The US has said the pace and scope for a dialogue on Kashmir depends entirely on India and Pakistan, while asserting that normalisation of relations between the two countries is vital. 
 
&quot;The normalisation of relations between Pakistan and India is vital to both countries and the region,&quot; state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said. 
 
&quot;Steps that initiate closer regional economic ties can also create jobs, lower inflation, and increase energy supply,&quot; he said. 
 
The spokesperson was responding to questions on the statement by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz that India is shying away from talks on Kashmir and other bilateral issues. 
 
&quot;We believe that the pace, scope, and character of dialogue on Kashmir is for India and Pakistan to determine,&quot; Toner said. 
 
&quot;However, India and Pakistan stand to benefit from practical cooperation and we encourage India and Pakistan to engage in direct dialogue aimed at reducing tensions,&quot; he added. 
 
&quot;The United States strongly supports all efforts between India and Pakistan that can contribute to a more stable, democratic, and prosperous region, but this is an issue that must be determined by the two sides,&quot; Toner said.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

US said India and Pakistan need a dialogue about Kashmir to improve energy and economic security

The US has said the pace and scope for a dialogue on Kashmir depends entirely on India and Pakistan, while asserting that normalisation of relations between the two countries is vital. "The normalisation of relations between Pakistan and India is vital to both countries and the region," state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said. "Steps that initiate closer regional economic ties can also create jobs, lower inflation, and increase energy supply," he said. The spokesperson was responding to questions on the statement by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz that India is shying away from talks on Kashmir and other bilateral issues. "We believe that the pace, scope, and character of dialogue on Kashmir is for India and Pakistan to determine," Toner said. "However, India and Pakistan stand to benefit from practical cooperation and we encourage India and Pakistan to engage in direct dialogue aimed at reducing tensions," he added. "The United States strongly supports all efforts between India and Pakistan that can contribute to a more stable, democratic, and prosperous region, but this is an issue that must be determined by the two sides," Toner said. (PTI)

Normalisation of Indo-Pak relations vital to both countries -US

Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union raises &quot;longer-term concerns&quot; about global growth at a time of already weak economic output, US President Barack Obama said today. 
 
&quot;I think there are some genuine, longer-term concerns about global growth if, in fact, Brexit goes through and that freezes the possibilities of investment in Great Britain or in Europe as a whole,&quot; Obama said, speaking at a North American leaders summit.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;At a time when global growth rates were weak already, this doesn&#39;t help,&quot; he said. 
 
However, the US President, after meeting his Canadian and Mexican counterparts, expressed confidence in the global financial system&#39;s resilience as markets rebounded on Wednesday from post-Brexit losses following a bruising two-day rout. 
 
&quot;Given the vote of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, our economic teams are going to continue to work together so that we remain focused on keeping our economies growing and making sure that the global financial system is stable,&quot; Obama said. 
 
Both Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had made clear their desire to see Britain remain in the 28-member bloc and the fallout from the Brexit was high on their agenda in Ottawa. 
 
(AFP)

Obama pledged to work with other nations to keep the economic system growing and stable

Britain's vote to leave the European Union raises "longer-term concerns" about global growth at a time of already weak economic output, US President Barack Obama said today. "I think there are some genuine, longer-term concerns about global growth if, in fact, Brexit goes through and that freezes the possibilities of investment in Great Britain or in Europe as a whole," Obama said, speaking at a North American leaders summit. "At a time when global growth rates were weak already, this doesn't help," he said. However, the US President, after meeting his Canadian and Mexican counterparts, expressed confidence in the global financial system's resilience as markets rebounded on Wednesday from post-Brexit losses following a bruising two-day rout. "Given the vote of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, our economic teams are going to continue to work together so that we remain focused on keeping our economies growing and making sure that the global financial system is stable," Obama said. Both Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had made clear their desire to see Britain remain in the 28-member bloc and the fallout from the Brexit was high on their agenda in Ottawa. (AFP)

Brexit raises 'genuine concerns' for long-term global growth: Obama

US-led coalition aircraft waged a series of deadly strikes against Islamic State Wednesday around the city of Fallujah, US officials told Reuters, with one citing a preliminary estimate of at least 250 suspected fighters killed and at least 40 vehicles destroyed. 
 
If the figures are confirmed, the strikes would be among the most deadly ever against the jihadist group. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the operation and noted preliminary estimates can change. 
 
The strikes, which the officials said took place south of the city, where civilians have also been displaced, are just the latest battlefield setback suffered by Islamic State in its self-proclaimed &quot;caliphate&quot; of Iraq and Syria. 
 
The group&#39;s territorial losses are not diminishing concerns about its intent and ability to strike abroad though. Turkey pointed the finger at Islamic State today for a triple suicide bombing and gun attack that killed 41 people at Istanbul&#39;s main airport. 
 
CIA chief John&nbsp;Brennan told a forum in Washington the attack bore the hallmarks of Islamic State &quot;depravity&quot; and acknowledged there was a long road ahead battling the group, particularly its ability to incite attacks. 
 
&quot;We&rsquo;ve made, I think, some significant progress, along with our coalition partners, in Syria and Iraq, where most of the ISIS members are resident right now,&quot; Brennan said. 
 
&quot;But ISIS&#39; ability to continue to propagate its narrative, as well as to incite and carry out these attacks -- I think we still have a ways to go before we&rsquo;re able to say that we have made some significant progress against them.&quot; 
 
On the battlefield, the US-led campaign against IS has moved up a gear in recent weeks, with the government declaring victory over Islamic State in Fallujah. 
 
An alliance of militias have also launched a major offensive against the militant group in the city of Manbij in northern Syria. 
 
Still, in a reminder of the back-and-forth nature of the war, US-backed Syrian rebels were pushed back from the outskirts of an Islamic State-held town on the border with Iraq and a nearby air base today after the jihadists mounted a counter- attack, two rebel sources said. 
 
(Reuters)

If the figures are confirmed, the airstrikes would be among the most deadly ever against the jihadist group

US-led coalition aircraft waged a series of deadly strikes against Islamic State Wednesday around the city of Fallujah, US officials told Reuters, with one citing a preliminary estimate of at least 250 suspected fighters killed and at least 40 vehicles destroyed. If the figures are confirmed, the strikes would be among the most deadly ever against the jihadist group. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the operation and noted preliminary estimates can change. The strikes, which the officials said took place south of the city, where civilians have also been displaced, are just the latest battlefield setback suffered by Islamic State in its self-proclaimed "caliphate" of Iraq and Syria. The group's territorial losses are not diminishing concerns about its intent and ability to strike abroad though. Turkey pointed the finger at Islamic State today for a triple suicide bombing and gun attack that killed 41 people at Istanbul's main airport. CIA chief John Brennan told a forum in Washington the attack bore the hallmarks of Islamic State "depravity" and acknowledged there was a long road ahead battling the group, particularly its ability to incite attacks. "We’ve made, I think, some significant progress, along with our coalition partners, in Syria and Iraq, where most of the ISIS members are resident right now," Brennan said. "But ISIS' ability to continue to propagate its narrative, as well as to incite and carry out these attacks -- I think we still have a ways to go before we’re able to say that we have made some significant progress against them." On the battlefield, the US-led campaign against IS has moved up a gear in recent weeks, with the government declaring victory over Islamic State in Fallujah. An alliance of militias have also launched a major offensive against the militant group in the city of Manbij in northern Syria. Still, in a reminder of the back-and-forth nature of the war, US-backed Syrian rebels were pushed back from the outskirts of an Islamic State-held town on the border with Iraq and a nearby air base today after the jihadists mounted a counter- attack, two rebel sources said. (Reuters)

US-led coalition hits IS around Fallujah, 250 fighters suspected killed

The US should adopt a policy of &quot;total isolation&quot; against Pakistan to send a signal that it faces the prospect of becoming a &quot;second North Korea&quot; if it continues destabilising Afghanistan by supporting the Taliban and Haqqani network, a former top American diplomat has said. 
 
&quot;In the aftermath of the US drone attack killing Taliban leader Mullah Mansour, this is the time to increase the pressure by suspending all assistance to Pakistan -- military and civilian -- and move towards isolating Pakistan internationally, including not supporting IMF renewal of financial support,&quot; Zalmay Khalilzad, a former top American diplomat in the Bush Administration, told PTI. 
 
Khalilzad, who played a key role America&#39;s policy towards Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq after 9/11 terror attack, said the US should adopt a policy of &quot;total isolation&quot; against Pakistan. 
 
Such a policy, he argued would send a signal to Pakistan that it faces the prospect of becoming a &quot;second North Korea&quot; unless it changes its course on Afghanistan. 
 
Khalilzad was the highest ranking Muslim American in the history of the United States. He was the US ambassador to the United Nations under former president George W Bush. 
 
He also served as the US ambassador to Afghanistan and headed the country&#39;s diplomatic mission in Iraq. 
 
&quot;If Pakistan truly changes course, then the US should be willing to be supportive in a significant way. But we have to substantially escalate the cost of Pakistan&#39;s hostile policy in Afghanistan,&quot; he said. 
 
Khalilzad also called for retaining the current level of forces in Afghanistan and more flexible rules of engagement for US forces until the next President reviews the situation in Afghanistan and decides on a new policy. 
 
&quot;While there are some potential risks in isolating Pakistan, there are real risks with continuing the current course in Afghanistan and Pakistan,&quot; he said and called for having a contingency plan to deal with the nuclear scenario risks. 
 
&quot;In fact (US forces) being in Afghanistan would help in addressing such challenges promptly,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;The choice we have made hasn&#39;t really worked for the last 15 years in terms of changing Pakistan&#39;s two-faced policy. The time has come to adjust that policy. In my view a better option is international isolation of Pakistan,&quot; Khalilzad argued. 
 
&quot;The role that Pakistan has played....Is that of a double game. It has signalled on the one hand that it wants to be helpful to the United States in fighting terrorism and stabilising Afghanistan. But on the other hand, in reality, it has been energetically supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network to achieve the very opposite. That has been the essence of the Pakistan policy on Afghanistan,&quot; he said. 
 
Noting that Pakistan&#39;s Afghan policy is determined by the Army and the ISI, Khalilzad said that the reason for such a policy is that they believe that by supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network, they can achieve the goal of dominating Afghanistan. 
 
&quot;An alternative explanation is that the status quo of an unstable Afghanistan with ongoing fighting, in which they have relationship with the Taliban and the Haqqani network and key players, is seen by Pakistan as favorable to its interests. 
 
&quot;In my view they want peace and stability in Afghanistan only if the country is controlled by a group, such as the Taliban and the Haqqani network which they control or have strong influence over,&quot; he claimed. 
 
&quot;Pakistan is the landlord and the Taliban is living in the house that Pakistan owns. This gives them huge leverage. Actually the relationship is even stronger than a landlord and tenant. It is one of sponsor and sponsorees,&quot; he said. 
 
Currently, chairman of the Atlantic Council&#39;s South Asia Center&#39;s advisory board, and president of Gryphon Partnerson, Khalilzad will deliver a talk on his new book &#39;The Envoy: From Kabul to the White House, My Journey Through a Turbulent World&#39; at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi on July 1. 
 
(PTI)

He said Pakistan faces the prospect of becoming a second 'North Korea' if it continues to destabilise Afghanistan by supporting Taliban

The US should adopt a policy of "total isolation" against Pakistan to send a signal that it faces the prospect of becoming a "second North Korea" if it continues destabilising Afghanistan by supporting the Taliban and Haqqani network, a former top American diplomat has said. "In the aftermath of the US drone attack killing Taliban leader Mullah Mansour, this is the time to increase the pressure by suspending all assistance to Pakistan -- military and civilian -- and move towards isolating Pakistan internationally, including not supporting IMF renewal of financial support," Zalmay Khalilzad, a former top American diplomat in the Bush Administration, told PTI. Khalilzad, who played a key role America's policy towards Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq after 9/11 terror attack, said the US should adopt a policy of "total isolation" against Pakistan. Such a policy, he argued would send a signal to Pakistan that it faces the prospect of becoming a "second North Korea" unless it changes its course on Afghanistan. Khalilzad was the highest ranking Muslim American in the history of the United States. He was the US ambassador to the United Nations under former president George W Bush. He also served as the US ambassador to Afghanistan and headed the country's diplomatic mission in Iraq. "If Pakistan truly changes course, then the US should be willing to be supportive in a significant way. But we have to substantially escalate the cost of Pakistan's hostile policy in Afghanistan," he said. Khalilzad also called for retaining the current level of forces in Afghanistan and more flexible rules of engagement for US forces until the next President reviews the situation in Afghanistan and decides on a new policy. "While there are some potential risks in isolating Pakistan, there are real risks with continuing the current course in Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said and called for having a contingency plan to deal with the nuclear scenario risks. "In fact (US forces) being in Afghanistan would help in addressing such challenges promptly," he said. "The choice we have made hasn't really worked for the last 15 years in terms of changing Pakistan's two-faced policy. The time has come to adjust that policy. In my view a better option is international isolation of Pakistan," Khalilzad argued. "The role that Pakistan has played....Is that of a double game. It has signalled on the one hand that it wants to be helpful to the United States in fighting terrorism and stabilising Afghanistan. But on the other hand, in reality, it has been energetically supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network to achieve the very opposite. That has been the essence of the Pakistan policy on Afghanistan," he said. Noting that Pakistan's Afghan policy is determined by the Army and the ISI, Khalilzad said that the reason for such a policy is that they believe that by supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network, they can achieve the goal of dominating Afghanistan. "An alternative explanation is that the status quo of an unstable Afghanistan with ongoing fighting, in which they have relationship with the Taliban and the Haqqani network and key players, is seen by Pakistan as favorable to its interests. "In my view they want peace and stability in Afghanistan only if the country is controlled by a group, such as the Taliban and the Haqqani network which they control or have strong influence over," he claimed. "Pakistan is the landlord and the Taliban is living in the house that Pakistan owns. This gives them huge leverage. Actually the relationship is even stronger than a landlord and tenant. It is one of sponsor and sponsorees," he said. Currently, chairman of the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center's advisory board, and president of Gryphon Partnerson, Khalilzad will deliver a talk on his new book 'The Envoy: From Kabul to the White House, My Journey Through a Turbulent World' at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi on July 1. (PTI)

US should adopt policy of total isolation against Pakistan: former American diplomat

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said the terror attack in Turkey is a reminder that the US cannot retreat from this part of the world and needs to deepen co-operation with allies in the Middle East and Europe to take on this threat. 
 
&quot;Today&#39;s attack in Istanbul only strengthens our resolve to defeat the forces of terrorism and radical jihadism around the world. And it reminds us that the United States cannot retreat,&quot; Clinton said in a statement yesterday. 
 
&quot;We must deepen our cooperation with our allies and partners in the Middle East and Europe to take on this threat,&quot; she said, adding that such cooperation is essential to protecting homeland and keeping the country safe. 
 
&quot;Yet another terrorist attack, this time in Turkey. Will the world ever realise what is going on? So sad,&quot; Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump tweeted. 
 
&quot;We must do everything possible to keep this horrible terrorism outside the United States,&quot; Trump said. 
 
In a statement, the Trump campaign said the terrorist threat has never been greater. 
 
&quot;Our enemies are brutal and ruthless and will do anything to murder those who do not bend to their will. We must take steps now to protect America from terrorists, and do everything in our power to improve our security to keep America safe,&quot; the Trump campaign said. 
 
Former Republican presidential candidate and Florida senator Marco Rubio said the US stands with ally Turkey in condemning this attack. 
 
&quot;We stand ready to assist them as we learn more about the perpetrators responsible for this,&quot; he said. 
 
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer said the attack in Istanbul was a heinous assault on a key US ally and the Turkish people should know with certainty that the American people stand in solidarity with them in this difficult hour. 
 
&quot;Whenever terrorists attack a major global transit point, as they did a few months ago in Brussels and again today in Istanbul, they seek to erect barriers of fear that divide the free nations of the world. But we will not be divided,&quot; Hoyer said. 
 
&quot;We will stand together to meet the challenge of groups like ISIS which represent the antithesis of our most important values - democracy, individual freedom, and opportunity for all,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

US needs to deepen co-operation with allies in the Middle East and Europe to take on the threat of terrorism and radical jihadism, she said

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said the terror attack in Turkey is a reminder that the US cannot retreat from this part of the world and needs to deepen co-operation with allies in the Middle East and Europe to take on this threat. "Today's attack in Istanbul only strengthens our resolve to defeat the forces of terrorism and radical jihadism around the world. And it reminds us that the United States cannot retreat," Clinton said in a statement yesterday. "We must deepen our cooperation with our allies and partners in the Middle East and Europe to take on this threat," she said, adding that such cooperation is essential to protecting homeland and keeping the country safe. "Yet another terrorist attack, this time in Turkey. Will the world ever realise what is going on? So sad," Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump tweeted. "We must do everything possible to keep this horrible terrorism outside the United States," Trump said. In a statement, the Trump campaign said the terrorist threat has never been greater. "Our enemies are brutal and ruthless and will do anything to murder those who do not bend to their will. We must take steps now to protect America from terrorists, and do everything in our power to improve our security to keep America safe," the Trump campaign said. Former Republican presidential candidate and Florida senator Marco Rubio said the US stands with ally Turkey in condemning this attack. "We stand ready to assist them as we learn more about the perpetrators responsible for this," he said. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer said the attack in Istanbul was a heinous assault on a key US ally and the Turkish people should know with certainty that the American people stand in solidarity with them in this difficult hour. "Whenever terrorists attack a major global transit point, as they did a few months ago in Brussels and again today in Istanbul, they seek to erect barriers of fear that divide the free nations of the world. But we will not be divided," Hoyer said. "We will stand together to meet the challenge of groups like ISIS which represent the antithesis of our most important values - democracy, individual freedom, and opportunity for all," he said. (PTI)

Hillary Clinton says Turkey terror attack reminds US cannot retreat

US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday in North Carolina, her staff announced. 
 
&quot;In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we&#39;ve made and their vision for an America that is stronger together,&quot; Clinton&#39;s campaign said in a statement. 
 
Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida - the worst mass shooting in US history. 
 
Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think there&#39;s ever been someone so qualified to hold this office,&quot; Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary,&quot; added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008. 
 
Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month&#39;s party convention. 
 
Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation&#39;s first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November&#39;s general election. 
 
(AFP)

The two were scheduled to hit the campaign trail together June 15, but delayed because of the Orlando massacre

US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday in North Carolina, her staff announced. "In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we've made and their vision for an America that is stronger together," Clinton's campaign said in a statement. Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida - the worst mass shooting in US history. Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries. "I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office," Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady. "I'm with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary," added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008. Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month's party convention. Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation's first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November's general election. (AFP)

Obama, Clinton to make first joint campaign stop next week: official

North Korea&#39;s parliament awarded Kim Jong Un a new post today, adding to a long list of titles for the young leader. 
 
The North&#39;s state television said Kim was made chairman of the state affairs committee, a body that appears to be newly formed and whose function was not immediately clear. 
 
He also has the titles of the Dear Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers&#39; Party of Korea, First Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea and Supreme Commander of the Korean People&#39;s Army. 
 
Kim, believed to be in his early 30s, attended the assembly meeting today. He also holds the rank of marshal in the North Korean military, and is more usually referred to &quot;our marshal&quot; in propaganda and common parlance. 
 
The parliament meets once or twice a year to formally approve budgets or policies set out by the ruling Workers&#39; Party. It also has the authority to grant Kim new titles or positions within North Korea&#39;s opaque leadership structure. 
 
The meeting was called to implement policy aims stated in a rare Workers&#39; Party congress in May, during which Kim Jong Un announced a five-year economic plan. 
 
On June 22, North Korea launched two Musudan intermediate-range missiles, drawing strong condemnation from South Korea, Japan and the United States for infringing UN sanctions designed to stop Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile development programmes. 
 
North Korea referred to the missile as a &quot;Hwasong-10&quot; and said the test did not put the security of neighbouring countries at risk. 
 
(Reuters)

Kim was made chairman of the state affairs committee, a body that appears to be newly formed and whose function was not immediately clear

North Korea's parliament awarded Kim Jong Un a new post today, adding to a long list of titles for the young leader. The North's state television said Kim was made chairman of the state affairs committee, a body that appears to be newly formed and whose function was not immediately clear. He also has the titles of the Dear Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, First Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army. Kim, believed to be in his early 30s, attended the assembly meeting today. He also holds the rank of marshal in the North Korean military, and is more usually referred to "our marshal" in propaganda and common parlance. The parliament meets once or twice a year to formally approve budgets or policies set out by the ruling Workers' Party. It also has the authority to grant Kim new titles or positions within North Korea's opaque leadership structure. The meeting was called to implement policy aims stated in a rare Workers' Party congress in May, during which Kim Jong Un announced a five-year economic plan. On June 22, North Korea launched two Musudan intermediate-range missiles, drawing strong condemnation from South Korea, Japan and the United States for infringing UN sanctions designed to stop Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development programmes. North Korea referred to the missile as a "Hwasong-10" and said the test did not put the security of neighbouring countries at risk. (Reuters)

North Korean assembly awards leader Kim Jong Un fresh title

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday accused Hillary Clinton&#39;s state department of failing to protect four Americans killed in a 2012 attack in Libya in a final report that contained no major new revelations, but rekindled debate on the US presidential campaign trail. 
 
In an 800-page report that Democrats derided as a political vendetta, Republicans said Clinton, who served as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 and is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and her staff, showed a &quot;shameful&quot; lack of response to congressional investigators looking into the attacks on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. 
 
The report, the culmination of a two-year investigation by a special congressional committee led by Republican representative Trey Gowdy, is likely to be the last official attempt to investigate the attack. Seven other congressional panels have also investigated the attack on the US diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi. 
 
The latest investigation has been used by Republicans to attack Clinton&rsquo;s national-security credentials. Opinion polls have shown Americans deeply split along partisan lines over the probe. 
 
Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has repeatedly charged that Clinton is personally responsible for the deaths of a US ambassador and three other Americans killed by militia groups in the September &nbsp;11, 2012 incident. 
 
Clinton&#39;s campaign dismissed the committee&#39;s report, saying it had not found anything that had not been discovered by previous congressional probes. White House press secretary Josh Earnest labelled the effort a &quot;political exercise.&quot; 
 
Clinton, speaking in Denver, said it was crucial to &quot;learn the right lessons&quot; from the Benghazi tragedy. 
 
&quot;No one has thought more about or lost more sleep over the lives that we lost - the four Americans - which was devastating,&quot; said Clinton. 
 
Trump waited until hours after the report&#39;s release to comment. &quot;Benghazi is just another Hillary Clinton failure,&quot; he said on Twitter. &quot;It just never seems to work the way it&#39;s supposed to with Clinton.&quot; 
 
Republican national committee chairman Reince Priebus said Clinton&#39;s actions as secretary of state were &quot;disqualifying.&quot; 
 
&quot;Hillary Clinton was in charge, knew the risks, and did nothing&quot; to protect personnel on the ground in Libya, he said. 
 
Professor Julian Zelizer, a political analyst at Princeton University, called the report &quot;old news&quot; but said that would not stop Trump from trying to exploit the issue going forward. &quot;A story like this, even though it seems familiar, can still serve to mobilise Republicans, and certainly Donald Trump will do that. He&rsquo;ll certainly try,&rdquo; Zelizer said. 
 
Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist, said he doubted the report would influence undecided voters. &quot;Those who are willing to believe that there was wrongdoing on secretary Clinton&rsquo;s part were unlikely willing to vote for her in the first place,&quot; he said. 
 
Systematic security lapses&nbsp; 
 
At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Gowdy, chairman of the special congressional panel, said there was a disconnect between the violence unfolding in Benghazi and the perception among top Obama administration officials that &quot;the fighting had subsided&quot; at the US diplomatic compound. 
 
The committee&#39;s report faulted the state department for providing inadequate security for the US compound in Benghazi, state department officials and the CIA for failing to properly evaluate the threat to US personnel on the ground, and the Pentagon for not being in position to aid the Americans under siege. The report did not dispute assertions by the Obama administration that such a mission would have come too late to help the four who were killed. 
 
None of those conclusions, however, came as revelations. All had been reached by previous probes. 
 
The report also accused the White House of stonewalling the investigation, something aides to Obama have denied. 
 
Democrats on the Benghazi committee issued their own report a day before Tuesday&#39;s release, accusing Republicans of conducting an overzealous investigation. 
 
According to a website maintained by committee Democrats, the investigation cost more than $7.1 million, a figure that excludes money spent on investigations by the seven other congressional committees that investigated the attacks. 
 
The Gowdy committee investigation lasted 782 days, longer than congressional probes of Pearl Harbour, the Kennedy assassination, the Iran-Contra scandal and Hurricane Katrina. 
 
Since it was established in May 2014, the Gowdy committee has held four public hearings, according to its website, which said that it interviewed 107 witnesses, mostly behind closed doors, including 81 who never appeared before the other committees that investigated the attacks. It reviewed about 75,000 pages of previously unexamined documents. 
 
Clinton rebuffed charges 
 
Last October, Clinton, already a Democratic presidential candidate, calmly deflected harsh Republican criticism of her handling of the attack during a testy 11-hour hearing before the Gowdy committee. 
 
In testimony that stretched deep into the night, Clinton rejected Republican accusations that she ignored requests for security upgrades in Libya and misinformed the public about the cause of the attack. 
 
Clinton&#39;s appearance before the panel followed months of controversy about her use of a private home email server for her state department work, a disclosure that emerged in part because of the panel&#39;s demand to see her official records. 
 
A 2012 report by a government accountability review board faulted state department officials for providing &quot;grossly&quot; insufficient security in Benghazi, despite upgrade requests from ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and others in Libya. 
 
(Reuters)

The killing of an ambassador and three other Americans in a US compound in Benghazi has been used by Republicans to flay Clinton repeatedly

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday accused Hillary Clinton's state department of failing to protect four Americans killed in a 2012 attack in Libya in a final report that contained no major new revelations, but rekindled debate on the US presidential campaign trail. In an 800-page report that Democrats derided as a political vendetta, Republicans said Clinton, who served as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 and is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and her staff, showed a "shameful" lack of response to congressional investigators looking into the attacks on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The report, the culmination of a two-year investigation by a special congressional committee led by Republican representative Trey Gowdy, is likely to be the last official attempt to investigate the attack. Seven other congressional panels have also investigated the attack on the US diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi. The latest investigation has been used by Republicans to attack Clinton’s national-security credentials. Opinion polls have shown Americans deeply split along partisan lines over the probe. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has repeatedly charged that Clinton is personally responsible for the deaths of a US ambassador and three other Americans killed by militia groups in the September 11, 2012 incident. Clinton's campaign dismissed the committee's report, saying it had not found anything that had not been discovered by previous congressional probes. White House press secretary Josh Earnest labelled the effort a "political exercise." Clinton, speaking in Denver, said it was crucial to "learn the right lessons" from the Benghazi tragedy. "No one has thought more about or lost more sleep over the lives that we lost - the four Americans - which was devastating," said Clinton. Trump waited until hours after the report's release to comment. "Benghazi is just another Hillary Clinton failure," he said on Twitter. "It just never seems to work the way it's supposed to with Clinton." Republican national committee chairman Reince Priebus said Clinton's actions as secretary of state were "disqualifying." "Hillary Clinton was in charge, knew the risks, and did nothing" to protect personnel on the ground in Libya, he said. Professor Julian Zelizer, a political analyst at Princeton University, called the report "old news" but said that would not stop Trump from trying to exploit the issue going forward. "A story like this, even though it seems familiar, can still serve to mobilise Republicans, and certainly Donald Trump will do that. He’ll certainly try,” Zelizer said. Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist, said he doubted the report would influence undecided voters. "Those who are willing to believe that there was wrongdoing on secretary Clinton’s part were unlikely willing to vote for her in the first place," he said. Systematic security lapses At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Gowdy, chairman of the special congressional panel, said there was a disconnect between the violence unfolding in Benghazi and the perception among top Obama administration officials that "the fighting had subsided" at the US diplomatic compound. The committee's report faulted the state department for providing inadequate security for the US compound in Benghazi, state department officials and the CIA for failing to properly evaluate the threat to US personnel on the ground, and the Pentagon for not being in position to aid the Americans under siege. The report did not dispute assertions by the Obama administration that such a mission would have come too late to help the four who were killed. None of those conclusions, however, came as revelations. All had been reached by previous probes. The report also accused the White House of stonewalling the investigation, something aides to Obama have denied. Democrats on the Benghazi committee issued their own report a day before Tuesday's release, accusing Republicans of conducting an overzealous investigation. According to a website maintained by committee Democrats, the investigation cost more than $7.1 million, a figure that excludes money spent on investigations by the seven other congressional committees that investigated the attacks. The Gowdy committee investigation lasted 782 days, longer than congressional probes of Pearl Harbour, the Kennedy assassination, the Iran-Contra scandal and Hurricane Katrina. Since it was established in May 2014, the Gowdy committee has held four public hearings, according to its website, which said that it interviewed 107 witnesses, mostly behind closed doors, including 81 who never appeared before the other committees that investigated the attacks. It reviewed about 75,000 pages of previously unexamined documents. Clinton rebuffed charges Last October, Clinton, already a Democratic presidential candidate, calmly deflected harsh Republican criticism of her handling of the attack during a testy 11-hour hearing before the Gowdy committee. In testimony that stretched deep into the night, Clinton rejected Republican accusations that she ignored requests for security upgrades in Libya and misinformed the public about the cause of the attack. Clinton's appearance before the panel followed months of controversy about her use of a private home email server for her state department work, a disclosure that emerged in part because of the panel's demand to see her official records. A 2012 report by a government accountability review board faulted state department officials for providing "grossly" insufficient security in Benghazi, despite upgrade requests from ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and others in Libya. (Reuters)

Clinton's culpability over Benghazi attack debate reignites after panel's report

Condemning the terror attack at Istanbul&#39;s Ataturk International airport that killed 36 people and injured many others, the US and UN has called for stepped-up cooperation in fighting terrorism and has vowed &quot;steadfast&quot; support for Turkey. 
 
&quot;Ataturk international airport, like Brussels airport which was attacked earlier this year, is a symbol of international connections and the ties that bind us together,&quot; White House press secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday. 
 
US President Barack Obama was briefed on the explosions by his assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism Lisa Monaco. 
 
&quot;Our deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones of those killed, and we wish a speedy recovery to those injured. We remain steadfast in our support for Turkey, our NATO ally and partner, along with all of our friends and allies around the world, as we continue to confront the threat of terrorism,&quot; he said. 
 
Condemning the terrorist attack at Istanbul&#39;s Ataturk International airport, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Turkey. 
 
&quot;The Secretary-General hopes that the perpetrators of this crime will be identified and brought to justice. He stands firmly by Turkey as it confronts this threat and stresses the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism,&quot; his spokesman said in a statement. 
 
US officials are in close touch with Turkish authorities throughout the investigation, state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said. 
 
&quot;We stand in solidarity with our NATO ally Turkey in combating the threat of terrorism. Sadly, this murderous attack is only the latest in a series of attacks aimed at killing and maiming innocent civilians,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Such attacks will only reinforce our determination to work with the government of Turkey to counter the scourge of terrorism and support all those across the region who are working to promote peace and reconciliation,&quot; Toner said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Today, we have another horrific event - senseless violence against innocent civilians. Freedom-loving people around the world must not waver in our commitment to defeat violent extremism,&quot; said senator James Lankford. He serves on the homeland security and intelligence committees. 
 
&quot;We continue to monitor reports of the horrific terror attack in Turkey. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and all affected,&quot; tweeted Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the powerful senate foreign relations committee. 
 
&quot;Terrorism will not prevail. We stand with our ally Turkey in the face of this heinous attack,&quot; tweeted Paul Ryan, speaker of the US house of representatives. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m horrified by the attacks in Istanbul, and my heart is with the victims and their families. I stand with the people of Turkey against terrorism,&quot; tweeted congresswoman Susan Brooks. 
 
(PTI)

Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack and stressed on the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism

Condemning the terror attack at Istanbul's Ataturk International airport that killed 36 people and injured many others, the US and UN has called for stepped-up cooperation in fighting terrorism and has vowed "steadfast" support for Turkey. "Ataturk international airport, like Brussels airport which was attacked earlier this year, is a symbol of international connections and the ties that bind us together," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday. US President Barack Obama was briefed on the explosions by his assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism Lisa Monaco. "Our deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones of those killed, and we wish a speedy recovery to those injured. We remain steadfast in our support for Turkey, our NATO ally and partner, along with all of our friends and allies around the world, as we continue to confront the threat of terrorism," he said. Condemning the terrorist attack at Istanbul's Ataturk International airport, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Turkey. "The Secretary-General hopes that the perpetrators of this crime will be identified and brought to justice. He stands firmly by Turkey as it confronts this threat and stresses the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism," his spokesman said in a statement. US officials are in close touch with Turkish authorities throughout the investigation, state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said. "We stand in solidarity with our NATO ally Turkey in combating the threat of terrorism. Sadly, this murderous attack is only the latest in a series of attacks aimed at killing and maiming innocent civilians," he said. "Such attacks will only reinforce our determination to work with the government of Turkey to counter the scourge of terrorism and support all those across the region who are working to promote peace and reconciliation," Toner said in a statement. "Today, we have another horrific event - senseless violence against innocent civilians. Freedom-loving people around the world must not waver in our commitment to defeat violent extremism," said senator James Lankford. He serves on the homeland security and intelligence committees. "We continue to monitor reports of the horrific terror attack in Turkey. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and all affected," tweeted Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the powerful senate foreign relations committee. "Terrorism will not prevail. We stand with our ally Turkey in the face of this heinous attack," tweeted Paul Ryan, speaker of the US house of representatives. "I'm horrified by the attacks in Istanbul, and my heart is with the victims and their families. I stand with the people of Turkey against terrorism," tweeted congresswoman Susan Brooks. (PTI)

US, UN condemn terror attack on Turkey international airport

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Wednesday, urged South Korea to pay attention to China&#39;s concerns about the deployment of the US THAAD missile defence system to the country and &quot;cautiously&quot; address the plan. 
 
The United States and South Korea have begun talks on possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system after North Korea tested its fourth nuclear bomb on January 6 and conducted missile tests. 
 
China and Russia have urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD&#39;s deployment could also affect their security. 
 
South Korea should &quot;attach importance to China&#39;s legitimate concern on security and cautiously and appropriately address the United States&#39; plan&quot; to deploy THAAD in South Korea, Xi told visiting South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the official Xinhua news agency reported. 
 
North Korea&#39;s drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability, has angered China, Pyongyang&#39;s sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China. 
 
Xi added that China and South Korea should continue to work for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, work together to maintain peace and stability, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation. 
 
(Reuters)

Beijing has urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD's deployment could affect their security

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Wednesday, urged South Korea to pay attention to China's concerns about the deployment of the US THAAD missile defence system to the country and "cautiously" address the plan. The United States and South Korea have begun talks on possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system after North Korea tested its fourth nuclear bomb on January 6 and conducted missile tests. China and Russia have urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD's deployment could also affect their security. South Korea should "attach importance to China's legitimate concern on security and cautiously and appropriately address the United States' plan" to deploy THAAD in South Korea, Xi told visiting South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the official Xinhua news agency reported. North Korea's drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability, has angered China, Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China. Xi added that China and South Korea should continue to work for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, work together to maintain peace and stability, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation. (Reuters)

China's Xi urges caution over US anti-missile system deployment in South Korea

The District of Columbia&#39;s mayor has signed a $15-an-hour minimum wage into law, a rate adopted by a growing number of US&nbsp;cities and states seeking to battle income inequality.

Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the measure late on Monday. The bill boosts minimum hourly wage to $15 by 2020, with subsequent hikes tied to inflation.

&quot;Three months ago, I said we would take up the #FightFor15 inDC and I am so excited to sign it into law today!&quot; Bowser, a Democrat, said on her Twitter feed.

The bill had been unanimously approved by the city council. It was opposed by business owners who argued that it would raise costs and lead to automation, and would make the city less competitive with neighboring suburbs.

Washington joins California and New York in making $15 the hourly minimum. At least eight cities, including Seattle, have also approved the $15 base.

Supporters had said that Washington&#39;s robust economy and growing population meant it could support a higher minimum wage.

The District of Columbia&#39;s base wage is $10.50, and will go&nbsp;up by $1 on July 1 under existing law. The federal minimum is&nbsp;$7.25 an hour.

President Barack Obama cheered Washington&#39;s move and called on Congress to hike the federal base wage. 
 
&quot;America deserves a raise,&quot; he said in a statement.

The $15 minimum is estimated to raise wages for 114,000&nbsp;workers, or about 14 percent of the District of Columbia&#39;s&nbsp;workforce, according to an analysis by the non-profit Economic Policy Institute. 
 
(Reuters)

Eight US cities including Seattle have also agreed in making $15 as the base

The District of Columbia's mayor has signed a $15-an-hour minimum wage into law, a rate adopted by a growing number of US cities and states seeking to battle income inequality. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the measure late on Monday. The bill boosts minimum hourly wage to $15 by 2020, with subsequent hikes tied to inflation. "Three months ago, I said we would take up the #FightFor15 inDC and I am so excited to sign it into law today!" Bowser, a Democrat, said on her Twitter feed. The bill had been unanimously approved by the city council. It was opposed by business owners who argued that it would raise costs and lead to automation, and would make the city less competitive with neighboring suburbs. Washington joins California and New York in making $15 the hourly minimum. At least eight cities, including Seattle, have also approved the $15 base. Supporters had said that Washington's robust economy and growing population meant it could support a higher minimum wage. The District of Columbia's base wage is $10.50, and will go up by $1 on July 1 under existing law. The federal minimum is $7.25 an hour. President Barack Obama cheered Washington's move and called on Congress to hike the federal base wage. "America deserves a raise," he said in a statement. The $15 minimum is estimated to raise wages for 114,000 workers, or about 14 percent of the District of Columbia's workforce, according to an analysis by the non-profit Economic Policy Institute. (Reuters)

District of Columbia mayor signs $15 per hour minimum wage into law

It&#39;s a paradox that has confounded many. The United States and India have a lot in common, not least their commitment to democratic values. Yet they remained estranged democracies at the best of times. This, in spite of the enormous goodwill among their peoples. In contrast, India&#39;s ties with Israel have been marked by good government-to-government relations even when their people-to-people ties haven&#39;t really taken off. As the joke went, for years on end, India treated Israel as a mistress to be hidden away. Under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India&#39;s bilateral relations with Israel have come out of the closet but - and herein lies the paradox - its ties with the US are increasingly spoken about in whispers; a nudge there and a wink here. Now, one may ascribe it to caution on the part of New Delhi not to tweak the Dragon&#39;s tail but it is apparent to the discerning that India and the US are trying, perhaps too hard, not to show their hand. 
&nbsp; 
Although Modi told the US Congress that the India-US relationship has overcome the hesitations of history, India&#39;s faith in non-alignment remains undiminished, or so it is claimed. Modi himself made the point in a 26 May interview to The Wall Street Journal. In it he said: &quot;There is no reason to change India&rsquo;s non-alignment policy that is a legacy and has been in place. But this is true that today, unlike before, India is not standing in a corner. It is the world&rsquo;s largest democracy and fastest growing economy. We are acutely conscious of our responsibilities both in the region and internationally.&quot; India is a founding-member of the Non-Aligned Movement, which was established in 1961 primarily to allow countries to not be formally aligned with or against any power bloc. 
&nbsp; 
It would not be an exaggeration to say that India&#39;s fascination with non-alignment or in other words strategic autonomy has endured to this day. It reared its head most recently in 2012 after the India-US civil nuclear deal was signed. A document, titled &quot;Nonalignment 2.0: A foreign and strategic policy for India in the twenty first century&quot;, published by a privately funded think tank but co-authored by retired diplomats, among others, cautioned New Delhi against abandoning a principle that has stood the test of time and served India well over the decades. It sought to make the point that the demise of the Cold War opens up yet another minefield which India must negotiate and which will require it to manage complicated coalitions and opportunities in an environment that is not structurally settled. 
&nbsp; 
Modi amplified similar sentiments in the interview: &quot;There was an age when the world was divided into two camps. That is not true anymore. Today, the whole world is interdependent. Even if you look at the relationship between China and the US, there are areas where they have substantial differences but there are also areas where they have worked closely. That&rsquo;s the new way. If we want to ensure the success of this interdependent world, I think countries need to cooperate but at the same time we also need to ensure that there is a respect for international norms and international rules.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
That said, some of his critics insist that Modi seeks to bring India closer to the US than ever before, a process that was set in motion by former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and consolidated by Manmohan Singh, another former Prime Minister. In their defence, the proponents of a robust India-US relationship say that India and the US are friends or partners, not allies. Here, what is unmistakable, and ironical, too, is that the rehabilitation of Modi from his pariah status of yore has run concurrently to the consummation of the India-US strategic partnership. Modi will get an opportunity to burnish his non-aligned credentials when he travels to Venezuela for the 17th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in September. Vice President Aristobulo Isturiz of Venezuela is expected to visit India soon for talks on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues of interest to both countries. It should prove a litmus test for Modi, who has found it hard to shake off his, in his own words, &quot;a special friendship, a special wavelength&quot; with Obama, who, incidentally is accused of meddling in Venezuela&#39;s domestic affairs. 
&nbsp; 
US presidential hopeful Donald Trump has described Nato as a Cold War relic. Will Modi do the same to NAM? Watch this space.

New Delhi has moved far away from the policy of non-alignment but is in denial

It's a paradox that has confounded many. The United States and India have a lot in common, not least their commitment to democratic values. Yet they remained estranged democracies at the best of times. This, in spite of the enormous goodwill among their peoples. In contrast, India's ties with Israel have been marked by good government-to-government relations even when their people-to-people ties haven't really taken off. As the joke went, for years on end, India treated Israel as a mistress to be hidden away. Under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's bilateral relations with Israel have come out of the closet but - and herein lies the paradox - its ties with the US are increasingly spoken about in whispers; a nudge there and a wink here. Now, one may ascribe it to caution on the part of New Delhi not to tweak the Dragon's tail but it is apparent to the discerning that India and the US are trying, perhaps too hard, not to show their hand. Although Modi told the US Congress that the India-US relationship has overcome the hesitations of history, India's faith in non-alignment remains undiminished, or so it is claimed. Modi himself made the point in a 26 May interview to The Wall Street Journal. In it he said: "There is no reason to change India’s non-alignment policy that is a legacy and has been in place. But this is true that today, unlike before, India is not standing in a corner. It is the world’s largest democracy and fastest growing economy. We are acutely conscious of our responsibilities both in the region and internationally." India is a founding-member of the Non-Aligned Movement, which was established in 1961 primarily to allow countries to not be formally aligned with or against any power bloc. It would not be an exaggeration to say that India's fascination with non-alignment or in other words strategic autonomy has endured to this day. It reared its head most recently in 2012 after the India-US civil nuclear deal was signed. A document, titled "Nonalignment 2.0: A foreign and strategic policy for India in the twenty first century", published by a privately funded think tank but co-authored by retired diplomats, among others, cautioned New Delhi against abandoning a principle that has stood the test of time and served India well over the decades. It sought to make the point that the demise of the Cold War opens up yet another minefield which India must negotiate and which will require it to manage complicated coalitions and opportunities in an environment that is not structurally settled. Modi amplified similar sentiments in the interview: "There was an age when the world was divided into two camps. That is not true anymore. Today, the whole world is interdependent. Even if you look at the relationship between China and the US, there are areas where they have substantial differences but there are also areas where they have worked closely. That’s the new way. If we want to ensure the success of this interdependent world, I think countries need to cooperate but at the same time we also need to ensure that there is a respect for international norms and international rules." That said, some of his critics insist that Modi seeks to bring India closer to the US than ever before, a process that was set in motion by former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and consolidated by Manmohan Singh, another former Prime Minister. In their defence, the proponents of a robust India-US relationship say that India and the US are friends or partners, not allies. Here, what is unmistakable, and ironical, too, is that the rehabilitation of Modi from his pariah status of yore has run concurrently to the consummation of the India-US strategic partnership. Modi will get an opportunity to burnish his non-aligned credentials when he travels to Venezuela for the 17th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in September. Vice President Aristobulo Isturiz of Venezuela is expected to visit India soon for talks on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues of interest to both countries. It should prove a litmus test for Modi, who has found it hard to shake off his, in his own words, "a special friendship, a special wavelength" with Obama, who, incidentally is accused of meddling in Venezuela's domestic affairs. US presidential hopeful Donald Trump has described Nato as a Cold War relic. Will Modi do the same to NAM? Watch this space.

India and the US: In a relationship, but it?s complicated

The US Supreme Court today handed a victory to abortion rights advocates striking down a Texas law imposing strict regulations on abortion doctors and facilities that its critics contended were specifically designed to shut down clinics. 
 
The 5-3 ruling held that the Republican-backed 2013 law placed an undue burden on women exercising their constitutional right to end a pregnancy established in the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The normally nine-justice court was one member short after the February 13 death of conservative justice Antonin Scalia who consistently opposed abortion in past rulings. 
 
Conservative justice Anthony Kennedy joined liberal members of the court in ruling that both key provisions of the law violate a woman&#39;s constitutional right to obtain an abortion. 
 
Liberal justice Stephen Breyer, writing for the court, said that the appeals court that upheld the law was wrong in its approach, noting that courts are required to &quot;consider the burdens a law imposes on abortion access together with the benefits that those laws confer.&quot; 
 
Deferring to state legislatures over &quot;questions of medical uncertainty is also inconsistent with this court&#39;s case law,&quot; Breyer added. 
 
Three conservative justices - Chief Justice John Roberts, justice Clarence Thomas and justice Samuel Alito - dissented. 
 
By setting a nationwide legal precedent that the two provisions in the Texas law were unconstitutional, the ruling imperils laws already in place in other states. 
 
Texas had said its law, passed by a Republican-led legislature and signed by a Republican governor in 2013, was aimed at protecting women&#39;s health. The abortion providers had said the regulations were medically unnecessary and intended to shut down clinics. Since the law was passed, the number of abortion clinics in Texas, the second-most-populous US state with about 27 million people, has dropped from 41 to 19. 
 
Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s administration supported the challenge brought by the abortion providers. 
The Texas law required abortion doctors to have &quot;admitting privileges,&quot; a type of formal affiliation that can be hard to obtain, at a hospital within 30 miles (48 km) of the clinic so they can treat patients needing surgery or other critical care. 
 
The law also required clinic buildings to possess costly, hospital-grade facilities. These regulations covered numerous building features such as corridor width, the swinging motion of doors, floor tiles, parking spaces, elevator size, ventilation, electrical wiring, plumbing, floor tiling and even the angle that water flows from drinking fountains. 
 
&#39;Substantial obstacle&#39; 
 
&quot;We conclude that neither of these provisions offers medical benefits sufficient to justify the burdens upon access that each imposes,&quot; Breyer wrote in the ruling. &quot;Each places a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a pre-viability abortion, each constitutes an undue burden on abortion access, and each violates the federal Constitution.&quot; 
 
Alito said in his dissenting opinion that the court should have upheld the law on a legal technicality. He criticised the majority, saying that in striking down the law, the court &quot;simply disregards basic rules that apply in all other cases.&quot; 
 
The last time the justices decided a major abortion case was nine years ago when they ruled 5-4 to uphold a federal law banning a late-term abortion procedure. 
 
Abortion rights supporters hailed the ruling. 
 
Amy Hagstrom Miller, founder and CEO of Whole Woman&rsquo;s Health, which led the challenge to the Texas law, said, &quot;Every day Whole Woman&rsquo;s Health treats our patients with compassion, respect and dignity - and today the Supreme Court did the same. We&rsquo;re thrilled that today justice was served and our clinics stay open.&quot; 
 
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Twitter called the ruling &quot;a victory for women in Texas and across America.&quot; 
 
&quot;This fight isn&#39;t over: The next president has to protect women&#39;s health. Women won&#39;t be &#39;punished&#39; for exercising their basic rights,&quot; she said, a dig at presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who once suggested women who get illegal abortions should face &quot;some sort of punishment.&quot; The presidential election is November 8. 
 
Abortion opponents denounced the ruling. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s exceedingly unfortunate that the court has taken the ability to protect women&rsquo;s health out of the hands of Texas citizens and their duly-elected representatives,&quot; Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in a statement. 
 
Republican Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick added that abortion clinics are now &quot;free to ignore these basic safety standards and continue practicing under substandard conditions. By its ruling, the court held that the ability of abortion clinics to remain open &ndash; even under substandard conditions &ndash;outweighs the state&rsquo;s ability to put women&rsquo;s health and safety first.&quot; 
 
Some US states have pursued a variety of restrictions on abortion, including banning certain types of procedures, prohibiting it after a certain number of weeks of gestation, requiring parental permission for girls until a certain age, imposing waiting periods or mandatory counseling, and others. 
 
Americans remain closely divided over whether abortion should be legal. In a Reuters/Ipso online poll involving 6,769 US adults conducted from June 3 to June 22, 47 per cent of respondents said abortion generally should be legal and 42 per cent said it generally should be illegal. 
 
Views on abortion in the United States have changed very little over the decades, according to historical polling data. 
 
(Reuters)

The judges said the laws restricted access to abortion clinics, while rights activists said they were aimed at shutting them down

The US Supreme Court today handed a victory to abortion rights advocates striking down a Texas law imposing strict regulations on abortion doctors and facilities that its critics contended were specifically designed to shut down clinics. The 5-3 ruling held that the Republican-backed 2013 law placed an undue burden on women exercising their constitutional right to end a pregnancy established in the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The normally nine-justice court was one member short after the February 13 death of conservative justice Antonin Scalia who consistently opposed abortion in past rulings. Conservative justice Anthony Kennedy joined liberal members of the court in ruling that both key provisions of the law violate a woman's constitutional right to obtain an abortion. Liberal justice Stephen Breyer, writing for the court, said that the appeals court that upheld the law was wrong in its approach, noting that courts are required to "consider the burdens a law imposes on abortion access together with the benefits that those laws confer." Deferring to state legislatures over "questions of medical uncertainty is also inconsistent with this court's case law," Breyer added. Three conservative justices - Chief Justice John Roberts, justice Clarence Thomas and justice Samuel Alito - dissented. By setting a nationwide legal precedent that the two provisions in the Texas law were unconstitutional, the ruling imperils laws already in place in other states. Texas had said its law, passed by a Republican-led legislature and signed by a Republican governor in 2013, was aimed at protecting women's health. The abortion providers had said the regulations were medically unnecessary and intended to shut down clinics. Since the law was passed, the number of abortion clinics in Texas, the second-most-populous US state with about 27 million people, has dropped from 41 to 19. Democratic President Barack Obama's administration supported the challenge brought by the abortion providers. The Texas law required abortion doctors to have "admitting privileges," a type of formal affiliation that can be hard to obtain, at a hospital within 30 miles (48 km) of the clinic so they can treat patients needing surgery or other critical care. The law also required clinic buildings to possess costly, hospital-grade facilities. These regulations covered numerous building features such as corridor width, the swinging motion of doors, floor tiles, parking spaces, elevator size, ventilation, electrical wiring, plumbing, floor tiling and even the angle that water flows from drinking fountains. 'Substantial obstacle' "We conclude that neither of these provisions offers medical benefits sufficient to justify the burdens upon access that each imposes," Breyer wrote in the ruling. "Each places a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a pre-viability abortion, each constitutes an undue burden on abortion access, and each violates the federal Constitution." Alito said in his dissenting opinion that the court should have upheld the law on a legal technicality. He criticised the majority, saying that in striking down the law, the court "simply disregards basic rules that apply in all other cases." The last time the justices decided a major abortion case was nine years ago when they ruled 5-4 to uphold a federal law banning a late-term abortion procedure. Abortion rights supporters hailed the ruling. Amy Hagstrom Miller, founder and CEO of Whole Woman’s Health, which led the challenge to the Texas law, said, "Every day Whole Woman’s Health treats our patients with compassion, respect and dignity - and today the Supreme Court did the same. We’re thrilled that today justice was served and our clinics stay open." Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Twitter called the ruling "a victory for women in Texas and across America." "This fight isn't over: The next president has to protect women's health. Women won't be 'punished' for exercising their basic rights," she said, a dig at presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who once suggested women who get illegal abortions should face "some sort of punishment." The presidential election is November 8. Abortion opponents denounced the ruling. "It's exceedingly unfortunate that the court has taken the ability to protect women’s health out of the hands of Texas citizens and their duly-elected representatives," Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in a statement. Republican Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick added that abortion clinics are now "free to ignore these basic safety standards and continue practicing under substandard conditions. By its ruling, the court held that the ability of abortion clinics to remain open – even under substandard conditions –outweighs the state’s ability to put women’s health and safety first." Some US states have pursued a variety of restrictions on abortion, including banning certain types of procedures, prohibiting it after a certain number of weeks of gestation, requiring parental permission for girls until a certain age, imposing waiting periods or mandatory counseling, and others. Americans remain closely divided over whether abortion should be legal. In a Reuters/Ipso online poll involving 6,769 US adults conducted from June 3 to June 22, 47 per cent of respondents said abortion generally should be legal and 42 per cent said it generally should be illegal. Views on abortion in the United States have changed very little over the decades, according to historical polling data. (Reuters)

US Supreme Court stands up for women's right to abortion, strikes down restrictive Texas laws

Top US diplomat John Kerry will fly to Brussels and London on Monday for talks with Washington&#39;s key allies in the aftermath of Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union. 
 
US officials travelling to Rome with the secretary of state told reporters on the flight that two stops had been added to his European itinerary at the last moment. 
 
&quot;Tomorrow we&#39;ll go to Brussels and then on to London,&quot; one official said. 
 
Washington was dismayed last week when British voters chose to leave the European Union, a decision that triggered global economic uncertainty and fears other EU members will follow suit. 
 
President Barack Obama had made clear his concern about the Brexit referendum, and now US officials are scrambling to try to stop the political crisis harming Western unity. 
 
Kerry arrived in Rome today on a planned visit to have lunch with Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and a working dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 
 
But officials on his flight said that on Monday he would fly on to the EU headquarters in Brussels for crisis talks with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. 
 
Mogherini had been expected to meet Kerry in Rome today, but she was busy dealing with the fallout of the dramatic vote, which stunned European and world leaders. 
 
From Brussels Kerry will continue to London to see Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and other officials from outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron`s government. 
 
The two senior diplomats are expected to hold a joint news conference before Kerry leaves to return to Washington. 
 
Obama and Kerry have been at pains to insist the vaunted &quot;special relationship&quot; between Washington and London will survive what US officials view as the Brexit debacle.But Washington foreign policy experts are all but unanimous in assessing that the White House will increasingly turn to core EU allies to defend its interests on the continent. 
 
Obama himself, on a visit to London last month, warned British voters that their nation would go &quot;to the back of the queue&quot; for a US trade deal if they voted &quot;out.&quot; 
 
US officials are also keen to help London`s divorce from Brussels go through smoothly without further inflicting further damage on skittish world financial markets. 
 
But they, like many EU capitals, are also concerned not to allow Brexit to serve as an inspiration for eurosceptic forces in other members such as Italy or The Netherlands. 
 
The London visit will be the first by a senior US official since Thursday`s dramatic referendum, when voters demanded Britain leave the world`s richest trading bloc.&nbsp; 
 
Kerry&#39;s trip had originally been planned as an opportunity to meet Netanyahu and discuss regional security and the stalled Israel-Palestinian peace process. 
 
But US officials played down the chance of any concrete progress, insisting that the pair meet regularly and that no new initiative would be on the table.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

London visit will be the first by John Kerry after the referendum when voters demanded Britain leave the world's richest trading bloc

Top US diplomat John Kerry will fly to Brussels and London on Monday for talks with Washington's key allies in the aftermath of Britain's vote to leave the European Union. US officials travelling to Rome with the secretary of state told reporters on the flight that two stops had been added to his European itinerary at the last moment. "Tomorrow we'll go to Brussels and then on to London," one official said. Washington was dismayed last week when British voters chose to leave the European Union, a decision that triggered global economic uncertainty and fears other EU members will follow suit. President Barack Obama had made clear his concern about the Brexit referendum, and now US officials are scrambling to try to stop the political crisis harming Western unity. Kerry arrived in Rome today on a planned visit to have lunch with Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and a working dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But officials on his flight said that on Monday he would fly on to the EU headquarters in Brussels for crisis talks with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Mogherini had been expected to meet Kerry in Rome today, but she was busy dealing with the fallout of the dramatic vote, which stunned European and world leaders. From Brussels Kerry will continue to London to see Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and other officials from outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron`s government. The two senior diplomats are expected to hold a joint news conference before Kerry leaves to return to Washington. Obama and Kerry have been at pains to insist the vaunted "special relationship" between Washington and London will survive what US officials view as the Brexit debacle.But Washington foreign policy experts are all but unanimous in assessing that the White House will increasingly turn to core EU allies to defend its interests on the continent. Obama himself, on a visit to London last month, warned British voters that their nation would go "to the back of the queue" for a US trade deal if they voted "out." US officials are also keen to help London`s divorce from Brussels go through smoothly without further inflicting further damage on skittish world financial markets. But they, like many EU capitals, are also concerned not to allow Brexit to serve as an inspiration for eurosceptic forces in other members such as Italy or The Netherlands. The London visit will be the first by a senior US official since Thursday`s dramatic referendum, when voters demanded Britain leave the world`s richest trading bloc. Kerry's trip had originally been planned as an opportunity to meet Netanyahu and discuss regional security and the stalled Israel-Palestinian peace process. But US officials played down the chance of any concrete progress, insisting that the pair meet regularly and that no new initiative would be on the table. (AFP)

Top US envoy Kerry heads to Britain amid Brexit crisis

India&#39;s defence procurement agency has cleared a proposal to buy 145 M777 Ultra Lightweight Howitzer artillery guns from BAE Systems, a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company, in a deal worth an estimated $750 million, a defence ministry source said today. 
 
Under the deal, 120 of the 145 guns will be assembled in India, said the source, who asked not to be identified in line with defence ministry rules. 
 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to upgrade the country&#39;s military hardware by replenishing its range of artillery weapons after years of delays in ordering new equipment. 
 
But Modi wants deals with foreign companies to include the setting up of factories and plants in India to boost the local industry. 
 
BAE said in February it had chosen Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group to build a plant for the assembly of Howitzer artillery guns it hopes to sell to India. 
 
The source said the proposal would soon be communicated to the United States, where BAE manufactures the weapons. 
 
(Reuters)

Worth an estimated $750 million, India's defence procurement agency will buy M777 Ultra Lightweight Howitzer artillery guns from BAE Systems

India's defence procurement agency has cleared a proposal to buy 145 M777 Ultra Lightweight Howitzer artillery guns from BAE Systems, a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company, in a deal worth an estimated $750 million, a defence ministry source said today. Under the deal, 120 of the 145 guns will be assembled in India, said the source, who asked not to be identified in line with defence ministry rules. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to upgrade the country's military hardware by replenishing its range of artillery weapons after years of delays in ordering new equipment. But Modi wants deals with foreign companies to include the setting up of factories and plants in India to boost the local industry. BAE said in February it had chosen Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group to build a plant for the assembly of Howitzer artillery guns it hopes to sell to India. The source said the proposal would soon be communicated to the United States, where BAE manufactures the weapons. (Reuters)

India clears deal to buy 145 artillery guns from British security firm

The Pentagon is set to lift its ban on transgender troops within the coming weeks, US media reported&nbsp;Friday. 
 
The move would be another major milestone for America&#39;s vast military, which up until five years ago still banned gay troops from openly discussing their sexuality under a &quot;Don&#39;t Ask, Don&#39;t Tell&quot; policy. 
 
USA Today said the transgender announcement is expected&nbsp;July 1&nbsp;and the plan would require each branch of the military to phase in the new policy over a 12-month period. 
 
Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook declined to confirm reports, but said a decision was due &quot;soon.&quot; 
 
Currently, Pentagon rules allow transgender troops to be discharged from the military. 
 
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter last year ordered all military roles -- including combat positions -- to be opened to women. 
 
Maryland Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer welcomed the news. 
 
&quot;The reversal of the ban is a major step forward in the effort to secure the full rights and equality of LGBT people in our country, and it will strengthen our military by ensuring that talented, dedicated candidates are not turned away or discouraged from serving because of their gender identity,&quot; he said in a statement. 
 
The US military has about 1.3 million service members. 
 
(AFP)

Only five years ago the military was banning gay troops from openly discussing their sexuality under a 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy

The Pentagon is set to lift its ban on transgender troops within the coming weeks, US media reported Friday. The move would be another major milestone for America's vast military, which up until five years ago still banned gay troops from openly discussing their sexuality under a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. USA Today said the transgender announcement is expected July 1 and the plan would require each branch of the military to phase in the new policy over a 12-month period. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook declined to confirm reports, but said a decision was due "soon." Currently, Pentagon rules allow transgender troops to be discharged from the military. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter last year ordered all military roles -- including combat positions -- to be opened to women. Maryland Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer welcomed the news. "The reversal of the ban is a major step forward in the effort to secure the full rights and equality of LGBT people in our country, and it will strengthen our military by ensuring that talented, dedicated candidates are not turned away or discouraged from serving because of their gender identity," he said in a statement. The US military has about 1.3 million service members. (AFP)

US Army to lift ban on transgenders: Reports

A fast-moving central California wildfire has scorched 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) of parched and rugged terrain in less than a day, destroying 100 structures and injuring three firefighters, fire officials said today. 
 
Authorities told residents of 1,500 homes to evacuate and the number of threatened homes is likely to grow, Kern County fire department Brian Marshall said at a news conference. 
 
The so-called Erskine Fire broke out on Thursday at about 4 pm PDT (2300 GMT) in the foothills of Kern County, about 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Bakersfield, drawing in hundreds of firefighters to battle the entirely unconfined blaze. 
 
The three firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, officials said. 
 
&quot;Our firefighters have been engaged in a firefight of epic proportions, trying to save every structure possible,&quot; Marshall said. &quot;In a situation like this, there&#39;s not enough firefighters and fire trucks to put in front of every structure.&quot; 
 
The fast-moving fire 150 miles (241 km) north of Los Angeles has destroyed 100 structures, including homes, outbuildings and detached garages, said Michael Nicholas, a spokesman for the multi-agency team handling the blaze. 
 
Los Angeles television station KNBC showed footage of burned-out lots covered in gray ash, with only the metal frames of benches and virtually unrecognizable appliances not consumed by flames. 
 
It was not immediately known if any residents might have died in the fire, Nicholas said. 
 
More than 100 evacuees were sheltered at an elementary school in Kernville, on the other side of a water reservoir from the blaze, officials said. 
 
The number of firefighters battling the blaze is expected to grow to as many as 700 throughout the day. 
 
Fire crews will bulldoze containment lines while air tankers drop water and fire retardant in an effort to stop flames from consuming more homes. 
 
The extreme heat and dry land are expected to make the fire worse through today, Marshall said, adding that he was hoping for mild and cooperative winds. 
 
The blaze was one of several large wildfires burning in parched California. 
 
To the south, firefighters still were struggling to manage two fires in the foothills of Los Angeles County, dubbed the San Gabriel Complex. 
 
As of today morning, it had burned more than 5,600 acres (2,266 hectares) of chaparral and short grass and containment lines had been drawn around 30 per cent of its perimeter, according to fire tracking website InciWeb. 
(Reuters)

The Erskine Fire broke out yesterday in the foothills of Kern County,northeast of Bakersfield. Residents of 1,500 homes were evacuated

A fast-moving central California wildfire has scorched 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) of parched and rugged terrain in less than a day, destroying 100 structures and injuring three firefighters, fire officials said today. Authorities told residents of 1,500 homes to evacuate and the number of threatened homes is likely to grow, Kern County fire department Brian Marshall said at a news conference. The so-called Erskine Fire broke out on Thursday at about 4 pm PDT (2300 GMT) in the foothills of Kern County, about 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Bakersfield, drawing in hundreds of firefighters to battle the entirely unconfined blaze. The three firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, officials said. "Our firefighters have been engaged in a firefight of epic proportions, trying to save every structure possible," Marshall said. "In a situation like this, there's not enough firefighters and fire trucks to put in front of every structure." The fast-moving fire 150 miles (241 km) north of Los Angeles has destroyed 100 structures, including homes, outbuildings and detached garages, said Michael Nicholas, a spokesman for the multi-agency team handling the blaze. Los Angeles television station KNBC showed footage of burned-out lots covered in gray ash, with only the metal frames of benches and virtually unrecognizable appliances not consumed by flames. It was not immediately known if any residents might have died in the fire, Nicholas said. More than 100 evacuees were sheltered at an elementary school in Kernville, on the other side of a water reservoir from the blaze, officials said. The number of firefighters battling the blaze is expected to grow to as many as 700 throughout the day. Fire crews will bulldoze containment lines while air tankers drop water and fire retardant in an effort to stop flames from consuming more homes. The extreme heat and dry land are expected to make the fire worse through today, Marshall said, adding that he was hoping for mild and cooperative winds. The blaze was one of several large wildfires burning in parched California. To the south, firefighters still were struggling to manage two fires in the foothills of Los Angeles County, dubbed the San Gabriel Complex. As of today morning, it had burned more than 5,600 acres (2,266 hectares) of chaparral and short grass and containment lines had been drawn around 30 per cent of its perimeter, according to fire tracking website InciWeb. (Reuters)

Firefighters injured, dozens of homes destroyed in California wildfire

An airplane powered solely by the sun landed safely in Seville in Spain early today after an almost three-day flight across the Atlantic from New York in one of the longest legs of the first ever fuel-less flight around the world. 
 
The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 touched down shortly after 7.30 a.m. local time in Seville after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2.30 a.m. EDT on June 20. 
 
The flight of just over 71 hours was the 15th leg of the round-the-world journey by the plane piloted in turns by Swiss aviators Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg. 
 
&quot;Oh-la-la, absolutely perfect,&quot; Piccard said after landing, thanking his engineering crew for their efforts. 
 
With a cruising speed of around 70 kilometres an hour (43 miles per hour), similar to an average car, the plane has more than 17,0000 solar cells built in to wings with a span bigger than that of a Boeing 747. 
 
(Reuters)

The flight of just over 71 hours was the 15th leg of the round-the-world journey piloted by Bertrand Piiccard and Andre Borschbe

An airplane powered solely by the sun landed safely in Seville in Spain early today after an almost three-day flight across the Atlantic from New York in one of the longest legs of the first ever fuel-less flight around the world. The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 touched down shortly after 7.30 a.m. local time in Seville after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2.30 a.m. EDT on June 20. The flight of just over 71 hours was the 15th leg of the round-the-world journey by the plane piloted in turns by Swiss aviators Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg. "Oh-la-la, absolutely perfect," Piccard said after landing, thanking his engineering crew for their efforts. With a cruising speed of around 70 kilometres an hour (43 miles per hour), similar to an average car, the plane has more than 17,0000 solar cells built in to wings with a span bigger than that of a Boeing 747. (Reuters)

Solar plane lands in Spain after three-day Atlantic crossing

The United States will continue to expand its defense systems to protect South Korea and regional allies from North Korean missiles, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said on Wednesday. 
 
Carter spoke to reporters hours after Pyongyang tested two medium-range Musudan missiles, one of which flew 250 miles into the Sea of Japan (East Sea). 
 
Experts say the apparent success marked a significant step forward for a weapons program that ultimately aspires to develop a proven nuclear strike capability against the US mainland. 
 
&quot;This shows the need for us to continue to do what we&#39;re doing, which is build these missile defenses of various ranges to protect both our South Korean allies, US forces on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and US territory,&quot; Carter said. 
 
Carter said he did not know if the missile test could be called a success because he did not know what the objectives of the launch were. 
 
&quot;No matter what, we need to stay ahead of the threat by making sure that our missile defenses are good qualitatively, but also constantly expanding,&quot; Carter said. 
 
Seoul and Washington want to deploy the US military&#39;s sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), that would protect against North Korean missiles, though China worries about the system being deployed on its doorstep. 
 
?(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Experts say that the apparent success of the tests by Pyongyang are a step further in developing a proven nuclear strike capacity against US

The United States will continue to expand its defense systems to protect South Korea and regional allies from North Korean missiles, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said on Wednesday. Carter spoke to reporters hours after Pyongyang tested two medium-range Musudan missiles, one of which flew 250 miles into the Sea of Japan (East Sea). Experts say the apparent success marked a significant step forward for a weapons program that ultimately aspires to develop a proven nuclear strike capability against the US mainland. "This shows the need for us to continue to do what we're doing, which is build these missile defenses of various ranges to protect both our South Korean allies, US forces on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and US territory," Carter said. Carter said he did not know if the missile test could be called a success because he did not know what the objectives of the launch were. "No matter what, we need to stay ahead of the threat by making sure that our missile defenses are good qualitatively, but also constantly expanding," Carter said. Seoul and Washington want to deploy the US military's sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), that would protect against North Korean missiles, though China worries about the system being deployed on its doorstep. ?(AFP)

North Korea test shows need for expanded missile defense: Pentagon chief

Walt Disney Co has taken three Chinese firms to court over concerns local animation The Autobots&nbsp;copied elements from Disney&#39;s own hit movie Cars, as the US firm looks to protect its drive into the world&#39;s second-largest economy. 
 
A court in Shanghai held a hearing on Tuesday, a Disney spokeswoman confirmed to Reuters. The dispute was over &quot;copyright infringement&quot; and &quot;unfair competition&quot;, according to a notice on the Shanghai Pudong New Area People&#39;s Court website. 
 
Disney is making a major push into China with the recent opening of a $5.5 billion theme park in Shanghai, its first on the mainland, while its animated movies including Zootopia&nbsp;and Big Hero 6&nbsp;have been big box office hits in the country. 
 
The iconic US firm, however, faces tough competition in the market from local theme park developers, popular Chinese animations as well as counterfeits from merchandise to fake Disney hotels. Chinese authorities have promised to give Disney &quot;special&quot; trademark protection. 
 
The Autobots&nbsp;drew ire from netizens in China when it was released last year, with some pointing out similarities with Disney&#39;s 2006 film Cars starring Owen Wilson and its sequel in 2011. Cars 3 is pencilled in to be released next year. 
 
Zuo Jianlong, the director of The Autobots for production company Blue MTV, told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday he was &quot;relaxed&quot; about a potential ruling. 
 
&quot;Lots of people online have talked about plagiarism, but it seems from the legal side that the matter is quite clear - at root there is no plagiaristic behaviour,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;If you put the two films side-by-side to compare them, then you will know they are completely different.&quot; 
 
Disney declined to comment further on the case. 
 
The Chinese film is about animated racing cars including main heroes K1 and K2, while Disney&#39;s offering follows the story of legendary racing car Lightning McQueen. 
 
The three Chinese firms involved in the suit are production company Blue MTV, media company Beijing G-Point, and online content platform PPLive Inc. 
 
An official for Beijing G-Point, who gave her name only as Ms Cheng, said the firms had hoped to reach a settlement, but Disney had been opposed to this. She added G-Point was not involved in production, but rather in the film&#39;s distribution. 
 
Reuters could not immediately reach PPLive for comment. 
 
China&#39;s box office hit around $6.8 billion last year, and is growing fast, a lure for overseas studios to tap into the market despite a cap on imported films, censorship concerns and a rising challenge from locally made movies. 
 
(Reuters)

Chinese authorities have promised Disney 'special' trademark protection as it faces competition from local theme park developers

Walt Disney Co has taken three Chinese firms to court over concerns local animation The Autobots copied elements from Disney's own hit movie Cars, as the US firm looks to protect its drive into the world's second-largest economy. A court in Shanghai held a hearing on Tuesday, a Disney spokeswoman confirmed to Reuters. The dispute was over "copyright infringement" and "unfair competition", according to a notice on the Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court website. Disney is making a major push into China with the recent opening of a $5.5 billion theme park in Shanghai, its first on the mainland, while its animated movies including Zootopia and Big Hero 6 have been big box office hits in the country. The iconic US firm, however, faces tough competition in the market from local theme park developers, popular Chinese animations as well as counterfeits from merchandise to fake Disney hotels. Chinese authorities have promised to give Disney "special" trademark protection. The Autobots drew ire from netizens in China when it was released last year, with some pointing out similarities with Disney's 2006 film Cars starring Owen Wilson and its sequel in 2011. Cars 3 is pencilled in to be released next year. Zuo Jianlong, the director of The Autobots for production company Blue MTV, told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday he was "relaxed" about a potential ruling. "Lots of people online have talked about plagiarism, but it seems from the legal side that the matter is quite clear - at root there is no plagiaristic behaviour," he said. "If you put the two films side-by-side to compare them, then you will know they are completely different." Disney declined to comment further on the case. The Chinese film is about animated racing cars including main heroes K1 and K2, while Disney's offering follows the story of legendary racing car Lightning McQueen. The three Chinese firms involved in the suit are production company Blue MTV, media company Beijing G-Point, and online content platform PPLive Inc. An official for Beijing G-Point, who gave her name only as Ms Cheng, said the firms had hoped to reach a settlement, but Disney had been opposed to this. She added G-Point was not involved in production, but rather in the film's distribution. Reuters could not immediately reach PPLive for comment. China's box office hit around $6.8 billion last year, and is growing fast, a lure for overseas studios to tap into the market despite a cap on imported films, censorship concerns and a rising challenge from locally made movies. (Reuters)

Cars vs Autobots: Disney sues China firms in copyright dispute

The US government sent veteran diplomat Tom Shannon to Venezuela today to meet senior opposition and government figures amid a brutal economic crisis and political impasse in the South American nation. 
 
Socialist-run Venezuela has for years had tumultuous relations with Washington, and a similar rapprochement led by Shannon stalled last year over the jailing of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. 
 
Despite a harsh exchange of words at a summit in the Dominican Republic last week, US secretary of state John Kerry and Venezuelan foreign minister Delcy Rodriguez agreed to re-start talks in an effort to reduce tensions. 
 
In a visit lasting less than 24 hours, Shannon, a veteran of US diplomacy in the region who is an under secretary in the state department, was to meet first with opposition leaders. These included congress head Henry Ramos and two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, according to opposition sources. 
 
He was then hoping to meet President Nicolas Maduro, the former bus driver who is half-way through a six-year term after winning election in 2013 to succeed his mentor Hugo Chavez. 
 
&quot;The main purpose is to have a series of discussions about the social, economic and political challenges in Venezuela and to try to help foster constructive, meaningful dialogue toward solutions with a variety of groups in the government and outside,&quot; said US state department spokesman John Kirby. 
 
Washington may be hoping a rapprochement undermines Maduro&#39;s constant blaming of his &quot;imperialist&quot; foes for Venezuela&#39;s economic demise and alleged coup plans against him. 
 
TIME-WASTING? 
 
Shannon is likely, analysts and diplomats said, to press for the release of jailed opponents including Lopez, and he has also publicly backed the opposition&#39;s push for a referendum to try and recall Maduro this year. 
 
&quot;The United States understands that for a recall referendum to take place, international engagement is necessary,&quot; said Venezuela expert David Smilde, of Tulane University. 
 
In a speech today, Maduro welcomed Shannon and also repeated his calls for talks with his domestic foes. 
 
&quot;I think it&#39;s very good the right steps are taken to rebuild relations with the United States,&quot; he said. &quot;And I would equally want processes of dialogue ... with Venezuela&#39;s opposition.&quot; 
 
Both Ramos and Capriles have said dialogue is a time-wasting tactic employed by Maduro in the past, and the only solution for Venezuela now is a referendum. The government has said there is no time to organize a referendum this year, and the national election board has been dragging its feet over the process. 
 
The timing is crucial because if Maduro loses a referendum this year, there would be a new presidential election which polls indicate he would likely lose. Losing a referendum after January means he would be replaced by his vice president, effectively leaving the Socialist Party in power. 
 
Though he benefited from Chavez&#39;s popularity and generous welfare programs to win narrowly in 2013, Maduro&#39;s popularity has plummeted amid recession, the highest inflation in the world, shortages and now daily lootings and food riots. 
 
The opposition won control of the National Assembly in December due to public ire over the economy, but a conflict of powers has ensued and a government-leaning Supreme Court has overturned most of the legislature&#39;s measures. 
 
Since Chavez began office in 1999, Venezuela and the United States have gone through cycles of diplomatic fighting followed by generally short-lived eras of reconciliation. 
 
They have been without ambassadors since 2010. 
 
Through it all, Venezuela has kept oil flowing north uninterrupted, and is the third biggest US supplier after Saudi Arabia and Canada, according to latest US data. 
 
(Reuters)

Socialist-run Venezuela has for years had tumultuous relations with Washington

The US government sent veteran diplomat Tom Shannon to Venezuela today to meet senior opposition and government figures amid a brutal economic crisis and political impasse in the South American nation. Socialist-run Venezuela has for years had tumultuous relations with Washington, and a similar rapprochement led by Shannon stalled last year over the jailing of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. Despite a harsh exchange of words at a summit in the Dominican Republic last week, US secretary of state John Kerry and Venezuelan foreign minister Delcy Rodriguez agreed to re-start talks in an effort to reduce tensions. In a visit lasting less than 24 hours, Shannon, a veteran of US diplomacy in the region who is an under secretary in the state department, was to meet first with opposition leaders. These included congress head Henry Ramos and two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, according to opposition sources. He was then hoping to meet President Nicolas Maduro, the former bus driver who is half-way through a six-year term after winning election in 2013 to succeed his mentor Hugo Chavez. "The main purpose is to have a series of discussions about the social, economic and political challenges in Venezuela and to try to help foster constructive, meaningful dialogue toward solutions with a variety of groups in the government and outside," said US state department spokesman John Kirby. Washington may be hoping a rapprochement undermines Maduro's constant blaming of his "imperialist" foes for Venezuela's economic demise and alleged coup plans against him. TIME-WASTING? Shannon is likely, analysts and diplomats said, to press for the release of jailed opponents including Lopez, and he has also publicly backed the opposition's push for a referendum to try and recall Maduro this year. "The United States understands that for a recall referendum to take place, international engagement is necessary," said Venezuela expert David Smilde, of Tulane University. In a speech today, Maduro welcomed Shannon and also repeated his calls for talks with his domestic foes. "I think it's very good the right steps are taken to rebuild relations with the United States," he said. "And I would equally want processes of dialogue ... with Venezuela's opposition." Both Ramos and Capriles have said dialogue is a time-wasting tactic employed by Maduro in the past, and the only solution for Venezuela now is a referendum. The government has said there is no time to organize a referendum this year, and the national election board has been dragging its feet over the process. The timing is crucial because if Maduro loses a referendum this year, there would be a new presidential election which polls indicate he would likely lose. Losing a referendum after January means he would be replaced by his vice president, effectively leaving the Socialist Party in power. Though he benefited from Chavez's popularity and generous welfare programs to win narrowly in 2013, Maduro's popularity has plummeted amid recession, the highest inflation in the world, shortages and now daily lootings and food riots. The opposition won control of the National Assembly in December due to public ire over the economy, but a conflict of powers has ensued and a government-leaning Supreme Court has overturned most of the legislature's measures. Since Chavez began office in 1999, Venezuela and the United States have gone through cycles of diplomatic fighting followed by generally short-lived eras of reconciliation. They have been without ambassadors since 2010. Through it all, Venezuela has kept oil flowing north uninterrupted, and is the third biggest US supplier after Saudi Arabia and Canada, according to latest US data. (Reuters)

Despite growing tension, US and Venezuela to resume economic talks

A solar-powered airplane left the United States today, taking off from New York City to fly across Atlantic for its historic bid to circle the globe. 
 
The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed as Solar Impulse 2, left New York&#39;s John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2:30 am local time (0630 GMT) &nbsp;today. 
 
The flight is expected to take approximately 90 to 110 hours before landing in Seville Airport, Spain, said&nbsp;the project team. 
 
The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. 
 
The solar craft&#39;s cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods. 
 
Andre Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight. 
 
On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours for Amelia Earhart to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s. 
 
The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. 
 
Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights. 
 
The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph). 
 
In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013. 
(Reuters)

The solar craft's cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert

A solar-powered airplane left the United States today, taking off from New York City to fly across Atlantic for its historic bid to circle the globe. The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed as Solar Impulse 2, left New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2:30 am local time (0630 GMT) today. The flight is expected to take approximately 90 to 110 hours before landing in Seville Airport, Spain, said the project team. The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. The solar craft's cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods. Andre Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight. On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours for Amelia Earhart to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s. The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights. The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph). In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013. (Reuters)

Solar-powered plane takes on Atlantic as part of round-the-world bid

Indonesia&#39;s Vice President today voiced concerns over US presidential candidate Donald Trump&#39;s comments on Muslims, saying &quot;discrimination according to religion&quot; could prompt retaliatory policies from other countries. 
 
Jusuf Kalla told Reuters in an interview that the government was &quot;not happy with Trump&#39;s opinions&quot; - the first critical remarks from a top official in the world&#39;s most populous Muslim-majority nation, which come as Trump called for more profiling in the US to battle crime. 
 
&quot;Any country, especially big countries, seen making policies about &#39;radicalism&#39; or discrimination according to religion will be a bad issue,&quot; Kalla said in an interview with Reuters. 
 
&quot;There will be &#39;vice-versa&#39; policies from other countries,&quot; he said, adding an impact would be felt on economy and trade. 
 
Trump&#39;s inflammatory remarks on Muslims, including wanting to temporarily ban them from entering the United States, on foreign policy and on international trade ties have raised concerns in some Asian countries over a potentially &quot;isolationist&quot; United States. 
 
In Indonesia, Southeast Asia&#39;s biggest economy, politicians and lawmakers are already thinking about restricting US trade and investment if Trump becomes President. An online petition, urging a ban on the billionaire and his businesses from the country, has received nearly 47,000 signatures. 
 
The real estate developer also has partnerships to operate luxury resorts on Bali and in Java, which Indonesian officials have said could be threatened by his rhetoric. 
 
Trump Hotel collection last year announced a partnership with Indonesia&#39;s PT. Media Nusantara Citra to manage new luxury hotels on Bali and in West Java, Trump unit&#39;s first foray into Asia. 
 
&quot;Of course there will be an impact, not for Indonesia, but for his business,&quot; Kalla said, when asked about Trump&#39;s involvement in the resorts. 
 
But the Indonesian government was in wait-and-see mode, Kalla said, adding Trump&#39;s comments could be seen as posturing as part of his presidential campaign. 
 
&quot;We still see this as campaign strategy. Campaigning is one thing and realisation is another thing,&quot; he said. 
(Reuters)

Indonesia already thinking about restricting US trade and investment if Trump becomes President

Indonesia's Vice President today voiced concerns over US presidential candidate Donald Trump's comments on Muslims, saying "discrimination according to religion" could prompt retaliatory policies from other countries. Jusuf Kalla told Reuters in an interview that the government was "not happy with Trump's opinions" - the first critical remarks from a top official in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, which come as Trump called for more profiling in the US to battle crime. "Any country, especially big countries, seen making policies about 'radicalism' or discrimination according to religion will be a bad issue," Kalla said in an interview with Reuters. "There will be 'vice-versa' policies from other countries," he said, adding an impact would be felt on economy and trade. Trump's inflammatory remarks on Muslims, including wanting to temporarily ban them from entering the United States, on foreign policy and on international trade ties have raised concerns in some Asian countries over a potentially "isolationist" United States. In Indonesia, Southeast Asia's biggest economy, politicians and lawmakers are already thinking about restricting US trade and investment if Trump becomes President. An online petition, urging a ban on the billionaire and his businesses from the country, has received nearly 47,000 signatures. The real estate developer also has partnerships to operate luxury resorts on Bali and in Java, which Indonesian officials have said could be threatened by his rhetoric. Trump Hotel collection last year announced a partnership with Indonesia's PT. Media Nusantara Citra to manage new luxury hotels on Bali and in West Java, Trump unit's first foray into Asia. "Of course there will be an impact, not for Indonesia, but for his business," Kalla said, when asked about Trump's involvement in the resorts. But the Indonesian government was in wait-and-see mode, Kalla said, adding Trump's comments could be seen as posturing as part of his presidential campaign. "We still see this as campaign strategy. Campaigning is one thing and realisation is another thing," he said. (Reuters)

Trump's comments on Muslims could prompt retaliatory policies: Indonesian VP

Russia&#39;s defence ministry today denied bombing US-backed rebels in southern Syria earlier this week. 
 
In a video conference with Russian military officials, the Pentagon said on Saturday that it had expressed &quot;strong concerns about the attack on the coalition-supported counter-ISIL forces at the Al-Tanaf garrison&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Hours later Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov denied that Russia had bombed areas where US-backed rebels are operating. 
 
&quot;The target that was bombed was located more than 300 kilometres away from the area&quot; indicated by the United States, he said.&nbsp; 
 
Konashenkov insisted that the Russian air force had acted &quot;within the framework of the agreed procedures&quot; and had given advance warning of its ground targets to the US-led coalition. 
 
Russia&#39;s defence ministry said late Thursday that it had not carried out strikes against opposition forces included in the ceasefire, but did not mention Al-Tanaf. 
 
The Pentagon voiced its concerns as Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu paid a surprise visit to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus to discuss military cooperation &quot;to fight against terrorist organisations on Syrian soil&quot;. 
 
Konashenkov today also accused the United States of not providing the coordinates of the areas where the US-backed rebels are active, &quot;not allowing for precision in the operations of the Russian air force&quot;. 
(AFP)

Defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov insists Russian air force acted within framework of agreed procedures

Russia's defence ministry today denied bombing US-backed rebels in southern Syria earlier this week. In a video conference with Russian military officials, the Pentagon said on Saturday that it had expressed "strong concerns about the attack on the coalition-supported counter-ISIL forces at the Al-Tanaf garrison". Hours later Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov denied that Russia had bombed areas where US-backed rebels are operating. "The target that was bombed was located more than 300 kilometres away from the area" indicated by the United States, he said. Konashenkov insisted that the Russian air force had acted "within the framework of the agreed procedures" and had given advance warning of its ground targets to the US-led coalition. Russia's defence ministry said late Thursday that it had not carried out strikes against opposition forces included in the ceasefire, but did not mention Al-Tanaf. The Pentagon voiced its concerns as Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu paid a surprise visit to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus to discuss military cooperation "to fight against terrorist organisations on Syrian soil". Konashenkov today also accused the United States of not providing the coordinates of the areas where the US-backed rebels are active, "not allowing for precision in the operations of the Russian air force". (AFP)

Moscow denies strikes on US-backed rebels in Syria

US-backed Syrian forces edged closer to an Islamic State stronghold on the border with Turkey on Saturday while Russia&#39;s defence minister visited President Bashar al Assad to discuss military operations. 
 
The visit came only hours after the Syrian army and its Iranian-backed militias, which have been supported by Russian air power, lost several villages to Islamist rebels as they made significant advances in the countryside south of Aleppo. 
 
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebel capture of three villages from government control - Zeitan, Khalsa and Barna - had caused significant losses among government forces and their allies. 
 
The villages lie in an strategic area near a main highway that links Aleppo with the capital Damascus. Government forces captured the area at the end of last year in a major offensive, assisted by Iranian-backed militias and Russian jets. 
 
State media said Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu visited an airbase in the coastal Latakia province on Saturday after his talks with Assad in Damascus. 
 
Russia&#39;s military intervention in Syria in September helped turn the tide in Assad&#39;s favour after months of gains in western Syria by rebel fighters, who were aided by foreign military supplies, including US-made anti-tank missiles. 
 
Russia, which has been bombing opposition-held areas, is blamed by the opposition and rights activists for causing hundreds of civilian deaths and targeting hospitals, schools and infrastructure in what they say are indiscriminate attacks. 
 
An escalation in Russian and Syrian air and artillery strikes in recent weeks around a highway to rebel held parts of the northern city of Aleppo has made the road virtually impassable, putting hundreds of thousands of people under siege and worsening their humanitarian plight. 
 
A 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo announced by Russia on Thursday has had little impact on fighting, and air strikes and shelling have continued in and around the city. 
 
At least seven people died in rebel shelling of a neighbourhood of Aleppo held by the Kurdish YPG militia at dawn on Saturday, the Observatory said. 
 
Syrian helicopters also threw barrel bombs on several residential areas in opposition-held quarters. 
 
CLOSE TO MANBIJ 
 
Hundreds of people have been killed in Aleppo since peace talks broke off in April, as President Assad seeks to regain control of what was Syria&#39;s largest pre-war city, now split between rebel and government sectors. 
 
Washington and some other Western countries that have called on Assad to step down accuse Russia of focusing mostly on strikes against the moderate so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA), and less on attacking hardline Islamic State militants. 
 
On the border with Turkey, US-backed Syrian forces fought to the western entrance of Manbij city for the first time since a major offensive to seize the last territory held by Islamic State militants on the frontier, a source in the Syrian group said on Saturday. 
 
The source from the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance - which includes the powerful KurdishYek?ney?n Parastina Gel&lrm; (YPG) militia, Arab fighters and is being helped by scores of US special forces - told Reuters its troops were now almost two km from the city centre. 
 
Since the start of the offensive on May 31, the SDF has taken dozens of villages and farms around Manbij but has held back from entering the city with many thousands of people still trapped there. 
 
The SDF is one of a number of sides fighting in Syria&#39;s complex civil war which has pitted rebels against Assad and is now in its sixth year. 
 
The Observatory, which tracks violence across Syria, confirmed heavy fighting broke out for the first time on the edge of the city, adding that the militants had rammed a suicide vehicle into an SDF outpost but gave no details. 
 
Syrian government forces and some rebel groups are also fighting separate battles against Islamic State. The SDF has largely avoided fighting government forces and focuses on battling the hardline militants. 
(Reuters)

Syrian forces lost three villages to IS near a highway that links Aleppo to Damascus

US-backed Syrian forces edged closer to an Islamic State stronghold on the border with Turkey on Saturday while Russia's defence minister visited President Bashar al Assad to discuss military operations. The visit came only hours after the Syrian army and its Iranian-backed militias, which have been supported by Russian air power, lost several villages to Islamist rebels as they made significant advances in the countryside south of Aleppo. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebel capture of three villages from government control - Zeitan, Khalsa and Barna - had caused significant losses among government forces and their allies. The villages lie in an strategic area near a main highway that links Aleppo with the capital Damascus. Government forces captured the area at the end of last year in a major offensive, assisted by Iranian-backed militias and Russian jets. State media said Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu visited an airbase in the coastal Latakia province on Saturday after his talks with Assad in Damascus. Russia's military intervention in Syria in September helped turn the tide in Assad's favour after months of gains in western Syria by rebel fighters, who were aided by foreign military supplies, including US-made anti-tank missiles. Russia, which has been bombing opposition-held areas, is blamed by the opposition and rights activists for causing hundreds of civilian deaths and targeting hospitals, schools and infrastructure in what they say are indiscriminate attacks. An escalation in Russian and Syrian air and artillery strikes in recent weeks around a highway to rebel held parts of the northern city of Aleppo has made the road virtually impassable, putting hundreds of thousands of people under siege and worsening their humanitarian plight. A 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo announced by Russia on Thursday has had little impact on fighting, and air strikes and shelling have continued in and around the city. At least seven people died in rebel shelling of a neighbourhood of Aleppo held by the Kurdish YPG militia at dawn on Saturday, the Observatory said. Syrian helicopters also threw barrel bombs on several residential areas in opposition-held quarters. CLOSE TO MANBIJ Hundreds of people have been killed in Aleppo since peace talks broke off in April, as President Assad seeks to regain control of what was Syria's largest pre-war city, now split between rebel and government sectors. Washington and some other Western countries that have called on Assad to step down accuse Russia of focusing mostly on strikes against the moderate so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA), and less on attacking hardline Islamic State militants. On the border with Turkey, US-backed Syrian forces fought to the western entrance of Manbij city for the first time since a major offensive to seize the last territory held by Islamic State militants on the frontier, a source in the Syrian group said on Saturday. The source from the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance - which includes the powerful KurdishYek?ney?n Parastina Gel‎ (YPG) militia, Arab fighters and is being helped by scores of US special forces - told Reuters its troops were now almost two km from the city centre. Since the start of the offensive on May 31, the SDF has taken dozens of villages and farms around Manbij but has held back from entering the city with many thousands of people still trapped there. The SDF is one of a number of sides fighting in Syria's complex civil war which has pitted rebels against Assad and is now in its sixth year. The Observatory, which tracks violence across Syria, confirmed heavy fighting broke out for the first time on the edge of the city, adding that the militants had rammed a suicide vehicle into an SDF outpost but gave no details. Syrian government forces and some rebel groups are also fighting separate battles against Islamic State. The SDF has largely avoided fighting government forces and focuses on battling the hardline militants. (Reuters)

US-backed forces advance against Islamic State in Syria

A wildfire fed by parched land and high winds spread in Southern California on Saturday, prompting hundreds of people to evacuate their homes as the blaze formed destructive columns of flames known as fire tornadoes. 
 
The so-called Sherpa Fire in Santa Barbara County, about 90 miles (145 km) northwest of Los Angeles, had burned through about 7,811 acres (3,161 hectares) by Saturday evening, officials said. 
 
Firefighters estimated the fire was 45 per cent contained after early evening &quot;sundowner winds&quot; that can whip through the area&#39;s coastal canyons did not emerge overnight on Friday. 
 
&quot;We had a very good night last night,&quot; Santa Barbara County fire chief Eric Peterson told a news conference, adding &quot;we&#39;ve had no life loss, no major injuries and no major structural loss.&quot; 
 
But county officials issued a new &quot;red flag warning&quot; for gusty winds starting from today to Tuesday. 
 
More than 1,200 firefighters have been dispatched to battle the flames, fueled by dry chaparral and grass in coastal canyons about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of the affluent city of Santa Barbara. 
 
&quot;Now is the time to gather your family members, pets and important documents in case you need to leave quickly,&quot; the Santa Barbara sheriff&#39;s office warned people living in areas threatened by the fire. 
 
The fire broke out on Wednesday and has been expanding since then, forcing mandatory evacuations in some areas and putting others under evacuation warnings. 
 
The fire is one of a series of blazes in western and southwestern states brought about by high temperatures and a prolonged dry spell. One of the largest has been southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico, that has destroyed about two dozen homes and forced evacuations. 
 
More than 700 personnel were fighting the so-called Dog Head Fire that has burned through about 17,600 acres (7,125 hectares) of timber and logging zones in four days. Firefighters said it was 5 per cent contained as of Saturday evening. Governor Susana Martinez this week declared a state of emergency to free up resources to fight the blaze. 
 
For an area stretching from Southern California to Southern Nevada and into Arizona, the National Weather service has put out &quot;red flag warnings,&quot; indicating conditions that could lead to dangerous fires. 
 
It has also issued a heat advisory for large parts of New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. 
(Reuters)

Firefighters said that 45 per cent was contained but Santa Barbara County officials issued a new red flag warning for gusty winds

A wildfire fed by parched land and high winds spread in Southern California on Saturday, prompting hundreds of people to evacuate their homes as the blaze formed destructive columns of flames known as fire tornadoes. The so-called Sherpa Fire in Santa Barbara County, about 90 miles (145 km) northwest of Los Angeles, had burned through about 7,811 acres (3,161 hectares) by Saturday evening, officials said. Firefighters estimated the fire was 45 per cent contained after early evening "sundowner winds" that can whip through the area's coastal canyons did not emerge overnight on Friday. "We had a very good night last night," Santa Barbara County fire chief Eric Peterson told a news conference, adding "we've had no life loss, no major injuries and no major structural loss." But county officials issued a new "red flag warning" for gusty winds starting from today to Tuesday. More than 1,200 firefighters have been dispatched to battle the flames, fueled by dry chaparral and grass in coastal canyons about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of the affluent city of Santa Barbara. "Now is the time to gather your family members, pets and important documents in case you need to leave quickly," the Santa Barbara sheriff's office warned people living in areas threatened by the fire. The fire broke out on Wednesday and has been expanding since then, forcing mandatory evacuations in some areas and putting others under evacuation warnings. The fire is one of a series of blazes in western and southwestern states brought about by high temperatures and a prolonged dry spell. One of the largest has been southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico, that has destroyed about two dozen homes and forced evacuations. More than 700 personnel were fighting the so-called Dog Head Fire that has burned through about 17,600 acres (7,125 hectares) of timber and logging zones in four days. Firefighters said it was 5 per cent contained as of Saturday evening. Governor Susana Martinez this week declared a state of emergency to free up resources to fight the blaze. For an area stretching from Southern California to Southern Nevada and into Arizona, the National Weather service has put out "red flag warnings," indicating conditions that could lead to dangerous fires. It has also issued a heat advisory for large parts of New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. (Reuters)

Southern California wildfire spreads as blazes hit parched states

Iran and US aerospace giant Boeing have reached a deal for the purchase of 100 aircraft to renew the country&#39;s ageing fleet, the head of Tehran&#39;s civil aviation authority announced today. 
 
&quot;We have 250 planes in the country, 230 need to be replaced,&quot; said Ali Abedzadeh, the head of the civil aviation body, adding that the deal still needed approval from the US government. 
 
(AFP)

Iran and US aerospace giant Boeing have reached a deal for the purchase of 100 aircraft to renew the country's ageing fleet, the head of Tehran's civil aviation authority announced today. "We have 250 planes in the country, 230 need to be replaced," said Ali Abedzadeh, the head of the civil aviation body, adding that the deal still needed approval from the US government. (AFP)

Iran, Boeing reach deal on purchase of 100 planes: Tehran

A top US lawmaker said today authorities were probing the Facebook activity of the Orlando nightclub shooter, after an investigation found Omar Mateen made extremist posts during the massacre and searched for news of his attack. 
 
Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, sent a letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg Wednesday asking the company to share specifics of five accounts apparently used by Mateen. 
 
Lawmakers are trying to determine if there are ways for intelligence and law enforcement communities to monitor social media platforms like Facebook &quot;so that we can prevent these tragedies,&quot; Johnson told CNN today. 
 
&quot;This is our job, to see what has happened in the past, what can we possibly do to prevent this from occurring in the future and how can we find bipartisan solutions,&quot; the Republican said. 
 
Mateen killed 49 people and wounded 53 in his shooting spree early Sunday at the Pulse gay nightclub in the Florida resort city of Orlando. Authorities have said he was apparently radicalized after watching jihadist propaganda online. 
 
In his letter to Zuckerberg, Johnson said Mateen apparently posted sometime during the attack that he was pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group&#39;s leader, and &quot;America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state.&quot; 
 
He also allegedly posted: &quot;The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west&quot; and &quot;In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the USA.&quot; 
Mateen also allegedly searched for &quot;Pulse Orlando&quot; and &quot;Shooting,&quot; Johnson said. 
 
A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed the company has received the senator&#39;s letter, which asked Facebook to provide investigators with details of Mateen&#39;s Facebook accounts and activity. 
 
She said Facebook had not yet responded to the request but has been working with law enforcement from the outset of the investigation. 
Today, CNN reported that Mateen&#39;s wife suspected he was going to carry out an attack that night, even though he told her he was going out to see a friend. 
 
When the news of the shooting broke, 30-year-old Noor Mateen called him frantically, CNN said, citing unidentified sources. He didn&#39;t pick up, but texted her about 4am asking if she had seen the news. 
 
She responded: &quot;I love you,&quot; the report said. 
 
Authorities have refused to comment on reports that Mateen&#39;s wife would face charges over her alleged knowledge of Mateen&#39;s intentions to carry out an attack. 
(AFP)

He had made extremist posts during the attack. Also texted his wife asking if she had seen the news, she reportedly replied 'I love you'

A top US lawmaker said today authorities were probing the Facebook activity of the Orlando nightclub shooter, after an investigation found Omar Mateen made extremist posts during the massacre and searched for news of his attack. Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, sent a letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg Wednesday asking the company to share specifics of five accounts apparently used by Mateen. Lawmakers are trying to determine if there are ways for intelligence and law enforcement communities to monitor social media platforms like Facebook "so that we can prevent these tragedies," Johnson told CNN today. "This is our job, to see what has happened in the past, what can we possibly do to prevent this from occurring in the future and how can we find bipartisan solutions," the Republican said. Mateen killed 49 people and wounded 53 in his shooting spree early Sunday at the Pulse gay nightclub in the Florida resort city of Orlando. Authorities have said he was apparently radicalized after watching jihadist propaganda online. In his letter to Zuckerberg, Johnson said Mateen apparently posted sometime during the attack that he was pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group's leader, and "America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state." He also allegedly posted: "The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west" and "In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the USA." Mateen also allegedly searched for "Pulse Orlando" and "Shooting," Johnson said. A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed the company has received the senator's letter, which asked Facebook to provide investigators with details of Mateen's Facebook accounts and activity. She said Facebook had not yet responded to the request but has been working with law enforcement from the outset of the investigation. Today, CNN reported that Mateen's wife suspected he was going to carry out an attack that night, even though he told her he was going out to see a friend. When the news of the shooting broke, 30-year-old Noor Mateen called him frantically, CNN said, citing unidentified sources. He didn't pick up, but texted her about 4am asking if she had seen the news. She responded: "I love you," the report said. Authorities have refused to comment on reports that Mateen's wife would face charges over her alleged knowledge of Mateen's intentions to carry out an attack. (AFP)

Authorities probe Mateen's Facebook activity

President Barack Obama travelled to grief-stricken Orlando today, meeting loved ones devastated by a shooting rampage and using his bully pulpit to demand that the Republican-controlled Congress pass gun control. 
 
Four days after the worst mass shooting in US history, Obama made a solemn pilgrimage to meet staff at the Pulse nightclub, emergency responders and some of the dozens of families shattered by gunman Omar Mateen. 
 
Forty-nine people were killed and 53 wounded when the 29-year-old Mateen -- a Muslim American of Afghan descent -- ran amok in a packed gay nightclub early Sunday, armed with a legally bought assault rifle. 
 
Mateen -- who pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group during the attack -- was killed in a police raid. 
 
But his assault has fueled America&#39;s poisonous partisan culture wars, prompting new salvos in bitter election-year rows over immigration, counterterrorism and guns. 
 
After meeting the victims&#39; families, Obama said &quot;our hearts are broken too&quot; and insisted the tone of the country&#39;s hyper-partisan debate on firearms &quot;needs to change.&quot; 
 
Relatives of the victims &quot;don&#39;t care about the politics. And neither do I,&quot; he said. 
 
The Republican-controlled Congress has steadfastly refused to pass any gun legislation, saying to do so would infringe on the constitutional rights of gun owners. 
 
Frustrated Democrats took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to launch a procedural obstruction, known as a filibuster, to pressure Republicans to accept so-called &quot;no-fly, no buy&quot; legislation that would bar those on watch lists or no-fly lists from purchasing firearms. 
 
The move was a success, and votes were set for next week. 
 
- Can&#39;t catch every &#39;deranged person&#39; - 
Understanding of the shooting has been muddied by witnesses who say Mateen was a regular at the gay club and used gay dating apps. Investigators were looking into Mateen&#39;s social media activity for more clues. 
 
Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, said in a letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg that his investigators had found Mateen apparently made a post sometime during the attack that he was pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group&#39;s leader, and &quot;America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state.&quot; 
 
He also allegedly posted: &quot;The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west&quot; and &quot;In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the usa.&quot; 
 
Johnson was asking Zuckerberg to share details of five accounts apparently used by Mateen. 
 
&quot;The motives of this killer may have been different than the mass shooters in Aurora or Newtown,&quot; Obama said, listing two in the litany of mass shootings that have marked his presidency. 
 
&quot;But the instruments of death were so similar. And now another 49 innocent people are dead. Another 53 are injured. Some are still fighting for their lives. Some will have wounds that will last a lifetime.&quot; 
 
Obama insisted the military would tackle the Islamic State group, al-Qaeda and other extremist groups in their hideouts, and intelligence services would work to disrupt such networks. 
 
But, he warned, the government could not catch every &quot;deranged person.&quot; 
 
&quot;We can do something about the amount of damage that they do,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately our politics have conspired to make it as easy as possible for a terrorist or just a disturbed individual like those in Aurora and Newtown to buy extraordinarily powerful weapons and they can do so legally.&quot; 
 
- Rare bipartisanship - 
The day was meant to be about unity. 
 
In a rare symbolic show of bipartisanship, Obama arrived with Republican one-time presidential hopeful Marco Rubio and was greeted on the tarmac by Republican Florida governor Rick Scott and Vice President Joe Biden. 
 
But any goodwill was blown apart when Senator John McCain said Obama -- his general election rival in 2008 -- was &quot;directly responsible&quot; for the massacre. 
 
McCain later said he had meant to suggest that Obama&#39;s policies in the Middle East were to blame, not the president personally. 
 
In response to the shooting, Republicans have called for tougher counterterrorism measures and for the Obama administration to do more to fight the Islamic State group. 
 
FBI agents believe that Mateen was radicalized by following extremist propaganda online. 
 
The White House says coalition forces and allies are making gains against the group&#39;s strongholds in Syria, Iraq and Libya. 
 
But Republican arguments were given credence by Obama&#39;s own CIA director John Brennan, who warned today that the group retains the ability to conduct attacks around the world. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately, despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group&#39;s terrorism capability and global reach,&quot; he told US lawmakers at a hearing on Capitol Hill. 
(AFP)

Meets grief-stricken families, Pulse nightclub staff, says 'our hearts are broken too'

President Barack Obama travelled to grief-stricken Orlando today, meeting loved ones devastated by a shooting rampage and using his bully pulpit to demand that the Republican-controlled Congress pass gun control. Four days after the worst mass shooting in US history, Obama made a solemn pilgrimage to meet staff at the Pulse nightclub, emergency responders and some of the dozens of families shattered by gunman Omar Mateen. Forty-nine people were killed and 53 wounded when the 29-year-old Mateen -- a Muslim American of Afghan descent -- ran amok in a packed gay nightclub early Sunday, armed with a legally bought assault rifle. Mateen -- who pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group during the attack -- was killed in a police raid. But his assault has fueled America's poisonous partisan culture wars, prompting new salvos in bitter election-year rows over immigration, counterterrorism and guns. After meeting the victims' families, Obama said "our hearts are broken too" and insisted the tone of the country's hyper-partisan debate on firearms "needs to change." Relatives of the victims "don't care about the politics. And neither do I," he said. The Republican-controlled Congress has steadfastly refused to pass any gun legislation, saying to do so would infringe on the constitutional rights of gun owners. Frustrated Democrats took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to launch a procedural obstruction, known as a filibuster, to pressure Republicans to accept so-called "no-fly, no buy" legislation that would bar those on watch lists or no-fly lists from purchasing firearms. The move was a success, and votes were set for next week. - Can't catch every 'deranged person' - Understanding of the shooting has been muddied by witnesses who say Mateen was a regular at the gay club and used gay dating apps. Investigators were looking into Mateen's social media activity for more clues. Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, said in a letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg that his investigators had found Mateen apparently made a post sometime during the attack that he was pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group's leader, and "America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state." He also allegedly posted: "The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west" and "In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the usa." Johnson was asking Zuckerberg to share details of five accounts apparently used by Mateen. "The motives of this killer may have been different than the mass shooters in Aurora or Newtown," Obama said, listing two in the litany of mass shootings that have marked his presidency. "But the instruments of death were so similar. And now another 49 innocent people are dead. Another 53 are injured. Some are still fighting for their lives. Some will have wounds that will last a lifetime." Obama insisted the military would tackle the Islamic State group, al-Qaeda and other extremist groups in their hideouts, and intelligence services would work to disrupt such networks. But, he warned, the government could not catch every "deranged person." "We can do something about the amount of damage that they do," he said. "Unfortunately our politics have conspired to make it as easy as possible for a terrorist or just a disturbed individual like those in Aurora and Newtown to buy extraordinarily powerful weapons and they can do so legally." - Rare bipartisanship - The day was meant to be about unity. In a rare symbolic show of bipartisanship, Obama arrived with Republican one-time presidential hopeful Marco Rubio and was greeted on the tarmac by Republican Florida governor Rick Scott and Vice President Joe Biden. But any goodwill was blown apart when Senator John McCain said Obama -- his general election rival in 2008 -- was "directly responsible" for the massacre. McCain later said he had meant to suggest that Obama's policies in the Middle East were to blame, not the president personally. In response to the shooting, Republicans have called for tougher counterterrorism measures and for the Obama administration to do more to fight the Islamic State group. FBI agents believe that Mateen was radicalized by following extremist propaganda online. The White House says coalition forces and allies are making gains against the group's strongholds in Syria, Iraq and Libya. But Republican arguments were given credence by Obama's own CIA director John Brennan, who warned today that the group retains the ability to conduct attacks around the world. "Unfortunately, despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group's terrorism capability and global reach," he told US lawmakers at a hearing on Capitol Hill. (AFP)

Obama travels to Orlando, says gun debate 'needs to change'

<div style="text-align: justify;">US&nbsp;President Barack Obama will meet with Saudi Arabia&#39;s powerful deputy crown prince on Friday and the two are expected to discuss conflicts in the Middle East including the campaign against Islamic State, a White House spokesman said on Thursday. 
 
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, is on a visit to the United States aimed at restoring frayed relations with Washington and to promote a plan to slash the kingdom&#39;s dependence on oil revenues. Friday&#39;s meeting will take place at the White House. 
 
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the meeting would provide an opportunity to discuss issues including the conflicts in Syria and Yemen and &quot;our cooperation with the Saudis in the campaign against ISIL,&quot; as Islamic State is also known. 
 
U.S. officials have expressed unease about the Saudi-led campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has resulted in large-scale civilian casualties, according to the United Nations and human rights groups. 
 
Reuters reported last week that the UN&nbsp;had removed the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen from a child rights blacklist after intense pressure by Riyadh. 
 
Prince Mohammed, whose influence in Saudi governing counsels appears to be growing rapidly, is being given wide access to Obama&#39;s administration. 
 
He will visit the White House on Thursday afternoon to meet with Obama&#39;s National Economic Council to discuss the plan the prince is championing to transform the Saudi economy by 2030. US&nbsp;treasury secretary Jack Lew and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will be present. 
 
&quot;A lot of our economic officials this afternoon will be meeting with him about how to move that programme forward and adopt best practices,&quot; Schultz said 
 
Prince Mohammed, who is also the Saudi defence minister, also is due to meet US&nbsp;defence secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon on Thursday. 
(Reuters)</div>

Deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, is on a visit to the US aimed at restoring frayed relations with Washington

US President Barack Obama will meet with Saudi Arabia's powerful deputy crown prince on Friday and the two are expected to discuss conflicts in the Middle East including the campaign against Islamic State, a White House spokesman said on Thursday. Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, is on a visit to the United States aimed at restoring frayed relations with Washington and to promote a plan to slash the kingdom's dependence on oil revenues. Friday's meeting will take place at the White House. White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the meeting would provide an opportunity to discuss issues including the conflicts in Syria and Yemen and "our cooperation with the Saudis in the campaign against ISIL," as Islamic State is also known. U.S. officials have expressed unease about the Saudi-led campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has resulted in large-scale civilian casualties, according to the United Nations and human rights groups. Reuters reported last week that the UN had removed the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen from a child rights blacklist after intense pressure by Riyadh. Prince Mohammed, whose influence in Saudi governing counsels appears to be growing rapidly, is being given wide access to Obama's administration. He will visit the White House on Thursday afternoon to meet with Obama's National Economic Council to discuss the plan the prince is championing to transform the Saudi economy by 2030. US treasury secretary Jack Lew and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will be present. "A lot of our economic officials this afternoon will be meeting with him about how to move that programme forward and adopt best practices," Schultz said Prince Mohammed, who is also the Saudi defence minister, also is due to meet US defence secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon on Thursday. (Reuters)

Obama to meet Saudi deputy crown prince on Friday:  White House

Police divers today recovered the body of a 2-year-old boy who was grabbed by an alligator in front of his family during a vacation at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. 
 
The child was snatched by the alligator as he played at the water&#39;s edge on Tuesday night and dragged into a lagoon despite his parents&#39; effort to save him. 
 
Orange County sheriff Jerry Demings said he and a Catholic priest had informed the family that the boy&#39;s body had been recovered near where he vanished and was completely intact. 
 
An autopsy would be carried out, Demings added, but the presumption was that the child was drowned by the alligator. 
 
&quot;It was a tough message to deliver,&quot; Demings told a news conference. &quot;Of course the family was distraught, but also I believe somewhat relieved that we were able to find their son ... so that they can come to grips with what has happened.&quot; 
 
The alligator was believed to be between 4 and 7 feet (1.2 and 2 meters) long. 
 
Wildlife officials earlier captured and killed five of the reptiles from Seven Seas Lagoon and opened them up to look for traces of the boy. Nick Wiley, head of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said it was too early to say whether one of those five might be the culprit. 
 
&quot;There is a good chance we already have the alligator because we focused our efforts in that proximity, in that area where this incident occurred,&quot; he said, adding that the probe would focus on results of forensic tests and bite marks on the child&#39;s body. 
 
The resort closed its beaches and recreational marinas today while search teams scoured the lagoon, a man-made lake reaching 14 feet (4.2 meters) in depth. 
 
The family, on vacation from the Omaha, Nebraska suburb of Elkhorn, were named as Matt and Melissa Graves. Their son was named Lane. 
 
There are signs prohibiting swimming at the lagoon but the boy was grabbed as he was playing at the water&#39;s edge while his family relaxed nearby on the shore, authorities said. 
 
The signs did not specifically warn about alligators, a Disney spokeswoman said, adding that the company would review the situation. 
 
The boy&#39;s father rushed into the water and suffered minor cuts on his arm as he fought to wrestle his child from the alligator&#39;s grasp, said Jeff Williamson, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff&#39;s Office. 
 
Authorities said the boy&#39;s mother tried to rescue him too. A lifeguard on duty also was unable to reach the toddler in time. 
 
Alligators are not uncommon in the Seven Seas Lagoon, Wiley said. Alligators have killed five people in Florida in the last ten years, according to state data. 
 
Wiley said the wildlife commission works with the resort to remove &quot;nuisance alligators&quot; - classed as those which have lost their fear of humans - whenever they are reported. 
 
Disney has operated in the area for 45 years and never had this type of incident, Demings said. 
 
UPSCALE RESORT 
 
The Walt Disney World Resort is the world&#39;s most-visited theme park. About 20.5 million people visited the park&#39;s Magic Kingdom in 2015, according to the Themed Entertainment Association. 
 
Shares in Walt Disney Co appeared unaffected by the incident, closing down 13 cents at $98.27. 
 
A Walt Disney World Resort spokeswoman said everyone there was devastated by the accident. 
 
Disney chief executive Bob Iger issued a statement to express his sympathies &quot;as a parent and a grandparent.&quot; A Disney spokeswoman said Iger also talked with the family by telephone today. 
 
William Lopez, 41, an evangelical pastor from San Francisco, was on vacation with his wife and seven-year-old daughter. He said he thought a path around part of the lagoon should have been fenced off. 
 
&quot;If we have that kind of aggressive animals we should have been safeguarded,&quot; Lopez said. &quot;I hope they do something to correct this so that it never happens again. Because we love to come here.&quot; 
 
Disney&#39;s Grand Floridian Resort &amp; Spa is described by Disney as a lavish property combining Victorian elegance with modern sophistication. Rooms start at $569 per night, according to its website. 
 
Guests can rent motorized boats for cruising and fishing, or a private lakeside cabana. Children aged between 4 and 12 also can embark upon &quot;pirate adventures&quot; on the lagoon. 
 
Jim Hill, a theme park historian who runs a popular Disney fan blog, agreed with Demings the company has been &quot;aggressive&quot; about managing the risk from alligators. 
 
But he said that the attack, combined with other recent bad news in the area, could make people reconsider plans to visit Walt Disney World. 
 
The alligator incident came as Orlando reeled from a gunman killing 49 people at a gay nightclub in the city on Sunday before dying in a shoot-out with police. 
 
The night before that attack, singer Christina Grimmie was shot and killed in Orlando, apparently by a deranged fan. 
 
&quot;When people think &#39;the Happiest Place on Earth&#39;, right now that&#39;s not Orlando,&quot; Hill said, referring to a Disney catchphrase for Disneyland. 
 
Edward Jones analyst Robin Diedrich said there might be a slight decline in Walt Disney World attendance, but it would not be material to the company. 
 
&quot;I think most people would reasonably conclude they will get the issue under control and it&#39;s probably safe to go,&quot; she said. 
 
The alligator attack follows a May 28 incident when a 3-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, causing zookeepers to kill a gorilla to protect the child. 
 
Animal rights activists criticized Disney for not explicitly warning about alligators in the water. 
 
&quot;A child and apparently five alligators, who were doing only what came naturally to them, have paid with their lives,&quot; Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in a statement.

Child had been vacationing with his family at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. He was taken from right in front of them

Police divers today recovered the body of a 2-year-old boy who was grabbed by an alligator in front of his family during a vacation at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The child was snatched by the alligator as he played at the water's edge on Tuesday night and dragged into a lagoon despite his parents' effort to save him. Orange County sheriff Jerry Demings said he and a Catholic priest had informed the family that the boy's body had been recovered near where he vanished and was completely intact. An autopsy would be carried out, Demings added, but the presumption was that the child was drowned by the alligator. "It was a tough message to deliver," Demings told a news conference. "Of course the family was distraught, but also I believe somewhat relieved that we were able to find their son ... so that they can come to grips with what has happened." The alligator was believed to be between 4 and 7 feet (1.2 and 2 meters) long. Wildlife officials earlier captured and killed five of the reptiles from Seven Seas Lagoon and opened them up to look for traces of the boy. Nick Wiley, head of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said it was too early to say whether one of those five might be the culprit. "There is a good chance we already have the alligator because we focused our efforts in that proximity, in that area where this incident occurred," he said, adding that the probe would focus on results of forensic tests and bite marks on the child's body. The resort closed its beaches and recreational marinas today while search teams scoured the lagoon, a man-made lake reaching 14 feet (4.2 meters) in depth. The family, on vacation from the Omaha, Nebraska suburb of Elkhorn, were named as Matt and Melissa Graves. Their son was named Lane. There are signs prohibiting swimming at the lagoon but the boy was grabbed as he was playing at the water's edge while his family relaxed nearby on the shore, authorities said. The signs did not specifically warn about alligators, a Disney spokeswoman said, adding that the company would review the situation. The boy's father rushed into the water and suffered minor cuts on his arm as he fought to wrestle his child from the alligator's grasp, said Jeff Williamson, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Authorities said the boy's mother tried to rescue him too. A lifeguard on duty also was unable to reach the toddler in time. Alligators are not uncommon in the Seven Seas Lagoon, Wiley said. Alligators have killed five people in Florida in the last ten years, according to state data. Wiley said the wildlife commission works with the resort to remove "nuisance alligators" - classed as those which have lost their fear of humans - whenever they are reported. Disney has operated in the area for 45 years and never had this type of incident, Demings said. UPSCALE RESORT The Walt Disney World Resort is the world's most-visited theme park. About 20.5 million people visited the park's Magic Kingdom in 2015, according to the Themed Entertainment Association. Shares in Walt Disney Co appeared unaffected by the incident, closing down 13 cents at $98.27. A Walt Disney World Resort spokeswoman said everyone there was devastated by the accident. Disney chief executive Bob Iger issued a statement to express his sympathies "as a parent and a grandparent." A Disney spokeswoman said Iger also talked with the family by telephone today. William Lopez, 41, an evangelical pastor from San Francisco, was on vacation with his wife and seven-year-old daughter. He said he thought a path around part of the lagoon should have been fenced off. "If we have that kind of aggressive animals we should have been safeguarded," Lopez said. "I hope they do something to correct this so that it never happens again. Because we love to come here." Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is described by Disney as a lavish property combining Victorian elegance with modern sophistication. Rooms start at $569 per night, according to its website. Guests can rent motorized boats for cruising and fishing, or a private lakeside cabana. Children aged between 4 and 12 also can embark upon "pirate adventures" on the lagoon. Jim Hill, a theme park historian who runs a popular Disney fan blog, agreed with Demings the company has been "aggressive" about managing the risk from alligators. But he said that the attack, combined with other recent bad news in the area, could make people reconsider plans to visit Walt Disney World. The alligator incident came as Orlando reeled from a gunman killing 49 people at a gay nightclub in the city on Sunday before dying in a shoot-out with police. The night before that attack, singer Christina Grimmie was shot and killed in Orlando, apparently by a deranged fan. "When people think 'the Happiest Place on Earth', right now that's not Orlando," Hill said, referring to a Disney catchphrase for Disneyland. Edward Jones analyst Robin Diedrich said there might be a slight decline in Walt Disney World attendance, but it would not be material to the company. "I think most people would reasonably conclude they will get the issue under control and it's probably safe to go," she said. The alligator attack follows a May 28 incident when a 3-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, causing zookeepers to kill a gorilla to protect the child. Animal rights activists criticized Disney for not explicitly warning about alligators in the water. "A child and apparently five alligators, who were doing only what came naturally to them, have paid with their lives," Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in a statement.

Body of 2-year-old boy snatched by alligator in Florida recovered

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