Curfew was imposed in US banking hub, Charlotte, as protests turned uglier on Thursday, three days after the fatal police shooting of an African-American man. &nbsp;

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ALERT: <a href="https://twitter.com/CLTMayor">@CLTMayor</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CMPD">@CMPD</a> have enacted a citywide curfew beginning Sept. 23 imposed at midnight until 6 a.m.
&mdash; City of Charlotte (@CLTgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/CLTgov/status/779131530425819136">September 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Police had to resort to firing tear gas shells to disperse demonstrators blocking a main highway, international news agency AFP reported.&nbsp; 
 
In the agitation gripped southern US city of North Carolina, hundreds of National Guard troops and police reinforcements converged on the streets to quell the protests, the international news agency said.&nbsp; 
 
Killing of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott fueled outrage in Charlotte prompting the North Carolina governor to impose a state of emergency.&nbsp; 
 
Rioting on Wednesday and Thursday left about a dozen officers and protesters hurt, including a man who was shot and critically wounded, international news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp; 
 
A string of police-involved killings of African-American men has been triggering similar protests across United States.&nbsp; 
 
(Wion with inputs from AFP, Reuters)&nbsp;

Several hundred National Guard troops and highway police officers have been deployed to protect city infrastructure and businesses

Curfew was imposed in US banking hub, Charlotte, as protests turned uglier on Thursday, three days after the fatal police shooting of an African-American man. ALERT: @CLTMayor and @CMPD have enacted a citywide curfew beginning Sept. 23 imposed at midnight until 6 a.m. — City of Charlotte (@CLTgov) September 23, 2016 Police had to resort to firing tear gas shells to disperse demonstrators blocking a main highway, international news agency AFP reported. In the agitation gripped southern US city of North Carolina, hundreds of National Guard troops and police reinforcements converged on the streets to quell the protests, the international news agency said. Killing of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott fueled outrage in Charlotte prompting the North Carolina governor to impose a state of emergency. Rioting on Wednesday and Thursday left about a dozen officers and protesters hurt, including a man who was shot and critically wounded, international news agency Reuters reported. A string of police-involved killings of African-American men has been triggering similar protests across United States. (Wion with inputs from AFP, Reuters)

Curfew imposed in Charlotte as protests continue over killing of  African-American man

China has lifted a 13-year-old ban on some US beef products, the country&#39;s quality inspection regulator said on Thursday. 
 
China had stopped most beef imports from the US over a decade ago after mad cow disease was detected in Washington state in December 2003. 
 
A ban on imports of &#39;American bone-in beef and boneless beef for cattle under 30 months&#39;&nbsp;has been lifted effective immediately, an official document of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine stated.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that the decision shows&nbsp;Beijing&#39;s desire to improve commercial ties with the US, the Wall Street Journal reported. 
 
Talking to US business groups in New York on Tuesday, Li had suggested that the ban would soon be lifted, the Wall Street Journal reported, saying: &quot;We also recognise that the United States has very good beef, so why should we deny Chinese customers this choice?&quot;&nbsp; 
 
China is the world&#39;s largest consumer for pork and the demand for beef is growing. 
 
According to the Chinese state media,&nbsp;before the ban was removed Chinese shoppers often bought smuggled beef on online portals.

 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

China had stopped most beef imports from the US after the mad cow disease was found in Washington state in December 2003

China has lifted a 13-year-old ban on some US beef products, the country's quality inspection regulator said on Thursday. China had stopped most beef imports from the US over a decade ago after mad cow disease was detected in Washington state in December 2003. A ban on imports of 'American bone-in beef and boneless beef for cattle under 30 months' has been lifted effective immediately, an official document of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine stated. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that the decision shows Beijing's desire to improve commercial ties with the US, the Wall Street Journal reported. Talking to US business groups in New York on Tuesday, Li had suggested that the ban would soon be lifted, the Wall Street Journal reported, saying: "We also recognise that the United States has very good beef, so why should we deny Chinese customers this choice?" China is the world's largest consumer for pork and the demand for beef is growing. According to the Chinese state media, before the ban was removed Chinese shoppers often bought smuggled beef on online portals. (WION with inputs from AFP)

China lifts decade-old ban on US beef products

The US House of Representatives has introduced the &#39;Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act&#39;, a bill which labels Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, the Press Trust of India reported.&nbsp; 
 
The bill was introduced by Republicans Ted Poe and Dana Rohrabacher. 
 
Poe, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism said, &quot;It is time we stopped paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism. 
 
&quot;Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad has also aided and abetted enemies of the US for years,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;From harbouring Osama bin Laden to its cozy relationship with the Haqqani network, there is more than enough evidence to determine whose side Pakistan is on in the War on Terror. And it&#39;s not America&#39;s,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
PTI reported Poe as saying US President Barack Obama will have to issue a report stating whether Pakistan has backed international terrorism or not within 90 days. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;Thirty days after that, the secretary of state must issue a follow-up report containing either a determination that Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification as to why Pakistan does not meet the legal criteria for designation,&quot; Poe said. 
 
Congressman Pete Olson condemned the Uri attack and said, &quot;I strongly condemn this terrorist attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir that resulted in the death of 18 Indian soldiers. India is a strong partner and ally in peace.&quot; 
 
&quot;I support every effort to find out who committed this heinous act, so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI) 
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The bill was introduced by Republicans Ted Poe and Dana Rohrabacher

The US House of Representatives has introduced the 'Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act', a bill which labels Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, the Press Trust of India reported. The bill was introduced by Republicans Ted Poe and Dana Rohrabacher. Poe, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism said, "It is time we stopped paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism. "Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad has also aided and abetted enemies of the US for years," he said. "From harbouring Osama bin Laden to its cozy relationship with the Haqqani network, there is more than enough evidence to determine whose side Pakistan is on in the War on Terror. And it's not America's," he added. PTI reported Poe as saying US President Barack Obama will have to issue a report stating whether Pakistan has backed international terrorism or not within 90 days. "Thirty days after that, the secretary of state must issue a follow-up report containing either a determination that Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification as to why Pakistan does not meet the legal criteria for designation," Poe said. Congressman Pete Olson condemned the Uri attack and said, "I strongly condemn this terrorist attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir that resulted in the death of 18 Indian soldiers. India is a strong partner and ally in peace." "I support every effort to find out who committed this heinous act, so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims," he said. (WION with inputs from PTI)

US lawmakers introduce bill labelling Pakistan 'state sponsor of terrorism'

Harinder Singh Bains, the 51-year-old Sikh-American who helped police capture Ahmad Khan Rahami, the man wanted for the New York and New Jersey bombings, does not want to be called a hero.&nbsp; 
 
And as a Sikh-American, he says he understands that he could have been mistaken for the bomber, the Press Trust of India reported.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I could have been mistaken for the perpetrator. My faith teaches me justice and tolerance for all and I know that I&#39;m lucky to live in a community that shares this view,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
Bains asserted that he is &quot;what America looks like.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
He stressed that each time an attack takes place, Americans should not target people based on their faith, country or accent, but on evidence of their role in the attack. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;When I heard about the attacks and realised the suspect was sleeping in a doorway across the street, I did what any American would do. I called the police. I&#39;m not a hero. The police are heroes; the EMTs are heroes; everyone who is working to bring New York and New Jersey together today is a hero,&quot; he told reporters.&nbsp; 
 
Bains migrated to the US in 1996 from Chandigarh in India to create a better life for his family, PTI reported.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I came to this country from India 20 years ago to create a better life for my family. I am a father of four and a proud American citizen. I am also what America looks like,&quot; he said. 
 
He urged Americans to stand together in the face of violence.&nbsp; 
 
On September 19, he found the 28-year-old Rahami sleeping in front of a bar across the street from his deli.&nbsp; 
 
Bains recognised Rahami&#39;s face from television reports and called the police. He did not tell the police it was Rahami but that he had seen a &quot;suspicious person&quot; and that they should come have a look, PTI reported. &nbsp; 
 
Bains had said earlier that he thought the man &quot;looked very familiar&quot; and &quot;exactly&quot; like the &quot;guy&quot; who was on the news channels.&nbsp; 
 
When police arrived, the Afghan-American pulled out a gun and shot a police officer before he himself was arrested.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI) 
 
 
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Harinder Singh Bains had helped police capture Ahmad Khan Rahami, the man wanted for the New York and New Jersey bombings

Harinder Singh Bains, the 51-year-old Sikh-American who helped police capture Ahmad Khan Rahami, the man wanted for the New York and New Jersey bombings, does not want to be called a hero. And as a Sikh-American, he says he understands that he could have been mistaken for the bomber, the Press Trust of India reported. "I could have been mistaken for the perpetrator. My faith teaches me justice and tolerance for all and I know that I'm lucky to live in a community that shares this view," he said. Bains asserted that he is "what America looks like." He stressed that each time an attack takes place, Americans should not target people based on their faith, country or accent, but on evidence of their role in the attack. "When I heard about the attacks and realised the suspect was sleeping in a doorway across the street, I did what any American would do. I called the police. I'm not a hero. The police are heroes; the EMTs are heroes; everyone who is working to bring New York and New Jersey together today is a hero," he told reporters. Bains migrated to the US in 1996 from Chandigarh in India to create a better life for his family, PTI reported. "I came to this country from India 20 years ago to create a better life for my family. I am a father of four and a proud American citizen. I am also what America looks like," he said. He urged Americans to stand together in the face of violence. On September 19, he found the 28-year-old Rahami sleeping in front of a bar across the street from his deli. Bains recognised Rahami's face from television reports and called the police. He did not tell the police it was Rahami but that he had seen a "suspicious person" and that they should come have a look, PTI reported. Bains had said earlier that he thought the man "looked very familiar" and "exactly" like the "guy" who was on the news channels. When police arrived, the Afghan-American pulled out a gun and shot a police officer before he himself was arrested. (WION with inputs from PTI)

I could have been mistaken for bombing suspect: NYC's Sikh 'hero'

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged the world leaders at The UN Global Compact&nbsp;Leaders Summit&nbsp;2016 to &quot;welcome the stranger in our midst&quot; as 50 nations pledged to take in 360,000 refugees.&nbsp; 
 
Obama praised countries including Canada and Germany for taking in refugees fleeing from various conflicts, AFP news agency reported.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are facing a crisis of epic proportion,&quot; Obama said. 
 
&quot;We cannot avert our eyes or turn our backs. To slam the door in the face of these families would betray our deepest values,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Canada has granted asylum to more than 30,000 Syrian refugees since December and PM Justin Trudeau said this was a challenge as well as &quot;an opportunity,&quot; vowing &quot;there is more to come.&quot; 
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German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: &quot;I believe we cannot allow ourselves to stop here. We must finally get ahead in tackling this crisis,&quot; on Germany taking in more refugees.&nbsp; 
 
It&#39;s pertinent to mention that in its recent electoral polls, Angela Merkel&#39;s party has suffered a setback due to her &#39;open-door&#39; &nbsp;refugee policy amid rise in anti-refugees sentiments.&nbsp; 
 
Referring to Merkel&#39;s struggle, Obama said: &quot;the politics can be hard&quot; for leaders who open up to refugees and migrants.&quot; 
 
The number of refugees entering the United States will go up to 110,000 next year, up from 85,000 this year, the Obama administration said.&nbsp; 
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<h5>As per US officials, seven countries including Romania, Portugal, Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Luxembourg will resettle at least 10 times more refugees this year than 2015.&nbsp;</h5>
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According to the UN refugee agency, the number is just a fraction of the 1.1 million refugees who are in need of resettlement this year.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, as per US officials, seven countries including Romania, Portugal, Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Luxembourg will resettle at least 10 times more refugees this year than 2015.&nbsp; 
 
Financial contribution to UN appeals and international organisations have also increased since 2015 by about $4.5 billion.&nbsp; 
 
The pledges will include funds to send one million refugee children to schools and allow one million refugees to legally work.&nbsp; 
 
Over 65 million people are displaced in the world which include 21 million refugees fleeing from war strife countries like Syria. 
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Currently only eight countries are hosting half of the world&#39;s refugees: Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Iran, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya and Uganda. 
 
Swipe at Trump 
 
Obama also said the refugee crisis was a &quot;test of our common humanity, whether we give in to suspicion and fear and build walls,&quot; in an apparent strike against US presidential candidate Donald Trump.&nbsp; 
 
Trump had threatened to build a wall on the US border with Mexico to keep out migrants and make them pay for it.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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'To slam the door in the face of these families would betray our deepest values,' the US President said talking about refugee crisis

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged the world leaders at The UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2016 to "welcome the stranger in our midst" as 50 nations pledged to take in 360,000 refugees. Obama praised countries including Canada and Germany for taking in refugees fleeing from various conflicts, AFP news agency reported. "We are facing a crisis of epic proportion," Obama said. "We cannot avert our eyes or turn our backs. To slam the door in the face of these families would betray our deepest values," he added. Canada has granted asylum to more than 30,000 Syrian refugees since December and PM Justin Trudeau said this was a challenge as well as "an opportunity," vowing "there is more to come." "We cannot avert our eyes or turn our backs. To slam the door in the face of these families would betray our deepest values" - Obama German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: "I believe we cannot allow ourselves to stop here. We must finally get ahead in tackling this crisis," on Germany taking in more refugees. It's pertinent to mention that in its recent electoral polls, Angela Merkel's party has suffered a setback due to her 'open-door' refugee policy amid rise in anti-refugees sentiments. Referring to Merkel's struggle, Obama said: "the politics can be hard" for leaders who open up to refugees and migrants." The number of refugees entering the United States will go up to 110,000 next year, up from 85,000 this year, the Obama administration said. As per US officials, seven countries including Romania, Portugal, Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Luxembourg will resettle at least 10 times more refugees this year than 2015. ? According to the UN refugee agency, the number is just a fraction of the 1.1 million refugees who are in need of resettlement this year. Meanwhile, as per US officials, seven countries including Romania, Portugal, Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Luxembourg will resettle at least 10 times more refugees this year than 2015. Financial contribution to UN appeals and international organisations have also increased since 2015 by about $4.5 billion. The pledges will include funds to send one million refugee children to schools and allow one million refugees to legally work. Over 65 million people are displaced in the world which include 21 million refugees fleeing from war strife countries like Syria. Currently only eight countries are hosting half of the world's refugees: Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Iran, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya and Uganda. Swipe at Trump Obama also said the refugee crisis was a "test of our common humanity, whether we give in to suspicion and fear and build walls," in an apparent strike against US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Trump had threatened to build a wall on the US border with Mexico to keep out migrants and make them pay for it. (WION with inputs from AFP)

UN summit: Obama urges world leaders to 'welcome strangers', 50 nations pledge to take in 360,000 refugees

World leaders are arriving in New York today to attend &nbsp;The UN Global Compact&nbsp;Leaders Summit&nbsp;2016 addressing &quot;large movements of refugees and migrants&quot; for the first time.&nbsp; 
 
The UN General Assembly is organising &nbsp;the Leaders summit on Tuesday where heads of the states will discuss large movements of refugees across nations and ways to respond to them in a humane manner.&nbsp; 
 
The aim of the meet is to &quot;strengthen governance of international migration and a unique opportunity for creating a more responsible, predictable system for responding to large movements of refugees and migrants,&quot; according to the United Nations.&nbsp; 
 
The leaders are expected to approve a document for a coordinated approach that will protect the human rights of refugees and migrants, Indian news agency PTI reported.&nbsp; 
 
UN&#39;s high commissioner for refugees, Fillipo Grandi told the Associated Press: &quot;It&#39;s very interesting because if we are able to translate that paper into a response in which many actors are going to participate, we will solve a lot of problems in emergency responses and in long-term refugee situations like the Syrian situation.&quot; 
 
However, the document is not legally binding and it plays a crucial role now when the United States and Europe are grappling with migrant issues.&nbsp; 
 
An earlier draft had called on countries to resettle 10 per cent of the refugee population each year. The draft was rejected by a number of countries drawing heavy criticism from human rights group as missed opportunity.&nbsp; 
 
The nations had objected to the language used in the draft which stated that &quot;children should never be detained&quot;. In the new agreement, this has been amended to &quot;children should seldom,if ever, be detained. &quot; 
 
Amnesty International secretary general Salil Shetty said: &quot;Instead of sharing responsibility, world leaders shirked it. The UN summit has been sabotaged by states acting in self-interest, leaving millions of refugees in dire situations around the world on the edge of a precipice.&quot; 
 
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whose report on refugees and migrants forms the basis of summit document, said: &nbsp;&quot;While we all wish it could be a stronger outcome document ... All 193 member states had to agree on their commitment. As you will see, my report was a strong one.&quot; 
 
&quot;I hope that, as the two compacts are adopted over the coming year and a half, some stronger language and commitment and elements from the report will reappear in the course of this negotiation,&quot;he added.&nbsp; 
 
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly summit, the US President Obama will host the Leaders&#39; Summit on Refugees on September 20. 
 
The event will be co-hosted by Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, Jordan, Mexico and Sweden. The Leaders Summit will discuss refugees only and will &quot;appeal to all governments to pledge significant new commitments on refugees.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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World leaders are expected to approve a document at the Leaders summit for a coordinated approach to respond to refugees in a humane manner

World leaders are arriving in New York today to attend The UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2016 addressing "large movements of refugees and migrants" for the first time. The UN General Assembly is organising the Leaders summit on Tuesday where heads of the states will discuss large movements of refugees across nations and ways to respond to them in a humane manner. The aim of the meet is to "strengthen governance of international migration and a unique opportunity for creating a more responsible, predictable system for responding to large movements of refugees and migrants," according to the United Nations. The leaders are expected to approve a document for a coordinated approach that will protect the human rights of refugees and migrants, Indian news agency PTI reported. UN's high commissioner for refugees, Fillipo Grandi told the Associated Press: "It's very interesting because if we are able to translate that paper into a response in which many actors are going to participate, we will solve a lot of problems in emergency responses and in long-term refugee situations like the Syrian situation." However, the document is not legally binding and it plays a crucial role now when the United States and Europe are grappling with migrant issues. An earlier draft had called on countries to resettle 10 per cent of the refugee population each year. The draft was rejected by a number of countries drawing heavy criticism from human rights group as missed opportunity. The nations had objected to the language used in the draft which stated that "children should never be detained". In the new agreement, this has been amended to "children should seldom,if ever, be detained. " Amnesty International secretary general Salil Shetty said: "Instead of sharing responsibility, world leaders shirked it. The UN summit has been sabotaged by states acting in self-interest, leaving millions of refugees in dire situations around the world on the edge of a precipice." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whose report on refugees and migrants forms the basis of summit document, said: "While we all wish it could be a stronger outcome document ... All 193 member states had to agree on their commitment. As you will see, my report was a strong one." "I hope that, as the two compacts are adopted over the coming year and a half, some stronger language and commitment and elements from the report will reappear in the course of this negotiation,"he added. On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly summit, the US President Obama will host the Leaders' Summit on Refugees on September 20. The event will be co-hosted by Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, Jordan, Mexico and Sweden. The Leaders Summit will discuss refugees only and will "appeal to all governments to pledge significant new commitments on refugees." (WION with inputs from PTI)

UN to hold first-ever summit on refugees, migrants in New York to protect their rights

Audi&#39;s head of development, Stefan Knirsch, will be suspended this week for his involvement in the Volkswagen emissions scandal, Bild am Sonntag reported.&nbsp; 
 
Audi is owned by Volkswagen.&nbsp; 
 
Knirsch knew about the use of cheat software fitted to some of Audi&#39;s, Porsche&#39;s, and VW&#39;s 3.0 litre diesel engines but gave a false promise under oath, investigations by international law firm Jones Day revealed, the German paper said today.&nbsp; 
 
Audi has admitted that its 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine was fitted with the cheat software to dupe emission tests.&nbsp; 
 
The scandal hit last year when US authorities accused VW of installing the device in order to make its cars seem less polluting, reported AFP.&nbsp; 
 
The auto company has confessed that 11 million disesel cars across the world had been fitted with the device, inlcluding cars by other VW companies like Audi, Skoda, and Seat.&nbsp; 
 
The cars were recalled and customers in the US were offered a buy-back and compensation. No such compromise was made for the European market.&nbsp; 
 
Nearly a year later, Volkswagen is still coping with ongoing litigation.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
 
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Stefan Knirsch knew about the use of emissions-control software in VW's 3.0 litre diesel engines but gave a false promise under oath

Audi's head of development, Stefan Knirsch, will be suspended this week for his involvement in the Volkswagen emissions scandal, Bild am Sonntag reported. Audi is owned by Volkswagen. Knirsch knew about the use of cheat software fitted to some of Audi's, Porsche's, and VW's 3.0 litre diesel engines but gave a false promise under oath, investigations by international law firm Jones Day revealed, the German paper said today. Audi has admitted that its 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine was fitted with the cheat software to dupe emission tests. The scandal hit last year when US authorities accused VW of installing the device in order to make its cars seem less polluting, reported AFP. The auto company has confessed that 11 million disesel cars across the world had been fitted with the device, inlcluding cars by other VW companies like Audi, Skoda, and Seat. The cars were recalled and customers in the US were offered a buy-back and compensation. No such compromise was made for the European market. Nearly a year later, Volkswagen is still coping with ongoing litigation. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Audi R&D head to be suspended over VW emissions scandal: Bild am Sonntag

A pipe bomb exploded in a New Jersey beach town on Saturday along the route of a charity race to benefit military veterans, but no injuries were reported in what investigators were treating as a possible act of terrorism. 
 
The explosive device went off in a trash can about 30 minutes after the scheduled start of the race, which coincidentally was delayed, in Seaside Park, a resort about 80 miles (129 km) south of New York City, officials said. 
 
No damage to surrounding structures was reported, and no runners or bystanders were in close proximity to the 9:30 am (1335 GMT) blast, so no one was hurt, authorities said. 
 
Even so, the explosion stirred dark memories of the bomb blasts at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2013 that killed three people and wounded more than 260 others. 
 
The Federal Bureau of Investigation&#39;s so-called joint terrorism task force assumed the lead role in searching for clues to Saturday&#39;s bombing, asking members of the public for any tips that might lead to arrests in the case. 
 
The race, dubbed the Seaside Semper Five 5K, was immediately canceled, and authorities closed the beach and several surrounding blocks while evacuating dozens of nearby homes as a search for more devices ensued. 
 
Initial reports of a second bomb planted in another trash proved untrue, according to a statement issued by New Jersey state police several hours later. 
 
Brad Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI&#39;s Newark field office, said at an early evening news conference that investigators had determined there was no longer any threat to the community. Police chief Francis Larkin said residents forced from their homes were allowed to return. 
 
Matter of minutes 
 
Authorities said the lag in the start of the race, reportedly because of late registrations, proved fortuitous, as the bomb went off before runners were on the race course. 
 
&quot;It&rsquo;s obvious it was meant to affect the run, the fact that it went off at 9:35,&quot; Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor&#39;s Office, said in an interview on CNN. 
 
The charity run was organised to benefit military veterans and the families of those lost in military service. The run&#39;s name is a reference to Semper Fidelis, Latin for &quot;always loyal,&quot; the motto of the US Marine Corps. 
 
Asked if Marines and their families had been targeted, Della Fave said, &quot;I think we can assume that, considering the location of the device right along the run route where, if it was just a matter of minutes in terms of difference, there would have been a good number of people running past that explosive device.&quot; 
 
The trash can contained several &quot;pipe bomb-type devices&quot; wired together, Della Fave said. &quot;The one went off, and the others did not,&quot; he said. 
 
Law enforcement authorities said they did not know the motive for the blast. 
 
The explosive went off near the boardwalk by the intersection of Ocean Avenue and D Street, authorities said. According to a course map for the race, runners would have passed near the intersection twice: once 0.7 miles into the race and again 0.7 miles from the finish. 
 
About 5,000 people were set to run the 5 km race in Seaside Park, a family-oriented resort known for its beachside boardwalk, a local NBC affiliate reported. 
 
At the 2013 Boston Marathon, two brothers of Chechen ethnicity who professed allegiance to Islamist militants planted homemade bombs near the finish line of the renowned race. The subsequent explosions killed and maimed dozens of bystanders in the most high profile attack on US soil since Sept. 11, 2001. 
 
(Reuters)

The explosive device went off in a trash can about 30 minutes after the scheduled start of the race; there were no casualties

A pipe bomb exploded in a New Jersey beach town on Saturday along the route of a charity race to benefit military veterans, but no injuries were reported in what investigators were treating as a possible act of terrorism. The explosive device went off in a trash can about 30 minutes after the scheduled start of the race, which coincidentally was delayed, in Seaside Park, a resort about 80 miles (129 km) south of New York City, officials said. No damage to surrounding structures was reported, and no runners or bystanders were in close proximity to the 9:30 am (1335 GMT) blast, so no one was hurt, authorities said. Even so, the explosion stirred dark memories of the bomb blasts at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2013 that killed three people and wounded more than 260 others. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's so-called joint terrorism task force assumed the lead role in searching for clues to Saturday's bombing, asking members of the public for any tips that might lead to arrests in the case. The race, dubbed the Seaside Semper Five 5K, was immediately canceled, and authorities closed the beach and several surrounding blocks while evacuating dozens of nearby homes as a search for more devices ensued. Initial reports of a second bomb planted in another trash proved untrue, according to a statement issued by New Jersey state police several hours later. Brad Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark field office, said at an early evening news conference that investigators had determined there was no longer any threat to the community. Police chief Francis Larkin said residents forced from their homes were allowed to return. Matter of minutes Authorities said the lag in the start of the race, reportedly because of late registrations, proved fortuitous, as the bomb went off before runners were on the race course. "It’s obvious it was meant to affect the run, the fact that it went off at 9:35," Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, said in an interview on CNN. The charity run was organised to benefit military veterans and the families of those lost in military service. The run's name is a reference to Semper Fidelis, Latin for "always loyal," the motto of the US Marine Corps. Asked if Marines and their families had been targeted, Della Fave said, "I think we can assume that, considering the location of the device right along the run route where, if it was just a matter of minutes in terms of difference, there would have been a good number of people running past that explosive device." The trash can contained several "pipe bomb-type devices" wired together, Della Fave said. "The one went off, and the others did not," he said. Law enforcement authorities said they did not know the motive for the blast. The explosive went off near the boardwalk by the intersection of Ocean Avenue and D Street, authorities said. According to a course map for the race, runners would have passed near the intersection twice: once 0.7 miles into the race and again 0.7 miles from the finish. About 5,000 people were set to run the 5 km race in Seaside Park, a family-oriented resort known for its beachside boardwalk, a local NBC affiliate reported. At the 2013 Boston Marathon, two brothers of Chechen ethnicity who professed allegiance to Islamist militants planted homemade bombs near the finish line of the renowned race. The subsequent explosions killed and maimed dozens of bystanders in the most high profile attack on US soil since Sept. 11, 2001. (Reuters)

Pipe bombing at New Jersey race probed as possible terrorism

An Islamic State group &quot;soldier&quot; carried out the wave of stabbings at a mall in the central Minnesota that would eight people, the militant group&#39;s news agency claimed.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The executor of the stabbing attacks in Minnesota yesterday (Saturday) was a soldier of the Islamic State who carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of countries belonging to the crusader coalition,&quot; Amaq news agency said. 
 
The man, who was wearing a private security uniform was shot dead by an off-duty police officer. &nbsp; 
 
FBI agent Rick Thornton said the stabbing spree is being investigated as a &quot;potential act of terrorism.&quot; 
 
The FBI agent in charge of the investigation said that there was still &quot;a lot we don&#39;t know&quot; about any possible international link to the assailant.&quot; 
 
City&#39;s police chief William Blair Anderson told reporters that the attacker also made references to Allah and asked at least one person if they were Muslim before he assaulted them at the Crossroads Center mall in St. Cloud. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ll figure out what this is and when we do we will be transparent about it,&rdquo; he added. He gave no details of the identities of the victims. 
 
Chris Nelson, a communications specialist at St. Cloud Hospital where the victims were admitted, said none of the victims received life-threatening injuries. 
 
The mall was under lockdown and witnesses were being interviewed by police.&nbsp; 
 
The suspect acted alone and the motive of the crime remained undetermined, chief Anderson said. &nbsp; 
 
Sydney Weires, a student at St. Benedict Colleg, who was shopping when the incident took place, told the St.Cloud Times she saw a man with blood running down his face and another&#39;s shirt stained with blood.&nbsp; 
 
The chief did not release the name of the officer who shot the suspect but said he was from a jurisdiction outside the town.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
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Eight people were wounded in the knife attack by a man who reportedly made references to Allah before the assault

An Islamic State group "soldier" carried out the wave of stabbings at a mall in the central Minnesota that would eight people, the militant group's news agency claimed. "The executor of the stabbing attacks in Minnesota yesterday (Saturday) was a soldier of the Islamic State who carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of countries belonging to the crusader coalition," Amaq news agency said. The man, who was wearing a private security uniform was shot dead by an off-duty police officer. FBI agent Rick Thornton said the stabbing spree is being investigated as a "potential act of terrorism." The FBI agent in charge of the investigation said that there was still "a lot we don't know" about any possible international link to the assailant." City's police chief William Blair Anderson told reporters that the attacker also made references to Allah and asked at least one person if they were Muslim before he assaulted them at the Crossroads Center mall in St. Cloud. "We'll figure out what this is and when we do we will be transparent about it,” he added. He gave no details of the identities of the victims. Chris Nelson, a communications specialist at St. Cloud Hospital where the victims were admitted, said none of the victims received life-threatening injuries. The mall was under lockdown and witnesses were being interviewed by police. The suspect acted alone and the motive of the crime remained undetermined, chief Anderson said. Sydney Weires, a student at St. Benedict Colleg, who was shopping when the incident took place, told the St.Cloud Times she saw a man with blood running down his face and another's shirt stained with blood. The chief did not release the name of the officer who shot the suspect but said he was from a jurisdiction outside the town. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Islamic State claims responsibility for Minnesota mall attack, FBI investigates attack

The US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power expressed regret on Saturday over the US-led coalition strike on a Syrian army post, but dismissed Russia&#39;s call for an emergency Security Council meeting as a &quot;stunt.&quot; 
 
Russia called the urgent meeting to demand an explanation from the United States after the bombing killed at least 62 soldiers in eastern Syria, near the Islamic State group-controlled town of Deir Ezzor. 
 
&quot;We are investigating the incident,&quot; Power told journalists as the closed door meeting got under way. 
 
&quot;If we determine that we did indeed strike Syrian military personnel, that was not our intention. And we of course regret the loss of life,&quot; she added. 
 
Power went on to describe Russia&#39;s request for the urgent meeting as a &quot;stunt, replete with moralism and grandstanding,&quot; saying Moscow should instead demand a meeting with the Assad regime to press for peace. 
 
In an exchange reminiscent of Cold War-era verbal jousting, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin returned by accusing the United States of violating agreements that it would not target Syrian positions and said the action was a &quot;bad omen&quot; for a US-Russian deal on halting the fighting in Syria. 
 
Washington and Moscow reached an agreement in September that calls for a ceasefire, the delivery of aid and the joint targeting of Islamist rebels in Syria. 
 
The ceasefire went into effect on Monday, but convoys of aid have yet to reach civilians besieged by Syrian forces in the battleground city of Aleppo. 
 
Asked if the air strike on the Syrian army would kill off the US-Russian deal, Churkin said &quot;this is a very big question mark.&quot; 
 
&quot;I do hope that they will find a way to convince us and everybody else that they are serious about political settlement in Syria, serious about fighting terrorists,&quot; he said. 
 
US secretary of state John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov are due on Wednesday to attend a special Security Council meeting on Syria, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. 
 
(AFP) 
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Russia has called an urgent UNSC meeting to demand an explanation of the US for the bombing that killed at least 62 Syrian soldiers

The US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power expressed regret on Saturday over the US-led coalition strike on a Syrian army post, but dismissed Russia's call for an emergency Security Council meeting as a "stunt." Russia called the urgent meeting to demand an explanation from the United States after the bombing killed at least 62 soldiers in eastern Syria, near the Islamic State group-controlled town of Deir Ezzor. "We are investigating the incident," Power told journalists as the closed door meeting got under way. "If we determine that we did indeed strike Syrian military personnel, that was not our intention. And we of course regret the loss of life," she added. Power went on to describe Russia's request for the urgent meeting as a "stunt, replete with moralism and grandstanding," saying Moscow should instead demand a meeting with the Assad regime to press for peace. In an exchange reminiscent of Cold War-era verbal jousting, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin returned by accusing the United States of violating agreements that it would not target Syrian positions and said the action was a "bad omen" for a US-Russian deal on halting the fighting in Syria. Washington and Moscow reached an agreement in September that calls for a ceasefire, the delivery of aid and the joint targeting of Islamist rebels in Syria. The ceasefire went into effect on Monday, but convoys of aid have yet to reach civilians besieged by Syrian forces in the battleground city of Aleppo. Asked if the air strike on the Syrian army would kill off the US-Russian deal, Churkin said "this is a very big question mark." "I do hope that they will find a way to convince us and everybody else that they are serious about political settlement in Syria, serious about fighting terrorists," he said. US secretary of state John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov are due on Wednesday to attend a special Security Council meeting on Syria, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. (AFP)

US regrets Syria airstrike, hits out at Russia

The bomb that exploded in New York wounding 29 people was an act of terrorism but has no apparent international link, the state governor said on Sunday. 
 
&quot;A bomb exploding in New York is obviously an act of terrorism, but it&#39;s not linked to international terrorism. In other words, we find no ISIS connection, et cetera,&quot; New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said,&nbsp;in reference to the Islamic State extremist group based in Iraq and Syria, reported AFP. 
 
The explosion in the Chealsea neighbourhood of Manhattan on Saturday evening, left the city on high alert.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Early indications are that this was an intentional act,&quot; mayor Bill de Blasio had earlier said at a press conference. But he was not sure it had &quot;a terror connection&quot;. 
 
Meanwhile, local news reports added that a second device -- which looked like a &quot;pressurised cooker&quot; -- had been found four blocks from the first blast site. &nbsp; 
 
And Reuters reported an official as saying that the Joint Terrorism Task Force, an inter-agency group of federal, state and local officials, was called to investigate the Chelsea blast, suggesting authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a terror connection.
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Manhattan *IED Explosion* W 23 St &amp; 7th Ave. Photo By: <a href="https://twitter.com/itaycohai">@itaycohai</a> video by: <a href="https://twitter.com/itaycohai">@itaycohai</a> <a href="https://t.co/spaIg1uCYN">pic.twitter.com/spaIg1uCYN</a>
&mdash; NYCFireWire (@NYCFireWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCFireWire/status/777310900613152768">September 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Fire department commissioner Daniel Nigro said 24 people had been admitted to hospital with scrapes and bruises recieved from glass and metal. CNN reported that one of the victims was believed to be critical. &nbsp; 
 
Reports said law enforcement officials believed the explosion took place in a dumpster, but would not say what might have caused it.&nbsp; 
 
CNN reported officials as saying they believed it was an improvised explosive device or IED.&nbsp; 
 
New York city police department deputy commissioner J Peter Donald tweeted that the blast occured at about 8.30 pm between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue on 23rd Street and that several injured were transported to an area hospital.&nbsp; 
 
Police issued a notice asking motorists to avoid the area and that they should &quot;expect extensive traffic delays and emergency personnel in the area of 23rd Street and 7th Avenue.&quot; 
 
The blast happened outside the Associated Blinding Housing facility at 135 W. 23rd Street. Hundreds were seen fleeing the area in panic after the blast. &nbsp; 
 
Tsi Tsi Mallett, who was driving along 23rd Street when the explosion took place, told Reuters, &quot;It was really loud, it hurt my eardrums. My 10-year-old boy was sat in the back seat of the car, and the explosion blew the back window out.&quot; Reuters reported her son was not injured.&nbsp; 
 
Neha Jain, who lives in the neighbourhood, told Reuters she was sitting in her room watching a movie when she suddenly heard a huge boom and everything shook. 
 
&quot;Pictures on my wall fell, the window curtain came flying as if there was a big gush of wind. Then we could smell smoke. Went downstairs to see what happened and firemen immediately told us to go back.&quot; 
 
This was the second explosion that took place on Saturday, the first one being at New Jersey&#39;s Seaside Park, when a pipe bomb in a trash can exploded along the route of a charity race to benefit military veterans.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

At least 29 people were injured in the explosion in Manhattan. Mayor Bill de Blasio had said the blast was 'intentional'

The bomb that exploded in New York wounding 29 people was an act of terrorism but has no apparent international link, the state governor said on Sunday. "A bomb exploding in New York is obviously an act of terrorism, but it's not linked to international terrorism. In other words, we find no ISIS connection, et cetera," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said, in reference to the Islamic State extremist group based in Iraq and Syria, reported AFP. The explosion in the Chealsea neighbourhood of Manhattan on Saturday evening, left the city on high alert. "Early indications are that this was an intentional act," mayor Bill de Blasio had earlier said at a press conference. But he was not sure it had "a terror connection". Meanwhile, local news reports added that a second device -- which looked like a "pressurised cooker" -- had been found four blocks from the first blast site. And Reuters reported an official as saying that the Joint Terrorism Task Force, an inter-agency group of federal, state and local officials, was called to investigate the Chelsea blast, suggesting authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a terror connection. Manhattan *IED Explosion* W 23 St & 7th Ave. Photo By: @itaycohai video by: @itaycohai pic.twitter.com/spaIg1uCYN — NYCFireWire (@NYCFireWire) September 18, 2016 Fire department commissioner Daniel Nigro said 24 people had been admitted to hospital with scrapes and bruises recieved from glass and metal. CNN reported that one of the victims was believed to be critical. Reports said law enforcement officials believed the explosion took place in a dumpster, but would not say what might have caused it. CNN reported officials as saying they believed it was an improvised explosive device or IED. New York city police department deputy commissioner J Peter Donald tweeted that the blast occured at about 8.30 pm between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue on 23rd Street and that several injured were transported to an area hospital. Police issued a notice asking motorists to avoid the area and that they should "expect extensive traffic delays and emergency personnel in the area of 23rd Street and 7th Avenue." The blast happened outside the Associated Blinding Housing facility at 135 W. 23rd Street. Hundreds were seen fleeing the area in panic after the blast. Tsi Tsi Mallett, who was driving along 23rd Street when the explosion took place, told Reuters, "It was really loud, it hurt my eardrums. My 10-year-old boy was sat in the back seat of the car, and the explosion blew the back window out." Reuters reported her son was not injured. Neha Jain, who lives in the neighbourhood, told Reuters she was sitting in her room watching a movie when she suddenly heard a huge boom and everything shook. "Pictures on my wall fell, the window curtain came flying as if there was a big gush of wind. Then we could smell smoke. Went downstairs to see what happened and firemen immediately told us to go back." This was the second explosion that took place on Saturday, the first one being at New Jersey's Seaside Park, when a pipe bomb in a trash can exploded along the route of a charity race to benefit military veterans. (WION with inputs from agencies)

New York blast an act of terrorism but no international link: State governor

&#39;Snowden&#39;, the movie based on whistleblower Edward Snowden released in Russia on Thursday, a day ahead of the US premiere.&nbsp; 
 
The film is directed by Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, known for his controversial films, which include &quot;JFK,&quot; &quot;Natural Born Killers&quot; and &quot;Wall Street.&quot; 
 
The movie is based on two books about Snowden, written by The Guardian journalist, Luke Harding and Snowden&#39;s Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, Reuters reported.&nbsp; 
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<h5>Snowden sought asylum in Russia after he was stripped of his US passport while travelling from Hong Kong to Moscow. He was granted asylum after almost a month of stay and this is why Russia was chosen for the global theatre release.&nbsp;</h5>
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The movie follows the story of Snowden, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a former intelligence contractor with US National Security Agency who leaks thousands of classified government documents in 2013, which revealed mass surveillance programmes used by US and British government.&nbsp; 
 
Snowden sought asylum in Russia after he was stripped of his US passport while travelling from Hong Kong to Moscow. He was granted asylum after almost a month of stay and this is why Russia was chosen for the global theatre release.&nbsp; 
 
Victor Michaelson, an associate professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow told Reuters: &quot;Snowden lives here. He is always on the top news, on the cover, whenever he gives interviews, or his public appearances, which are rare, but still he is a very popular figure in Russia.&quot; 
 
Another movie viewer, Yuri, considers him the hero of the 21st century.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;He [Snowden] is right about security, about freedom of the people. Of course, everyone needs to know about it, about the truth,&quot; he said 
 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
 
 
 
 
 
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The movie is based on two books written by The Guardian journalist Luke Harding and whistle-blower Edward Snowden's Russian lawyer

'Snowden', the movie based on whistleblower Edward Snowden released in Russia on Thursday, a day ahead of the US premiere. The film is directed by Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, known for his controversial films, which include "JFK," "Natural Born Killers" and "Wall Street." The movie is based on two books about Snowden, written by The Guardian journalist, Luke Harding and Snowden's Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, Reuters reported. Snowden sought asylum in Russia after he was stripped of his US passport while travelling from Hong Kong to Moscow. He was granted asylum after almost a month of stay and this is why Russia was chosen for the global theatre release. The movie follows the story of Snowden, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a former intelligence contractor with US National Security Agency who leaks thousands of classified government documents in 2013, which revealed mass surveillance programmes used by US and British government. Snowden sought asylum in Russia after he was stripped of his US passport while travelling from Hong Kong to Moscow. He was granted asylum after almost a month of stay and this is why Russia was chosen for the global theatre release. Victor Michaelson, an associate professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow told Reuters: "Snowden lives here. He is always on the top news, on the cover, whenever he gives interviews, or his public appearances, which are rare, but still he is a very popular figure in Russia." Another movie viewer, Yuri, considers him the hero of the 21st century. "He [Snowden] is right about security, about freedom of the people. Of course, everyone needs to know about it, about the truth," he said (WION with inputs from Reuters)

'Snowden' hits Russian theatres

US state department spokesman, John Kirby maintained the United States wants India and Pakistan to resolve their issues bilaterally, during a press briefing on Friday.&nbsp; 
 
Kirby said this in response to a reporter&#39;s statement on Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif planning to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums, reported the Press Trust of India.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;How do you view Pakistan effort to raise this issue on international forums?&quot; a reported questioned him and he reiterated that it is up to both sides how they want to resolve this issue.&nbsp; 
 
Sharif had earlier said he would raise the Kashmir issue, this year in his address to the UN General Assembly.&nbsp; 
 
According to the Press Trust of India, he also appointed more than 20 special envoys on Kashmir who are travelling across the world, including the United States. 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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US state department spokesman John Kirby maintained it was up to India and Pakistan how they wanted to resolve this problem

US state department spokesman, John Kirby maintained the United States wants India and Pakistan to resolve their issues bilaterally, during a press briefing on Friday. Kirby said this in response to a reporter's statement on Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif planning to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums, reported the Press Trust of India. "How do you view Pakistan effort to raise this issue on international forums?" a reported questioned him and he reiterated that it is up to both sides how they want to resolve this issue. Sharif had earlier said he would raise the Kashmir issue, this year in his address to the UN General Assembly. According to the Press Trust of India, he also appointed more than 20 special envoys on Kashmir who are travelling across the world, including the United States. (WION with inputs from PTI)

US wants India, Pakistan to resolve Kashmir issue bilaterally

US state department spokesman, John Kirby, on Friday said the&nbsp;United States &quot;does not recognise the legitimacy&quot; of Russian Parliamentary elections in Crimea.&nbsp; 
 
While addressing his daily conference, Kirby said: &quot;The United States does not recognise the legitimacy, and will not recognise the outcome of the Russian Duma elections planned for Russian-occupied Crimea on September 18th.&quot; 
 
He maintained that US position concerning Crimea was clear, it is a part of Ukraine and &quot;Crimea-related sanctions against Russia will remain until Russia returns control of Crimea to Ukraine.&quot; 
 
Kirby also expressed concern over human rights violations taking place, &quot;including the status of the ethnic Tatar community and widespread reports of missing persons and human rights abuses.&quot; 
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<h5>Despite Ukraine&#39;s opposition, Russia is holding the elections in Crimea, where for the first time in two-and-a-half years, local residents are getting ready to cast their votes on Sunday.</h5>
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Ukraine reacts 
 
Ukraine&#39;s foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin reiterated that the elections in Crimea were &quot;absolutely unacceptable.&quot; 
 
&quot;These elections are completely illegitimate. They are illegitimate in the political sense but they are also illegitimate in the purely legal sense and actually it&#39;s the Russian side now (that) opened up a kind of Pandora box because for me it puts a question mark on the whole issue of democratic legitimacy for the Russian Parliament,&quot; Reuters quoted him as saying.&nbsp; 
 
Despite Ukraine&#39;s opposition, Russia is holding the elections in Crimea, where for the first time in two-and-a-half years, local residents are getting ready to cast their votes on Sunday, according to media reports.&nbsp; 
 
Ukraine, along with Western countries has accused Russia of providing military support to Eastern Ukrainian insurgency after Russia annexed Crimea.&nbsp; 
 
However, Russia denied the charges and said it played no direct role in the conflict.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
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He maintained that US position concerning Crimea was clear that it is a part of Ukraine

US state department spokesman, John Kirby, on Friday said the United States "does not recognise the legitimacy" of Russian Parliamentary elections in Crimea. While addressing his daily conference, Kirby said: "The United States does not recognise the legitimacy, and will not recognise the outcome of the Russian Duma elections planned for Russian-occupied Crimea on September 18th." He maintained that US position concerning Crimea was clear, it is a part of Ukraine and "Crimea-related sanctions against Russia will remain until Russia returns control of Crimea to Ukraine." Kirby also expressed concern over human rights violations taking place, "including the status of the ethnic Tatar community and widespread reports of missing persons and human rights abuses." Despite Ukraine's opposition, Russia is holding the elections in Crimea, where for the first time in two-and-a-half years, local residents are getting ready to cast their votes on Sunday. Ukraine reacts Ukraine's foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin reiterated that the elections in Crimea were "absolutely unacceptable." "These elections are completely illegitimate. They are illegitimate in the political sense but they are also illegitimate in the purely legal sense and actually it's the Russian side now (that) opened up a kind of Pandora box because for me it puts a question mark on the whole issue of democratic legitimacy for the Russian Parliament," Reuters quoted him as saying. Despite Ukraine's opposition, Russia is holding the elections in Crimea, where for the first time in two-and-a-half years, local residents are getting ready to cast their votes on Sunday, according to media reports. Ukraine, along with Western countries has accused Russia of providing military support to Eastern Ukrainian insurgency after Russia annexed Crimea. However, Russia denied the charges and said it played no direct role in the conflict. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US: Will not recognise legitimacy of Russian polls in Crimea

The United States and Israel have agreed on a record $38 billion deal to provide Israel with military aid for 10 years from 2019, the US state department said Tuesday. 
 
Enshrining defence funding for Washington&rsquo;s closest Middle East ally, the countries will sign the memorandum of understanding on Wednesday, it said, that &quot;constitutes the single largest pledge of bilateral military assistance in US history.&quot; 
 
Jacob Nagel,Israel&rsquo;s chief negotiator, and acting head of Netanyahu&rsquo;s national security council, arrived in Washington in preparation for the signing ceremony, and the White House also began briefing members of Congress on the deal. 
 
According to AFP, US military aid to Israel currently stands at $3.1 billion per year although officials did not share a figure.&nbsp; 
 
The deal also includes &nbsp;major concessions by granted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu including Israel&rsquo;s agreement not to seek additional funds from Congress beyond what will be guaranteed annually in the new package, Reuters reported today. 
 
The agreement also includes phasing out a special arrangement that has allowed Israel to spend part of its US aid on its own defence industry instead of on American-made weapons, the officials said.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;Mounting frustration&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Interestingly, the deal comes amid mounting frustration within US President Barack Obama&#39;s administration at Israel&#39;s policy of building settler homes on occupied Palestinian territory. 
 
Washington earlier warned that Netanyahu`s policies, along with Palestinian violence, are putting at risk hopes of an eventual peace deal. 
 
Nearly 10 months of drawn-out aid negotiations have also underscored continuing friction between Obama and Netanyahu over last year&#39;s US-led nuclear deal with Iran, an accord the Israeli leader opposed.&nbsp; 
 
But United States&#39; number one ally in the region remains a big customer for US arms exports.&nbsp; 
 
The 10-year package will help in maintaining Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;qualitative military edge&rdquo; in the region. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The funding for Washington?s closest Middle East ally will represent the biggest pledge of US military assistance made to any country

The United States and Israel have agreed on a record $38 billion deal to provide Israel with military aid for 10 years from 2019, the US state department said Tuesday. Enshrining defence funding for Washington’s closest Middle East ally, the countries will sign the memorandum of understanding on Wednesday, it said, that "constitutes the single largest pledge of bilateral military assistance in US history." Jacob Nagel,Israel’s chief negotiator, and acting head of Netanyahu’s national security council, arrived in Washington in preparation for the signing ceremony, and the White House also began briefing members of Congress on the deal. According to AFP, US military aid to Israel currently stands at $3.1 billion per year although officials did not share a figure. The deal also includes major concessions by granted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu including Israel’s agreement not to seek additional funds from Congress beyond what will be guaranteed annually in the new package, Reuters reported today. The agreement also includes phasing out a special arrangement that has allowed Israel to spend part of its US aid on its own defence industry instead of on American-made weapons, the officials said. 'Mounting frustration' Interestingly, the deal comes amid mounting frustration within US President Barack Obama's administration at Israel's policy of building settler homes on occupied Palestinian territory. Washington earlier warned that Netanyahu`s policies, along with Palestinian violence, are putting at risk hopes of an eventual peace deal. Nearly 10 months of drawn-out aid negotiations have also underscored continuing friction between Obama and Netanyahu over last year's US-led nuclear deal with Iran, an accord the Israeli leader opposed. But United States' number one ally in the region remains a big customer for US arms exports. The 10-year package will help in maintaining Israel’s “qualitative military edge” in the region. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US to sign record $38 billion defence deal with Israel

Twenty four hours after the truce brokered by the US and Russia came into effect, violence in Syria has dropped down significantly, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
The ceasefire is the second attempt this year to halt the five-year-old war that has ravaged Syria. The agreement aims to bring an end to fighting between President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s loyalists and a wide range of rebels, excluding jihadist forces like the Islamic State (IS) group.&nbsp; 
 
Although there was some violence after sunset on Monday, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it did not receive a single report of civilians or combatants being killed in any area. 
 
&ldquo;Today calm appears to have prevailed across Hama, Latakia, Aleppo city and Rural Aleppo and Idlib, with only some allegations of sporadic and geographically isolated incidents,&quot; de Mistura said. 
 
&quot;Sources on the ground, which do matter, including inside Aleppo city, said the situation has dramatically improved with no air strikes.&quot; 
 
AFP reported that Damascus and central Syria were also calm. 
 
However, there were some reports of clashes between government and opposition forces around Harasta and fighting in Quneitra between government forces and the Nusra Front, a group that is excluded from the ceasefire. 
 
Disengaging armed opposition groups that are observing the truce from those who are not &ndash; especially the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham militant group, would be &ldquo;quite a challenge&rdquo;, De Mistura said today.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;But what is missing still is the famous authorisation letters from the government,&quot; he said. &quot;We have not yet received those authorisation letters but we are eagerly hoping and expecting the government to issue them very soon.&quot; 
 
De Mistura said the agreement did not contain anything about the release of detainees, which the opposition has said in the past is one of their key demands, with tens or even hundreds of thousands of people in jail. 
 
&quot;For all the doubts that remain, and there will be challenges in the days to come, this plan has a chance to work,&quot; &nbsp;said Viktor Poznikhir, a senior Russian military officer said of the deal he agreed on Friday with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. 
 
&quot;I urge all the parties to support it because it may be the last chance that one has to save a united Syria.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it did not receive a single report of civilians or combatants being killed in any area

Twenty four hours after the truce brokered by the US and Russia came into effect, violence in Syria has dropped down significantly, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday. The ceasefire is the second attempt this year to halt the five-year-old war that has ravaged Syria. The agreement aims to bring an end to fighting between President Bashar al-Assad's loyalists and a wide range of rebels, excluding jihadist forces like the Islamic State (IS) group. Although there was some violence after sunset on Monday, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it did not receive a single report of civilians or combatants being killed in any area. “Today calm appears to have prevailed across Hama, Latakia, Aleppo city and Rural Aleppo and Idlib, with only some allegations of sporadic and geographically isolated incidents," de Mistura said. "Sources on the ground, which do matter, including inside Aleppo city, said the situation has dramatically improved with no air strikes." AFP reported that Damascus and central Syria were also calm. However, there were some reports of clashes between government and opposition forces around Harasta and fighting in Quneitra between government forces and the Nusra Front, a group that is excluded from the ceasefire. Disengaging armed opposition groups that are observing the truce from those who are not – especially the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham militant group, would be “quite a challenge”, De Mistura said today. "But what is missing still is the famous authorisation letters from the government," he said. "We have not yet received those authorisation letters but we are eagerly hoping and expecting the government to issue them very soon." De Mistura said the agreement did not contain anything about the release of detainees, which the opposition has said in the past is one of their key demands, with tens or even hundreds of thousands of people in jail. "For all the doubts that remain, and there will be challenges in the days to come, this plan has a chance to work," said Viktor Poznikhir, a senior Russian military officer said of the deal he agreed on Friday with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. "I urge all the parties to support it because it may be the last chance that one has to save a united Syria." (WION with inputs from agencies)

'Significant drop' in violence after Syria truce, says UN

Days after Pyongyang&#39;s fifth and largest-ever nuclear test, &nbsp;two huge US strategic bombers flew over South Korea today in a show of force and solidarity with its ally against North while a US envoy called for a &nbsp;strong response from the United Nations (UN). 
 
&quot;Today&#39;s demonstration provides just one example of the full range of military capabilities in the deep resources of this strong alliance to provide and strengthen extended deterrence,&quot; &nbsp;general Vincent Brooks, US-South Korea Combined Forces Command was quoted as saying by AFP.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;North Korea&#39;s nuclear test is a dangerous escalation and poses an unacceptable threat,&quot; said the general, adding the US has an &quot;unshakable commitment&quot; to defend allies in the region. 
 
The supersonic B-1B Lancers reached airspace over the US Osan Air Base at Pyeongtaek, 64 kilometres (40 miles) south of Seoul, at around 10:00 am (0100 GMT). 
 
&quot;Our intention is to secure the strongest possible (UN Security Council) resolution that includes new sanctions as quickly as possible,&quot; Sung Kim, the US envoy on North Korea, asserted while speaking in the South Korean capital.&nbsp; 
 
US remains open to authentic, meaningful dialogue with Pyongyang on ending its pursuit of nuclear weapons, Kim was quoted as saying by Reuters.&nbsp; 
 
Each aircraft, which had flown from the US Pacific Command`s Andersen Airforce base at Guam, was escorted by US and South Korean fighter jets.&nbsp; 
 
It&#39;s pertinent to mention that Seoul in July had announced its plans to deploy THAAD &nbsp;(Terminal High Altitude Area Defense), a sophisticated US missile defence system, to counter growing nuclear and missile threats from the North.&nbsp; 
 
However, North Korea&#39;s major diplomatic ally, China, which believes the system`s radar could also be used to track its own defences, had objected strongly. The plan has also met resistance from residents of the southern county of Seongju, the planned site. 
 
Kim today pointed out that the United States would work with China to close loopholes in existing resolutions, which were tightened with Beijing`s backing in March. 
 
&quot;China has been very clear that they understand the need for a new UN security council resolution in response to the latest North Korean nuclear test,&quot; Kim said. 
 
China and Russia, however, which strongly oppose a recent decision by the United States and South Korea to deploy an advanced anti-missile system in the South to counter the North`s missile threat, have shown reluctance to back further sanctions. 
 
Meanwhile, South Korea`s defence ministry spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun told journalists that Tuesday&#39;s overflight was &quot;aimed at sending a clear warning to North Korea about its nuclear test, and containing further provocations&quot;. &nbsp; 
 
Washington took similar actions after previous atomic tests. 
 
In January, the US flew a B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber over Osan Air Base after North Korea`s fourth nuclear blast. 
 
South Korea is home to around 28,500 US troops and numerous bases. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters, AFP)&nbsp;

The overflight was 'aimed at sending a clear warning to the North' after its fifth nuclear test: South Korea's defence ministry

Days after Pyongyang's fifth and largest-ever nuclear test, two huge US strategic bombers flew over South Korea today in a show of force and solidarity with its ally against North while a US envoy called for a strong response from the United Nations (UN). "Today's demonstration provides just one example of the full range of military capabilities in the deep resources of this strong alliance to provide and strengthen extended deterrence," general Vincent Brooks, US-South Korea Combined Forces Command was quoted as saying by AFP. "North Korea's nuclear test is a dangerous escalation and poses an unacceptable threat," said the general, adding the US has an "unshakable commitment" to defend allies in the region. The supersonic B-1B Lancers reached airspace over the US Osan Air Base at Pyeongtaek, 64 kilometres (40 miles) south of Seoul, at around 10:00 am (0100 GMT). "Our intention is to secure the strongest possible (UN Security Council) resolution that includes new sanctions as quickly as possible," Sung Kim, the US envoy on North Korea, asserted while speaking in the South Korean capital. US remains open to authentic, meaningful dialogue with Pyongyang on ending its pursuit of nuclear weapons, Kim was quoted as saying by Reuters. Each aircraft, which had flown from the US Pacific Command`s Andersen Airforce base at Guam, was escorted by US and South Korean fighter jets. It's pertinent to mention that Seoul in July had announced its plans to deploy THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense), a sophisticated US missile defence system, to counter growing nuclear and missile threats from the North. However, North Korea's major diplomatic ally, China, which believes the system`s radar could also be used to track its own defences, had objected strongly. The plan has also met resistance from residents of the southern county of Seongju, the planned site. Kim today pointed out that the United States would work with China to close loopholes in existing resolutions, which were tightened with Beijing`s backing in March. "China has been very clear that they understand the need for a new UN security council resolution in response to the latest North Korean nuclear test," Kim said. China and Russia, however, which strongly oppose a recent decision by the United States and South Korea to deploy an advanced anti-missile system in the South to counter the North`s missile threat, have shown reluctance to back further sanctions. Meanwhile, South Korea`s defence ministry spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun told journalists that Tuesday's overflight was "aimed at sending a clear warning to North Korea about its nuclear test, and containing further provocations". Washington took similar actions after previous atomic tests. In January, the US flew a B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber over Osan Air Base after North Korea`s fourth nuclear blast. South Korea is home to around 28,500 US troops and numerous bases. (WION with inputs from Reuters, AFP)

US bombers fly over South Korea in show of solidarity against Pyongyang

US respects the unity and territorial integrity of Pakistan and does not support independence for Balochistan, John Kirby, US state department spokesman, said on Monday while addressing a press briefing.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The government policy is that we support the territorial integrity of Pakistan and we do not support independence for Balochistan,&quot; he said when asked about the controversy stirred after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s reference to human rights in Balochistan during the Indian Independence Day speech last month.&nbsp; 
 
Kirby also avoided commenting on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s statements regarding the issue and said he had underlined US&#39;s reaction well.&nbsp; 
 
During his press briefing, Kirby was answering questions on Russia, Syria, North Korea and Pakistan, when he was asked United States position on the Baloch subject.&nbsp; 
 
While celebrating India&#39;s Independence Day on August 15, Indian Prime Minister Modi raised Balochistan and Gilgit saying the people of Baloch were grateful to him for raising their issues. 
 
This was in response to Pakistan&#39;s criticism over India&#39;s handling of Kashmir Valley, gripped with violence following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

US state department spokesman John Kirby said on Monday that US supports territorial integrity of Pakistan

US respects the unity and territorial integrity of Pakistan and does not support independence for Balochistan, John Kirby, US state department spokesman, said on Monday while addressing a press briefing. "The government policy is that we support the territorial integrity of Pakistan and we do not support independence for Balochistan," he said when asked about the controversy stirred after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reference to human rights in Balochistan during the Indian Independence Day speech last month. Kirby also avoided commenting on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statements regarding the issue and said he had underlined US's reaction well. During his press briefing, Kirby was answering questions on Russia, Syria, North Korea and Pakistan, when he was asked United States position on the Baloch subject. While celebrating India's Independence Day on August 15, Indian Prime Minister Modi raised Balochistan and Gilgit saying the people of Baloch were grateful to him for raising their issues. This was in response to Pakistan's criticism over India's handling of Kashmir Valley, gripped with violence following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. (WION with inputs from agencies)

'US does not support independence for Balochistan'

Dock workers began unloading furniture, clothing and other cargo at the Long Beach port on Saturday, from the Hanjin Greece container ship, breaking a logjam that has stranded dozens of cargo bound ships heading towards the US west coast.&nbsp; 
 
Cargo ship tracking agency, the Marine Exchange of Southern California said, by mid-Saturday, two more ships were anchored near the port as they did not have the orders to dock. 
 
&quot;Nine more ships are floating in the Pacific,&quot; union officials added. 
 
The ship belongs to South Korean Hanjin shipping Co Ltd, the world&#39;s seventh largest shipping company which is seeking &#39;&#39;bankruptcy protection&#39;&#39; from its home country and the United States.Hanjin has a debt of 5.37 billion Dollars. 
 
Ending the shipping crisis, however, will be a lengthy affair, according to a Reuters report.&nbsp; 
 
Out of 141 ships operated by the company, 92 were stranded at sea till last Friday, reported AFP. The firm was banned by countries including US and China until it guarantees payment for services. 
 
Hanjin on Friday, was given permission to spend 10 billion Dollars by courts in South Korea and the US to unload cargo from four ships going to US West coast.&nbsp; 
 
Shareholder Korean Air also agreed to give 60 billion Won ($54.16 million) to the bankrupt shipper.&nbsp; 
 
Justice for Port Drivers spokeswoman, Barbara Maynard told Reuters: &quot;Once its unloaded, the ship will be reloaded with empty containers or with containers filled with goods for export.&quot; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Nine more ships were floating in the Pacific as they did not have orders to dock

Dock workers began unloading furniture, clothing and other cargo at the Long Beach port on Saturday, from the Hanjin Greece container ship, breaking a logjam that has stranded dozens of cargo bound ships heading towards the US west coast. Cargo ship tracking agency, the Marine Exchange of Southern California said, by mid-Saturday, two more ships were anchored near the port as they did not have the orders to dock. "Nine more ships are floating in the Pacific," union officials added. The ship belongs to South Korean Hanjin shipping Co Ltd, the world's seventh largest shipping company which is seeking ''bankruptcy protection'' from its home country and the United States.Hanjin has a debt of 5.37 billion Dollars. Ending the shipping crisis, however, will be a lengthy affair, according to a Reuters report. Out of 141 ships operated by the company, 92 were stranded at sea till last Friday, reported AFP. The firm was banned by countries including US and China until it guarantees payment for services. Hanjin on Friday, was given permission to spend 10 billion Dollars by courts in South Korea and the US to unload cargo from four ships going to US West coast. Shareholder Korean Air also agreed to give 60 billion Won ($54.16 million) to the bankrupt shipper. Justice for Port Drivers spokeswoman, Barbara Maynard told Reuters: "Once its unloaded, the ship will be reloaded with empty containers or with containers filled with goods for export." (WION with inputs from agencies)

South Korean shipper 'Henjin' docks ship in US, breaks logjam

A day of intense airstrikes on Saturday on and around the northern city of Aleppo killed more than 50 people hours after US and Russia hailed a &#39;breakthrough deal&#39; to put Syria&#39;s back on track. The airstrikes have&nbsp;added to rebels&#39; doubts if any ceasefire could hold. 
 
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights&nbsp;monitor said the death toll is likely to rise as dozens were left injured.&nbsp; 
 
The agreement, by the powers that back opposing sides in the five-year-old war, promises a nationwide truce from sundown on Monday, improved access for humanitarian aid and joint military targeting of hardline Islamist groups.&nbsp; 
 
But hours later, jets bombed a marketplace in rebel-held Idlib in northwestern&nbsp;Syria.&nbsp;Locals and rescue workers&nbsp;said they believed the planes to be Russian. 
 
Idlib province has endured escalating strikes by Russian jets in recent months, according international aid workers and residents, destroying scores of hospitals, bakeries and other infrastructure across rebel-held territory. 
 
Aleppo was also hit from the air and fighting continued on the ground. The army attacked rebel-held areas, both sides said, pushing to maximise gains before the ceasefire deadline. 
 
Insurgents said they were planning a counter-offensive.&nbsp;&quot;The fighting is flaring on all the fronts of southern Aleppo,&quot; rebel spokesman Captain Abdul Salam Abdul Razak said.

Razak, of the Nour al-Din al Zinki Brigades, part of the Free&nbsp;Syrian Army (FSA) which is backed by the West, said they were studying the peace deal but feared it merely gave the&nbsp;Syrian army a chance to gather forces and pour more Iranian-backed militias into Aleppo. 
 
&#39;Halting all attacks&#39;&nbsp;

US&nbsp;Secretary of State John Kerry called on all sides to respect the deal, which was finally reached after several failed attempts over recent weeks.

&quot;This requires halting all attacks, including aerial bombardments, and any attempts to gain additional territory at the expense of the parties to the cessation. It requires unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to all of the besieged and hard-to-reach areas including Aleppo,&quot; he said.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that despite continuing mistrust, the two sides had developed five documents that would enable coordination of the fight against terrorism and a revival of&nbsp;Syria&#39;s failed truce.

Both sides agreed not to release the documents publicly.

&quot;This all creates the necessary conditions for resumption of the political process, which has been stalling for a long time,&quot; Lavrov said.

The Nusra question&nbsp;

Previous peace efforts have crumbled within weeks, with the United States accusing Assad&#39;s forces of attacking opposition groups and civilians.

Kerry said the &quot;bedrock&quot; of the new deal was an agreement that the&nbsp;Syrian government would not fly combat missions in an agreed area on the pretext of hunting fighters from the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate in&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;which has recently changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

Under the new deal, both sides - Russian-backed government forces and rebel groups supported by the U.S. and Gulf states, - are to halt fighting as a confidence building measure.

If the truce holds from Monday, Russia and the United States will begin seven days of preparatory work to set up a &quot;joint implementation centre&quot;, where they will share information to distinguish territory controlled by Nusra from that held by other rebel groups.

For many FSA rebels, the idea of a clear separation from Nusra is problematic because on several fronts they fight together against the army and allied Iranian-backed militias.

Fateh al-Sham has also played a major role in trying to end the siege of eastern Aleppo which many rebels say has boosted its popularity, and discussions are ongoing to possibly unify ranks under a broader opposition army.

&quot;Fateh al-Sham is a faction present on the ground and it takes part in most of the military operations, and the matter of separating it is not possible, particularly given that there are attempts to merge, within some factions, with Fateh al-Sham,&quot; Fares al-Bayoush, head of an FSA group called the Northern Division, told Reuters. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The agreement, by the powers that back opposing sides in the five-year-old Syria war, promises a nationwide truce from sundown on Monday

A day of intense airstrikes on Saturday on and around the northern city of Aleppo killed more than 50 people hours after US and Russia hailed a 'breakthrough deal' to put Syria's back on track. The airstrikes have added to rebels' doubts if any ceasefire could hold. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the death toll is likely to rise as dozens were left injured. The agreement, by the powers that back opposing sides in the five-year-old war, promises a nationwide truce from sundown on Monday, improved access for humanitarian aid and joint military targeting of hardline Islamist groups. But hours later, jets bombed a marketplace in rebel-held Idlib in northwestern Syria. Locals and rescue workers said they believed the planes to be Russian. Idlib province has endured escalating strikes by Russian jets in recent months, according international aid workers and residents, destroying scores of hospitals, bakeries and other infrastructure across rebel-held territory. Aleppo was also hit from the air and fighting continued on the ground. The army attacked rebel-held areas, both sides said, pushing to maximise gains before the ceasefire deadline. Insurgents said they were planning a counter-offensive. "The fighting is flaring on all the fronts of southern Aleppo," rebel spokesman Captain Abdul Salam Abdul Razak said. Razak, of the Nour al-Din al Zinki Brigades, part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) which is backed by the West, said they were studying the peace deal but feared it merely gave the Syrian army a chance to gather forces and pour more Iranian-backed militias into Aleppo. 'Halting all attacks' US Secretary of State John Kerry called on all sides to respect the deal, which was finally reached after several failed attempts over recent weeks. "This requires halting all attacks, including aerial bombardments, and any attempts to gain additional territory at the expense of the parties to the cessation. It requires unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to all of the besieged and hard-to-reach areas including Aleppo," he said. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that despite continuing mistrust, the two sides had developed five documents that would enable coordination of the fight against terrorism and a revival of Syria's failed truce. Both sides agreed not to release the documents publicly. "This all creates the necessary conditions for resumption of the political process, which has been stalling for a long time," Lavrov said. The Nusra question Previous peace efforts have crumbled within weeks, with the United States accusing Assad's forces of attacking opposition groups and civilians. Kerry said the "bedrock" of the new deal was an agreement that the Syrian government would not fly combat missions in an agreed area on the pretext of hunting fighters from the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria which has recently changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. Under the new deal, both sides - Russian-backed government forces and rebel groups supported by the U.S. and Gulf states, - are to halt fighting as a confidence building measure. If the truce holds from Monday, Russia and the United States will begin seven days of preparatory work to set up a "joint implementation centre", where they will share information to distinguish territory controlled by Nusra from that held by other rebel groups. For many FSA rebels, the idea of a clear separation from Nusra is problematic because on several fronts they fight together against the army and allied Iranian-backed militias. Fateh al-Sham has also played a major role in trying to end the siege of eastern Aleppo which many rebels say has boosted its popularity, and discussions are ongoing to possibly unify ranks under a broader opposition army. "Fateh al-Sham is a faction present on the ground and it takes part in most of the military operations, and the matter of separating it is not possible, particularly given that there are attempts to merge, within some factions, with Fateh al-Sham," Fares al-Bayoush, head of an FSA group called the Northern Division, told Reuters. (Reuters)

Hours after US-Russia truce deal, airstrikes kill more than 50 in Syria

The UN Security Council today said they will impose fresh sanctions against Pyongyang, after North Korea conducted its fifth and biggest nuclear test on its 68th anniversery.&nbsp; 
 
The first indications of an underground explosion came when seismic monitors detected a 5.3-magnitude &quot;artificial earthquake&quot; near the Punggye-ri nuclear site, Reuters reported.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Our nuclear scientists staged a nuclear explosion test on a newly developed nuclear warhead at the country&#39;s northern nuclear test site,&quot; a North Korean TV presenter said. 
 
Kim Nam-Wook of the South&#39;s meteorological agency said, &quot;The 10-kiloton blast was nearly twice the (power of the) fourth nuclear test and slightly less than the Hiroshima bombing, which was measured about 15 kilotons.&quot; 
 
World leaders condemned the test and demanded for fresh sanctions to be imposed.&nbsp; 
 
AFP quoted&nbsp;New Zealand&#39;s Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, who holds the council&#39;s rotating presidency, as saying, &quot;The members of the Security Council will begin to work immediately on appropriate measures under article 41 in a Security Council resolution.&quot; 
 
Meanwhile, North Koreans celebrated their country&#39;s successful conduct of the nuclear test. 
 
Reuters reported state-run television KRT showing a video of North Korean people watching a performance at the Ponghwa Art Theatre and afterwards celebrating. 
 
A North Korean civilan said ,&quot;I can&#39;t put into words how glad I am after hearing the news that the Nuclear Weapons Institute successfully conducted an explosion test of a nuclear warhead.&quot; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Pyongyang conducted the nuclear test on its 68th anniversary and claimed mounting nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile

The UN Security Council today said they will impose fresh sanctions against Pyongyang, after North Korea conducted its fifth and biggest nuclear test on its 68th anniversery. The first indications of an underground explosion came when seismic monitors detected a 5.3-magnitude "artificial earthquake" near the Punggye-ri nuclear site, Reuters reported. "Our nuclear scientists staged a nuclear explosion test on a newly developed nuclear warhead at the country's northern nuclear test site," a North Korean TV presenter said. Kim Nam-Wook of the South's meteorological agency said, "The 10-kiloton blast was nearly twice the (power of the) fourth nuclear test and slightly less than the Hiroshima bombing, which was measured about 15 kilotons." World leaders condemned the test and demanded for fresh sanctions to be imposed. AFP quoted New Zealand's Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, who holds the council's rotating presidency, as saying, "The members of the Security Council will begin to work immediately on appropriate measures under article 41 in a Security Council resolution." Meanwhile, North Koreans celebrated their country's successful conduct of the nuclear test. Reuters reported state-run television KRT showing a video of North Korean people watching a performance at the Ponghwa Art Theatre and afterwards celebrating. A North Korean civilan said ,"I can't put into words how glad I am after hearing the news that the Nuclear Weapons Institute successfully conducted an explosion test of a nuclear warhead." (WION with inputs from agencies)

UN Security Council to impose sanctions against North Korea

Ohio police department released pictures of a couple OD&#39;d on heroin in their car, along with the woman&#39;s young son in the back seat. The pictures were released as evidence of epidemic drug use and the couple were arrested on charges of child endangerment.&nbsp; 
 
The images were posted on the Facebook page of the East Liverpool police department along with an officer&#39;s report of the incident. 
 
&quot;We are well aware that some may be offended by these images and for that we are truly sorry, but it is time that the non drug using public sees what we are now dealing with on a daily basis,&quot; the department said. 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/save-20160910034233.jpeg" />
<div class="media-description">
The image posted by officer Thompson showed the couple unconscious with the woman&#39;s son sitting behind them.
</div>
 
&quot;The poison known as heroin has taken a strong grip on many communities not just ours, the difference is we are willing to fight this problem until it&#39;s gone and if that means we offend a few people along the way we are prepared to deal with that.&quot; 
 
The post showed James Acord and Rhonda Pasek, unconscious in the front seats of their Ford Explorer, mouths agape, with Pasek&#39;s son sitting in the back.&nbsp; 
 
By Friday afternoon, 24 hours after the images were posted, it had generated 20,000 shares and over 3,000 comments. 
 
According to the police report, Officer Kevin Thompson wrote that Accord&#39;s head was &#39;&#39;bobbing back and forth&#39;&#39;, his speech almost unintelligible. Accord told him he was taking Pasek to the hospital and tried to drive away before completely passing out. 
 
They were revived by emergency medical technicians using several rounds of a drug used to reverse the overdose, Thompson reported. 
 
The officer also found a folded piece of paper with a pink, powdery substance between Pasek&#39;s legs. 
 
The child was taken into custody by child protection services while Pasek was charged with child endangerment and public intoxication charges. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The images show the couple unconscious in the front seats of their Ford Explorer, mouths agape, while the woman's son sits in the back

Ohio police department released pictures of a couple OD'd on heroin in their car, along with the woman's young son in the back seat. The pictures were released as evidence of epidemic drug use and the couple were arrested on charges of child endangerment. The images were posted on the Facebook page of the East Liverpool police department along with an officer's report of the incident. "We are well aware that some may be offended by these images and for that we are truly sorry, but it is time that the non drug using public sees what we are now dealing with on a daily basis," the department said. The image posted by officer Thompson showed the couple unconscious with the woman's son sitting behind them. "The poison known as heroin has taken a strong grip on many communities not just ours, the difference is we are willing to fight this problem until it's gone and if that means we offend a few people along the way we are prepared to deal with that." The post showed James Acord and Rhonda Pasek, unconscious in the front seats of their Ford Explorer, mouths agape, with Pasek's son sitting in the back. By Friday afternoon, 24 hours after the images were posted, it had generated 20,000 shares and over 3,000 comments. According to the police report, Officer Kevin Thompson wrote that Accord's head was ''bobbing back and forth'', his speech almost unintelligible. Accord told him he was taking Pasek to the hospital and tried to drive away before completely passing out. They were revived by emergency medical technicians using several rounds of a drug used to reverse the overdose, Thompson reported. The officer also found a folded piece of paper with a pink, powdery substance between Pasek's legs. The child was taken into custody by child protection services while Pasek was charged with child endangerment and public intoxication charges. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Pictures of OD'd Ohio couple go viral on social media

The US National Weather Service said Hermine, the fourth Atlantic hurricane in 2016, is nearing hurricane strength again on Sunday, posing a &quot;danger of life-threatening inundation&quot; from New Jersey to Connecticut.&nbsp; 
 
It could produce deadly surf and forecasters warned swimmers and boaters from entering dangerous waters. 
 
Two people have been killed since it struck Florida coast on Friday as a hurricane before weakening and downgrading to a tropical storm. 
 
&nbsp;Heading north by northeast, the storm is expected to take a northern or northwestern turn. Residents far north as Connecticut will feel the impact reported AFP. 
 
Reuters quoted Robbie Berg of National&nbsp;Hurricane Center saying it was not expected to make landfall again. 
 
Storm-surge inundation levels of no more than 1 to 3 feet were expected in coastal areas, Berg said.&nbsp; 
 
According to the National Hurricane center, the storm&#39;s center was located about 370 miles east of Ocean City, Maryland. The agency also said it is expected to &quot;meander slowly&quot; away from the region, staying at least 300 miles from the coast.&nbsp; 
 
New Jersey governor, Chris Christie ordered Island Beach State Park to be reopened today&nbsp;but warned about rough surf and rip currents which pose a danger to swimmers. 
 
Forecasters gave Manhattan a 1-in-3 chance of being hit by tropical storm-winds as Hermine moves up the East Coast, Berg added.&nbsp; 
 
Northern US states are yet to experience flooding and power outages which southern states like Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. 
 
Many tourists stayed away from the beach after listening to the news, but those remained awoke to strong winds and a sunny sky. 
 
Assistant general manager, Andrew Thulin of Daddy O Hotel Restaurant in Long Beach Township, New Jersey said, &quot;It was a little overhyped by the media. It killed the weekend for everybody down here. I talk to all my other colleagues in our business and everybody was like, &#39;Are we going to send the Weather Channel a bill?&quot; 
 
On Saturday, due to heavy rain in Cape May, New Jersey tourists fled only to see the weather improve. 
 
Kathleen Wilkinson, a Philadelphia lawyer, who has a vacation house in Cape May said &quot;The temperature is great. It&#39;s beautiful out, the birds are out, knowing the storm is 100 miles out at sea is comforting.&quot; 
 
However, in other parts of the state the roads were flooded and the coast was being eaten up by a surge of water. 
 
Officials took precaution, keeping 2012 Superstorm sandy in mind. 
 
Air travel largely remained unaffected with very few cancellations.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from Agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

Two people have been killed since it struck Florida coast on Friday as a hurricane before weakening and downgrading to a tropical storm

The US National Weather Service said Hermine, the fourth Atlantic hurricane in 2016, is nearing hurricane strength again on Sunday, posing a "danger of life-threatening inundation" from New Jersey to Connecticut. It could produce deadly surf and forecasters warned swimmers and boaters from entering dangerous waters. Two people have been killed since it struck Florida coast on Friday as a hurricane before weakening and downgrading to a tropical storm. Heading north by northeast, the storm is expected to take a northern or northwestern turn. Residents far north as Connecticut will feel the impact reported AFP. Reuters quoted Robbie Berg of National Hurricane Center saying it was not expected to make landfall again. Storm-surge inundation levels of no more than 1 to 3 feet were expected in coastal areas, Berg said. According to the National Hurricane center, the storm's center was located about 370 miles east of Ocean City, Maryland. The agency also said it is expected to "meander slowly" away from the region, staying at least 300 miles from the coast. New Jersey governor, Chris Christie ordered Island Beach State Park to be reopened today but warned about rough surf and rip currents which pose a danger to swimmers. Forecasters gave Manhattan a 1-in-3 chance of being hit by tropical storm-winds as Hermine moves up the East Coast, Berg added. Northern US states are yet to experience flooding and power outages which southern states like Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Many tourists stayed away from the beach after listening to the news, but those remained awoke to strong winds and a sunny sky. Assistant general manager, Andrew Thulin of Daddy O Hotel Restaurant in Long Beach Township, New Jersey said, "It was a little overhyped by the media. It killed the weekend for everybody down here. I talk to all my other colleagues in our business and everybody was like, 'Are we going to send the Weather Channel a bill?" On Saturday, due to heavy rain in Cape May, New Jersey tourists fled only to see the weather improve. Kathleen Wilkinson, a Philadelphia lawyer, who has a vacation house in Cape May said "The temperature is great. It's beautiful out, the birds are out, knowing the storm is 100 miles out at sea is comforting." However, in other parts of the state the roads were flooded and the coast was being eaten up by a surge of water. Officials took precaution, keeping 2012 Superstorm sandy in mind. Air travel largely remained unaffected with very few cancellations. (WION with inputs from Agencies)

Tropical storm Hermine lurks of US East Coast could gain strength

A cheeky tweet was posted by US Defence Intelligence Agency on Saturday and later deleted amid the tarmac tiff between US and Chinese officials. 
 
&quot;Classy as always China,&quot; the tweet read. The Wall Street Journal initally noticed the comment before it was deleted, the Guardian reported.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/grab1-20160905054428.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
The tweet was posted after China&nbsp;gave a diplomatic snub to US President Barack Obama ahead of G20 summit&nbsp; 
 
 
However, the spy agency felt compelled to apologise.&nbsp;&quot;Earlier today, a tweet regarding a news article was mistakenly posted from this account &amp; does not represent the views of the DIA. We apologize,&quot; the agency later tweeted.
</div>
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<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Earlier today, a tweet regarding a news article was mistakenly posted from this account &amp; does not represent the views of DIA. We apologize.
&mdash; DIA (@DefenseIntel) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenseIntel/status/772280677945511936">September 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
 
 
Meanwhile, the Global Times, China&#39;s English-language newspaper commented over the row saying: &ldquo;Western media has hyped up the incident, but Obama tried to play it down,&rdquo; it said in an editorial. 
 
Obama hinted on Sunday that his Chinese hosts might have found the size of the US delegation &ldquo;a little overwhelming&rdquo;. 
 
&ldquo;This makes us believe that the tense atmosphere between China and the US can be partly attributed to the western media, which often makes a fuss over trifling issues.&rdquo; 
 
On Saturday, world leaders were given a red-carpet welcome when they arrived to attend the G20 meeting, however, US President Barack Obama was denied one.&nbsp; 
 
An argument broke out between White House staffers and a Chinese official&nbsp;when the staffers tried to help US journalists position themselves to film Obama&#39;s arrival. 
 
&quot;This is our country! This is our airport!&quot; he shouted. The outburst was caught on camera. 
 
US National security adviser, Susan Rice, also became the focus of the official&rsquo;s rage and a secret service agent had to intervene. 
 
There was speculation that the red-carpet snub had been deliberate but was denied by an anonymous Chinese government source, the Guardian reported. 
 
Singapore&#39;s Straits Times quoted Shen Dingli, an international relations expert from Shanghai&#39;s Fudan University saying: &ldquo;The US should know well what they have done to upset China,&rdquo; claiming anger over Washington&#39;s criticism of its activities in the South China Sea. 
 
(WION) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

After the incident, US Defence Intelligence Agency posted a cheeky tweet that read: 'Classy as always china'. The tweet was later deleted

A cheeky tweet was posted by US Defence Intelligence Agency on Saturday and later deleted amid the tarmac tiff between US and Chinese officials. "Classy as always China," the tweet read. The Wall Street Journal initally noticed the comment before it was deleted, the Guardian reported. The tweet was posted after China gave a diplomatic snub to US President Barack Obama ahead of G20 summit However, the spy agency felt compelled to apologise. "Earlier today, a tweet regarding a news article was mistakenly posted from this account & does not represent the views of the DIA. We apologize," the agency later tweeted. Earlier today, a tweet regarding a news article was mistakenly posted from this account & does not represent the views of DIA. We apologize. — DIA (@DefenseIntel) September 4, 2016 Meanwhile, the Global Times, China's English-language newspaper commented over the row saying: “Western media has hyped up the incident, but Obama tried to play it down,” it said in an editorial. Obama hinted on Sunday that his Chinese hosts might have found the size of the US delegation “a little overwhelming”. “This makes us believe that the tense atmosphere between China and the US can be partly attributed to the western media, which often makes a fuss over trifling issues.” On Saturday, world leaders were given a red-carpet welcome when they arrived to attend the G20 meeting, however, US President Barack Obama was denied one. An argument broke out between White House staffers and a Chinese official when the staffers tried to help US journalists position themselves to film Obama's arrival. "This is our country! This is our airport!" he shouted. The outburst was caught on camera. US National security adviser, Susan Rice, also became the focus of the official’s rage and a secret service agent had to intervene. There was speculation that the red-carpet snub had been deliberate but was denied by an anonymous Chinese government source, the Guardian reported. Singapore's Straits Times quoted Shen Dingli, an international relations expert from Shanghai's Fudan University saying: “The US should know well what they have done to upset China,” claiming anger over Washington's criticism of its activities in the South China Sea. (WION)

US spy agency apologises for sarcastic tweet after tarmac row between US, China

The Maldives, an archipelago of some 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean, is a global tourist destination which is very popular with honeymooners. But a troubling statistic lies under the Maldives&#39; white sand beaches and blue lagoons -- the country has the highest divorce rate in the world.&nbsp; 
 
According to the United Nations, the average Maldivian woman has already been divorced three times by the time she is 30 years old. The country has 11 divorces per 1,000 people a year, two times higher than Belarus which has five divorces per 1,000 people. The US, which has the third-highest divorce rate in the world, has four divorces per 1,000 people. 
 
A Maldivian woman in her twenties who has been divorced twice told WION that getting divorced was a very common phenomenon in Maldives. 
 
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that I want to be divorced. But for several reasons marriages ending up in divorce is common in this country,&rdquo; she said. 
 
According to figures from the judicial administration in Maldives, there were 3,332 divorces in the country in 2013 -- the country has a total population of 350,000 -- which went up 2% in 2014 to 3,414. 
 
Figures from the family court in the capital city Male show 1,288 divorces were processed through the family court in 2015 alone. 
 
The Maldives is a Muslim country, adhering to a mix of Shari&rsquo;ah and common law. As per the Shari&rsquo;ah, a man is allowed to divorce his wife simply by saying that he is divorcing her. Divorce is legal in Islam, but it is also strongly detested. 
 
The Family Act was ratified in 2000. It does not allow the processing of a divorce outside of court. If a man should still do so, he has to pay a fine of 5,000 Maldivian Rufiyaa (USD 325) or spend six months under house arrest. Under the Act, women can also seek divorce through the court. And an amendment to the Act ratified this year allows for the equitable distribution of marital property after divorce. 
 
The measures were meant to make divorce less appealing and force separation rates down&nbsp;but that has not really happened.&nbsp; 
 
The divorce rate did go down at first -- there were 2,742 divorces in 1999, which went down to 2,674 divorces in 2000 --&nbsp;but it began to inch up again after a few years. 
 
Why are divorce rates so high in this tiny country? Unfortunately, no formal study has been conducted so far but Dr Aishath Ali Naaz, clinical psychologist and researcher on psychological and social issues in the Maldives, told WION that a number of social issues could be responsible, and that reasons for divorce in the capital city might be different from those on the other islands. 
 
Male is one of the most densely-populated cities in the world and with an area of less than six square kilometres holding up one-third of the country&rsquo;s total population, it is an expensive city to live in. 
 
&ldquo;The congested households with extended families is a huge issue. In the capital city, mostly both the wife and husband have to work. Living expenses are high, families live in single rooms, with no privacy for couples. There also are joint family interpersonal conflicts. In the other islands, most men work away from home and families,&rdquo; Dr Naaz said.&nbsp; 
 
Because of all of the above, said Dr Naaz, couples don&#39;t get to spend any quality time with each other, which affects the quality of their marriage. 
 
She added that marriage and divorce were easy in the Maldives, as compared to other countries. The&nbsp;Maldives, for example, does not have laws or regulations which would make divorce (or marriage) a problematic process. It takes about a week to get legally married, a little longer to get divorced -- should you follow the law. 
 
And she adds that marriages do not end in divorce only because of post-marriage problems; starting a marriage without being prepared is also a problem young couples suffer from. 
 
&ldquo;People don&rsquo;t think much and do not plan before they get into a marriage. Once they are married, they struggle to face the challenges and most of them quit instead of trying to work things out,&rdquo; she said. 
 
Domestic violence, Naaz added, also plays a role.&nbsp; 
 
And when people have to bring children from an earlier spouse into a new marriage, that too becomes a challenge.&nbsp; 
 
Naaz added that it is important people realise the impact divorce has on their children. 
 
On its part, the Maldivian government has been working with the United Nations to provide couples with counselling. An official from the gender ministry told WION that the Maldivian government was providing counselling services across the country. 
 
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not specifically focused on divorce. We are providing counselling to anyone who is in need of it,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; 
 
But the Maldives still needs to commission studies to identify specific reasons for the high divorce rate. For only when they have understood why it&#39;s happening can they find a way to address the issue. 
 
(WION)

According to the United Nations, the average Maldivian woman has already been divorced three times by the time she is 30 years old

The Maldives, an archipelago of some 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean, is a global tourist destination which is very popular with honeymooners. But a troubling statistic lies under the Maldives' white sand beaches and blue lagoons -- the country has the highest divorce rate in the world. According to the United Nations, the average Maldivian woman has already been divorced three times by the time she is 30 years old. The country has 11 divorces per 1,000 people a year, two times higher than Belarus which has five divorces per 1,000 people. The US, which has the third-highest divorce rate in the world, has four divorces per 1,000 people. A Maldivian woman in her twenties who has been divorced twice told WION that getting divorced was a very common phenomenon in Maldives. “It’s not that I want to be divorced. But for several reasons marriages ending up in divorce is common in this country,” she said. According to figures from the judicial administration in Maldives, there were 3,332 divorces in the country in 2013 -- the country has a total population of 350,000 -- which went up 2% in 2014 to 3,414. Figures from the family court in the capital city Male show 1,288 divorces were processed through the family court in 2015 alone. The Maldives is a Muslim country, adhering to a mix of Shari’ah and common law. As per the Shari’ah, a man is allowed to divorce his wife simply by saying that he is divorcing her. Divorce is legal in Islam, but it is also strongly detested. The Family Act was ratified in 2000. It does not allow the processing of a divorce outside of court. If a man should still do so, he has to pay a fine of 5,000 Maldivian Rufiyaa (USD 325) or spend six months under house arrest. Under the Act, women can also seek divorce through the court. And an amendment to the Act ratified this year allows for the equitable distribution of marital property after divorce. The measures were meant to make divorce less appealing and force separation rates down but that has not really happened. The divorce rate did go down at first -- there were 2,742 divorces in 1999, which went down to 2,674 divorces in 2000 -- but it began to inch up again after a few years. Why are divorce rates so high in this tiny country? Unfortunately, no formal study has been conducted so far but Dr Aishath Ali Naaz, clinical psychologist and researcher on psychological and social issues in the Maldives, told WION that a number of social issues could be responsible, and that reasons for divorce in the capital city might be different from those on the other islands. Male is one of the most densely-populated cities in the world and with an area of less than six square kilometres holding up one-third of the country’s total population, it is an expensive city to live in. “The congested households with extended families is a huge issue. In the capital city, mostly both the wife and husband have to work. Living expenses are high, families live in single rooms, with no privacy for couples. There also are joint family interpersonal conflicts. In the other islands, most men work away from home and families,” Dr Naaz said. Because of all of the above, said Dr Naaz, couples don't get to spend any quality time with each other, which affects the quality of their marriage. She added that marriage and divorce were easy in the Maldives, as compared to other countries. The Maldives, for example, does not have laws or regulations which would make divorce (or marriage) a problematic process. It takes about a week to get legally married, a little longer to get divorced -- should you follow the law. And she adds that marriages do not end in divorce only because of post-marriage problems; starting a marriage without being prepared is also a problem young couples suffer from. “People don’t think much and do not plan before they get into a marriage. Once they are married, they struggle to face the challenges and most of them quit instead of trying to work things out,” she said. Domestic violence, Naaz added, also plays a role. And when people have to bring children from an earlier spouse into a new marriage, that too becomes a challenge. Naaz added that it is important people realise the impact divorce has on their children. On its part, the Maldivian government has been working with the United Nations to provide couples with counselling. An official from the gender ministry told WION that the Maldivian government was providing counselling services across the country. “It’s not specifically focused on divorce. We are providing counselling to anyone who is in need of it,” he said. But the Maldives still needs to commission studies to identify specific reasons for the high divorce rate. For only when they have understood why it's happening can they find a way to address the issue. (WION)

Sun, sand & separation: Maldives has world's highest divorce rate

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reasserted his hardline position against illegal immigrants in the country, hours after he came back from Mexico having met president Enrique Pena Nieto.&nbsp; 
 
Reiterating his plans to curb illegal immigration into the country, Trump said he would &quot;build a great wall along the southern border&quot; if he came to power. 
 
&quot;And Mexico will pay for the wall -- 100 per cent. They don&#39;t know it yet but they are going to pay for the wall,&quot; he said while making a public speech in Arizona. 
 
The statement comes some time after Mexican president Nieto told Trump in a face-to-face meeting that Mexico would not incur the costs of building the wall. 
 
&quot;At the beginning of the conversation with Donald Trump I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall,&quot; Pena Nieto had said in a tweet. 
 
Trump, meanwhile, adopted a tough stance in Arizona against the &quot;11 million&quot; illegal immigrants in the US. 
 
He said people will be have to return to their home country and re-apply again to enter the United States.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Our message to the world will be this: You cannot obtain legal status or become a citizen of the United States by illegally entering our country,&quot; Trump said. 
 
&quot;People will know you can`t just smuggle in, hunker down and wait to be legalized,&quot; he said. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's comments come hours after Mexican president refused to pay for the wall

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reasserted his hardline position against illegal immigrants in the country, hours after he came back from Mexico having met president Enrique Pena Nieto. Reiterating his plans to curb illegal immigration into the country, Trump said he would "build a great wall along the southern border" if he came to power. "And Mexico will pay for the wall -- 100 per cent. They don't know it yet but they are going to pay for the wall," he said while making a public speech in Arizona. The statement comes some time after Mexican president Nieto told Trump in a face-to-face meeting that Mexico would not incur the costs of building the wall. "At the beginning of the conversation with Donald Trump I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall," Pena Nieto had said in a tweet. Trump, meanwhile, adopted a tough stance in Arizona against the "11 million" illegal immigrants in the US. He said people will be have to return to their home country and re-apply again to enter the United States. "Our message to the world will be this: You cannot obtain legal status or become a citizen of the United States by illegally entering our country," Trump said. "People will know you can`t just smuggle in, hunker down and wait to be legalized," he said. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Mexico will pay for border wall: Trump

The United States has asked warring Turkish and Kurdish forces to back off and focus on their common enemy IS in Syria. 
 
&quot;We are closely monitoring reports in (sic)&nbsp;Jarablus (a town in South Syria) -- where ISIL is no longer located -- between the Turkish armed forces, some opposition groups, and units that are affiliated with the SDF (Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces),&quot; said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook.&nbsp; 
 
Pentagon was referring to the recent escalation of war in North Syria, where both the Turkish force and the US-backed Kurdish-led alliance in Syria&nbsp;lost their men. 
 
&quot;We want to make clear that we find these clashes unacceptable and they are a source of deep concern,&quot; the spokesman further said. 
 
The US was kept in the dark about the recent fighting raging in North Syria. 
 
The United States&nbsp;&quot;was not involved in these activities, they were not coordinated with US forces, and we do not support them,&quot; the spokesman&nbsp;added. 
 
Turkey, meanwhile, has said it will continue to attack Kurdish forces unless they retreat east of the Euphrates river. 
 
The animosity between the Kurdish-led SDF and Turkey runs long and deep. SDF has a strong presence of People&#39;s Protection Units (known as YPG due to Kurdish initials), a group viewed by Turkey as a terrorist organisation. 
 
That is because the YPG&nbsp;is an offshoot of the&nbsp;Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three decade-long insurgency in Turkey. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp; 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The recent escalation of war in North Syria between the two forces has prompted the Pentagon to intervene

The United States has asked warring Turkish and Kurdish forces to back off and focus on their common enemy IS in Syria. "We are closely monitoring reports in (sic) Jarablus (a town in South Syria) -- where ISIL is no longer located -- between the Turkish armed forces, some opposition groups, and units that are affiliated with the SDF (Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces)," said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook. Pentagon was referring to the recent escalation of war in North Syria, where both the Turkish force and the US-backed Kurdish-led alliance in Syria lost their men. "We want to make clear that we find these clashes unacceptable and they are a source of deep concern," the spokesman further said. The US was kept in the dark about the recent fighting raging in North Syria. The United States "was not involved in these activities, they were not coordinated with US forces, and we do not support them," the spokesman added. Turkey, meanwhile, has said it will continue to attack Kurdish forces unless they retreat east of the Euphrates river. The animosity between the Kurdish-led SDF and Turkey runs long and deep. SDF has a strong presence of People's Protection Units (known as YPG due to Kurdish initials), a group viewed by Turkey as a terrorist organisation. That is because the YPG is an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three decade-long insurgency in Turkey. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US urges warring Turkey and Kurdish forces to show restraint

West Indies&nbsp;scored a mammoth 245 in 20 overs, only for India to fall short of the target by a solitary run in the first of two T20Is in Florida, US. 
 
In a match that saw 489 runs being scored in 40 overs, it was Dwayne Bravo&#39;s bewitching last over that helped West Indies edge out India. 
 
Evin Lewis&#39;s blistering hundred in the first half of the match carried West Indies to their personal best T20I score, and KL Rahul&#39;s maiden hundred kept India in the hunt till the very last ball. 
 
Rahul&#39;s century in 46 balls meant that India hardly looked to have broken a sweat while chasing what would have been the highest run chase in T20I history.&nbsp; 
 
But in walked Dwayne Bravo to bowl the last over of the match. With India needing eight runs of six balls, all bets were on the Men in Blue to win the run-fest. But the 32-year-old West Indian used all his guiles to restrict India and hand his team the lead in the series.&nbsp; 
 
Speaking about the last over,&nbsp;Bravo said, &quot;With nine runs to go,&nbsp;I said we didn&#39;t have anything to lose. I&#39;d like to test my&nbsp;skills in these kinds of situations.&nbsp;We know what MS (Dhoni) can do. He can finish off the&nbsp;game with one hit. I wanted to ensure the first ball didn&#39;t go&nbsp;for a boundary. I wanted to keep my composure and back my&nbsp;skills with two balls: The slower one and the yorker.&quot; 
 
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who faced the last ball of the match with his team requiring two runs for an outright win, later said the execution of the last ball was wrong. &nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

India needed eight runs in the last over but Dwayne Bravo used all his variations to fashion a win for his team

West Indies scored a mammoth 245 in 20 overs, only for India to fall short of the target by a solitary run in the first of two T20Is in Florida, US. In a match that saw 489 runs being scored in 40 overs, it was Dwayne Bravo's bewitching last over that helped West Indies edge out India. Evin Lewis's blistering hundred in the first half of the match carried West Indies to their personal best T20I score, and KL Rahul's maiden hundred kept India in the hunt till the very last ball. Rahul's century in 46 balls meant that India hardly looked to have broken a sweat while chasing what would have been the highest run chase in T20I history. But in walked Dwayne Bravo to bowl the last over of the match. With India needing eight runs of six balls, all bets were on the Men in Blue to win the run-fest. But the 32-year-old West Indian used all his guiles to restrict India and hand his team the lead in the series. Speaking about the last over, Bravo said, "With nine runs to go, I said we didn't have anything to lose. I'd like to test my skills in these kinds of situations. We know what MS (Dhoni) can do. He can finish off the game with one hit. I wanted to ensure the first ball didn't go for a boundary. I wanted to keep my composure and back my skills with two balls: The slower one and the yorker." India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who faced the last ball of the match with his team requiring two runs for an outright win, later said the execution of the last ball was wrong. (WION with inputs from agencies)

West Indies ekes out win against India in US run-glut

Islamic State is looking to expand its reach in Southeast Asia, according to a senior&nbsp;official working for the US Department of State. 
 
The jihadist militant group is trying to broaden its network in the region by joining forces with local extremists,&nbsp;said Justin Siberell,&nbsp;acting coordinator for counter-terrorism at the US State Department. 
 
He&nbsp;said the IS&#39;s plans to forge ties with regional jihadists was similar to the way they expanded in Egypt, Libya and Nigeria.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;My understanding is that they have looked at existing groups across the (Southeast) region,&quot; Siberell said via a concall from Washington. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re concerned about the rise of new IS affiliates and we&#39;re working with governments to do what they can to prevent that,&quot; he told Asia-based journalists. 
 
Siberell also informed people from Southeast Asia fighting for IS have been grouped in a unit called&nbsp;Katibah Nusantara. The worry, he said, was the potential consequences in the region once they returned home.&nbsp;

There have been minor attacks in the region so far, but the analyst&nbsp;reckoned that terrorism activities might surge once the IS&#39;s networking in the region strengthened. 
 
The attacks so far in the region have remained largely low&nbsp;key. Terror cells are active in the region but the devastation levels have been far below to what Europe has experienced in recent times.&nbsp; 
 
But recent attacks in Malaysia and Indonesia have alarmed security analysts. In June, eight people were wounded in a grenade attack outside a bar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The following month, IS planned to launch a suicide bomb attack on Indonesian police, only for the plan to derail as the blast killed only the bomber. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

 
 
 
&nbsp;

A senior state department official said the jihadist group is looking to partner with local extremist forces in the region

Islamic State is looking to expand its reach in Southeast Asia, according to a senior official working for the US Department of State. The jihadist militant group is trying to broaden its network in the region by joining forces with local extremists, said Justin Siberell, acting coordinator for counter-terrorism at the US State Department. He said the IS's plans to forge ties with regional jihadists was similar to the way they expanded in Egypt, Libya and Nigeria. "My understanding is that they have looked at existing groups across the (Southeast) region," Siberell said via a concall from Washington. "We're concerned about the rise of new IS affiliates and we're working with governments to do what they can to prevent that," he told Asia-based journalists. Siberell also informed people from Southeast Asia fighting for IS have been grouped in a unit called Katibah Nusantara. The worry, he said, was the potential consequences in the region once they returned home. There have been minor attacks in the region so far, but the analyst reckoned that terrorism activities might surge once the IS's networking in the region strengthened. The attacks so far in the region have remained largely low key. Terror cells are active in the region but the devastation levels have been far below to what Europe has experienced in recent times. But recent attacks in Malaysia and Indonesia have alarmed security analysts. In June, eight people were wounded in a grenade attack outside a bar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The following month, IS planned to launch a suicide bomb attack on Indonesian police, only for the plan to derail as the blast killed only the bomber. (WION with inputs from agencies)

IS looking to expand reach in Southeast Asia: US

Asia shares inched ahead while oil fell for a second session today, as investors awaited guidance on whether the Federal Reserve (Fed) will raise US interest rates this year. 
 
Morgan Stanley Capital International&#39;s (MSCI) broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.3 per cent in slow trade. South Korea, Australia and Shanghai all gained. 
 
Japan&#39;s Nikkei went the other way and eased 0.2 per cent as the Yen held firm on the Dollar. 
 
A survey of Japanese manufacturing activity showed signs of steadying in August as output rose for the first time in six months, but had little impact on stocks. 
 
The IHS Markit/Nikkei Japan Flash PMI rose to 49.6 in August from a final 49.3 in July. More flash surveys are due from Europe and the United States later in the day. 
 
The whole world seems to have hushed ahead of comments from Fed Chair Janet Yellen at the central bank&#39;s annual meeting in Jackson Hole on Friday. Investors still doubt the stars will align for a hike anytime soon, so a hawkish tone from Yellen would challenge that equanimity. 
 
&quot;Ever so slowly, the market does seem to be reluctantly acknowledging the chorus of senior Fed speakers who have suggested recently that a 2016 rate hike is still quite probable and September is &#39;live&#39;,&quot; wrote analysts at ANZ in a note. 
 
&quot;But in reality, the response has been very muted.&quot; 
 
Indeed, US Treasuries actually rallied on Monday, with 10-year yields at 1.54 per cent after falling 4 basis points overnight. 
 
Fed fund futures imply around a 24 per cent chance of an easing in September, rising to around 50 per cent by December. 
 
A quarter-point hike is not fully priced until September 2017. 
 
Oil gives ground 
 
In commodity markets, oil remained under pressure after shedding 3 per cent on Monday. 
 
Prices retreated from two-month highs on worries about burgeoning Chinese fuel exports, more Iraqi and Nigerian crude shipments and a rising US oil rig count. 
 
Brent crude lost 53 Cents to $48.63 a barrel. It hit a two-month high of $51.22 on Friday. US crude futures fell 66 Cents to $46.75, after the September contract expired on Monday at $47.05. 
 
On Wall Street, the Dow jones Industrial Average (Dow) had ended Monday down 0.12 per cent, while the Standard and Poor&#39;s (S&amp;P) 500 lost 0.06 per cent and the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (Nasdaq) added 0.12 per cent. 
 
Biotech stocks received a boost from Pfizer&#39;s $14 billion acquisition of cancer drug maker Medivation, which jumped nearly 20 per cent. 
 
Of the 479 companies in the S&amp;P 500 that have reported earnings, 71 per cent have topped expectations, according to Thomson Reuters data. Earnings are currently showing a decline of 2.3 per cent for the quarter. 
 
In forex markets, the Dollar slipped a touch to 94.466 against a basket of currencies. The index fell about 1.3 per cent last week on what traders perceived as mixed signals from Fed officials. 
 
The Dollar drifted as low as 100.03 Yen in early trade but found enough support to clamber back to 100.27. The Euro was a shade firmer at $1.1332. 
 
The New Zealand Dollar blipped higher after the country&#39;s central bank forecast another 35 basis points in possible rate cuts, less than many investors had wagered on. 
 
The kiwi Dollar rose around a third of a Cent to $0.7310 in reaction. 
 
(Reuters)

Investors await guidance on whether the Federal Reserve will raise US interest rates this year

Asia shares inched ahead while oil fell for a second session today, as investors awaited guidance on whether the Federal Reserve (Fed) will raise US interest rates this year. Morgan Stanley Capital International's (MSCI) broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.3 per cent in slow trade. South Korea, Australia and Shanghai all gained. Japan's Nikkei went the other way and eased 0.2 per cent as the Yen held firm on the Dollar. A survey of Japanese manufacturing activity showed signs of steadying in August as output rose for the first time in six months, but had little impact on stocks. The IHS Markit/Nikkei Japan Flash PMI rose to 49.6 in August from a final 49.3 in July. More flash surveys are due from Europe and the United States later in the day. The whole world seems to have hushed ahead of comments from Fed Chair Janet Yellen at the central bank's annual meeting in Jackson Hole on Friday. Investors still doubt the stars will align for a hike anytime soon, so a hawkish tone from Yellen would challenge that equanimity. "Ever so slowly, the market does seem to be reluctantly acknowledging the chorus of senior Fed speakers who have suggested recently that a 2016 rate hike is still quite probable and September is 'live'," wrote analysts at ANZ in a note. "But in reality, the response has been very muted." Indeed, US Treasuries actually rallied on Monday, with 10-year yields at 1.54 per cent after falling 4 basis points overnight. Fed fund futures imply around a 24 per cent chance of an easing in September, rising to around 50 per cent by December. A quarter-point hike is not fully priced until September 2017. Oil gives ground In commodity markets, oil remained under pressure after shedding 3 per cent on Monday. Prices retreated from two-month highs on worries about burgeoning Chinese fuel exports, more Iraqi and Nigerian crude shipments and a rising US oil rig count. Brent crude lost 53 Cents to $48.63 a barrel. It hit a two-month high of $51.22 on Friday. US crude futures fell 66 Cents to $46.75, after the September contract expired on Monday at $47.05. On Wall Street, the Dow jones Industrial Average (Dow) had ended Monday down 0.12 per cent, while the Standard and Poor's (S&P) 500 lost 0.06 per cent and the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (Nasdaq) added 0.12 per cent. Biotech stocks received a boost from Pfizer's $14 billion acquisition of cancer drug maker Medivation, which jumped nearly 20 per cent. Of the 479 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings, 71 per cent have topped expectations, according to Thomson Reuters data. Earnings are currently showing a decline of 2.3 per cent for the quarter. In forex markets, the Dollar slipped a touch to 94.466 against a basket of currencies. The index fell about 1.3 per cent last week on what traders perceived as mixed signals from Fed officials. The Dollar drifted as low as 100.03 Yen in early trade but found enough support to clamber back to 100.27. The Euro was a shade firmer at $1.1332. The New Zealand Dollar blipped higher after the country's central bank forecast another 35 basis points in possible rate cuts, less than many investors had wagered on. The kiwi Dollar rose around a third of a Cent to $0.7310 in reaction. (Reuters)

Asia shares inch ahead, oil falls

Southern US state of North Carolina authorities said on Monday they are investigating the death of a deaf and mute man who was shot dead by a trooper who tried to pull him over for speeding. 
 
Local television channel WSOC reported, Daniel Harris, 29, led trooper Jermaine Saunders on an eight-mile chase to his home in Charlotte. He used sign language to communicate. 
 
The North Carolina state highway patrol spokesman, sergeant Michael Baker said, the driver exited his vehicle in the neighbourhood and an &#39;&#39;encounter took place&#39;&#39; which led to a shot being fired. 
 
He died on the spot, Baker said.&nbsp; 
 
The State Bureau of Investigation told WSOC that no weapons were recovered from Harris.&nbsp; 
 
Investigators will be reviewing the dashboard and body camera videos while Saunders has been placed under administrative leave. 
 
&quot;He didn&#39;t even hear the siren, he didn&#39;t hear anything... You&#39;re pulling someone over who is deaf, they are handicapped,&quot; Mark Barringer, a neighbour said. 
 
Harris&#39;s family launched an online fundraiser, YouCaring.com&#39; to raise money for his funeral. The leftover money &quot;will be used to set up a foundation in his name to educate and provide law enforcement proper training on how to confront deaf people,&quot; the website stated. 
 
His family hopes to change drivers&#39; registration systems so the police will know a person is deaf when they look up a car&#39;s license plate. 
 
&quot;With this change, Daniel will be a hero in our deaf community,&quot; the family said. They had raised more than $10,000 by late Monday. 
 
(With inputs from AFP) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The trooper, unaware of the victim's disability, trailed the man for eight miles as he wanted to pull him over for speeding

Southern US state of North Carolina authorities said on Monday they are investigating the death of a deaf and mute man who was shot dead by a trooper who tried to pull him over for speeding. Local television channel WSOC reported, Daniel Harris, 29, led trooper Jermaine Saunders on an eight-mile chase to his home in Charlotte. He used sign language to communicate. The North Carolina state highway patrol spokesman, sergeant Michael Baker said, the driver exited his vehicle in the neighbourhood and an ''encounter took place'' which led to a shot being fired. He died on the spot, Baker said. The State Bureau of Investigation told WSOC that no weapons were recovered from Harris. Investigators will be reviewing the dashboard and body camera videos while Saunders has been placed under administrative leave. "He didn't even hear the siren, he didn't hear anything... You're pulling someone over who is deaf, they are handicapped," Mark Barringer, a neighbour said. Harris's family launched an online fundraiser, YouCaring.com' to raise money for his funeral. The leftover money "will be used to set up a foundation in his name to educate and provide law enforcement proper training on how to confront deaf people," the website stated. His family hopes to change drivers' registration systems so the police will know a person is deaf when they look up a car's license plate. "With this change, Daniel will be a hero in our deaf community," the family said. They had raised more than $10,000 by late Monday. (With inputs from AFP)

US: Deaf-mute driver shot dead by policeman

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Curfew imposed in Charlotte as protests continue over killing of African-American man