israeli rights groups critical of the right-wing government&#39;s policies, and which supporters see as a blow against foreign interference in their country&#39;s affairs.

Israeli Knesset speaker, Yuli Edelstein, during Knesset session called on members to vote and announced the results.

&quot;Members of the Knesset, 57 in favour and 48 against no abstentions,&quot; said Edelstein.

Called a &quot;transparency&nbsp;bill&quot; by its sponsor, far-right Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, it will require NGOs to give details of overseas donations if more than half their funding comes from foreign governments or bodies such as the European Union.

&quot;I think it&#39;s the right of the public to know if a specific country of state wants to fund an&nbsp;NGO&nbsp;more than 50 per cent.&nbsp;In&nbsp;Israel, in general we are not interfering in other country or politics of other country, and I expect countries will respect&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;and will try to influence on&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;in a diplomatic path and not by funding millions of Dollars or Euros to&nbsp;NGOs that usually try to promote their views,&quot; said Shaked.

The United States and European Union have raised their concerns publicly and privately about the legislation, which passed its third and final reading in parliament by a vote of 57-48.

Opponents of the law say it is discriminatory because it is mainly groups that oppose the policies of&nbsp;Israel&#39;s administration towards Palestinians which receive money from foreign governments and the EU.

Private funds from overseas, such as money donated to&nbsp;Israeli groups that support Jewish settlements on occupied land Palestinians seek for a state, were not addressed in the&nbsp;bill.

&quot;This is a&nbsp;bill&nbsp;that is a very wrong&nbsp;bill&nbsp;meant to chase a specific&nbsp;NGOs that allegedly help the left wings, it&#39;s not right.&nbsp;The right wing has a lot of&nbsp;NGOs that helping them.&nbsp;There is a lot of money in the right wing that is going to the prime minister and others. If we want to make a&nbsp;bill&nbsp;that will inspect&nbsp;NGOs we should do it a general&nbsp;bill&nbsp;we should work on it,&quot; said Hilik Bar, deputy speaker, Zionist Union.

The final version of the&nbsp;bill&nbsp;was watered down to remove a clause that would have required lobbyists for&nbsp;NGOs&nbsp;affected by the new rules to wear special name tags during visits to the legislature.

&quot;It&#39;s far from transparency, it&#39;s anti-democratic, it&#39;s triangulation of the left. Mainly they are targeting specific communities and associations. We are talking about B&#39;Tselem, talking about Adalah, keeping the silence.&nbsp;They are acting in a fascist way exactly as what is done in the third world. People should be free in order to act and to resist and to be opponent to the government,&quot; said&nbsp;Israeli-Arab member of Knesset, Ahmad Tibi.

Netanyahu, in defending the&nbsp;bill&nbsp;as &quot;democratic and necessary&quot;, has seemed to allude to foreign monetary support for&nbsp;Israeli groups backing Palestinian statehood.

Addressing members of his conservative Likud party earlier this year, Netanyahu drew parallels with Spain&#39;s Basque country where various separatist groups used peaceful or violent means to further their cause.&nbsp;More than 30,000&nbsp;NGOs are registered in&nbsp;Israel, about half of them active. 
 
Around 70 of those groups deal with the&nbsp;Israeli-Palestinian conflict and receive funds either from the EU as a whole, or individual member governments, including Denmark, Sweden and Belgium, as well as non-member Norway. 
 
(Reuters)

Netanyahu, in defending the?bill, has seemed to allude to foreign monetary support for?Israeli groups backing Palestinian statehood

Israel adopted a law on Monday that critics say targets Israeli rights groups critical of the right-wing government's policies, and which supporters see as a blow against foreign interference in their country's affairs. Israeli Knesset speaker, Yuli Edelstein, during Knesset session called on members to vote and announced the results. "Members of the Knesset, 57 in favour and 48 against no abstentions," said Edelstein. Called a "transparency bill" by its sponsor, far-right Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, it will require NGOs to give details of overseas donations if more than half their funding comes from foreign governments or bodies such as the European Union. "I think it's the right of the public to know if a specific country of state wants to fund an NGO more than 50 per cent. In Israel, in general we are not interfering in other country or politics of other country, and I expect countries will respect Israel and will try to influence on Israel in a diplomatic path and not by funding millions of Dollars or Euros to NGOs that usually try to promote their views," said Shaked. The United States and European Union have raised their concerns publicly and privately about the legislation, which passed its third and final reading in parliament by a vote of 57-48. Opponents of the law say it is discriminatory because it is mainly groups that oppose the policies of Israel's administration towards Palestinians which receive money from foreign governments and the EU. Private funds from overseas, such as money donated to Israeli groups that support Jewish settlements on occupied land Palestinians seek for a state, were not addressed in the bill. "This is a bill that is a very wrong bill meant to chase a specific NGOs that allegedly help the left wings, it's not right. The right wing has a lot of NGOs that helping them. There is a lot of money in the right wing that is going to the prime minister and others. If we want to make a bill that will inspect NGOs we should do it a general bill we should work on it," said Hilik Bar, deputy speaker, Zionist Union. The final version of the bill was watered down to remove a clause that would have required lobbyists for NGOs affected by the new rules to wear special name tags during visits to the legislature. "It's far from transparency, it's anti-democratic, it's triangulation of the left. Mainly they are targeting specific communities and associations. We are talking about B'Tselem, talking about Adalah, keeping the silence. They are acting in a fascist way exactly as what is done in the third world. People should be free in order to act and to resist and to be opponent to the government," said Israeli-Arab member of Knesset, Ahmad Tibi. Netanyahu, in defending the bill as "democratic and necessary", has seemed to allude to foreign monetary support for Israeli groups backing Palestinian statehood. Addressing members of his conservative Likud party earlier this year, Netanyahu drew parallels with Spain's Basque country where various separatist groups used peaceful or violent means to further their cause. More than 30,000 NGOs are registered in Israel, about half of them active. Around 70 of those groups deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and receive funds either from the EU as a whole, or individual member governments, including Denmark, Sweden and Belgium, as well as non-member Norway. (Reuters)

Israel NGO bill seen as targeting left-wing groups becomes law

The senior US commander in Afghanistan will have greater freedom to strike at the Taliban under broad new powers approved last month by President Barack Obama, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said today. 
 
Carter, on an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, said the powers granted to General John Nicholson would allow &quot;much more efficient use and effective use of the forces we have here as well as the Afghan forces.&quot; 
 
Under the authorities previously granted to Nicholson, who commands both the NATO-led Resolute Support mission and a separate US counter-terrorism mission, his forces could generally only intervene against the Taliban when Afghan government troops requested emergency assistance. 
 
&quot;It obviously, to me, makes a lot more sense to be doing it the way we&#39;re doing it now,&quot; Carter said at a joint news conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. 
 
Afghan forces seek combat assistance&nbsp; 
 
Carter&#39;s visit comes days after Obama shelved plans to cut the US force in Afghanistan nearly in half by year&rsquo;s end, opting instead to keep 8,400 troops there through to the end of his presidency in January. 
 
Afghan forces, fighting largely on their own since the NATO-led force ended most combat operations in 2014, have frequently asked for more combat assistance from their allies, particularly for close air strikes. 
 
US forces have already used the broader authority granted to their commanders to conduct air strikes against Taliban targets in southern Afghanistan. 
 
Carter, who met both Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah as well as senior U.S. military commanders, said it was &quot;critical&quot; that the national unity government formed after disputed elections in 2014 maintained stability. 
 
Ghani thanked the United States as well as other NATO allies who last week pledged to maintain support for Afghanistan. He also praised Afghan forces, who he said had been &quot;standing tall&quot; since the departure of foreign combat forces. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

New powers granted to US commander would allow "much more efficient use" of US troops, Afghan forces, said Ash Carter

The senior US commander in Afghanistan will have greater freedom to strike at the Taliban under broad new powers approved last month by President Barack Obama, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said today. Carter, on an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, said the powers granted to General John Nicholson would allow "much more efficient use and effective use of the forces we have here as well as the Afghan forces." Under the authorities previously granted to Nicholson, who commands both the NATO-led Resolute Support mission and a separate US counter-terrorism mission, his forces could generally only intervene against the Taliban when Afghan government troops requested emergency assistance. "It obviously, to me, makes a lot more sense to be doing it the way we're doing it now," Carter said at a joint news conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Afghan forces seek combat assistance Carter's visit comes days after Obama shelved plans to cut the US force in Afghanistan nearly in half by year’s end, opting instead to keep 8,400 troops there through to the end of his presidency in January. Afghan forces, fighting largely on their own since the NATO-led force ended most combat operations in 2014, have frequently asked for more combat assistance from their allies, particularly for close air strikes. US forces have already used the broader authority granted to their commanders to conduct air strikes against Taliban targets in southern Afghanistan. Carter, who met both Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah as well as senior U.S. military commanders, said it was "critical" that the national unity government formed after disputed elections in 2014 maintained stability. Ghani thanked the United States as well as other NATO allies who last week pledged to maintain support for Afghanistan. He also praised Afghan forces, who he said had been "standing tall" since the departure of foreign combat forces. (Reuters)

US troops in Afghanistan can now strike Taliban more easily: Pentagon Chief

It may be on the UNESCO heritage list but global experts warn that the Mediterranean diet, prized for its health benefits, is losing so much ground to the fast-food culture that the decline may be irreversible. 
 
Rich in vegetables, fruits, cereals and extra virgin olive oil, the Mediterranean diet is based on a moderate consumption of fish, dairy products, eggs, red wine and a small amount of meat. 
 
Found to varying degrees in all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, it was named in 2010 in UNESCO&#39;s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list for seven countries, from Croatia to Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Spain and Portugal. 
 
But the diet, which the United Nations also praises for promoting hospitality, neighbourliness, intercultural dialogue and creativity, is going rapidly out of fashion. 
 
&quot;In Greece, it has decreased by 70 per cent over the last 30 years, in Spain 50 per cent,&quot; Lluis Serra-Majem, head of the International Foundation of Mediterranean Diet, said at a recent conference in Milan. 
 
The experts, from Israel to New Zealand to Sweden, explored ways to revive the diet, from making it appealing to teenagers, to persuading people to buy fresh and sometimes costlier food during a period of economic crisis. 
 
In Spain, celebrities like actress Penelope Cruz may add some glamour with their love of Mediterranean cuisine but even fewer people are enticed. 
 
Less than 15 per cent of the Spanish population still eats a Mediterranean diet, while 50 to 60 per cent do so occasionally. Between 20 to 30 per cent have ditched it altogether, Serra-Majem said. 
 
And it&#39;s the same in Greece, says Antonia Trichopoulou from the Hellenic Health Foundation. Unsurprisingly, over 65-year-olds are the best at eating traditional dishes, while the youngest generations have succumbed to the lure of fast food. 
 
&quot;The decline has various causes. We are witnessing a globalisation of eating habits, with (the spread of) the &#39;Western diet&#39;,&quot; said Serra-Majem, pointing a finger of blame at the growth of the tourism sector in particular. 
 
It has been more marked in coastal areas, particularly in Spain or on Italy&#39;s Adriatic coast. 
 
&quot;Uncontrolled tourism leads to high urbanisation and increased consumption of meat, refined flours and a reduction of the traditional diet,&quot; he said. 
 
Oranges in Ibiza 
 
The change in eating habits is having a significant impact on public health with the rise of obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes among populations previously known for their longevity. 
 
Seven in 10 Greek adults are now overweight or obese, and about 11 per cent have diabetes, according to Trichopoulou. 
 
The Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity could prevent many diabetes cases, said Serra-Majem. 
 
While some regions are doing better at resisting fast food - such as southern Italy and northern Africa - the race is on to find a way to slow or reverse the diet&#39;s decline, with the meeting in Milan just one such bid to save it. 
 
As well as the health fallout and associated medical costs, dropping the diet also has an impact on the environment since &quot;almost 25 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from food production,&quot; he said. 
 
It also puts at risk of extinction local skills and traditions such as harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry and conservation. 
 
Healthy eating has not fallen by the wayside completely: the Mediterranean diet is a hit with &quot;educated people and those who belong to higher social classes&quot; in Greece, Trichopoulou said. 
 
&quot;It is more related to a social problem and education than money, because vegetables and fruits are relatively cheap,&quot; she said, but people are cooking less and advertisements promote sugary or preserved products. 
 
What&#39;s needed is to encourage initiatives in local communities and find a way of selling sustainable tourism - including a return to local food production - even in mass tourism areas, says independent expert Florence Egal. 
 
In Spain&#39;s Balearic Islands, including the hugely popular Majorca and Ibiza, &quot;thousands of tourists eat at buffets in large hotels&quot;, while &quot;in the countryside orange trees are weighed down with unpicked fruit&quot;, which rots because imported oranges cost less. 
 
And she warns, as groves are abandoned and migration to cities increases, the Mediterranean diet takes one more step towards becoming a thing of the past. 
 
(AFP)

Experts from New Zealand to Sweden are exploring ways to revive the cuisine that is fast losing popularity

It may be on the UNESCO heritage list but global experts warn that the Mediterranean diet, prized for its health benefits, is losing so much ground to the fast-food culture that the decline may be irreversible. Rich in vegetables, fruits, cereals and extra virgin olive oil, the Mediterranean diet is based on a moderate consumption of fish, dairy products, eggs, red wine and a small amount of meat. Found to varying degrees in all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, it was named in 2010 in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list for seven countries, from Croatia to Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Spain and Portugal. But the diet, which the United Nations also praises for promoting hospitality, neighbourliness, intercultural dialogue and creativity, is going rapidly out of fashion. "In Greece, it has decreased by 70 per cent over the last 30 years, in Spain 50 per cent," Lluis Serra-Majem, head of the International Foundation of Mediterranean Diet, said at a recent conference in Milan. The experts, from Israel to New Zealand to Sweden, explored ways to revive the diet, from making it appealing to teenagers, to persuading people to buy fresh and sometimes costlier food during a period of economic crisis. In Spain, celebrities like actress Penelope Cruz may add some glamour with their love of Mediterranean cuisine but even fewer people are enticed. Less than 15 per cent of the Spanish population still eats a Mediterranean diet, while 50 to 60 per cent do so occasionally. Between 20 to 30 per cent have ditched it altogether, Serra-Majem said. And it's the same in Greece, says Antonia Trichopoulou from the Hellenic Health Foundation. Unsurprisingly, over 65-year-olds are the best at eating traditional dishes, while the youngest generations have succumbed to the lure of fast food. "The decline has various causes. We are witnessing a globalisation of eating habits, with (the spread of) the 'Western diet'," said Serra-Majem, pointing a finger of blame at the growth of the tourism sector in particular. It has been more marked in coastal areas, particularly in Spain or on Italy's Adriatic coast. "Uncontrolled tourism leads to high urbanisation and increased consumption of meat, refined flours and a reduction of the traditional diet," he said. Oranges in Ibiza The change in eating habits is having a significant impact on public health with the rise of obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes among populations previously known for their longevity. Seven in 10 Greek adults are now overweight or obese, and about 11 per cent have diabetes, according to Trichopoulou. The Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity could prevent many diabetes cases, said Serra-Majem. While some regions are doing better at resisting fast food - such as southern Italy and northern Africa - the race is on to find a way to slow or reverse the diet's decline, with the meeting in Milan just one such bid to save it. As well as the health fallout and associated medical costs, dropping the diet also has an impact on the environment since "almost 25 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from food production," he said. It also puts at risk of extinction local skills and traditions such as harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry and conservation. Healthy eating has not fallen by the wayside completely: the Mediterranean diet is a hit with "educated people and those who belong to higher social classes" in Greece, Trichopoulou said. "It is more related to a social problem and education than money, because vegetables and fruits are relatively cheap," she said, but people are cooking less and advertisements promote sugary or preserved products. What's needed is to encourage initiatives in local communities and find a way of selling sustainable tourism - including a return to local food production - even in mass tourism areas, says independent expert Florence Egal. In Spain's Balearic Islands, including the hugely popular Majorca and Ibiza, "thousands of tourists eat at buffets in large hotels", while "in the countryside orange trees are weighed down with unpicked fruit", which rots because imported oranges cost less. And she warns, as groves are abandoned and migration to cities increases, the Mediterranean diet takes one more step towards becoming a thing of the past. (AFP)

Global push to make Mediterranean diet sexy again

Across the United States (US) police departments are searching for new tactics for a more difficult era of racial tension, increasingly lethal mass shootings and global terrorism. 
 
After last week&#39;s killing of five officers in Dallas, the deadliest assault on US law enforcement since the September 11, 2001 attacks, nearly half of America&#39;s 30 biggest cities have issued directives to pair up police officers on calls to boost safety, according to a Reuters survey of police departments.&nbsp; 
 
One, Indianapolis, said it would consider the use of robots to deliberately deliver lethal force, an unprecedented tactic until Thursday when the Dallas police department used a military-grade robot to deliver and detonate explosives where the shooter was holed up. 
 
Ambushes against police added to a sense of being under siege&nbsp; 
 
While a wave of anti-police protests since the 2014 killing of an unarmed black teen in Ferguson, Missouri, has revived memories of 1960s protests over civil rights and the Vietnam War, Thursday&#39;s shooting marked something different: a willingness to take up arms against police. 
 
Ambushes against police on Thursday and Friday in Tennessee, Georgia and Missouri added to a sense of them being under siege and vulnerable at a time when many departments already were grappling with heightened community suspicion over the use of deadly force. 
 
Responding to the Dallas shooting, Denver&rsquo;s police union wants officers to wear riot gear for local protests and to be armed with AR-15 assault rifles while patrolling Denver International Airport, the union said in a letter to the mayor published in The Denver Post. 
 
The most immediate change is the pairing up of officers. Thirteen of the country&#39;s 30 biggest city police department said they are pairing up officers - a change that could strain already thinly staffed police ranks in some regions. 
 
(The 13 are New York City, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Seattle, Memphis, Boston and Portland.) 
 
In Albuquerque, New Mexico &mdash; one of several cities dealing with an officer shortage &mdash; pairing officers could mean &ldquo;possibly longer response times for lower priority calls,&rdquo; said its police spokesman, Simon Drobik. And for cities with tight municipal budgets, some question whether this expensive strategy can last beyond the short term. 
 
Doubling up officers &quot;is a resource-intense approach and it will be a significant challenge for some police departments to sustain that strategy for very long,&quot; said Thomas Manger, president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), which represents police chiefs from the country&#39;s largest cities. 
 
He predicted over the longer term that police will increase surveillance and expand their security presence at major events across the country. &quot;This will cause complaints about violating people&#39;s constitutional rights to free assembly, but it is the only way to guarantee safety,&quot; he said. 
 
&#39;Targets on their back&#39; 
 
The attack in Dallas came during a demonstration on Thursday over the shooting by police of two African-American men. Alton Sterling, 37, was shot by police in Baton Rouge on Tuesday and Philando Castile, 32, was killed on Wednesday night in a St. Paul, Minnesota suburb. 
 
The Dallas shooting also left seven officers injured. 
 
&quot;We need to figure out a way to ensure that police officers don&#39;t get targeted, because right now they do have targets on their backs,&quot; said Andrea Edmiston, director of governmental affairs for the National Association of Police Organisations, which represents about 241,000 US police officers. 
 
Few of the police forces approached by Reuters said they could discuss specific changes in tactics beyond pairing officers on the beat. Los Angeles and Denver, for instance, declined for safety reasons to discuss tactics. 
 
Indianapolis police spokesman Kendale Adams said his department would consider using a robot to deliver a bomb. &quot;Our team will consider all options in (a) deadly force encounter,&quot; he said in an e-mail. 
 
If every police department had New York City&#39;s resources, the challenges would be much less. 
 
New York police spokesman Stephen Davis said some 1,500 of the city&#39;s 36,000 police officers have received coordinated heavy weapons training.Davis said there are officers around the clock who can respond to an active shooter situation in an estimated three to five minutes. 
 
&quot;As most active shooter situations last under ten minutes, that speed is crucial,&quot; he said. &quot;But we are well aware of the luxury that we have with so many resources available to us.&quot; 
 
Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a law enforcement policy group, said that as 90 per cent of America&#39;s 18,000 police forces have under 50 officers, many simply cannot afford the kind of staff needed to respond as quickly as needed to mass shootings. 
 
Wexler said the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 had been a milestone for police in realising that major public events could become targets. 
 
&quot;Police departments will have to deploy additional forces to what have traditionally been low-risk events,&quot; he said, &quot;because those events now have the potential for some extremist or madman to commit violent acts.&quot; 
 
But he said that the best way to reduce deaths from attacks with semi-automatic weapons is to gain the trust of local communities so people will come forward and help prevent attacks. Once an attack starts, there is only so much the police can do. 
 
The MCCA&#39;s Manger said that beyond police strategy and tactics, what America needs is a change of mindset. 
 
&quot;Everyone on both sides needs to take a step back.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

Half of America's 30 biggest cities have issued directives to pair up police officers

Across the United States (US) police departments are searching for new tactics for a more difficult era of racial tension, increasingly lethal mass shootings and global terrorism. After last week's killing of five officers in Dallas, the deadliest assault on US law enforcement since the September 11, 2001 attacks, nearly half of America's 30 biggest cities have issued directives to pair up police officers on calls to boost safety, according to a Reuters survey of police departments. One, Indianapolis, said it would consider the use of robots to deliberately deliver lethal force, an unprecedented tactic until Thursday when the Dallas police department used a military-grade robot to deliver and detonate explosives where the shooter was holed up. Ambushes against police added to a sense of being under siege While a wave of anti-police protests since the 2014 killing of an unarmed black teen in Ferguson, Missouri, has revived memories of 1960s protests over civil rights and the Vietnam War, Thursday's shooting marked something different: a willingness to take up arms against police. Ambushes against police on Thursday and Friday in Tennessee, Georgia and Missouri added to a sense of them being under siege and vulnerable at a time when many departments already were grappling with heightened community suspicion over the use of deadly force. Responding to the Dallas shooting, Denver’s police union wants officers to wear riot gear for local protests and to be armed with AR-15 assault rifles while patrolling Denver International Airport, the union said in a letter to the mayor published in The Denver Post. The most immediate change is the pairing up of officers. Thirteen of the country's 30 biggest city police department said they are pairing up officers - a change that could strain already thinly staffed police ranks in some regions. (The 13 are New York City, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Seattle, Memphis, Boston and Portland.) In Albuquerque, New Mexico — one of several cities dealing with an officer shortage — pairing officers could mean “possibly longer response times for lower priority calls,” said its police spokesman, Simon Drobik. And for cities with tight municipal budgets, some question whether this expensive strategy can last beyond the short term. Doubling up officers "is a resource-intense approach and it will be a significant challenge for some police departments to sustain that strategy for very long," said Thomas Manger, president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), which represents police chiefs from the country's largest cities. He predicted over the longer term that police will increase surveillance and expand their security presence at major events across the country. "This will cause complaints about violating people's constitutional rights to free assembly, but it is the only way to guarantee safety," he said. 'Targets on their back' The attack in Dallas came during a demonstration on Thursday over the shooting by police of two African-American men. Alton Sterling, 37, was shot by police in Baton Rouge on Tuesday and Philando Castile, 32, was killed on Wednesday night in a St. Paul, Minnesota suburb. The Dallas shooting also left seven officers injured. "We need to figure out a way to ensure that police officers don't get targeted, because right now they do have targets on their backs," said Andrea Edmiston, director of governmental affairs for the National Association of Police Organisations, which represents about 241,000 US police officers. Few of the police forces approached by Reuters said they could discuss specific changes in tactics beyond pairing officers on the beat. Los Angeles and Denver, for instance, declined for safety reasons to discuss tactics. Indianapolis police spokesman Kendale Adams said his department would consider using a robot to deliver a bomb. "Our team will consider all options in (a) deadly force encounter," he said in an e-mail. If every police department had New York City's resources, the challenges would be much less. New York police spokesman Stephen Davis said some 1,500 of the city's 36,000 police officers have received coordinated heavy weapons training.Davis said there are officers around the clock who can respond to an active shooter situation in an estimated three to five minutes. "As most active shooter situations last under ten minutes, that speed is crucial," he said. "But we are well aware of the luxury that we have with so many resources available to us." Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a law enforcement policy group, said that as 90 per cent of America's 18,000 police forces have under 50 officers, many simply cannot afford the kind of staff needed to respond as quickly as needed to mass shootings. Wexler said the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 had been a milestone for police in realising that major public events could become targets. "Police departments will have to deploy additional forces to what have traditionally been low-risk events," he said, "because those events now have the potential for some extremist or madman to commit violent acts." But he said that the best way to reduce deaths from attacks with semi-automatic weapons is to gain the trust of local communities so people will come forward and help prevent attacks. Once an attack starts, there is only so much the police can do. The MCCA's Manger said that beyond police strategy and tactics, what America needs is a change of mindset. "Everyone on both sides needs to take a step back.” (Reuters)

US police forces search for new tactics in wake of Dallas

As America reeled from a week of violence pitting police officers against civilians, Dallas police chief David Brown came to personify the nation&#39;s trauma. 
 
After a black army veteran killed five white officers at a peaceful march in the Texas city, the 55-year-old police chief, who is African-American, delivered a simple but poignant message.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are heartbroken,&quot; he said. &quot;This must stop. This divisiveness between our police and our citizens,&quot; Brown insisted.&nbsp; 
 
 
Brown is trying hard to mend nation&#39;s fraying social fabric 
 
Brown&#39;s own story, marked by personal tragedy, encapsulates the painful tensions surrounding policing, race and gun violence in America. 
 
Shortly after Brown took the helm of the Dallas police force in 2010, his 27-year-old son, David Brown Jr, fatally shot an officer and another man while high on drugs, before being killed by police. 
 
The city&#39;s top cop and Dallas native - who was moved to join the force to confront a crack cocaine epidemic in his own inner city neighborhood - also lost both his brother and a former police partner to gun violence. 
 
&quot;That man went through a lot,&quot; said Ron Franklin, one of the many Dallas residents come to pay tribute at a memorial outside the police headquarters. 
 
&quot;I can feel his pain. He&#39;s trying to do the best that he can do,&quot; the resident said further.&nbsp; 
 
Despite the blows he has suffered, Brown is steadfast in his drive to help mend the nation&#39;s fraying social fabric and burnish the image of law enforcement. 
 
&quot;Police officers are guardians of this great democracy,&quot; Brown said Friday, the day after the atrocity. 
 
&quot;The freedom to protest, the freedom of speech, the freedom for expression. All freedoms we fight for with our lives; it&#39;s what makes us who we are as Americans,&quot; he affirmed.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;He&#39;s human&#39; 
 
As police chief, Brown has gained national recognition for his progressive approach to law enforcement, working to cultivate more amicable relations between cops and community members. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s human. He understands a lot of different sides. Not just his own. Not just from a police perspective,&quot; said Julie Gavran, the southwest director of the organisation Keep Guns Off Campus. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s got a lot of experience and I think he brings that to the course, and that opens dialogue that&#39;s much needed,&quot; said the gun control activist. 
 
Despite facing initial internal reluctance, Brown has geared the force away from violence as a first resort, training cops with simulation exercises to de-escalate confrontation without using their weapons. 
 
Department statistics have shown a steady decline in the number of officer-involved shootings since 2012, which last year dropped to their lowest level in a decade. 
 
&quot;Our chief in the last couple of years has done great things to strengthen the community and the relationship with the police department,&quot; said Gavran. 
 
Words aren&#39;t enough 
 
This increasing conviviality was evident on Thursday, as police and residents shook hands and took selfies in the hours before gunman Micah Johnson opened fire, turning the demonstration into a chaotic combat zone. 
 
In the wake of the attack, Brown came to appear, as he briefed a stunned public on the tragedy in Texas, more like a political leader than a cop. 
 
&quot;We are not going to let a coward who ambushed police officers change our democracy,&quot; Brown said. &quot;Our city, our country, is better than that.&quot; 
 
University of Iowa sociologist Jessica Welburn said the fact that Brown is black man leading a major police force of 3,500 officers marked a &quot;step in the right direction.&quot; 
 
&quot;He definitely seems to have experienced each side of the situation,&quot; Welburn said. &quot;He definitely recognises the position he is in.&quot; 
 
She was less sure, though, whether Brown&#39;s words can really help heal the wounds that have given rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement. 
 
&quot;The chief only has so much power. His words can only go so far.&quot; 
 
As for being thrust into the spotlight, Brown&#39;s message has been one of humility. 
 
&quot;This city has embraced me as its police chief,&quot; he said on CNN&#39;s &quot;State of the Union.&quot; 
 
&quot;I have always felt a sense of urgency about delivering police service. 
 
&quot;But I never wanted this job to be about me.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Shortly after he took charge, his son fatally shot a police officer and another man while high on drugs. He was then killed by police

As America reeled from a week of violence pitting police officers against civilians, Dallas police chief David Brown came to personify the nation's trauma. After a black army veteran killed five white officers at a peaceful march in the Texas city, the 55-year-old police chief, who is African-American, delivered a simple but poignant message. "We are heartbroken," he said. "This must stop. This divisiveness between our police and our citizens," Brown insisted. Brown is trying hard to mend nation's fraying social fabric Brown's own story, marked by personal tragedy, encapsulates the painful tensions surrounding policing, race and gun violence in America. Shortly after Brown took the helm of the Dallas police force in 2010, his 27-year-old son, David Brown Jr, fatally shot an officer and another man while high on drugs, before being killed by police. The city's top cop and Dallas native - who was moved to join the force to confront a crack cocaine epidemic in his own inner city neighborhood - also lost both his brother and a former police partner to gun violence. "That man went through a lot," said Ron Franklin, one of the many Dallas residents come to pay tribute at a memorial outside the police headquarters. "I can feel his pain. He's trying to do the best that he can do," the resident said further. Despite the blows he has suffered, Brown is steadfast in his drive to help mend the nation's fraying social fabric and burnish the image of law enforcement. "Police officers are guardians of this great democracy," Brown said Friday, the day after the atrocity. "The freedom to protest, the freedom of speech, the freedom for expression. All freedoms we fight for with our lives; it's what makes us who we are as Americans," he affirmed. 'He's human' As police chief, Brown has gained national recognition for his progressive approach to law enforcement, working to cultivate more amicable relations between cops and community members. "He's human. He understands a lot of different sides. Not just his own. Not just from a police perspective," said Julie Gavran, the southwest director of the organisation Keep Guns Off Campus. "He's got a lot of experience and I think he brings that to the course, and that opens dialogue that's much needed," said the gun control activist. Despite facing initial internal reluctance, Brown has geared the force away from violence as a first resort, training cops with simulation exercises to de-escalate confrontation without using their weapons. Department statistics have shown a steady decline in the number of officer-involved shootings since 2012, which last year dropped to their lowest level in a decade. "Our chief in the last couple of years has done great things to strengthen the community and the relationship with the police department," said Gavran. Words aren't enough This increasing conviviality was evident on Thursday, as police and residents shook hands and took selfies in the hours before gunman Micah Johnson opened fire, turning the demonstration into a chaotic combat zone. In the wake of the attack, Brown came to appear, as he briefed a stunned public on the tragedy in Texas, more like a political leader than a cop. "We are not going to let a coward who ambushed police officers change our democracy," Brown said. "Our city, our country, is better than that." University of Iowa sociologist Jessica Welburn said the fact that Brown is black man leading a major police force of 3,500 officers marked a "step in the right direction." "He definitely seems to have experienced each side of the situation," Welburn said. "He definitely recognises the position he is in." She was less sure, though, whether Brown's words can really help heal the wounds that have given rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement. "The chief only has so much power. His words can only go so far." As for being thrust into the spotlight, Brown's message has been one of humility. "This city has embraced me as its police chief," he said on CNN's "State of the Union." "I have always felt a sense of urgency about delivering police service. "But I never wanted this job to be about me." (AFP)

Dallas police chief becomes face of tragedy

Tech giant Facebook has come up with a new feature that can help nonprofits and charity organisations to raise money for the causes they care about, the company said. 
 
Several months after the social network launched a new &quot;fundraiser&quot; feature for nonprofits to collect donations, Facebook announced it has expanded the tool to individual users. 
 
The tool is now available to 1 per cent of US users, standard for new Facebook products in order to gather feedback and make sure there are not any bugs. But it will roll out to all US users in the coming weeks. 
 
The new fundraisers are the latest feature from Facebook&#39;s Social Good team, which officially launched in September 2015 and is the force behind tools like &#39;Safety Check&#39; and &#39;Amber Alerts&#39;. 
 
Focusing on products aimed at crisis response and charitable giving, the team now hopes to break down barriers and empower people to use the tools it is building. 
 
&quot;We had Facebook fundraising for nonprofits with International Medical Corps in Nepal and then last year... nonprofits could fundraise for themselves,&quot; Naomi Gleit, Vice President of product management for social good at Facebook, said in a statement. 
 
&quot;But the real vision has always been people fundraising for nonprofits,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
The inspiration for the tool came from the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which went viral in 2014. Facebook saw people raising money and awareness, but the ALS Association told Facebook that it couldn&#39;t handle the volume of traffic to its website, nor could it accept international currencies. 
 
US users create fundraisers, people around the world donate&nbsp; 
 
Now, users will be able to donate directly through Facebook or start their own campaigns. 
 
Any US-based nonprofit that holds a 501(c)3 status, has a verified Facebook page and agrees to the Facebook Pages Terms can sign up for the programme. 
 
As part of the initial rollout on Thursday, fundraiser creators can choose from nearly 100 charities, such as the Nature Conservancy, Alzheimer&#39;s Association and Oxfam. 
 
&quot;Before we actually disburse funds to them, depending on how much money it is, we will do some more quality control,&quot; Gleit said about the nonprofits overall. 
 
&quot;We just want to make sure there&#39;s no fraud, so there&#39;s an additional layer of vetting,&quot; Gleit added. 
 
While only US users can create fundraisers, people around the world can donate.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI) 
&nbsp;

Any US-based nonprofit that holds a 501(c)3 status, has verified Facebook page and agrees to Facebook Pages Terms can sign up for programme

Tech giant Facebook has come up with a new feature that can help nonprofits and charity organisations to raise money for the causes they care about, the company said. Several months after the social network launched a new "fundraiser" feature for nonprofits to collect donations, Facebook announced it has expanded the tool to individual users. The tool is now available to 1 per cent of US users, standard for new Facebook products in order to gather feedback and make sure there are not any bugs. But it will roll out to all US users in the coming weeks. The new fundraisers are the latest feature from Facebook's Social Good team, which officially launched in September 2015 and is the force behind tools like 'Safety Check' and 'Amber Alerts'. Focusing on products aimed at crisis response and charitable giving, the team now hopes to break down barriers and empower people to use the tools it is building. "We had Facebook fundraising for nonprofits with International Medical Corps in Nepal and then last year... nonprofits could fundraise for themselves," Naomi Gleit, Vice President of product management for social good at Facebook, said in a statement. "But the real vision has always been people fundraising for nonprofits," he said. The inspiration for the tool came from the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which went viral in 2014. Facebook saw people raising money and awareness, but the ALS Association told Facebook that it couldn't handle the volume of traffic to its website, nor could it accept international currencies. US users create fundraisers, people around the world donate Now, users will be able to donate directly through Facebook or start their own campaigns. Any US-based nonprofit that holds a 501(c)3 status, has a verified Facebook page and agrees to the Facebook Pages Terms can sign up for the programme. As part of the initial rollout on Thursday, fundraiser creators can choose from nearly 100 charities, such as the Nature Conservancy, Alzheimer's Association and Oxfam. "Before we actually disburse funds to them, depending on how much money it is, we will do some more quality control," Gleit said about the nonprofits overall. "We just want to make sure there's no fraud, so there's an additional layer of vetting," Gleit added. While only US users can create fundraisers, people around the world can donate. (PTI)

Facebook's new feature to allow charities to raise money online

A commercial data transfer pact provisionally agreed by the European Union executive and the United States in February received the green light from EU governments on Friday, the European Commission said, paving the way for it to come into effect next week. 
 
Its introduction should end months of legal limbo for companies such as Google, Facebook and MasterCard after the EU&#39;s top court struck down the previous data transfer framework, Safe Harbour, on concerns about intrusive U.S. surveillance. 
 
Representatives of European Union member states voted in favour of the EU-US Privacy Shield, which will underpin over $250 billion of transatlantic trade in digital services by facilitating cross-border data transfers that are crucial to international business. 
 
&quot;Today member states have given their strong support to the EU-US Privacy Shield, the renewed safe framework for transatlantic data flows,&quot; Commission vice-president Andrus Ansip and justice commissioner Vera Jourova said in a statement. 
 
The Commission, the EU executive, will formally adopt the Privacy Shield on Tuesday. 
 
The Privacy Shield seeks to strengthen the protection of Europeans whose data is moved to US servers by giving EU citizens greater means to seek redress in case of disputes. 
 
For 15 years Safe Harbour allowed both US and European firms to get around tough EU data transferral rules by stating they complied with European privacy standards when storing information on US servers. 
 
Cross-border data transfers by businesses include payroll and human resources information as well as lucrative data used for targeted online advertising, which is of particular importance to technology companies. 
 
Brussels and Washington intensified negotiations to hammer out a replacement for Safe Harbour after the Court of Justice of the European Union in October declared it invalid because it did not sufficiently protect Europeans&#39; data from US snooping. 
 
Revelations three years ago from former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden of mass US surveillance practices caused political outrage in Europe and stoked mistrust of big US tech companies. 
 
&quot;It (the Privacy Shield) is fundamentally different from the old Safe Harbour: It imposes clear and strong obligations on companies handling the data and makes sure that these rules are followed and enforced in practice,&quot; Ansip and Jourova said. 
 
The United States will also create an ombudsman within the State Department to field complaints from EU citizens about US spying. 
 
EU data protection authorities in April demanded that the framework be improved, citing concerns with the leeway they said it left for the United States to collect data in bulk. 
 
(Reuters)

The Privacy Shield will underpin over $250 billion of transatlantic trade in digital services by facilitating crucial data transfers

A commercial data transfer pact provisionally agreed by the European Union executive and the United States in February received the green light from EU governments on Friday, the European Commission said, paving the way for it to come into effect next week. Its introduction should end months of legal limbo for companies such as Google, Facebook and MasterCard after the EU's top court struck down the previous data transfer framework, Safe Harbour, on concerns about intrusive U.S. surveillance. Representatives of European Union member states voted in favour of the EU-US Privacy Shield, which will underpin over $250 billion of transatlantic trade in digital services by facilitating cross-border data transfers that are crucial to international business. "Today member states have given their strong support to the EU-US Privacy Shield, the renewed safe framework for transatlantic data flows," Commission vice-president Andrus Ansip and justice commissioner Vera Jourova said in a statement. The Commission, the EU executive, will formally adopt the Privacy Shield on Tuesday. The Privacy Shield seeks to strengthen the protection of Europeans whose data is moved to US servers by giving EU citizens greater means to seek redress in case of disputes. For 15 years Safe Harbour allowed both US and European firms to get around tough EU data transferral rules by stating they complied with European privacy standards when storing information on US servers. Cross-border data transfers by businesses include payroll and human resources information as well as lucrative data used for targeted online advertising, which is of particular importance to technology companies. Brussels and Washington intensified negotiations to hammer out a replacement for Safe Harbour after the Court of Justice of the European Union in October declared it invalid because it did not sufficiently protect Europeans' data from US snooping. Revelations three years ago from former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden of mass US surveillance practices caused political outrage in Europe and stoked mistrust of big US tech companies. "It (the Privacy Shield) is fundamentally different from the old Safe Harbour: It imposes clear and strong obligations on companies handling the data and makes sure that these rules are followed and enforced in practice," Ansip and Jourova said. The United States will also create an ombudsman within the State Department to field complaints from EU citizens about US spying. EU data protection authorities in April demanded that the framework be improved, citing concerns with the leeway they said it left for the United States to collect data in bulk. (Reuters)

EU-US commercial data transfer pact clears final hurdle

The US Federal Aviation Administration restricted airspace over Dallas after gunmen shot at least 11 police officers in the Texan city, killing four during a protest over police shootings of black men. 
 
&quot;No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM,&quot; the FAA Notice to Airmen read. 
 
&quot;Only relief aircraft operations under direction of Dallas Police Department are authorised in the airspace,&quot; it added.&nbsp; 
 
The restrictions, which are due to last from 0335 to 1130 GMT cover a radius of 2.5 nautical miles. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'Only relief aircraft operations under direction of Dallas Police Department are authorised in the airspace'

The US Federal Aviation Administration restricted airspace over Dallas after gunmen shot at least 11 police officers in the Texan city, killing four during a protest over police shootings of black men. "No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM," the FAA Notice to Airmen read. "Only relief aircraft operations under direction of Dallas Police Department are authorised in the airspace," it added. The restrictions, which are due to last from 0335 to 1130 GMT cover a radius of 2.5 nautical miles. (AFP)

US aviation authorities restrict flights over Dallas in wake of deadly shooting

Oil prices rebounded in Asia today after tanking nearly five per cent the day before on fresh worries about an oversupply, while traders await the release of key US jobs data. 
 
The commodity plunged Thursday in response to official figures showing US commercial inventories fell less than expected last week, indicating softer demand in the world&#39;s top oil consumer as the crucial driving season kicks in. 
 
The data added to an already downbeat mood on markets as investors worry about the longer-term fallout from Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union (EU). 
 
At around 0650 GMT, the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was up 26 cents, or 0.58 per cent, at $45.40 and Brent gained 32 cents, or 0.69 per cent, to $46.72. 
 
WTI plunged 4.8 per cent and Brent sank 4.9 per cent on Thursday after the US Department of Energy (DoE) reported stockpiles fell 2.2 million barrels in the week ending July 1. The market was expecting a 2.5 million barrel drop, according to Bloomberg News. 
 
Both contracts are more than six per cent lower down from last Friday. 
 
The DoE also reported a much smaller than expected decline in petrol stockpiles during the peak summer driving season when Americans take to the road for their holidays. Gasoline stockpiles fell 100,000 barrels, well below the forecast 350,000. 
 
IG Markets analyst Bernard Aw said traders were looking for bargains after Thursday&#39;s &quot;substantial drop&quot; in prices, but added the oversupply concerns will linger. 
 
&quot;What&#39;s even more important was the lack of decline in the gasoline inventories, given that the summer driving season in the US still has two more months to go,&quot; Aw said. 
 
&quot;Traders now fear that we could see a worsening of the supply overhang when summer is over,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Prices were also given some support after a militant group in Nigeria, Africa&#39;s biggest oil producer, said it attacked more oil infrastructure in the country&#39;s south, ignoring a call for unity from President Muhammadu Buhari. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The data added to an already downbeat mood on markets as investors worry about the longer-term Brexit fallout

Oil prices rebounded in Asia today after tanking nearly five per cent the day before on fresh worries about an oversupply, while traders await the release of key US jobs data. The commodity plunged Thursday in response to official figures showing US commercial inventories fell less than expected last week, indicating softer demand in the world's top oil consumer as the crucial driving season kicks in. The data added to an already downbeat mood on markets as investors worry about the longer-term fallout from Britain's vote to leave the European Union (EU). At around 0650 GMT, the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was up 26 cents, or 0.58 per cent, at $45.40 and Brent gained 32 cents, or 0.69 per cent, to $46.72. WTI plunged 4.8 per cent and Brent sank 4.9 per cent on Thursday after the US Department of Energy (DoE) reported stockpiles fell 2.2 million barrels in the week ending July 1. The market was expecting a 2.5 million barrel drop, according to Bloomberg News. Both contracts are more than six per cent lower down from last Friday. The DoE also reported a much smaller than expected decline in petrol stockpiles during the peak summer driving season when Americans take to the road for their holidays. Gasoline stockpiles fell 100,000 barrels, well below the forecast 350,000. IG Markets analyst Bernard Aw said traders were looking for bargains after Thursday's "substantial drop" in prices, but added the oversupply concerns will linger. "What's even more important was the lack of decline in the gasoline inventories, given that the summer driving season in the US still has two more months to go," Aw said. "Traders now fear that we could see a worsening of the supply overhang when summer is over," he added. Prices were also given some support after a militant group in Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, said it attacked more oil infrastructure in the country's south, ignoring a call for unity from President Muhammadu Buhari. (AFP)

Oil prices rebound in Asia as investors await key US jobs data

The US State Department will restart its investigation into Hillary Clinton&#39;s handling of classified material as Secretary of State. Earlier this week, the FBI said that Democratic Presidential nominee Clinton will not face criminal charges over her use of private email. 
 
The FBI said that although she had sent and received sensitive material there was no evidence of intent. Now that the inquiry is over, the State Department will reopen its review. 
 
State Department spokesperson John Kirby said the department will aim to be as expeditious as possible. He said former officials can still face administrative sanctions.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

State Department spokesperson John Kirby said the department will aim to be as expeditious as possible

The US State Department will restart its investigation into Hillary Clinton's handling of classified material as Secretary of State. Earlier this week, the FBI said that Democratic Presidential nominee Clinton will not face criminal charges over her use of private email. The FBI said that although she had sent and received sensitive material there was no evidence of intent. Now that the inquiry is over, the State Department will reopen its review. State Department spokesperson John Kirby said the department will aim to be as expeditious as possible. He said former officials can still face administrative sanctions. (ANI)

US State Department restarts Hillary Clinton email probe

Australia will pay an extra $300 million to help develop Afghanistan&#39;s security forces, the government said on Friday ahead of a NATO leaders&#39; summit in Warsaw, where tenuous security in Afghanistan will be a central discussion topic. 
 
Australia, a firm US ally in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, had originally pledged $500 million from 2010-2017 but will now provide an extra $100 million annually until 2020. 
 
The announcement of extra funding came two days after US President Barack Obama said he had decided to postpone plans to cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan almost in half by the end of the year, instead keeping 8,400 troops there from January. 
 
There are also another 3,000 international troops serving in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. 
 
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited Kabul in January, and the Australian Defence Force announced two months later its troops would remain there for at least another three years. About 270 Australian troops are serving in the NATO-led force. 
 
No senior Australian government members will attend the Warsaw summit, with a cliffhanger nation election a week ago still without a clear result. 
 
The $100 million annual commitment comprises an $80 million contribution to the Afghan National Army and $20 million for the Afghan police. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The announcement came two days after US President said he had decided to postpone plans to cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan

Australia will pay an extra $300 million to help develop Afghanistan's security forces, the government said on Friday ahead of a NATO leaders' summit in Warsaw, where tenuous security in Afghanistan will be a central discussion topic. Australia, a firm US ally in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, had originally pledged $500 million from 2010-2017 but will now provide an extra $100 million annually until 2020. The announcement of extra funding came two days after US President Barack Obama said he had decided to postpone plans to cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan almost in half by the end of the year, instead keeping 8,400 troops there from January. There are also another 3,000 international troops serving in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited Kabul in January, and the Australian Defence Force announced two months later its troops would remain there for at least another three years. About 270 Australian troops are serving in the NATO-led force. No senior Australian government members will attend the Warsaw summit, with a cliffhanger nation election a week ago still without a clear result. The $100 million annual commitment comprises an $80 million contribution to the Afghan National Army and $20 million for the Afghan police. (Reuters)

Ahead of NATO summit, Australia pledges extra $300 million for Afghan security forces

President Barack Obama&#39;s decision to withdraw roughly 1,400 US troops from Afghanistan won&#39;t adversely impact America&#39;s mission there, a top general said before arriving in Kabul on Friday, adding that some jobs could be done from abroad. 
 
Obama on Wednesday shelved his plans to cut the US force nearly in half by year&#39;s end, from 9,800 to 5,500. He opted instead for a more limited withdrawal to roughly 8,400 troops, noting that Afghan forces still needed US support battling the Taliban insurgency after nearly 15 years of war. 
 
In his first comments since Obama&#39;s announcement, General Joseph Votel, the head of the US military&#39;s Central Command, played down any impact of the looming troop withdrawal even as he acknowledged Afghan forces were suffering heavy casualties. 
 
A recent Pentagon report to Congress said casualties among Afghan forces rose 27 per cent from January 1 to November 15 last year. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s difficult. They are taking a lot of casualties. That is a concern. We&#39;ll have to pay attention to that,&quot; Votel told a small group of reporters traveling with him to Afghanistan.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;But I don&#39;t think the reductions that we are taking are going to impact the principal missions that we are doing, particularly with respect to the Afghan security forces,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Taliban forces now hold more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion, according to recent UN estimates. 
 
The Islamic State group has also established a small presence in Afghanistan. 
 
Republican critics of Obama questioned why, given Afghanistan&#39;s security concerns, he was still intent on cutting the force at all. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain said it was difficult to discern &quot;any strategic rationale&quot; for the cut. 
 
Votel noted that Obama&#39;s decision to keep 8,400 troops in the country was welcomed by allies, who are expected to broadly reaffirm their commitments to Afghanistan at a NATO summit on Warsaw on Friday and Saturday. 
 
&quot;It sends a very hopeful message here for the coalition and I think it will encourage our partners to continue to contribute,&quot; Votel said. 
 
Votel suggested the drawdown might take place gradually over coming months, with some support for the US forces in Afghanistan being drawn from outside the country. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re going to achieve those reductions by moving some capabilities out that can be conducted over the horizon - that don&rsquo;t necessarily need to be done in Afghanistan - to support the force,&quot; he said, without elaborating.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

According to recent UN estimates, Taliban forces now hold more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion

President Barack Obama's decision to withdraw roughly 1,400 US troops from Afghanistan won't adversely impact America's mission there, a top general said before arriving in Kabul on Friday, adding that some jobs could be done from abroad. Obama on Wednesday shelved his plans to cut the US force nearly in half by year's end, from 9,800 to 5,500. He opted instead for a more limited withdrawal to roughly 8,400 troops, noting that Afghan forces still needed US support battling the Taliban insurgency after nearly 15 years of war. In his first comments since Obama's announcement, General Joseph Votel, the head of the US military's Central Command, played down any impact of the looming troop withdrawal even as he acknowledged Afghan forces were suffering heavy casualties. A recent Pentagon report to Congress said casualties among Afghan forces rose 27 per cent from January 1 to November 15 last year. "It's difficult. They are taking a lot of casualties. That is a concern. We'll have to pay attention to that," Votel told a small group of reporters traveling with him to Afghanistan. "But I don't think the reductions that we are taking are going to impact the principal missions that we are doing, particularly with respect to the Afghan security forces," he added. Taliban forces now hold more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion, according to recent UN estimates. The Islamic State group has also established a small presence in Afghanistan. Republican critics of Obama questioned why, given Afghanistan's security concerns, he was still intent on cutting the force at all. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain said it was difficult to discern "any strategic rationale" for the cut. Votel noted that Obama's decision to keep 8,400 troops in the country was welcomed by allies, who are expected to broadly reaffirm their commitments to Afghanistan at a NATO summit on Warsaw on Friday and Saturday. "It sends a very hopeful message here for the coalition and I think it will encourage our partners to continue to contribute," Votel said. Votel suggested the drawdown might take place gradually over coming months, with some support for the US forces in Afghanistan being drawn from outside the country. "We're going to achieve those reductions by moving some capabilities out that can be conducted over the horizon - that don’t necessarily need to be done in Afghanistan - to support the force," he said, without elaborating. (Reuters)

'US troop cut won't impact principal missions in Afghanistan'

The parents of an American student who went missing in Rome only to be found dead in the Tiber River met with Pope Francis on Wednesday, as video evidence emerged of the last moments of his life. 
 
The Argentine expressed his &quot;profound emotion&quot; over the death of Beau Solomon, 19, who Italian police believe was killed during a late-night drunken skirmish with a homeless man, who pushed him into the river. 
 
The pontiff, who met Solomon&#39;s parents at the start of an audience with French pilgrims, assured them of his &quot;compassion and spiritual closeness through prayer&quot;, Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a note. 
 
The teenager&#39;s body was found on Monday after he disappeared in the early hours of Friday following an evening out in the hip Trastevere district near the Tiber with fellow foreign students. 
 
Investigators believe Solomon, in Rome for a five-week summer course at the John Cabot University, was robbed before his death, forced to hand over his wallet and mobile phone. 
 
He is then thought to have chased after the thieves, following them to the river. 
 
It is there he apparently ran into and brawled with 40-year-old homeless Italian Massimo Galioto, who was arrested on Tuesday for manslaughter. 
 
After witnesses told police they had seen a man being thrown into the water following a drunken altercation, a grainy video emerged, filmed by the owner of a summer festival stall still open on the opposite bank, which showed Galioto and Solomon. 
 
And footage recovered from a security camera in the area captures the moment the Wisconsin youngster fell in the river. 
 
Solomon&#39;s bank card was used in the days he went missing 
 
Galioto&#39;s companion, with whom he shared a tent on the embankment, told journalists he had not meant to hurt the student. 
 
&quot;They began to argue. They were pushing each other. Massimo pushed him, the boy pushed back, and then he fell in,&quot; she said. 
 
The young sports fan, who reportedly survived a rare form of cancer as a child and hoped to enter politics after university, suffered a wound to the head and his shirt was bloodied. 
 
Police suspect he may have hit his head on a rock when he fell. 
 
Galioto was detained for questioning over the weekend with seven fellow homeless people from the area, but was initially released, before being arrested after he was implicated by the rest of the group. 
 
The Repubblica daily said prosecutor Marcello Monteleone was investigating whether Solomon had been a victim of a criminal gang specialised in robbing tourists before his death. 
 
His bank card was used in the days he was missing by someone who withdrew over 1,500 euros ($1,675) in Milan. 
 
The Repubblica also carried an interview it had done last year with Galioto, on being a homeless man in Rome, in which he described life in his tent with his companion and their mongrel dogs. 
 
The self-declared former fishmonger said his world fell apart when he caught his wife in bed with another man. 
 
He severed all ties with his family, including his now 17-year old son, and was making what money he could through street juggling, before the arrest warrant fell. 
 
(AFP)

Italian police believe the student was killed during a late-night drunken skirmish with a homeless man

The parents of an American student who went missing in Rome only to be found dead in the Tiber River met with Pope Francis on Wednesday, as video evidence emerged of the last moments of his life. The Argentine expressed his "profound emotion" over the death of Beau Solomon, 19, who Italian police believe was killed during a late-night drunken skirmish with a homeless man, who pushed him into the river. The pontiff, who met Solomon's parents at the start of an audience with French pilgrims, assured them of his "compassion and spiritual closeness through prayer", Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a note. The teenager's body was found on Monday after he disappeared in the early hours of Friday following an evening out in the hip Trastevere district near the Tiber with fellow foreign students. Investigators believe Solomon, in Rome for a five-week summer course at the John Cabot University, was robbed before his death, forced to hand over his wallet and mobile phone. He is then thought to have chased after the thieves, following them to the river. It is there he apparently ran into and brawled with 40-year-old homeless Italian Massimo Galioto, who was arrested on Tuesday for manslaughter. After witnesses told police they had seen a man being thrown into the water following a drunken altercation, a grainy video emerged, filmed by the owner of a summer festival stall still open on the opposite bank, which showed Galioto and Solomon. And footage recovered from a security camera in the area captures the moment the Wisconsin youngster fell in the river. Solomon's bank card was used in the days he went missing Galioto's companion, with whom he shared a tent on the embankment, told journalists he had not meant to hurt the student. "They began to argue. They were pushing each other. Massimo pushed him, the boy pushed back, and then he fell in," she said. The young sports fan, who reportedly survived a rare form of cancer as a child and hoped to enter politics after university, suffered a wound to the head and his shirt was bloodied. Police suspect he may have hit his head on a rock when he fell. Galioto was detained for questioning over the weekend with seven fellow homeless people from the area, but was initially released, before being arrested after he was implicated by the rest of the group. The Repubblica daily said prosecutor Marcello Monteleone was investigating whether Solomon had been a victim of a criminal gang specialised in robbing tourists before his death. His bank card was used in the days he was missing by someone who withdrew over 1,500 euros ($1,675) in Milan. The Repubblica also carried an interview it had done last year with Galioto, on being a homeless man in Rome, in which he described life in his tent with his companion and their mongrel dogs. The self-declared former fishmonger said his world fell apart when he caught his wife in bed with another man. He severed all ties with his family, including his now 17-year old son, and was making what money he could through street juggling, before the arrest warrant fell. (AFP)

Pope meets parents of US student killed in Rome

Donald Trump has praised late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for killing off &quot;terrorists&quot;, reprising previous comments in support of dictators in the Middle East and earning a swift rebuke from White House rival Hillary Clinton. 
 
The United States &quot;shouldn&#39;t have destabilised&quot; Iraq, now a hotbed for the Islamic State (IS) group 13 years after the US-led invasion, said Trump, who showed lukewarm support for the war before it took place and later opposed it. 
 
&quot;He was a bad guy -- really bad guy. But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good,&quot; Trump told supporters. 
 
&quot;They didn&#39;t read them the rights. They didn&#39;t talk. They were terrorists. It was over. Today, Iraq is Harvard for terrorism,&quot; the Republican firebrand added, referring to the prestigious US university. 
 
Rival Clinton&#39;s campaign pounces after remark&nbsp; 
 
Shortly after the remarks, Clinton&#39;s campaign pounced on Trump&#39;s apparent support of a strongman, who was hanged in Iraq in 2006 for ordering the sectarian killings of nearly 150 Shiites two decades earlier. 
 
&quot;Tonight, Trump yet again lauded Saddam Hussein as a great killer of terrorists, noting with approval that he never bothered to read anyone their rights. In reality, Hussein&#39;s regime was a sponsor of terrorism,&quot; Clinton&#39;s senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Trump&#39;s cavalier compliments for brutal dictators, and the twisted lessons he seems to have learned from their history, again demonstrate how dangerous he would be as Commander-in-Chief and how unworthy he is of the office he seeks,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Republican speaker calls Saddam &#39;one of 20th century&#39;s most evil people&#39; 
 
Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, did not back Trump when asked about the comments.&nbsp;Saddam &quot;was one of the 20th century`s most evil people. He was up there, and he committed mass genocide against his own people using chemical weapons. Saddam Hussein was a bad guy,&quot; Ryan said on Fox News. 
 
Last year, Trump said the world would be &quot;100 per cent&quot; better off if Saddam and slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were still in power, adding that human rights abuses are &quot;worse than they ever were&quot; in Iraq and Libya. 
 
&quot;I mean, look at Libya. Look at Iraq. Iraq used to be no terrorists. He (Saddam) would kill the terrorists immediately, which is like now it`s the Harvard of terrorism,&quot; Trump said at the time.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Last year, Trump said the world would be '100%' better off if Saddam and slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were still in power

Donald Trump has praised late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for killing off "terrorists", reprising previous comments in support of dictators in the Middle East and earning a swift rebuke from White House rival Hillary Clinton. The United States "shouldn't have destabilised" Iraq, now a hotbed for the Islamic State (IS) group 13 years after the US-led invasion, said Trump, who showed lukewarm support for the war before it took place and later opposed it. "He was a bad guy -- really bad guy. But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good," Trump told supporters. "They didn't read them the rights. They didn't talk. They were terrorists. It was over. Today, Iraq is Harvard for terrorism," the Republican firebrand added, referring to the prestigious US university. Rival Clinton's campaign pounces after remark Shortly after the remarks, Clinton's campaign pounced on Trump's apparent support of a strongman, who was hanged in Iraq in 2006 for ordering the sectarian killings of nearly 150 Shiites two decades earlier. "Tonight, Trump yet again lauded Saddam Hussein as a great killer of terrorists, noting with approval that he never bothered to read anyone their rights. In reality, Hussein's regime was a sponsor of terrorism," Clinton's senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. "Trump's cavalier compliments for brutal dictators, and the twisted lessons he seems to have learned from their history, again demonstrate how dangerous he would be as Commander-in-Chief and how unworthy he is of the office he seeks," he added. Republican speaker calls Saddam 'one of 20th century's most evil people' Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, did not back Trump when asked about the comments. Saddam "was one of the 20th century`s most evil people. He was up there, and he committed mass genocide against his own people using chemical weapons. Saddam Hussein was a bad guy," Ryan said on Fox News. Last year, Trump said the world would be "100 per cent" better off if Saddam and slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were still in power, adding that human rights abuses are "worse than they ever were" in Iraq and Libya. "I mean, look at Libya. Look at Iraq. Iraq used to be no terrorists. He (Saddam) would kill the terrorists immediately, which is like now it`s the Harvard of terrorism," Trump said at the time. (AFP)

Trump hails Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for 'killing terrorists'

Dozens of protesters in Louisiana yesterday chanted slogans and held up signs demanding justice for a black man fatally shot in an altercation with two police officers hours earlier, video postings on social media showed. 
 
The shooting comes at a time of fierce national debate and heightened scrutiny over the use of excessive force by police, especially against black men, in major US cities, such as New York, Baltimore and Chicago. 
 
Posts on Twitter showed the demonstrators gathered outside the Triple S Food Mart convenience store in Baton Rouge, where, police said in a statement, the man, Alton Sterling, 37, was shot by officers soon after midnight. 
 
&quot;No justice, no peace,&quot; chanted the protesters, who held up signs and occasionally blocked traffic, in images transmitted by media outlets in Baton Rouge. 
 
Police officials were not immediately available to comment on the shooting or the protest. Reuters could not immediately trace relatives of Sterling, or a representative, to seek comment. 
 
The altercation was reported outside a convenience store&nbsp; 
 
At about 12:30 am on Tuesday, two police officers responded to a disturbance at the convenience store where they encountered Sterling, the Baton Rouge Police Department said. 
 
Sterling was shot in the ensuing altercation and died at the scene. The officers where placed on administrative leave, police said. 
 
Several news stations on Tuesday evening aired what they said was cell phone video of the incident. It showed an officer using a stun gun on a red-shirted black man in a store parking lot and ordering him to get on the ground. 
 
The two officers then tackled the man to the ground, and one pulled a gun from his holster to point it at the man&#39;s chest, the video showed. 
 
At least three gunshots then ring out on the video clip, followed by the sound of a woman screaming and crying and a man asking whether &quot;they shot him.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The shooting comes at a time of fierce national debate over use of excessive force by police, especially against black men

Dozens of protesters in Louisiana yesterday chanted slogans and held up signs demanding justice for a black man fatally shot in an altercation with two police officers hours earlier, video postings on social media showed. The shooting comes at a time of fierce national debate and heightened scrutiny over the use of excessive force by police, especially against black men, in major US cities, such as New York, Baltimore and Chicago. Posts on Twitter showed the demonstrators gathered outside the Triple S Food Mart convenience store in Baton Rouge, where, police said in a statement, the man, Alton Sterling, 37, was shot by officers soon after midnight. "No justice, no peace," chanted the protesters, who held up signs and occasionally blocked traffic, in images transmitted by media outlets in Baton Rouge. Police officials were not immediately available to comment on the shooting or the protest. Reuters could not immediately trace relatives of Sterling, or a representative, to seek comment. The altercation was reported outside a convenience store At about 12:30 am on Tuesday, two police officers responded to a disturbance at the convenience store where they encountered Sterling, the Baton Rouge Police Department said. Sterling was shot in the ensuing altercation and died at the scene. The officers where placed on administrative leave, police said. Several news stations on Tuesday evening aired what they said was cell phone video of the incident. It showed an officer using a stun gun on a red-shirted black man in a store parking lot and ordering him to get on the ground. The two officers then tackled the man to the ground, and one pulled a gun from his holster to point it at the man's chest, the video showed. At least three gunshots then ring out on the video clip, followed by the sound of a woman screaming and crying and a man asking whether "they shot him." (Reuters)

Protests erupt in Louisiana after black man gets fatally shot during altercation with police

Gold rose as much as 1 per cent today, hitting the highest in more than two years, as investors piled back into safe havens such as bullion amid renewed market jitters over Britain&#39;s decision to leave the European Union (EU).&nbsp; 
 
Asian shares also tumbled as fears over instability in the EU returned with a vengeance, sending the pound to three-decade low and hammering risky assets. 
 
Spot gold touched its highest since March 2014 at $1,371.40, and was trading up 0.9 per cent at $1,367.20 an ounce by 0401 GMT. It surpassed the $1,358.20 mark hit on June 24 in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit vote. 
 
US gold was up 0.8 per cent at $1,369.40. 
 
&quot;No one is able to understand how much risk is yet to be unravelled (from Brexit). That is an uncertainty that no one likes. This is what is driving gold prices higher,&quot; said Helen Lau, an analyst at Argonaut Securities in Hong Kong. 
 
Yellow metal is on track to log its biggest yearly gain since 2010&nbsp; 
 
The Bank of England took steps on Tuesday to ensure British banks keep lending as the financial consequences of the decision to leave the EU began to materialise. 
 
The yellow metal, often favoured as a hedge against economic and financial uncertainty, has risen about 29 per cent this year and is on track to log its biggest yearly gain since 2010. 
 
Further boosting gold, were comments from New York Federal Reserve President William Dudley, who said that the central bank can be patient on raising interest rates due to low inflation and uncertainties over US economic prospects. 
 
New orders for US factory goods fell in May on weak demand for transportation and defence capital goods, but growing order backlogs and lean inventories suggested the worst of the manufacturing downturn was probably over. 
 
Investors will be watching out for signs on the US Federal Reserve&#39;s thinking on rates from minutes of its June 14-15 meeting due later in the day. 
 
Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust, the world&#39;s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, increased 3.02 per cent to 982.72 tonnes on Tuesday, the highest since June 2013. 
 
SPDR gold holdings have jumped more than 50 per cent this year so far, heading for biggest annual rise since 2006. 
 
Spot silver&#39;s rally hit a bump on Tuesday as the metal fell 2 per cent, its biggest one-day loss in about three weeks. It was up 1.7 per cent at $20.26. 
 
Among other precious metals, platinum, which was trading at two-month highs, edged 0.2 per cent lower to $1,070.24 an ounce. 
 
Palladium was up 0.3 per cent at $599.47. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Asian shares also tumbled as fears over instability in the EU returned with a vengeance, sending the pound to three-decade low

Gold rose as much as 1 per cent today, hitting the highest in more than two years, as investors piled back into safe havens such as bullion amid renewed market jitters over Britain's decision to leave the European Union (EU). Asian shares also tumbled as fears over instability in the EU returned with a vengeance, sending the pound to three-decade low and hammering risky assets. Spot gold touched its highest since March 2014 at $1,371.40, and was trading up 0.9 per cent at $1,367.20 an ounce by 0401 GMT. It surpassed the $1,358.20 mark hit on June 24 in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit vote. US gold was up 0.8 per cent at $1,369.40. "No one is able to understand how much risk is yet to be unravelled (from Brexit). That is an uncertainty that no one likes. This is what is driving gold prices higher," said Helen Lau, an analyst at Argonaut Securities in Hong Kong. Yellow metal is on track to log its biggest yearly gain since 2010 The Bank of England took steps on Tuesday to ensure British banks keep lending as the financial consequences of the decision to leave the EU began to materialise. The yellow metal, often favoured as a hedge against economic and financial uncertainty, has risen about 29 per cent this year and is on track to log its biggest yearly gain since 2010. Further boosting gold, were comments from New York Federal Reserve President William Dudley, who said that the central bank can be patient on raising interest rates due to low inflation and uncertainties over US economic prospects. New orders for US factory goods fell in May on weak demand for transportation and defence capital goods, but growing order backlogs and lean inventories suggested the worst of the manufacturing downturn was probably over. Investors will be watching out for signs on the US Federal Reserve's thinking on rates from minutes of its June 14-15 meeting due later in the day. Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, increased 3.02 per cent to 982.72 tonnes on Tuesday, the highest since June 2013. SPDR gold holdings have jumped more than 50 per cent this year so far, heading for biggest annual rise since 2006. Spot silver's rally hit a bump on Tuesday as the metal fell 2 per cent, its biggest one-day loss in about three weeks. It was up 1.7 per cent at $20.26. Among other precious metals, platinum, which was trading at two-month highs, edged 0.2 per cent lower to $1,070.24 an ounce. Palladium was up 0.3 per cent at $599.47. (Reuters)

Gold at highest in over two years over renewed Brexit concerns

Crisis-hit Venezuela is willing to restore diplomatic relations with the United States after a six-year freeze, the socialist government said on Monday. 
 
The foreign ministry&#39;s announcement came two weeks after top US diplomat Thomas Shannon met with Venezuela&#39;s President Nicolas Maduro in a bid to help tackle the country`s economic and political crisis. 
 
In a message congratulating the United States on its Independence Day commemoration, the ministry expressed its &quot;willingness to establish respectful bilateral diplomatic relations.&quot; 
 
The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010 due to tensions between Washington and the government of Hugo Chavez, Maduro&#39;s mentor and late predecessor. 
 
Like Chavez before him, Maduro has frequently accused Washington of interfering in Venezuela`s internal affairs and seeking his overthrow. 
 
The United States has expressed concern over the crisis in Venezuela, saying Maduro`s opponents have a right to organise a referendum on removing him from power, which they hope to do this year. 
 
Future diplomatic relations should be guided by international law and &quot;principles such as sovereign equality of states and the people`s right to self-determination,&quot; the ministry`s statement said. 
 
(AFP)

The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010 due to tensions between Washington and the government of Hugo Chavez

Crisis-hit Venezuela is willing to restore diplomatic relations with the United States after a six-year freeze, the socialist government said on Monday. The foreign ministry's announcement came two weeks after top US diplomat Thomas Shannon met with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in a bid to help tackle the country`s economic and political crisis. In a message congratulating the United States on its Independence Day commemoration, the ministry expressed its "willingness to establish respectful bilateral diplomatic relations." The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010 due to tensions between Washington and the government of Hugo Chavez, Maduro's mentor and late predecessor. Like Chavez before him, Maduro has frequently accused Washington of interfering in Venezuela`s internal affairs and seeking his overthrow. The United States has expressed concern over the crisis in Venezuela, saying Maduro`s opponents have a right to organise a referendum on removing him from power, which they hope to do this year. Future diplomatic relations should be guided by international law and "principles such as sovereign equality of states and the people`s right to self-determination," the ministry`s statement said. (AFP)

After six-year freeze, Venezuela willing to restore diplomatic ties with US

The United States celebrates Fourth of July on Monday with parades, hotdog eating contests and fireworks shows amid heightened security because of concerns about terrorism in New York and timeworn holiday gun violence in Chicago. 
 
Millions of Americans will mark independence from Britain with celebrations as boisterous as a music-packed party by country music legend Willie Nelson for 10,000 people at a race track in Austin, Texas and as staid as colonial-era costumed actors reading the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives in Washington.&nbsp; 
 
NYPD&#39;s human presence to be increased by 2,000 officers 
 
History may be in the making in the traditional hotdog-eating contest at New York&#39;s Coney Island. Joey &quot;Jaws&quot; Chestnut - a world record holder who ate 69 hotdogs in 10 minutes - attempts to regain his Mustard Yellow International Belt from Matt Stonie, who last year ended Chestnut`s run of eight straight victories. 
 
With the holiday taking place days after the attack at Istanbul&#39;s international airport, the New York Police Department (NYPD) will deploy eight new canines known as vapor wake dogs, trained to sniff out body-worn explosives, Commissioner Bill Bratton said on Friday. 
 
The department`s human presence this holiday will be increased by nearly 2,000 new officers who graduated Friday from the New York City Police Academy.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;As we always have the capacity in New York to put out a lot of resources, that`s the name of the game, in dealing with terrorist threats,&quot; Bratton said.&nbsp; 
 
Police in Chicago, which has seen a spike in gun murders this year, announced a stepped up presence with more than 5,000 officers on patrol over the long weekend, traditionally one of the year`s most violent, said Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. Local media reported on Friday that 24 people had been shot over the past 24 hours, three fatally. 
 
Pyrotechnic shows cancelled to prevent fires&nbsp; 
 
Dry weather forecasts across the country thrilled fireworks lovers, although some spots in Michigan have been so rain-starved that pyrotechnic shows were canceled in a handful of communities near Detroit to prevent fires.&nbsp; 
 
NFL star Jason Pierre-Paul, who lost fingers as one of the 12,000 people injured and 11 killed in fireworks accidents last year, appeared in a public service announcement ahead of the 2016 holiday to urge greater caution. 
 
&quot;I lit up a firework, thought I could throw it away real quick and in a split second it blew off my whole hand,&quot; the New York Giants defensive end said in the spot produced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Millions of Americans mark independence from Britain with myriad contests and boisterous celebrations

The United States celebrates Fourth of July on Monday with parades, hotdog eating contests and fireworks shows amid heightened security because of concerns about terrorism in New York and timeworn holiday gun violence in Chicago. Millions of Americans will mark independence from Britain with celebrations as boisterous as a music-packed party by country music legend Willie Nelson for 10,000 people at a race track in Austin, Texas and as staid as colonial-era costumed actors reading the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives in Washington. NYPD's human presence to be increased by 2,000 officers History may be in the making in the traditional hotdog-eating contest at New York's Coney Island. Joey "Jaws" Chestnut - a world record holder who ate 69 hotdogs in 10 minutes - attempts to regain his Mustard Yellow International Belt from Matt Stonie, who last year ended Chestnut`s run of eight straight victories. With the holiday taking place days after the attack at Istanbul's international airport, the New York Police Department (NYPD) will deploy eight new canines known as vapor wake dogs, trained to sniff out body-worn explosives, Commissioner Bill Bratton said on Friday. The department`s human presence this holiday will be increased by nearly 2,000 new officers who graduated Friday from the New York City Police Academy. "As we always have the capacity in New York to put out a lot of resources, that`s the name of the game, in dealing with terrorist threats," Bratton said. Police in Chicago, which has seen a spike in gun murders this year, announced a stepped up presence with more than 5,000 officers on patrol over the long weekend, traditionally one of the year`s most violent, said Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. Local media reported on Friday that 24 people had been shot over the past 24 hours, three fatally. Pyrotechnic shows cancelled to prevent fires Dry weather forecasts across the country thrilled fireworks lovers, although some spots in Michigan have been so rain-starved that pyrotechnic shows were canceled in a handful of communities near Detroit to prevent fires. NFL star Jason Pierre-Paul, who lost fingers as one of the 12,000 people injured and 11 killed in fireworks accidents last year, appeared in a public service announcement ahead of the 2016 holiday to urge greater caution. "I lit up a firework, thought I could throw it away real quick and in a split second it blew off my whole hand," the New York Giants defensive end said in the spot produced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. (Reuters)

Amid heightened security over terrorism concerns, US celebrates Fourth of July

Two decades after Scotland&#39;s Dolly, the sheep, became the first cloned mammal, consumers may well wonder whether they are drinking milk or eating meat from cookie-cutter cows or their offspring. 
 
The simple answer: &quot;probably&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
The fact is, there is no way to know for sure, say experts, even in Europe, which has come closer to banning livestock cloning than anywhere else in the world. 
 
With the possible exception of the ram sacrificed by Abraham in the Bible, Dolly must be the world&#39;s most famous sheep.&nbsp;The ewe&#39;s birth in an Edinburgh laboratory on July 5, 1996 was front-page news, provoking hype and hand-wringing in equal parts.&nbsp; 
 
For the most part, cloning turned out to be a dead end. 
 
But there is one sector in which Dolly&#39;s legacy is alive and well: the duplication of prize breeding animals. 
 
How aggressively the private sector has developed this niche market has depended in a large part on national or regional regulations, with key differences between the United States, China and the European Union.&quot;The most dramatic impact of the cloning of Dolly has been on animal cloning in the United States,&quot; said Aaron Levine, an expert in bioethics and cloning at Georgia Tech. 
 
In 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration concluded that &quot;food from cattle, swine and goat clones is as safe to eat as food from any other cattle, swine or goat&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;Cloned animals are not intended to enter food supply directly&#39; 
 
Not even scientists can distinguish a healthy clone from a conventionally bred animal, the regulatory agency said. 
 
There are no requirements to label meat or milk from a cloned animal or its offspring, whether sold domestically or abroad. 
 
For the industry, the aim was never to set up assembly-line production -- cloning is difficult and expensive at more than 10,000 Euros ($11,000) a pop, and the success rate low, with few clones surviving to birth. 
 
So the focus, instead, is on copying genetically outstanding specimens so they may naturally sire exceptional progeny. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s fairly widespread in US to use cloning to produce breeding stock,&quot; said Levine. &quot;Cloned animals are not intended to enter the food supply directly.&quot; 
 
&quot;I suspect some may have,&quot; he added. 
 
US companies typically produce hundreds or few thousand clones per year&nbsp; 
 
Among the leaders in commercial livestock cloning in the US are Cyagra, based in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and ViaGen, in Austin, Texas. 
 
At least one company, ViaGen, also provides services for copying cherished cats and dogs. US companies typically produce hundreds or a few thousand clones per year. 
 
The Boyalife Group&#39;s cloning new factory near the northern coastal city of Tianjin in China, however, is aiming for an annual output of 100,000 cows this year, scaling up to a million by 2020. 
 
Also in the pipeline are thoroughbred racehorses, pets and police dogs specialised in searching and sniffing. 
 
Boyalife has said it is working with South Korean partner Sooam and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to improve primate cloning technology, to create better test animals for human disease research. 
 
And in December, Boyalife&#39;s lead scientist and chief executive Xu Xiaochun, said he would not shy away from cloning humans if regulations allowed it. Faced with strong public opinion against cloning of any kind, the European Union does not allow the practice in animal husbandry. 
 
But officials acknowledge that meat or milk derived from cows with a cloned ancestor may very well have made its way into the market, whether directly imported, obtained from a live imported animal, or one bred domestically from genetic material brought into the EU. 
 
&quot;Without knowing it, Europeans are probably eating meat from the descendents of clones that cannot be traced,&quot; said Pauline Constant, spokeswoman for the European Office of consumer associations, based in Brussels. 
 
Officials say they are not concerned about any impact on human health. 
 
In September, the European Parliament called, by a large majority, not only for a ban on cloned animals, but also on products derived from them.&nbsp; 
 
The final decision rests with the European Commission, which has taken a less hard-line position.&nbsp; 
 
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Australia are among the other countries which clone livestock. 
 
(AFP)

'Not even scientists can distinguish a healthy clone from a conventionally bred animal'

Two decades after Scotland's Dolly, the sheep, became the first cloned mammal, consumers may well wonder whether they are drinking milk or eating meat from cookie-cutter cows or their offspring. The simple answer: "probably". The fact is, there is no way to know for sure, say experts, even in Europe, which has come closer to banning livestock cloning than anywhere else in the world. With the possible exception of the ram sacrificed by Abraham in the Bible, Dolly must be the world's most famous sheep. The ewe's birth in an Edinburgh laboratory on July 5, 1996 was front-page news, provoking hype and hand-wringing in equal parts. For the most part, cloning turned out to be a dead end. But there is one sector in which Dolly's legacy is alive and well: the duplication of prize breeding animals. How aggressively the private sector has developed this niche market has depended in a large part on national or regional regulations, with key differences between the United States, China and the European Union."The most dramatic impact of the cloning of Dolly has been on animal cloning in the United States," said Aaron Levine, an expert in bioethics and cloning at Georgia Tech. In 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration concluded that "food from cattle, swine and goat clones is as safe to eat as food from any other cattle, swine or goat". 'Cloned animals are not intended to enter food supply directly' Not even scientists can distinguish a healthy clone from a conventionally bred animal, the regulatory agency said. There are no requirements to label meat or milk from a cloned animal or its offspring, whether sold domestically or abroad. For the industry, the aim was never to set up assembly-line production -- cloning is difficult and expensive at more than 10,000 Euros ($11,000) a pop, and the success rate low, with few clones surviving to birth. So the focus, instead, is on copying genetically outstanding specimens so they may naturally sire exceptional progeny. "It's fairly widespread in US to use cloning to produce breeding stock," said Levine. "Cloned animals are not intended to enter the food supply directly." "I suspect some may have," he added. US companies typically produce hundreds or few thousand clones per year Among the leaders in commercial livestock cloning in the US are Cyagra, based in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and ViaGen, in Austin, Texas. At least one company, ViaGen, also provides services for copying cherished cats and dogs. US companies typically produce hundreds or a few thousand clones per year. The Boyalife Group's cloning new factory near the northern coastal city of Tianjin in China, however, is aiming for an annual output of 100,000 cows this year, scaling up to a million by 2020. Also in the pipeline are thoroughbred racehorses, pets and police dogs specialised in searching and sniffing. Boyalife has said it is working with South Korean partner Sooam and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to improve primate cloning technology, to create better test animals for human disease research. And in December, Boyalife's lead scientist and chief executive Xu Xiaochun, said he would not shy away from cloning humans if regulations allowed it. Faced with strong public opinion against cloning of any kind, the European Union does not allow the practice in animal husbandry. But officials acknowledge that meat or milk derived from cows with a cloned ancestor may very well have made its way into the market, whether directly imported, obtained from a live imported animal, or one bred domestically from genetic material brought into the EU. "Without knowing it, Europeans are probably eating meat from the descendents of clones that cannot be traced," said Pauline Constant, spokeswoman for the European Office of consumer associations, based in Brussels. Officials say they are not concerned about any impact on human health. In September, the European Parliament called, by a large majority, not only for a ban on cloned animals, but also on products derived from them. The final decision rests with the European Commission, which has taken a less hard-line position. Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Australia are among the other countries which clone livestock. (AFP)

The Dolly legacy: Are you eating cloned meat?

US senator John McCain has expressed support for Pakistan&#39;s efforts in the fight against the Taliban after visiting a key tribal district recently retaken by the military, the Pakistani foreign ministry said Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
A four-member, bipartisan US Senate delegation led by the former presidential candidate went to North Waziristan, where in 2014, under US pressure, the army launched an operation to wipe out militant bases and end the near decade-long Islamist insurgency. 
 
Pertinently, in May, the army announced it had successfully cleared the area of militants.&nbsp; 
 
The foreign ministry statement said that the US delegation had met with Pakistani Foreign Affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz and held talks on Pakistan-US ties as well as the situation in Afghanistan. 
 
Aziz &quot;appreciated Senator McCain for his positive comments regarding the importance of Pakistan-US relations at a time when the region was facing complex challenges,&quot; the statement said. 
 
&quot;Good delegation mtg w/ Chief of Army Staff of #Pakistan Gen Raheel Sharif &amp; discussing regional security challenges,&quot; McCain said on his verified Twitter account, also posting photos of the delegation`s visit to Waziristan. 
 
Strained Pakistan-US ties&nbsp; 
 
The relationship between the two nations has been strained at times with some in Washington believing Pakistan has not done enough to bring its influence to bear and to persuade the Taliban to renounce violence.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Pakistan was also angered over a recent US drone strike which killed the Taliban&#39;s leader Mullah Akthar Mansour in May in southwestern Balochistan province. 
 
The US Congress also blocked the subsidised sale of eight F-16 jet fighters to Pakistan in May accusing of it of being lax in the fight against militants. 
 
The US has carried out hundreds of drone strikes in Pakistan, mainly in the border tribal regions with Afghanistan, and leaked documents show Islamabad had quietly consented despite publicly protesting. 
 
Drone attacks have proven extremely controversial with the Pakistani public and rights groups.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Drone attacks carried out by US in border tribal regions with Afghanistan have proven extremely controversial

US senator John McCain has expressed support for Pakistan's efforts in the fight against the Taliban after visiting a key tribal district recently retaken by the military, the Pakistani foreign ministry said Sunday. A four-member, bipartisan US Senate delegation led by the former presidential candidate went to North Waziristan, where in 2014, under US pressure, the army launched an operation to wipe out militant bases and end the near decade-long Islamist insurgency. Pertinently, in May, the army announced it had successfully cleared the area of militants. The foreign ministry statement said that the US delegation had met with Pakistani Foreign Affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz and held talks on Pakistan-US ties as well as the situation in Afghanistan. Aziz "appreciated Senator McCain for his positive comments regarding the importance of Pakistan-US relations at a time when the region was facing complex challenges," the statement said. "Good delegation mtg w/ Chief of Army Staff of #Pakistan Gen Raheel Sharif & discussing regional security challenges," McCain said on his verified Twitter account, also posting photos of the delegation`s visit to Waziristan. Strained Pakistan-US ties The relationship between the two nations has been strained at times with some in Washington believing Pakistan has not done enough to bring its influence to bear and to persuade the Taliban to renounce violence. Meanwhile, Pakistan was also angered over a recent US drone strike which killed the Taliban's leader Mullah Akthar Mansour in May in southwestern Balochistan province. The US Congress also blocked the subsidised sale of eight F-16 jet fighters to Pakistan in May accusing of it of being lax in the fight against militants. The US has carried out hundreds of drone strikes in Pakistan, mainly in the border tribal regions with Afghanistan, and leaked documents show Islamabad had quietly consented despite publicly protesting. Drone attacks have proven extremely controversial with the Pakistani public and rights groups. (AFP)

In bid to improve relations, US senator reassures Pakistan of support in terror fight

Pakistan&#39;s adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has said that the strengthening US-India relations were not a matter of concern for Islamabad, as long as the co-operation between the two did not increase the strategic and conventional gap between the nuclear-armed rivals of the subcontinent. 
 
Aziz said in an interview that the United States has constantly assured Pakistan that both countries were of equal importance to them.&quot;I think US has itself emphasised number of times that our relations with India are not at the cost of Pakistan; both are important for us. India is important in the south Asian and east Asian context whereas Pakistan is important in west Asia and central Asian context.&quot; 
 
&quot;We are one of the largest Islamic, democratic country, and we have a role vis a vis Afghanistan and in this region,&quot; Aziz said. 
 
He also stated that the United States is an independent country and in terms of economic and other relations it can go ahead with India as it desires and as its national interests require. 
 
Aziz asserted that there is only one dimension which they have been emphasising and that is that their co-operation with India should not increase the gap, strategic and conventional military, between India and Pakistan. 
 
&quot;If that happens, then of course we have to respond. So the objective of strategic stability should be kept in view in whatever co-operation they extend, and they have acknowledged that these are legitimate concerns because they don&#39;t want an arms race - a nuclear arms race - in the subcontinent. 
 
So that&#39;s the only dimension on which we are concerned. Otherwise, the US and India relationship are not a matter of concern,&quot; he added. 
 
However, he said that Pakistan would not compromise on adequate deterrence, so the United States must persuade India not to expand its nuclear power. 
 
&quot;When they (India) started the Cold Start doctrine in which they moved 10 cantonments close to the Pakistan border so they can act on our forces at short notice and from across the border, the tactical nuclear weapons were a response to that particular threat.&nbsp;So the independent variable in this case is India. We are the dependent variable,&quot; he said. 
 
He further stated that if the US has to persuade Pakistan to respond in a positive way, they have to persuade India not to expand its nuclear and initiate the dialogue to reduce tensions and resolve disputes. 
 
&quot;But Pakistan has of course clarified that the decision: what is adequate deterrent, how to protect our security, this is our own national sovereign right. This we cannot share with anyone,&quot; Aziz said. 
 
It should be noted that the US and many other Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) member countries have supported India&#39;s inclusion based on its non-proliferation track record.The US, however, did not subsidise the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

Aziz, however, said that US cooperation with India should not increase strategic and conventional military gap between India and Pakistan

Pakistan's adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has said that the strengthening US-India relations were not a matter of concern for Islamabad, as long as the co-operation between the two did not increase the strategic and conventional gap between the nuclear-armed rivals of the subcontinent. Aziz said in an interview that the United States has constantly assured Pakistan that both countries were of equal importance to them."I think US has itself emphasised number of times that our relations with India are not at the cost of Pakistan; both are important for us. India is important in the south Asian and east Asian context whereas Pakistan is important in west Asia and central Asian context." "We are one of the largest Islamic, democratic country, and we have a role vis a vis Afghanistan and in this region," Aziz said. He also stated that the United States is an independent country and in terms of economic and other relations it can go ahead with India as it desires and as its national interests require. Aziz asserted that there is only one dimension which they have been emphasising and that is that their co-operation with India should not increase the gap, strategic and conventional military, between India and Pakistan. "If that happens, then of course we have to respond. So the objective of strategic stability should be kept in view in whatever co-operation they extend, and they have acknowledged that these are legitimate concerns because they don't want an arms race - a nuclear arms race - in the subcontinent. So that's the only dimension on which we are concerned. Otherwise, the US and India relationship are not a matter of concern," he added. However, he said that Pakistan would not compromise on adequate deterrence, so the United States must persuade India not to expand its nuclear power. "When they (India) started the Cold Start doctrine in which they moved 10 cantonments close to the Pakistan border so they can act on our forces at short notice and from across the border, the tactical nuclear weapons were a response to that particular threat. So the independent variable in this case is India. We are the dependent variable," he said. He further stated that if the US has to persuade Pakistan to respond in a positive way, they have to persuade India not to expand its nuclear and initiate the dialogue to reduce tensions and resolve disputes. "But Pakistan has of course clarified that the decision: what is adequate deterrent, how to protect our security, this is our own national sovereign right. This we cannot share with anyone," Aziz said. It should be noted that the US and many other Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) member countries have supported India's inclusion based on its non-proliferation track record.The US, however, did not subsidise the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. (ANI)

US-Indo ties not a matter of concern for Pak: Sartaj Aziz

Michael Phelps edged out old foe Ryan Lochte in a pulsating 200 metres individual medley (IM) showdown at the US Olympic trials on Friday, adding another thrilling chapter to the greatest rivalry in swimming. 
 
The race marked the last time Phelps and Lochte will go head-to-head in an American pool but the two swimming giants, who between them have amassed 33 Olympic medals, could clash one final time on the grandest stage of all, at the Rio Olympics in August. 
 
Phelps, who had already qualified for a fifth US Olympic team, held off his hard charging rival to narrowly get to the wall first in one minute 55.91 seconds, the second fastest swim in the event this year. 
 
But on this night, the time did not matter as much as the result. The two swimmers, who have pushed each other to greatness, looked up at the clock at the end before turning their glances to each other and shaking hands. 
 
&quot;Ryan and I always have great races with one another,&quot; said Phelps. 
 
&quot;Him and I have been racing since 2004 and I think when we race each other we bring each other to a different level. We take each other to that next step,&quot; he was quoted saying.&nbsp; 
 
He also added, &quot;It&#39;s probably the last time people in the US will see that, the two of us race each other. We&#39;ve had a great history in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 free, kind of every race.&quot; 
 
 
The duel in the pool&nbsp; 
 
While there were eight lanes occupied by swimmers all looking to punch their Rio Games tickets, for the soldout crowd at CenturyLink Center this was a match race of the highest order, a duel in the pool between two 31-year-olds who lined up beside each other. 
 
In lane five was Phelps, the winner of a record 22 Olympic medals, who has made the gold medal in the 200 IM his personal property, taking top spot on the podium at the last three Summer Games. 
 
In lane four, Lochte, the winner of 11-Olympic medals and runner-up to Phelps in the 200 IM at the 2004 Athens and 2012 London Games, and the world champion and record holder in the event. 
 
Phelps, who turned 31 on Thursday, as usual went out fast and stayed in front leading after every split bu,t as they turned for home a battling Lochte chased down his rival on the freestyle leg. 
 
Matching each other stroke-for-stroke the crowd of 14,000 now on its feet roaring, Phelps dug a little deeper getting home just 0.31 seconds ahead of his rival. 
 
&quot;I knew going in that this was going to be a dog fight until the end,&quot; said Lochte and added, &quot;I love racing against him. It was kind of a little heartbreaking at the end because after we finished, we gave each other a hug and said good job, but we both knew that was probably the last time me and him were going to race each other on US soil&quot;. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Phelps believes the competition brought out the best in both he and Lochte, who have a combined 33 Olympic medals

Michael Phelps edged out old foe Ryan Lochte in a pulsating 200 metres individual medley (IM) showdown at the US Olympic trials on Friday, adding another thrilling chapter to the greatest rivalry in swimming. The race marked the last time Phelps and Lochte will go head-to-head in an American pool but the two swimming giants, who between them have amassed 33 Olympic medals, could clash one final time on the grandest stage of all, at the Rio Olympics in August. Phelps, who had already qualified for a fifth US Olympic team, held off his hard charging rival to narrowly get to the wall first in one minute 55.91 seconds, the second fastest swim in the event this year. But on this night, the time did not matter as much as the result. The two swimmers, who have pushed each other to greatness, looked up at the clock at the end before turning their glances to each other and shaking hands. "Ryan and I always have great races with one another," said Phelps. "Him and I have been racing since 2004 and I think when we race each other we bring each other to a different level. We take each other to that next step," he was quoted saying. He also added, "It's probably the last time people in the US will see that, the two of us race each other. We've had a great history in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 free, kind of every race." The duel in the pool While there were eight lanes occupied by swimmers all looking to punch their Rio Games tickets, for the soldout crowd at CenturyLink Center this was a match race of the highest order, a duel in the pool between two 31-year-olds who lined up beside each other. In lane five was Phelps, the winner of a record 22 Olympic medals, who has made the gold medal in the 200 IM his personal property, taking top spot on the podium at the last three Summer Games. In lane four, Lochte, the winner of 11-Olympic medals and runner-up to Phelps in the 200 IM at the 2004 Athens and 2012 London Games, and the world champion and record holder in the event. Phelps, who turned 31 on Thursday, as usual went out fast and stayed in front leading after every split bu,t as they turned for home a battling Lochte chased down his rival on the freestyle leg. Matching each other stroke-for-stroke the crowd of 14,000 now on its feet roaring, Phelps dug a little deeper getting home just 0.31 seconds ahead of his rival. "I knew going in that this was going to be a dog fight until the end," said Lochte and added, "I love racing against him. It was kind of a little heartbreaking at the end because after we finished, we gave each other a hug and said good job, but we both knew that was probably the last time me and him were going to race each other on US soil". (Reuters)

In final US showdown, Phelps narrowly outswims his greatest rival at Olympic trials

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri warned United States of the &quot;gravest consequences&quot; if Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev or any other Muslim prisoners is executed. 
 
Tsarnaev, named in Zawahri&#39;s online video message, was sentenced to death by lethal injection on June 24 last year for the 2013 bomb attack\ which killed three people and injured more than 260. 
 
(Reuters)

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was sentenced to death by lethal injection on June 24 last year for the 2013 bomb attack

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri warned United States of the "gravest consequences" if Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev or any other Muslim prisoners is executed. Tsarnaev, named in Zawahri's online video message, was sentenced to death by lethal injection on June 24 last year for the 2013 bomb attack\ which killed three people and injured more than 260. (Reuters)

Al-Qaeda leader warns of 'gravest consequences' if Boston marathon bomber executed

The US is committed to ensuring India&#39;s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a top American diplomat said today, expressing &quot;regret&quot; that his government was unsuccessful in making it a member of the grouping at its pleanary in Seoul last week. 
 
Calling India an &quot;anchor of stability&quot; in the Asia Pacific region, US under secretary for political affairs Tom Shannon also said what China was doing in South China Sea is &quot;madness&quot; and it wants New Delhi to play a major role in the Indian Ocean. 
 
During an interactive session at the Foreign Service Institute, he also said managing the rise of China was a major challenge and that the US wants to work with India to have a strong and comprehensive presence in the Indian Ocean. 
 
Describing India a responsible and important player in the sphere of nuclear non-proliferation, Shannon said, &quot;We are committed to having India join the Nuclear Suppliers Group. We believe that through the kind of work we have done, the civil nuclear agreement, the way India conducted itself, it is worthy of this.&quot; 
 
In an apparent refernce to China opposing India&#39;s NSG bid, the official said one country can break consensus in a consensus-based organisation while asserting that such member should be held accountable. 
 
&quot;We understand that in a consensus-based organisation, one country can break consensus. But in order to do so it must be accountable, not isolated,&quot; he said. 
 
Last week, India had failed in its bid in getting entry into the elite atomic trading bloc in the face of strong China-led opposition. 
 
Shannon, who met foreign secretary S Jaishankar earlier in the day, said India&#39;s recent entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) highlighted that the country is a &quot;responsible and important player in the road to non-proliferation.&quot; 
 
&quot;We regret, in Seoul we and India, were unable to open space necessary to allow India to move into the NSG at this moment,&quot; he said. 
 
He said both countries will have to work to ensure that India&#39;s bid is successful next time the issue is taken up by the NSG. 
 
&quot;I think what we need to do going forward is, for both of us India and the US, sit down and take a call on what happened in Seoul, take a close look at the diplomatic process which is significant and see what more we can do to ensure that next time we are successful. 
 
When asked whether he thinks India will ratify the Paris climate deal before Obama administration&#39;s tenure got over and, at the same time, it will become a member of the NSG, he said &quot;I hope so&quot;. 
 
He said India has given a commitment to ratify the climate deal. 
 
(PTI)

Washington labels India an 'anchor of stability' in the Asia Pacific region while addressing China's actions as 'madness'

The US is committed to ensuring India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a top American diplomat said today, expressing "regret" that his government was unsuccessful in making it a member of the grouping at its pleanary in Seoul last week. Calling India an "anchor of stability" in the Asia Pacific region, US under secretary for political affairs Tom Shannon also said what China was doing in South China Sea is "madness" and it wants New Delhi to play a major role in the Indian Ocean. During an interactive session at the Foreign Service Institute, he also said managing the rise of China was a major challenge and that the US wants to work with India to have a strong and comprehensive presence in the Indian Ocean. Describing India a responsible and important player in the sphere of nuclear non-proliferation, Shannon said, "We are committed to having India join the Nuclear Suppliers Group. We believe that through the kind of work we have done, the civil nuclear agreement, the way India conducted itself, it is worthy of this." In an apparent refernce to China opposing India's NSG bid, the official said one country can break consensus in a consensus-based organisation while asserting that such member should be held accountable. "We understand that in a consensus-based organisation, one country can break consensus. But in order to do so it must be accountable, not isolated," he said. Last week, India had failed in its bid in getting entry into the elite atomic trading bloc in the face of strong China-led opposition. Shannon, who met foreign secretary S Jaishankar earlier in the day, said India's recent entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) highlighted that the country is a "responsible and important player in the road to non-proliferation." "We regret, in Seoul we and India, were unable to open space necessary to allow India to move into the NSG at this moment," he said. He said both countries will have to work to ensure that India's bid is successful next time the issue is taken up by the NSG. "I think what we need to do going forward is, for both of us India and the US, sit down and take a call on what happened in Seoul, take a close look at the diplomatic process which is significant and see what more we can do to ensure that next time we are successful. When asked whether he thinks India will ratify the Paris climate deal before Obama administration's tenure got over and, at the same time, it will become a member of the NSG, he said "I hope so". He said India has given a commitment to ratify the climate deal. (PTI)

'US committed to ensuring India's NSG membership'

Kenya aims to reduce by almost half the population of Dadaab refugee camp which is home to about 326,000 mostly Somali refugees by the end of the year, a committee that groups Kenya, Somalia and the UN refugee agency UNHCR said. 
 
Kenya has said it wants to close the camp, which was once home to more than half a million refugees, citing security threats. Nairobi says the Somali Islamist group al-Shabaab has used the camp as a recruiting ground to launch attacks on Kenya. 
 
But Kenya has been urged by United States, United Nations and others to ensure no one is forced to return to Somalia, which is still struggling to rebuild after decades of conflict and continues to face an Islamist insurgency. 
 
After a meeting on Saturday, the so-called Tripartite Commission said Dadaab had 326,000 refugees at the end of May, already 100,000 fewer than five years earlier, many of whom it said were believed to have returned to Somalia. 
 
&quot;The parties noted the prospect of the reduction of the population in the Dadaab camps by 150,000 individuals by the end of 2016,&quot; the joint communique said, referring to string of sites that make up the Dadaab camp complex. 
 
It said the number would be reduced due to &quot;voluntary returns to Somalia, relocation of non-Somali refugees, the de-registration of Kenyan citizens who registered as refugees, and a population verification exercise.&quot; 
 
The UN had said earlier this year that it planned to reduce the number of people in Dadaab by 50,000 by the end of 2016, but had said that it could be a challenge given continued security concerns in Somalia and lack of schools and other public services there. 
 
A UN official said on Sunday that the new target of reducing the Dadaab population by 150,000 was a prospective figure and it was not guaranteed to be achieved. 
 
The Tripartite Commission also said it had agreed to meet again in October 2016 to review progress made &quot;on the voluntary repatriation of Somali refugees from Kenya.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The Somali Islamist group, al-Shabaab, has used Dadaab refugee camp as a recruiting ground to launch attacks on Kenya, says Nairobi

Kenya aims to reduce by almost half the population of Dadaab refugee camp which is home to about 326,000 mostly Somali refugees by the end of the year, a committee that groups Kenya, Somalia and the UN refugee agency UNHCR said. Kenya has said it wants to close the camp, which was once home to more than half a million refugees, citing security threats. Nairobi says the Somali Islamist group al-Shabaab has used the camp as a recruiting ground to launch attacks on Kenya. But Kenya has been urged by United States, United Nations and others to ensure no one is forced to return to Somalia, which is still struggling to rebuild after decades of conflict and continues to face an Islamist insurgency. After a meeting on Saturday, the so-called Tripartite Commission said Dadaab had 326,000 refugees at the end of May, already 100,000 fewer than five years earlier, many of whom it said were believed to have returned to Somalia. "The parties noted the prospect of the reduction of the population in the Dadaab camps by 150,000 individuals by the end of 2016," the joint communique said, referring to string of sites that make up the Dadaab camp complex. It said the number would be reduced due to "voluntary returns to Somalia, relocation of non-Somali refugees, the de-registration of Kenyan citizens who registered as refugees, and a population verification exercise." The UN had said earlier this year that it planned to reduce the number of people in Dadaab by 50,000 by the end of 2016, but had said that it could be a challenge given continued security concerns in Somalia and lack of schools and other public services there. A UN official said on Sunday that the new target of reducing the Dadaab population by 150,000 was a prospective figure and it was not guaranteed to be achieved. The Tripartite Commission also said it had agreed to meet again in October 2016 to review progress made "on the voluntary repatriation of Somali refugees from Kenya." (Reuters)

Kenya to halve size of Somali refugee camp by 2016 end

As many as 40 people were injured after walking on hot coals as part of a self-help seminar, hosted by motivational speaker Tony Robbins in Texas, fire officials said on Friday. 
 
Attendees of the &quot;Unleash the Power Within&quot; event, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas, reported burns to their feet and legs just after 11 pm on Thursday, Dallas Fire and Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said. 
 
&quot;A lot of the attendees were asked to walk across hot coals, and as a result, a lot of the people sustained burn injuries,&quot; Evans said. 
 
Of the 30 to 40 people injured, five were treated at the Parkland Hospital burn unit, Evans said. The others were treated and released at the scene. It was unclear how many participated in the coal walk. 
 
The three-day seminar is intended to help people &quot;break through any limit&quot; and improve their quality of life, according a description posted on Robbins&#39; website. 
 
Representatives for Robbins, who is a popular motivational speaker, personal finance adviser and bestselling author, were not immediately available for comment. 
 
According to media reports, 21 out of 6,000 people who walked on hot coals at a Robbins event in 2012 in California were treated for burns. 
 
Most people avoid burns because coals are not efficient conductors of heat, but standing too long in one spot and other factors can increase the risk. In the 2012 incident, there was speculation, that the large number of people participating caused the lines of firewalkers to slow down, raising chances of burns. 
 
(Reuters)

Of the 30 to 40 people injured, five were shifted to the Parkland Hospital burn unit

As many as 40 people were injured after walking on hot coals as part of a self-help seminar, hosted by motivational speaker Tony Robbins in Texas, fire officials said on Friday. Attendees of the "Unleash the Power Within" event, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas, reported burns to their feet and legs just after 11 pm on Thursday, Dallas Fire and Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said. "A lot of the attendees were asked to walk across hot coals, and as a result, a lot of the people sustained burn injuries," Evans said. Of the 30 to 40 people injured, five were treated at the Parkland Hospital burn unit, Evans said. The others were treated and released at the scene. It was unclear how many participated in the coal walk. The three-day seminar is intended to help people "break through any limit" and improve their quality of life, according a description posted on Robbins' website. Representatives for Robbins, who is a popular motivational speaker, personal finance adviser and bestselling author, were not immediately available for comment. According to media reports, 21 out of 6,000 people who walked on hot coals at a Robbins event in 2012 in California were treated for burns. Most people avoid burns because coals are not efficient conductors of heat, but standing too long in one spot and other factors can increase the risk. In the 2012 incident, there was speculation, that the large number of people participating caused the lines of firewalkers to slow down, raising chances of burns. (Reuters)

Dozens burned 'unleashing' inner powers walking on hot coals at Tony Robbins seminar

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