A rash of gun-toting Americans visiting Canada prompted its border agency to launch a public awareness campaign, reminding Americans about their northern neighbours&#39; relatively strict firearms laws. 
 
&quot;Canadian laws are different than US ones,&quot; the Canada Border Services Agency said in a statement yesterday. 
 
&quot;Non-restricted firearms can be used for hunting purposes and protection against wildlife in remote areas.&quot; 
 
But, it added, the &quot;use of firearms for personal protection, or protection of property is not deemed a valid purpose to import firearms into Canada.&quot; 
 
Switchblades, nunchucks, crossbows, blowguns and brass knuckles are also banned in Canada, it noted. 
 
The announcement comes on the heels of two separate incidents in which Texas retirees were stopped from carrying weapons into the country at a border checkpoint in Saint Stephen, New Brunswick. 
 
A search of their vehicles uncovered several handguns, a shotgun and loose ammunition, which were seized. 
 
The two tourists were also fined more than 1,000 Canadian dollar (USD 775) and kicked out of Canada, along with their wives. 
In the first six months of this year, 413 guns were seized at the border - both from smugglers and gun lovers. The figure is up from 386 guns seized during the same period in 2015, according to government figures. 
 
Authorities have linked recent spikes in violent crimes to the smuggling of handguns and other prohibited weapons from the United States. 
 
US gun culture is also a source of derision in Canada. 
 
Canada only began arming its border guards in 2006. 
 
South of the border, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump provoked fresh debate this month over gun rights when he appeared to suggest that &quot;Second Amendment people,&quot; who view gun ownership as a constitutional right, could take dislike for his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton into their own hands. 
 
(AFP)

The announcement came after Texas retirees were stopped from carrying weapons into the country at a border checkpoint

A rash of gun-toting Americans visiting Canada prompted its border agency to launch a public awareness campaign, reminding Americans about their northern neighbours' relatively strict firearms laws. "Canadian laws are different than US ones," the Canada Border Services Agency said in a statement yesterday. "Non-restricted firearms can be used for hunting purposes and protection against wildlife in remote areas." But, it added, the "use of firearms for personal protection, or protection of property is not deemed a valid purpose to import firearms into Canada." Switchblades, nunchucks, crossbows, blowguns and brass knuckles are also banned in Canada, it noted. The announcement comes on the heels of two separate incidents in which Texas retirees were stopped from carrying weapons into the country at a border checkpoint in Saint Stephen, New Brunswick. A search of their vehicles uncovered several handguns, a shotgun and loose ammunition, which were seized. The two tourists were also fined more than 1,000 Canadian dollar (USD 775) and kicked out of Canada, along with their wives. In the first six months of this year, 413 guns were seized at the border - both from smugglers and gun lovers. The figure is up from 386 guns seized during the same period in 2015, according to government figures. Authorities have linked recent spikes in violent crimes to the smuggling of handguns and other prohibited weapons from the United States. US gun culture is also a source of derision in Canada. Canada only began arming its border guards in 2006. South of the border, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump provoked fresh debate this month over gun rights when he appeared to suggest that "Second Amendment people," who view gun ownership as a constitutional right, could take dislike for his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton into their own hands. (AFP)

Canada to US tourists: Leave your guns at home

Two Indian-American women have been selected for the prestigious White House Fellow programme that offers first hand experience of working at the highest levels of the US federal government. 
 
Astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi from California and physician Tina R Shah from Chicago are among the 16 White House Fellows appointed from across the nation for the year 2016-17, officials said. 
 
Shah is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician-scientist focused on transforming healthcare delivery for patients with chronic diseases. 
 
She recently completed her clinical fellowship at the University of Chicago (UC), where she redesigned the care cycle for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), dramatically reducing hospital readmissions. 
 
As the recipient of the inaugural UC Innovations Grant, Shah also led an inter-professional research team to evaluate this value-based care delivery programme. 
 
Shah was a trustee for the Chicago Medical Society and has held leadership positions in other medical societies to advocate for her patients and for a sustainable medical workforce. She received a BS and an MD from the Pennsylvania State University/Jefferson Medical College accelerated six- year medical program and MPH from Harvard. 
 
Tripathi, an astrophysicist recently at Harvard University, focuses on the formation and evolution of planets. She has pioneered the characterisation of planet-forming environments and developed the first 3D simulations of planets evaporating due to extreme atmospheric heating. 
 
Tripathi has also been involved in modelling the Milky Way and the search for dark matter. Previously, she has conducted particle physics, seismology and engineering research at Fermilab, Caltech, MIT, and NASA JPL, as part of the mission operations team for the Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. 
 
Her commitment to improving her community has been recognised by Harvard, MIT, and the American Red Cross. 
 
Tripathi will receive her Ph.D. In Astronomy from Harvard, where she earned an AM in Astronomy as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. 
 
She received M.Phil in Astronomy from Cambridge University as a Marshall Scholar and SB in Physics, with a minor in Applied International Studies, from MIT. 
 
The White House Fellows Program was created in 1964 by president Lyndon B Johnson to give promising American leaders &quot;first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the Federal government and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs&quot;. 
 
Selection as a White House Fellow is highly competitive and based on a record of professional achievement, evidence of leadership potential and a proven commitment to public service. Each Fellow must possess the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute meaningfully at senior levels of the Federal government.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI) 
&nbsp;

Astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi from California and physician Tina R Shah from Chicago are among the 16 White House Fellows

Two Indian-American women have been selected for the prestigious White House Fellow programme that offers first hand experience of working at the highest levels of the US federal government. Astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi from California and physician Tina R Shah from Chicago are among the 16 White House Fellows appointed from across the nation for the year 2016-17, officials said. Shah is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician-scientist focused on transforming healthcare delivery for patients with chronic diseases. She recently completed her clinical fellowship at the University of Chicago (UC), where she redesigned the care cycle for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), dramatically reducing hospital readmissions. As the recipient of the inaugural UC Innovations Grant, Shah also led an inter-professional research team to evaluate this value-based care delivery programme. Shah was a trustee for the Chicago Medical Society and has held leadership positions in other medical societies to advocate for her patients and for a sustainable medical workforce. She received a BS and an MD from the Pennsylvania State University/Jefferson Medical College accelerated six- year medical program and MPH from Harvard. Tripathi, an astrophysicist recently at Harvard University, focuses on the formation and evolution of planets. She has pioneered the characterisation of planet-forming environments and developed the first 3D simulations of planets evaporating due to extreme atmospheric heating. Tripathi has also been involved in modelling the Milky Way and the search for dark matter. Previously, she has conducted particle physics, seismology and engineering research at Fermilab, Caltech, MIT, and NASA JPL, as part of the mission operations team for the Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Her commitment to improving her community has been recognised by Harvard, MIT, and the American Red Cross. Tripathi will receive her Ph.D. In Astronomy from Harvard, where she earned an AM in Astronomy as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. She received M.Phil in Astronomy from Cambridge University as a Marshall Scholar and SB in Physics, with a minor in Applied International Studies, from MIT. The White House Fellows Program was created in 1964 by president Lyndon B Johnson to give promising American leaders "first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the Federal government and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs". Selection as a White House Fellow is highly competitive and based on a record of professional achievement, evidence of leadership potential and a proven commitment to public service. Each Fellow must possess the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute meaningfully at senior levels of the Federal government. (PTI)

2 Indian-American women named White House fellows

More than 30 major technology and communication companies said on Friday they are joining the US government to crack down on &quot;robocalls,&quot; automated, prerecorded phone calls that regulators have labelled a &quot;scourge.&quot; 
 
AT&amp;T Inc &lt;T.N&gt;, Google parent Alphabet Inc &lt;GOOGL.O&gt;, Apple Inc &lt;AAPL.O&gt;, Verizon Communications Inc &lt;VZ.N&gt; and Comcast Corp &lt;CMCSA.O&gt; are among members of the &quot;Robocall Strike Force&quot; that held its first meeting with the US Federal Communications Commission. 
 
The strike force will report to the FCC by October 19 on &quot;concrete plans to accelerate the development and adoption of new tools and solutions,&quot; said AT&amp;T Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson, chairman of the group. 
 
The strike force hopes to implement Caller ID verification standards to help block calls from spoofed phone numbers and consider a &quot;Do Not Originate&quot; list that would block spoofers from impersonating legitimate phone numbers from governments, banks or others. 
 
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in July urged major companies to take new action to block robocalls, which often come from telemarketers or scam artists. 
 
&quot;This scourge must stop,&quot; Wheeler said on Friday, calling robocalls the No. 1 complaint from consumers. 
 
&quot;The bad guys are beating the good guys with technology,&quot; Wheeler said. In the past, he has said robocalls continue &quot;due in large part to industry inaction.&quot; 
 
Stephenson emphasized &quot;the breadth and complexity&quot; of the problem. 
 
&quot;This is going to require more than individual company initiatives and one-off blocking apps,&quot; Stephenson said. &quot;Robocallers are a formidable adversary, notoriously hard to stop.&quot; 
 
The FCC does not require robocall blocking and filtering but has strongly encouraged phone service providers to offer those services at no charge. 
 
The strike force brings together carriers, device makers, operating system developers, network designers and the government. 
 
&quot;We have to come out of this with a comprehensive play book for all of us to go execute,&quot; Stephenson said. &quot;We have calls that are perfectly legal, but unwanted, like telemarketers and public opinion surveyors. At the other end of the spectrum, we have millions of calls that are blatantly illegal.&quot; 
 
Stephenson said technical experts representing the companies have had &quot;preliminary conversations about short- and longer-term initiatives.&quot; 
 
Joan Marsh, AT&amp;T vice president of federal regulatory issues, called the problem complicated. &quot;We have been wrangling with this problem long enough to know there is no silver bullet,&quot; she said. &quot;Nothing by itself is going to do it.&quot; 
 
Other companies taking part include Blackberry Ltd &lt;BB.TO&gt;, British Telecommunications Plc [BTCOM.UL], Charter Communications Inc &lt;CHTR.O&gt;, Frontier Communications &lt;FTR.O&gt;, LG Electronics Inc &lt;066570.KS&gt;, Microsoft Corp &lt;MSFT.O&gt;, Nokia Corp &lt;NOKIA.HE&gt;, Qualcomm Inc &lt;QCOM.O&gt;, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd &lt;005930.KS&gt;, Sirius XM Holdings Inc &lt;SIRI.O&gt;, T-Mobile US Inc &lt;TMUS.O&gt; and U.S. Cellular Corp &lt;USM.N&gt;. 
 
Consumers Union, a public advocacy group, said the task force is a sign &quot;phone companies are taking more serious steps to protect their customers from unwanted calls.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The strike force hopes to implement Caller ID verification standards to help block calls from spoofed phone numbers

More than 30 major technology and communication companies said on Friday they are joining the US government to crack down on "robocalls," automated, prerecorded phone calls that regulators have labelled a "scourge." AT&T Inc <T.N>, Google parent Alphabet Inc <GOOGL.O>, Apple Inc <AAPL.O>, Verizon Communications Inc <VZ.N> and Comcast Corp <CMCSA.O> are among members of the "Robocall Strike Force" that held its first meeting with the US Federal Communications Commission. The strike force will report to the FCC by October 19 on "concrete plans to accelerate the development and adoption of new tools and solutions," said AT&T Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson, chairman of the group. The strike force hopes to implement Caller ID verification standards to help block calls from spoofed phone numbers and consider a "Do Not Originate" list that would block spoofers from impersonating legitimate phone numbers from governments, banks or others. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in July urged major companies to take new action to block robocalls, which often come from telemarketers or scam artists. "This scourge must stop," Wheeler said on Friday, calling robocalls the No. 1 complaint from consumers. "The bad guys are beating the good guys with technology," Wheeler said. In the past, he has said robocalls continue "due in large part to industry inaction." Stephenson emphasized "the breadth and complexity" of the problem. "This is going to require more than individual company initiatives and one-off blocking apps," Stephenson said. "Robocallers are a formidable adversary, notoriously hard to stop." The FCC does not require robocall blocking and filtering but has strongly encouraged phone service providers to offer those services at no charge. The strike force brings together carriers, device makers, operating system developers, network designers and the government. "We have to come out of this with a comprehensive play book for all of us to go execute," Stephenson said. "We have calls that are perfectly legal, but unwanted, like telemarketers and public opinion surveyors. At the other end of the spectrum, we have millions of calls that are blatantly illegal." Stephenson said technical experts representing the companies have had "preliminary conversations about short- and longer-term initiatives." Joan Marsh, AT&T vice president of federal regulatory issues, called the problem complicated. "We have been wrangling with this problem long enough to know there is no silver bullet," she said. "Nothing by itself is going to do it." Other companies taking part include Blackberry Ltd <BB.TO>, British Telecommunications Plc [BTCOM.UL], Charter Communications Inc <CHTR.O>, Frontier Communications <FTR.O>, LG Electronics Inc <066570.KS>, Microsoft Corp <MSFT.O>, Nokia Corp <NOKIA.HE>, Qualcomm Inc <QCOM.O>, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd <005930.KS>, Sirius XM Holdings Inc <SIRI.O>, T-Mobile US Inc <TMUS.O> and U.S. Cellular Corp <USM.N>. Consumers Union, a public advocacy group, said the task force is a sign "phone companies are taking more serious steps to protect their customers from unwanted calls." (Reuters)

AT&T, Apple, Google to work on 'robocall' crackdown

US Secretary of State John Kerry and counterparts from eight African nations meet in Nairobi on Monday to discuss ways to prevent South Sudan from sliding back into civil war and advance a political transition in Somalia. 
 
Kerry arrived in the Kenyan capital late on Sunday - after a two-week summer break - for his second trip as secretary of state to Nairobi since May 2015. 
 
On Tuesday, he travels to Sokoto, Nigeria, the historic Muslim city in the remote northwest, followed by talks with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja. 
 
&quot;We will ... talk about how we move forward in trying to implement peace in this country,&quot; a senior State Department official said of South Sudan. 
 
&quot;The people of South Sudan have suffered for far too long, and the continued instability there has led almost a million refugees and a humanitarian crisis that is far beyond the abilities of even the international community to respond to,&quot; the official told a conference call. 
 
The international community has poured billions of aid into supporting the world&#39;s youngest nation, which gained independence in 2011. Oil production, by far the biggest source of government revenue, has plummeted. 
 
But worsening violence has raised fears of a return to civil war that erupted in late 2013, which broadly ran along ethnic lines, pitting President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, against his rival and vice president Riek Machar, a Nuer. 
 
Violence flared when Machar withdrew his forces from the capital Juba in July and was sacked by Kiir as vice president. 
 
Machar was picked up by UN peacekeepers in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo a week ago with a leg injury and was handed over to authorities in Congo. 
 
Machar led a two-year rebellion against forces loyal to rival Kiir before the two sides reached a peace deal in August 2015. Under the deal, Machar returned to Juba in April to resume his role as vice president. 
 
On Monday, Kerry will meet Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta before joining foreign ministers from Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, Djibouti, Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopia to discuss South Sudan and Somalia, where there are concerns that delays in the approval of new election rules could dampen its recovery from conflict. 
 
World powers and regional states have struggled to find leverage over the warring factions in South Sudan, despite US and European sanctions on some military leaders and African threats of punitive actions. 
 
Especially of concern to Washington was an attack on a Juba hotel in July by uniformed men who killed a U.S.-funded journalist and raped civilians, including aid workers. 
 
The UN has launched an investigation into accusations UN peacekeepers in Juba failed to respond properly to the attack. 
 
In Kerry&#39;s talks with Kenyatta, he will also discuss Kenya&#39;s presidential election set for August 2017, the senior State Department official said. 
 
Opposition protests in Nairobi since April have stoked fears among church leaders and Western diplomats of a repeat of the violence following the 2007 election in which 1,200 people were killed. 
 
In a letter to Kerry before his visit, the Human Rights Watch group urged him to discuss rights concerns with Kenyatta. The group said it had documented 34 cases of extrajudicial killings and another 11 deaths of people last seen in state custody over alleged links with al-Shabaab militants in Nairobi and in the northeast. 
 
(Reuters)

World powers and regional states have long struggled to find leverage over the warring factions in South Sudan

US Secretary of State John Kerry and counterparts from eight African nations meet in Nairobi on Monday to discuss ways to prevent South Sudan from sliding back into civil war and advance a political transition in Somalia. Kerry arrived in the Kenyan capital late on Sunday - after a two-week summer break - for his second trip as secretary of state to Nairobi since May 2015. On Tuesday, he travels to Sokoto, Nigeria, the historic Muslim city in the remote northwest, followed by talks with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja. "We will ... talk about how we move forward in trying to implement peace in this country," a senior State Department official said of South Sudan. "The people of South Sudan have suffered for far too long, and the continued instability there has led almost a million refugees and a humanitarian crisis that is far beyond the abilities of even the international community to respond to," the official told a conference call. The international community has poured billions of aid into supporting the world's youngest nation, which gained independence in 2011. Oil production, by far the biggest source of government revenue, has plummeted. But worsening violence has raised fears of a return to civil war that erupted in late 2013, which broadly ran along ethnic lines, pitting President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, against his rival and vice president Riek Machar, a Nuer. Violence flared when Machar withdrew his forces from the capital Juba in July and was sacked by Kiir as vice president. Machar was picked up by UN peacekeepers in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo a week ago with a leg injury and was handed over to authorities in Congo. Machar led a two-year rebellion against forces loyal to rival Kiir before the two sides reached a peace deal in August 2015. Under the deal, Machar returned to Juba in April to resume his role as vice president. On Monday, Kerry will meet Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta before joining foreign ministers from Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, Djibouti, Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopia to discuss South Sudan and Somalia, where there are concerns that delays in the approval of new election rules could dampen its recovery from conflict. World powers and regional states have struggled to find leverage over the warring factions in South Sudan, despite US and European sanctions on some military leaders and African threats of punitive actions. Especially of concern to Washington was an attack on a Juba hotel in July by uniformed men who killed a U.S.-funded journalist and raped civilians, including aid workers. The UN has launched an investigation into accusations UN peacekeepers in Juba failed to respond properly to the attack. In Kerry's talks with Kenyatta, he will also discuss Kenya's presidential election set for August 2017, the senior State Department official said. Opposition protests in Nairobi since April have stoked fears among church leaders and Western diplomats of a repeat of the violence following the 2007 election in which 1,200 people were killed. In a letter to Kerry before his visit, the Human Rights Watch group urged him to discuss rights concerns with Kenyatta. The group said it had documented 34 cases of extrajudicial killings and another 11 deaths of people last seen in state custody over alleged links with al-Shabaab militants in Nairobi and in the northeast. (Reuters)

US Secretary of State John Kerry, African ministers to meet on South Sudan violence, Somalia

Star American swimmer Ryan&nbsp;Lochte&nbsp;on Saturday said he took &quot;full responsibility&quot; for vandalising a gas station bathroom and then inventing a story about it to police during the Rio Olympics. 
 
The episode, which has embarrassed the US sporting superpower, saw&nbsp;Lochte&nbsp;and three other gold medal winning US swimmers embroiled in a controversy after he gave a shocking,&nbsp;and false,&nbsp;account of how they had been robbed at gunpoint. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s why I&#39;m taking full responsibility for it, is because I overexaggerated that story and if I had never done that, we wouldn&#39;t be in this mess,&quot;&nbsp;Lochte&nbsp;said in an interview broadcast in part late Saturday. The full interview will be aired later by NBC television. 
 
Lochte&nbsp;had already apologised on Friday for setting off a storm of controversy after he said the swimmers were mugged by robbers pretending to be police while on their way back from an all-night party. 
 
It was only after police declared the story bogus,&nbsp;saying that the four had only been detained by security and made to pay compensation for drunken vandalisation of a gas station bathroom,&nbsp;that Lochte&nbsp;finally came clean. 
 
&quot;I left details out... I left certain things out, and I overexaggerated some parts of the story,&quot;&nbsp;Lochte said in the interview. 
 
On Wednesday, a Rio judge ordered the athletes&#39; passports confiscated so that they could not leave the country. 
 
Although&nbsp;Lochte&nbsp;had already left, the other three, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen, &nbsp;underwent questioning in Rio police stations. 
 
Asked how he felt being home while his teammates were detained,&nbsp;Lochte&nbsp;said: &quot;I let my team down. And, you know, I wanted to be there, like, I don&#39;t want them to think that I left, and left them dry because they were my teammates.&quot; 
 
&quot;I just wanted to make sure that they were at home safe before I came out and talked,&quot; he added. 
 
On Thursday, police released closed-circuit TV footage and other evidence about the events at the gas station. 
 
The athletes, who appeared intoxicated, stopped in a taxi at the gas station to use the bathroom during the early hours of the morning. 
 
Lochte&nbsp;and the others then vandalised the area near the bathroom and, according to the manager, urinated on the walls. 
 
In the United States,&nbsp;Lochte&nbsp;has come under serious scorn, with media and internet comments almost universally scathing. 
 
(AFP)

'I overexaggerated that story,' said the American swimmer who told police that he and his teammates were mugged at gunpoint

Star American swimmer Ryan Lochte on Saturday said he took "full responsibility" for vandalising a gas station bathroom and then inventing a story about it to police during the Rio Olympics. The episode, which has embarrassed the US sporting superpower, saw Lochte and three other gold medal winning US swimmers embroiled in a controversy after he gave a shocking, and false, account of how they had been robbed at gunpoint. "That's why I'm taking full responsibility for it, is because I overexaggerated that story and if I had never done that, we wouldn't be in this mess," Lochte said in an interview broadcast in part late Saturday. The full interview will be aired later by NBC television. Lochte had already apologised on Friday for setting off a storm of controversy after he said the swimmers were mugged by robbers pretending to be police while on their way back from an all-night party. It was only after police declared the story bogus, saying that the four had only been detained by security and made to pay compensation for drunken vandalisation of a gas station bathroom, that Lochte finally came clean. "I left details out... I left certain things out, and I overexaggerated some parts of the story," Lochte said in the interview. On Wednesday, a Rio judge ordered the athletes' passports confiscated so that they could not leave the country. Although Lochte had already left, the other three, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen, underwent questioning in Rio police stations. Asked how he felt being home while his teammates were detained, Lochte said: "I let my team down. And, you know, I wanted to be there, like, I don't want them to think that I left, and left them dry because they were my teammates." "I just wanted to make sure that they were at home safe before I came out and talked," he added. On Thursday, police released closed-circuit TV footage and other evidence about the events at the gas station. The athletes, who appeared intoxicated, stopped in a taxi at the gas station to use the bathroom during the early hours of the morning. Lochte and the others then vandalised the area near the bathroom and, according to the manager, urinated on the walls. In the United States, Lochte has come under serious scorn, with media and internet comments almost universally scathing. (AFP)

Lochte takes 'full responsibility' for vandalising gas station, lying about it

Federal health officials on Friday warned pregnant women not to travel to trendy&nbsp;Miami Beach after Florida confirmed that the mosquito-borne Zika virus was active in the popular tourist&nbsp;destination. 
 
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also suggested that pregnant women who are especially&nbsp;worried about exposure to Zika - which has been shown to cause the severe birth defect known as&nbsp;microcephaly - might consider avoiding all of Miami-Dade County. 
 
The new warnings represent a challenge to Florida&#39;s multibillion dollar tourism industry, with Miami Beach&nbsp;accounting for nearly half of visitor stays in the city, and heighten concerns over Zika&#39;s spread in the&nbsp;continental United States. 
 
In a press conference, Florida Governor Rick Scott said state health officials had identified five cases&nbsp;of Zika believed to be contracted in Miami Beach. 
 
&quot;This means we believe we have a new area where local transmissions are occurring in Miami Beach,&quot; he&nbsp;said, noting that the state had already stepped up pesticide spraying efforts in this area. 
 
The new transmissions come as Miami-Dade continues to battle Zika in the Wynwood arts neighborhood of&nbsp;Miami, the site of the first locally transmitted cases of Zika in the continental United States. 
 
In Miami Beach, the state believes Zika transmission is confined to a 1.5-square-mile area located between&nbsp;8th and 28th streets in the popular South Beach neighborhood. 
 
Miami Beach resident Steve Ehrlich, 30, said news of the five cases transmitted somewhere in the blocks&nbsp;around his home was not surprising, but that did not make it any less concerning. 
 
&quot;You knew it was going to intermingle all over the place,&quot; he said. 
 
And though Ehrlich said and he and his wife Caroline did not have any immediate plans to have more&nbsp;children, any thought of doing so has been indefinitely shelved. 
 
Current CDC guidelines recommend men wait six months after being infected with Zika before trying to have&nbsp;children to avoid passing the virus to a pregnant partner through semen. The recommendations are based on&nbsp;observations that the virus can live in semen as long as 93 days after an infection, but a recent report&nbsp;in the journal Eurosurveillence described two cases in which the virus lingered in semen six months after&nbsp;a person was infected. 
 
&quot;The CDC is giving recommendations for how long to wait before you get pregnant, but it seems like no one&nbsp;has a clear grasp on just how long it stays in your system,&quot; Ehrlich said. &quot;That&#39;s scary for us because we&nbsp;eventually want to have more kids.&quot; 
 
Travel expert Henry Harteveldt, founder of travel consultancy Atmosphere Research Group, said the Zika&nbsp;outbreak in South Florida could jeopardize travel in the area. 
 
&quot;Even if one per cent or two per cent of potential travelers decide not to go to Florida, whether it&rsquo;s for&nbsp;leisure or for business, there could be a multi-million dollar hit to the local economy,&rdquo; he said. 
 
In a conference call with reporters on Friday, CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said there have been at least&nbsp;four other independent instances of mosquito-borne Zika transmission in Miami-Dade county. These were&nbsp;individual cases and did not represent local transmission. 
 
Frieden said it is difficult to determine if cases are locally acquired and whether cases are related. As&nbsp;a result, there may be a time lag in reporting the spread of disease locally. 
 
Given that, Frieden said there could be transmissions that have not been identified throughout Miami,&nbsp;which is why the CDC has advised pregnant women and their sexual partners who are worried about potential&nbsp;exposure to consider avoiding travel to Miami entirely. 
 
Of the five new cases in Miami Beach, one person is a resident of New York, one person is a resident of&nbsp;Texas and one person is a resident of Taiwan. 
 
&quot;All three of these people traveled to Miami,&quot; Scott said. 
 
Frieden said battling Zika-carrying mosquitoes in this neighborhood will be especially challenging because&nbsp;the area&#39;s high rise buildings will prevent pilots from flying low enough to drop pesticides in aerial&nbsp;spraying campaigns. 
 
&quot;The inability to use aerial spraying there means we&#39;ll be limited to using ground-based techniques like&nbsp;backpack spraying,&quot; he said. 
 
Frieden said aerial spraying continues to be successful in the Wynwood neighborhood, where experts have&nbsp;seen &quot;substantial but not complete knockdowns of mosquito populations. 
 
Scott said Florida has requested more support from the CDC. 
 
LAWMAKERS URGE MORE FUNDING 
 
Reporters pressed Scott on the timeliness of the announcement, which was first reported in the Miami&nbsp;Herald on Thursday and was confirmed by many other news outlets on Thursday, including Reuters. 
 
&quot;We recognize the desire for information quickly, but it is important that we conduct our interviews and investigations pursuant to epidemiological standards,&quot; Scott said. 
 
Reporters charged Scott with underplaying Zika transmission and delaying confirmation to minimize the&nbsp;effect on tourism in the state. 
 
Scott said the state was taking every measure to ensure the information they provided to the public was&nbsp;accurate. 
 
In a press conference later on Friday, however, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine expressed frustration with&nbsp;Scott and the state&#39;s health department for keeping him and other elected officials in the dark about the&nbsp;island-city&#39;s five locally transmitted Zika cases. 
 
Levine said mayors across Miami received the information at the same time as media. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s backwards,&quot; Levine said. 
 
US Senator Harry Reid, a Democrat, said the transmission of Zika in Miami Beach &quot;is the most alarming&nbsp;development yet in the rapidly growing threat of Zika in the United States.&quot; 
 
Both Reid and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, renewed calls for lawmakers in the House and&nbsp;Senate to return to Washington to authorize funding to help public health officials fight the spread of&nbsp;Zika. 
 
President Barack Obama in February requested $1.9 billion to fight Zika but Congressional efforts to&nbsp;approve part of the funding deadlocked before lawmakers adjourned for the summer. 
 
Earlier on Friday, US health officials published a study estimating that as many as 270 babies in Puerto&nbsp;Rico may be born with the severe birth defect known as microcephaly caused by Zika infections in their&nbsp;mothers during pregnancy. 
 
A public health emergency was declared in the US territory on August 12 after more than 10,000&nbsp;laboratory-confirmed cases were recorded, including more than a thousand pregnant women. 
 
The condition, in which infants are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains, is&nbsp;estimated to cost $10 million over the lifetime of one child. 
 
The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now&nbsp;confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infection in the&nbsp;mothers. 
 
(Reuters)

The new transmissions come as Miami-Dade continues to battle Zika in the Wynwood arts neighborhood of?Miami

Federal health officials on Friday warned pregnant women not to travel to trendy Miami Beach after Florida confirmed that the mosquito-borne Zika virus was active in the popular tourist destination. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also suggested that pregnant women who are especially worried about exposure to Zika - which has been shown to cause the severe birth defect known as microcephaly - might consider avoiding all of Miami-Dade County. The new warnings represent a challenge to Florida's multibillion dollar tourism industry, with Miami Beach accounting for nearly half of visitor stays in the city, and heighten concerns over Zika's spread in the continental United States. In a press conference, Florida Governor Rick Scott said state health officials had identified five cases of Zika believed to be contracted in Miami Beach. "This means we believe we have a new area where local transmissions are occurring in Miami Beach," he said, noting that the state had already stepped up pesticide spraying efforts in this area. The new transmissions come as Miami-Dade continues to battle Zika in the Wynwood arts neighborhood of Miami, the site of the first locally transmitted cases of Zika in the continental United States. In Miami Beach, the state believes Zika transmission is confined to a 1.5-square-mile area located between 8th and 28th streets in the popular South Beach neighborhood. Miami Beach resident Steve Ehrlich, 30, said news of the five cases transmitted somewhere in the blocks around his home was not surprising, but that did not make it any less concerning. "You knew it was going to intermingle all over the place," he said. And though Ehrlich said and he and his wife Caroline did not have any immediate plans to have more children, any thought of doing so has been indefinitely shelved. Current CDC guidelines recommend men wait six months after being infected with Zika before trying to have children to avoid passing the virus to a pregnant partner through semen. The recommendations are based on observations that the virus can live in semen as long as 93 days after an infection, but a recent report in the journal Eurosurveillence described two cases in which the virus lingered in semen six months after a person was infected. "The CDC is giving recommendations for how long to wait before you get pregnant, but it seems like no one has a clear grasp on just how long it stays in your system," Ehrlich said. "That's scary for us because we eventually want to have more kids." Travel expert Henry Harteveldt, founder of travel consultancy Atmosphere Research Group, said the Zika outbreak in South Florida could jeopardize travel in the area. "Even if one per cent or two per cent of potential travelers decide not to go to Florida, whether it’s for leisure or for business, there could be a multi-million dollar hit to the local economy,” he said. In a conference call with reporters on Friday, CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said there have been at least four other independent instances of mosquito-borne Zika transmission in Miami-Dade county. These were individual cases and did not represent local transmission. Frieden said it is difficult to determine if cases are locally acquired and whether cases are related. As a result, there may be a time lag in reporting the spread of disease locally. Given that, Frieden said there could be transmissions that have not been identified throughout Miami, which is why the CDC has advised pregnant women and their sexual partners who are worried about potential exposure to consider avoiding travel to Miami entirely. Of the five new cases in Miami Beach, one person is a resident of New York, one person is a resident of Texas and one person is a resident of Taiwan. "All three of these people traveled to Miami," Scott said. Frieden said battling Zika-carrying mosquitoes in this neighborhood will be especially challenging because the area's high rise buildings will prevent pilots from flying low enough to drop pesticides in aerial spraying campaigns. "The inability to use aerial spraying there means we'll be limited to using ground-based techniques like backpack spraying," he said. Frieden said aerial spraying continues to be successful in the Wynwood neighborhood, where experts have seen "substantial but not complete knockdowns of mosquito populations. Scott said Florida has requested more support from the CDC. LAWMAKERS URGE MORE FUNDING Reporters pressed Scott on the timeliness of the announcement, which was first reported in the Miami Herald on Thursday and was confirmed by many other news outlets on Thursday, including Reuters. "We recognize the desire for information quickly, but it is important that we conduct our interviews and investigations pursuant to epidemiological standards," Scott said. Reporters charged Scott with underplaying Zika transmission and delaying confirmation to minimize the effect on tourism in the state. Scott said the state was taking every measure to ensure the information they provided to the public was accurate. In a press conference later on Friday, however, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine expressed frustration with Scott and the state's health department for keeping him and other elected officials in the dark about the island-city's five locally transmitted Zika cases. Levine said mayors across Miami received the information at the same time as media. "It's backwards," Levine said. US Senator Harry Reid, a Democrat, said the transmission of Zika in Miami Beach "is the most alarming development yet in the rapidly growing threat of Zika in the United States." Both Reid and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, renewed calls for lawmakers in the House and Senate to return to Washington to authorize funding to help public health officials fight the spread of Zika. President Barack Obama in February requested $1.9 billion to fight Zika but Congressional efforts to approve part of the funding deadlocked before lawmakers adjourned for the summer. Earlier on Friday, US health officials published a study estimating that as many as 270 babies in Puerto Rico may be born with the severe birth defect known as microcephaly caused by Zika infections in their mothers during pregnancy. A public health emergency was declared in the US territory on August 12 after more than 10,000 laboratory-confirmed cases were recorded, including more than a thousand pregnant women. The condition, in which infants are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains, is estimated to cost $10 million over the lifetime of one child. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infection in the mothers. (Reuters)

US expands travel warning as Zika spreads to Miami Beach

Brazilian police pulled two US Olympic swimmers off a US-bound plane in a row over their claim of having been victims of an armed mugging, officials said on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;We can confirm that Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were removed from their flight to the United States by Brazilian authorities,&quot; said Patrick Sandusky, spokesman for the US Olympic Committee. 
 
The two were with star US swimmer Ryan Lochte and another squad member, James Feigen, when they said they were robbed at gunpoint early on Sunday. 
 
A Brazilian judge ordered a probe, saying their story is full of inconsistencies. 
 
&quot;The swimmers are here and making statements,&quot; an airport police spokesman said, without giving further details. 
 
Globo, a leading Brazilian news organisation, posted a video online showing the two swimmers walking into a police station. 
 
They were later released &quot;with the understanding that they would continue their discussions about the incident on Thursday,&quot; Sandusky said. 
 
Lochte, who went home before Brazilian authorities ordered the swimmers&#39; questioning, and Feigen, who remains in Brazil, will cooperate with the investigation, broadcaster NBC reported. 
 
Earlier on Wednesday, Judge Keyla Blank &quot;issued warrants for searches and the seizure of the passports for the US swimmers,&quot; a statement from her office said. 
 
&quot;With this, they are banned from leaving the country,&quot; the statement said. 
 
The court order was the latest twist in a story of a supposedly terrifying incident that embarrassed Olympic authorities and ramped up the fear factor for hundreds of thousands of tourists in Rio at South America&#39;s first Olympics. 
 
Now, Brazilian officials are suggesting that the US swimmers may have made up their account -- and could face charges for filing a false report. 
 
In Washington, state department spokesman John Kirby said American authorities had &quot;seen media reports that two US citizen athletes were detained. We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance&quot;. 
 
Did the mugging happen?&nbsp; 
 
Lochte says he and three team-mates were held up by muggers posing as police as they left a late night party in central Rio. 
 
The incident was immediately plunged into confusion when the International Olympic Committee denied that anything had happened. 
 
Lochte, however, gave interviews describing the supposed robbery in detail and Brazilian Olympic authorities later issued a public apology for the security slip up. 
 
With some 85,000 police and soldiers guarding the Olympics -- twice the number from London in 2012 -- the apparently high-profile crime touched a nerve in Rio. In addition to multiple incidents of thefts from Olympic athletes and media, a Portuguese government minister was mugged in the swish Leblon district. 
 
Lochte said he had a gun put to his forehead in the robbery, when the swimmers&#39; taxi was pulled over by criminals who forced them to lie on the ground and stole money and other items. 
 
&quot;The guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, &#39;Get down,&#39;&quot; Lochte said afterwards. &quot;He took our money, he took my wallet -- he left my cell phone, he left my credentials.&quot; 
 
However, Olympic officials have said police are still looking for key witnesses, including the cab driver. 
 
And Blank&#39;s office said the judge was probing &quot;possible inconsistencies in the swimmers&#39; stories&quot;, including varying accounts of how many assailants were involved. 
 
According to the NBC report, Lochte strongly denied that the swimmers fabricated the story of the robbery. 
 
&quot;I wouldn&#39;t make up a story like this nor would the others -- as a matter of fact we all feel it makes us look bad,&quot; it quoted Lochte as saying. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The swimmers had said they were mugged. A judge has ordered a probe, saying their story is full of inconsistencies

Brazilian police pulled two US Olympic swimmers off a US-bound plane in a row over their claim of having been victims of an armed mugging, officials said on Wednesday. "We can confirm that Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were removed from their flight to the United States by Brazilian authorities," said Patrick Sandusky, spokesman for the US Olympic Committee. The two were with star US swimmer Ryan Lochte and another squad member, James Feigen, when they said they were robbed at gunpoint early on Sunday. A Brazilian judge ordered a probe, saying their story is full of inconsistencies. "The swimmers are here and making statements," an airport police spokesman said, without giving further details. Globo, a leading Brazilian news organisation, posted a video online showing the two swimmers walking into a police station. They were later released "with the understanding that they would continue their discussions about the incident on Thursday," Sandusky said. Lochte, who went home before Brazilian authorities ordered the swimmers' questioning, and Feigen, who remains in Brazil, will cooperate with the investigation, broadcaster NBC reported. Earlier on Wednesday, Judge Keyla Blank "issued warrants for searches and the seizure of the passports for the US swimmers," a statement from her office said. "With this, they are banned from leaving the country," the statement said. The court order was the latest twist in a story of a supposedly terrifying incident that embarrassed Olympic authorities and ramped up the fear factor for hundreds of thousands of tourists in Rio at South America's first Olympics. Now, Brazilian officials are suggesting that the US swimmers may have made up their account -- and could face charges for filing a false report. In Washington, state department spokesman John Kirby said American authorities had "seen media reports that two US citizen athletes were detained. We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance". Did the mugging happen? Lochte says he and three team-mates were held up by muggers posing as police as they left a late night party in central Rio. The incident was immediately plunged into confusion when the International Olympic Committee denied that anything had happened. Lochte, however, gave interviews describing the supposed robbery in detail and Brazilian Olympic authorities later issued a public apology for the security slip up. With some 85,000 police and soldiers guarding the Olympics -- twice the number from London in 2012 -- the apparently high-profile crime touched a nerve in Rio. In addition to multiple incidents of thefts from Olympic athletes and media, a Portuguese government minister was mugged in the swish Leblon district. Lochte said he had a gun put to his forehead in the robbery, when the swimmers' taxi was pulled over by criminals who forced them to lie on the ground and stole money and other items. "The guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, 'Get down,'" Lochte said afterwards. "He took our money, he took my wallet -- he left my cell phone, he left my credentials." However, Olympic officials have said police are still looking for key witnesses, including the cab driver. And Blank's office said the judge was probing "possible inconsistencies in the swimmers' stories", including varying accounts of how many assailants were involved. According to the NBC report, Lochte strongly denied that the swimmers fabricated the story of the robbery. "I wouldn't make up a story like this nor would the others -- as a matter of fact we all feel it makes us look bad," it quoted Lochte as saying. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: Brazil police pull 2 US swimmers off plane

An artists&#39; collective took credit for exposing Donald Trump to unflattering scrutiny on Thursday, saying it was responsible for a life-sized nude statue of the Republican presidential candidate that turned up in a New York City park. 
 
Copies of the orange-tinted likeness - featuring a massive belly, small fingers and missing some genital parts - were simultaneously unveiled in downtown Manhattan&#39;s Union Square Park and public places in four other US cities. 
 
The collective titled the work &quot;The Emperor Has No Balls.&quot; 
 
In New York, the unauthorised installation appeared to surprise passers-by - prompting stares, giggles and shrugs of bemusement from park visitors. 
 
Ina Cope, a 58-year-old retiree from the Bronx borough of New York, said she was not expecting to see the Trump statue when she got off the subway to meet a friend for lunch. 
 
&quot;It was crazy: I was coming off the train, minding my own business, and there it was,&quot; she said, laughing. 
 
By early afternoon, workers from New York&#39;s Department of Parks and Recreation had taken down the statue. 
 
Mae Ferguson, a Parks Department spokeswoman, said the statue was removed because the installation of any unapproved structure is illegal in any city park. 
 
The activist collective, a group called INDECLINE that includes artists, musicians and filmmakers, claimed ownership of the work, saying in an email that the statues were also placed in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Cleveland. It said an artist called Ginger helped create the likeness. 
 
&quot;These fleeting installations represent this fleeting nightmare and in the fall, it is our wish to look back and laugh at Donald Trump&#39;s failed and delusional quest to obtain the presidency,&quot; INDECLINE said in a statement. 
 
A Trump spokeswoman did not respond immediately to an email with a request for comment. 
 
(Reuters)

Workers from New York's Department of Parks and Recreation took down the statue shortly after it was installed in the city

An artists' collective took credit for exposing Donald Trump to unflattering scrutiny on Thursday, saying it was responsible for a life-sized nude statue of the Republican presidential candidate that turned up in a New York City park. Copies of the orange-tinted likeness - featuring a massive belly, small fingers and missing some genital parts - were simultaneously unveiled in downtown Manhattan's Union Square Park and public places in four other US cities. The collective titled the work "The Emperor Has No Balls." In New York, the unauthorised installation appeared to surprise passers-by - prompting stares, giggles and shrugs of bemusement from park visitors. Ina Cope, a 58-year-old retiree from the Bronx borough of New York, said she was not expecting to see the Trump statue when she got off the subway to meet a friend for lunch. "It was crazy: I was coming off the train, minding my own business, and there it was," she said, laughing. By early afternoon, workers from New York's Department of Parks and Recreation had taken down the statue. Mae Ferguson, a Parks Department spokeswoman, said the statue was removed because the installation of any unapproved structure is illegal in any city park. The activist collective, a group called INDECLINE that includes artists, musicians and filmmakers, claimed ownership of the work, saying in an email that the statues were also placed in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Cleveland. It said an artist called Ginger helped create the likeness. "These fleeting installations represent this fleeting nightmare and in the fall, it is our wish to look back and laugh at Donald Trump's failed and delusional quest to obtain the presidency," INDECLINE said in a statement. A Trump spokeswoman did not respond immediately to an email with a request for comment. (Reuters)

Naked statues of Trump draw dozens of onlookers in US cities

Russia launched a second day of air strikes against Syrian&nbsp;militants from an Iranian air base, rejecting US suggestions. 
 
State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Tuesday called the&nbsp;Iranian deployment &quot;unfortunate,&quot; saying the United States was 
looking into whether the move violated UN Security Council&nbsp;resolution 2231, which prohibits the supply, sale and transfer of 
combat aircraft to Iran. 
 
Russia bristled at those comments on Wednesday after announcing&nbsp;that Russian SU-34 fighter bombers flying from Iran&#39;s Hamadan air&nbsp;base had for a second day struck Islamic State targets in Syria&#39;s&nbsp;Deir al-Zor province, destroying two command posts and killing&nbsp;more than 150 militants. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not our practice to give advice to the leadership of the&nbsp;US State Department,&quot; Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in a&nbsp;statement. 
 
&quot;But it&#39;s hard to refrain from recommending individual State&nbsp;Department representatives check their own logic and knowledge of&nbsp;basic documents covering international law.&quot; 
 
Moscow first used Iran as a base from which to launch air strikes&nbsp;in Syria on Tuesday, deepening its involvement in the five-year-old Syrian civil war and angering the United States. 
 
Russia&#39;s use of the Iranian air base comes amid intense fighting&nbsp;for the Syrian city of Aleppo, where rebels are battling Syrian&nbsp;government forces backed by the Russian military, and as Moscow&nbsp;and Washington are working towards a deal on Syria that could see&nbsp;them cooperate more closely. 
 
Russia backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while the United&nbsp;States believes the Syrian leader must step down and is supporting&nbsp;rebel groups that are fighting to unseat him. 
 
On Wednesday the State Department reiterated its concern, saying&nbsp;Russia&#39;s use of the Iranian base &quot;doesn&#39;t help&quot; reach a cessation&nbsp;of hostilities in Syria and that U.S. lawyers were still assessing&nbsp;whether it violated the UN resolution. 
 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier any US&nbsp;dismay over Moscow&#39;s military co-operation with Iran should not&nbsp;distract from efforts to realise the U.S.-Russia deal on&nbsp;coordinating action in Syria and securing a ceasefire. 
 
Lavrov said there were no grounds to suggest Russia&#39;s actions had&nbsp;violated the UN resolution, saying Moscow was not supplying Iran&nbsp;with military aircraft for its own internal use, something the&nbsp;document prohibits. 
 
&quot;These aircraft are being used by Russia&#39;s air force with Iran&#39;s&nbsp;agreement as a part of an anti-terrorist operation at the request&nbsp;of Syria&#39;s leadership,&quot; Lavrov told a Moscow news conference,&nbsp;after holding talks with Murray McCully, New Zealand&#39;s foreign&nbsp;minister. 
 
(Reuters)

The US is looking into whether the move violates UN resolution prohibiting supply, sale and transfer of combat aircraft to Iran

Russia launched a second day of air strikes against Syrian militants from an Iranian air base, rejecting US suggestions. State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Tuesday called the Iranian deployment "unfortunate," saying the United States was looking into whether the move violated UN Security Council resolution 2231, which prohibits the supply, sale and transfer of combat aircraft to Iran. Russia bristled at those comments on Wednesday after announcing that Russian SU-34 fighter bombers flying from Iran's Hamadan air base had for a second day struck Islamic State targets in Syria's Deir al-Zor province, destroying two command posts and killing more than 150 militants. "It's not our practice to give advice to the leadership of the US State Department," Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. "But it's hard to refrain from recommending individual State Department representatives check their own logic and knowledge of basic documents covering international law." Moscow first used Iran as a base from which to launch air strikes in Syria on Tuesday, deepening its involvement in the five-year-old Syrian civil war and angering the United States. Russia's use of the Iranian air base comes amid intense fighting for the Syrian city of Aleppo, where rebels are battling Syrian government forces backed by the Russian military, and as Moscow and Washington are working towards a deal on Syria that could see them cooperate more closely. Russia backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while the United States believes the Syrian leader must step down and is supporting rebel groups that are fighting to unseat him. On Wednesday the State Department reiterated its concern, saying Russia's use of the Iranian base "doesn't help" reach a cessation of hostilities in Syria and that U.S. lawyers were still assessing whether it violated the UN resolution. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier any US dismay over Moscow's military co-operation with Iran should not distract from efforts to realise the U.S.-Russia deal on coordinating action in Syria and securing a ceasefire. Lavrov said there were no grounds to suggest Russia's actions had violated the UN resolution, saying Moscow was not supplying Iran with military aircraft for its own internal use, something the document prohibits. "These aircraft are being used by Russia's air force with Iran's agreement as a part of an anti-terrorist operation at the request of Syria's leadership," Lavrov told a Moscow news conference, after holding talks with Murray McCully, New Zealand's foreign minister. (Reuters)

Russia ignores US suggestions, launches air strikes against Syrian militants from Iranian base

A wildfire that spread into a small Northern California town over the weekend destroyed more than 175 homes and businesses, authorities said on Monday, as crews fought to save more dwellings from the flames. 
 
The so-called Clayton fire, named for the creek near where it broke out, was driven by fierce winds into the foothill community of Lower Lake, some 80 miles (129 km) north of San Francisco, forcing hundreds of residents to flee. That fire broke out on Saturday evening. 
 
A damage assessment team was working to determine how many structures were lost, said Daniel Berlant of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. He said many homes were damaged or lost. 
 
There were no reports of casualties, Berlant said, but Lake County sheriffs deputies were investigating burned-out structures. The nearby community of Clear Lake was also evacuated. 
 
As winds abated on Sunday evening crews made progress cutting containment lines around the flames and putting out hot spots, Berlant said. &quot;As temperatures heat back up again today it&#39;s likely fire conditions will increase.&quot; 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve got over 1,600 firefighters ready to go to battle again when that happens.&quot; 
 
The cause of the Clayton fire, which has blackened more than 3,000 acres, was under investigation. Fire managers said it was about 5 percent contained as of Monday morning. 
 
The conflagration is one of 24 major wildfires burning across the drought-parched US. West which all together have charred nearly 300,000 acres. 
 
The so-called Chimney fire, which erupted on Saturday afternoon in San Luis Obispo County, had scorched more than 4,300 acres in less than 48 hours, destroying 20 structures and threatening some 150 others as hundreds of residents were told to evacuate. 
 
That blaze, which broke out near Chimney Rock Road, was only 10 percent contained as of Monday morning. 
 
The Soberanes fire, one of the largest so far this season, has burnt through more than 72,000 acres near scenic Big Sur, destroying 57 homes and 11 outbuildings since it broke out on July 22. It was 60 percent contained as of Monday. 
 
A bulldozer operator died on July 26 when his tractor rolled over as he helped property owners battle the flames, the sixth wildfire fatality in California this year. 
 
Authorities have traced origins of the Soberanes fire to an illegal campfire left unattended in a state park about a mile from Highway 1. No arrests have been made so far. 
 
(Reuters)

There were no reports of casualties even as the burned-out structures are being investigated

A wildfire that spread into a small Northern California town over the weekend destroyed more than 175 homes and businesses, authorities said on Monday, as crews fought to save more dwellings from the flames. The so-called Clayton fire, named for the creek near where it broke out, was driven by fierce winds into the foothill community of Lower Lake, some 80 miles (129 km) north of San Francisco, forcing hundreds of residents to flee. That fire broke out on Saturday evening. A damage assessment team was working to determine how many structures were lost, said Daniel Berlant of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. He said many homes were damaged or lost. There were no reports of casualties, Berlant said, but Lake County sheriffs deputies were investigating burned-out structures. The nearby community of Clear Lake was also evacuated. As winds abated on Sunday evening crews made progress cutting containment lines around the flames and putting out hot spots, Berlant said. "As temperatures heat back up again today it's likely fire conditions will increase." "We've got over 1,600 firefighters ready to go to battle again when that happens." The cause of the Clayton fire, which has blackened more than 3,000 acres, was under investigation. Fire managers said it was about 5 percent contained as of Monday morning. The conflagration is one of 24 major wildfires burning across the drought-parched US. West which all together have charred nearly 300,000 acres. The so-called Chimney fire, which erupted on Saturday afternoon in San Luis Obispo County, had scorched more than 4,300 acres in less than 48 hours, destroying 20 structures and threatening some 150 others as hundreds of residents were told to evacuate. That blaze, which broke out near Chimney Rock Road, was only 10 percent contained as of Monday morning. The Soberanes fire, one of the largest so far this season, has burnt through more than 72,000 acres near scenic Big Sur, destroying 57 homes and 11 outbuildings since it broke out on July 22. It was 60 percent contained as of Monday. A bulldozer operator died on July 26 when his tractor rolled over as he helped property owners battle the flames, the sixth wildfire fatality in California this year. Authorities have traced origins of the Soberanes fire to an illegal campfire left unattended in a state park about a mile from Highway 1. No arrests have been made so far. (Reuters)

Wildfire in California burns more than 175 homes

Thousands of displaced residents streamed back into the northern Syrian town of Manbij on Saturday &nbsp;after US-backed fighters ousted the last Islamic State militants from their former stronghold, residents and US allies said.

The US-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday that they had seized full control of the city near the Turkish border after the departure of the last of the militants, who had been using civilians as human shields.

SDF forces were seen dancing out of jubilation after they drove IS militant out of the city. They have been searching for mines, which had been planted in the residential areas and injured many civilians, and the possibility of sleeper cells.

The remaining militants fled to Jarabulus, which is under the control of IS and it is located on the Turkish borders, taking with them around 2,000 civilians by force to avoid the strikes of the international coalition.

However, after the IS members arrived in Jarabulus, a number of civilians managed to return to Manbij.

Smiling civilians in Manbij on Friday and Saturday were making victory gestures and carrying out small acts of defiance, unthinkable under the rigours of Islamic State rule.

One woman trampled on her abaya, the Arab gown, while a girl described life under Islamic State.

&quot;Two of my cousins, one was killed and the other one, thank God, returned but he lost his eye. My brother Zaid died; my brother Zaid passed away. They dressed my aunt in black and everyone got bored of the black including the abaya, gloves and socks, everything and I cannot understand anything and they took her covered into the prison. May God hold them to account. Bread and water are in turn,&quot; Hasnah Abdullah said.

Other civilians could be seen clearly in a state of distress.

The town bustled trucks bringing in supplies and civilian could be seen carrying foodstuffs.

The Manbij operation in which US special forces have played a significant role on the ground marks the most ambitious advance by a group allied to Washington in Syria since the United States launched its military campaign against Islamic State two years ago.

Manbij&#39;s loss to the militants is a big blow as it is of strategic importance, serving as a conduit for transit of foreign jihadists and provisions coming from the Turkish border. 
 
(Reuters)

As displaced people returned to their homes, they were seen carrying out acts of defiance once unthinkable under IS's oppressive rule

Thousands of displaced residents streamed back into the northern Syrian town of Manbij on Saturday after US-backed fighters ousted the last Islamic State militants from their former stronghold, residents and US allies said. The US-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday that they had seized full control of the city near the Turkish border after the departure of the last of the militants, who had been using civilians as human shields. SDF forces were seen dancing out of jubilation after they drove IS militant out of the city. They have been searching for mines, which had been planted in the residential areas and injured many civilians, and the possibility of sleeper cells. The remaining militants fled to Jarabulus, which is under the control of IS and it is located on the Turkish borders, taking with them around 2,000 civilians by force to avoid the strikes of the international coalition. However, after the IS members arrived in Jarabulus, a number of civilians managed to return to Manbij. Smiling civilians in Manbij on Friday and Saturday were making victory gestures and carrying out small acts of defiance, unthinkable under the rigours of Islamic State rule. One woman trampled on her abaya, the Arab gown, while a girl described life under Islamic State. "Two of my cousins, one was killed and the other one, thank God, returned but he lost his eye. My brother Zaid died; my brother Zaid passed away. They dressed my aunt in black and everyone got bored of the black including the abaya, gloves and socks, everything and I cannot understand anything and they took her covered into the prison. May God hold them to account. Bread and water are in turn," Hasnah Abdullah said. Other civilians could be seen clearly in a state of distress. The town bustled trucks bringing in supplies and civilian could be seen carrying foodstuffs. The Manbij operation in which US special forces have played a significant role on the ground marks the most ambitious advance by a group allied to Washington in Syria since the United States launched its military campaign against Islamic State two years ago. Manbij's loss to the militants is a big blow as it is of strategic importance, serving as a conduit for transit of foreign jihadists and provisions coming from the Turkish border. (Reuters)

Hope rebounds in Manbij after IS routed out of Syria town

North Korea has accused Washington of planning a pre-emptive nuclear strike, after the US announced it would deploy its B-1 bomber in the Pacific for the first time in a decade. 
 
The strategic aircraft were to be deployed on Saturday on the US island of Guam, the US military said last month, describing the operation as a routine rotation with the B-52 bomber.&nbsp; 
 
Tensions have been running high since North Korea carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a barrage of missile launches that this month reached Japanese waters directly for the first time.&nbsp; 
 
Pyongyang accused Washington of &quot;becoming all the more pronounced in their moves to topple down the DPRK by mobilizing all nuclear war hardware,&quot; using North Korea&#39;s official title. 
 
&quot;The enemies are bluffing that they can mount a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the DPRK by letting fly B-1B over the Korean peninsula within two-three hours in contingency,&quot; said an English-language statement on state media.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Such moves for bolstering nuclear force exposes again that the US imperialists are making a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the DPRK a fait accompli.&quot; 
 
North Korea has threatened &quot;physical action&quot; over the planned deployment of a sophisticated US anti-missile system in South Korea, known as THAAD. 
 
Tensions on the divided Korean peninsula are also building ahead of an annual South Korea-US military exercise later this month. 
 
On July 29, the US Air Force said it would upgrade its hardware on Guam, a US territory in the western Pacific, by sending the B-1 for the first time since April 2006.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The B-1 will provide US Pacific Command and its regional allies and partners with a credible, strategic power projection platform,&quot; it said 
in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
Pyongyang has repeatedly warned it may carry out pre-emptive nuclear strikes against the South and US targets, domestic and abroad. Ultimately, the North wants to be able to strike on the continental US.&nbsp; 
 
The secretive state, led by supreme leader Kim Jong-un, warned on Saturday it would respond to any aggression by reducing the US to a &quot;sea of flames&quot;. 
 
&quot;The ever-mounting moves of the US imperialists to ignite a nuclear war are pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula into the uncontrollable and catastrophic phase,&quot; said the KCNA statement. 
 
(AFP)

The accusation comes after US announced that it would a Bi-bomber in the Pacific on the US island of Guam

North Korea has accused Washington of planning a pre-emptive nuclear strike, after the US announced it would deploy its B-1 bomber in the Pacific for the first time in a decade. The strategic aircraft were to be deployed on Saturday on the US island of Guam, the US military said last month, describing the operation as a routine rotation with the B-52 bomber. Tensions have been running high since North Korea carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a barrage of missile launches that this month reached Japanese waters directly for the first time. Pyongyang accused Washington of "becoming all the more pronounced in their moves to topple down the DPRK by mobilizing all nuclear war hardware," using North Korea's official title. "The enemies are bluffing that they can mount a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the DPRK by letting fly B-1B over the Korean peninsula within two-three hours in contingency," said an English-language statement on state media. "Such moves for bolstering nuclear force exposes again that the US imperialists are making a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the DPRK a fait accompli." North Korea has threatened "physical action" over the planned deployment of a sophisticated US anti-missile system in South Korea, known as THAAD. Tensions on the divided Korean peninsula are also building ahead of an annual South Korea-US military exercise later this month. On July 29, the US Air Force said it would upgrade its hardware on Guam, a US territory in the western Pacific, by sending the B-1 for the first time since April 2006. "The B-1 will provide US Pacific Command and its regional allies and partners with a credible, strategic power projection platform," it said in a statement. Pyongyang has repeatedly warned it may carry out pre-emptive nuclear strikes against the South and US targets, domestic and abroad. Ultimately, the North wants to be able to strike on the continental US. The secretive state, led by supreme leader Kim Jong-un, warned on Saturday it would respond to any aggression by reducing the US to a "sea of flames". "The ever-mounting moves of the US imperialists to ignite a nuclear war are pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula into the uncontrollable and catastrophic phase," said the KCNA statement. (AFP)

North Korea: US is planning 'pre-emptive nuclear strike'

Japan today marked 71 years since the city of Hiroshima was destroyed by a US atomic bomb, as its mayor urged the world to unite in abolishing nuclear weapons. 
 
The annual ceremony came just months after Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to visit the western Japanese city, paying moving tribute to victims of the devastating bomb. 
 
American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped its deadly payload, dubbed &quot;Little Boy&quot;, on Hiroshima at 8:15 am local time on August 6, 1945.&nbsp; 
 
Much of the city was incinerated by a wall of heat up to 4,000 C (7,232 F) -- hot enough to melt steel -- killing tens of thousands. 
 
About 50,000 participants, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and representatives of more than 90 countries and regions, observed a minute`s silence at the exact time the atrocity occurred some seven decades ago. 
 
During the solemn ceremony, Hiroshima mayor Kazumi Matsui recalled the visit by Obama in his peace declaration, citing the president&#39;s historic speech. 
 
&quot;(His visit) was the proof that Hiroshima`s strong wish not to tolerate the &#39;absolute evil&#39; was shared by President Obama,&quot; he said. 
 
The mayor urged the world to take action towards the abolition of &quot;the ultimate form of inhumanity, united and with passion&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Obama in May embraced survivors as he made his visit to the city and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. 
 
&quot;Seventy-one years ago, death fell from the sky and the world was changed,&quot; he said of the bomb, adding it &quot;demonstrated that mankind possessed the means to destroy itself&quot;. 
 
Obama offered no apology for the bombings, having insisted he would not revisit decisions made by then president Harry Truman. 
 
But his moving tribute and brief conversations with elderly survivors, which included an unexpected embrace with one of them, profoundly impressed most Japanese. 
 
Abe, after lying a wreath of flowers, reiterated Saturday that Tokyo will continue working to rid the world of nuclear weapons. 
 
&quot;I am convinced (Obama`s visit) brought a great hope for people in Japan, in the world and in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, who believe in a world without nuclear arms,&quot; he said. 
 
The bombing claimed the lives of 140,000 people. Some died immediately while others succumbed to injuries or radiation-related illnesses weeks, months and years later. 
 
A second bomb destroyed the city of Nagasaki three days later. Japan announced its surrender in World War II on August 15. 
 
Many in Japan feel the attacks amount to war crimes and atrocities because they targeted civilians and due to the unprecedented destructive nature of the weapons. 
 
But many Americans believe they hastened the end of a bloody conflict, and ultimately saved lives, thus justifying the bombings. 
 
Since Obama went to Hiroshima, the park and accompanying memorial museum have witnessed an increase in visitors. 
 
But an association of atomic bomb survivors has criticised his speech, saying he failed to explicitly mention US responsibility for the bombing. 
 
Abe last year faced harsh criticism, especially from A-bomb survivors, for his policy of expanding the role of Japan`s military and opening the door to possibly sending troops into combat for the first time since the war. 
 
In his latest cabinet reshuffle, Abe appointed nationalist confidante Tomomi Inada as defence minister. 
 
(AFP)

American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped deadly payload, 'Little Boy', on Hiroshima at 8.15 am on August 6, 1945 that killed 140,000

Japan today marked 71 years since the city of Hiroshima was destroyed by a US atomic bomb, as its mayor urged the world to unite in abolishing nuclear weapons. The annual ceremony came just months after Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to visit the western Japanese city, paying moving tribute to victims of the devastating bomb. American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped its deadly payload, dubbed "Little Boy", on Hiroshima at 8:15 am local time on August 6, 1945. Much of the city was incinerated by a wall of heat up to 4,000 C (7,232 F) -- hot enough to melt steel -- killing tens of thousands. About 50,000 participants, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and representatives of more than 90 countries and regions, observed a minute`s silence at the exact time the atrocity occurred some seven decades ago. During the solemn ceremony, Hiroshima mayor Kazumi Matsui recalled the visit by Obama in his peace declaration, citing the president's historic speech. "(His visit) was the proof that Hiroshima`s strong wish not to tolerate the 'absolute evil' was shared by President Obama," he said. The mayor urged the world to take action towards the abolition of "the ultimate form of inhumanity, united and with passion". Obama in May embraced survivors as he made his visit to the city and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. "Seventy-one years ago, death fell from the sky and the world was changed," he said of the bomb, adding it "demonstrated that mankind possessed the means to destroy itself". Obama offered no apology for the bombings, having insisted he would not revisit decisions made by then president Harry Truman. But his moving tribute and brief conversations with elderly survivors, which included an unexpected embrace with one of them, profoundly impressed most Japanese. Abe, after lying a wreath of flowers, reiterated Saturday that Tokyo will continue working to rid the world of nuclear weapons. "I am convinced (Obama`s visit) brought a great hope for people in Japan, in the world and in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, who believe in a world without nuclear arms," he said. The bombing claimed the lives of 140,000 people. Some died immediately while others succumbed to injuries or radiation-related illnesses weeks, months and years later. A second bomb destroyed the city of Nagasaki three days later. Japan announced its surrender in World War II on August 15. Many in Japan feel the attacks amount to war crimes and atrocities because they targeted civilians and due to the unprecedented destructive nature of the weapons. But many Americans believe they hastened the end of a bloody conflict, and ultimately saved lives, thus justifying the bombings. Since Obama went to Hiroshima, the park and accompanying memorial museum have witnessed an increase in visitors. But an association of atomic bomb survivors has criticised his speech, saying he failed to explicitly mention US responsibility for the bombing. Abe last year faced harsh criticism, especially from A-bomb survivors, for his policy of expanding the role of Japan`s military and opening the door to possibly sending troops into combat for the first time since the war. In his latest cabinet reshuffle, Abe appointed nationalist confidante Tomomi Inada as defence minister. (AFP)

Japan marks 71 years of Hiroshima bombing

The United States ambassador to Turkey has again denied allegations his country was involved in last month&#39;s failed coup attempt, Turkish media reported today. 
 
&quot;I just want to say again, as I&#39;ve said before and as we&#39;ve said from Washington, the United States government did not plan, direct, support or have any advance knowledge of any of the illegal activities that occurred the night of July 15 and into July 16. Full stop,&quot; US ambassador John Bass said in remarks published in English daily Hurriyet Daily News. 
 
He added that he was &quot;deeply disturbed and offended by the accusations&quot; targeting his country. 
 
The July 15 military action blamed by Ankara on US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen has rattled Turkey&#39;s relations with the United States and the European Union. 
 
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the West of supporting the plotters and warned Washington that relations will suffer if it fails to extradite Pennyslvania-based Gulen.&nbsp; 
 
Erdogan has also accused the US of hiding and sheltering the preacher and described the failed military action as a &quot;scenario written from outside&quot; in an allusion to foreign involvement. 
 
Shortly after the coup attempt, Labour Minister Suleyman Soylu went even further to say &quot;the United States is behind the coup.&quot; 
 
And this week, Turkey`s former army chief, Ilker Basbug, claimed that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was also behind it.&nbsp; 
&quot;Frankly, if we would have had knowledge we would have told the Turkish government about it immediately,&quot; Bass said. 
 
He said the US wants to see a &quot;strong, prosperous, democratic, confident Turkey. 
 
&quot;Anyone who thinks that the United States somehow profits from Turkey being divided and destabilised I think is misreading history to a profound degree.&quot; 
 
Three days after the failed coup, Bass rebutted claims his country somehow supported the putsch. 
 
&quot;This is categorically untrue, and such speculation is harmful to the decades-long friendship between two great nations,&quot; he said in a statement on the embassy website. 
 
(AFP)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused US of supporting plotters and warned that relations will suffer if it fails to extradite Gulen

The United States ambassador to Turkey has again denied allegations his country was involved in last month's failed coup attempt, Turkish media reported today. "I just want to say again, as I've said before and as we've said from Washington, the United States government did not plan, direct, support or have any advance knowledge of any of the illegal activities that occurred the night of July 15 and into July 16. Full stop," US ambassador John Bass said in remarks published in English daily Hurriyet Daily News. He added that he was "deeply disturbed and offended by the accusations" targeting his country. The July 15 military action blamed by Ankara on US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen has rattled Turkey's relations with the United States and the European Union. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the West of supporting the plotters and warned Washington that relations will suffer if it fails to extradite Pennyslvania-based Gulen. Erdogan has also accused the US of hiding and sheltering the preacher and described the failed military action as a "scenario written from outside" in an allusion to foreign involvement. Shortly after the coup attempt, Labour Minister Suleyman Soylu went even further to say "the United States is behind the coup." And this week, Turkey`s former army chief, Ilker Basbug, claimed that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was also behind it. "Frankly, if we would have had knowledge we would have told the Turkish government about it immediately," Bass said. He said the US wants to see a "strong, prosperous, democratic, confident Turkey. "Anyone who thinks that the United States somehow profits from Turkey being divided and destabilised I think is misreading history to a profound degree." Three days after the failed coup, Bass rebutted claims his country somehow supported the putsch. "This is categorically untrue, and such speculation is harmful to the decades-long friendship between two great nations," he said in a statement on the embassy website. (AFP)

US not involved in Turkey coup attempt, 'full stop', says envoy John Bass

Afghanistan scrambled today to free six crew members of a Pakistani helicopter taken hostage by the Taliban after it crash-landed in the country&#39;s volatile east. 
 
Militants set the Mi-17 transport helicopter on fire and took the six crew to a Taliban-controlled area after it made an emergency landing in Logar province on Thursday, local authorities said. 
 
The crew included retired Pakistani military officers and a Russian navigator, Pakistan&#39;s Dawn newspaper reported citing senior local officials. 
 
&quot;We have launched an investigation into the incident... and the government has instructed security forces to spare no efforts to secure the release of the crew members,&quot; the Afghan defense ministry said in a statement. 
 
The ministry said Pakistan had sought permission to fly a helicopter, being sent to Russia for overhauling, over Afghan air space. 
 
But it added it was investigating whether the crashed chopper was the one for which permission had been granted. 
 
Kabul has long been suspicious of Pakistan, which it accuses of nurturing Taliban sanctuaries on its soil in the effort to maintain influence in Afghanistan. 
 
Pakistani army chief seeks US intervention&nbsp; 
 
Pakistani army chief General Raheel Sharif tweeted that he had telephoned Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to secure the release of the crew. 
 
&quot;President Ashraf Ghani assured all possible assistance in this regard,&quot; he tweeted. 
 
Pakistan army spokesman said that General Sharif also called NATO and US forces top commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson to get back the crew. 
 
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also stated federal government is in constant touch with the relevant authorities in Afghanistan and the state&#39;s resources are fully utilised to rescue the personnel who were onboard in the helicopter. 
 
&quot;Formal and informal channels are being used to ensure safe recovery of the entire crew,&quot; he said in a statement. 
 
&quot;We are profoundly concerned about the safety of the whole team that was travelling on the helicopter. We have formally requested the Government of Afghanistan to help in their safe recovery, at the earliest possible,&quot; he said further. 
 
Russia&#39;s foreign ministry said it was checking media reports that one of their citizens had been taken hostage, adding it was in contact with Afghan and Pakistani authorities to secure his release. 
 
The Taliban have so far not commented on the incident.&nbsp; 
 
Pakistan&#39;s military uses Russian-made MI-17 helicopters, several of which have crashed in recent years. 
 
In February, an army officer was killed when a military helicopter crashed in northern Pakistan on a routine night training mission. 
 
In May 2015, the ambassadors of Norway and the Philippines, the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors, two pilots and a crew member were killed when the Pakistani Mi-17 carrying them crashed in northern Naltar valley. 
 
(AFP, PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Six crew members were taken hostage after militants set Mi-17 transport helicopter on fire as it made emergency landing in Logar province

Afghanistan scrambled today to free six crew members of a Pakistani helicopter taken hostage by the Taliban after it crash-landed in the country's volatile east. Militants set the Mi-17 transport helicopter on fire and took the six crew to a Taliban-controlled area after it made an emergency landing in Logar province on Thursday, local authorities said. The crew included retired Pakistani military officers and a Russian navigator, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported citing senior local officials. "We have launched an investigation into the incident... and the government has instructed security forces to spare no efforts to secure the release of the crew members," the Afghan defense ministry said in a statement. The ministry said Pakistan had sought permission to fly a helicopter, being sent to Russia for overhauling, over Afghan air space. But it added it was investigating whether the crashed chopper was the one for which permission had been granted. Kabul has long been suspicious of Pakistan, which it accuses of nurturing Taliban sanctuaries on its soil in the effort to maintain influence in Afghanistan. Pakistani army chief seeks US intervention Pakistani army chief General Raheel Sharif tweeted that he had telephoned Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to secure the release of the crew. "President Ashraf Ghani assured all possible assistance in this regard," he tweeted. Pakistan army spokesman said that General Sharif also called NATO and US forces top commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson to get back the crew. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also stated federal government is in constant touch with the relevant authorities in Afghanistan and the state's resources are fully utilised to rescue the personnel who were onboard in the helicopter. "Formal and informal channels are being used to ensure safe recovery of the entire crew," he said in a statement. "We are profoundly concerned about the safety of the whole team that was travelling on the helicopter. We have formally requested the Government of Afghanistan to help in their safe recovery, at the earliest possible," he said further. Russia's foreign ministry said it was checking media reports that one of their citizens had been taken hostage, adding it was in contact with Afghan and Pakistani authorities to secure his release. The Taliban have so far not commented on the incident. Pakistan's military uses Russian-made MI-17 helicopters, several of which have crashed in recent years. In February, an army officer was killed when a military helicopter crashed in northern Pakistan on a routine night training mission. In May 2015, the ambassadors of Norway and the Philippines, the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors, two pilots and a crew member were killed when the Pakistani Mi-17 carrying them crashed in northern Naltar valley. (AFP, PTI)

Afghanistan scrambles to free Pakistan chopper crash hostages

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

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

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

US hammer Costa Rica, Colombia advance at Copa America

Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 18 gold medals among his career haul of 22, will carry the US flag in Friday&#39;s opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics. 
 
The US Olympic Committee said today that Phelps, who will be the first American male swimmer to compete at five Games, had been chosen in a vote of fellow team members to lead the delegation into the Maracana stadium. 
 
Phelps, who won eight of his golds in Beijing in 2008, is set to add to his haul in Rio with three individual events as well as relays. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m honoured to be chosen, proud to represent the US, and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for,&quot; said Phelps. 
 
&quot;For Sydney (in 2000), I just wanted to make the team. For Athens, I wanted to win gold for my country. For Beijing, I wanted to do something nobody else had done. In London, I wanted to make history. 
 
&quot;And now, I want to walk in the Opening Ceremony, take it all in, represent America in the best possible way and make my family proud. This time around, it&#39;s about so much more than medals.&quot; 
 
Taking part in the opening ceremony will mean a late night for Phelps on Friday, with the stadium at least an hour away from the Athletes Village in Barra, and plenty of standing around as well. 
 
The 31-year-old will not be in action on the opening Saturday, however, with his first event likely to be the men&#39;s 4x100 freestyle relay on Sunday. 
 
The US team have not announced their lineup for that event and Phelps is unlikely to take part in the afternoon heats, meaning he will make his competitive entry in the pool late in the evening if selected. 
 
(Reuters)

Phelps, who won eight of his golds in Beijing in 2008, is set to add to his haul in Rio with three individual events as well as relays

Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 18 gold medals among his career haul of 22, will carry the US flag in Friday's opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics. The US Olympic Committee said today that Phelps, who will be the first American male swimmer to compete at five Games, had been chosen in a vote of fellow team members to lead the delegation into the Maracana stadium. Phelps, who won eight of his golds in Beijing in 2008, is set to add to his haul in Rio with three individual events as well as relays. "I'm honoured to be chosen, proud to represent the US, and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for," said Phelps. "For Sydney (in 2000), I just wanted to make the team. For Athens, I wanted to win gold for my country. For Beijing, I wanted to do something nobody else had done. In London, I wanted to make history. "And now, I want to walk in the Opening Ceremony, take it all in, represent America in the best possible way and make my family proud. This time around, it's about so much more than medals." Taking part in the opening ceremony will mean a late night for Phelps on Friday, with the stadium at least an hour away from the Athletes Village in Barra, and plenty of standing around as well. The 31-year-old will not be in action on the opening Saturday, however, with his first event likely to be the men's 4x100 freestyle relay on Sunday. The US team have not announced their lineup for that event and Phelps is unlikely to take part in the afternoon heats, meaning he will make his competitive entry in the pool late in the evening if selected. (Reuters)

Rio 2016: Michael Phelps chosen as US team flag bearer

John Hinckley Jr., who wounded former US president Ronald Reagan and three other people in a 1981 assassination attempt, should be freed after 35 years and released to live with his mother, a federal judge ruled yesterday. 
 
US district judge Paul Friedman said Hinckley no longer posed a danger to himself or others and could be released from a government psychiatric hospital in Washington. 
 
Hinckley, 61, &quot;is permitted to reside full-time in Williamsburg, Virginia, on convalescent leave, which shall begin no sooner than Aug. 5, 2016,&quot; Friedman said in a 14-page order. His mother lives in Williamsburg, about 210 kilometre south of Washington. 
 
The order includes a requirement that Hinckley meet with his psychiatrist in Washington at least once a month and notify the Secret Service when he travels for the appointment. 
 
A jury found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity for the attack on Reagan, which also badly wounded presidential press secretary James Brady. Hinckley carried out the attack in a bid to impress actress Jodie Foster, with whom he was obsessed. 
 
(AFP)

Hinckley will live with his mother after his release in August and be required to meet with his psychiatrist at least once a month

John Hinckley Jr., who wounded former US president Ronald Reagan and three other people in a 1981 assassination attempt, should be freed after 35 years and released to live with his mother, a federal judge ruled yesterday. US district judge Paul Friedman said Hinckley no longer posed a danger to himself or others and could be released from a government psychiatric hospital in Washington. Hinckley, 61, "is permitted to reside full-time in Williamsburg, Virginia, on convalescent leave, which shall begin no sooner than Aug. 5, 2016," Friedman said in a 14-page order. His mother lives in Williamsburg, about 210 kilometre south of Washington. The order includes a requirement that Hinckley meet with his psychiatrist in Washington at least once a month and notify the Secret Service when he travels for the appointment. A jury found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity for the attack on Reagan, which also badly wounded presidential press secretary James Brady. Hinckley carried out the attack in a bid to impress actress Jodie Foster, with whom he was obsessed. (AFP)

Judge orders former US president Reagan's attacker to be released

The United States is to start vetting would-be refugees from Central America in their home countries instead of on American soil, and offer those in imminent danger a temporary haven in Costa Rica, officials said on Tuesday. 
 
The announcement - a significant change in US immigration handling - comes after America toughened its southern border against a persistent flow of thousands of Central Americans fleeing violence, and as it steps up deportations of migrants who failed to win asylum. 
 
It also arrives in a US election year in which migration is a hot-button issue. 
 
Under the plan, to be carried out in coordination with the UN refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, &quot;the United States government will pre-screen vulnerable applicants from the region seeking protection&quot;, the White House said in a statement. 
 
It will focus on citizens of the so-called &quot;Northern Triangle&quot; in Central America comprising Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, which are prey to frightening levels of gang-related violence, poverty and corruption. 
 
A White House spokesman, Eric Schulz, told reporters the initiative was to &quot;promote safe migration&quot;, especially for the many children attempting the &quot;harrowing and sometimes deadly trip&quot; overland to the United States. 
 
The White House statement added that asylum-seekers &quot;most in need of immediate protection&quot; would be transferred to Costa Rica. 
 
There, they would be processed further before going on to the United States or another safe country. 
 
&#39;Important&#39; step&nbsp; 
 
UNHCR&#39;s representative for Central America, Carlos Maldonado, told a news conference in Costa Rica that &quot;these people will stay a maximum of six months in Costa Rica with a humanitarian visa and will later leave for a third country&quot;. 
 
During their waiting period, the applicants would receive English language and other courses to help them adapt to their new countries, he said. 
 
Officers from the US department of homeland security will carry out the vetting in Central America, officials said. 
 
Amy Pope, the Homeland Security deputy adviser on the National Security Council headed by President Barack Obama, told reporters that US procedures to date had proven &quot;insufficient to address the number of people who may have legitimate refugee claims&quot;. 
 
She called the deal to use Costa Rica as a safe stopover for refugees was &quot;an extraordinarily important step forward for this program&quot;. 
 
Officials stressed that Central American migrants entering Costa Rica without being processed in their home country first would not be included in the program. 
 
Pope said the vetting to be carried out would be the same as that for all refugee applicants, describing it as &quot;the most comprehensive screening we do for any category of immigrants coming to the United States&quot;. 
 
US officials said they were additionally expanding an initiative for Central American minors, under which a migrant already legally in the US can ask for refugee status for them. 
 
The broadened approach will now also permit adult children to be included, as well family members who are parents or caregivers. 
 
Obama&#39;s legacy&nbsp; 
 
The changes reflect efforts by Obama&#39;s administration to find a more effective solution to the wave of Central American migrants trying to enter the US. 
 
In 2014, America saw a big spike in the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border from Mexico. 
 
The United States responded by having Mexico bolster efforts to stop those crossing the border, and by ordering the deportation of Central American migrants in the US whose application to stay had been rejected by courts. 
 
At the same time, the United States has approved $750 million in aid to the Northern Triangle countries to boost security, in a bid to reduce the reasons so many people were fleeing. 
 
Obama in 2014 issued a decree to allow migrants whose children are legally resident to apply for permits to live in America, which would have shielded millions from deportation. 
 
But in June this year the US Supreme Court blocked that measure. 
 
Hillary Clinton, who is campaigning to succeed Obama as President in a November election, said the ruling &quot;could tear apart five million families facing deportation&quot;. 
 
However Donald Trump, her Republican challenger, has taken a tough line on all immigration, and has vowed to build a wall along the US-Mexican border if he becomes president. 
 
(AFP)

Focus will be on citizens from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras which are prey to gang-related violence, poverty and corruption

The United States is to start vetting would-be refugees from Central America in their home countries instead of on American soil, and offer those in imminent danger a temporary haven in Costa Rica, officials said on Tuesday. The announcement - a significant change in US immigration handling - comes after America toughened its southern border against a persistent flow of thousands of Central Americans fleeing violence, and as it steps up deportations of migrants who failed to win asylum. It also arrives in a US election year in which migration is a hot-button issue. Under the plan, to be carried out in coordination with the UN refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, "the United States government will pre-screen vulnerable applicants from the region seeking protection", the White House said in a statement. It will focus on citizens of the so-called "Northern Triangle" in Central America comprising Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, which are prey to frightening levels of gang-related violence, poverty and corruption. A White House spokesman, Eric Schulz, told reporters the initiative was to "promote safe migration", especially for the many children attempting the "harrowing and sometimes deadly trip" overland to the United States. The White House statement added that asylum-seekers "most in need of immediate protection" would be transferred to Costa Rica. There, they would be processed further before going on to the United States or another safe country. 'Important' step UNHCR's representative for Central America, Carlos Maldonado, told a news conference in Costa Rica that "these people will stay a maximum of six months in Costa Rica with a humanitarian visa and will later leave for a third country". During their waiting period, the applicants would receive English language and other courses to help them adapt to their new countries, he said. Officers from the US department of homeland security will carry out the vetting in Central America, officials said. Amy Pope, the Homeland Security deputy adviser on the National Security Council headed by President Barack Obama, told reporters that US procedures to date had proven "insufficient to address the number of people who may have legitimate refugee claims". She called the deal to use Costa Rica as a safe stopover for refugees was "an extraordinarily important step forward for this program". Officials stressed that Central American migrants entering Costa Rica without being processed in their home country first would not be included in the program. Pope said the vetting to be carried out would be the same as that for all refugee applicants, describing it as "the most comprehensive screening we do for any category of immigrants coming to the United States". US officials said they were additionally expanding an initiative for Central American minors, under which a migrant already legally in the US can ask for refugee status for them. The broadened approach will now also permit adult children to be included, as well family members who are parents or caregivers. Obama's legacy The changes reflect efforts by Obama's administration to find a more effective solution to the wave of Central American migrants trying to enter the US. In 2014, America saw a big spike in the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border from Mexico. The United States responded by having Mexico bolster efforts to stop those crossing the border, and by ordering the deportation of Central American migrants in the US whose application to stay had been rejected by courts. At the same time, the United States has approved $750 million in aid to the Northern Triangle countries to boost security, in a bid to reduce the reasons so many people were fleeing. Obama in 2014 issued a decree to allow migrants whose children are legally resident to apply for permits to live in America, which would have shielded millions from deportation. But in June this year the US Supreme Court blocked that measure. Hillary Clinton, who is campaigning to succeed Obama as President in a November election, said the ruling "could tear apart five million families facing deportation". However Donald Trump, her Republican challenger, has taken a tough line on all immigration, and has vowed to build a wall along the US-Mexican border if he becomes president. (AFP)

US turns to vetting would-be refugees in Central America

The United States warned North Korea on Tuesday of &quot;real consequences&quot; if it continues nuclear and missile tests in defiance of UN sanctions, as the international community moves to rein it in. 
 
Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of ballistic missile launches that sent tensions soaring across East Asia and beyond. 
 
In response the UN Security Council slapped North Korea with its toughest sanctions to date in a unanimous decision even endorsed by China, its economic lifeline and diplomatic shield. 
 
But Pyongyang has continued to carry out missile launches, most recently last week, in a bid to prove that sanctions are ineffective in curbing its weapons development. 
 
&quot;Together we are determined... to make absolutely certain that DPRK (North Korea) understands that there are real consequences for these actions,&quot; US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of Asian nations in Laos. 
 
Analysts say this year&#39;s tests have shown the North making progress towards its goal of developing a credible strike threat against the US mainland, adding urgency to Washington&#39;s warnings.&nbsp; 
 
The issue has dominated this week&#39;s talks in Vientiane, a rare opportunity for the six parties involved in stalled talks on ending North Korea&#39;s nuclear programme to be in the same room. 
 
The North&#39;s new foreign minister and former nuclear negotiator Ri Yong-Ho was making his diplomatic debut at the meeting, hosted by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).&nbsp; 
 
Kerry, who has held a flurry of closed-door meetings with his regional counterparts over the last two days, said efforts to denuclearise the Korean peninsula had dominated discussions.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;(The) issue that came up in nearly every meeting I had so far this week is the provocative and deeply concerning behaviour of the DPRK,&quot; he told reporters. 
 
&quot;North Korea&#39;s actions present a very serious threat, not just to this region but to international peace and security.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Later Tuesday afternoon six-party members, the US, China, Japan, Russia and both Koreas, were among those attending the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), a security meeting that groups most of Asia.The nuclear threat from the North was expected to feature strongly, with Beijing likely to press for a revival of the talks last held in 2008. 
 
But Washington, Seoul and Tokyo all insist Pyongyang must first make tangible steps towards denuclearisation. 
 
At a regional meeting preceding ARF which excluded the North&#39;s envoy, Japan&#39;s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told ministers that Pyongyang&#39;s continuing missile and nuclear testing &quot;cannot be tolerated&quot;. 
 
In a briefing afterwards, foreign ministry spokesman Yasuhisa Kawamura said the grouping had &quot;made strong demands North Korea should refrain from any further provocative actions and comply with UN security resolutions&quot;. 
 
The North&#39;s relentless sabre-rattling has sent waves of uncertainty across Asia and beyond. 
 
Washington and Seoul agreed earlier this month to deploy a sophisticated anti-missile system in South Korea, a move which spooked China and Russia, who worry about having the advanced US-made system on their doorstep. 
 
North &nbsp;Korea says any further nuclear test depends on US 
 
North Korea&#39;s foreign minister said Tuesday that any decision to stage a further nuclear test would depend on the United States, as he held Washington responsible for scuppering denuclearisation efforts on the Korean peninsula. 
 
&quot;Whether we conduct additional nuclear tests is entirely up to the United States,&quot; Ri Yong-Ho told reporters on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Laos. 
 
The newly appointed Ri, who was making his overseas debut as the North&#39;s top diplomat, blamed the United States for the failure of the long-dormant six-party talks on Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear programme. 
 
&quot;The denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula went out of the window because of the United States,&quot; he said. 
 
Ri was previously the North&#39;s top negotiator to the six-party talks which brought together the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China, and were last held in 2008. 
 
&quot;The key factor damaging the situation is the United States&#39; hostile policies... and the problem is getting worse,&quot; he said, citing significantly toughened UN and US economic sanctions imposed after the North&#39;s fourth nuclear test in January. 
 
&quot;And recently they committed the most grave hostility by insulting our Dear Leader,&quot; Ri said, referring to the US decision to personally blacklist Kim Jong-Un over human rights abuses. 
 
Despite the latest sanctions, North Korea has continued to carry out ballistic missile tests in violation of UN sanctions, and has made it clear that it intends to continue nuclear testing. 
 
Ri insisted that the North was a &quot;responsible nuclear state&quot; which would only strike if threatened, and he called on the United States to withdraw its troops from South Korea immediately. 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

North Korea's relentless sabre-rattling has sent waves of uncertainty across Asia and beyond

The United States warned North Korea on Tuesday of "real consequences" if it continues nuclear and missile tests in defiance of UN sanctions, as the international community moves to rein it in. Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of ballistic missile launches that sent tensions soaring across East Asia and beyond. In response the UN Security Council slapped North Korea with its toughest sanctions to date in a unanimous decision even endorsed by China, its economic lifeline and diplomatic shield. But Pyongyang has continued to carry out missile launches, most recently last week, in a bid to prove that sanctions are ineffective in curbing its weapons development. "Together we are determined... to make absolutely certain that DPRK (North Korea) understands that there are real consequences for these actions," US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of Asian nations in Laos. Analysts say this year's tests have shown the North making progress towards its goal of developing a credible strike threat against the US mainland, adding urgency to Washington's warnings. The issue has dominated this week's talks in Vientiane, a rare opportunity for the six parties involved in stalled talks on ending North Korea's nuclear programme to be in the same room. The North's new foreign minister and former nuclear negotiator Ri Yong-Ho was making his diplomatic debut at the meeting, hosted by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Kerry, who has held a flurry of closed-door meetings with his regional counterparts over the last two days, said efforts to denuclearise the Korean peninsula had dominated discussions. "(The) issue that came up in nearly every meeting I had so far this week is the provocative and deeply concerning behaviour of the DPRK," he told reporters. "North Korea's actions present a very serious threat, not just to this region but to international peace and security." Later Tuesday afternoon six-party members, the US, China, Japan, Russia and both Koreas, were among those attending the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), a security meeting that groups most of Asia.The nuclear threat from the North was expected to feature strongly, with Beijing likely to press for a revival of the talks last held in 2008. But Washington, Seoul and Tokyo all insist Pyongyang must first make tangible steps towards denuclearisation. At a regional meeting preceding ARF which excluded the North's envoy, Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told ministers that Pyongyang's continuing missile and nuclear testing "cannot be tolerated". In a briefing afterwards, foreign ministry spokesman Yasuhisa Kawamura said the grouping had "made strong demands North Korea should refrain from any further provocative actions and comply with UN security resolutions". The North's relentless sabre-rattling has sent waves of uncertainty across Asia and beyond. Washington and Seoul agreed earlier this month to deploy a sophisticated anti-missile system in South Korea, a move which spooked China and Russia, who worry about having the advanced US-made system on their doorstep. North Korea says any further nuclear test depends on US North Korea's foreign minister said Tuesday that any decision to stage a further nuclear test would depend on the United States, as he held Washington responsible for scuppering denuclearisation efforts on the Korean peninsula. "Whether we conduct additional nuclear tests is entirely up to the United States," Ri Yong-Ho told reporters on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Laos. The newly appointed Ri, who was making his overseas debut as the North's top diplomat, blamed the United States for the failure of the long-dormant six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programme. "The denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula went out of the window because of the United States," he said. Ri was previously the North's top negotiator to the six-party talks which brought together the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China, and were last held in 2008. "The key factor damaging the situation is the United States' hostile policies... and the problem is getting worse," he said, citing significantly toughened UN and US economic sanctions imposed after the North's fourth nuclear test in January. "And recently they committed the most grave hostility by insulting our Dear Leader," Ri said, referring to the US decision to personally blacklist Kim Jong-Un over human rights abuses. Despite the latest sanctions, North Korea has continued to carry out ballistic missile tests in violation of UN sanctions, and has made it clear that it intends to continue nuclear testing. Ri insisted that the North was a "responsible nuclear state" which would only strike if threatened, and he called on the United States to withdraw its troops from South Korea immediately. (AFP)

US warns North Korea of consequences if it continues nuclear tests

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

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

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

Undeterred by Brexit, US consumer confidence steady in July?

Turkish Airlines said today it had fired 211 employees over suspected links to US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen and behaviour &quot;conflicting with the interest of our country&quot; in the wake of last week&#39;s coup. 
 
The flag carrier said their contracts were terminated due to &quot;the non-fulfillment of performance criteria and in line with the necessary actions we are taking against the FETO structure, attitudes and behaviour conflicting with the interest of our country and company&quot;. 
 
The authorities accuse 75-year-old Gulen of running a group it labels the Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO) that was behind the coup, and Ankara has demanded that Washington extradite him. 
 
The preacher, who lives in a secluded compound in rural Pennsylvania and whose foundation runs a global network of schools, charities and media interests, has strongly denied the accusations against him. 
 
In a statement signed by the airline&#39;s media relations unit, Turkish Airlines stressed that it stands &quot;united with all of the heroic and honourable Turkish people&quot; against the coup plotters&#39; &quot;malevolent illegal attempt&quot;. 
 
&quot;Under any circumstances, we have and will continue to fulfil our responsibility to contribute to democracy.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The state-run airlines suspects fired employees had links with US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen

Turkish Airlines said today it had fired 211 employees over suspected links to US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen and behaviour "conflicting with the interest of our country" in the wake of last week's coup. The flag carrier said their contracts were terminated due to "the non-fulfillment of performance criteria and in line with the necessary actions we are taking against the FETO structure, attitudes and behaviour conflicting with the interest of our country and company". The authorities accuse 75-year-old Gulen of running a group it labels the Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO) that was behind the coup, and Ankara has demanded that Washington extradite him. The preacher, who lives in a secluded compound in rural Pennsylvania and whose foundation runs a global network of schools, charities and media interests, has strongly denied the accusations against him. In a statement signed by the airline's media relations unit, Turkish Airlines stressed that it stands "united with all of the heroic and honourable Turkish people" against the coup plotters' "malevolent illegal attempt". "Under any circumstances, we have and will continue to fulfil our responsibility to contribute to democracy." (AFP)

Turkish Airlines sacks 211 employees for 'involvement' in coup bid

Three Florida men were charged on Friday with attempting to support the Islamic State, the latest in a string of similar US prosecutions in recent years. 
 
US prosecutors said Gregory Hubbard, 52, was arrested on Thursday at Miami International Airport, where he was planning to fly to Germany on his way to Syria to join the militant group&#39;s fighting force. 
 
Darren Jackson, 50, and Dayne Christian, 31, provided Hubbard with weapons and firearms instruction and had themselves expressed a desire to join Islamic State, US prosecutors said in a statement. 
 
Since 2014, the Justice Department has brought Islamic State-related charges against more than 90 individuals, many of whom allegedly intended to travel to Syria to fight for the group. 
 
The Florida men repeatedly expressed support for Islamic State and for attacks carried out in its name, including the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California, and Orlando, US according to a criminal complaint filed on Friday. 
 
Earlier this week, Hubbard and Jackson told a confidential informant that they approved of the fatal shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to the criminal complaint. 
 
The men are due in federal court in Miami on Wednesday. All three face one count of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, while Jackson was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. 
 
(Reuters)

One of them was apprehended at the airport. He was planning to fly to Germany on his way to Syria, to join the terrorist organisation

Three Florida men were charged on Friday with attempting to support the Islamic State, the latest in a string of similar US prosecutions in recent years. US prosecutors said Gregory Hubbard, 52, was arrested on Thursday at Miami International Airport, where he was planning to fly to Germany on his way to Syria to join the militant group's fighting force. Darren Jackson, 50, and Dayne Christian, 31, provided Hubbard with weapons and firearms instruction and had themselves expressed a desire to join Islamic State, US prosecutors said in a statement. Since 2014, the Justice Department has brought Islamic State-related charges against more than 90 individuals, many of whom allegedly intended to travel to Syria to fight for the group. The Florida men repeatedly expressed support for Islamic State and for attacks carried out in its name, including the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California, and Orlando, US according to a criminal complaint filed on Friday. Earlier this week, Hubbard and Jackson told a confidential informant that they approved of the fatal shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to the criminal complaint. The men are due in federal court in Miami on Wednesday. All three face one count of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, while Jackson was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. (Reuters)

Three Florida men arrested for supporting Islamic State

United States President Barack Obama has offered full support to Germany in investigating the deadly terror attack that killed 10 people, including the gunman who allegedly shot himself in the head, in a busy shopping mall in Munich. 
 
Nine people, excluding the attacker, were killed in the shooting that began early yesterday evening, with 21 wounded according to the latest official toll. 
 
&quot;Germany is one of our closest allies, so we are going to pledge all the support that they may need in dealing with these circumstances,&quot; Obama said at the White House. 
 
The US condemns in the strongest terms the apparent terrorist attack that has claimed innocent lives in Munich, Germany, said his spokesman, Josh Earnest. 
 
&quot;We still do not know all of the facts, but we do know that this heinous act has killed and injured multiple individuals in the heart of one of Europe&#39;s most vibrant cities. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the deceased, just as we wish those wounded a full recovery,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;In the midst of this tragedy, the US will work closely with our German partners to whom we will make available any resources that would assist their investigation, as the President pledged. The resolve of Germany, the United States, and the broader international community will remain unshaken in the face of acts of despicable violence such as this,&quot; Earnest said. 
 
State department spokesman John Kirby said the US is in close contact with German officials and stand ready to provide any and all assistance requested by our close friend and ally Germany in this time of crisis. 
 
Senator Mark Kirk asked the Obama Administration to take steps to ensure similar attacks do not happen on American soil. 
 
&quot;This year, it has become increasingly clear that keeping Americans safe from acts of terror must be our number one priority,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We mourn alongside one of our closest allies tonight for the innocent lives taken by yet another act of terror. Now, more than ever, we must come together as a nation and fight to protect our freedoms. And we must win this fight, providing leadership to combat terrorism that threatens our very way of life,&quot; said Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. 
 
&#39;A disgusting terror attack&#39;

French President Francois Hollande today called the&nbsp;deadly shooting in Munich&nbsp;a &quot;disgusting terrorist attack&quot; aimed at stirring up fear in Germany after France was targeted last week.

&quot;The terrorist attack that struck Munich killing many people is a disgusting act that aims to foment fear in Germany after other European countries,&quot; Hollande said in a statement.

&quot;Germany will resist, it can count on France&#39;s friendship and cooperation,&quot; he said, adding that he would speak with German chancellor Angela Merkel today morning.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters, PTI)

Both Obama and Hollande have offered aid and cooperation to assist Germany in the Munich tragedy investigation

United States President Barack Obama has offered full support to Germany in investigating the deadly terror attack that killed 10 people, including the gunman who allegedly shot himself in the head, in a busy shopping mall in Munich. Nine people, excluding the attacker, were killed in the shooting that began early yesterday evening, with 21 wounded according to the latest official toll. "Germany is one of our closest allies, so we are going to pledge all the support that they may need in dealing with these circumstances," Obama said at the White House. The US condemns in the strongest terms the apparent terrorist attack that has claimed innocent lives in Munich, Germany, said his spokesman, Josh Earnest. "We still do not know all of the facts, but we do know that this heinous act has killed and injured multiple individuals in the heart of one of Europe's most vibrant cities. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the deceased, just as we wish those wounded a full recovery," he said. "In the midst of this tragedy, the US will work closely with our German partners to whom we will make available any resources that would assist their investigation, as the President pledged. The resolve of Germany, the United States, and the broader international community will remain unshaken in the face of acts of despicable violence such as this," Earnest said. State department spokesman John Kirby said the US is in close contact with German officials and stand ready to provide any and all assistance requested by our close friend and ally Germany in this time of crisis. Senator Mark Kirk asked the Obama Administration to take steps to ensure similar attacks do not happen on American soil. "This year, it has become increasingly clear that keeping Americans safe from acts of terror must be our number one priority," he said. "We mourn alongside one of our closest allies tonight for the innocent lives taken by yet another act of terror. Now, more than ever, we must come together as a nation and fight to protect our freedoms. And we must win this fight, providing leadership to combat terrorism that threatens our very way of life," said Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. 'A disgusting terror attack' French President Francois Hollande today called the deadly shooting in Munich a "disgusting terrorist attack" aimed at stirring up fear in Germany after France was targeted last week. "The terrorist attack that struck Munich killing many people is a disgusting act that aims to foment fear in Germany after other European countries," Hollande said in a statement. "Germany will resist, it can count on France's friendship and cooperation," he said, adding that he would speak with German chancellor Angela Merkel today morning. (Reuters, PTI)

US, France condemn attack, pledge support to Germany

US prosecutors on Friday unveiled an indictment against three men for engaging in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud consumers by charging unsuspecting mobile phone users for unwanted text messages. 
 
An indictment filed in federal court in Manhattan charged Fraser Thompson, an ex-executive at mobile aggregation company Mobile Messenger, as well as Eugeni Tsvetnenko and Francis Assifuah, who authorities say ran digital content providers.&nbsp;The trio were added to a pre-existing case against five other people and accused of participating in an &quot;auto-subscribing&quot; scheme to charge cell phone customers monthly fees for unsolicited, recurring text messages without their consent. 
 
Thompson was arrested on Friday in California. Tsvetnenko lives in Australia and has not been arrested, while Assifuah had already been arrested in April. The trio face charges including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.&nbsp;Lawyers for Thompson and Assifuah did not respond to requests for comment. A lawyer for Tsvetnenko could not be identified. 
 
According to court papers, Thompson was the executive vice president of operations at Mobile Messenger, where two-previously charged defendants, Darcy Wedd and Christopher Goff, were chief executive and an account manager, respectively. 
 
Prosecutors said they and others participated in a scheme lasting from 2011 to 2013 that involved causing cell phone users to receive unsolicited text messages for content including horoscopes, celebrity gossip and trivia.&nbsp;While users typically ignored or deleted the messages, these consumers were nonetheless billed for the services at a rate of $9.99 per month, even though they never ordered them, prosecutors said. 
 
Wedd, Goff and three other already-charged defendants in Friday&#39;s indictment previously pleaded not guilty and were set to face trial on October 5. 
 
The case is US v Wedd et al, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 15-cr-616. 
 
(Reuters)

The trio were accused of participating in an 'auto-subscribing' scheme to charge cell phone users monthly fees for messages without consent

US prosecutors on Friday unveiled an indictment against three men for engaging in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud consumers by charging unsuspecting mobile phone users for unwanted text messages. An indictment filed in federal court in Manhattan charged Fraser Thompson, an ex-executive at mobile aggregation company Mobile Messenger, as well as Eugeni Tsvetnenko and Francis Assifuah, who authorities say ran digital content providers. The trio were added to a pre-existing case against five other people and accused of participating in an "auto-subscribing" scheme to charge cell phone customers monthly fees for unsolicited, recurring text messages without their consent. Thompson was arrested on Friday in California. Tsvetnenko lives in Australia and has not been arrested, while Assifuah had already been arrested in April. The trio face charges including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Lawyers for Thompson and Assifuah did not respond to requests for comment. A lawyer for Tsvetnenko could not be identified. According to court papers, Thompson was the executive vice president of operations at Mobile Messenger, where two-previously charged defendants, Darcy Wedd and Christopher Goff, were chief executive and an account manager, respectively. Prosecutors said they and others participated in a scheme lasting from 2011 to 2013 that involved causing cell phone users to receive unsolicited text messages for content including horoscopes, celebrity gossip and trivia. While users typically ignored or deleted the messages, these consumers were nonetheless billed for the services at a rate of $9.99 per month, even though they never ordered them, prosecutors said. Wedd, Goff and three other already-charged defendants in Friday's indictment previously pleaded not guilty and were set to face trial on October 5. The case is US v Wedd et al, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 15-cr-616. (Reuters)

US accuses three more of multimillion-dollar text message scam

Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed today said he had received a call from Asiya Andrabi, the founder of the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, seeking his help to resolve what she called the crisis in India&#39;s northern state of Kashmir. Addressing a rally here, Saeed said, &quot;The way Indian security forces are engaged in bloodshed in Kashmir, my sister Asiya Andrabi cried for 15 minutes and told me over phone that my brothers where are you?&quot; 
 
&quot;I am telling my sister Asiya that my sister, we are coming. This act of violence will come to end and nobody can stop Kashmir from becoming independent,&quot; he added. Saeed further said that he had also received a call from Burhan Wani (Hizbul Mujahideen militant), wherein he had said, &quot;His (Wanis) last wish was to talk to me (Saeed)&quot;. 
 
&quot;Few days before his death, Burhan Wani told me over a phone that it was my desire to talk with you. Now my desire has been fulfilled, and now, I am waiting for martyrdom,&quot; said Saeed in an event organized to express solidarity with both Andrabi and Wani. 
 
&quot;I want to assure the people of Kashmir that if you are in the field, we are also with you,&quot; said the Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader. He also warned India that this was its last chance to accept separatist Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani&#39;s four-point formula on Kashmir and to withdraw security forces from the valley, else the decision will be taken in battlefield. 
 
&quot;We have to give a message to India to stop and withdraw forces and accept Geelani&#39;s four-point formula immediately, because, this is the last chance, and hereafter, the matter will be decided in the battlefield,&quot; said Saeed. 
 
The Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader organised a procession from Lahore to Islamabad. It comprised of trucks and buses, stretched for several kilometers, and passed through many cities, including Gujaranwala, Jhelum and Gujarat. 
 
His rallies were attended by federal ministers and religious leaders of various organisations. The Pakistan Government&#39;s direct links with Hafiz Saeed has been further exposed by Islamabad allowing him to lead an anti-India rally on the Kashmir issue.&nbsp; 
 
Saeed led a Pakistan Government call to Observe July 19 as a Black Day, apparently to draw attention to the &quot;burning issue of Kashmir.&quot; The Obama Administration has been taken aback by this event. 
 
The US has designated both the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) as foreign terrorist organisations. Saeed has also been listed by the UN Security Council&#39;s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.&nbsp; 
 
South Asia watchers in Washington say that by allowing a terrorist to take up a government sponsored cause the Pakistan Government has bared its selective approach towards terrorism. When banned outfits are allowed to openly hold rallies in Pakistan at the behest of the Government the allegations about Pakistan using terror as state policy appears to gain ground. 
 
Experts say had Pakistan banned Saeed from holding this rally and had instead placed someone else in charge of the July 19 protests then that would have been understandable.&nbsp;The question arises why Saeed, is it because he is a terror asset which the state cannot do without, wonder South Asia analysts. They question is Saeed so important that Islamabad is risking an important relationship with the United States. 
 
Pakistan&#39;s irrevocable links with Saeed have disappointed the Obama Administration but have not shocked officials. It was always known in Washington&#39;s South Asia circles that Hafiz Saeed is an asset that the Pakistani State will always protect not standing the fact that he is a designated global terrorist.&nbsp; 
 
The LeT remains active and open in Pakistan and just recently had the audacity to attack Medina in Saudi Arabia in which 12 of its suspected members were arrested. This connection was also highlighted by a European Parliament Report by Vice President Ryszard Czarnecki where he pointed out how the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a charity front of the LeT was radicalising the Pakistani Diaspora and the state was a mute spectator. 
 
The July 19 Kashmir Rally is certain to be brought up on Capitol Hill where proposals are afoot to cut financial aid to Pakistan in the absence of complete and verifiable de-linkage with terror groups. 
 
While the Obama Administration has been supporting Pakistan as an important ally in the war against terror, this July 19 rally, where a wanted terrorist has been given state patronage, is certain to raise questions and embarrass Washington. 
 
(ANI)

Addressing a rally in Pakistan, Saeed said he has assured Andrabi that nobody can stop Kashmir from becoming independent

Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed today said he had received a call from Asiya Andrabi, the founder of the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, seeking his help to resolve what she called the crisis in India's northern state of Kashmir. Addressing a rally here, Saeed said, "The way Indian security forces are engaged in bloodshed in Kashmir, my sister Asiya Andrabi cried for 15 minutes and told me over phone that my brothers where are you?" "I am telling my sister Asiya that my sister, we are coming. This act of violence will come to end and nobody can stop Kashmir from becoming independent," he added. Saeed further said that he had also received a call from Burhan Wani (Hizbul Mujahideen militant), wherein he had said, "His (Wanis) last wish was to talk to me (Saeed)". "Few days before his death, Burhan Wani told me over a phone that it was my desire to talk with you. Now my desire has been fulfilled, and now, I am waiting for martyrdom," said Saeed in an event organized to express solidarity with both Andrabi and Wani. "I want to assure the people of Kashmir that if you are in the field, we are also with you," said the Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader. He also warned India that this was its last chance to accept separatist Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's four-point formula on Kashmir and to withdraw security forces from the valley, else the decision will be taken in battlefield. "We have to give a message to India to stop and withdraw forces and accept Geelani's four-point formula immediately, because, this is the last chance, and hereafter, the matter will be decided in the battlefield," said Saeed. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader organised a procession from Lahore to Islamabad. It comprised of trucks and buses, stretched for several kilometers, and passed through many cities, including Gujaranwala, Jhelum and Gujarat. His rallies were attended by federal ministers and religious leaders of various organisations. The Pakistan Government's direct links with Hafiz Saeed has been further exposed by Islamabad allowing him to lead an anti-India rally on the Kashmir issue. Saeed led a Pakistan Government call to Observe July 19 as a Black Day, apparently to draw attention to the "burning issue of Kashmir." The Obama Administration has been taken aback by this event. The US has designated both the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) as foreign terrorist organisations. Saeed has also been listed by the UN Security Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee. South Asia watchers in Washington say that by allowing a terrorist to take up a government sponsored cause the Pakistan Government has bared its selective approach towards terrorism. When banned outfits are allowed to openly hold rallies in Pakistan at the behest of the Government the allegations about Pakistan using terror as state policy appears to gain ground. Experts say had Pakistan banned Saeed from holding this rally and had instead placed someone else in charge of the July 19 protests then that would have been understandable. The question arises why Saeed, is it because he is a terror asset which the state cannot do without, wonder South Asia analysts. They question is Saeed so important that Islamabad is risking an important relationship with the United States. Pakistan's irrevocable links with Saeed have disappointed the Obama Administration but have not shocked officials. It was always known in Washington's South Asia circles that Hafiz Saeed is an asset that the Pakistani State will always protect not standing the fact that he is a designated global terrorist. The LeT remains active and open in Pakistan and just recently had the audacity to attack Medina in Saudi Arabia in which 12 of its suspected members were arrested. This connection was also highlighted by a European Parliament Report by Vice President Ryszard Czarnecki where he pointed out how the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a charity front of the LeT was radicalising the Pakistani Diaspora and the state was a mute spectator. The July 19 Kashmir Rally is certain to be brought up on Capitol Hill where proposals are afoot to cut financial aid to Pakistan in the absence of complete and verifiable de-linkage with terror groups. While the Obama Administration has been supporting Pakistan as an important ally in the war against terror, this July 19 rally, where a wanted terrorist has been given state patronage, is certain to raise questions and embarrass Washington. (ANI)

Hafiz Saeed assures help to 'sister' Asiya Andrabi

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

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

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

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

The owner of file-sharing website Kickass Torrent (KAT)&nbsp;was indicted in the United States on Wednesday for copyright infringement related to the distribution of more than $1 billion worth of movies, video games, music recordings and other content, US&nbsp;justice officials said. 
 
Artem Vaulin, 30, of Ukraine, was arrested in Poland and US&nbsp;officials want him extradited to face charges that include conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to attorneys for the US&nbsp;District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. 
 
US&nbsp;officials alleged that KAT, which operates in about 28 languages, has a net worth of more than $54 million and illegally made available&nbsp;downloads of&nbsp;movies that were still in theaters such as &quot;Independence Day: Resurgence&quot; and &quot;Finding Dory,&quot; the complaint stated. 
 
The indictment stated that for financial gain the peer-to-peer file-sharing website, also known as Kickass&nbsp;Torrents, distributed since 2008 copyrighted works such as this year&#39;s film &quot;Captain America: Civil War.&quot; 
 
Justice officials and artists&#39; groups have gone after other websites that provided venues for file sharing, such as Napster and Megaupload. The founder of Megaupload, known as Kim Dotcom, is fighting extradition to the United States and has denied allegations that his site has cost film and record companies more than $500 million in revenue. 
 
&quot;Copyright infringement exacts a large toll, a very human one, on the artists and businesses whose livelihood hinges on their creative inventions,&quot; US&nbsp;attorney Zachary Fardon said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Vaulin allegedly used the Internet to cause enormous harm to those artists,&quot; Fardon said, adding that KAT relied on computer servers around the world due to efforts to halt illegal file sharing. 
 
There was no legal representation listed for Vaulin in any court docket, a US&nbsp;Department of Justice spokesman said. The company could not be reached through websites, which were experiencing outages, and there was no immediate response to a request sent to KAT through social media. 
 
One of the domains operated by KAT, Kat.cr, was the 70th most popular website in the world, according to monitoring firm Alexa. 
 
(Reuters)

US?officials allege KAT has a net worth of more than $54 million and illegally made available downloads of movies still running in theatre

The owner of file-sharing website Kickass Torrent (KAT) was indicted in the United States on Wednesday for copyright infringement related to the distribution of more than $1 billion worth of movies, video games, music recordings and other content, US justice officials said. Artem Vaulin, 30, of Ukraine, was arrested in Poland and US officials want him extradited to face charges that include conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to attorneys for the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. US officials alleged that KAT, which operates in about 28 languages, has a net worth of more than $54 million and illegally made available downloads of movies that were still in theaters such as "Independence Day: Resurgence" and "Finding Dory," the complaint stated. The indictment stated that for financial gain the peer-to-peer file-sharing website, also known as Kickass Torrents, distributed since 2008 copyrighted works such as this year's film "Captain America: Civil War." Justice officials and artists' groups have gone after other websites that provided venues for file sharing, such as Napster and Megaupload. The founder of Megaupload, known as Kim Dotcom, is fighting extradition to the United States and has denied allegations that his site has cost film and record companies more than $500 million in revenue. "Copyright infringement exacts a large toll, a very human one, on the artists and businesses whose livelihood hinges on their creative inventions," US attorney Zachary Fardon said in a statement. "Vaulin allegedly used the Internet to cause enormous harm to those artists," Fardon said, adding that KAT relied on computer servers around the world due to efforts to halt illegal file sharing. There was no legal representation listed for Vaulin in any court docket, a US Department of Justice spokesman said. The company could not be reached through websites, which were experiencing outages, and there was no immediate response to a request sent to KAT through social media. One of the domains operated by KAT, Kat.cr, was the 70th most popular website in the world, according to monitoring firm Alexa. (Reuters)

Kickass Torrent founder Artem Vaulin arrested in Poland,  US indicts him, wants him extradited

In a case of alleged discrimination in the US, a 40-year-old Muslim man was removed from a plane after a flight attendant publicly announced his name, seat number and said she would be &quot;watching&quot; him. 
 
The matter came to light yesterday when the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) complained to transport authorities that Mohamed Ahmed Radwan was removed from the American Airlines Flight last December because of his &quot;identifiably Arabic and Muslim name&quot;. 
 
According to federal law, airlines are prohibited from discriminating against passengers based on religion, ancestry and national origin, among other criteria. 
 
CAIR sent a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT) yesterday urging an investigation and also called for a &quot;thorough examination&quot; into prevailing practices of major airlines, The Charlotte Observer reported.&nbsp;In addition, CAIR said the DOT should develop policy guidelines on objective factors to be looked at while deciding to remove a passenger from a plane. 
 
Radwan, a chemical engineer, said he was flying from Charlotte to Detroit on December 6, 2015, on American Airlines Flight 1821. 
 
As he was taking his allotted seat, Radwan said, a female flight attendant loudly announced, &quot;Mohamed Ahmed, Seat 25-A, I will be watching you&quot;. 
 
After a minute, she repeated, &quot;Mohamed Ahmed, that is a very long name, Seat 25-A, I will be watching you&quot;. Then a third time, according to Radwan, she said, &quot;25-A: you will be watched&quot;. 
 
&quot;I was in total shock. I&#39;ve been flying for over 30 years, and I&#39;ve never heard something like that,&quot; he said. 
 
The flight attendant did not make such a statement about any other passenger, Radwan said. When he asked about her statements, the attendant said she was going to monitor everyone. When asked why she singled him out, the attendant accused him of being &quot;too sensitive&quot; and walked away, he said. 
 
After a couple of American Airlines employees talked to him, he was told the attendant felt &quot;uncomfortable&quot; and he was escorted off the flight. 
 
&quot;I felt too unsafe to fly with American again,&quot; he said. Radwan instead booked a much later flight, which cost him about $1,500 and interfered with his travel plans.&nbsp;Worse than the inconvenience was the humiliation of being treated like a terrorist, Radwan said. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve been a US citizen for 13 years, but at that moment I felt my sense of being American taken from me,&quot; he said. 
 
In April, a Muslim woman was removed from a Southwest Airlines plane at a Chicago airport after she had asked to switch seats as she was told she had made the flight attendant &quot;uncomfortable&quot;. 
 
A Muslim family of five were also escorted off a United Airlines flight in March for &quot;how they looked&quot;. 
 
(PTI)

Council on American-Islamic Relations complained to transport authorities that Mohamed Ahmed Radwan was removed because he was a Muslim

In a case of alleged discrimination in the US, a 40-year-old Muslim man was removed from a plane after a flight attendant publicly announced his name, seat number and said she would be "watching" him. The matter came to light yesterday when the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) complained to transport authorities that Mohamed Ahmed Radwan was removed from the American Airlines Flight last December because of his "identifiably Arabic and Muslim name". According to federal law, airlines are prohibited from discriminating against passengers based on religion, ancestry and national origin, among other criteria. CAIR sent a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT) yesterday urging an investigation and also called for a "thorough examination" into prevailing practices of major airlines, The Charlotte Observer reported. In addition, CAIR said the DOT should develop policy guidelines on objective factors to be looked at while deciding to remove a passenger from a plane. Radwan, a chemical engineer, said he was flying from Charlotte to Detroit on December 6, 2015, on American Airlines Flight 1821. As he was taking his allotted seat, Radwan said, a female flight attendant loudly announced, "Mohamed Ahmed, Seat 25-A, I will be watching you". After a minute, she repeated, "Mohamed Ahmed, that is a very long name, Seat 25-A, I will be watching you". Then a third time, according to Radwan, she said, "25-A: you will be watched". "I was in total shock. I've been flying for over 30 years, and I've never heard something like that," he said. The flight attendant did not make such a statement about any other passenger, Radwan said. When he asked about her statements, the attendant said she was going to monitor everyone. When asked why she singled him out, the attendant accused him of being "too sensitive" and walked away, he said. After a couple of American Airlines employees talked to him, he was told the attendant felt "uncomfortable" and he was escorted off the flight. "I felt too unsafe to fly with American again," he said. Radwan instead booked a much later flight, which cost him about $1,500 and interfered with his travel plans. Worse than the inconvenience was the humiliation of being treated like a terrorist, Radwan said. "I've been a US citizen for 13 years, but at that moment I felt my sense of being American taken from me," he said. In April, a Muslim woman was removed from a Southwest Airlines plane at a Chicago airport after she had asked to switch seats as she was told she had made the flight attendant "uncomfortable". A Muslim family of five were also escorted off a United Airlines flight in March for "how they looked". (PTI)

Muslim man removed from flight after attendant publicly announces she will be 'watching' him

Freshly minted as his party&#39;s choice for the White House, Republican Donald Trump today will make a display of solidarity with his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a social conservative who is at odds with Trump on many issues. 
 
Pence, the keynote speaker on the third day of the Republican convention in Cleveland, has been well-received by the Republican Party&#39;s social conservative wing, who were skeptical of Trump&#39;s commitment to opposing abortion and same-sex marriage but trust his running mate, a former US lawmaker. 
 
But joint appearances between the two men have been awkward. Trump and Pence shared the stage only briefly on Saturday as Pence publicly agreed to be Trump&#39;s running mate, and their first televised interview together, on CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot;, was not smooth. 
 
For example, asked about Pence&#39;s support in Congress for war in Iraq, Trump responded, &quot;I don&#39;t care,&quot; saying Pence was allowed to make occasional mistakes. When the interviewer asked if Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton should get the same wiggle room on her own Iraq vote when she was a US senator, Trump said, &quot;No&quot;. 
 
The choreography of the Cleveland convention, where Trump was formally named the party&#39;s nominee for the November 8 election, has been uneven. At times, anti-Trump delegates interrupted to shout their displeasure. Tuesday&#39;s session was intended to focus on the economy, but few speakers hewed to the theme. 
 
Several convention delegates called Trump&#39;s choice of running mate a step toward uniting a bitterly divided Republican Party and working to build bridges with the party&#39;s establishment. Pence&#39;s performance today and his interactions with Trump, could help to sell hesitant Republicans at home on the duo. 
 
Pence will speak in prime time today, a day dedicated to &quot;Make America First Again&quot;. Earlier in the day, he will appear with his wife, Karen, Trump and his family at a welcome event. 
 
On Tuesday, Pence delivered a surprise address to the American Conservative Union, where he repeatedly compared Trump to former Republican President Ronald Reagan, a favourite among the party faithful. He said he had gotten to know Trump and knew he cared about helping Americans. 
 
&quot;For all the world he reminds me of Ronald Reagan,&quot; Pence said. &quot;My fellow conservatives, it&#39;s time for us to come together. Come together around this good man.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The two shared the stage only briefly on Saturday at the Republican Convention, but now Pence compares Trump to Ronald Reagan

Freshly minted as his party's choice for the White House, Republican Donald Trump today will make a display of solidarity with his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a social conservative who is at odds with Trump on many issues. Pence, the keynote speaker on the third day of the Republican convention in Cleveland, has been well-received by the Republican Party's social conservative wing, who were skeptical of Trump's commitment to opposing abortion and same-sex marriage but trust his running mate, a former US lawmaker. But joint appearances between the two men have been awkward. Trump and Pence shared the stage only briefly on Saturday as Pence publicly agreed to be Trump's running mate, and their first televised interview together, on CBS's "60 Minutes", was not smooth. For example, asked about Pence's support in Congress for war in Iraq, Trump responded, "I don't care," saying Pence was allowed to make occasional mistakes. When the interviewer asked if Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton should get the same wiggle room on her own Iraq vote when she was a US senator, Trump said, "No". The choreography of the Cleveland convention, where Trump was formally named the party's nominee for the November 8 election, has been uneven. At times, anti-Trump delegates interrupted to shout their displeasure. Tuesday's session was intended to focus on the economy, but few speakers hewed to the theme. Several convention delegates called Trump's choice of running mate a step toward uniting a bitterly divided Republican Party and working to build bridges with the party's establishment. Pence's performance today and his interactions with Trump, could help to sell hesitant Republicans at home on the duo. Pence will speak in prime time today, a day dedicated to "Make America First Again". Earlier in the day, he will appear with his wife, Karen, Trump and his family at a welcome event. On Tuesday, Pence delivered a surprise address to the American Conservative Union, where he repeatedly compared Trump to former Republican President Ronald Reagan, a favourite among the party faithful. He said he had gotten to know Trump and knew he cared about helping Americans. "For all the world he reminds me of Ronald Reagan," Pence said. "My fellow conservatives, it's time for us to come together. Come together around this good man." (Reuters)

After awkward start, Trump, Pence put relationship on display

US military forces will continue to operate in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, the US chief of naval operations John Richardson said today during a visit to a Chinese naval base. 
 
China has refused to recognise a ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague that invalidated its vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, and did not take part in the proceedings brought by the Philippines.&nbsp;Speaking in Sydney today, US vice president Joe Biden assured key ally Australia there would be no retreat from Washington&#39;s pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, regardless of who wins November&#39;s presidential election. 
 
China has repeatedly blamed the United States for stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually.&nbsp;China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all have rival claims, of which China&#39;s is the largest. 
 
The United States has conducted freedom of navigation patrols close to Chinese-held islands, to Beijing&#39;s anger, while China has been bolstering its military presence there. 
 
Meeting Yuan Yubai, commander of the Chinese North Sea fleet, Richardson &quot;underscored the importance of lawful and safe operations in the South China and elsewhere professional navies operate&quot;, the US Navy said. 
 
US forces would keep sailing, flying and operating wherever international law allows, Richardson added.&nbsp;&quot;The US Navy will continue to conduct routine and lawful operations around the world, including in the South China Sea, in order to protect the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of sea and airspace guaranteed to all. This will not change.&quot; 
 
Freedom of navigation patrols carried out by foreign navies in the South China Sea could end &quot;in disaster&quot;, a senior Chinese admiral said over the weekend.&nbsp;State news agency Xinhua said today that countries outside the region should stay out of the South China Sea issue lest they cause unwanted problems. 
 
&quot;Western countries have a long history of failing to establish orderly rule over parts of the world. The Middle East is a classic example,&quot; it said. 
 
Richardson said he was supportive of the deepening of relations between the US and Chinese navies.&nbsp;&quot;But I will be continuously reassessing my support conditioned on continued safe and professional interactions at sea. In this area we must judge each other by our deeds and actions, not just by our words,&quot; he added. 
 
The United States has complained that Chinese aircraft and ships have performed &quot;unsafe&quot; manoeuvres while shadowing US ships and planes, particularly in the South China Sea. 
 
(Reuters)

US Navy has conducted freedom of navigation patrols close to Chinese-held islands, to Beijing's anger

US military forces will continue to operate in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, the US chief of naval operations John Richardson said today during a visit to a Chinese naval base. China has refused to recognise a ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague that invalidated its vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, and did not take part in the proceedings brought by the Philippines. Speaking in Sydney today, US vice president Joe Biden assured key ally Australia there would be no retreat from Washington's pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, regardless of who wins November's presidential election. China has repeatedly blamed the United States for stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all have rival claims, of which China's is the largest. The United States has conducted freedom of navigation patrols close to Chinese-held islands, to Beijing's anger, while China has been bolstering its military presence there. Meeting Yuan Yubai, commander of the Chinese North Sea fleet, Richardson "underscored the importance of lawful and safe operations in the South China and elsewhere professional navies operate", the US Navy said. US forces would keep sailing, flying and operating wherever international law allows, Richardson added. "The US Navy will continue to conduct routine and lawful operations around the world, including in the South China Sea, in order to protect the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of sea and airspace guaranteed to all. This will not change." Freedom of navigation patrols carried out by foreign navies in the South China Sea could end "in disaster", a senior Chinese admiral said over the weekend. State news agency Xinhua said today that countries outside the region should stay out of the South China Sea issue lest they cause unwanted problems. "Western countries have a long history of failing to establish orderly rule over parts of the world. The Middle East is a classic example," it said. Richardson said he was supportive of the deepening of relations between the US and Chinese navies. "But I will be continuously reassessing my support conditioned on continued safe and professional interactions at sea. In this area we must judge each other by our deeds and actions, not just by our words," he added. The United States has complained that Chinese aircraft and ships have performed "unsafe" manoeuvres while shadowing US ships and planes, particularly in the South China Sea. (Reuters)

US says its forces will keep operating in South China Sea

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